Speaking in tongues, compulsory or not?

[Adam81]

Also, Jehovarapha, I am not totally sure what point you are trying to make, as it seems to be on a tangent to the thread's main topic.

 

[Wonderfulcross]

In Corinthians, I believe it says that speaking in tongues is the smallest gift (?), as it doesn't glorify God, only yourself (ie God doesn't gain anything from it.)

This really depends. Speaking in tounges is just prophesy in "God's language." It is a great gift if someone, or the same person is given an interpretation of the word. If there is none, then it would only glorify yourself and have no benefit for the Church.

 

[godsgirl4ever]

Is a gift to speak in tounges.

 

[Cassiopeia]

As far as I am aware, there is a gift of interepreting tongues, which is needed to understand this language, and if you don't have it, it sounds like babble.

Also, a lot of people believe that interpreting tongues means understanding people who use a foreign language, and speaking in tongues is being able to communicate with them (ie acts when everybody understood the disciple's sermon, even though most of them didn't know the language).

As I remember the scriptures say that if one person speaks in tongues there must be another to interpret or it doesn't uplift or benefit the church and therefore is not of God. So unless you have someone RIGHT there saying what the person was saying ...you pretty much have pretense.

And why would God have anyone speaking gibberish anyway when more likely than not God would speak in a language we understood. Otherwise we would never understand anything God meant for us to understand. No?

 

[Wulff]

Well, speaking in tongues is talking to the Holy Spirit in His own language, which makes it easier for us to find the right words to pray.
Generally, it is encountered when one person prays for another, but I don't believe I have witnessed someone speaking in tongues.

Actually, the speaking in tongues as demonstrated in Acts was the ability to deliver the Good News of Jesus Christ to others in their language.

 

[Cassiopeia]

Actually, the speaking in tongues as demonstrated in Acts was the ability to deliver the Good News of Jesus Christ to others in their language.

That is my understanding as well not some gibberish so people can think they are filled with the spirit.

 

[Plan 9]

As I remember the scriptures say that if one person speaks in tongues there must be another to interpret or it doesn't uplift or benefit the church and therefore is not of God. So unless you have someone RIGHT there saying what the person was saying ...you pretty much have pretense.

And why would God have anyone speaking gibberish anyway when more likely than not God would speak in a language we understood. Otherwise we would never understand anything God meant for us to understand. No?

I'm no theologian, so I'm probably not going to put this right, but many charismatic churches, including the one I went to, talked of speaking in tongues as though there were two types: a private paryer language, and the kind, as you pointed out, Casi, in which one person speaks a message in tongues aloud during a service, and another person must interpret the message, so that it uplifts and benefit the entire congregation.

What confuses me (well, one of the things ) is that neither of these are what happened in Acts.
In Acts, no interpreter was needed. It was sort of like everyone listening had a miraculous universal translator?

 

[Cassiopeia]

I'm no theologian, so I'm probably not going to put this right, but many charismatic churches, including the one I went to, talked of speaking in tongues as though there were two types: a private paryer language, and the kind, as you pointed out, Casi, in which one person speaks a message in tongues aloud during a service, and another person must interpret the message, so that it uplifts and benefit the entire congregation.

What confuses me (well, one of the things ) is that neither of these are what happened in Acts.
In Acts, no interpreter was needed. It was sort of like everyone listening had a miraculous universal translator?

well i am certainly NO authority on speaking in tongues. I have been to a service where people were "speaking in tongues". One lady in particular sorta...well okay now people I am NOT making this up but it was the classic thing you see in the movies of how people are called up to the front to declare their love for jesus and she kind of danced her way up ...arms flailing and then supposedly started speaking in tongues. She was sobbing and wailing and speaking to me what really sounded like demonic possession noises according to hollywood. There was nothing beautiful or uplifting about it. though others seemed affected. *okay now I know you are all thinking I was not worhty to understand her rantings...you don't need to post it* but as far as the univeral translator thingy goes...the only thing I heard in my head were the voices I try so desperately to keep quiet

 

[Plan 9]

...the only thing I heard in my head were the voices I try so desperately to keep quiet

I'm with you, Casi. If I can't have my universal translator ready, then I just rather not hear anything so weird as to wake up any inner voices. Surely the primary purpose of this gift can't be to freak me out!

Over the years, I've come to have doubts about my receiving of the Holy Spirit as a separate gift from conversion (evidence thereof? Speaking in tongues as a prayer language.) because the experience was just too much like a kind of confusing spiritual group-effort LaMaz Method ("Just let it out!" "No, let the Spirit build up!" "Just relax!" "No, Concentrate!", etc.). After a couple of hours of that, well-meaning as my helpers were, I was ready to have that baby!

Nevertheless, I still feel totally comfortable with the sort of speaking in tongues I'm used to, which is of the "shandala-ka" variety (There's a Pentecostal in-joke so old it's new again.).

To this day, if I'm in the midst of a bunch of fellow believers who aren't sobbing and wailing and sounding way too much like Mercedes McCambridge after her voice has been run through the synthesizer, but are just praying away in tongues, I'll find myself shandala-kain' right along with them, and feeling great doin' it, too.

It creates a kind of warm togetherness in a prayer meeting, everyone always prays out loud in English, as well, and no one ever sounds like McCambridge in the Exorcist.
If it isn't genuine, it sure feels genuine.

 

[Cassiopeia]

I'm with you, Casi. If I can't have my universal translator ready, then I just rather not hear anything so weird as to wake up any inner voices. Surely the primary purpose of this gift can't be to freak me out!

Over the years, I've come to have doubts about my receiving of the Holy Spirit as a separate gift from conversion (evidence thereof? Speaking in tongues as a prayer language.) because the experience was just too much like a kind of confusing spiritual group-effort LaMaz Method ("Just let it out!" "No, let the Spirit build up!" "Just relax!" "No, Concentrate!", etc.). After a couple of hours of that, well-meaning as my helpers were, I was ready to have that baby!

Nevertheless, I still feel totally comfortable with the sort of speaking in tongues I'm used to, which is of the "shandala-ka" variety (There's a Pentecostal in-joke so old it's new again.).

To this day, if I'm in the midst of a bunch of fellow believers who aren't sobbing and wailing and sounding way too much like Mercedes McCambridge after her voice has been run through the synthesizer, but are just praying away in tongues, I'll find myself shandala-kain' right along with them, and feeling great doin' it, too.

It creates a kind of warm togetherness in a prayer meeting, everyone always prays out loud in English, as well, and no one ever sounds like McCambridge in the Exorcist.
If it isn't genuine, it sure feels genuine.

Hi Planny
I haven't heard of that kind of speaking in tongues. What is Shandala-ka ?

 

[Plan 9]

Hi Planny
I haven't heard of that kind of speaking in tongues. What is Shandala-ka ?

Oh, honey, I'm sorry; it's just a Pentecostal Bible college joke! Folks from denominations like the AG are very reserved in thier exercise of tongues-speaking, especially when compared the woman you observed, so when a lot of people are praying out loud at once, you hear this sort of group mutter, which sounds as much like "shandala-ka" as anything else, so it's a joking reference to speaking in tongues.
For instance, if someone addresses a group, asking them if they have receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one person may raise her hand and brightly announce, "SHANDALA-KA!, and then everyone will laugh.

Some Pentecostals, especially Bible college students and church pastors, just love to make jokes and tell stories about times when speaking in tongues has sort of backfired in a service, creating funny and unexpected situations.

 

[Cassiopeia]

Oh, honey, I'm sorry; it's just a Pentecostal Bible college joke! Folks from denominations like the AG are very reserved in thier exercise of tongues-speaking, especially when compared the woman you observed, so when a lot of people are praying out loud at once, you hear this sort of group mutter, which sounds as much like "shandala-ka" as anything else, so it's a joking reference to speaking in tongues.
For instance, if someone addresses a group, asking them if they have receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one person may raise her hand and brightly announce, "SHANDALA-KA!, and then everyone will laugh.

Some Pentecostals, especially Bible college students and church pastors, just love to make jokes and tell stories about times when speaking in tongues has sort of backfired in a service, creating funny and unexpected situations.

AH okay...so do I understand you correctly when you say that it is more the sound of people praying in a normal language and it kinda just hums because they are praying out loud and it all gets jumbled together? It sounds to me like you all have a good sense of humour and are having alot of fun.

 

[Plan 9]

AH okay...so do I understand you correctly when you say that it is more the sound of people praying in a normal language and it kinda just hums because they are praying out loud and it all gets jumbled together? It sounds to me like you all have a good sense of humour and are having alot of fun.

Yes! That's it! I's a little like crowd-mutter. It sounds a odder to my ear than being surrounded by people who are all speaking Italian, but idea behind having a prayer language available is that it may not sound the same as anyone elses'.
It sometimes rises and falls in volume, so much so, that in some churches intrumental music is added. It's never scary sounding, although it may not sound like anything a visitor has ever heard before.
The Pentecoastal churches to which I've belonged are full of funny people, who can laugh about things which have gone wrong, and joke, and not just on the subject of speaking in tongues.
My fellow Bible college students were the same way, as were most of our teachers. LOL