In Robert Morris’ message on praying in tongues, he gives three points:
- Praying in Tongues is Scriptural
- Praying in Tongues is Beneficial
- Praying in Tongues is a Choice.
I have already spent considerable time on points 1 and 2, now let’s tackle his third point. Robert Morris says praying in tongues in a choice. He uses 1 Corinthians 14:15: “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.”
I am not sure why he uses this text. I think he is seeing this as a “both/and” and not as “either/or.” If you see this passage as “both/and” then Paul is saying, “So what shall I do? I am going to pray with my spirit. And I am going to pray with my understanding. I will sing with my spirit, and I will sing with my understanding.” In other words, “I am going to do both. There will be times that I will pray in a tongue, and there will be those times that I will not pray in a tongue. There will be times when I sing with a tongue, and there will be those time when I will not. This verse is simply offering me two choices: Pray with your mind or you can choose to pray in your spirit with a tongue.” In other words, do both!
However, if you take this passage as an “either/or,” it would read like this: “What is the outcome then? I shall pray with both my spirit and mind, and not just with my spirit only. I shall sing with my spirit and mind, and not just sing in the spirit only.” So then, either I pray with both my spirit and mind, or I should be praying at all (or speaking at all - v. 28).
From the way the context of this passage flows, it would be best to see the second option as the more favorable one. For example:
Paul wrote earlier how he would prefer them to speak words of prophecy (14:4-5), since it is prophecy that edifies others and not gibberish. Paul goes onto tell them that if he should visit them and spoke in such a way that they could not understand -- such as in tongues without interpretation and meaning, what will it profit them? (v. 6)
Then Paul uses the example of musical instruments such as a flute, harp and bugle (vv. 7-8). Even lifeless musical instruments have distinct tones that help to give meaning to what is being played. A musical instrument that is merely played or a bugle that is just blown without providing a certain common sound distinction by which others can understand what is being played and called for, what good is it? Both musical instruments without meaning and praying in tongues without meaning is simply “speaking into the air” (v. 9).
All the languages that are in the world, not one of them is without meaning (v. 10). If someone speaks to me and I do not understand him, or if I speak to someone else and he or she does not understand me, I shall be to him a barbarian and he shall be the same to me (v. 11). The word “barbarian” simply means “a foreigner.”
So having said all this, Paul makes this statement: “So also you, since you are so zealous of looking and sounding spiritual, seek to abound for the edification of the church” (v. 12). In other words, practice serving and speaking in such a way that others in the church will be built up. No one can be built up without understanding and the meaning on what is being said.
Paul continues in v. 13, “Therefore (having said all that he has about the importance of meaning and understanding for the purpose of building others up in the church), let the one who speaks in a tongue, pray that he may interpret” (or provide understanding of what he is saying).
V. 14 - “For (or because) if I pray in a tongue, only my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.”
V. 15 -- “So what choices do I have? I can choose to both pray in my spirit and my mind or I can choose to remain quiet” (v. 28).
This is all Paul is saying. He is not giving a choice to pray in a tongue (in your spirit) and you can also pray in your native language (with your mind). Paul is not giving a both/and, but an either/or.
Otherwise, if you simply bless in your spirit only, how will others be able to say with knowledge and understanding, “amen” to what you are saying? (v. 16).
Because you may be busy giving thanks in your spirit, but the person next to you is not being built up by what you are saying (v. 17).
Therefore, Robert Morris does have this somewhat right. Praying in gibberish is a choice. But the bible teaches that praying with words of understanding is a more preferred choice that honors God and edifies others.
End of Part 10
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