@cv5 - Yes, gift, but a “manifestation gift”.
@ Sketch – Ref. post #3,428
Totally serious – the
only way modern tongues can “work” in this passage is if the speaker also doesn’t understand what he’s saying. Remove that concept, and there’s really no way to “proof” modern tongues in this passage.
Indeed, the only way
not to have the passage work as describing real, rational language is if the speaker himself has no clue what he’s saying – put into cultural and historical context, this is clearly not the case; nowhere in the text does it suggest the speaker doesn’t know what he’s saying – it’s just not there.
The Bible does mean what it says; however, one needs to put a given text into historical/cultural context (something not frequently done). When it comes to ‘tongues’, Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians have read into the texts concepts and things that just not there. Essentially a purposeful re-interpretation of the text and re-definition of certain concepts (“praying in the Spirit, and the word “tongues” itself) to fit the modern experience.
I’m not going into much detail here for brevity’s sake, but…..Interpreting/Translating is being done for the audience, not for/to the speaker. Paul calls for clarity and understanding at a public worship so that all may benefit. Again, if I’m at a public worship in Corinth and start praying aloud in say Pictish; no one’s going to understand me (unless of course they’re from my neck of the woods). As a merchant, I may speak a bit of Greek to conduct my business, but the chances of me speaking it well enough to translate the intricacies and nuances of a prayer is pretty slim to nil. In order for all to benefit, I need to secure the help of a translator. The translation is for the audience, not for me; I know what I’m saying, the audience does not.
The speaker should pray that me may be able to interpret what he’s saying so all may benefit. The passage does not indicate or instruct how said translation must take place or even that the person speaking needs to be the one doing the actual translation. Paul’s essentially saying that If you’re going to pray in a foreign language at a public worship, pray that you can get a translation of what you’re saying (by whatever means you can) so all may benefit, otherwise, it’s better if you not speak at all, but pray silently to God (so as not to create or add to any confusion).
If your boss says something like, “you better pray you come up with a resolution for the Jones’ issue by Monday!”, does that mean you have to come up with it all by yourself, or would you take that to mean, that you need to resolve the issue, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get help from others? i.e. the means by which you resolve the issue are not defined, so long as in the end, you come up with a resolution. Same here, the means by which the speaker secures a translator/translation are not defined (it doesn’t have to necessarily be him doing the actual translation), so long as he’s able to get it translated so all can benefit. Probably not the best analogy or way to put it, but hoping the general idea comes across.