The Utterance Gifts (Part 2)
July 23, 2025The Utterance Gifts
7.16.2025, 7.23.2025
Review
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 – NKJV
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: (2) You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. (3) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. (4) There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. (5) There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. (6) And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. (7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: (8) for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, (9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, (10) to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (11) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
There are three major classifications of spiritual gifts…
Everything that God does through a believer will come under one of these 9 gifts.
Revelation – Reveal Something
Word of Wisdom
Word of Knowledge
Discerning of Spirits
Power – Do Something
Gift of Faith
Working of Miracles
Gifts of Healings
Utterance – Say something
Gift of Prophecy
Different Kinds of Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues
We’ll deal first of all with the utterance gifts.
Some facts about the gift of prophecy.
Prophecy is the most important of the three gifts of utterance. It takes the other two utterance gifts – tongues and interpretation to equal prophecy.
1 Corinthians 14:5 – NKJV
I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
Prophecy – a supernatural utterance in a known tongue.
Different Kinds of Tongues is a supernatural utterance in an unknown language.
Interpretation of tongues is a supernatural revealing of what has been said in different kinds of tongues.
The Hebrew Word for prophecy means – to flow forth; to bubble forth like a fountain; to let drop; to lift up; to tumble forth; to spring forth.
The Greek Word for prophecy – to speak on God’s behalf or to be God’s spokesman.
In the Old Testament, prophecy is mostly foretelling.
Only the prophet, priest, and king had the HS on them. No one could hear the voice of the HS the way we do.
In the New Testament, prophecy is forth-telling. Encouraging. Not for guidance.
The simple gift of prophecy does not predict the future!
All believers are encouraged to prophesy.
1 Corinthians 14:1-5 – NKJV
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. (2) 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. (3) But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. (4) He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. (5) I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
1 Corinthians 14:39 – NKJV
Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
Some thoughts about prophecy and prophets.
There is no revelation in the simple gift of prophecy.
It simply edifies, exhorts, and comforts (1 Corinthians 14:3).
The simple gift does not predict anything about the future!
The prophet’s ministry is a ministry office mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. Prophesying doesn’t make you a prophet.
A prophet has at least two of the revelation gifts plus prophecy working in his life.
A prophet will have the word of wisdom, or the word of knowledge in a prophecy he or she gives.
1 Corinthians 12:29 – 31 – NKJV
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? (30) Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (31) But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
Are all prophets? Paul told the whole church to desire to prophecy, but that doesn’t qualify them to be a prophet.
Example of the simple gift of prophecy.
Acts 21:8-13 – NKJV
On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. (9) Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. (10) And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. (11) When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit,’So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'” (12) Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. (13) Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
The simple gift of prophecy edifies the believer but does not predict the believer’s future.
The gifts of prophecy plus the word of wisdom may foretell the future.
We are to prophecy according to our faith.
Romans 12:6 – NKJV
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith
Don’t try to prophesy without the anointing.
Prophecy is not preaching – To preach is to proclaim, announce, cry, to tell – always in the sense of expounding the Word. We preach the gospel. We don’t prophecy the gospel.
In preaching, the human mind (full of the Word) is operated by the Spirit. In prophecy, the mind of the Spirit is speaking through the natural speech organs.
Preaching is inspired, but it is not supernatural. Prophesying is supernatural –the mind is not involved.
Prophecy is not for guidance.
Example – In the late 1970’s When Susan and I were dating, a man used in the prophet’s ministry held an independent meeting in a local technical college auditorium. During the meeting a local pastor came up to Susan and me, and said he had a prophetic word for Susan. He said the Lord told him that Susan was going to be a missionary to Pago Pago – an island in the South Pacific! Susan knew nothing about this, and it was not in her heart. I told her to just forget it!
We are to be led by the Spirit of God, not by prophets!
Romans 8:14 – NKJV
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Proverbs 20:27 – NKJV
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.
Prophecy Directives
Understand the purpose behind the meeting you are attending.
Before any church service where the ministry is open to spiritual gifts manifesting, ask God for spiritual gifts to manifest, and tell Him that you are open to be used in the simple gift of prophecy. Pray in tongues.
If the gift of prophecy manifests, it will start with a quickening inside of you. That is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
(Added) The quickening comes with a word, a phrase, a sentence, or just a knowing or summary of what God wants you to say.
Wait for the proper time, like a quiet time after a song during worship.
We should never interrupt a pastor or speaker in a service, even if we sense the anointing rising up within us.
Ask the Lord to make a time to give the prophecy if He wants you to give it. When a place opens up, speak the prophecy aloud. You will sense the quickening of the Holy Spirit! Stop prophesying when that quickening ceases.
1 Corinthians 14:32 – (Amplified)
For the spirits of the prophets (the speakers in tongues) are under the speaker’s control [and subject to being silenced as may be necessary],
Prophecy should never interrupt the ministry of the Word.
7.23.2025
Different Kinds of Tongues
A person receives the ability to pray in tongues when he is baptized with the Holy Spirit.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Every person baptized with the Holy Spirit should expect to pray in tongues, or in the Spirit.
But not everyone baptized with the HS will be used in the gift of different kinds of tongues.
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
So, just as not everyone is in a ministry office – Apostle, prophet, etc…, so not everyone will be used in the same spiritual gifts.
Every believer should receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, and every believer should expect to pray in tongues if they are baptized with the Holy Spirit, but not everyone will be used in the gift of different kinds of tongues.
Speaking in the unknown tongue and the spiritual gift of different kinds of tongues are the same in essence, that is, where they come from, but they are different in the way they are used. One is for personal devotions with the Lord, and the other is often manifest in public in a gathering of believers.
Take some time to pray in tongues every day!
Start with a few minutes and increase the time.
Years ago, when God dealt with me about reading and praying daily, He reminded me of how I started exercising…incremental increase.
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.
For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11-12 (PHILLIPS)
For who could really understand a man’s inmost thoughts except the spirit of the man himself? How much less could anyone understand the thoughts of God except the very Spirit of God? And the marvellous thing is this, that we now receive not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God himself, so that we can actually understand something of God’s generosity towards us.
Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Therefore, the person who speaks in an [unknown] tongue should pray [for the power] to interpret and explain what he says. 14 For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by theHoly Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody]. 15 Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by theHoly Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.
Here is what it is like when different kinds of tongues manifests:
You pray a normal way in tongues with a usual language that you don’t know in your daily time before the Lord, and you know the sounds it makes.
With different kinds of tongues, it is a different language than the normal one God gave you when you were baptized with the Holy Spirit, and it will sound different and there will be an internal quickening of the Holy Spirit when it manifests!
Example – Six months before Covid came, I was leading a prayer meeting at Victory on Sunday night, October 6, 2019. As I sat on a stool in front of everyone and prayed in tongues and in English, the other tongues I usually spoke in changed to what sounded like German, and there was an anointing with it.
The interpretation was that an event would occur that would shake our nation deeply, and that after this event, Joel 2:28-32 would be fulfilled!
Interpretation of Tongues
1. It is the least of the nine gifts because it is dependent on another gift for its operation. It takes the least faith to use. (1 Corinthians 14:5)
Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?
If you will ask the Lord to help you know what you are saying when praying in tongues, then when you need to, you will know what you’re saying in tongues! HE will reveal it to you!
Interpretation of tongues comes a number of ways:
it may come with phrases or sentences, or even words that you hear inside of you, in your spirit.
It may come in picture form in your imagination.
Saturday Prayer – a road
A wave…
A sentence…
A face…
A situation…