Not All Speak With Tongues – Part 3

[Posted March 11, 2004 – Updated May 8, 2026]

Hi Mike!

I was reading some of your comments in “You asked” regarding the function of the spiritual gifts and specifically on speaking in tongues.

Although, I can see your point that prophecy is preferred to tongues, I believe that you are missing it that we should not be speaking in tongues.

I have never said ‘we should not be speaking in tongues.’ Here is what I did say:

“There! That is my commentary on the tongues part of 1 Corinthians 14 – ‘The Tongues Chapter.’ I believe it is true to the scriptures. I simply cannot vouch for something God has given me no experience in. When I witness a true Acts 2 tongues experience, I will immediately share it with my reading audience. Just because I have never experienced something does not mean that others haven’t.” (End Quote)

You cannot show me where I have ever said that the gift of tongues has completely passed from the scene because I have never said that. It is true that I believe that as one matures gifts become less and less of a factor in one’s faith. I have gone on the record as saying that any gifts we possess should rest upon our faith and not vice versa. In other words, our faith should not depend upon the number of gifts we possess and the number of prayers we have answered to our liking. This would lead to nothing less than immaturity and a whole church full of spoiled rotten spiritual “babes in Christ.” I welcome anyone, who has never spoken in French, being able to communicate the gospel to someone who does not know English but only French. That is the true Acts 2 experience. Anything less is a sign to no one and is without scriptural basis.

“What is your understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Do you believe in this second experience which parallels the feast of pentecost?”

There were no ‘unknown,’ tongues on Pentecost, at the home of Cornelius, or at any of the cities where Paul met believers who had been ‘baptized into John’s baptism.’ The word ‘unknown’ is never used in conjunction with tongues. All the tongues spoken at Pentecost are enumerated in Acts two:

Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Act 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Incoherent ‘unknown tongues’ would never have produced such questions and such astonishment. Rather, they would have produced just what Paul tells us they produce when virtually no one can understand what is being said:

1Co 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

If this is true of a real tongues, real languages, how much truer is it of non-existent, ‘unknown’ tongues? My personal ‘experience’ has demonstrated the truth of that statement on several occasions when I was a believer in ‘unknown tongues.’ I do not despise what I once was. I thank God for that experience. If I had not been there, I would not be able to write this email with any sense of conviction. However, I have asked God to help me to rid myself of any ‘idol of the heart’ (Eze 14:1-9). This ‘I-have-the-baptism-of-the-Holy-Ghost-and-you-don’t’ doctrine was one of the first ‘idols of the heart’ I had to give up. It was no easier for me than it will be for you. If you come to the word of God placing your “experience” ahead of scripture, you are exactly where Ezekiel says the elders of Israel were when they came to “enquire of the Lord:”

Eze 14:1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Eze 14:2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

Their ‘experience’ had led them to preconceived conclusions, and they wanted God to now put His stamp of approval upon their ways.

Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. [Their “idols of the heart”. Their false doctrines.]
Eze 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Eze 14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet [comes to God’s Word and adds the word ‘unknown’ where the Lord simply said ‘tongue’ or language] to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Eze 14:8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Here is the Biblical definition of ‘iniquity’ which is a “stumblingblock” to all men:

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

God answers us according to the multitude of [our] idols:

Eze 14:10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;

“I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols,” means that if you have your mind made up about this subject of ‘unknown tongues’, or any subject, before you go to the scriptures, if you are not sincere in seeking only the mind of God, then God will use “[your] own righteousness”, your own self-righteous deception, to deceive you. Christ demonstrates how He applies this principle in:

Mat 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, [This is a false doctrine] reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: [Another false doctrine. The Lord had invested a year’s wages in this man.]
Mat 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
Mat 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked [lying] and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

The Lord did not even bother to show this man how wrong he was. He answered him “according to the idol of his heart.”

Mat 25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Mat 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

David expresses this same principle in these words:

Psa 18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

Now, with these stern warnings against allowing anything other than the word and mind of God to be our guide, let’s go two chapters earlier, to where Paul poses this question:

1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

These eight gifts are all listed in order of importance, ‘First … secondarily … thirdly…’ etc. The answer to every question asked here is emphatically, ‘No! not everyone has all these gifts.’ Yet according to what I understand you to be saying when you asked me:

“I have never heard of anyone without the baptism of the Spirit that has healed anyone, had a word of knowledge, prophecy, etc? Have you?”

What I gather from this question is that you are asking me if I have ever known of anyone who has ever “healed anyone, had a word of knowledge, prophecy, etc” who did not first speak in unknown tongues. If I am understanding your question, you are telling me that without the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which you equate to speaking in unknown tongues, you cannot ‘heal anyone, have a word of knowledge, prophecy, etc.’ and you ask “Have you… ever heard of anyone without the baptism of the spirit [speaking in unknown tongues] healed anyone, had a word of knowledge, prophecy, etc.”

Am I wrong about what you are saying? I know that is exactly what I used to think in my puffed up immature spirit. The answer to your question is, yes, indeed I know of many who healed the sick and prophesied who had never spoken in unknown tongues.’ None of the apostles, not the 70 who the Lord sent out by twos had ever spoken in tongues because the day of Pentecost had  not yet come:

Luk 10:1  After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Luk 10:9  And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

None of the apostles who healed the sick in the book of Acts ever spoke in an ‘unknown tongue’.

The Truth revealed in those questions posed by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 is that God does not necessarily give any one of these gifts to everyone. Neither does He give all of these gifts to any one person.

The “fruit of the Spirit,” is not the gifts of the spirit, and it certainly is not ‘unknown tongues.’ It is ‘the fruit of the spirit’, not ‘unknown tongues’ which is contrasted with ‘the works of the flesh’:

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the [holy] Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the [holy] Spirit, let us also walk in the [holy] Spirit.
Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, [‘I have “the initial evidence” of my gift of the holy ghost’] provoking one another, envying one another.

Verse 26 is speaking directly to those who believe that their physical “experience” with speaking in unknown tongues has somehow given them a spiritual edge over those who merely bear the “fruit of the Spirit.”

I have had acquaintances who have discussed my web page and my teachings with their Charismatic friends. Inevitably the first question out of the mouth of the charismatic is not, “Does Mike Vinson have love, joy, peace, etc.? Is he crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts?” No, the first question from charismatics is invariably, “Does he speak in tongues?” The word ‘unknown’ is understood in charismatic circles. It is strange to me that with all the tongues all around that the only ones spoken on the day of Pentecost (I mean known languages that serve as a useful ‘sign to unbelievers’) are not to be found in any of the charismatic churches here in Georgia, and I have heard a lot of ‘unknown tongues’ spoken here in Georgia.

First of all, I agree that prophecy is better IN the church. If you read 1 Corinthians 14:5, you’ll see that Paul refers to tongues that are interpreted EQUALLING prophecy, thereby the church is edified.

Here is that verse:

1Co 14:5  I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

Certainly, a true Pentecostal experience would be very edifying. When a real language is being spoken by a person with no training in that language, and it is being understood by people who know that the person speaking that language doesn’t have training in the language he is speaking, that is a miracle. Faking this experience with so-called ‘unknown tongues’ and telling your followers that this is just as good as what happened at Pentecost, edifies only the person who falls prey to this doctrine. He can now feel spiritually superior to his fellow Christians who haven’t yet been able to have this “second work of the spirit.” Why would God speak to anyone in a language that exists nowhere on earth and then “interpret” it? The word “interpret” necessitates that it is a known language, and yes, when a person speaks fluently in a known language in which he has no formal training, this is the exact same thing as prophesying. Furthermore it becomes, under those true Pentecostal conditions, a powerful “sign, not to them that believe but unto them which believe not.” None of this is true for what is passed off as a ‘language’ spoken nowhere on earth.

1Co 14:2 For he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him, howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

Yes, there is, and that ‘tongue that no man understands howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries’ is an earthly language that is uninterpreted. It clearly tells us that it is “speaking mysteries” – not speaking incoherently.

You didn’t really comment on this verse in your responses. There is a tongue that by a believer is speaking to God, and speaking mysteries! In verse 4 it says he is edified, or built up. Your comment was this was not a compliment from Paul.

The ‘no man understandeth him’ is merely a statement of fact when you have someone speaking French when there is no one around who understands French. Paul is not saying that ‘No man understands him because he is speaking in an unknown tongue.’ Paul is having to tell these overzealous and immature Corinthian ‘carnal… babes in Christ’ that they ought not be abusing their gifts to simply show off or “edify himself.”

I am going to cut and paste my comment to this verse:

1Co 14:2 For he that speaketh in an [unknown – this mistaken insertion is quoted as if it were scripture] tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth [him]; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

Since “no man understands him,” Paul says, “He edifies himself.” This is not a compliment, nor is it advice. It is a reprimand, and it is contrasted with “edifying the church” (vs 4).

1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. [This is the preferred gift of this chapter.]
1Co 14:4 He that speaketh in an [unknown – leave this word out. It was not in the original texts.] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

Here is one of the least quoted verses of this chapter, and it is the heart of this chapter.

1Co 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues [I wish all my children could receive the gift of languages, not mumblings], but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

Edifying the church is the required product of both prophesying and tongues. I, too, would rather that my children prophesy than speak in languages.

1Co 14:6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

Paul is telling us, with this verse that the gift of languages should be used “for a sign to unbelievers”, and it should always be interpreted for the purpose of edifying the church, not to demonstrate for the whole congregation that this brother has ‘received his gift.’

“I don’t believe tongues are just for a sign, but they are to build up believers. See Jude 20, we’re exhorted to build ourselves up PRAYING in the holy ghost.”

What you are saying to me, and to all those who do not have what you consider to be ‘the baptism of the Holy Ghost’, is that we cannot be ‘built up’ without speaking and praying in an unknown tongue because we don’t know what we should ask for, and therefore if the Holy Ghost does not ask for the things we need in a language that cannot be understood then we (those of us without this gift) are at a terrible disadvantage, and will never be able to  make our requests known to the Father because we don’t have the gift of unknown tongues.

You said:

“A man with a theory is at the mercy of a man with an experience… So I believe that you speak in tongues unto God mysteries and then pray to interpret which in turn edifies the body with a revelation, etc.

The ‘theory’ is the false doctrine of ‘unknown tongues’. Scripture, “that which is written” is not ‘a theory’; it is The Truth. Nevertheless my own “experience” has been that God did not begin to open my eyes to all the truths of His Word, for which you have expressed your gratitude, until I matured to the point that I did not consider my ‘gift of unknown tongues’ and my ‘gift of interpretation of tongues’ to make me any closer to God than those without such false gifts. Eventually I was brought, through the scriptures, to see the truth about ‘unknown tongues.’ My ‘experience’ at that point was that I had to choose between a false doctrine which I had accepted all my life, and The Truth about that doctrine which I was beginning to see in the scriptures. Any revelation I have received has come to me since I have seen through the false doctrine of ‘unknown’ tongues (‘Unknown’ being a word which is not found in the original Greek in 1 Corinthians 14). The only thing better than having an experience is ‘trying a spirit’ and seeing through an experience. If King Saul could have seen through his experience at Endor, he would never have fallen in battle. God had told Adam that he would return to the dust. The serpent had told Adam that he would not surely die. King Saul’s “experience” lined up with the serpent’s lie, and Saul went with his ‘experience’ and against the scripture. So in the final analysis a man with an experience had better be at the mercy of the scriptures, because the scriptures are dictated to by neither ‘experience’ nor ‘theory.’

“Verse 17-19 Paul says speaking in tongues gives thanks WELL [in the spirit] but then you must then speak in english so others are edified.”

That is not what Paul says at all. Here is what he does say starting in verse 14:

1Co 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

I left ‘unknown’ out, because it was added to the Word of God by the King James translators. So let us continue:

1Co 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
1Co 14:16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?[Does that sound like Paul was speaking of a ‘secret prayer language’?]
1Co 14:17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
1Co 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
1Co 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that [by my voice] I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [unknown] tongue [not understood by the congregation].
1Co 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Read and reread that last verse. Don’t overlook the whole point of this chapter.

Pay very close attention to what Paul tells us in verse 28:

1Co 14:28  But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

That verse tells us that it is incumbent upon the person with the gift of speaking a language which is not the language of that congregation, to first seek out an interpreter of the language with which the Lord has gifted this speaker, and if no one is there who can interpret that language then the brother with the gift of speaking in that language is told “let him keep silence in the church.”

Paul’s focus is on “understanding.” Yes, he does say, “forbid not to speak with other languages”, but he qualifies that statement by telling us to seek out an interpreter first and then proceed to demonstrate your gift as “a sign to unbelievers” and do it in order and not all at one time. ‘Unknown tongues’ is an unscriptural phrase found nowhere in this or any other chapter in scripture.

You are telling me that if I pray with the understanding that I am not ‘praying in the Spirit.’ I don’t think you realize what you are implying. You are saying that if Paul (or I) were to pray with the understanding, then we would not be praying in the Spirit. You go as far as to quote Jude 20 as proof that we are to pray in unknown tongues. Here is Jude 20:

Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Do you see now how you are equating ‘unknown tongues’ to the words ‘Holy Ghost’ here in Jude 1:20. You point to that scripture and ask me if I can’t see that we are to pray in unknown tongues. The plain scriptural answer is I do not see the words ‘unknown tongues’ anywhere in the book of Jude or anywhere else in scripture. The kind of tongues being spoken of here are revealed in verse 21. We need not speculate:

1Co 14:21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

It is the very next verse which tells us what the purpose for speaking in other languages is:

1Co 14:22  Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

There it is. Paul makes it clear that what he is talking about throughout this chapter are the “tongues… and … lips [of] other… men.”

“Tongues are for a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not” is the exact opposite of the doctrine so common in the Charismatic churches which states “We believe that the gift of unknown tongues is the initial evidence of the gift of the holy ghost.” Nothing could be further from The Truth. That statement is the exact opposite of “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, NOT to them that believe, but to them that believe not.”

When Paul refers to what the law says on this subject, he is referring to Isaiah 28:11-12, where Isaiah is prophesying of the impending fall of the northern kingdom of Israel at the hands of the Assyrians:

Isa 28:11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

The ‘men of other tongues’ referred to there are men of the Assyrian tongue.

Paul says he speaks in tongues more then them ALL [Greek: all of them put together]. Should we not see that Paul himself who said to imitate him, encourages us to speak in tongues??

We know from the book of Acts that Paul was at least bi-lingual. We know he spoke both Hebrew and Greek, and he almost certainly spoke Latin, the language of Rome. Nowhere are we told that Paul had the gift of tongues. Paul is not making that claim here. You have to read that into the text.

1Co 14:27 If any man speak in an [unknown] tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
1Co 14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

The word ‘unknown’ is in brackets because it is not in the Greek text. Does “let him keep silence in the church” sound like Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to speak in ‘unknown tongues?’ Let us return to the beginning of this 14^th chapter of 1^st Corinthians:

1Co 14:6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
1Co 14:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
1Co 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1Co 14:9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
1Co 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
1Co 14:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

Does one single verse of this section of this chapter sound like Paul is encouraging you to pray in an unknown tongue? I appreciate your zeal. It seems that many people who come to my site are charismatics who are serious and zealous to serve God. I repeat Paul’s advice:

1Co 14:4  He that speaketh in an [unknown, not in the Greek] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth [speaks in plain English] edifieth the church.

This is where Paul’s emphasis is:

1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

That is what Paul is encouraging these zealous but “childish” (1Co 13:11), and “carnal” (1Co 3:1-4), Corinthians to do in this chapter. There is not one word about praying in an ‘unknown’ tongue here or anywhere else in the Bible.

Also, notice vs 19: yet IN the church [inferring that he speaks in tongues not JUST in church] but when he comes to church is to edify and teach others.

That is the exact opposite of what Paul is saying. What he is saying is that it is far better to speak to people in their own language, which I refer to as ‘plain English’, rather than speaking to them in a language which they do not understand and which requires an interpreter.

Here is the proof:

1Co 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my [clearly understood English] voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [foreign] tongue.
1Co 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Paul is not inferring that he speaks in ‘unknown tongues’. Read verse 19 again:

1Co 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my [clearly understood English] voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [unknown, he is referring to a foreign] tongue.

Notice that I have the word ‘unknown’ in brackets along with my commentary, “he is referring to a foreign…” neither of which are in the original Greek text.

Every time you see that word ‘understanding’ Paul is contrasting it with the much abused gift of real languages which these zealous but mislead and ‘carnal’ ‘babes in Christ’ wished to display to “edify [themselves]”, rather than the church:

1Co 14:4  He that speaketh in an unknown [foreign] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

 Paul is right up front with these people. He first tells them:

1Co 1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and [in] all knowledge;
1Co 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
1Co 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Then only two verses later he tells them:

1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1Co 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them [which are of the house] of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
1Co 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Then in the next breath he is telling us this of this same congregation:

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am] of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The Corinthian church was not able to receive the strong spiritual meat of the Word, but they “came behind in no gift,” and they were especially proud of their gift of languages.

You say:

“We use tongues to speak to God mysteries from our spirit to His. We prophecy to edify the body of Christ.”

I know exactly how charismatics think, and I know their doctrine. It used to be my own doctrine. When you use the word ‘tongues’ you mean ‘unknown tongues’. However, that was not Paul’s conclusion. This is how he concludes this subject of the proper use of the gift of real languages:

1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Co 14:38  But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
1Co 14:39  Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with [true] tongues.

I welcome a true Pentecostal experience with the true gift of true “men of other tongues and of other lips.” But I see now see clearly through the zeal that has led me and millions of other sincere ‘babes in Christ’ to fall for a very poor counterfeit of what actually happened on the day of Pentecost.

You say:

“I’ve had this experience and received ‘tongues’ not by making something up but by the Spirit. I believe the saying that a man with a theory is at the mercy of a man with an experience. I cannot deny this baptism in the Spirit.

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Again, I have been encouraged and blessed by your writings; it’s just on this point that I felt I needed to share this with you.”

I appreciate you sharing this with me. I hope that “a man with a theory is at the mercy of a man with an experience. I cannot deny this baptism in the Spirit” does not mean that you place your experience “above that which is written” (1Co 4:6). I believe that a man with an experience should “try the spirits” just as diligently as a man with a theory. The Truth of the scripture is determined by neither ‘experience’ nor ‘theory.’ It is determined only by “the sum of thy Word” (Psa 119:160).

Let’s both pray that God will remove any idol of our heart and reveal His Truth to us. That is truly and honestly all I want.

God bless you as you seek to know the mind of Christ.

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

YbiChrist, Mike