Considering how often they make the claim that “Paul said this” and “Paul said that”, one would expect charismatics to actually follow Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians. But alas that is not the case! Charismatics quote what Paul said all right, but then turn around and do the exact opposite of what Paul said. But to claim one thing then do the opposite… defies logic at best.
The charismatic renewal claims tongues are for everybody.
Paul said not so; not everybody has the same gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:28-30)
Charismatics break out in “tongues” all at the same time.
Paul said to take turns. (1 Corinthians 14: 27)
There is never interpretation at prayer meetings.
Paul said there must be an interpreter. (1 Corinthians 14:27)
Tongue speaking is a standard practice at charismatic gatherings.
Paul said if there is no interpreter to keep silent. (1 Corinthians 14:28)
The charismatic renewal is overwhelmingly feminine in character; the prayer groups are filled with women and led by women. In the more than ten years in the renewal and several hundred prayer meetings later; I never heard a man prophesy.
Paul said women should be silent in the Church and leadership positions are to remain in the hands of men. (1 Timothy 2:11 and 1 Corinthians 14:34)
And Paul thought the church of Corinth was a bit “mad”…
INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
"If anyone speaks in a tongue, let it be two or at most three, and each in turn, and one should interpret." (1 Corinthians 14: 27)
Was Paul instructing the Corinthians how to operate a companion gift to tongues? Remember he had been warning the Corinthians NOT to use tongues in worship, which he reaffirms with the following statement “…tongues are a sign not for those who believe but for unbelievers.” (1 Corinthians 14:23) Since the church at Corinth consisted of believers, tongues were unnecessary. But then why was Paul setting up conditions for their operation?
There had to have been the genuine gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues operating in Corinth when Paul wrote his epistles. Paul identifies interpretation of tongues as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1Corinthians Chapter 12. Keep in mind that the Corinthian church was young and its members were mostly new converts with pagan backgrounds. Since everybody’s uncle speaks tongues, interpretation of tongues was probably effective to bring an end to the proliferation of pagan tongues. Pagan tongues would have been an additional headache for Paul, since the Corinthian church was already in disorder with its misuse of genuine tongues. It is interesting to note, however, that interpretation of tongues is not mentioned in Acts again. So it is quite conceivable that it was a temporary gift for Corinth.
Modern day interpretation of tongues is as "fruitful" to worship as modern day tongues. Ask yourself why it is that Pentecostal and Charismatic preachers use real translators when they evangelize aboard? If they have people with tongues and interpretation of tongues, why do they need translators?
If you are still not convinced, just memorize the “Glory be” in a foreign language and recite it at a prayer meeting. The “interpretation”, if there is one, will not be the “Glory be”.
ANGELIC/PRIVATE PRAYER LANGUAGE
Didn’t Paul say he spoke in angelic tongues?
No. This is what Paul said: “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.”(1 Corinthians 13:1)
He said nothing more, nothing less; Paul simply made a hypothetical proposal:
if I speak in angelic tongues,
if I moved mountains,
if I could do some other impossible thing but do not have love… See THAT is the point: If I don’t have love, no matter what wonderful thing I can do, I will be like a falsely reverberating instrument. Paul could have used something else to make his point. Yet charismatics concocted an entire system of “tongues of angels” and “private prayer language” based on a solitary, hypothetical analogy...
1 Corinthians 13:1 fails to make the case for people praying in some sort of “angelic tongue” or “private prayer language”. To be sure, angels communicate, but it is highly unlikely they would use a system requiring human vocal chords and much less that we could perceive angelic communication with earthbound senses. “Private prayer language” implies a type of prayer that is to be used in private. Except charismatics rattle off the same mumbo-jumbo "tongues" in private as they do at prayer meetings, conferences and at charismatic masses. So then what makes charismatic tongues a “private prayer language”? Anyone can pray the Our Father in private, but that does not make the “Our Father” a private prayer. So then who would benefit from praying in a language nobody understands when nobody is around? The charismatic explanation is we do not know what we need, but the Holy Spirit does. That of course is true, but it fails to make a case for mindless babble. In the same way we do not have to verbalize for God what he already knows. The “Our Father” and the “Hail Mary” covers all the bases so to speak or we can just repeat Jesus’ plea to the Father from Matthew 26; pass this cup from me, but not my will, your will be done!
