Speaking in Tounges

[marcy]

Recently, while attending church service, a woman several pews ahead of me began speaking in a voice that was unlike her own. It was a normal speaking volume at first but then increased in volume as well as speed until she was literally shouting out. The words were in biblical language , a message from God. Has anyone else ever witnessed something like this?????

 

[Sketcher]

I've have. A brother who went to a Vineyard church had a habit of praying in tounges when we prayed together. He kept saying the same thing over and over again, and we prayed over quite a number of topics. So that must have been one heck of an all-purpose prayer.

I would compare any "tounge speaking" you hear to the tounge-speaking found in the Bible. Acts 2, and 1 Corinthians 12-14. There are false tounge-speakers out there. Some are demon posessed, others are just crazy people. Paul instructed us to refrain from speaking in tounges unless there was an interpreter there for a good reason.

 

[Dicy mind]

If you want to know is this spirit of her's from God or from Satan you can and you probably should ask it in whos name does it manifest. No evil false spirit can declare to manifest in Jesus Christ's name.

1 John 4:3
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

 

[DIVA_for_Christ]

Recently, while attending church service, a woman several pews ahead of me began speaking in a voice that was unlike her own. It was a normal speaking volume at first but then increased in volume as well as speed until she was literally shouting out. The words were in biblical language , a message from God. Has anyone else ever witnessed something like this?????

All I can say is speaking in tongues is of God. We either speak in tongues to edify our spirit (Spirit Man's direct communication with God - seeking those things of God that we do not understand) or edifying of the church. When God using someone to speak in tongues in the church there is an interpreter in the midst.

Although we can and do get caught in the Spirit, and can start speaking in tongues for the edification of our own spirit, we also maintain the Spirit of self-control and know not to scream out loud.

I'm not pointing fingers and saying this is what happened to her but the enemy does mimic what God does in order to pervert and corrupt us to lead us astray.

 

[Linnis]

While I believe speaking in tongues does happen and it is of God, sometimes I think people do it for show. I was at one church and I could see it just happening but the Pastor called for someone to speak "the tongue" and next thing ten or so were doing it.

It can happen but I think people should be aware that it can be faked.

 

[TheListener]

I think its all a bit of mass-hysteria.

On the day of Pentecost, the gift of tongues was given but so those who received it could profess Jesus as Lord to people who spoke different languages.

It was obviously a tactical move at the time.

Although I'm not dismissing all instances of speaking in tongues, I want to remind everyone that speaking in tongues literally means speaking in another language you have not learnt. People just make up gobbledegook pig-latin type made up languages & get cought up in it. Power of mass-hysteria at its best. This was obviously a problem in the early church as it is today which is why Paul said dont do it unless there is a translator there, which is just a polite way of saying dont make up your own tongue & think your speaking in tongues.

I'd be very suspicious of anyone who claimed to speak in tongues today as it has minimal tactical purpose for God because there are people from every language who are Christians & the Bible has been printed in most languages anyway. There are more useful gifts out there of the Holy Spirit that are more useful which I'm guessing people would be receiving.

 

[Simonline]

Recently, while attending church service, a woman several pews ahead of me began speaking in a voice that was unlike her own. It was a normal speaking volume at first but then increased in volume as well as speed until she was literally shouting out. The words were in biblical language , a message from God. Has anyone else ever witnessed something like this?????

Yes. This is called 'speaking in 'tongues' or unlearned languages (the term 'tongues' is an archaic word that has become a theological cliche).

It is a controversial subject amongst Christians in more ways than one.

Most if not all Christians believe that it is one of several manifestations or 'gift' [Gk. Charis] of the Spirit of God within a believer.

However, some Christians believe that all such 'manifestations' or 'gifts' stopped once the Bible (as we have it today) was finally compiled. Such Christians are known as 'cessationists' because they believe that the 'manifestations/gifts' of the Holy Spirit referred to in the Bible have now stopped. Therefore any subsequent 'manifestations' are either human mimickry or worse, demonic counterfeits.

Other Christians, called Charismatics, believe that the manifestations/gifts did not stop with the advent of the completed Scriptures but instead will continue right through to the end of this age when they will finally become obsolete.

Some Christians believe that there are strict Biblical rules for the use of the spiritual 'gifts' (cf. 1Cor.12-14) whereas other Christians place more emphasis on the subjective experience of the Holy Spirit's manifestation rather than on the Bible as the written Word of God. The danger with this is that, unless one has a fixed point of reference by which to test the spirits, such as the Scriptures, one cannot be absolutely certain that it really is the Holy Spirit one is experiencing and not a demonic counterfeit?

Some Christians (especially those of the Pentecostal denominations) believe that the manifestation of speaking in unlearned languages is a cast iron guarantee that one is 'saved' and that without it one's salvation is in question, whereas other Christians believe that speaking in unlearned languages is just one of several of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit and one does not have to speak in unlearned languages (either heavenly or human) in order to 'prove' that one is 'saved'. They argue that there are other equally ligitimate ways of demonstrating that one is saved (such as a transformed life, a newfound boldness to stand up for and proclaim the Truth etc.) apart from speaking in unlearned languages.

It is my belief (as a Charismatic) that much of what happens in many Charismatic churches today is a million miles away from what the first apostles would have understood (and permitted) as manifestations of the 'gifts of the Spirit'.

According to the Scriptures the overarching principle when dealing with spiritual gifts or manifestations in the context of public assembly is the degree to which they edify or build up the body as a whole and not just individual members within that body. Indeed the 'gifts' are graded according to that exact principle. The more a gift edifies the body as a whole then the more important it is. The less the gift edifies the body as a whole (irrespective of what it does for individual believers) then the less important it is. The rule is, when believers come together for public worship, the edification of the body (not individual members) is the primary concern. Under no circumstances must individual members (and especially not visitors and guests) be made to feel like 'outsiders' 'excluded from those who have gathered before the LORD'. This is why prophecy (which edifes) is for believers (both actual and potential) and 'tongues' (without prophetic interpretations) are for unbelievers (since, without understanding, they would effectively be a sign of God's excluding judgment as was the case with the Tower of Babel (cf. Gen.11:1-9) and the Israelites forced exile into Assyria and Babylon (1Cor.14:21)) (1Cor.14:20-25)

Thus, the practise of 'everyone' spontaneously 'singing in tongues', for example, is wholely unbiblical since it is effectively a group of individuals 'singing in tongues' ('spontaneously' 'doing their own thing' - a mark of the spirit of individualism that is currently rampant throughout the Western Evangelical Church today) rather than a unified body corporately worshiping (and thus being edified/built up) together.

Simonline.

 

[puregrl]

i went to a christian confrenece with my youth group and a lady a few rows behind us was speking some weird language, never heard anything like it before. I know there was an interpreter there, so she must have been speaking in tounges.

 

[chaadaasj]

Thanks to reading the posts of the listenere and simonline I’ve learned some more about speaking in tongues. After reading 1 cor 12-14 I tend to believe that speaking in a tongue is just speaking in another language in order to reach unbelievers with the gospel. And nothing more than that.



1 cor 14:22 Therefore tongues are for a sign not to those who believe but to unbelievers.



However, I know that in many churches in Holland people speak in tongues even when there are no unbelievers around. They say that they don’t edify the church, but that they do edify themselves. Can somebody explain to me how speaking in tongues edifies yourself??



Then I have a problem with the following verse



1 cor 14:4 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however in the spirit he speaks mysteries.



If speaking in tongues is a sign for the unbelievers by explaning them the gospel in their own tongue why then is it said here that he who speaks in a tongues, does not speak to men but to God ??



By the way: is there a difference between praying (1 cor 14:14) in tongues and speaking (1 cor 13:1, 1 cor 14:4,6,13) in tongues??



Then there seems to be a difference between a tongue of men and angels (1 cor 13:1)? What’s the difference?



To me it is all very confusing…. I have never spoken in a tongue, but I sometimes wonder if I should and how, and why..

 

[chaadaasj]

Thanks to reading the posts of the listenere and simonline I’ve learned some more about speaking in tongues. After reading 1 cor 12-14 I tend to believe that speaking in a tongue is just speaking in another language in order to reach unbelievers with the gospel. And nothing more than that.



1 cor 14:22 Therefore tongues are for a sign not to those who believe but to unbelievers.



However, I know that in many churches in Holland people speak in tongues even when there are no unbelievers around. They say that they don’t edify the church, but that they do edify themselves. Can somebody explain to me how speaking in tongues edifies yourself??



Then I have a problem with the following verse



1 cor 14:4 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however in the spirit he speaks mysteries.



If speaking in tongues is a sign for the unbelievers by explaning them the gospel in their own tongue why then is it said here that he who speaks in a tongues, does not speak to men but to God ??



By the way: is there a difference between praying (1 cor 14:14) in tongues and speaking (1 cor 13:1, 1 cor 14:4,6,13) in tongues??



Then there seems to be a difference between a tongue of men and angels (1 cor 13:1)? What’s the difference?



To me it is all very confusing…. I have never spoken in a tongue, but I sometimes wonder if I should and how, and why..

 

[Aningat]

cross-preacher.com

 

[Firecracker71]

Ok I have a questions on this also:
The church I went too, the daughter of the Pastor (woman pastor) would be the choir leader(well for her 1-2 other people who would be "holy" enough to sing for the lord)
Now I know every SUNDAY! While singing she would speak in "tounges" WITH her Mom...

I watched this several times. Mom would start daughter would continue/start.
When mom wasnt there Daughter would still "talk in tounges"
To me speaking in tounges is VERY special gift I DONT think somone is going to speak in tounges every single day /sunday/ on cue.

Ops Guess You all know why I left that church.....

 

[Sketcher]

Then there seems to be a difference between a tongue of men and angels (1 cor 13:1)? What’s the difference?

Angels have their own language, perhaps multiple ones. This includes fallen angels (demons). It therefore is not hard for demon possessed people to impersonate tounge speaking.

To me it is all very confusing…. I have never spoken in a tongue, but I sometimes wonder if I should and how, and why..

If God gives you the gift, use it. If He does not, no sweat.

 

[Nashboo]

This is something that has bothered me recently and I'm very glad you asked this question and stated this concern. Thanks all to your comments. I'm not sure yet what I believe except that I think that some people do it for show...just like anything and everything else.

 

[IWillDoHisWill]

Hey, guys 1 Corintians 12 7-11 says, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of toungues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

When a person is born again, we recieve the Holy Spirit of God. And through this, we can tap in to the Spirit and use the nine tools I just listed from the scripture above. Speaking in tongues is our spirit praising God and it lifts us up in faith. We can also ask God for the interpretation, for that is also a gift of the Spirit. Speaking in tongues is just a heavenly language of us praising God and releasing mysteries of God's heart that can be interpretated.

Thanks for listening!

 

[Apollo Celestio]

I've never seen this in all my time as a Christian, wait once but I wasn't Christian then and don't really know if the guy was doing it or not. Is that bad? To be so ignorant on this?

 

[TheListener]

There's a scene in the Borat movie where the guy was speaking in tongues at the Pentecostal Convention.

Then they slaid Borat in the spirit and you could see the pastor telling Borat to "come on now, speak in tongues, come on"

So Borat did! "Tralalalamalala mutti shamallalaalla mutti" etc etc etc.

I was in stitches watching it. Sorry if this offends some people. But even Christians are allowed to have a sense of humour

 

[Elijah2]

Recently, while attending church service, a woman several pews ahead of me began speaking in a voice that was unlike her own. It was a normal speaking volume at first but then increased in volume as well as speed until she was literally shouting out. The words were in biblical language , a message from God. Has anyone else ever witnessed something like this?????

We have to be aware, beware, and don't be unaware of Speaking in Tongues. It is a Spiritual Gift, but at the same time it can become a counterfeit as well, sometime referred to as a "demonic tongue"

Usually you find a person who is a counterfeit, and they usually speak in tongues, every meeting, drawing attention to themself, but their also needs to be an "interpretation of tongues", which is also a Spiritual Gift

If there is no interpretation, then beware of the person.

I speak in tongues, and speak as such when I don't know what to say. Many times our Lord has called on me to intercede for a person, and I have no idea what to pray for, and I used my tongue.

When you pray in tongues you know it is of our Lord because you will also feel it in you heart. Those who pray from the mind, beware of. Ususally those sort of people will become hesitant on words, and stammer. If it is of God, then there will be no stammering.

Also, they seem to repeat themself continually. God doesn't repeat HIMSELF!

 

[jazzypooh]

Ok I have a questions on this also:
The church I went too, the daughter of the Pastor (woman pastor) would be the choir leader(well for her 1-2 other people who would be "holy" enough to sing for the lord)
Now I know every SUNDAY! While singing she would speak in "tounges" WITH her Mom...

I watched this several times. Mom would start daughter would continue/start.
When mom wasnt there Daughter would still "talk in tounges"
To me speaking in tounges is VERY special gift I DONT think somone is going to speak in tounges every single day /sunday/ on cue.

Ops Guess You all know why I left that church.....

you can speak in tongues every day. its a prayer language. just like you pray in English every day, you can pray in tongues every day.

 

[jazzypooh]

This is something that has bothered me recently and I'm very glad you asked this question and stated this concern. Thanks all to your comments. I'm not sure yet what I believe except that I think that some people do it for show...just like anything and everything else.

dont let people's ignorance hinder you from receiving the truth. yeah some people might do it for show, but that does not mean that the gift does not exist and it does not mean that God does not want you to have this gift. the BIble says every good and perfect gift comes from God. just because the person He's given the gift to isn't perfect doesnt meant that the gift has not come from God.