In man (humans) there is a spirit, not an eternal spirit but a spirit. From God there is the Holy Spirit (eternal), the Spirit of God. When a human receives the Holy Spirit they may receive a gift of tongues that is the Holy Spirit speaking or singing through the tongue of the human in the language of the Holy Spirit or in the primary language of the human (a language that is not understood without interpretation or one that is understood without interpretation). The human may also speak or sing in the tongue of their spirit to God.

In Ephesians 5:18-20 it is written, “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Here Paul is telling us to allow the Holy Spirit to minister through us in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. And in Colossians 3:16-17 we read, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” There is speaking and singing that is from the word of Christ delivered by the Holy Spirit.

In First Corinthians 14:2 Paul wrote, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God” and in First Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays.” When I speak in a tongue between God and myself, it is my spirit that speaks in a tongue. “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” (First Corinthians 14:15). Here Paul puts singing in the spirit in the same context as praying in the spirit. It is my spirit that prays and it is my spirit that sings.

In First Corinthians 12:1-3 Paul wrote, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Obviously there is a speaking in the Spirit of God. In First Corinthians 12:7-10 we read, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” Here Paul includes tongues in with the gifts of the Spirit “for the profit of all.” How does that contrast with First Corinthians 14:2, (“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God”)? One is the tongue of the Holy Spirit and to another is given interpretation; the other is the spirit of the human (First Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays.”) between God and the human (First Corinthians 14:2, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God”).

“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” (First Corinthians 14:15). “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (First Corinthians 13:1-3). “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). For me, I will love the lord my God and listen to the Holy Spirit and do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him, in spirit and with understanding.

© 2004 Tim D. Coulter Sr.