Why can’t i speak in tongues as a Christian

[Polar]

But the greatest power of all comes through God's word, faith and prayer.

And the Holy Spirit? The One sent by God when Jesus ascended?

1. The Holy Spirit Is a Helper Who Teaches and Reminds
In John 14:26 Jesus told his disciples, “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26, ESV).

The Greek word “Parakletos” in this passage is translated “Helper” in the ESV, “Advocate” in the NIV, and “Counselor” in the KJV. The meaning of this word relates “legal counsel.”

The Holy Spirit provides wise counsel to Christ’s followers. Jesus knew he would be going away and that his followers would need the Holy Spirit as a helper and an advocate to remind them of his teachings.

2. The Holy Spirit Convicts the World of Sin
In addition to providing wise counsel, attorneys also provide evidence used to convict criminals. In a similar fashion, the Holy Spirit will prove the sin, righteousness, and judgment of the world.

“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 go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-8, ESV).

3. The Holy Spirit Dwells in Believers and Fills Them
The Holy Spirit is God’s presence in the lives of believers.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV)

4. The Holy Spirit Is a Source of Revelation, Wisdom, and Power
“These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except for their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

God gives His followers the Holy Spirit so that we may know Him better. Since the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, it knows the thoughts of God and reveals those thoughts to believers. The Holy Spirit opens believers’ eyes to the hope of salvation and the inheritance they have in Christ.

Jesus knew that his disciples would need the power to carry out their mission to be witnesses to the entire world.

Jesus told his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Christians have access to power, revelation, and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, just as the Apostle Paul wrote to believers in Ephesus,

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:17-20).

article source and of course scripture

 

[GRACE_ambassador]

No one's confused about it. What's confusing about repent and be baptized?

Plenty are confused!

salvation is aided by their submersion in water.

the Bible does not teach this and so they confuse people by saying that it does say that

And, so Many More traditions that I have found, listed in this post:

God's Foolishness Of ONE Baptism

GRACE, Peace, And JOY...

 

[Polar]

Plenty are confused!

And, so Many More traditions that I have found, listed in this post:

God's Foolishness Of ONE Baptism

GRACE, Peace, And JOY...

Excuse me, but I basically do not read your posts as they are confusing and often in direct conflict with scripture.

so...................

The Holy Spirit is not a tradition and neither are spiritual gifts which we are to earnestly desire. Baptism does not add to salvation but should be followed. Why make this thread about something other than the question of the OP? Don't you get enough time already without trying to change the topic here?

 

[Polar]

5. The Holy Spirit Guides to All Truth, Including Knowledge of What Is to Come
The Holy Spirit tells what is yet to come. The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of Truth” in John 16:13 because he guides believers into all truth. Jesus told his disciples the Holy Spirit would make known what he hears and would only speak what the Father speaks.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you” (John 16:13-15).

source as before

 

[Polar]

I am scared that I haven’t because I can’t speak in tongues

Do not be scared. Speaking in tongues does not save you. If you are a believer in Christ as you have said, then you are saved !

Notice that the gifts are varied and they come after salvation and are not part of salvation, but are given after you believe in Jesus

I was saved at 5, water baptized as a young teen ager and received the gift of tongues around the age of 18. I have been saved since 5 and not only when I spoke in tongues or prayed in tongues.

If someone tells you that you are not saved if you do not speak in tongues, they are mistaken.

 

[CS1]

ELo,

so you don't end up down the proverbial rabbit hole.

The Term "Baptized in the Holy Spirit" is found in John chapter 1:33-34. This is not done with water as John said he Baptizes with water. BUT Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.

The context and langues of Baptized, Baptizer, and baptizing must be kept in context to where it is used.

1. Jesus never baptized anyone in water where Jesus submerged a person unto, underneath, over the top with water.

Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, the one who enclothes with the power of the Holy Spirit because HE knows HIS sheep. The word baptized in context to the Holy Spirit is not water but enclothing = endued with power as luke 24 says. nothing to do with water

 

[Polar]

Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, the one who enclothes with the power of the Holy Spirit because HE knows HIS sheep. The word baptized in context to the Holy Spirit is not water but enclothing = endued with power as luke 24 says. nothing to do with water

 

[Nehemiah6]

But the Bible says speaking in tongues is an evidence or sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Those 3,000 Jews who were saved on the day of Pentecost. Did they all speak in tongues? No. But did they all receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? Absolutely. Acts 2:38.

What about the Christians in the church at Ephesus? Do you see anything about those believers speaking in tongues? Yet here is what Paul says about them, so pay close attention to what is written in Ephesians 1: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

So what is Paul saying here?
1. Those who believe on Christ should be to the praise of the glory (and grace) of God.
2. The Gospel is the Word of Truth.
3. The Ephesians heard the Gospel.
4. The Gospel is meant to generate faith in Christ (Rom 10:17)
5. Then they believed on Christ. (their repentance is assumed).
6. As soon as they believed they were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

So how could they be "sealed" with the Spirit, until and unless they had first received the gift of the Spirit? Yet there is not even the slightest hint that they all spoke in tongues. Indeed tongues is not even mentioned once in this epistle. So if you continue to delude yourself, you will have only yourself to blame.

Also it should be clearly understood that modern tongues are NOT biblical tongues. If you had the genuine gift, you could speak German or Farsi supernaturally even though you had never heard these languages. That would be fantastic for missionaries, yet that is not what happens.

 

[Elo]

Do not be scared. Speaking in tongues does not save you. If you are a believer in Christ as you have said, then you are saved !

Notice that the gifts are varied and they come after salvation and are not part of salvation, but are given after you believe in Jesus

I was saved at 5, water baptized as a young teen ager and received the gift of tongues around the age of 18. I have been saved since 5 and not only when I spoke in tongues or prayed in tongues.

If someone tells you that you are not saved if you do not speak in tongues, they are mistaken.

Thank you for this
God bless you

 

[CS1]

Those 3,000 Jews who were saved on the day of Pentecost. Did they all speak in tongues? But did they are receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? Absolutely. Acts 2:38.

What about the Christians in the church at Ephesus? Do you see anything about those believers speaking in tongues? Yet here is what Paul says about them, so pay close attention to what is written in Ephesians 1: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

So what is Paul saying here?
1. Those who believe on Christ should be to the praise of the glory (and grace) of God.
2. The Gospel is the Word of Truth.
3. The Ephesians heard the Gospel.
4. The Gospel is meant to generate faith in Christ (Rom 10:17)
5. Then they believed on Christ. (their repentance is assumed).
6. As soon as they believed they were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

So how could they be "sealed" with the Spirit, until and unless they had first received the gift of the Spirit? Yet there is not even the slightest hint that they all spoke in tongues. Indeed tongues is not even mentioned once in this epistle. So if you continue to delude yourself, you will have only yourself to blame.

Also it should be clearly understood that modern tongues are NOT biblical tongues. If you had the genuine gift, you could speak German or Farsi supernaturally even though you had never heard these languages. That would be fantastic for missionaries, yet that is not what happens.

I find it interesting how one looks at scripture to say did you see? But will not acknowledge where it did happen.

Did the three thousand speak in tongues? The Bible doesn't tell us that we do not know, but as we move through the Book of Acts, we see tongues and prophesying and the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit Listed in 1cor chapter 12 through 14 as normal action in the church as IT MATURES.

Acts chapter 3:6-9 healing
Acts 3: 19 evangelism
Acts 4:8 Peter prophesies
Acts 4: 31 filling with the Holy Spirit, they spoke the word of God with boldness. = same as Prophesying
Acts 5:12 signs and wonders

Acts 6: 1-8 those other than the Apostles spoke the word of God and worked miracles
Acts 7-9 Pauls conversion and healing
Acts 10 Cornleious house filled with the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues and prophesied without hands laid on them.

The book of Acts is just that the Holy Spirit recorded as a normative working in the life of all believers in that days, and HE has never stopped.

 

[Dirtman]

I am scared that I haven’t because I can’t speak in tongues

Neither can the vast majority of those who claim they can.
In fact if ya watch "Christian tv" and see all those false prophets "speaking in tongues" ya start to think maybe speaking in tongues is something different altogether.

 

[Wansvic]

very welcome just remember like others are saying you don’t need to have the gift of tongues to be saved , some denominations will tell your that but as you walk you will discover the gifts that are given to you and tongues may not be one of those

With all due respect we should encourage people to earnestly contend for the faith that was first given to the apostles. (Jude 3)

1. There is the gift of the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues as recorded in Acts 2. And mentioned by Jesus in Luke 11:13.
2. And there are gifts given by the Holy Spirit of which one is speaking in tongues for the edification of the church when someone with the gift of interpretation is present. (1 Cor. 12)


As for speaking in tongues being the evidence that a person has received the Holy Ghost consider the following:

Peter's statement in verse 33 confirms receiving the Holy Ghost is accompanied by speaking in tongues: "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. "

Of the 120 in the upper room every single person spoke in tongues upon being indwelt. No one was excluded.

Cornelius and his entire group spoke in tongues upon receiving the Holy Ghost. No one was excluded.

The twelve Ephesus disciples spoke in tongues upon receiving the Holy Ghost. No one was excluded.

The Samaritans did not receive the Holy Ghost upon hearing and believing the gospel and being water baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. How did Philip know they had not received the Holy Ghost? And what did Simon see that made him understand the group had received the Holy Ghost when Peter and John came days later and laid hands on them to receive?


As for the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues - not everyone will be used in that gift which is for edification of the church body when the message is interpreted by an individual with the gift of interpretation.

I did not understand the distinction between the two until God used me to speak a message in tongues in a church setting. The two experiences definitely differ. I know because I speak in tongues in prayer on a regular basis whereas the tongues experience in church happened only one time and that was years ago.

As Paul mentioned in 1 Cor. he speaks in tongues more than they but not in church. So clearly he did it in private prayer but did not have the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues for edification the church.

1 Cor 14:18-19
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
KJV

 

[Wansvic]

I am scared that I haven’t because I can’t speak in tongues

Don't be fearful. God's word does not return void. God knows your heart and He says, Ask and you shall receive! I've included the following experience to encourage you:

Ask and It Shall Be Given - Seek and Ye Shall Find

Our church purchased pews and upon arriving to get them a discussion ensued. The sellers shared that they were "Bapticostals." Well that certainly peaked our interest. This was their testimony:

The group of men decided to come together and pray to strengthen their walk with Jesus. As they sincerely cried out in prayer, to their amazement, the entire group was filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in tongues. Afterward, they were so filled with joy they could barely contain their excitement as they waited to share the good news with the members of their church.

Sunday came and the men proudly stood before the congregation and relayed their experience. "We were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues just like those on the Day of Pentecost. We could hardly believe it ourselves! There is no doubt that what happened to us was from God," they said with smiles beaming from ear to ear.

They went on to say you could have heard a pin drop, when the pastor ushered them to the door and told them they were no longer welcome to fellowship with his church.

The men were surprised by the response of their congregation. However they decided not to be discouraged and to go forward and share the true plan of salvation. They began a church and still refer to themselves as "Bapticostals."

I share this testimony because it gives God all the glory! Our Lord and Savior will honor those who sincerely seek Him. (Luke 11:13, 24:49)

 

[CS1]

I find it interesting how one looks at scripture to say did you see? But will not acknowledge where it did happen.

Did the three thousand speak in tongues? The Bible doesn't tell us that we do not know, but as we move through the Book of Acts, we see tongues and prophesying and the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit Listed in 1cor chapter 12 through 14 as normal action in the church as IT MATURES.

Acts chapter 3:6-9 healing
Acts 3: 19 evangelism
Acts 4:8 Peter prophesies
Acts 4: 31 filling with the Holy Spirit, they spoke the word of God with boldness. = same as Prophesying
Acts 5:12 signs and wonders

Acts 6: 1-8 those other than the Apostles spoke the word of God and worked miracles
Acts 7-9 Pauls's conversion and healing
Acts 10 Cornleious house filled with the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues and prophesied without hands laid on them.

The book of Acts is just that the Holy Spirit recorded as a normative working in the life of all believers in that days, and HE has never stopped.

these Acts of the Holy Spirit are throughout the whole book it is not just a few chapters as some have suggested.

Jesus' words were and are being fulfilled each day in the believer of both men and women.

 

[Wansvic]

Scriptures fall into two categories: descriptive and prescriptive. In other words: Does Acts 19:6-9 describe something that happened to certain believers in Ephesus or something that applies to all believers in all times, or both? Since we know from other scriptures that have been posted, not everyone receives the gift of tongues, then it follows that it's possible to be baptized in the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues...

Please see post 72 regarding the distinction of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and receiving gifts given by the Holy Ghost.

 

[Wansvic]

But not receiving the gift doesn't mean you are not saved.
All the gifts are evidence that you have received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:6-7
6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.

Do you prophesy?

Look at the following

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

All have been baptized by the Holy Spirit but not all speak in tongues.

Please see post 72 regarding the distinction of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and receiving gifts given by the Holy Ghost.

 

[ResidentAlien]

Please see post 72 regarding the distinction of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and receiving gifts given by the Holy Ghost.

Why would I want to do that?

 

[Polar]

Neither can the vast majority of those who claim they can.
In fact if ya watch "Christian tv" and see all those false prophets "speaking in tongues" ya start to think maybe speaking in tongues is something different altogether.

None of that excuses unbelief in what scripture states. There are probably millions who think they are 'Christian' when they have no relationship with the risen Christ. They do not speak in tongues either.

Did you know the Bible actually tells us not to compare ourself to others? Other people are not the 'proof' something is real or not. If you constantly use other people as your measuring stick, you are sure to fail.


Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. II Corinthians 10:12


Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! II Corinthians13:5

Each one will have to answer for their own behavior and that includes those who mock what is of God and those who display no understanding of the gifts and misuse and corrupt the gifts

 

[Wansvic]

Verse 8 says they spoke in languages from every nation around.

This is one instance among many where the Holy Spirit came upon people. Other times there were not speaking of tongues. Look at Cornelius or even Jesus's baptism.

Cornelius as well as his family and friends did speak in tongues upon receiving the Holy Ghost:

Acts 10:43-48
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Acts 11:12-15
12 And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

 

[Wansvic]

Why would I want to do that?

It's scripture concerning the difference between the two. Just thought it might be of interest to you.