Questions & Answers on The Holy Ghost
Questions 97 (COD Page 436)
Now: Brother Branham (it’s typewritten), is it Scripture for a person to speak in tongues and to interpret his own message? If so, please explain. First Corinthians or Corinthians 14:19 and also Corinthians 14:27.
112 All right, let’s go over to that Scripture and see what it says. And then we’ll see whether we keep this Scriptural. We want to always be Scriptural. And Corinthians 14. Now, the person wants to know if it’s Scriptural for a man to interpret his own message that he spoke in tongues. “If so, explain Corinthians
14:19.” Let’s see, 14 and 19. All right, here we are.
Yet in the churches I... rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others
also, than ten thousand... in... unknown tongues.
Now, the next one is the 27th verse, they want to know. If any man speaks in a unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at... most by three, and that by courses; and let one interpret.
113 Now, I take what the person’s trying to get at (which I want-I’m going to read something to you just a moment). But I think what the brother or sister is trying to get at, “Is it right for a person that’s speaking in tongues to also interpret the message that he said?” Now, dear beloved friend, if you’ll just read the 13th verse in the same chapter, it’ll tell you:
Wherefore let him that speaketh in a unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
114 Sure. He can interpret his own message. Now, if we just... Let’s just... Well, you... Read the all of it here, and you can see It’s... Just read that whole chapter. It’s very good, explains it.
115 Now, speaking in tongues... Now, while we’re on that, and this being taped, I want to say that I believe just as much in speaking in tongues as I believe in Divine healing, and the-the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the second coming of Christ, and the power of the world to come; I believe just as much in that as I believe, but I believe speaking in tongues has its place just like the coming of Christ has its place; Divine healing has its place; everything has its place.
116 Now, to you people, I’ve got a chance to say this now, and I’d like to explain it. And if I’m hurt anyone, I don’t mean it. I don’t mean to cause confusion. But listen. What’s been the matter with speaking in unknown tongues by the Pentecostal people (which is myself; I am Pentecostal. See?)... Now, what’s been the trouble is this: that they don’t reverence it. And another thing, they just let it go at random. They don’t come back to the Word.
117 Now listen. Here’s the way-let-here’s the way the church is set up. Now, in a Pentecostal church, if I was pastoring this church, I’ll tell you how I would have it set up (see?), if I was-would be here all the time to pastor it. I would subscribe to every gift in the Bible. Tell believers first to be baptized into the Holy Ghost. And then, every gift of First Corinthians 12 would have to be operating in my church, if I could get them in there, the whole body operating.
118 Now, if you notice... Not making remarks now. And remember, I wouldn’t say one word contrary-I might blaspheme the Holy Ghost. And God knows I wouldn’t say that wrong. See? But I’m only saying this to try to give you the view of the Scripture after I’ve studied it now for nearly twenty years. I been preaching for nearly thirty years. And I’ve just been through everything, just pulled through; you can imagine what it’s been like. And watching every man, and their doctrine, the world over. And taking it because it’s my interest. It’s the interest to human beings besides myself. I’ve got to leave here. You’ve got to leave here. And if I go as a false prophet, I’ll lose my own soul and lose yours with me. So it’s more than-it’s more than daily bread; it’s more than popularity; it’s more than anything else; it’s life to me. See? And I want to always be the very deepest of sincere.
119 Now, you go into a Pentecostal church, the first thing... (I don’t mean all of them. Some of the are... ) Most of the time you get into a church and start preaching; while you’re preaching, someone will raise up and speak in tongues. Now, that dear person may be perfectly filled with the Holy Ghost, and that may be the Holy Ghost speaking through that person, but the thing of it is, they’re untrained. If this ministry at the platform is under inspiration speaking, the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophet. See? “Let all things be done... ” Now, get over here in Paul why he says that “when one speaks,” and so forth... “when he come in, there was just a confusion.”
120 Now, I’ve been making a altar call, and someone raise up and speak in tongues. It just... Well, you just might as well quit making the altar call. It stops it. See?
121 And then, another thing. A lot of times people will raise up and speak in tongues, and people set and chewing chewing gum, looking around. If God’s speaking, keep still, listen! If that’s the Truth, if that is the Holy Ghost speaking in that person, you set still and listen, be reverent. The interpretation might come to you. See? Set still; listen for an interpretation. Now, if there is no interpreter in the church, then they’re supposed to hold their peace in the Body.
122 And then, when they speak with a unknown tongue, the Bible said, let them speak to themselves to them and God. He that speaks in an unknown tongues edifies himself. Now, that’s unknown tongues; dialects, languages is different. “They’re nothing,” he says... But what makes a sound has a meaning. But you... If a trumpet sounds, you’ve got to know what it sounds like (... just blow it) or you won’t know how to prepare yourself for battle. If anyone speaking in tongues, and just “toot”; that’s all there is to it, who knows what to do. But if it starts the reveille, that means “get up!” If it blows the taps, that means “get down.” See? If it blows the charge that means “charge.” It’s got to give a meaning, and just not just speaking alone. So in the church, if there is no interpreter, but that there is an interpreter, then tongues are what belongs in the church.
123 Now, to your question, dear friend, that says, “I’d rather speak five thousand... five words in, and so people can understand me than five thousand (or whatever more it says) in unknown tongue.” That’s true. But read on down: “... except it be by revelation or by interpretation to edification.” See? To edify.
124 Now, I’ll just kinda give you a little notion what if-what... If I was to pastor this church that’s coming, if God would call me to pastor it, here’s the way I’d run it: I’d try to find every person in there that had a gift. And I’d have those people to meet about a hour before the services ever started, in a room to themselves. Let them set under the Spirit. And the first thing you know, one comes down, he’s got a gift of speaking in tongues. And he speaks in tongues. Everybody sets still. And then one raises up and interprets what he says. Now, before that can be given to the church, the Bible says it has to be judged between two or three witnesses. Now, that is man who has discernment of spirit (see?), ’cause a lot of times evil powers gets in there. (See?) Paul spoke of it. But then, God’s power’s in there too. Tell me a congregation where evil doesn’t set. Tell me where the sons of God are gathered together that Satan isn’t in the midst of them. It’s everything. So don’t frown at that. See? Satan’s everywhere. Now, here we are. Someone speaks in tongues. Now, there’s three setting there that’s got the Spirit of discernment. And one speaks in tongues and gives a message. Now, it cannot be quoting Scripture, ’cause God don’t use vain repetitions, and He told us not to. See? So it isn’t that. It’s a message to the church.
125 We’ve had two things in this revival so far. Watch what each one of them was-perfect, right on the dot. See? Moved in. One man raised up, and spoke in tongues, and gave the interpretation, and swung right back around, and vindicated that message that just went forth. The other one raised the other night, and said in the-under the inspiration of prophecy, and said something, not knowing what he was saying; and then at the end he spoke out, “Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.” Quickly something caught me right quick and said, “Otherwise blessed is he who believes that this is the Lord has come.”
126 See the inter-then the Holy Spirit fell in the building last night. See? That’s for edification. I was standing there trying to tell the people that they must receive the Holy Ghost. And the devil had come in around the people, saying, “Don’t listen; set still.”
My sister said, “Bill, I was so happy while you were preaching; felt like I could raise up and jump through the wall.”
I said, “Raise up and jump.” That’s all.
And she said, “But when you went to doing that,” and said,
“the people begin shouting,” said, “then I just felt like I was an old nothing.”
127 I said, “That’s the devil. That’s Satan. When he come in to do that,” I said, “you should raised up anyhow.” We are priests to God, making spiritual sacrifice-sacrifice, the fruits of our lips giving praise to His Name. See?
128 Now, now, here’s what happened. Then the Holy Spirit broke, ’cause that was just... “Blessed is he who believeth.” Two, three nights straight I tried to lay that in there; and then, the Holy Spirit spoke and said (under inspiration) said, “Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.” And before I could say anything, I’d done said it over. “Blessed is he who believes the Lord has come in this.” You see? And I’ve just been talking this, the Holy Ghost is God Himself in you. See? And they’d caught it. See? And then the Holy Ghost fell among the people. See how It-It edifies, prophecy?
129 Now, there’s a difference between prophecy and a prophet. Prophecy goes from one to another, but a prophet is born from the cradle a prophet. They have THUS SAITH THE LORD! No judging of them. You don’t see them stand before Isaiah, or Jeremiah, any of them prophets, because they had THUS SAITH THE LORD! But a spirit of prophecy amongst the people; you have to watch that, ’cause Satan will slip in there. See? Now. But it must be judged.
130 Now, we’re-we’re going to have a revival. Now, watch this real close now, you ministers. We’re fixing a revival. All right. Or maybe we’re just having a regular church service. The church is on fire. It should be all the time. Well, maybe we got five or six people that’s gifted people; one speaks with tongues, two or three maybe speaks with tongues, four or five with tongues, got the gift of tongues, speaking in unknown tongues. Two or three of them can interpret. Maybe there’s one-two, or three of them that’s got gifts of wisdom. All right. They all meet, those gifted people... You... Them gifts are given to you not to play with, not to say, “Glory to God, I speak with tongues! Hallelujah!” You’ll-you’re-you’re degrading yourself. They’re, given to you to work with. And your part in the church should come before the main service starts, because the unlearned is going to be among us.
131 Then you get off into the room, and you set there, you people together, because you’re co-workers in the Gospel. Then you set there. “Lord, is there anything You want us to know tonight? Speak to us, oh, heavenly Father,” offering prayer, supplications; sing songs. Directly down comes the Spirit, falls on somebody, speaks in tongues. One rises up and said, “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” What is it? Listen. “Go tell Brother Jones to move away from the place where he’s living, for tomorrow afternoon there’ll be a cyclone sweep that country; and it’s going to take his house. Take his goods and get away!”
132 Now, that-that sounds good. But wait a minute. There has to be three man there that’s got the Spirit of discernment. One of them say, “It was of the Lord.” The other one say, “It was of the Lord.” That’s two against three-two or three witnesses. All right. They write that down on a piece of paper. That’s what the Spirit said. All right. They go back to praying, thanking the Lord.
133 After while, “THUS SAITH THE LORD (a prophet raises up) THUS SAITH THE LORD, tonight, coming from New York City will be a woman; she’s on a stretcher; she’ll come into the building on a stretcher. She has a green scarf around her head. She’s dying with cancer. What’s caused her to be this way, the Lord holds against her-one time she stole money from His Church when she was sixteen years old. Tell Brother Branham to tell her these things. THUS SAITH THE LORD, if she’ll make that right, she shall be healed.” Wait a minute. That sounds awful good, but wait a minute. You going to put your name on this paper, discerner? Are you going to put your name?
134 “It was of the Lord.” One said, “It was of the Lord.” Then-then you write it down, “THUS SAITH THE LORD, tonight there’ll be a woman come in, certain-certain thing.” The one with the discernment of spirit, two or three of them sign their name to it. All these messages are given. All right.
135 Then after while they begin to hear the bell ring. Church has begin to take up. Then they bring these messages, lay them right here on the desk. Right here’s where they’re supposed to be laying. I’m off somewhere studying, praying. After while I walk out after the songs are being sung. The church is all in order, people coming, setting, meditating, praying; that’s what you’re supposed to do. Not come to church and talk one with another, come to the church to talk to God. Have your fellowship out there. See? We’re fellowshipping with God now. And we come here talking, everything quietly, reverently, the Spirit moving. The pianist come to the piano about five minutes before the song service starts, start real sweetly: Down at the cross where my Saviour died, Down there for cleansing from sin I cried,... Or some good sweet song, real quietly. It brings the Presence of the Holy Ghost into the meeting. See? All right.
136 The people are setting there. Some of them are real-start weeping and come up to the altar, repent before the service ever starts. The Holy Spirit’s there. See? The church is in travail. Christians are praying; they got their positions. They’re not setting there chewing chewing gum, saying, “Hey, Liddie, give me some of your lipstick; I want... You know. You know. I need... You know, the other day when I was down there shopping, I tell you, I almost stepped on your toes. Did I ever seen such... What do you think about that?” Oh, mercy! And call it the house of God. Why, it’s a disgrace. The Body of Christ coming together. There we set. The man setting by, “Say, you know when we went over there, this so-and-so and so-and-so-and-so... ” That’s all right outside, but in here it’s the house of God.
137 Come in praying; take your positions. I’m talking now, not to your churches, brethren. I don’t know what you do; I’m talking to this tabernacle. I’m talking to my own back door. See? That’s right.
138 Now, when you come in like that, then the first thing you know, the pastor walks out. He’s freshly. He don’t have to be answering this, that, and the other. He’s coming right out of the-the dew of his ministry. He’s been under the power of the Holy Spirit. He walks right into where more tongues of fire are gathered together. It’s almost a pillar now (see?), she’s moving around. He walks out here, picks up this. “A message from the church: ‘THUS SAITH THE LORD, Brother Jones to move from his house. Tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock a cyclone shall sweep his land. Take his things and get away.’” Brother Jones gets that. All right. That’s on record. “THUS SAITH THE LORD, there’ll be a woman by the name of So-and-so will come in here tonight, and it was-she’s done so-and-so.” (As I’ve just said, see, like that.) All right, that lays over. That’s it. They’ve already got their position now in the church. All right.
139 Then he takes the message. And the first thing you know, he starts preaching. Nothing’s to interrupt; it’s already taken place. Now, we’re going ahead, we preach the message.
140 And after while when the... The first thing you know when the message is over, the healing line starts. Here comes a woman. Someone spoke in tongues and said she was coming. See? Every one of us knows what’s going to happen. Every one of us knows it. See how the faith begins to build with them tongues of fire standing over you now. She’s begin to accumulate together. Why, it’s just a finished work; that’s all. That woman... I’ll say, “Mrs. So-and-so, from New York City, setting here... ” See?
“Oh, that’s right. How did you know that?”
“It’s a message from the Lord to the church. When you were sixteen years old, wasn’t you at a certain-certain place and done-taken some money from the church, and stole it, and went out, and got new clothes with it?”
“Oh, that’s right. That is right.”
“That’s exactly what God has told us tonight through a Brother So-and-so, spoke with tongues; Brother So-and-so interpreted; Brother So-and-so here said, of the discernment, said it was from the Lord. And that’s the truth.”
“Yes!”
“Then, THUS SAITH THE LORD, go make it right, and you’ll get over your cancer.”
141 Brother Jones goes home, gets the wagons, backs up, gets his furniture, and gets away from there. At two o’clock tomorrow afternoon [Brother Branham makes a sound to illustrate-Ed.] goes the whole thing off. See? Then the church glorifies... “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your goodness.” Now, that’s what it is, to edify, for the church.
142 Now, what if it doesn’t happen after they’ve said it? Then you got a evil spirit among you. You don’t want that evil thing. Why do you want something evil when the-the skies are full of Pentecostal real? Don’t take an old substitute from the devil. Get something real. God’s got it for you. Then don’t you have no more meetings, and put anything up here, till God already vindicates that you’re right, ’cause you’re a helper to the church in the working of the Gospel. Now, you understand it what it is?
143 And tongues, unknown tongues... No man he-knows what he’s talking about. He speaks; but every sound has a meaning. That has a meaning [Brother Branham claps his hands-Ed.] “Gluck, gluck, gluck!” That has-that’s a-that’s a language somewhere.
144 When I was in Africa, I never believed it, but everything that made a noise had some kind of a meaning to it. The Bible said there’s no sound without a significance, without a meaning. Every sound that’s made has some meaning to something. Why, I’d hear people say... I’d say, “Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
145 One of them would go [Brother Branham makes the sound of an African interpreter-Ed.]. Another go [Brother Branham again illustrates-Ed.]. And that was, “Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” See? It had a... And not mean nothing to me, but to them it was a language just same as I’m speaking to you. When the interpreter of the Zulu, the Xhosa, the Basuto, and whatevermore, come along, every one that was said, everyone understood. And these things that you hear these people just muttering off, and thinks it’s a lot of jabbering, it isn’t; it’s got a meaning. So we ought to reverence it, put it in its place.
146 Now, maybe there’s been no message. Now, the service is over; the altar call’s being made. And after while someone (there’s been no message back there) somebody raises up as soon as they get a chance to. The Holy Spirit... Now, the Bible said, “If there be no interpreter, let him hold his peace.” No matter how bad it’s trying to speak, hold your peace.
147 Say, “I can’t do it.” The Bible said you could. See? So that-that settles it. See? Let him hold his peace.
148 Then, when it, the chance comes where everything’s in order, then if the Holy Spirit jumps on him to give the message, then give it. That’s exactly what you should do. Then the interpretation come, said, “There’s a woman in here by the name of Sally Jones (I hope that woman’s not in here by that name, but... ) Sally Jones. (See?) Tell her that this is the last night of her calling. Make it right with God ’cause she’s got a short time she’ll be here.” Now, Sally Jones will run to the altar just as quick as she can get there (see?), ’cause that’s her last call. See? That’s giving a message, or a vindication, or something.
149 That is the Pentecostal church in operation. There’s no possibilities for evil spirits to slip in, because it’s already... The Bible gives exactly, “Let it be by courses, and that by three; and let two or more judge.” That’s the church. But where we got it today? Jump up, carry-on, laugh and go on while somebody’s speaking in tongues; another looking, talking about something else and crowding around; the pastor doing something; or somebody crowding around. Well, that’s not right. Maybe the pastor preaching, and somebody get up and interrupt him in the... Maybe reading the Bible and somebody... Reading the Bible, and somebody back there speaking in tongues. Oh, no! See? Preacher up preaching in the pulpit, somebody raise up and interrupt him, speaking in tongues. It’s all right. I don’t say it isn’t the Holy Ghost, but you ought to know how to use the Holy Ghost (see?), to use It.
Now, I-I’m taking... Have you got room for one more? Then, tomorrow’s Sunday. Then, we’ll... Let’s just... Here’s one. I think it’s the most gracious. And now, if you all just bear with me just a few minutes longer, please. And then, I’ll... I want you-I want you to get this. I saved this purposely. This is my last one.
Now, first, I’m going to read the two things that the person asked. It’s on an old piece of paper, wrote with a beautiful handwrite. Have no idea who it was, no name signed to-to any of them.