Acts 2
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested
a on each one of them.
4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?
9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,
11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Paul is saying:
you guys...i know you got this miraculous gift of speaking in the gentile languages and stuff (see above in Acts).
i know its cool. and that God is revealing new things (the languages were also revelatory gifts).
but, if you don't have an interpreter there (i'm writing a letter because i am an Apostle [and a prophet] and i have the ultimate authority under Christ to instruct and correct you), don't speak.
nobody will understand you if you're speaking the language of the Elamites and you got no Elamites or interpreter there.
you're just showing off. this isn't LOVE for the church, it's CHAOS.
you guys know that i speak more languages than all of you (the person gifted with one perhaps 2 languages)...i'm an hebrew, a roman citizen, i speak greek, etc.
but i'd rather speak one word in a language that you guys know than 10,000 words in a language you don't know.
in fact, even if i spoke the languages of angels or hummingbirds, i'd just be making noise because it's not out of LOVE for the church when i don't use the miraculous Pentecost language gifts PROPERLY.
goodnight 4runner.