I thought the scripture I provided was self explanatory. It seems you are asking for my personal experience? This is kind of a private matter to share with just anyone, to be honest ; I doubt your sincerity. However I will go out on a limb here against my better judgement.
When speaking in tounges I do not get a word for word translation, not even a phrase for phrase, nor even a subject. But I do 'feel' in my spirit if my heart hurts or if I'm filled with joy or if it is intercession. As far as translation, I have never felt called to speak in tounges in a assembly, but did get the translation one time but didn't share it; I didn't even know for sure that I was right until someone else stood up and gave the translation. It is not black and white, it is not physical, it is spirit, it is invisible stuff not of this world.. That is the best I can explain it.
I agree with bcpiano about speaking in tongues, Steve.
I've seen others do it and have an interpretation in English follow in one of the churches I was a member of for a while that was a non-deminational church with members from various denominations. I didn't speak in tongues then myself ... but a number of years later I found myself doing it at one of those "healing services" that these "healers" who call themselves "The Happy Hunters" (Hunter is the last name of the husband and wife ministers) held in Virginia Beach, VA when my ex-wife and I lived in Virginia and were encouraged to go with many members of the non-demoninational church we attended in Crozet, VA to see if she and I might be healed of our physical challenges by God at this "healing service" ... THAT didn't happen, but at one point in the meeting, everyone was encouraged to and taught about "speaking in tongues" or "in the spirit" in preparation for the "laying on of hands" by brothers and sisters in the Lord and prayers for healing (if God was going to heal you there, if it was your time to be healed, and some people were, it seemed, while others weren't), and so I "spoke in tongues" with the rest who were willing and wanted to learn to do this at that point, but there was no interpretation or knowing inside what you were saying, just the feelings in your spirit and emotions, like godslamb and twosparrows have shared about THEIR speaking in tongues times, Steve.
I've tried since then "speaking in tongues" in my prayer life, but didn't feel comfortable doing it without knowing what I was saying, and since, obviously, it wasn't important in my case to God whether I prayed "in the spirit" language or the Engish that I understood, if that bothered me, I stopped trying to "pray in the spirit" and only pray now in my English language.
So ... these are my experiences with speaking and praying in tongues.
I have never been in a service or church where there were lots of people speaking out loud in tongues with no interpretation. But I have heard others who shared those experiences. The churches I have attended have always had one or sometimes two people speak, and always an interpretation is given. If one does not come immediately, then the Pastor asks us to wait. And the Pastor will gently lead everyone in waiting while one person speaks and not let it get out of hand like others have shared. I guess that makes me fortunate in that I have not had a bad experience with hearing tongues spoken in church.
I speak quietly to myself almost all the time. I have sang, spoken slowly, and spoken fast.
Thank you for responding. This is something we Catholics do not get to talk about much as we seem to be left out from receiving this gift. I have seen only one Catholic �speak in tongues� and that was a Priest. He was a Methodist Pastor that had converted (perhaps that is why he was able to receive this gift). He would �speak� only after The Mass and there was never anyone there with the �gift� of translation.
I would be curious to know of �How many here have the �gift of translating� (other than Chuck�who has been blessed with both gifts)? It would seem to me from what I�ve heard here that this gift is rare, yet (to me) it would seem to be more important than �speaking�?
God�s lamb, thank you for elaborating. Apparently it is something you can do at will. Do you go into an altered state or are you still aware of your surroundings?
Barefoot, thank you for your testimony. I want to ask you about the learning process that you went through. Exactly what did you have to do�to learn how to speak in tongues?
Again�I ask are there any here that have the gift of translating? I wonder why God does not give that gift as easily�or as readily? It would seem to me that someone speaking in tongues without someone there to translate is just�well�noise! Sort of like a gong or vacuum cleaner�not all that edifying to The Body. No disrespect intended, just curious as to why this is?
Anyway�looking forward to and hoping that there is someone else (other than Chuck) on this site that has the gift of translating. It would be nice to hear from those of you that have the gift of translation.
Hey�Chuck, do you think it was because you were Baptized twice that you got those two gifts (both speaking and being able to also translate)?
You misunderstand; I did NOT say I had a gift of translation, it is just something that happened once. As far as I know this is not a gift per se. As for tongues, I haven't prayed in tongues for quite awhile, however it could happen tomorrow, who knows? I don't know if you are being sarcastic or actually trying to quantify spiritual things, doing either will only yield the fruit of pride or if you are lucky; repentance.
��but did get the translation one time but didn't share it; I didn't even know for sure that I was right until someone else stood up and gave the translation.�
I took that to mean that you �knew� (got) the translation �but didn�t share it�. Are you now saying that you just �guessed� at the translation or that God took away your gift or�what?
Is the gift of translation not a gift? Explain please?
What do you mean by
�quantify spiritual things, doing either will only yield the fruit of pride or if you are lucky; repentance.�
Please do not think your sarcasm veiled in sincere questions goes unnoticed. My answers are very clear and mean what they say. If you take them in their simplest literal form and not read in other meanings you should be able to understand them quite well.
However I will go the "extra mile" with you :
When you speak of spiritual things using physical descriptions the best one can offer is a metaphor, simile or a analogy. You can see examples of this in the books of Ezek, Dan, and Rev. If you approach spiritual matters with a physical mindset, you will not understand. I think your understanding of the "Church" as a physical church rather than Spiritual church has tainted your thought processes when you consider the mysteries of God.
Unless you can convince me of your sincerity, I honestly have no desire to discuss this matter further with you.
People share the precious things of their lives with those who appreciate them.
First I want to address the whole thread and how we address each other here. I just posted on the "peace-keeper, peace-maker thread about treating each other with humility.
Arch, I can't help but see EVERY time you talk to TS, I see a kid behind a door with his foot out, hoping his brother will trip and fall over that foot. Arch, your wounds and pride are showing and I wish you would take that stuff to the Cross once and for all.
The gift of tongues is one of the most misunderstood, persecuted and abused gifts in the charismatic circle, from what I've seen. Yes, the people with gift seem to have gotten very puffed up about it and put way too much emphasis on it over the fruit. No gift of the spirit makes us more holy or right with God, even the ones that Jesus denied knowing, operated in the gifts. Fruit always is the evidence of a true, mature Christian. And tongues do nothing to bring an unbeliever closer to God, they may instead turn him off.
I was baptized in the Holy Spirit (38 years ago) on the night of Jesus found this lost sheep and yes, I spoke in tongues and have continued to this day, but not every day.
One of the problems I see with all the confusion about tongues, is that it is a gift that allows us to speak directly from our spirit to God~ and people think Acts 2 was men speaking to men. It come from our spirit to our spirit or to God's spirit and is not meant for human understanding as far as interpretation. If it is done in a group, there should be interpretation, but it would be something said to God, not man.
Yes, Arch, I have gotten the interpretation at times and no, that does not mean my human mind brought if forth. This is a gift from a God who is spirit, and only His spirit can bring interpretation through the giftee at His time, not ours.
I Corinth. 14: 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.
5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.
Can we control this gift? Yes~32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace�as in all the congregations of the Lord�s people.
Is it for every believer? I don't know,honestly, but Peter was preaching this right after the whole tongues explosion. Acts 2: 38 Peter replied, �Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off�for all whom the Lord our God will call.�
Joel 2:17- 17 ��In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
And 3 out of 6 instances in the book of Acts records the infilling of the Holy Spirit with manifestation of speaking in tongues, after salvation.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Is public tongues different that private tongues? Most likely~ 1 Corinth 13:1-Though I speak with the tongues of "Men" and of "Angels" and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
Are we less spiritual if we don't speak in tongues? No~love is the greatest. :purpleangel:
Your welcome, TS. In my observation, you have gone the extra mile and it is high time to stop "throwing your pearls before the swine."
I have previously and am publicly stating, I am done talking to anyone on here who has a motive to trip a brother or sister up or rejoice when they fall. Motives can be discerned and felt over cyberspace, by the indwelling Holy Spirit's guidance.
