Gifts - Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues

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MadParrotWoman

Guest
#1
So #3 in my "Gifts" series is "Tongues", I believe this one is the most controversial of the lot. Some claim to have this gift, others don't and some believe it's all false brought about by the Charismatics - oh we do love to beat-up the Charismatics on CC don't we? Ahem sorry a little bit of sarcasm crept in there.

I don't speak in tongues and in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians he does seem to suggest it's the least important of the gifts. He also suggests that when tongues is spoken in public there should be an interpreter present yet I have never heard of anyone with the gift of interpretation? Has anyone here on CC? I don't believe that everyone who claims to have this gift is genuine and those who do often use it for their own reasons rather than how I think it should be used. Tongues seems to me to be the most abundant of the gifts, I do not see too many of the other gifts in action anywhere near as often. Some seemingly good Christians do not have the ability to speak in tongues - many do. I wonder why God blesses some with this gift whilst "denying" others and actually what purpose does it serve anyway?

Just a few of my thoughts...over to you.
 
Nov 14, 2012
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#2
I believe baptism with the sign of speaking in tongues is heresy! They dunk these poor people til they they come up gibbering. I have witnessed this! There is nothing biblical about this
 
E

ember

Guest
#3
I believe baptism with the sign of speaking in tongues is heresy! They dunk these poor people til they they come up gibbering. I have witnessed this! There is nothing biblical about this

and I believe you are blaspheming against the Holy Spirit

maybe we can look at scripture instead of offering opinions

this isn't a new subject here..

here is an established thread with lots of info: ONE

and here's another: TWO

and actually, parrotwoman, you already had a thread on tongues HERE


other than the refutation and links, I see no point in my participation in this thread...my comments can be viewed in other threads (not that anyone will bother)

have fun kiddies!...ps...I might respond to personal insults and or attacks...but wouldn't it be lovely if people who call others liars and what have you, refrain from doing that?
 
M

MadParrotWoman

Guest
#4
and I believe you are blaspheming against the Holy Spirit

maybe we can look at scripture instead of offering opinions

this isn't a new subject here..

here is an established thread with lots of info: ONE

and here's another: TWO

and actually, parrotwoman, you already had a thread on tongues HERE


other than the refutation and links, I see no point in my participation in this thread...my comments can be viewed in other threads (not that anyone will bother)

have fun kiddies!...ps...I might respond to personal insults and or attacks...but wouldn't it be lovely if people who call others liars and what have you, refrain from doing that?
Yes I'm aware I had already done a thread on this subject but this is part of a series I am doing and as it is one of the gifts I had to include it. I was hoping for some more replies as we have a constant stream of new members here.
 

Jimbone

Senior Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,694
817
113
44
#5
Only one time in my church, a Pentecostal church, have Iever seen an interpreter. I am also under the belief that the "tongues"of today is not the same thing that is talked about in Acts. Those in Acts wereexisting known languages they never learned, and not "angelic,unknown" ones. I too have seen them gang up on people until they feel somuch pressure they just go for it. I don't think that's how it worked in thebible at all personally, they didn’t peer-pressure each other into doing it, itjust happened. That said I feel that my pastor preaches the truth and seems to bemoving away from focusing on that being "proof" of salvation so much.That last time any attention was given to it they actually had an interpreterthere and I thought that was pretty cool. I still attend and love everyonethere and believe them to be regenerated brothers and sisters in Christ. To behonest they also preach the Pre-trib rapture as well and I don't believe thateither from my understanding, but I don't find either a reason to leave orjudge the church or His people. Most were raised from childhood to believe thesethings so I try to be understanding, and don't make it a super big issue. Ifthey ask about it I'll let my views be known and back them up with thescriptures that led me to that view, and also look into the ones they use tosupport theirs and really don't see it as a reason to stay away or be divisive.So the answer is yes I have seen one once.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,095
6,479
113
#6
oh..........boy.........sigh........


(staying out of thissin' this time :) )
 

ArtsieSteph

Senior Member
Apr 1, 2014
6,194
1,319
113
33
Arizona
#7
Personally I believe in tongues, I speak in tongues myself and it's really a Holy Spirit brought gift. And i mean it's in the Bible, and I wouldn't argue with that.
 
S

sassylady

Guest
#8
I have been in a few churches where a message was given in tongues and another person interpreted. It always followed a time of praise and worship, and the person who interpreted was the person on the platform.

I have a prayer language and have known many Christians who do, and plenty who do not. I've always wondered myself why some Christians do not even though they believe in it.

Many people who have the greater gifts spent years studying the Word and communing with the Lord before they received a gift. I wonder if many of us, myself included, don't covet earnestly the best gifts (I Cor 12:31) Studying to show yourself approved could be the greater amounts of time that is put into the relationship with the Lord that not many of us do. We always have so many other things to take care of and distract us. Also that continues into chapter 13 where it talks about the importance of love. I've seen preachers who had gifts but not love and they frankly just fizzled out and are not even in the ministry any longer.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Feb 7, 2015
22,418
413
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#9
So #3 in my "Gifts" series is "Tongues", I believe this one is the most controversial of the lot. Some claim to have this gift, others don't and some believe it's all false brought about by the Charismatics - oh we do love to beat-up the Charismatics on CC don't we? Ahem sorry a little bit of sarcasm crept in there.

I don't speak in tongues and in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians he does seem to suggest it's the least important of the gifts. He also suggests that when tongues is spoken in public there should be an interpreter present yet I have never heard of anyone with the gift of interpretation? Has anyone here on CC? I don't believe that everyone who claims to have this gift is genuine and those who do often use it for their own reasons rather than how I think it should be used. Tongues seems to me to be the most abundant of the gifts, I do not see too many of the other gifts in action anywhere near as often. Some seemingly good Christians do not have the ability to speak in tongues - many do. I wonder why God blesses some with this gift whilst "denying" others and actually what purpose does it serve anyway?

Just a few of my thoughts...over to you.
If you are going to use Paul as an example, shouldn't you also include his statement that he thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else?
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,173
2,536
113
#10
Even if I was in the presence of actual tongue speaking I wouldn't know it. I have heard that when you speak in tongues you begin to speak in other ppls language like the apostles did others say you speak an angelic language. I have never seen someone speak in tongues before but I don't disregard it simply because I haven't seen it. But I have to think that if one actually spoke in tongues my spirit would be affected by God somehow. But I doubt God would give one a gift like that if they could not be trusted to use it right, also I heard lots of ppl pretend to speak tongues by saying gibberish.

I don't fully understand the point of tongues other than speaking to other ppl in their language and maybe I am naive to believe that actual tongues still exist but I don't put a cap on God's generosity in giving the gifts of his spirit
 
M

Mitspa

Guest
#11
Its amazing how God gave us all these answers in the bible...when in doubt? read the book :)


1Co 14:1 ¶ Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

1Co 14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 ¶ 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.
 
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wwjd_kilden

Guest
#12
I am somewhat skeptic to the whole speaking in tongues stuff.
I do believe it can happen, but I also believe that the real stuff is, like in the bible, real languages, spoken with an interpreter, for the good of those who listen. Now what people speak between themselves and God is up to them, but when it comes to "public speech" I don't trust those who speak without it being interpreted, it feels more like they do it to "prove themselves" somehow. I even remember feeling a downright chill once (as if there was something evil present) when someone who visited our church started "talking in tongues"
 
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Mitspa

Guest
#13
2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
 
S

sassylady

Guest
#14
I should actually do some studying myself because I think there is a difference between speaking in tongues and praying in the Spirit, which I've heard called a prayer language.

The thing I love so much about the prayer language is that when you absolutely do not know how or what to pray, you can pray in the Spirit. I have gotten answers during times like that, though not every single time. Other times when I was upset and prayed in the Spirit I just instantly had Peace. There are times when praying in the Spirit that I've received what I believe was an interpretation of what I had prayed. When you use a prayer language you can't say it wrong because it's not your words.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,095
6,479
113
#15
Personally I believe in tongues, I speak in tongues myself and it's really a Holy Spirit brought gift. And i mean it's in the Bible, and I wouldn't argue with that.
(............................ see comment # 6 .........................................................................)
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,095
6,479
113
#16
If you are going to use Paul as an example, shouldn't you also include his statement that he thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else?


(.......................................... see comment #6 .........................................)
 
M

MadParrotWoman

Guest
#17
(.......................................... see comment #6 .........................................)
Haha you're really struggling to keep it zipped aren't you! ROFL
 
A

atwhatcost

Guest
#18
So #3 in my "Gifts" series is "Tongues", I believe this one is the most controversial of the lot. Some claim to have this gift, others don't and some believe it's all false brought about by the Charismatics - oh we do love to beat-up the Charismatics on CC don't we? Ahem sorry a little bit of sarcasm crept in there.

I don't speak in tongues and in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians he does seem to suggest it's the least important of the gifts. He also suggests that when tongues is spoken in public there should be an interpreter present yet I have never heard of anyone with the gift of interpretation? Has anyone here on CC? I don't believe that everyone who claims to have this gift is genuine and those who do often use it for their own reasons rather than how I think it should be used. Tongues seems to me to be the most abundant of the gifts, I do not see too many of the other gifts in action anywhere near as often. Some seemingly good Christians do not have the ability to speak in tongues - many do. I wonder why God blesses some with this gift whilst "denying" others and actually what purpose does it serve anyway?

Just a few of my thoughts...over to you.
When I was a teen and God dinked on the light (I'm still surprised by his method of salvation lol) he quickly ushered me to a before-school Bible study. The teacher was a missionary ministering to young people was his gift. Unfortunately, whatever church he came form preached "anointing of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues" as if the only way to prove you were saved was to speak in tongues.

Guess who can't speak in tongues. Yah-hunh! Moi! (I can't even speak any foreign languages either, except to say "thanks" or "me." lol) So along with his before-school Bible studies, he also had a coffeehouse. You're the right age to know what a coffeehouse used to mean, but you're not American, so I don't know if that word crossed "the pond" or not. Over here, in the late 60's/early 70's coffeehouses were quiet little clubs where, usually, folk singers sang and everyone felt groovy. (You're also the right age to remember the word "groovy" was never really groovy. lol) But his coffeehouse had Christian guitarists singing hymns and their own songs, before he gave a sermon, and then gave a coffeehouse version of an altar call. (It was the time of the Jesus People movement, so people were flooding in to God. It wasn't hard to give the gospel back then, because so many readily agreed to it.)

I was very new and naive. (Now I'm old and naive. Oh boy! Life changes so much. lol) And I had no idea if I was saved, because he kept talking about gifts and I had none, so what was he talking abut, and I really wanted that, and apparently not having that meant I might not be saved, and...

Do you remember the way our minds worked at 15? Yeah, so that inner dialog didn't stop until I accepted his call and had people pray that I'd get that anointed thingy.

Well, I was 15, so it wasn't like I had a car, but I had a curfew, and it was a school night, so, mercifully, two hours into the prayer, one of my BF's friends shouted, "I know we're just heathens, but we have curfews, and our friend isn't giving us a ride home until she's in the car, so can we get this over already?"

I've never been so happy to hear from a Satanist (my BF's friend was a Satanist -- kinda funky, but true) in my life. So, I escaped from that night having been prayed for for two hours, but still couldn't speak in tongues.

So, what's a 15 year old going to think? I thought I wasn't saved. I thought I wasn't saved for the next 4-6 years. And, all because I couldn't speak in tongues.

I can't speak in tongues, but I got this communications degree from college, (what you call "university"), so I had linguistics and got a basic understanding of how language is formed. Many of the churches I tried out when I was young and naive also preached that "you ain't saved unless you can speak in tongues" message, so I did the same thing at home that I had to do to learn the newest dances. Quietly try it out at home, until it looked good. Ta-dah! I spoke "in tongues."

The only problem is I really didn't, I just took what I learned in linguistics and made something that sounded like everyone else. I doubt I'm the only person like that, since there really is/are some church(es) that preach that junk. So, that's where I get tongues isn't what it appears to be most of the time.

BUT I married a smart man. He's actually the guy who taught me there are some churches that preach that junk, because when he first became regenerated he landed in one too. (Show off! He really can speak in tongues. lol) But he then wandered into a church that did teach Biblically, including tongues, and the rule was like what Paul said -- no speaking in tongues unless someone can interpret.

Big church so they divided the congregation up, keeping all the auditory gifted in the front of the church (acoustics were better there so everyone could hear what they said. And they got to sit there only after proving their gifts, so there would be no chance for the truly nuts to act like they're doing that. So they divided for sound Biblical purposes.) Hubby says when one person spoke in tongues, it was guaranteed someone would interpret. And he heard the message. And he's good at dividing malarkey from reality. And, he says there was no other way to explain it but God was there using those folks to deliver his message to the whole group at that moment. So, yeah, tongues do exist and are used for rightful purposes.

I just happen to believe a lot of tongue speakers are merely like a college student I used to know who took her linguistics coursework in a different direction, practiced it at home, and then spent a couple of more years hoping she was speaking in tongues even if it didn't feel like it. (aka Me again!) And because of that bad beginning, I'm of the ilk who thinks, "Yeah sure, but prove it. If you can't, I don't believe you can really speak in tongues." I won't say that out loud most of the time, but I'm thinking it.
 
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atwhatcost

Guest
#19
Only one time in my church, a Pentecostal church, have Iever seen an interpreter. I am also under the belief that the "tongues"of today is not the same thing that is talked about in Acts. Those in Acts wereexisting known languages they never learned, and not "angelic,unknown" ones. I too have seen them gang up on people until they feel somuch pressure they just go for it. I don't think that's how it worked in thebible at all personally, they didn’t peer-pressure each other into doing it, itjust happened. That said I feel that my pastor preaches the truth and seems to bemoving away from focusing on that being "proof" of salvation so much.That last time any attention was given to it they actually had an interpreterthere and I thought that was pretty cool. I still attend and love everyonethere and believe them to be regenerated brothers and sisters in Christ. To behonest they also preach the Pre-trib rapture as well and I don't believe thateither from my understanding, but I don't find either a reason to leave orjudge the church or His people. Most were raised from childhood to believe thesethings so I try to be understanding, and don't make it a super big issue. Ifthey ask about it I'll let my views be known and back them up with thescriptures that led me to that view, and also look into the ones they use tosupport theirs and really don't see it as a reason to stay away or be divisive.So the answer is yes I have seen one once.
Hubby was saved through The Jesus People Movement of the late 60's/early 70's. (So was I but we lived in different parts of the country so didn't know each other yet.) There were two men in charge of the evangelism for that group. Both were hippies, and one of the guys was Bobby. Well, through the years, they diverted paths, so he hadn't heard from Bobby in close to three decades.

Then we joined the church we still consider our church. (Um, we can't go to church, so that's why I keep putting that in strange terms. lol) One weekend we ran into Bob. (Hmm, he stopped being Bobby and, apparently hubby never saw him in a suit before. lol) Bob was home on sabbatical. Usually he's a missionary in Kenya. He had a story to tell. (Well, he had many stories to tell, but this one fits the topic. lol)

His little church in the middle of no where had the usual congregation and the usual number of new people. (A few trickled in week after week.) Suddenly some guy starts shouting in a guttural way. To Bob's western ears, it sounded like "Glok, glok, glok" gibberish. He was getting uncomfortable. I mean, he's the pastor. Does he stop this newcomer or let it pass and continue on with the service?

Apparently, he made some kind of movement that one of his elders (who sat behind him on platform in the front of the church) recognized. The elder gently grabbed his shoulder and whispered to him. He said, "The man is speaking in an old language of the ____ tribe." (Bob knew which tribe. I've heard of it, but I forgot which one it was other than "big tribe in Africa.") "But it is the old language, that only a select few learn as it is past down, and that man would never be one of those learned men who understand it. There are some learned men here who do understand what he is saying. He truly is speaking for God. Let him be."

So, yeah, tongues is still the tongues of the Bible. Our problem is we're Americans. So if some dude is praying loud in Spanish, we just naturally assume he's Spanish and knows the language. Since it's consider rude or gouache to go around shouting, "Wow! God just had me speak in Spanish and I can't even speak in Spanish," how would we ever know?
:p
 

notuptome

Senior Member
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
113
#20
Just ignore 1 Cor 13:8.

No such thing as a prayer language. Hebrews says we are to come into Gods presence and to come boldly.

Children do not come and speak to their Father in a special language.

Really what kind of Gentile seeks a sign?

For the cause of Christ
Roger