Speaking with tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, the word of knowledge, and the word of wisdom are among those accompaniments to the baptism in the Holy Spirit that are used in the setting of corporate worship.
The New Testament contains several lists of spiritual gifts or gifts that accompany the baptism in the Holy Spirit; they are sometimes called charismata, “gifts” or “graces” (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4) and sometimes identified as pneumatika, “spiritual gifts” (1 Cor. 12:1; 14:1). Paul wanted worshipers to seek the pneumatika, especially to prophesy (1 Cor. 14:1). Tongues, he explains, are a sign to unbelievers. A “sign” in the Bible often carries the connotation of “offense,” just as Simeon prophesied over the infant Jesus in the temple that he would be “a sign to be opposed” or “spoken against” (Luke 2:34). Tongues, however, edify or build up worshipers (1 Cor. 14:4) as they speak to God in mysteries (things revealed) in the Spirit (14:2).
Prophecy
The biblical prophet (Hebrew navi’, Greek prophētēs) is a spokesman for the Lord. In the Old Testament, the prophet is concerned primarily with maintaining the covenant; in the New Testament, the prophet’s purpose is to mediate instruction, exhortation, and comfort to the body of believers (1 Cor. 14:3).
When Luke records how the Holy Spirit fell upon the Ephesian believers, he mentions that they not only spoke in tongues but also prophesied (Acts 19:6). Although speaking in tongues appears to be strictly a New Testament phenomenon, prophesying under the anointing and influence of the Holy Spirit was a regular occurrence in the worship that took place before the ark of the covenant in David’s tabernacle in Zion. This Davidic worship has been called New Testament worship before its time since it took place directly before the ark in the presence of God, without animal sacrifices. It was probably in this setting that many of the psalms were written, and it is partly from them that information can be gleaned about worship in Zion. Both the account in 1 Chronicles 16:4–7 and the Psalms reveal that vocal and instrumental praise music was its primary characteristic; Psalms and 2 Samuel add dancing and shouting (2 Sam. 6:14–15; Pss. 66:1; 149:3). The Psalms speak of standing (134:1), lifting the hands (134:1–2), clapping (47:1), and bowing and kneeling (95:6), and 1 Chronicles specifically mentions prophecy on musical instruments (25:1).
The New Testament does not refer to prophecy being given musically, but since believers were familiar with the Old Testament practice, and Paul mentions singing in tongues (1 Cor. 14:13–15), it is likely that prophecy as a New Testament spiritual gift is meant to be given to the accompaniment of music. A case can be made for musical prophecy from Paul’s instructions to the Colossians to teach and admonish one another in “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16) and to the Ephesians to “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.… giving thanks” (Eph. 5:19–20). Musical prophecy, then, is for the giving of thanks as well as for edification.
Some Pentecostal churches teach that if tongues are accompanied by interpretation, these are equivalent to prophesy since both are supernatural utterances and both constitute thanksgivings. However, while the Bible does not say that tongues are ever used for any other purpose, prophecy does have functions other than the giving of thanks, which include instruction and revelation. In his instructions concerning spiritual gifts, Paul writes to the Corinthian church that they should pursue prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1), which, he reasoned, would serve to convict any unbeliever who might visit the worship service, as he hears “the secrets of his heart … laid bare” (14:24–25).
Prophecy also has its aspect of predicting events to come. Through a revelation of the Holy Spirit, the prophet Agabus informed the believers at Antioch that a famine would occur (Acts 11:28). In a later prophecy, he warned that Paul would be bound and delivered over to the Gentiles in Jerusalem (21:10). This incident may provide the biblical background for the practice of “personal prophecy” that is common in Pentecostal and charismatic circles, in which a prophet reveals to another believer information concerning some future event, blessing in that person’s life, or insight into a present difficulty.
Tongues and Interpretation
In Pentecostal and charismatic churches, speaking in tongues is often used as a part of the “liturgy.” Contrary to what is often believed by those not familiar with the practice, tongues are not an ecstatic or emotional utterance but are under the control of the worshiper (1 Cor. 14:27–32), who exercises the gift as an act of obedience to the biblical injunction to continually be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). It is common practice in Pentecostal or charismatic churches for one person to speak in tongues while the congregation listens and then for another person to interpret the message, according to Paul’s instructions (1 Cor. 14:27–29). The New Testament seems to indicate that the interpretation should always take the form of a thanksgiving to God. Paul writes:
For this reason, anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.… If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. (1 Cor. 14:13, 16–17)
The New Song
Charismatic congregations frequently sing in tongues, as Paul suggests (1 Cor. 14:15); such singing usually follows immediately after the congregation sings in the known language. In this expression, worshipers weave their individual melodies through the final chord of the congregational song just ended, or even a chord progression, singing personal praises to the Lord either in tongues or in the known language. This does not occur randomly, but for congregations accustomed to this practice, at fairly predictable points in the flow of the “liturgy.” It is variously known as singing a “new song” to the Lord (Pss. 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 149:1), the “song of the Lord” (2 Chron 29:27 KJV), “sing[ing] with my spirit” (1 Cor. 14:15), or the selah, a term found in many of the psalms which may indicate a musical interlude or “lifting up” of praise. Sometimes a solo voice, generally the worship leader, will lead out in such “prophetic song,” and musicians will occasionally “prophesy” on their instruments, in solo or ensemble.
An especially vibrant and powerful worship segment of the “song of the Lord” is sometimes referred to as the “high praises of God” (Ps. 149:6 NASB). This spontaneous chorus of praise, usually supported by instrumental accompaniment, corresponds to John’s description of the voice of the Lord as he stands in the midst of the seven churches (Rev. 1:12–15) speaking with a voice “like the sound of rushing waters.” Ezekiel described the voice of God in the same way (Ezek. 1:24; 43:2). In the Scripture, water is frequently used as a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. Speaking in the context of worship, at the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus described the flow of the Holy Spirit as a spring of water erupting from within the deepest part of the believer (John 7:37–39).
Ezekiel sees a vision of the life or Spirit of God flowing from his sanctuary in an ever-deepening river that brings healing to all it touches (Ezek. 47:1–12). John the Revelator sees the same river in his vision of the church as the city of God; the “water of life” issues from the throne of God in the midst of the city and flows through the center of its street (Rev. 22:1–2). Peter alludes to this metaphor of water when he tells the curious crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost that the outburst of praise by the disciples is the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise through the prophet to “pour out” his Spirit (Acts 2:16–17).
Charismatics view the vocal and instrumental praise song that wells up and flows from God’s people as the voice of the Spirit of God in their midst, evidence of his life being released in the sanctuary and flowing out to bless the nations. Taken seriously is Jesus’ statement to the woman of Samaria that the Lord seeks out worshipers who will worship him “in spirit,” i.e., with energy and vitality, and “in truth,” or according to the principles of the Word (“Your word is truth,” John 17:17).
Word of Wisdom and Word of Knowledge
In addition to speaking in tongues and prophecy, Paul teaches about two other vocal gifts that are exercised in the context of worship. They were prophesied in the Old Testament as endowments of the Messiah, the righteous Branch that would come from the stem of Jesse, the Messiah Christians understand to be Jesus Christ. Isaiah wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and … the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2). Proverbs equates “the fear of the Lord” with “wisdom” (9:10) and also with “knowledge” (1:7).
In the New Testament, these gifts that accompany the resting of the Spirit of God on a believer are known as “the word of wisdom” and “the word of knowledge”; Paul mentions them in 1 Corinthians 12:8. Their source is Christ, who distributes them to his body through the Spirit. As generally understood, the word of wisdom is the supernatural ability to understand and to speak concerning the direction either the church or an individual should take in a given situation. Paul exercised this gift when he advised the ship captain not to continue his journey toward Phoenix, but to winter in Fair Havens. “Men,” he told the officials in charge, “I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also” (Acts 27:10). Later, after the captain had ignored Paul’s warning, as the ship was breaking apart on rocks and the sailors were attempting to escape in the lifeboat, Paul again gave a word of wisdom. To the centurion and soldiers in charge of the prisoners, he said, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved” (27:31).
The word of knowledge, on the other hand, is information given to a believer about some work God is doing in a specific setting; for example, a person with that gift might tell the congregation that the Lord is at that moment healing someone with heart disease or cancer or another infirmity. In the story referred to above, Paul operates in the word of knowledge as well as the word of wisdom when he assures the frightened sailors that they will all arrive at land in safety and only the ship will be lost (Acts 27:34). Another biblical example of a word of knowledge is God’s revelation to Peter that Ananias and Sapphira were lying about the amount of money they had received for the land they sold (Acts 5:1–10).
Teaching and Exhorting
While the gifts of teaching and of exhorting can be exercised outside the context of worship, they are also frequently used within that setting. Both are “horizontal” activities that operate from believer to believer, instead of being a worship activity that focuses “vertically,” toward God himself. To be considered as having a relationship to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, these functions must be performed under his power and anointing, in the same manner as prophesy or speaking in tongues. Strictly speaking, although they are a part of the order of service, they are not worship-oriented.
Conclusion
The exercise of those gifts particularly associated with worship, such as speaking in and interpreting tongues, prophecy, healings, working of miracles, and the gifts of wisdom and knowledge, is intended both to edify the believer and the church (1 Cor. 14:26) and to bring glory to God (Col. 3:16–17). The practice of the vocal gifts is not intended to elevate or call attention to the practitioners. According to Peter, the church exists for the primary purpose of exhibiting and proclaiming the surpassing worth of the One who has brought it into existence as the people of God, calling it from darkness into the kingdom of light (1 Pet. 2:10).