The GIFT of Languages

You are most welcome to disagree with the truth.

I'll bite the bullet on this one!
I confess to being a Cessationist, that is, I believe the sign and revelational gifts ceased with the death of the Apostles.

I have not always held this view.

I spent 20 years in the Pentecostal Movement, 7 of those years as a pastor. I have seen and experienced it all!

I left in disgust around the time of the Toronto Blessing. I just could not reconcile people rolling around the floor laughing and barking like dogs as being a 'move of God'.

From a study of Scripture I came to see that New Testament Tongues were in fact Human Languages ( Acts 2) not what
was on offer in Pentecostal Churches. I had to examine my own experience of speaking in tongues and came to the realisation that it was not the NT gift but rather a psychological imitation.

So for better or worse, I am now a Cessationist.

Peace

Speaking in tongues edifies the person ------it builds faith ---so the person stands strong in their Faith ------very powerful gift ------

Modern tongues do not even pretend to be other human languages.

Is that scriptural?
There is only one church, one doctrine of Jesus Christ. In different locations.
As we see in the New Testament.

You apparently didn't notice that in the Bible, the church was already fragmenting, and denominationalizing in Paul's day.

Now it’s being built.

Like so many topics here, we get taught by people who have no experience with the subject matter. All they are doing is repeating what they have been told to believe.

The best way to learn is to keep an open mind even when you are convinced about something as a new revelation may come up which needs our attention.

My origins were Baptist (no supernatural), then the Brethren (no supernatural), and then the charismatic Brethren (plenty of supernatural). I attended a Brethren Bible College and whilst there I did a study of revival. Last week I started reading another book on revival which listed all the revivals that have happened since Azuza Street.

If you believe what the book says and I do, it is very clear that each revival was accompanied by tongues ( languages) and people were speaking in languages they had not learned and people were hearing messages in their own native tongue the same as they did on the day of Pentecost.

Do we throw the baby out with the bathwater? Some do but I don't. Pentecost and the history of revival very clearly show people being given the ability to speak in a language they have not learned. If that is what God wants to do, that is fine with me.

I left in disgust around the time of the Toronto Blessing. I just could not reconcile people rolling around the floor laughing and barking like dogs as being a 'move of God'.

From a study of Scripture I came to see that New Testament Tongues were in fact Human Languages ( Acts 2) not what
was on offer in Pentecostal Churches.

So for better or worse, I am now a Cessationist.

It should also be noted that nowhere in Scripture -- whether on earth or in Heaven -- do angels speak in another language (which could be labeled as "the tongues of angels").

Whenever they spoke it was in a human language, and even when Paul was in the third heaven (in Paradise) he heard things which he could understand, but was forbidden to disclose them. So Paul was being hyperbolic to make a point.

What we should always keep in mind is that he viewed prophecy as far more beneficial than tongues. He also ranks the spiritual gifts in the order of their importance.

You should look at I Corinthians 13:1 where Paul says if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels.

That is just hyperbole. There is no record in Scripture about tongues of angels. The always spoke human languages (Hebrew or Aramaic, possibly Greek).

Not true. There are recorded instances where the "tongue" was understood by those hearing it, AND recorded cases where the "Common tongue has been heard in other languages. Also there aree instances in which the "tongue" was understood, and the subsequent "Interpretation" by one unfamiliar with the language was found to be accurate.

The 1 Cor 14 situation, however IS much more prevalent.

Just because it is supernatural, does not mean it is from God.

I have the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation of tongues. If you want to say languages, that is ok, so long as you realize this is a gift of speaking in an unknown language. The language is unknown to the speaker. In some cases it may be known to some person or persons hearing the speaking.

Agreed, satan can and does produce lying miracles also, and "Speaking in a tongue" CAN ABSOLUTELY BE the result of demonization. OR more simply can simply be a person Speaking gibberish (which anybody can do with a little practice. Sid Caesar used to do it as a comedy routine).