of a full-blooded, born-again, bible believing, Holy
Spirit filled Christian?
Granted, Christians are blessed with different spiritual
gifts. Some have multiple, all have at least one, and at
any given time during one's journey with Jesus, some folk
may have used all of the biblically, based, spiritual gifts even
if they didn't fully realize it at the time.
Have you ever judged a person who doesn't speak
in tongues?
If you don't speak in tongues, have you heard people use
that gift?
What was your perspective towards that experience?
Having a gift of discernment myself, it was sad to realize
upon visiting a really solid charismatic church for 3 seasons
of my life, that some people pretend to speak in tongues.
They simply do their best to mock what they hear as to
fit in with everyone else who does.
When I suspected that was happening, the Holy Spirit confirmed and convicted in me of what I inantely knew already, so it does make me cautious being around people who do claim to speak in tongues.Yet, I am thankful for all the honest people who sincerely have that gift as it is a powerful and personal expression of prayer to use.
Tongues is just what Paul says, a gift. I have done it a few times and was convicted by the Holy Spirit. I think I was allowed to do so because of my doubt. I have since seen people who REALLY have the gift and it is nothing like what you see in some churches. However, I do not believe that God gives with one hand and takes away with the other, so the gift is still here. But, only a very few actually have it.
For one thing, the Bible says if there is no interpreter it has no place in the church. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that those doing so are not operating in the Spirit. Tongues without an interpreter is between you and God. Jesus tells us in Matt. 6:6 tells you that this kind of prayer is done in private behind closed doors. Anything else is just for show and is not of God.
This has always been a topic that has made me curious. When I read in the Bible that people began to speak in tongues..I take it that they somehow know the languages of the people around them. Forgive me if people find this offensive, I say this out of curiosity and not out of spite. But I don't see why God would convict people to speak a language that no one would understand? If anyone has any light to shed on this it would be greatly appreciated.
There have been many volumes written on this subject. I am by no means an expert, but will try an explanation.
In Acts2, when the Holy Spirit came down, the Apostles started to speak in other tongues. The people around them all heard in their own native language. This is tongues as a sign, as proposed by the Pentecostals I believe.
There is tongues as a gift, where a person is able to give a message to someone whose language they do not speak normally.
Then there is prayer tongues, which is between you and God. This is the one that Paul said had no place in the church without an interpreter.
I am still not sure that I buy into the different "kinds" of tongues, but it is not my place to judge. If it is not true, I am not the one that has to answer for it.
Makes sense. I have to admit though I find it hard not to be skeptical of some people who claim to speak in tongues...since i've known so many who admit to just faking it. But ah well, it's not like it's a requirement for faith though. It just fascinated me is all ^^;
AS one who do: this is a gift from the most high GOD: sorry to say i am too lazy to learn a new language: yes there are thoes that are fill with the HOLY SPIRIT that do not speak in tongues, and there are thoes that do: I will love to share more with you with your bible in front of you: IF I were you I would get a strong concordance along with the bible, sit at the feet of the LORD and let him teach you.
There are at least 4 different tongues in the Bible that I am aware of. First of all speaking in tongues is a gift for all believers. It is the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. And second of all it is a promise. God cannot withhold His promises!
Mark 16:17:
"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues".
Note: This verse does not say signs might follow but will follow!
Note: This verse does not say certain people only, but it does say that those who believe....You must have faith to receive this gift!
Luke 24:49:
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.�
Acts 1:4
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, �which,� He said, �you have heard from Me;
Acts 2:38, 39
Then Peter said to them, �Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.�
Jesus referred to the Holy Ghost as the helper.
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 15:26
�But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:7
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
So far receiving the Holy Spirit is a gift. It is received by faith, by asking for it.
Luke 11:10-12
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
It is a promise by Jesus.
The Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit is the helper, the comforter. The evidence of receiving this gift is speaking in new tongues.
The Holy Spirit gives the utterance
Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
One tongue is for speaking in a foreign language as the Spirit gives this gift also
Acts 2:11
Cretans and Arabs�we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God
Another tongue is the person's personal prayer language for edifying and praising God
Acts 10:46
For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
Tongues can be used to give a prophesy in a heavenly language
Acts 19:6
And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
This type of tongue needs an interpretation
1 Corinthians 12:10
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 14:26
[ Order in Church Meetings ] How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
again, the different language tongues
And finally there is a tongue of deep intercession
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Sorry for being so lengthy. I feel that so many need to hear the truth from the Bible and not man's opinion.
God bless all who read, but more so those that ask for and receive the gift. Why would a person not want to be a Christian full of all the gifts available. When Jesus died on the cross the veil was torn so that we could all go into the Holy of holies. This privilege was no longer reserved for only teh high priest. It is a gift, and an honor to be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to have divine revelation and wisdom, to be able to worship God in spirit and in truth.
I could go on and on about how wonderful it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and how my life was so plain and boring before.
Very good teaching, brother. However, the Bible never says (no, not once) that to be filled with the Spirit, you have to speak with other tongues. (By the way, the word other was added by the translators for clarity and does not appear in the original text). While I believe in the gift, I believe you furnished the scripture proving that not everyone gets this gift. Do all prophesy? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
1Cor. 14:19,28 Paul plainly teaches that tongues, without an interpreter, has no place in the church. That is between you and God. This was one of the abuses that he was chastising the church in Corinth for. And they were being chastised. Re-read chapters 12-14 with the knowledge that he was NOT telling them how great they were, but how they had been messing up and the whole thing starts to make sense.
The gift of tongues is very real, but abused as much today as then.
Exactly, not everyone gets the gift. You have not because you ask not and when you ask you ask amiss!--James
Not everyone has faith, not everyone receives.
Paul was talking about the gift of prophesying in tongues without an interpretation, and you are correct about that it is not supposed to be used in church in front of non-believers, for that just adds confusion.
God bless you sir! I pray that if you want this gift, and ask for it you shall recieve it. You are right--it is not for everyone. You control the level of intimacy you have with God through the relationship with His Holy Spirit. Draw near to the Lord, and the Lord will draw near to you---James 4:8
I understand all the verses you are using and there is no surprise there. I attended a Pentecostal Bible College and I am a Full Gospel Evangelist. I am very familiar with this doctrine. I never said I didn't speak in tongues.
The truth is that several denominations read a whole lot more into the scriptures than what they say. For one Paul was very clear that he was separating prophesy and tongues in the verses you are referencing. He was really talking about disrupting the service for no reason. He also said tongues is for a sign, not to the believer, but to the unbeliever. I know VERY well what you have been taught, but the WHOLE Bible has to be taken in context with itself. There are no contradictions! If even one verse argues against your opinion, then your opinion is wrong, not the Bible. We can't pick and choose the parts we want to believe.
The Bible does not teach different "kinds" of tongues. That was a product of the Charismatic Movement. I won't argue the fact that it may or may not be true, because I am back and forth on the issue myself. I pray in tongues, but only when I feel a strong desire to do so.
A little food for thought, of all the spiritual gifts listed, why would tongues be the only one we can turn off and on at will?
Great discussion. I don't have all the answers, either. In fact only the Holy Spirit knows all things. There is a measure of the Holy Spirit given to each believer when they convert. I say convert because conversion is only the beginning. Somehow there is the fullness of the Holy Spirit given upon the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I believe that many are spirit filled--some with a measure, and some with the fullness. I cannot even begin to explain this. Others are filled with the spirit, but what spirit, I am not sure of. (kidding)
I do understand what you are talking about when an entire congregation is speaking in tongues or praying in tongues. This used to bother me because of what Paul says about the use of tongues in public. I am not sure, but I believe he is referring to the prophecy gift in tongues, which has to have an interpretation. This is just my opinion, though, and you must decide for yourself.
The real question is not why do some speak in tongues and others not, for there are some that are filled with the Spirit of God but do not speak in tongues. Again my opinion is that they have unbelief about the gift they have and therefore do not use it, or they have not been instructed in it. I reference Pauls comments to Timothy about the gift placed in him by the laying on of hands by his grandmother, Lois, and Paul activating that gift, or fanning it into flames. the gift was deposited there, but it took the wisdom of an Apostle to activate this gift.
there are at least 150 ministries of the Holy Spirit. Tongues is only a small fraction of them. Why would a God-fearing Christian not want to have all the benefits of the faith, all the power of the faith and all the fullness of the faith? To me it is like having a high powered automobile, say a race car without an engine.
Tell me your thoughts on these scriptures:
John 3:3 "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.�
John 3:5 �Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God".
Acts 2:38 �Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
