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Words, either spoken or written, constitute the material with which the servant of God
must serve, and in the Pentecostal equipment, the twelve Apostles were miraculously
enabled to speak in the language of those who were assembled at Jerusalem. Such
supernatural equipment does not pertain to the present dispensation, but a recognition of
the place that language must occupy is implied, even though such ability to speak be
attained by slower and more painful processes. There is no doubt about the apostle's
attitude to this great matter:
"Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known
what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air" (I Cor. 14: 9).
He proceeds to remark, that while there are a great variety of voices in the world,
"none of them is without signification". If, therefore, said the Apostle, "I know not the
meaning of the voice" the effort will be wasted. He stressed the need to "interpret"
whenever the gifts of tongues was exercised; he affirmed that even though he prayed in
an unknown tongue, his understanding would be "unfruitful" and concluded his remarks
on this important element of service by saying:
"I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all. Yet in the church I had rather
speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than
ten thousand words in an unknown tongue" (I Cor. 14: 18, 19).
The gift of language is a sacred trust and no man of God is "throughly furnished" who
is not scrupulously careful in the use of this great implement. From I Cor. 14: we can
compile the following words, each of which has a distinct bearing upon the purpose of
speech and therefore indicates what should form a part of the preacher's preparation:--
"Edification", "exhortation", "comfort", are set forth as objects at which to aim.
"Revelation", "knowledge", "prophecy" or "doctrine" are indicated as the burden of the
speaker's message. Distinction in sound, easy of being understood, words having
signification and meaning, are alone profitable, and "to be understood" is the goal of all
speech. The words "easy to be understood" in I Cor. 14: 9, translate the Greek word
eusemos, a word that is composed of eu, "good", and semos, "a sign". It indicates the
avoidance of ambiguity, but inculcates the choice of words the significance of which
cannot be missed. If our words are "good signs" we shall not select them merely for their
"sound" but for their "meaning". In I Cor. 14: 10 the word "without signification" is
aphonon, or "dumb", as in 12: 2, a word the meaning of which is not clear, like the
intelligible noises uttered by the dumb. In I Cor. 14: 11 the word "meaning" is, in the
original, dunamis. Where the meaning is not grasped a word loses its dynamic force, and
accomplishes nothing; conversely, when the full meaning is understood, such a word
will possess power approximating to a "miracle", as the same word is rendered in 12: 10
and 28. While therefore we must stress the spiritual preparation of the man of God--
without which, necessarily, all will be dead and ineffective--the spiritual man will not
despise the Dictionary, the Grammar, the Concordance, the Lexicon, and all aids that are
at hand to enable him to "speak with understanding". Eternal issues hang upon the use of
"right words". "How forcible" said Job "are right words!" (Job 6: 25). How needful to
be able to speak a word "in season"! (Isa. 50: 4). How precious are words "fitly spoken"!
(Prov. 25: 11). How important to follow the example of "the Preacher" who "sought to