Tongues infront of friends??

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Carey,

It is not intended to be used to "show off". Many people aksed Jesus for a sign, but he didn't comply. The fruit of your life will be sufficient.

I would have a problem speaking in tongues in front of non Christian unbelievers. I really do not think that tongues is for this purpose. Paul did say that speaking in tongues where there are unbelievers present is very unwise and opens the Christians who do it up to criticism.

If your unbelieving friends want proof, then speaking in tongues will not provide it. Laying your hands on one of them and getting them miraculously healed might do it for them, but if the pharisees were not made into believers by the miracles of Jesus, then your unbelieving friends won't have much of a chance of being reformed even by a miraculous healing.

Another way of getting to unbelievers and bringing them under conviction is to use the gift of the Word of Knowledge to reveal the state of their hearts. Paul did say that if all prophesy and an unbeliever comes in and has the secrets of his hearts revealed to all, he will fall on his knees and worship God. Perhaps the gift of prophecy in this vein would be much more productive for your friends.

Just imagine if you prophesied and revealed to your friend that God showed you a vision of the drug deal that he just made with a drug dealer in a dark alley just before he met with you. That would give him a tremendous shock and start him thinking that maybe God is real and that He talks to you.

God is not squeamish when it comes to revealing the secrets of unbelievers. God can use you to uncover secrets that only the unbeliever knows about him or herself. Using the gift of the Word of Knowledge as you witness to unbelievers is a most powerful way of ministering the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The real power of the Holy Spirit is not seen in Pentecostal or Charismatic services. That is just the froth and bubble. The real power is out there on the streets or in your home witnessing to unbelievers. If we can learn to use the gifts of the Spirit in those environments, we will learn something very important about effective and powerful witness that goes way beyond knocking at people's doors and giving them invitations to church or gospel tracts.

This is a very tough situation... What I think you shouldn't do is speak in tongues in front of them for proof, because even if you do, they may think that you're just making it up...

My advice is to pray and fast to save your friends. They don't need proof. Did you? I didn't. Just continue to be their friends, and continue to love them. And maybe you could bring a few of them to church?

All in all, you're right, DON'T abuse your gift or you may have it taken away from you.

careysizer said:

thanks for all your input. but i did ask the question like a hypothetical... which it wasn't. a friend asked me a few days ago and as soon as they did i felt the holy spirit come over me so i thought about it and the positives outweighed the negatives. i knew as soon as they heard it he would know its real, and you should have seen the look on his face, it was priceless. the holy spirit really came down on me and i felt as though i had done the right thing. i only hope that they now realise in the greater scope of things that everything that goes with tongues - gifts, christianity etc is also real and that god isn't some distant, non-responsive "thing".

when i say they wanted proof, i mean that they wanted proof about tongues (not so much christianity etc)

there is definately no way i am going to turn into some sort of show, it was just one friend and im not sure if i will do it again. anyone got anymore thoughts?

(thanks for your input so far )

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just a thought from a newbie here - hi by the way

my friend yesterday said "tongues is just a load of old <expletives> - it doesn't do anything" so i prayed for him in tongues - the spirit took over - and WHAM! he hit the deck - i didn't even have a hand near him.

I think that was appropriate use of the gift.

If the holy spirit witnesses to what you believe is right - then i say do it.

slight OT here - what's this whole "blessings" thing on the forum?!?!?

I'd have to agree with previous posts that tongues never was used to "show off," but you are correct in stating that they are a sign to the unbeliever. 1 Cor. 14:22 says, "Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe."

Oscarr said:

I would have a problem speaking in tongues in front of non Christian unbelievers. I really do not think that tongues is for this purpose. Paul did say that speaking in tongues where there are unbelievers present is very unwise and opens the Christians who do it up to criticism.

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I think you're referring to 1 Corintheans 14:23-25, which I think needs to be interpreted in light of the previous verse, which explicitly states that the purpose of tongues is as a sign to the unbeliever.

Oscarr said:

If your unbelieving friends want proof, then speaking in tongues will not provide it. Laying your hands on one of them and getting them miraculously healed might do it for them, but if the pharisees were not made into believers by the miracles of Jesus, then your unbelieving friends won't have much of a chance of being reformed even by a miraculous healing.

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"'But he [Jesus] said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'" (Luke 16:30) Raising someone from the dead is certainly among the most spectacular of miracles possible, but, according to Jesus, to those in rebellion against God, even this is not enough to make people believe. People will never truely believe solely on account of miracles, and Scripture makes it abundantly clear (see, for example, Romans 1) that the reason people do not believe Christianity is not a lack of evidence but a lack of submission - i.e. the fact that humans are in rebellion against God. Ultimately, it is the conviction and drawing of the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, that brings people to God, not miracles.

Another way of getting to unbelievers and bringing them under conviction is to use the gift of the Word of Knowledge to reveal the state of their hearts. Paul did say that if all prophesy and an unbeliever comes in and has the secrets of his hearts revealed to all, he will fall on his knees and worship God. Perhaps the gift of prophecy in this vein would be much more productive for your friends.

Click to expand...

Just imagine if you prophesied and revealed to your friend that God showed you a vision of the drug deal that he just made with a drug dealer in a dark alley just before he met with you. That would give him a tremendous shock and start him thinking that maybe God is real and that He talks to you.

God is not squeamish when it comes to revealing the secrets of unbelievers. God can use you to uncover secrets that only the unbeliever knows about him or herself. Using the gift of the Word of Knowledge as you witness to unbelievers is a most powerful way of ministering the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The real power of the Holy Spirit is not seen in Pentecostal or Charismatic services. That is just the froth and bubble. The real power is out there on the streets or in your home witnessing to unbelievers. If we can learn to use the gifts of the Spirit in those environments, we will learn something very important about effective and powerful witness that goes way beyond knocking at people's doors and giving them invitations to church or gospel tracts.

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Keep in mind though that it is ultimately it is the written Word of God that shows us our sin; in fact, that was the purpose of the Law (Romans 7, Gala. 3:21-24). Ultimately, we need to trust the Word of God as powerful in and of itself.

Ybbid said:

1 Cor. 14:22 says, "Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe."
I think you're referring to 1 Corintheans 14:23-25, which I think needs to be interpreted in light of the previous verse, which explicitly states that the purpose of tongues is as a sign to the unbeliever.


Keep in mind though that it is ultimately it is the written Word of God that shows us our sin;

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Just because 1 Corinthians 14:22 says tongues is a sign for unbelievers, doesnt mean we show it off either. Like u even said urself, i believe, or that u quoted someone else, that passage where Abraham said that even if a man was raised from the dead, it still wouldnt matter, as miracles are not what makes a man believe (even Satan can do stuff we consider miracles). And the very next verse, 1 Corinthians 14:23 says "23So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?"
Tongues are and will only ever be effective (in witnessing) for the Kingdom of God when the King is the one who is nudging us to use it. Otherwise we are no better than pagans trying to witness with it (with their form of tongues).

And 1 Corinthians 14:22 also says "prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers." But what does verse 24-25 say- 1 Corinth. 14:24-25 -
"24But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"

Obviously, you have to take 1 Corinthians 14:22 in context. And even if u just use common sense- seriously- what is going to get u believing there might be a God more- seeing someone speak like a freak- or someone revealing the deep down secrets of ur heart to u, and possibly saying "God wants to help u with that area, may I pray?"

We can pray in tongues anytime we want, but to truly use the prophetic gifts, we have to have God involved in it.

"Keep in mind though that it is ultimately it is the written Word of God that shows us our sin;"- Ybbid

No, its God that shows us our sin. U can spout and read the Bible all u want, and it wont do diddily squat. Even the pharisees had a "bible" of their times, but u didnt see them on their knees in true repentence before God.

U can become righteous without the Bible, u cant become righteous without the God of the Bible.

The Bible is only a blessing. A great blessing. But a blessing none the less. As like i said, a man could do without it, and still be saved (even the Bible has examples of that).

I know this might be a trivial thing to refute, but its better that straight truth be told than off-truths.
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And yes, if God moves upon u to pray in tongues for someone, or to speak in tongues, and u know its God, we should do it. It is His will. But if He doesnt nudge us to do it, its effects very well could be equally as bad as they were meant to be good.

I was watching Jack Hayford one day, and he was relating a story of a time when he was on a plane, and sat down next to an agnostic. They got into a conversation, and God told him to speak in his prayer language to this man. He thought " Lord, he'll think I'm nuts", but God showed him he was to do it. So, he said to this man, who was a Native American " I heard something at some point, if I say it to you, could you interpret it"? The man said "sure". So, he bowed his head, prayed for a minute, and came forth with his prayer language. He said he knew it was his prayer language, he has spoken it for over 20 years. After he was done, the man said "It isn't exactly my native language, kind of an off-shoot, but you said something about a light shining down from above". Jack Hayford said he wanted to get up and dance right then. He explained to the man that it was the Lord who told him to speak, and the man was amazed. He didn't get saved right then, but he definitely had something to think about.
So, you see, God can and will use your prayer language at some points in life, we just have to listen to Him.

CrazyforYeshua said:

I was watching Jack Hayford one day, and he was relating a story of a time when he was on a plane, and sat down next to an agnostic. They got into a conversation, and God told him to speak in his prayer language to this man. He thought " Lord, he'll think I'm nuts", but God showed him he was to do it. So, he said to this man, who was a Native American " I heard something at some point, if I say it to you, could you interpret it"? The man said "sure". So, he bowed his head, prayed for a minute, and came forth with his prayer language. He said he knew it was his prayer language, he has spoken it for over 20 years. After he was done, the man said "It isn't exactly my native language, kind of an off-shoot, but you said something about a light shining down from above". Jack Hayford said he wanted to get up and dance right then. He explained to the man that it was the Lord who told him to speak, and the man was amazed. He didn't get saved right then, but he definitely had something to think about.
So, you see, God can and will use your prayer language at some points in life, we just have to listen to Him.

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Great post!! I think it sums up the right attitude to tongues in front of friends. On the whole, I don't think that it is a good idea to perform on demand when people ask as it defeats the purpose of a private devotional language to our father... however....should the Lord clearly lead us as in that guy on the plane then lets give God the glory and speak!

I don't think you should do it to show off why not bring them to church if they want to see the proof, also use the word of God, ask God and he will show you the right way.

careysizer said:

Hey. im wondering if its okay to speak in tongues to a friend (well infront of them rather) because most of my friends are nonchristian and they want proof. i read somewhere (can't remember) that they are a sign to unbelievers (is this what it means?)

only problem is that i am a little hesitant because i don't really want to abuse this gift that im so grateful for. any ideas?

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what you could do is tell them that you will pray for them (in tongues) while they observe.
that wouldnt violate anything.

and it'd do them some good.

Speaking in tongues is a gift from God. Don't be afraid to speak in tongues if you feel God move you. But don't use it to show off. It's a gift and needs to be treated as such. Again, if you do feel God move and you feel lead to speak in tongues, don't be afraid to. God's in control and He knows what He is doing.

Christina

amen!

There is no rule that says you cannot speak in tongues in front of them. I have given messages in tongues in churches and settings where there are many non-Christians present. Paul said that he prayed in tongues more than the entire Corinthian church, and he was chained to a heathen Roman soldier every day.

However, it will not convince them. They will only be convinced through the love and the Word of the gospel. Faith comes by hearing the word, not hearing in tongues.

So, if you speak in tongues in front of them, be prepared to preach the word or at least interpret the tongues message for them... it may be a prophecy that reaches deep into their life.

Cheers,
Zzub