C.A.C Sunday School Manual For May 19, 2024 Lesson 18 : Topic – SPEAKING IN TONGUES

2024 SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

UNIT 2: GOD GIVES GIFTS PURPOSEFULLY

THEME: SPIRITUAL POWER AND GIFTS FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST

LESSON Eighteen

19th May, 2024

TOPIC: SPEAKING IN TONGUES

MEMORY SCRIPTURE

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).

The gift of Speaking In Tongues eventually came as a sign of the Holy Spirit Baptism at Pentecost. It has continued since. Have you experienced it?

BRIEF COMMENT

In Jesus’ appearance to the 11, He commissioned them to preach the gospel to all. As part of the blessings fort the recipients, they would be able to cast out demons and speak with new tongues. This implies that casting out demons and speaking in tongues are inclusive components of the Gospel package for believers. They are signs, according to our Lord Jesus, providing evidence of our belief in the gospel. However, it typically requires the Pentecostal experience to activate these abilities.

DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS

Mon. 13: Tongues-Speaking: All Can Desire It (1 Cor. 14:5)

Tue. 14: Tongues-Speaking: Holy Spirit Is The Source (1 Cor. 12:10)

Wed. 15: Tongues-Speaking Via Laying Of Hands (Acts 19:6)

Thur. 16: Tongue Interpreted By Daniel (Dan. 5:25)

Fri. 17: Tongues Should Be Verified (1 Jn. 4:1-3)

Sat. 18: Tongues Should Flow From Love (1 Cor. 13:2)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

1. Speaking in tongues expresses the inexpressible to God, and sounds better when divinely interpreted.

2. Speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues are not learnt. They are gifts that no one works for. The tongues are from God. So, their interpretations can only come perfectly from Him. Never encourage gimmicks/manipulations!

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Acts 19:6; 10:44-46, Daniel 5:25-28

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

AIM: To show the place of speaking in tongues in God’s programme for His Church by His Spirit.

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

i. discuss from the biblical angle, the concepts of speaking in tongues and interpreting such tongues as spiritual gifst; and

ii. come to a point of conviction to rightly thirst for the gift.

INTRODUCTION

TEXTUAL SOURCES: ACTS 2:1FF; 19:5-7; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:10; 14:1FF

We thank God for how far He has led us in this series. Last week, we began Unit II, with the Vocal Gift of Diverse Tongues. We saw that speaking different kinds of tongues requires special special grace to communicate effectively. This was the testimony of those who witnessed the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:6-11).

Prior to the ascension of our LORD Jesus, the disciples were instr instructed to wait for the Father’s promise-the Spirit’s indwelling (Acts 1:4). The fulfilment is the Pentecostal experience. ‘Pentecost’ is coined from the Greek word, pentaykostay, which means 50th.

One of the evidences of a Spirit-possessed believer, as experienced at Pentecost, is the gift of speaking in tongues. This gift never stopped there. It continues in operation, and prominently, in our generation. The gift of interpretation of tongues, on the other hand, is one of the gifts that are silently fading away in our generation with the proliferation of speaking in tongues and the gift of prophecy, which seems to be the most prevalent gift today. As we study this gift, we pray that it will fulfil God’s mind among us.

LESSON OUTLINE

I. THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES

II. THE GIFT OF INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES

LESSON EXPOSITION

I. THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES (Acts 2:1ff; 1 Cor. 14:2,4,18,19)

I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all (1 Cor. 14:18).

a) Acts 2:4: Speaking in tongues is a Spirit-enabled ability to speak a divinely anointed message in a language one has never learnt.

b) The Grk. dialekto (language; dialect) in vv. 6,8 (cf. 1:19; 21:40; 22:2; 26:14) coupled with the different nationalities who heard in their own languages (vv. 8-11) show that the tongues spoken at Pentecost were real human languages.

c) vv. 1ff: Here, the disciples spoke in known tongues through which the unbelievers heard… the wonderful works of God (v. 11).

d) 1 Cor. 14:2: It may also be the ability to speak in “heavenly” languages that are entirely unrelated to the earthly; ability to speak mysteries only understood by God in forms of prayer (cf. v. 14), praise and thanksgiving (vv. 15-17; cf. Acts 10:44-46).

e) v. 4: It is also a means of the profitable self-edification (cf. Jude 20) that would equip the believer to build others up (cf. 12:7).

f) vv. 18,19: Paul was a master tongues-speaker (v. 18). No wonder he desired that all would do the same (v. 5). Yet, he preferably exercised the gift in private, in the context of his personal intimacy with God, to avoid public confusion, if not interpreted.

g) Yes, Paul wanted all to speak in tongues (v. 5a) but we must remember that the gift is only given to believers as the Spirit wills (12:7-11,29-30). If it pleases Him to give all, so be it, and if not, praise His sovereignty (Psa. 115:3).

h) Have you been baptised in the Holy Spirit? How have you been building yourselves up? How often do you pray in the Holy Spirit? (Jude 20).

II. THE GIFT OF INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES (Acts 19:5-7; 1 Cor. 12:10; 14:13,27ff)

I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification (1 Cor. 14:5).

a) 1 Cor. 12:10: Thank God the Spirit gives to another the interpretation of tongues, though it is a being downplayed gift being dow today, hence the need for revival through proper understanding.

b) 14:27: It is a vital mate of speaking in tongues, just as discerning spirits is, to prophecy. It is the ability to understand the spoken tongue and convey its meaning in plain language understandable by everyone, according to the Spirit’s utterance.

c) It should be prioritised in our churches for the edification of the Church. When the spoken tongues are interpreted in the known languages, divine languages are made clear.

d) vv. 28ff: Where there is no interpreter, the tongue-speaker should be silent to avoid confusion in the Church. Even Paul, a master tongue speaker, preferred private speaking (vv. 18,19).

e) vv. 13,27: The duty of interpretation rests on the tongue-speaker, or to whom else God gives the grace. Though, it can be prayerfully desired (v. 13), the Holy Spirit sovereignly gives as He wishes.

f) Acts 19:5-7: These 12 disciples tongues-spoke and prophesied (probably the tongues interpreted). Through these gifts, God spoke to the people. He still does today.

f) Sometimes, God can be gracious enough to give both the gift of speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues to a believer. And He may decide to give them to different people. Who can query Him (Psa. 115:3)? He gives the two gifts as He wishes.

LESSONS DERIVED

1. Speaking in tongues is a major sign of the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

2. Interpretation of tongues is a gift given by the Spirit that should accompany speaking in tongues when it comes to congregational worship for the edification of the Church.

QUESTIONS

1. What does it mean to speak in tongues from biblical perspective?

2. What will be the fate of any tongue-speaking Church that lacks an interpreter?

SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

ANSWER TO QUESTION 1

* Refer to part I of the lesson exposition.

* Speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift facilitated by the Holy Spirit.

* It is the ability to speak a divinely anointed message in a language one has never learnt.

* It involves receiving and imparting knowledge in a language the recipient has never learnt.

* It is the practice of speaking in languages that are unknown to the speaker but believed to be a form of communication with God.

* The biblical basis for speaking in tongues is primarily found in the NT:

* The Day of Pentecost: The miracle of speaking in tongues is first recorded in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and other believers gathered in Jerusalem.

* Prayer and Worship: In 1 Corinthians 14, apostle Paul provides guidance on the use of tongues in the context of prayer and worship. He distinguishes between speaking in tongues for personal edification and the public use of tongues with interpretation for the edification of the Church.

* A Sign of the Holy Spirit: It is seen as a sign of the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life-one of the spiritual gifts.

* Edification and Communication with God (1 Cor. 14:2): When believers speak in tongues, they speak mysteries in the Spirit and communicate with God. It is a form of personal edification and a way to pray when the individual may not know how to express their needs in their native language.

* Different Kinds of Tongues (1 Cor. 12:10): Paul mentioned “different kinds of tongues,” which may suggest that there are various manifestations or forms of speaking in tongues.

ANSWER TO QUESTION 2:

* Refer to part I of the lesson exposition.

* The Church is a gathering of people from all walks of life. Hence, there is a need for the minister to speak in the language that they all understand, both literally and figuratively.

* In the same vein, speaking in an unknown tongue won’t edify the people (the church), and as such, spiritual communications won’t be effective in a gathering where there is no fore interpreter to bring to the fore the message intended for the Church.

* Lack of tongue interpreters will make the Church less concerned with the intended messages, and may cause weariness.

* It may give room for self-edification, and could be possibly interpreted as pride by the onlookers.

LIFE APPLICATION

The testimony of men and women of God who ministered to people in their dialects, or languages they understood, without prior knowledge, is a mystery of speaking in tongues. How were they able to effectively minister in this way? The answer remains the same: just like at Pentecost, God is still willing to give these gifts today, even on this auspicious day, the Pentecostal Sunday!

CONCLUSION

We have come to the end of lesson 18, May these gifts; speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues manifest nifest in our lives in their fullness, in Jesus’ name, so that we can hear regularly from the Throne of Grace.