For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the
same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to
another divers kinds of tongues; TO ANOTHER THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he
will.
— 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
In studying these gifts of the Spirit, we have come to the end of the list: the gift of interpretation
of tongues. First, we covered the three gifts of revelation or the three gifts that reveal
something: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the discerning of spirits.
Then we studied the three gifts that do something, or the three power gifts: the gift of faith, the
gifts of healings, and the working of miracles.
Now we will finish our study of the three utterance gifts or the three inspirational gifts, the three
gifts that say something: prophecy, divers kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues.
There has been a great deal of misunderstanding about the gifts of the Spirit. That is the
reason Paul said, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU
IGNORANT" (1 Cor. 12:1). As I said before, if God didn't want His people to be ignorant in the
days of the Early Church, He certainly doesn't want His people to be ignorant today. Yet it is
amazing the ignorance that exists among people of God concerning spiritual things.
Many people do not believe that any of the gifts of the Spirit are for us today. Some people
believe that a few of the gifts are for us, but not all of them. However, if any of them are for us
today, then all of them are for us today.
Also, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit gives these gifts to every man to profit (1 Cor. 12:7).
God wants us to profit and spiritual gifts are one means whereby we may profit. I have never
read anywhere in the Bible that He took them away from the Church. These gifts are rightfully
ours today, and ignorance concerning them exists only because people do not understand
what the Bible says aboutspiritual gifts.
The three utterance gifts — prophecy, divers kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues —
are very closely associated. In fact, as I've said, the Bible plainly tells us that tongues with
interpretation is equal to prophecy: ". . . greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh
with tongues, except he interpret. . ." (1 Cor. 14:5). Although spiritual gifts can be closely
associated, we differentiate between them and list them separately so we can better define
and understand them.
As we begin our study of the last of the three vocal or inspirational gifts, let us first define them.
Prophecy is supernatural utterance in a known tongue.
Divers kinds of tongues is supernatural utterance in an unknown tongue.
The interpretation of tongues is the supernatural showing forth by the Spirit the meaning of an
utterance in other tongues. Also, it is not translation of tongues; it is the interpretation of
tongues.