"For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries." 1 Corinthians 14:2)
"....in the spirit he speaks mysteries." Or, could we say that I don't have do understand everything about praying? Maybe this is the reason I have been "camped" with you in 1 Corinthians 14.
The Gospels reveal that Jesus could never be anticipated in any given situation as to either what He would say or what He would do. Just about the time you think you know how Jesus would respond to certain individuals whom He encountered, He did or said something else. There is just so very much of "life in the Spirit," the, "Abide in Me," life in Jesus which can only be defined as, "mysteries."
The Church was "birthed" on the Day of Pentecost in, "mysteries." Acts 2 tells us, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 8, 10, 19). A Dutch theologian and Greek scholar pointed out that the Greek construction of the passage reveals that these, "other tongues," were not known languages of the various people groups gathered that day. The, "other tongues," of that first Pentecost in the Church Age were languages unknown to man. This is the same in Act 10 & 19. The Acts 2 text does not say the disciples were speaking in the known languages of those present, but rather, "How is it that we hear...in our own language...?" This, my friend, was something of the, "mysteries," of the Holy Spirit, viz., the disciples spoke in, "other tongues," and the Holy Spirit caused the others to, "hear...in our own language."
If the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit teach us anything, it teaches us that when we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we enter the Kingdom of God/Heaven in which we can only live as 1 Corinthians 2:14 says. "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 14 teaches us that there is a "dimension" of living which goes beyond mental understanding. This is central in understanding why Paul would say, "I speak in tongues more than you all."
Remember the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Ask and it will be given to you...." If you have not, or at one time did, but have neglected this wonderful Gift of the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to ask for a renewed "filling."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that life can only be, "spiritually discerned." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
