Why did Paul have the gift of speaking in other languages?
He had that special gift so he could communicate the Gospel to various areas, tribes, dialects, and languages as Christianity was just getting off the ground. He could speak Greek, Latin, Hebrew, or Aramaic. Yet in the congregation he preferred five understandable words to teach others rather than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Les explains that Paul’s special gift was for communicating the Gospel. As Christianity was just getting off the ground, Paul went into various areas, tribes, dialects, and languages, and he could speak a Greek dialect, a Latin dialect, Hebrew, or Aramaic. Paul said he spoke with those languages more than the others, but in the church he would rather speak five words with his understanding to teach others than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Les notes Paul then quotes the law in Deuteronomy about men of other languages and other lips speaking to the people, yet they would not hear the Lord.