Should people speak in tongues without interpreters? This is a query I have been asking myself whenever I hear one switching to tongues as he/she is preaching or praying: I don’t understand it. I am twenty two years old but up to date I have not heard anyone translating it. I don’t know if God has failed to provide the power of interpretation, but what I believe is that there must be an interpreter based on what Paul said “…anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says” then he continued saying “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God”-1 Corinthians 14:13, 27-29.Tongues are a heavenly language used for addressing God “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit”- 1 Corinthians 14:2, the Church because interpreters are needed to bring prophecy so as to build the Church, and unbelievers “Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers…” - 1 Corinthians 14:22.Tongues are meant for unbelievers so as they see the wonders of God through language which they think God cannot use it to address them. This is in Acts 2:4-12, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”Paul clearly describes how tongues are spoken “…he utters mysteries with his spirit”. But now days people utter what is obvious because of some common repetitive sounds you will always hear or guess what you are about listen like:/sh/ /r/ /ba/ /ta/ /ma/ /la/ etc. How A has said it will sound the same for B, or how they both speak it will keep on sounding the same. Does this language lack variety?People who speak in tongues edify themselves 1st Corinthians 14:4. This is the same as building your faith in God but, it does not prove your faith identity before people. Don’t get twisted here: when one speaks in tongues, it might be for himself communicating with God, or for the Church as long as there is an interpreter , or for you as long as you are going to understand it.For God is not a God of disorder but of peace… - 1 Corinthians 14:33. Whenever there is disorder, confusion comes in: conflict will emerge as a result of misunderstandings. God has already put down some mechanisms for things to be in order that is why He is saying “…anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says”.
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