Ben, thankyou, I understand what you're saying, but my question is NOT, 'How is tongues a gift, or how does the gift edify', my question is more like,' How does one person TELLING another person, quote, 'I speak in tongues' help that other person?
Or let me try it this way, (forgive the slight sarcasm),
Person A: What do you know about tongues?
Person B: Just what it says in the bible.
A: Do you speak in tongues?
B: No.
A: I speak in tongues.
B: Yeah, And? So?
A: Whaddya mean, So?!
B: I mean so what? How does that help me?
A: ?????? I just thought I'd tell you I speak in tongues.
B: Yippee! Let's start a parade.
.
It just seems like that wouldn't help anyone, really.
But I'd really like to know what it's all about.
Maybe if Person A ACTUALLY SPOKE in tongues to person B, and gave her some hidden wisdom from God, or a prophetic utterance, like 'Don't take that flight, the plane will crash', or even 'God wants me to tell you He loves you', and even if it comes out in an unknown tongue, but Person B hears and understands it, THAT, I could see, would be helpful.
But there seems to be alot of people who SAY they speak tongues, but why?
Another believer (saved person) might just get envious, thinking 'gee, that person has some special secret way to communicate with God, and I'm still struggling along just trying to pray for more than 30 seconds before my mind is wandering to the ceiling needing plastering. Maybe God is mad at me for something, or is holding out because He knows I'll just mess it up.'
And an unbeliever (unsaved person) might think, 'Wow, that's weird. Why are you telling me that? Is that supposed to get me to believe in Jesus? Because frankly, I'm not sure you telling me you speak in tongues is going to make me want to believe in Jesus, any more than you telling me you speak North Polian is going to make me want to believe in SantaClaus. Or travel to Antarctica'. (uh, South, I know, Lol)
Do you get what I mean? i.e. Instead of folks who speak in tongues TELLING folks they do, how about those folks actually DOING IT, to the benefit of other people, saved or unsaved alike?
I'm honestly not being snarky, I'm trying to learn, but I obviously have my concerns because of all the controversy surrounding tongues.
I know of no other gift from God that causes so much debate and division.
Except maybe healing.
Healings plural?
And prosperity.
And then there's water baptism.
Or communion.
Oh, and the gift of salvation itself, lol.
Yikes. You know what? Nevermind.
(God bless us everyone)
Or let me try it this way, (forgive the slight sarcasm),
Person A: What do you know about tongues?
Person B: Just what it says in the bible.
A: Do you speak in tongues?
B: No.
A: I speak in tongues.
B: Yeah, And? So?
A: Whaddya mean, So?!
B: I mean so what? How does that help me?
A: ?????? I just thought I'd tell you I speak in tongues.
B: Yippee! Let's start a parade.
.
It just seems like that wouldn't help anyone, really.
But I'd really like to know what it's all about.
Maybe if Person A ACTUALLY SPOKE in tongues to person B, and gave her some hidden wisdom from God, or a prophetic utterance, like 'Don't take that flight, the plane will crash', or even 'God wants me to tell you He loves you', and even if it comes out in an unknown tongue, but Person B hears and understands it, THAT, I could see, would be helpful.
But there seems to be alot of people who SAY they speak tongues, but why?
Another believer (saved person) might just get envious, thinking 'gee, that person has some special secret way to communicate with God, and I'm still struggling along just trying to pray for more than 30 seconds before my mind is wandering to the ceiling needing plastering. Maybe God is mad at me for something, or is holding out because He knows I'll just mess it up.'
And an unbeliever (unsaved person) might think, 'Wow, that's weird. Why are you telling me that? Is that supposed to get me to believe in Jesus? Because frankly, I'm not sure you telling me you speak in tongues is going to make me want to believe in Jesus, any more than you telling me you speak North Polian is going to make me want to believe in SantaClaus. Or travel to Antarctica'. (uh, South, I know, Lol)
Do you get what I mean? i.e. Instead of folks who speak in tongues TELLING folks they do, how about those folks actually DOING IT, to the benefit of other people, saved or unsaved alike?
I'm honestly not being snarky, I'm trying to learn, but I obviously have my concerns because of all the controversy surrounding tongues.
I know of no other gift from God that causes so much debate and division.
Except maybe healing.
Healings plural?
And prosperity.
And then there's water baptism.
Or communion.
Oh, and the gift of salvation itself, lol.
Yikes. You know what? Nevermind.
(God bless us everyone)
I think one of the reasons people emphasize that they speak in tongues is just for the fact that so many people deny its reality for today. So they are like, "Uhm no, its still for today!." People are trying to invalidate their experience by saying such a gift has ceased when the Holy Spirit is still distributing the gift today for the purposes He has chosen. Edification of self and others. Building up one's "most holy faith" (Jude 20), and so on.
The Lord has given the gift and it is multifaceted. To mention that you speak in tongues means one might consider getting an interpreter and having at it. Fellowship, just like if someone told you they had the gift of healings you might just stick our your left bruised hand, or something. You'd want them to operate in their gift for the edification of others, in the same way a tongue speaker should operate in his/her gift for the edification of others.