What spirit is a person speaking in when he speaks in an unknown tongue?
When someone speaks in an unknown tongue, he speaks in his own spirit—a small “s” spirit—not the Holy Spirit. It is the spirit of his mind and thinking processes, and he speaks mysteries beyond ordinary human comprehension. Only God understands what is said.
Les explains that when a person speaks in this so-called unknown or unwritten tongue, he speaks not unto men but unto God, and only God can understand it. The “spirit” is a small s, so it is not the Holy Spirit; it is the small spirit, the spirit of his mind and his own thinking processes, and he speaks mysteries beyond ordinary human comprehension. Les also notes Scripture records three times the Holy Spirit delegated this miracle of speaking in tongues to men, beginning with Acts chapter 2 at Pentecost, a Jewish feast day.
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
More Questions
What does the word spirit mean in 1 Corinthians 14:2 — the Holy Spirit or the speaker's own spirit?
The word "spirit" in 1 Corinthians 14:2 is written with a small s, so it is not the Holy Spirit but the small spirit, the spirit of the speaker's own mind and thinking processes.
Is the spirit in 1 Corinthians 14:2 the Holy Spirit or the human spirit?
The "spirit" in "howbeit in the Spirit" in 1 Corinthians 14:2 is not the Holy Spirit (it is written with a small s) but the person's own spirit, the spirit of his mind and thinking processes.
In 1 Corinthians 14:2, who is a person speaking to when they speak in a tongue?
According to 1 Corinthians 14:2, the one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God, and in the spirit he speaks secrets (mysteries) that not everybody can understand.