Spiritual Gift - Tongues

Isaiah J

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Hi everyone.

I attend an Assembly of God church in Washington state. Been attending for about 18 months now, and really like the church. Great teaching, great worship, spirit-filled congregation... it's a huge blessing to be so close to home.

I've been a Christian for six years now. I'm not as spiritually mature and as I should be, given that length of time. I never really considered myself a Pentecostal. If someone asked what denomination of Christian I am, I said non-denominational, because I didn't know what the differences are (and still don't), and because I figured since every denomination clearly interpreted some things differently (and would, by nature, be adamantly opposed to some of the interpretations of other Christian denominations), none of them were likely to be 100% correct. That logic still makes an enormous amount of sense to me today.

However, when I made my account here, I had to pick a denomination (or non-denominational), and figured since I go to an AG, and haven't yet heard anything there that I disagreed with, it's probably safe to call myself a Pentecostal. So I did.

Then I read this thread: http://www.christianforums.com/threads/pentecostal-assemblies-of-god-statement-of-faith.7396063/
and the Fundamental Truths link inside it. I disagree with the 8th Fundamental Truth - that, "The initial physical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is Speaking in Tongues."

I believe the gift of Tongues, and every other gift mentioned by Paul in his Epistles, still exist today. That said, I don't have the gift of tongues (though I have prayed for it). I believe many people never will speak in tongues, yet will still have the full power of the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, this seems to have been very clearly taught by Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. The Spirit distributes the gifts to each believer as he (the Spirit) determines. Later, Paul writes about desiring gifts, but there's no emphasis on tongues, aside from the description of the Day of Pentecost in Acts.

So, I dunno. What do you think? Am I missing something? Am I correct? Am I Pentecostal?
 
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dragongunner

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I know what your saying, and I find myself in that place also…..which is why I just labeled my self in the Faith as "Christian", I visit here and non-denomination group. I always figured being a "Christian" is always the best road anyway….LOL.
 
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AGoodMeasure

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Hi, I hope my own testimony helps you.
I belonged to a pentecostal/AOG congregation when I was first saved and I appreciated the good teachings on the power of God and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. But when it came to the baptism with the Holy Spirit, my own experience didn't appear to come with the gift of tongues, although I know what I experienced was definitely the baptism because it was a personal powerful experience that threw me forward in faith and raised my confidence in the Lord. I did not speak in tongues at that time.
The church I was with told me that it could not have been the baptism because of not speaking in tongues. I disagreed.
A couple of years later I went to a different meeting feeling that I was missing something if I couldn't speak in tongues, and I asked others there to pray for me. Someone spoke to me that God had already given me the gift but I needed to speak it out.
When I got home I just believed what was said and started to speak in tongues. The more I did it the more I seemed to move in it and I gained confidence that the Lord was using it to accomplish something that can't be done in the flesh.
I stopped worrying about denominations after that because I see in the Word that there is one church, and that if we are in Christ, we are one in Him.
 
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quietbloke

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Assemblies of God believe that the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. This is based on the Scriptural pattern in the Acts of the Apostles.When a believer is baptised in the Holy Spirit they can speak in tongues as a prayer language to God. Some do not but they could.
 
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AGoodMeasure

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Assemblies of God believe that the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. This is based on the Scriptural pattern in the Acts of the Apostles.When a believer is baptised in the Holy Spirit they can speak in tongues as a prayer language to God. Some do not but they could.
It is possible that I was given the gift of tongues when baptized in the Holy Spirit but I just didn't realize it, since I was on my own with the Lord at the time, i.e., not in a church setting. This would make sense when later I was told I had received it but just needed to speak it out.
There is probably a problem when rigidity of doctrine sets is which cannot allow the Holy Spirit to move as He wants to move.
 
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quietbloke

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Believers do not always realise that speaking in tongues is something that we do under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit inspires we need to speak out. The Holy Spirit does not do the speaking in tongues. He gives the utterance,but we have to speak it out!
 
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AGoodMeasure

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Believers do not always realise that speaking in tongues is something that we do under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit inspires we need to speak out. The Holy Spirit does not do the speaking in tongues. He gives the utterance,but we have to speak it out!
Yes that makes sense, although I know that the tongue I have received as a gift is not so far the one for speaking in the congregation. That would be difficult lol, since I currently have no congregation. Big story!
 
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quietbloke

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Yes that makes sense, although I know that the tongue I have received as a gift is not so far the one for speaking in the congregation. That would be difficult lol, since I currently have no congregation. Big story!
That's right 'A Good Measure'. Every believer has the privilege to be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. Apostle Paul said,"I speak in tongues more than you all' (That's in a prayer language in private) Speaking in tongues publicly in the congregation requires an interpretation of tongues. God bless
 
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Biblicist

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Yes that makes sense, although I know that the tongue I have received as a gift is not so far the one for speaking in the congregation. That would be difficult lol, since I currently have no congregation. Big story!
If you know that there are those who can interpret in your meetings, all you need to do is to pray in the Spirit (tongues) and allow the Spirit to provide you with an interpretation or allow another to interpret for you; if you would like to minister in this fashion during the meeting then that will be your choice, if you wait on the Holy Spirit he will definitely honour your faith regarding receiving interpretations.

The only difference between tongues during times of prayer and in the congregation, is that congregational praying in the Spirit will always be directed to the Father as either praise or thanksgiving, whereas private devotional prayer can be as praise or intercessory prayer.
 
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quietbloke

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If you know that there are those who can interpret in your meetings, all you need to do is to pray in the Spirit (tongues) and allow the Spirit to provide you with an interpretation or allow another to interpret for you; if you would like to minister in this fashion during the meeting then that will be your choice, if you wait on the Holy Spirit he will definitely honour your faith regarding receiving interpretations.

The only difference between tongues during times of prayer and in the congregation, is that congregational praying in the Spirit will always be directed to the Father as either praise or thanksgiving, whereas private devotional prayer can be as praise or intercessory prayer.
Some believe that public utterances in tongues can be either Godward or manward.
 
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Biblicist

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Some believe that public utterances in tongues can be either Godward or manward.
Even though the AoG (USA) Statement of Faith shows that they have apparently moved away from the view that tongues + interpretation = prophecy, I would be inclined to think that most Pentecostals still believe that the Holy Spirit speaks to the congregagation through tongues & interpretation; which is something that I also agreed with up until very recently.

For those who have changed their view on this issue, where they regularly act as Sunday song leaders, if they have to regulate how many speak in tongues and prophesy then this could put them into an awkward position.
 
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Beloved of God

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There are three types of speaking in tongues. Though it's not clear in the bible that there is, I can count three different times it is used. First there is the prayer tongue "The language of Angels". It cannot be interpreted, and is the most common type of tongues. Then there is the Interpretive tongue, which can be interpreted into native tongue. This builds up the church. The last is literal tongues, which is speaking a language you do not know. This is the day of Pentecost tongue. It needs no interpretation because it is already a language. This one is the sign for unbelievers.
 
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Oscuro

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Hi everyone.

I attend an Assembly of God church in Washington state. Been attending for about 18 months now, and really like the church. Great teaching, great worship, spirit-filled congregation... it's a huge blessing to be so close to home.

I've been a Christian for six years now. I'm not as spiritually mature and as I should be, given that length of time. I never really considered myself a Pentecostal. If someone asked what denomination of Christian I am, I said non-denominational, because I didn't know what the differences are (and still don't), and because I figured since every denomination clearly interpreted some things differently (and would, by nature, be adamantly opposed to some of the interpretations of other Christian denominations), none of them were likely to be 100% correct. That logic still makes an enormous amount of sense to me today.

However, when I made my account here, I had to pick a denomination (or non-denominational), and figured since I go to an AG, and haven't yet heard anything there that I disagreed with, it's probably safe to call myself a Pentecostal. So I did.

Then I read this thread: http://www.christianforums.com/threads/pentecostal-assemblies-of-god-statement-of-faith.7396063/
and the Fundamental Truths link inside it. I disagree with the 8th Fundamental Truth - that, "The initial physical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is Speaking in Tongues."

I believe the gift of Tongues, and every other gift mentioned by Paul in his Epistles, still exist today. That said, I don't have the gift of tongues (though I have prayed for it). I believe many people never will speak in tongues, yet will still have the full power of the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, this seems to have been very clearly taught by Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. The Spirit distributes the gifts to each believer as he (the Spirit) determines. Later, Paul writes about desiring gifts, but there's no emphasis on tongues, aside from the description of the Day of Pentecost in Acts.

So, I dunno. What do you think? Am I missing something? Am I correct? Am I Pentecostal?
you said "i dont have the gift ",though i prayed for it .
if you prayed for it then you have it . You do believe the word of God yes?
 
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Biblicist

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you said "i dont have the gift ",though i prayed for it .
if you prayed for it then you have it . You do believe the word of God yes?
The only way that someone can demonstrate that they "have something" is by their ability to demonstrate in some way that they are in possession of a given ability. Even though the Holy Spirit undoubtedly desires to enable every Believer to be able to pray to the Father in the Spirit (tongues), if we either choose not to do so or do not know that we can, then we cannot say that we possess this ability. Though it only takes faith to allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us.

Edit: Typo on second last line.
 
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Oscuro

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The only way that someone can demonstrate that they "have something" is by their ability to demonstrate in some way that they are in possession of a given ability. Even though the Holy Spirit undoubtedly desires to enable every Believer to be able to pray to the Father in the Spirit (tongues), if we either choose not to do so or do not know that we can, then we cannot say that we possess this ability. Though it ownly takes faith to allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us.
cant pm you yet -come on over and visit at christianityhaven :)
 
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