6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? 7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. 13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. (1 Corinthians 14.6-19)
We often read this passage from Saint Paul and think of “the language issue” in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America or the tradition of speaking “in tongues” in Pentecostalism. But have you ever considered this from the perspective of the “language of God?” God doesn’t speak in languages of the world, despite what ethnic loyalists believe or those who subscribe the “Three Holy Languages” of Greek, Hebrew and Latin, unless of course you’re Russian and you believe in “Four Holy Languages.” etc etc etc.
The Language of God is LOVE and if we cannot learn and speak the language of LOVE we, “will be speaking into the air and we shall be foreigners to God who speaks and He will be a foreigner to us.” (cit 1 Corinthians 14.9,11) We need only to remember Saint Paul’s famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal….” Saint John the Theologian and Evangelist said, “If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4.20)
When we finish our journey on Earth and are face to face with God and He is speaking to us, will we understand Him or will we be foreigners in Heaven? The choice is ours to make.
Embrace Christ and Be Transfigured! Live a new life in Christ.
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