Interpreting Tongues

I was thrown out of a ministry a few decades ago for refusing to sign a statement that included a section stating that THE initial evidence of having been filled with the Spirit of God is speaking in tongues. I know from the Scriptures and from experience that the Holy Spirit is still empowering believers to speak in tongues, as well as empowering some to receive interpretation of tongues. I also know that much of what is offered publicly as Spirit-released speaking in tongues is babbling that has actually been inspired by fear of men who will condemn the victim as a low quality believer or actually an unbeliever for not having pretended to speak in tongues. If you make some noise that doesn’t make sense, the legalists will leave you alone.

A couple of years ago, I was in a Sunday meeting that ended with a prayer line. I tried to become invisible, because I believe that all believers who have faith should be praying over each other. Since, however, for the situations in which I need a badge to get into a hospital or jail or church, I have a license to preach, marry, etc., I was commanded by the meeting leaders to come forth and pray for some people. In fact, I was directed to one woman in particular.

She was a visitor, but apparently had many friends in the audience, because everyone but me seemed to know her. I prayed about what to pray. I felt like I should ask her if she had ever asked the Spirit for the gift of interpretation of tongues. Her quick answer revealed how upset she was that two weeks before, in another congregation, people had accused her of not being right with God since she had never spoken in tongues. I made it clear that I was not talking about that gift, but the ability to hear from the Spirit what someone who was speaking in tongues was saying. She thought about it for a moment, and said that she would like that.

I put my hands on her head and prayed for her. My prayer included the request I always include when praying for someone to receive this gift, which is that the person won’t be discouraged when they hear five people in a row speaking, but the Spirit doesn’t give an interpretation because they were simply making fear or pride sourced noise, and that she would be patient with them and pray for them to be freed from the imitation.

I then spoke something to her in tongues as she turned to walk away. Over her shoulder, she answered, “I hope not!” and smiled. I asked her to come back to me. Remembering the syllables of the sounds I had just made, I repeated them to her. “That’s what I just said. What did you hear?”

She looked at me for a moment and said that I had said something about not fearing any more the people who had misjudged her. She smiled broadly and turned and walked away.

Some people in Scripture prophesied when they were filled with the Spirit. Some spoke in tongues. Some immediate activities were not mentioned by writers. I suggest that if you are looking for evidence that a person has been filled with the Spirit, two difficult to fake evidences are that the person becomes a servant, and that the person begins to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).