[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Sam

We need to be careful we don't impose restrictions that are overly tight on people. That could quench the Spirit or put people in fear.

The way I understand the order of speaking with tongues in 1 Corinthians is that it is speaking of the gifts of the Spirit, as operated in a public service, not what happens when people are baptized in the Spirit. It does not apply to what happens when hands are laid upon a person to impart the Spirit baptism or to what happens when people at the altar, where many are praying together aloud, may speak out in tongues as the Spirit blesses them. In my opinion, no interpretation is required here although I've heard of it being done.

If we get too dogmatic, legalistic, or too concerned with "order" people will be afraid to speak out if they feel like they are being used to give a message in tongues.

If everyone is praying aloud at the same time, in my opinion, those prayers could be in one's known language or in one's prayer language. If one person is leading in prayer from the congregation or from the platform, those prayers should be in the common known language. If you are asked to bless the food, or bless the offering, or to dismiss the service, it should be in the commonly known language unless you (or someone else) interpret.

But to silence or muzzle someone who might get a little happy and say a few words in tongues when someone else can hear them, would, in my opinion, be following the letter of the law and not the spirit.

Hey, we're Pentecostal. Tongues happens in our churches. If people don't know that coming in, they find out sooner or later. Too much "decently and in order" can dry things up.

As a Pentecostal we may (or not) agree, but what about Paul's instruction concerning the unlearned then? Is it applied as an option only?