Subject: Gift of speaking in tongues for all? |
Bible Note: Hi Mitch, Thank you for your kind words. I will try to be worthy of them, and I know that I am not always. What you are saying is neither new nor unusual. I would like to look at the verse you quoted, and a verse about praying in the Spirit. In 1 Cor 14:15, Paul says "What then is it? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the mind." This is from the JP Green Literal Version (LITV). In vs. 14, Paul says, "if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays." In verse 15, "spirit" and "mind" are both in the Dative Case, signifying direction, location, or instrumentality. The context from verse 14 tells us this is instrumentality, he prays with his spirit, or by means of his spirit, or mind. There is nothing in the text to suggest that vs. 15 uses these words any differently. So praying with his spirit is praying in tongues, and praying with his mind is normal language prayer. Now look at Eph 6:18 "through all prayer and petition, praying at all times in the Spirit, and watching to this same thing with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints." Here, Spirit is in the same Dative Case, for direction, location, or instrumentality, but it is preceded by the Greek "en", "in the Spirit". This is not present in the Corinthians passage, but here it signals that the correct meaning is Location. We pray, being in the Spirit. So one is instrumental, using our spirit, the other is locational, being in His Spirit. Let me know your thoughts. I would suggest downloading e-sword.net, and using the Greek and Hebrew study helps to get you started. I also recommend the blueletterbible.org. These have be invaluable to me. Love in Christ, mark Love in Christ, Mark |