Speaking in tongues

[GodLovesCats]

While researching Protestant denominations, I learned this interesting bit of information: Most, but not all, evangelicals and Pentecostals believe people still receive gifts from the Holy Spirit - including speaking in tongues - when they are saved. Although speaking in tongues is Biblical I have never heard of any new Christians doing so. The same article states other denominations hold the belief that this stopped a long time ago. This makes sense, but they lump together all Holy Spirit gifts, not just speaking in tongues. I don't believe it is all or nothing. What do you think?

 

[Calvin_1985]

If we just forget about trying to decide whether there is or isn't and giving ourselves over to the otherside, and just let Father unwind the scripture for us and reveal every jot and tittle, we will learn many many things including the Spiritual gifts, what they are and when Father gives them and the purpose behind it.

This thread is likely going to gender a hellacious debate of back and forth insults accompanied with scriptures used on both sides. So...prepare yourself.

My personal opinion would be just to delete this and avoid this debate and tell us about your life and what Jesus has done with it. Tell us of the testimony he has written for you.

 

[Dave-W]

In my experience most evangelicals are vehemently opposed to speaking in tongues.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

While researching Protestant denominations, I learned this interesting bit of information: Most, but not all, evangelicals and Pentecostals believe people still receive gifts from the Holy Spirit - including speaking in tongues - when they are saved. Although speaking in tongues is Biblical I have never heard of any new Christians doing so. The same article states other denominations hold the belief that this stopped a long time ago. This makes sense, but they lump together all Holy Spirit gifts, not just speaking in tongues. I don't believe it is all or nothing. What do you think?

I believe it is a very rare gift. It is used to converse with a non believer who does not speak the language of the believer yet God would like to convey His message to the unsaved person in order to save that person.It is a sign and a message.
Now that being said, there is another form of "tongues" that only God and the speaker share in its understanding. The only problem is neither God nor the speaker understands. This is why Paul stresses for understanding.

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

.

 

[LynnSmith]

I believe some have the gift, some don’t. 100% up to God who gets what gifts.

 

[GodLovesCats]

I believe it is a very rare gift. It is used to converse with a non believer who does not speak the language of the believer yet God would like to convey His message to the unsaved person in order to save that person.It is a sign and a message.
Now that being said, there is another form of "tongues" that only God and the speaker share in its understanding. The only problem is neither God nor the speaker understands. This is why Paul stresses for understanding.

Huh? God knows everything, so He understands more than Paul did.

 

[Anto9us]

I had classified four types of Christians, regarding Tongues.

1. Those who speak in tongues and belong to a denomination that actively practices it. This would include Assembly of God (who are Trinitarian) as well as United Pentecostal, who are non-Trinitarian (Oneness Pentecostals) and other pentecostals.

2. Those who have received the gift of Tongues, but remained in whatever denomination they were in; denominations not necessarily known for Tongues -- they are charismatics, interspersed through many denominations. I am in this group.

when they are saved

No - not necessarily. With me, the gift came about a year subsequent to salvation. With some, it may be years after salvation.

3. Those who do not speak in Tongues themselves, but have no hard and fast belief against it; iow, they are not "Cessationists", they simply never received the gift.

4. The Cessationists; not only do they not speak in Tongues themselves, they hold a doctrine that the gift has "ceased" -- along with Prophecy and Word of Knowledge. These three alone are what Paul prophesied would "cease" when "that which is perfect" should come. Perfect can also mean complete or mature. The Cessationists hold that the completion of the New Testament marks this famous "perfect"; non-cessationists (Continuationists) hold that THE PERFECT will not be seen til Christ returns.

By far the majority of Christians today are in classification #3. I cannot speculate on the numbers of classifications 1, 2 and 4. Those in 4 are adamant and vocal that tongues, prophecy, and Word of Knowledge are not operating today.

 

[Anto9us]

Overlooked by many is that are "diverse kinds of Tongues". Paul writes hypothetically about "although I speak with the tongues of MEN and of ANGELS" and some say that there are no angelic tongues, that all tongues are human languages unknow to the speaker. The thing is -- Acts 2 does not exhaust all the diverse kinds of tongues, and Paul writing hypothetically does not preclude the possibility that he COULD have spoken in angelic language (he said "I speak in Tongues more than ye all")

Yes, God understands them all. Can Satan counterfeit the gift? Sure. Do people counterfeit money? Yes. Does that mean throw away all your currency because it can be counterfeited? Of course not.

The "prayer language" of a Christian speaking to God need not be interpreted, an utterance IN THE CHURCH in Tongues as a message to the body requires an interpretation, iow, an utterance to the body needs interpretation into the language of the assembly.

Some do not understand this concept of DIVERSE KINDS OF TONGUES and when they make declarations about "this can and cannot happen anymore" they are like "blind men describing the elephant" in that they touched one part of the elephant and concluded that that was all the elephant was. Charismatics have SEEN THE ELEPHANT.

 

[Kenny'sID]

Can't say all gifts or even any have been stopped, but it could be when the TV scammers like Hinn and others started abusing/making a mockery of it. God stopped it in it's tracks.

JMO. but that makes perfect sense to me why it stopped, if it stopped or was even reduced to nearly naught.

 

[Anto9us]

Oh, so God's sovereignty is limited by a minority who made a mockery of His gifts so He had to stop the gifts ahead of schedule? Now, c'mon.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Huh? God knows everything, so He understands more than Paul did.

He does not understand gibberish, this is why Paul said to pray and sing with your understanding. Ultimately this is what God is looking for. Your understanding.

 

[Anto9us]

1Co 14:15
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.

 

[Anto9us]

1Co 14:2
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.

"Mysteries" and "gibberish" are not the same thing.

 

[GodLovesCats]

Assuming SIT means speaking other human languages, the diversity is obvious. Now if Paul spoke both a human language and an angelic language, I would doubt the latter is manmade. We know SIT is from the Holy Spirit, so God must have made the languages that are not known to the speaker.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

1Co 14:2
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.

"Mysteries" and "gibberish" are not the same thing.

Mysteries are for those who do not understand. We have been given eyes to see and ears to hear. The veil has been lifted from the believers eyes. Tongues is a sign for the unbeliever. If it does not serve that purpose it is like "as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal".
Blessings

 

[Anto9us]

1Co 13:1
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

It is the LACK of CHARITY (an old English word translating the Greek agape) that would make it sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.

The whole thrust of 1 Corinthians 13 is the supremacy of AGAPE.

 

[Anto9us]

1Co 13:8
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1Co 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Paul writes of a WHEN and a THEN - it hasn't happenned yet.

 

[Anto9us]

Also, ChristianforCats, Tongues is NOT just a Protestant phenomenon. Look up Catholic Charismatic Renewal -- I myself have gone to charismatic Catholic services.

 

[Anto9us]

1Co 14:22
Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.