The gift of interpretation

 

The gift of interpretation

I found it interesting that when I looked up the subject of interpretation of tongues on the internet, that most of the explanations come bouncing off of the screen with a fair degree of legalism.

It has to be said that rules and regulations grip the heart of many, even those who are moving in the gifts of the Spirit.

With that in mind, I want to share with you my take on the gift of interpretation – I’m not going to defend my position, but I will let you decide.  This is a more casual approach than I normally take on this site, but then, the issue really is not that critical, even for Pentecostal/Charismatic churches there are not always supernatural manifestation of tongues that need interpreting.  In some Churches to have just one person give a message in tongues with an accompanying interpretation, is considered to be a good day!

And there we have it, our beginning point is contained in that superb word, ‘supernatural’. Just because you have been baptised in/by or with the Holy Spirit, does not mean that every utterance you give is what that bible speaks of as, ‘a message in tongues’.

[Now,  before some smart, spotty Greek-enabled theology student comments below about the word ‘gift’ not being in the Greek, and some of the other nuances included here, I want to say, I know! Relax, and breathe!]

I have to point that out because if you have the idea that you just ‘speak out’ in tongues that that is what Paul calls a gift of tongues, then you also are free to say the same about interpretation.

Paul makes a distinction that ‘to one’ is given this gift, and to another something different. Not everyone has this gift of tongues that is going to be used to build up and edify the Church.  Please God, don’t let tongues or interpretation be everyone’s primary gifting! There are fantastic gifts of the Spirit available and rarely seen, workings of miracles being one of them. (Seek it!)

Tongues with interpretation does not equal prophecy. I used to believe that, but then it occurred to me, if we are told to weigh prophecy, then how comes we are not told to weigh interpretations?

My guess is that any interpretation that speaks about the goodness, kindness and greatness of God, that blesses God or brings thanksgiving to Him, hardly needs weighing! The Bible gives us an insight, the man speaking in an unknown tongue, speaks not to men but to God! He’s not prophesying to or at God, he’s praying, blessing, thanking and marveling to Him and about Him.

Here’s the reason that interpretation is supernaturally enabled; no one has a clue what the person speaking in tongues is speaking about! Not even the one doing it, even though they may add various tones, dramatic pauses and inflections to what they say. Don’t listen to those inflections as to a clue to what is being said, they are not inspired and are generally as reliable as asking a foreigner who has never visited London for directions to Westminster Chapel!

Mysterious? It should be – the one who speaks in an unknown language speaks not to men, but to God – and he speaks mysteries! The enabling of the Spirit in the message in tongues (it is after all a message) carries with it the capacity and ability to express mysteries that the speaker is not aware of! That is reflected in the interpretation (we’ve finally arrived!).

Interpretation is a SUPERNATURAL gift of God by His Spirit. It is not simply ‘pray a prayer that you think reflects the tone of the person who prayed’! It has depth, life, hope, passion and vision about it!  Something that is beyond visual range is being seen here.

My feeling about the gift of interpretation is that sometimes the prayers that it interprets will produce some of the astonishing insights that Jesus own prayers had.  Over my 30 years as a Christian I have heard many tongues and interpretations, some of them good, some like David Fellingham are astonishing. There are times when I have thought naughtily, “If that is the interpretation I can pray better in English!”, but regardless of our experience, we need to press in to God for the authentic.

You have to seek the gifts, they are freely available, but you get them by seeking. If you have been used by God to interpret then you have had a breakthrough, go back to God and ask Him to develop that gifting in you.

We don’t want to hear the prayer that anyone can pray, we want to hear from someone speaking to God about mysteries of grace, kindness and favour with a thankful God-blessing vigour that sets our hearts on fire for our wonderful God.

Read all about it here: 1 Corinthians 12 / 1 Corinthians 14

Prophets in the shadows…

You never know when God is about to show up

There is a chance that Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian may be wrong when he states that between the time of Malachi and the birth of Christ that there was 400 years of prophetic silence. 

Between the canonical prophet, Malachi and the birth of Christ there was a long period of silence, but It is important for us to realise that not everything that God says through, and to the prophets, is done so under the full gaze of public scrutiny.

The Bible tells us that God reveals His secrets to the prophets, and as any child will know, the rule of a secret is that you can’t tell until you are given permission. Sometimes God reveals His intentions, but the time to tell, may be afar off.

Eight days after the birth of Jesus we are introduced to a humble, unassuming character in the narrative of Luke who negates Josephus’ assertions.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.  She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption  of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38

The prophetess Anna makes a brief public appearance in the Bible. Like Elijah, she emerges from the shadows of obscurity, although a little more is known about her. She is an eighty four year old woman who is finishing her days well, seeking God – worshiping, fasting and praying. Her sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit is evident, as is her discernment. Out of all the hundreds of children over the years that are carried to the Temple in parents arms to observe the law of dedication, only one attracts her attention.

Jesus.

This is the one that the prophets are pointing to, and before John the Baptist is even able to sit unattended or feed himself, Anna recognises Him.

There are a few things that we are told about Anna that might prove both encouraging and helpful.  You don’t have to look far to see the signs of true prophetic calling in the life of anyone called to prophetic ministry, prayer. Prayer is never easy. Anna knew something that few today know – the persistent, relentless approach of God through worship, fasting and prayer.

There is something else to consider too, she never the left the temple, worshiping night and day. If you give yourself to God in prayer you will see remarkable things, amazing things. It may take a few years, but when you learn to seek his face, you will see his hand.

The temple was the place of prayer, of sacrifice, holiness and the presence of God. During the very days that Anna was seeking God, worshiping Him and giving Him her full, abandoned worship and adoration, nothing of immediate importance was happening in the temple. No powerful manifestations of the Presence of God, no thunder or lightning and little to be excited about. You never know when God is about to show up.

In the business of life, not everyone can give themselves to being in the temple, but the baton is extended. Everything we have from God comes from prayer, but the enemy draws us into the lie that somehow, what we need can be accessed through other means, usually our own common sense. That single lie from hell leaves us lethargic, disillusioned and apathetic. And that apathetic condition then unwittingly turns our hearts against the wonderful Savior as we begin to question His willingness to hear and answer prayer! Guard your heart!

But not so Anna! Nothing more is said of her. Even her prophetic words of encouragement to those who gathered around the baby Jesus are vague, but you are left wondering. What did she know, what did she say? What we do know is that she had a thankful heart – she gave thanks to God.

How do you measure up? Your thankful heart is a benchmark of the elementary work of the Spirit in you. It is very easy to be thankful when things are going well. Anna’s husband had died some years before. We are not told of the circumstances, but she had pressed through the heartache and grief and was now found in the temple, with Jesus, and with a thankful heart.

And the final mark of Anna’s prophetic ministry is the most staggering one of all in terms of her sensitivity, discernment and level of revelation. She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption  of Jerusalem. There was nothing ambiguous – she knew!

That profound, deep relationship with God, nurtured over the years left her knowing God, worshiping Him, and telling others about Him.

There’s quite a lot more I could say about Anna. If you are a prophet read between the lines and see that Anna is still speaking, she still has a message to speak.

Anyone who is wise enough to imitate Anna’s lifestyle shouldn’t be surprised that one day, all of a sudden and unexpectedly, they will see something that others have just longed for and dreamed of – first hand.