I stumbled across a few verses about it in my Daily Devotional in 1 Corinthians. I know the bible never contradicts itself but these two verses have me baffled: [SUP]22 [/SUP]Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. [SUP]23 [/SUP]If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?
So it's saying that tongues are a sign for unbelievers but then it says don't use tongues around unbelievers. I'm confused. Can anyone help and/or give more scripture of speaking in tongues?
Paul did not say not to use tongues around unbelievers. Remember Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost when the disciples were speaking in tongues of the wonderful works of God in foreign languages of the visiting Jews from other nations?
What Paul is saying is that if
ALL the church was speaking in tongues, the unbeliever that came in would think they were all out of their minds. Paul goes on to set the proper order for tongues to be used in church and that was to have tow or three speak in tongues while another interpret. The same goes for prophesying: let two or three prophesy and one judge it.
Paul was establishing decency & order in the use of tongues in the church.
And she said that speaking in tongues was "not of God". Now we've cleared up that it most definately is
There is a supernatural tongue that is not of God as found in world's religions, occults, & cults in christianity as babbling nonsense.
Isaiah 8:[SUP]
19 [/SUP]And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
So when errant believers use tongues as a prayer language because it comes without interpretation, that is them wanting to believe it is of God and thus not testing the spirits nor proving the tongue as being of Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:[SUP]
21 [/SUP]Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. [SUP]
22 [/SUP]Abstain from all appearance of evil. [SUP]
23 [/SUP]And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [SUP]
24 [/SUP]Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. [SUP]
25 [/SUP]Brethren, pray for us.
So how can these sinners that had that supernatural tongue of the devil show that they have repented and abstained from all appearances of evil unless God would never use tongues for a prayer language?
Paul said what tongues were for. He did not give any exception when he took time out in 1 Corinthians 14th chapter when Paul was exhorting believers to seek the gift of prophesy over all spiritual gifts and began to explain why by comparing the singualr gift of prophesy against the singular gift of tongues throughout that chapter by bottomlining what tongues were for.
1 Corinthians 14:[SUP]
20 [/SUP]Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. [SUP]
21 [/SUP]In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
This verse 20 above was Paul way of emphasizing what God would use tongues for, to speak unto the people because it was of other men's lips....nothing more. Paul had to clarify because readers may misunderstood him when he was talking about praying in tongues when what he really meant in context that he was praying that someone will interpret while the Spirit manifested tongues in Him so that he may understand what he was saying and be edified and thus fruitful to himself.
1 Corinthians 14:[SUP]
13 [/SUP]Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. [SUP]
14 [/SUP]For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. [SUP]
15 [/SUP]What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
See that verse 13? This is what Paul meant. Believes use verse 14 to justify using tongues as a prayer language but that was not what Paul was saying at all because he said "my spirit prayeth" and not the Holy Spirit that was praying so Paul was praying that someone may interpret so that he would understand what the Spirit was manifesting tongues in him for just as he said in verse 13 for others to do when they are speaking in tongues.
So tongues ws never meant to be used as a prayer language. God exhorts us to pray so that when we pray in our language, knowing what we had prayed for, we would give thanks to God & be glorified for answering our prayers.
John 14:[SUP]
13 [/SUP]And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [SUP]
14 [/SUP]If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Better to know what you had prayed for to give thanks & glorify God for answering your prayers, then to not know and found out that the devil was stealing your private time away from Him in prayer by coming inbetween you & Him with babbling nonsense.
1 John 4:1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world....[SUP]
5 [/SUP]They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. [SUP]
6 [/SUP]We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. [SUP]
7 [/SUP]Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
2 Timothy 2:[SUP]
15 [/SUP]Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [SUP]
16 [/SUP]But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness....[SUP]
24 [/SUP]And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, [SUP]
25 [/SUP]In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; [SUP]
26 [/SUP]And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Psalm 19:[SUP]
12 [/SUP]Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. [SUP]
13 [/SUP]Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. [SUP]
14 [/SUP]Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
1 Corinthians 14:[SUP]
32 [/SUP]And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. [SUP]
33 [/SUP]For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
And that goes for individual believers as well so God would never use tongues as a prayer language so that we can abstain from all appearances of evil and know what we had prayed for so we can give thanks & glorify God for answered prayers.