63—BENEFIT OF UNKNOWN TONGUES
What benefit is the gift of unknown tongues to us who speak one language? There is a sect here that claim to speak with unknown tongues, and claim that one can not speak this tongue unless possessed with the Holy Ghost. They get on the floor and roll for the Holy Ghost. The gift of tongues the apostle Paul seemed to have had more trouble with than any other in the church, because it gave rise to more confusion, and was subject to more deception. Sometimes it seemed to edify the man who spoke, but was not to be compared in value to prophesying, or speaking for God. 1 Cor. 14: 1-5. He intimates that if he came speaking with tongues, it would be of no worth unless it were explained. Of what good is a trumpet unless it is understood? Five words with his understanding would be better than ten thousand in an unknown tongue. Verse 19. See also verses 23, 24. Tongues in the early church seemed to convince unbelievers who heard in their own tongue. Verse 22. Compare with Acts 2: 8-11. The gift of tongues under the control of the Spirit of God does not bring folly or confusion. 1 Cor. 14: 33. If there was no one to interpret the unknown tongue, speakers were to keep silent. Verses 27, 28. Most of the modern manifestations of “unknown tongues” reveal no such order. The man who truly and wisely seeks the gifts of the Spirit of God will do it by yielding himself to God for service; for it is for better, wiser, holier service that God bestows His gifts, not as the man wills and seeks, but as God will. See 1 Cor. 12: 7, 11, 18. The soul that is determined to have a particular gift is not seeking in God’s way, and is putting himself in the best possible attitude to be deceived by the devil, who has counterfeits for the genuine. It has been demonstrated again and again of late years that persons believing they had the gift of the Chinese or Hindu or some other tongue have gone to these countries only to learn they were deceived. In some cases the “unknown” language was a constant repetition of a very few primary syllables utterly meaningless. “The best gifts are those we can best use to glorify God and edify humanity.”