All of us need to be told about everything, in a sense. We learned to speak as babies by hearing the words of our parents and/or others. We heard about the things of God from God through our reading of scripture or the hearing of testimonies or hearing a preacher. When it comes to the things of God, I believe that there is an unbroken line from the time Jesus walked in the flesh until now. The unbroken line is in the connection from father to son, mother to daughter, friend to friend, word to word, carrying God's Word through men with God's Spirit from then until now. We always need to be told. Not everyone who is told pays attention. This relates not only to tongues, but to anything that God has for men. IMHO.
"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Rom 10:14
If you have never personally done something, then imagining it might be a bit difficult… or even impossible. If a person does receive the gift of the Holy Ghost without the gift of an unknown tongue can he feel or perceive any difference in himself? I can describe the gift of tongues based on my experience, but I know that it would be very difficult to imagine. Let me say that, for me, it compares to speaking in my native language. That is to say, I am able to speak many things without really actively thinking much about the words. For me that is English and that is the unknown tongues.
I learned both Spanish and German as foreign languages. I haven't spoken German to anyone in years and even at my best (when I was in Germany close to 50 years ago) my spoken German has never come even close to my English. To say anything in German now would require careful thought and consideration and many things I could not say because I would be unable to remember the correct words.
In Spanish I was once nearly as fluent as in English, but the lack of regular use of it has made it more difficult. Today, when I am placed in a situation with only a Spanish speaker, after a short resetting of my brain, things begin to come out of mouth more easily in Spanish. I can say almost anything in Spanish but to carry on a complex conversation, while possible, today, would be a difficult task for my abilities.
I can speak to the Lord at any time through the gift of tongues and I do not think about what I am saying. I simply refocus my attention on Him from wherever it was. It comes out as easily as English usually comes out. Actually it is easier because for some English conversations I have to think about the concepts I want to get across before proceeding and I purposely sometimes edit my words for different reasons when I do speak .
I don't believe that it is necessary for one person to teach another person an unknown tongue. I have had no experience of that kind of teaching occurring.
Once, long ago I did a study of tongues in the NT and encountered three different types of tongues(I Cor 12:10 shows there is more than one). I identified them as follows:
1st Tongue: speaker speaks in a tongue unknown to himself (and possibly as a witness to others), apparently for God's understanding alone. (I have this gift.)
2nd Tongue: speaker speaks apparently in his own language but the listeners hear him in their own foreign languages (I have heard people give witness of this gift, but have never personally witnessed it.)
3rd Tongue: speaker speaks in tongue understood by no one present & it is then interpreted by some one into the common language. (My wife has been used to give such messages from God and she has also been used to interpret such messages into English. The only human language she speaks and understands is English.)
We all are given some things from birth, which do affect us.
Most of us were born in the United States or other more "advanced" western countries. Others were born in places like Haiti or other countries that fall far short on many of the modern "comforts" of natural life we seldom even think about...
Some few were born with inherent mental abilities comparable to Albert Einstein. Others were born with below average inherent mental abilities.
Some few were born to families so rich in material things that a real absence of sufficient money to provide basics of natural life was never a serious problem. Many others were born into situations where having enough to eat, proper clothing and even a proper roof over their heads was always a problem.
Some few were born into the homes of parents who loved God, who sought diligently to bring those children into similar relationships with their Creator. Others were born without caring parents or even to parents, who were openly and cruelly abusive to those children.
So what does a loving God, who is no respecter of persons, do with all of these different people with different abilities, opportunities, and environments, etc.?
God knows our frame. He knows our abilities. He knows our inabilities. He knows our gifts. He knows our circumstances. What He looks at is our hearts: What is it that we do with what we have in accord with what we know or believe?
“…For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48
God alone is capable of properly weighing the total of what we started with, what we subsequently received, and what we have done along the road since we have started and then coming up with a conclusion based on the established blessings and curses. The result is fair according to God’s judgment. No other judgments, in the end, really matter, do they?
This is why the following verse is so important for us to both understand and observe with regard to our treatment of others:
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matt 7:1-2
Look at Deuteronomy chapter 28 and rather than considering the specifics of the blessings and the curses in the verses there, consider simply that there are blessings for certain actions and curses for other actions. This explains generally how, I believe, God works, if we can all understand it.
As those specific blessings and curses were written, so is Luke 12:48 (quoted above) written to help men understand the Way of God. In a sense, I believe, that it is not God in each occurrence that specifically and personally causes a man to be judged per Matt 7:1-2 (quoted above), with regard to his right or wrong actions or inactions in accord with what the man has and/or what he understands.
The reaction of God, in a sense, is according to His plan for successes or failures or correct walks and stumblings, which includes a Redeemer, prophets, teachers, mercy, forgiveness, etc. God doesn’t have to think through things to make a decision as a man might. The decision is there according the plan already established [a blessing or a curse or some combination thereof for each action or inaction of each of us for each decision to be made] , from the foundation of the world.
If you were a native American Indian living on this continent prior to 1492 and someone handed you a $100.00 bill, it would be nothing more to you than a perhaps interesting piece of paper. You could have no conception of the value someone would put on it in the 21st century. Lack of understanding of a matter doesn’t mean that the matter is not important to someone.
The scripture says:
“…do all speak with tongues?…” I Cor 12:30
That bit of scripture to me, with the question mark after it, means that not everyone speaks in tongues, that not everyone has that gift. Its
purpose, I believe, is to communicate. But, what does it communicate and to whom? Are we likely to always know the answer to that question for another person?
Does every part of the human body speak with English words? No, only the mouth and related necessary components speak in English. The foot does not speak in English. What part of the Body of Christ are we?
I used to believe that tongues was THE evidence that a person had received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I do not believe that any more. This does not mean that I do not believe in tongues. I have the gift and I use it.
Why did Jesus speak in parables?
"He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."
Matt 13:11-15
The reason for the parables is also the reason for the tongues...
