Speaking in Tongues

[JohnR7]

The disciples had spent three years with Jesus. They traveled with Him, got personal instruction, and were there for all His sermons. They had seen the miracles and the healing. Even they had gone out in pairs and did ministry in Isreal and were excited what God was able to work through them. Yet Jesus told them to "tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49b)

Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Acts 2:1-13
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. [2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. [3] Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
[5] And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. [6] And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. [7] Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? [8] And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? [9] Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [10] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, [11] Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." [12] So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" [13] Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine."

It seems to me that when they received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, it was given for ministry, to take the Good News of Jesus to all the world. They were given the ability to preach the gospel to people in their own language. In a way that they would be understood. If you count them up, they were speaking in 15 different languages.

So I wonder, how does all of this tie in with some of the doctorine being taught in some of the various denominations today about speaking in tongues?

 

[ZiSunka]

I have known missionaries who received the gift of tongues as described in Acts, and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with what passes for speaking in tongues in some churches today.

In one case, a friend of mine was asked to preach in Russia before the fall of communism, and they had to be very careful who they got to translate. A good Christian man fluent in both languages was found to do the job, and from town to town, he was doing well. Then he got sick with the flu so bad that he couldn't even stand up. They organizers of the tour tried to find another Believer who spoke both languages, but they couldn't, and they couldn't take the risk of hiring a non-Believer since church meetings were illegal at the time.

So, my friend went into the meeting room and tried to address the crowd in charades. She and her husband tried to communicate the Word by making signs with their hands, while they were speaking in English. Finally, one of the audience members asked them why they were making the hand gestures. They thought they had found their translator, but when they invited him up to translate for them, the whole audience said, "Oh no! Your Russian is quite good, we understand everything you are saying!" They understood the Russian-speakers and the Russian-speakers understood them, even though neither was speaking each other's language!

Now that's speaking in tongues the Biblical way!

 

[JohnR7]

Now that's speaking in tongues the Biblical way!

I had a friend who went to Amsterdam to do missionary work for a year. He said almost as soon as the plane landed he was able to speak the language. Then a year later when he left and arrived home, he lost the ability to be able to speak it. So we do hear various stories like this.

We have a group in our church who can learn a song in any language. For them the miracles is that they are able to find someone to help them to learn the song for all the various places they go to in Africa. Sometimes when they get to the mission field they find out that they need to make quite a few changes in the song, in a very short amount of time, and God helps them with that also.

If you look on the bottom of this web page you can hear a few of their songs: http://www.ernestangley.org/Music/masango.htm

 

[endure]

ok,
what about this then?

1st cor 13.1
"though i speak with the tongues of men and of ANGELS..."

1st cor 14.2
"for he that speaketh in an UNKNOWN tongue, SPEAKETH NOT UNTO MEN, BUT UNTO GOD: for NO MAN understandeth him, howbeit beit IN THE SPIRIT HE SPEAKETH MYSTERIES."

1st cor 14.13
"wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue PRAY THAT HE MAY INTERPRET."


so...

just becuase when a person claiming to speak in tongues cannot be understood by anyone listening, does not means its not God.

just becuase it isnt interpretted, does not mean its not God.

the fact that sometimes you need an interpreter proves that it isnt always going to be in any language that anyone present has ever heard before.

the fact that sometimes you have to pray that you can interpret proves that just becuase it isnt interpreted, doesnt mean it wasnt God.

the fact that sometimes you speak and NO MAN understands BUT YOUR SPEAKING TO GOD, proves not all tongues are always the language of the culture your surrounded by, and it isnt just this socalled "ministerial" thing people say tongues ought to be.

yes speaking in tongues can be you speaking the language of the culture your living in, but that is not the only way it works.

sometimes you speak in tongues, but your not talking to anyone but God.
and sometimes the language you speak IS NOT an earthly language, but an angelic language.

there are "DIVERSE" kinds of tongues.
1st cor 12.10