The Gift of Tongues — Jim Cymbala

So let's talk about something important. Let's talk about speaking in tongues in the late 1800s after the Civil War which ended in 1865. Holiness camp meetings and Baptist camp meetings and Methodist camp meetings Started to be held in different areas of the country.

Because People were hungry for God. The Civil War had decimated the country all kinds of deaths. Bloodshed remember more people died in the Civil War more Americans than in all the other wars. We've fought put together think of that.

But there was a deadness in the churches and. And There's always a remnant of people who don't want church they want God. You know, you can have church you can have church, but having church and having God is another whole thing.

Seeking God Beyond Religious Formality

Experiencing God seeing people get saved. Feeling a new love in your heart being more like Christ. Being saved from conformity to the world worldliness carnality. Having the same value system as the rat race that's in contemporary society of that day.

Well, they met and they started to have preaching times and calling on God, especially in the 1880s 1890s and then in 19 early 1900s a revival same kind of thing happening in Wales in in the United Kingdom.

The Welsh Revival and the Power of Simple Testimony

In Wales a Revival broke out. That was very strange it actually began by some young people having a meeting before the evening service and People had been praying. The UK was maybe deader than what was happening in America.

Someone asked a girl. To just give a testimony in a meeting that didn't even have 40 people in it. If I remember and she stood up and said just one sentence. Something I love Jesus with all my heart and I want to live my life for him.

But the way she said it where it came from how it was anointed by the Holy Spirit boom. The spirit fell and these young people started crying out to God worshiping God. The adults came in for the evening service, but they couldn't stop this youth service.

So they joined in right with it and there was deep deep emotion a lot of crying praying. Suddenly the spirit came on some of those young people and they thought of their mothers and fathers who weren't serving God and they began to travail.

Like a woman giving birth and no one had ever seen that they weren't even sure of where it was in the Bible but Something happened and it spread like fire. God raised up a young man by the name of Evan Roberts.

Who became the leader but it was an odd thing. The fancy well-known preachers from England London Birmingham and all those places Liverpool. They would come to Wales to see what was going on and they couldn't get in the buildings.

Night after night the buildings were filled. They were smaller buildings I'll be it but still just packed and there wasn't a lot of preaching. They was just singing they loved to sing in Wales and they loved to sing in harmony and they can sing a capella and they would just be singing and singing and confession of sin and testifying and someone would exhort and then they'd go back to singing and no one had ever seen anything like that because the order of service was so Rigid at that time and you got to remember in England.

They were charging for the pews. The only people came to church were the ones who paid for the pew. You rented a pew. The Welsh revival you can read about it read about Evan Roberts. Tailed off at the end went into a little fanaticism, but that's what happens a lot of times when the spirit moves.

You have to be very careful. Can't control it, but you got to just be careful and prayerful that it stays biblical and right. Well people in America were praying for a revival especially out in California.

From the Welsh Revival to Azusa Street

Interracial people who gathered together some small black congregations started praying God. We need fire. Our churches are going to pot. Nobody gets converted. There are no water baptisms. It was bad.

They read this little pamphlet very famous back in that day The Welsh revival written by people who observed it. Some came doubting but they were overcome by the Spirit of God. When it came to America this little pamphlet people got stirred up and said no we got to keep praying we got to keep believing God.

A one-eyed African-american preacher by the name of brother Seymour was seeking after God he ended up in Los Angeles and He met in a house the church he went to that he preached at. When he told the people that the Holy Spirit wanted to do much more and that the people shouldn't be just sitting satisfied.

But that we should be hungry for everything God has for us. They locked the church on him and wouldn't let him preach at night. So he ended up in a house at 221 Bonnie Bray Street in California and he met with some other African-american people there in a house and one night as they were praying the Spirit came.

Fell upon the people as is found in the Bible and several of them began to speak in an ecstasy in Languages that nobody understood especially the person who was speaking it. They were speaking syllables and words in an unknown language.

But it was accompanied by a deep overwhelming sense of the greatness of God the goodness of God. The house got so crowded as the word spread that they couldn't fit the people in the house, so they went looking for a place to meet very informal.

Not the kind of thing we call having a slick church. And they found a building that had been used as a place where horses and wagons were kept. But previous I believe had been a Methodist mission. It didn't seat even 120 people it was out at Azusa Street.

Azusa Street in Los Angeles and they went in there and they started to have meetings. They took pieces of Concrete or whatever and just ran had boards that was with the pews. And on top of another one and that's how the church was quote furnished crude.

Humble it humiliated many people who came and who wanted to be associated with something like we have today. Slick people well-known people rich people. We got to hang out with movie stars and Basketball players and get them to say something about Jesus once in a while because then you're really important.

This was the opposite as a man by the name of brother Bartleman who wrote a great book. You should read it. It's called what really happened at Azusa Street or the modern Rendition of it is called Azusa Street, and he describes the prayer that went before it and then the spirit came although He wasn't there at Bonnie Bray Street, but he ended up coming to Azusa Street.

But he had people praying where he was they were hungry for God. They were hungry to experience God. How many are hungry like me tonight to experience God in a new deeper way? Brother Seymour had only one eye.

He was from very very poor background in Texas come out from Houston. He was the leader if you want to call it a leader because there was no order of service. The meeting started by the folks just singing or calling on God and Then the Spirit the Holy Spirit ran the services.

He had a big box on the platform the platform. Imagine the building and he would put his head in the box so that nobody could see him. Because he didn't want to try to share in any of the glory that only God deserved.

We need a few more boxes for a few more preachers. Don't you think? They would sing about the blood they would sing about the cross there'd be repentance of sin. People would walk in to mock and then break down and End up coming to the front and confessing their sins in front of everybody.

If someone got up full of themselves and was not in the spirit everybody in the meeting would just begin to pray. They were mature. They begin to pray God shut him down. Shut him down God shut him down and then sometimes it would be preachers who wanted to show off their their mighty oratorical skills.

And they would break down. The meetings went on and the building basically was open for three years. But God was so strong there that Bartleman writes. You really had to suck it up and take a deep breath before you walked in.

Because you knew a lie couldn't live there sin couldn't live there if you went in and meant business with God. No fancy anything some of the other leaders were white and this was all new. Remember we're talking about 1906.

So reporters from the San Francisco papers in Los Angeles paper came and wrote mocking articles about These poor people poor whites blacks meeting together some Latinos meeting together and then this ecstasy comes on some of them and they begin to speak gibberish a Language, they don't know and sometimes there's an interpretation of it and what's going on because to the natural mind spiritual things are stupid.

You understand that right if you want to be cool and fit in with everyone you can't serve God and be filled with the Holy Spirit, you know that right. Jesus was born in a manger not a palace but the word spread now people came from Sweden from Norway from New York a Church was formed on 34th Street glad tidings near Penn Station, which is now closed up moved elsewhere.

But that was one of the first churches that stressed the Holy Spirit in New York City. And how did it all start they went out to Azusa Street? They sat in those meetings and they said oh, no, this is a whole nother dimension of God.

This is not three songs and the announcements and the offering and a sermon and then let's go out and the meeting is over. This was like just God is moving by his spirit moving in all the earth. Signs and wonders when God moveth move.

O Lord in me God carved out young men and women and older men and women to go into the ministry who never dreamed it. People left there and went to China as missionaries. Some people came back and went to North Carolina where the flag of I Don't like to use that word Pentecostal because it has a bad meaning to me now.

It's just a traditional name and it's not a biblical word, but let's call Holy Spirit emphasis churches. Do you get what I'm talking about that? God is alive for today not Pentecostal tradition. That's what's followed.

Black style white style, but this was none of that you read Bartleman's writings of what went on in those meetings book had. I've reread it several several several times and It has had a very deep effect on my life because it shows That there are hungry people who want God and not church.

How many want God and not church? And that's always been my wife who's sitting here who has built this church with her blood sweat and tears. As I've tried to that's always been our dream that there would be a church where people came for God.

Not for a man or a woman or a choir. Can we all say amen to that? Where's their fanaticism? Yep at times but like Paul did in 1st Corinthians. You have to teach you have to correct but you can't grab it too tight where you can grieve the Spirit.

Testing Spiritual Gifts by Scripture and Christ-Centeredness

They try to keep an openness to the Holy Spirit. They started to search the scriptures, especially 1st Corinthians 12. 1st Corinthians 14 About the gifts and movings of the Holy Spirit, but they were very wise.

They said the more the Holy Spirit moves the more Jesus is glorified. Because Jesus said I'm gonna send the Spirit and when he comes he will glorify me. There were no Holy Spirit churches. There were Jesus churches.

The Holy Spirit was there to only lift up Christ and like the Bible describes him like a dove shy Going in the background. So all the glory will go to Christ, but oh how he moved and what happened. So people around the whole world were affected in some way shape or form the whole so-called Pentecostal movement spread throughout Brazil throughout Sweden throughout everywhere.

Started by a man with one eye. No, it wasn't started by him. God forgive me to say that but he was the the leader third grade education a joke to our society. You got to be kidding me, right? Always remember what the world calls greatest often an abomination to God and What the world laughs at is special to God.

Always remember that never see some poor saint here or some Buddy who just barely making it and they don't seem to be one of the high and mighty and the elite. They'll never make people magazine, but be careful how you treat them.

That might be one of God's special Flowers in his garden. Can we say amen to that? The thing that happened in that drew everyone's attention. Which people thought had ceased when the Apostles passed off the scene was this speaking in tongues or glossolalia with a Holy Spirit.

Anointing and quickening people were speaking in languages. They didn't know. Now it seems that even after the days of the Apostles book of Acts the last Writings of John who lived the longest it seems like there were still occurrences of this Gift of the Spirit that's mentioned as we'll see.

Then it passed off the scenes. So people then said that was just for the days of the book of Acts. That's no more for today. Now. We have scripture. We don't need speaking in tongues the gift of miracles prophecy so on and so forth but There was no scripture that said that.

There is no scripture that said this is what God did but he'll never do it again. There is no verse that says that. So down through the ages some of the commentators really futile in their attempts to dismiss Speaking in tongues because as we're gonna see it's very uncool.

So they said that no the gift of tongues Was given so that you could go to a country and without taking time to learn the language. You could go and just speak Chinese or speak this or that. There's no record of that in the Bible.

There is a record that in Acts chapter 2 and they all spoke in tongues. Do you know the reference? I'm speaking of when the crowd gathered they heard these Galileans speaking in some of their own languages the praises of God.

But they had started speaking in tongues before those people came so they didn't speak in tongues for those people. They were speaking languages. They did not know and the Bible is clear that the one who speaks in tongue Speaks mysteries to God.

They don't know what they're saying, which is very anti Western intellectual thought. That you're doing something that's valuable, but you don't know what you're doing. That is against everything you're going to learn in any school system.

But God's ways are not our ways now when this surfaced here again in as I just said the beginning of the 20th century in 1900s a New study began of all of this is this for today and the general? Understanding of anyone who's honest with the scripture is that there are no verses that says the gifts of the Spirit what God can do Is no longer for today.

That's just. It's called cessationism. The ceasing of all the charismata the gifts of God's Spirit poured out on his people. Now two things you must remember before I give you these verses. You don't mind I give you this little study tonight.

The Common Good and the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

Amen in 1st Corinthians 12 it says that the Manifestation or the gift of the Spirit the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good so listen the general rule is that when the Spirit comes on a person and Uses them and some gift is imparted.

It's not for their benefit only, but it's mostly for people's benefit. God loves us so much that if he's going to anoint Carol to write a song or someone to sing or someone to prophesy or so whatever or someone to preach.

It's for the people we need the Spirit so we can bless people. We don't need the Spirit so that we can be whoo I got a blessing you get a blessing to be a blessing how many say amen right you have to know that.

Because otherwise this thing becomes self-centered and it can actually be a form of pride who has more spirit. Who who's more spiritual who can pray better who can worship better and all these silly?

Abominable things that can happen in churches. No, the the true spirit makes you go low and makes you just want to minister to people. Now when it lists not an inclusive list in 1st Corinthians 12. But when it lists different gifts of the Holy Spirit on the end of it is the gift of tongues and the interpretation Of tongues it just lists those Along with the gift of healing that God can give people that they can pray for people and they're healed doesn't say they're ministers.

Doesn't say they went to seminary. They just got the gift from God. Oh how we have twisted this God, please forgive us and The gift of faith to have special faith to bring people through situations. Supernatural faith faith from God that it just can move mountains.

That's something God gives someone. You don't work it up, and you're never worthy of it. It's a gift obviously if it's a gift you didn't work for it or else it wouldn't be a gift then it's pay. God's not paying anybody he's giving gifts.

How many are happy for that say amen so with that background Paul Outlines that and then 1st Corinthians 13 He shows them the better way and says if I speak with the tongue of men and of angels but have not What am I?

Nothing zero so he shows that love is greater than any of the gifts and That's true now. He returns in 1st Corinthians 14 to this matter of stuff that was going on in the church. So let me just get one other thing out of the way.

Tongues, Prophecy, and Order in Public Worship

Because that's been used by people to dismiss speaking in tongues and the importance of tongues. Which is since we're to bless people and tongues are an unknown quantity unknown thing a mystery tongues is the least of the gifts in many ways and that's true and What was happening in the church at Corinth was?

They got Taken up with tongues and they had so much speaking in tongues that the meetings were getting chaotic and Paul is now writing because he must have heard of this what was going on to give them balance so a lot of what's written in 1st Corinthians 14 is Remember tongues have their place which is all I want to talk about tonight as I close.

Tongues have their place, but remember it's better to prophesy. Why? Because the person who speaks in a tongue only edifies himself, but that's a very important thing as we're gonna see. God has given us something where you can build yourself up and be stronger spiritually and have a more endurance and more everything by praying in The spirit by speaking in unknown tongues as we're going to see that.

So he says if tongues are used in a meeting It must be accompanied or should be by the gift of Interpretation of tongues that doesn't mean a translation of the tongues whatever they might be. But it means that the person who translates Gives the interpretation I should say Speaks in the language of the people because if the meeting is interrupted.

Which is something that we should always be careful about it's sacred, and it's of God. It can be a great blessing. But the interpretation is the important part because if someone interrupts me right now and speaks in tongues for two minutes.

It doesn't help any of us. Because we don't know what they're saying, but the interpretation that is given which means Understanding the heart and mind of God what he's saying through that prayer or exhortation in tongues.

Why God does that why he has tongues before interpretation why he would have meetings with that we have no idea. But it is a very humbling thing isn't it? Oh? Yeah, you get someone with a PhD or a billionaire walk-in.

With a limo outside waiting and they come in and here's a lady with a fourth grade education. Who knows million times more about God than that person and they're used by God? It's demeaning to the pride of man.

I'm gonna give myself over to a language and to speak in Ecstasy and I don't even know what I'm saying and you're telling me that's God's plan for my life at times yes. That's God's plan for your life at times, but you see that humiliates our pride.

There's a lot of us don't want to let go. I'm not talking about letting go and being crazy and unedifying. I'm talking about letting go and letting the Holy Spirit so possess our spirits and be so open to his inspiration and quickening.

That he can do amazing things through us very hard. That's hard for preachers. That's hard for a lot of people. That's why God usually works among the lowly people the less Educated people and the less money people it's just a fact.

Not because he's against the rich and the educated. But usually there's a pride with that that won't humble itself down to God's level to where God wants us. I should say and that's why Azusa Street and every other revival.

What what did they say when Peter and James and John were being used by God? Are you kidding me fishermen come on be real? Fishermen are gonna. Tell me what God is saying see you and I know a st. Peter st.

You know all that, but they were a joke in their day like brother Seymour was a joke and like people who are filled with the Spirit sometimes they come across very Unsophisticated, but if you're spiritual you can discern who God is with that person.

When I'm in trouble how many don't want a billionaire next to you when you're in trouble how many want a man or woman of? God it can pray money can't help us all the time so now. That's the setting where Paul is actually not speaking against tongues as you'll see.

But he's trying to bring a balance and saying don't let your meetings go to pot. Because if the stranger comes in and everyone's speaking in tongues uninterrupted. And there's just tongue speaking going on all over the place.

He's gonna say you're crazy. Because there's nothing intelligible, but. Notice these other values of praying in the Spirit by the Holy Spirit in tongues. Let's look sorry for the long intro. Let love be your highest goal.

But you should also desire the special abilities that the Spirit gives. Especially the ability to prophesy. Can I just say something about that to the ability to prophesy isn't to foretell the future.

It's to bring a message from God and it can be done over lunch when you're talking to someone. You can prophesy to someone not by stopping and saying thus sayeth the Lord I say it to you. But just by God coming on you you can convey a message people have prophesied to me didn't even know they were Prophesying but they spoke God's message to me by the Spirit.

So it's not predicting the future. There's that element, but it's mostly a message from God that meets the need of the moment. So he's saying that's the best thing in your public meetings for if you have the ability to speak in tongues.

You will be talking only to God. Since people won't be able to understand you you'll be speaking by the power of the Spirit. But it will all be mysterious. So you'll be talking only to God. What a help praying in the Spirit is.

For me, I've learned this when my mind is assaulted and I got myself so many distractions and pressures I struggle even to pray. I can't get focused. How many know what I'm talking about. To be able to by the Spirit to pray from my spirit right to God and The Spirit knows what I need so he's praying better for me through me than I could ever pray for myself.

Because how in the world do I know everything I need compared to the Holy Spirit? So notice here the person who prays in the Spirit in tongues is Talking directly to God. Notice now you can pray in the Holy Spirit.

This is not speaking now in a meeting so much. He's saying you pray and People won't be able to understand you you'll be speaking by the power of the Spirit. Notice that this ability does not come by something someone teaches you.

The Spirit’s Gift Cannot Be Manufactured

When I was it rides around a college age the charismatic movement came and people were teaching other people to speak in tongues. Repeat it you're a child of God aren't you? Yeah, all right. What do children say?

I don't know dada say dada. Say mama say dada mama sasa dada mama. Oh, you got it. Praise God. You got it. How many know that's not by the power of the Spirit that was back in the days. Also when they were faking the Holy Spirit by pushing people over.

Everybody was falling. Anybody remember those days when everybody was falling. But then they had to get catchers to catch you. Because it wasn't of the Spirit and they knew that if you fell you crack your head open, right?

So they had to have people catching. I was once at a meeting still in college. We were married though I think no we were married so I wasn't college. We were married and someone Said to me would you help us young man, and I went yeah, how what do you want to do?

They said would you catch people while we pray for them, and I went no I don't do that. I'm sorry I'll catch a fly ball, but I won't catch anybody falling down but see that's Forcing the Holy Spirit because if the Holy Spirit wanted someone to fall what do you let them crack their head open?

What do you tell me something? But if it's Auto suggestion then you better have a lot of catchers. Because they'll get hurt. But the person who speaks in an unknown language. They're speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit.

He gives you the ability to speak. It's you your voice. But it's by the Spirit. But who prophesies. But one who prophesies strengthens others encourages them comforts them. That's the purpose of prophecy.

A Person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally. But one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. So we get that Prophecy is much more valuable than speaking in tongues. My wife if the Spirit would come on her and she exhorts you and the Spirit Helps her to say something to encourage you that is very valuable, but notice this the person who speaks in tongues is strengthened.

Personally or as one translation has he that speaketh in the known tongue unknown tongue edifies Himself or herself. In other words when you pray in the Spirit you're building yourself up. You're building yours who here does not need to be built up spiritually.

This is why the Satan hates the idea of praying in the Holy Spirit. Praying in tongues Makes us self-conscious or defensive about it because he knows when the Holy Spirit is helping us pray. We're getting edified we're getting stronger.

I know but what's happening. I don't know what's happening. I just know we're getting stronger because God said that's the truth. Come on can we say amen to that? Now verse 5. I wish you could all speak in tongues.

But even more I wish you could all prophesy for prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues. Unless someone Interprets what you're saying so that the whole church would be strengthened. How many understand that verse say amen.

In other words speaking in tongues. Should be interpreted in a public meeting, but notice this. I wish you could all speak in tongues. Why. Because he who speaks or she who speaks in a nun tongue builds themself up.

Why wouldn't we want everyone to speak in tongues? Oh? No, pastor Simba. I don't know if I could do that. I know you can't do that. I can't do that either, but the Holy Spirit will make that Ability for us because it can only help us.

Notice that Paul says for those who are against this idea. He said I wish you all could speak in tongues. I want you all to speak in tongues. I want you all to speak in tongues. Where are you going with this pastor?

I'm just reading the Bible to you. I wish you all could speak in tongues. Say it with me. I wish you all could speak in tongues. Come on say it louder. I wish you all could speak in tongues and Notice this not like how I grew up when people were seeking God and this developed in Pentecostal tradition.

Especially in the denomination. I was drug through when my mom and dad taking me to church. You spoke in tongues once and that was it and people would get up and testify when I was six seven years old.

I can remember it like yesterday. They would get up and say I want to thank God. I'm saved and sanctified, and I'm filled with the Holy Ghost. I was filled with the Holy Ghost when I was 19 years old.

I want to thank God haven't spoken in tongues for the last 30 years, but I want to thank God that I but you see that was like a pinnacle to reach rather than a blessing to have a mountain a big thing that you could say I once spoke in tongues and Thus where I grew up when I was baptized as a little kid.

They jumped on me right in the tank when I came up out of the water and they were praying screaming at me in both ears hoping I would stutter or Choke on some water or any kind of thing if I would just gurgle and they would say praise God.

That's it. No, I feel like there are some people here my wife. And I understand these things how many have grown up around a little of that or seen a little bit wave your hand at me. Yeah, yeah. It's a wonder.

We're all sane right after all this stuff. We've seen. So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. For if I pray in tongues, here's where Intellectuals have a problem for I pray in tongues.

My spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I'm saying. See now right there that goes against everything. About our society. That's cool. What you don't know what you're saying, but you're gonna keep saying it and it's gonna help you somehow.

Yeah, and if it's interpreted it could even help the church, but you don't know what you're saying. Yep. Well, that's foolishness. No, that's what you say. It's a gift from God you see why so few people want to deal in this and want to even investigate it because carnal people who come to church they want to be around anything like that and There's been wildfire and craziness and People speaking in tongues who weren't in the spirit the devil can impersonate tongues.

Look, I'm aware all those things but just because the devil counterfeits something doesn't mean there's not the real. Right if there's a counterfeit. If there's a counterfeit $20 bill, that's fine. But I got a real one right here.

Someone gave me the counterfeit proves that there's the real. So whenever you hear people say, oh there's a lot of crazy stuff going on in those circles say yeah, I know that I don't discount that at all.

That is absolutely true there's a lot of crazy people blaming things on the Holy Spirit, but there's the real and it edifies us and My spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I'm saying. My spirit is praying.

You know what Carol and I are longing for when she has the choir sing and when I try to lead you is To get your spirit to worship God. Not just your head not just your hands. I love when you lift your hands.

I love when you sing. But what changes your life is when your spirit makes contact with God who is a spirit and then come on. Everything changes in your life. So, let me close. Well, then what should I do?

Praying and Singing in the Spirit

I will pray in the Spirit that should be capital S or our human spirit Activated by the Holy Spirit and I'll also pray in words. I understand I'll sing in the Spirit and also sing in words. I understand what how many churches I wonder out of all the churches in America believe that.

What is Paul saying? Okay, so what am I gonna do he said I'll I will pray with words. English. I'll pray that way we just did but he said I'll also pray in the Spirit. I'll let the Holy Spirit get a hold of my spirit and I'll pray right to God and you won't understand how I'm praying and The devil won't understand either.

The devil can hear our verbal words. He cannot understand what the Spirit is saying when we pray. So I'll pray both ways. Oh Pastor symbol, that's fanaticism. Look. I don't want to argue with anyone. I'm just telling you what the Bible says here.

Paul says the greatest Christian we know of I'll pray both ways. I'll pray in words. I'll pray in the Spirit. You know some somebody here. You once used to pray in the Spirit and it helps you so much and now you hardly give yourself to that.

Don't let God exercise your spirit anymore. And now your life is a lot drier and more barren, isn't it? You know who I'm speaking to here tonight. So you're more together, but you're not together. Are you by being more together?

You've lost out with God. Because you're afraid of what being ridiculed. What does it matter what people say? When the Christian Church began did the people come and cheer and say what an amazing praise and worship.

They got going here. You see the smoke and the mirrors and the camels and the cannons that they got going on here. No, they said these guys are drunk. See that's what's the problem with us. We don't want anybody to mock us, but sometimes God puts you in situations that are very powerful.

But it's mockable to other people. So I'll also sing look I'll sing. I Will sing in the Spirit. I'll also sing in words. I understand I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. And by the way, the construction of that Greek sentence is I thank God that I speak in more in tongues more than all of you put together.

Not just more than any of you more than all of you. You're into tongue speaking there in Corinth. Remember keep control in the services. God never makes you get out of control. Make sure there's an interpretation make sure the people are blessed.

But when it comes to praying in the Spirit and singing in the Spirit and edifying myself I speak in God's tongues more than all of you. I know but Paul you saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. Yeah, I know I saw him but I still speak in tongues more than all of you.