Speaking in tongues

Hey all -- I have mixed feelings about the idea of speaking in tongues since I've never witnessed in person nor have seen its power. I often hear it's a "gift" of the Holy Spirit plus it is referred to in Acts. Any thoughts?

Round 1! *ding ding

Oh boy! Run for the hills!! You just opened pandoras box. I believe in tongues. And now I'm ducking out of this coming dust up. Hope you find an answer.

lol @ Kayla

Well I also believe in that gift. I do it, many in my church do. I believe everyone who receives the holy spirit can do it.

It is just one of many gifts of the Holy Spirit. I have never spoken in tongues or witnessed such an occurrence.

I think it's difficult to believe in something if we have not experienced it for ourselves. I do believe that some people fake it in order to "fit in" but that doesn't mean it isn't real for others.

I was raised baptist, so speaking in tongues was not something i was familiar with. But at 14 i was saved into Pentecostal and learned about it quickly. I spent a few years in the Pentecostal movement, even did the whole 'speaking in tongues' thing and all the hoopla that tends to come with it.
One thing i can say about every church i have been to or heard about (though i'm sure some are not like this, but they are a small minority) is that the way most churches teach and use tongues is against the bible. When you see a church service full of people babbling gibberish that against the bibles teachings for how to speak in tongues. Yet it is the most common way it's taught. So right off the bat the majority of tongues teaching churches teach something that is opposite of what the bible teaches on how to use them. So you have to wonder how genuine this is if it's all done in a manner that is against God's teaching.
I think the only church i've heard of that did tongues biblically was Calvary Chapel churches, but they were not big on tongues to begin with.
I walked way from all charismatic teachings and it's been a huge relief. Much of it, such as speaking in tongues, is more about peer pressure and guilt and feeling unworthy, than any real spiritual experience. And i've spoken to a number of others over the years that have felt the same way.
So, personally, i'm not for it. It's not an essential anyways. Not required. So I Corinthians 13:1 "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." can help alleviate the guilt or the feelings of a lack of spiritual 'goodness' when one can't or doesn't speak in tongues but feels they should be or something is wrong with them if they can't.

And as Kayla said, it's time to run out before i get brained with a bible and called names and told i'm not saved.

mercy me

good thing this is in misc or by now all the air would be sucked out of the forums

I do 'speak' in tongues, pray in tongues would be more accurate but I don't make a fuss and I agree that way too many churches emphasize that rather than some of the other gifts

tongues is also a sign though which seems to be forgotten many times

personally, I think discernment and teaching are needed for anyone to even speak in tongues to begin with

much of what is passed off as from the Holy Spirit is no more than a show of the flesh and people having an emotional high in church

I'll put the pin away now; don't want to deflate too many balloons at the same time

Instead of just listening to what other people say about it, why not investigate what the Scriptures say about it, you should find This short study on it informative...

Hi

Tongues is one of several gifts of the spirit. Some have it, some don't.
keep one thing in mind though: In a good church, tongues are ALWAYS interpreted.



[h=1]1 Corinthians 12New International Reader's Version (NIRV)[/h] [h=3]Gifts of the Holy Spirit[/h]12 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. [SUP]2 [/SUP]You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak. [SUP]3 [/SUP]So I want you to know that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “May Jesus be cursed.” And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, “Jesus is Lord.”
[SUP]4 [/SUP]There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit. [SUP]5 [/SUP]There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. [SUP]6 [/SUP]There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. [SUP]8 [/SUP]To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. [SUP]9 [/SUP]To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. [SUP]10 [/SUP]To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. [SUP]11 [/SUP]All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.

There are actually two kinds of tongues. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul talks about the difference between public and private tongues, ie Prophecy and what we call a personal 'prayer language'. A prophetic tongue usually occurs in an assembly and requires interpretation. At Pentecost it was those who heard them speaking in their own languages who were the interpreters.

But not all tongues in the Bible were so accompanied, nor does Paul ever say they have to be - just when they are in public. Paul also talks about a private tongue, what some call a prayer language. What would be the purpose of a 'prayer language' tongue? The Bible says there is power in the spoken word. Say you are praying for someone, but you don't know everything about their situation. If you knew all the details you could bring those to God, but you don't so you can't. But the Holy Spirit knows them. So if you allow the Holy Spirit to pray thru you, you may speak to the mysteries unknown to you. Likewise, suppose something's going down somewhere and the Holy Spirit needs someone to intercede in prayer over it. You'd pray over it, if you knew, but how are you going to know? The Holy Spirit knows, and by allowing the Spirit to pray thru us we may intercede in things we know nothing about.

It helps to know the origin of 'tongues'. As man's numbers grew after creation he had a single spiritual language. It was one of the few things he kept out of the fall, and it persisted until the tower of Babel (Gen 11:1 – 8). When the Messiah/Christ returns to restore all that man has lost, one of those things restored will be that pure singular spiritual language (Zeph 3:9). Christ has won the authority to restore all things, but has yet to return to this world to enforce it. Tongues are a way for us to access that future restored language now, thru the Holy Spirit, so that we may enforce His authority for Him in the here and now.

Where it talks about tongues 'ceasing' (1 Cor 13:8-10 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.), it's not that the tongue will stop, but it will cease to be known as a tongue. Remember that lost single spiritual language will be restored when Christ returns, and at that point it will be our native language. English (French, German whatever) would then be known as the tongue, since they would be the 'outsider' languages. Until Christ returns to bring restoration to the here and now, completeness is yet to come, perfection is yet to come, not in the heavenlies but here on earth. And so the gifts end when Christ returns and brings His perfect completeness to us, because at that point they become moot. For example, we won’t need the gift of healing any more, when people aren’t getting sick anymore.

Tongues are not necessary for salvation, nor should it be demanded as proof of Spiritual Baptism. Prophecy is given to those called for it. But the gifts of the Spirit are available to all and not required of any... although Paul wished that we all would do so. And God does talk about those who hide their lights under bushels (Mark 4:21, Matt 5:15, Luke 11:33), and bury their talents in the ground (Matt 25:14-28). The gifts, while not required, are effective in helping produce the fruit of the Spirit, which are required. Let me propose that again, the gifts of the Spirit are intended to help us produce the fruits of the Spirit. This includes discerningly placed tongues.

Given a good thing, we humans will find some way to screw it up. We will over-use, over-sell, and over-the-top it. That's just our nature. Too, satan will do all he can to muddy the waters. That's when outsiders start thinking we're crazy, and that's where Paul tells some to put a leash on it. Place and moderation are key to tongues being useful vs being foolish. Being foolish with God’s gifts is never a good idea.

And that foolishness includes denying them.

well it is a very contentious topic at times. I would say if you are a bible Believing Christian pray about it , read about it, and ask for understanding about the context as it is seen in the word of god and where this gift was used.

Not according to the Apostle Paul, but then, who pays attention to him?

I think what Paul said has been misunderstood. I believe all the gifts are available to everyone, but not everyone will make use of every gift.

I was raised in a pentecostal church. So ive seen many instances where tongues were involved in the service. Do I believe in tongues, you better believe I do! Do I believe some people fake it, absolutely. Scripture plainly says if there is no interpretation then it was not meant for the public. Do I believe some folks put to much emphasis on tongues, yes I do.

I don't smash it cause Idk for sure but if I had a gun pointed to my head and told to take a stand on it I'd probably say I don't believe in it. I just don't see the reasoning for it. I've been in plenty of churches where tongues was a normal thing. I just don't get it. It was used for something totally different at Pentacost.

Here's but a few reasons (in red)

1 Cor 14: 2For anyone who speaks in a tongue[SUP]a[/SUP] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[SUP]b[/SUP] but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,[SUP]c[/SUP] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.6Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?

22Tongues, then, are a sign 24But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”26What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up

31For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.

Paul says it best here: 5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[SUP]b[/SUP] but I would rather have you prophesy.

Yet on the day of pentecost every person spoke in a different tounge after receiving the holy spirit...