What is your understanding of the gift of tongues by the Spirit.
How is this displayed in the Bible,
and how is it displayed today?
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4 comments:
My understanding of speaking in tongues by the Spirit is simply a gift from God, not necessarily a sign/symbol of possessed by the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says, Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given throught the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according the the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
The passage does not says that everyone who is baptised by the Holy Spirit is necessarily able to speak in tongues, as many churches today portrayed it that way. In contrast, the Spirit gives different gifts to different individuals as he wills.
Continued in 1 Cor 14: For one who speaks in a tongue speaks NOT TO MEN but to GOD; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit... now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? ...So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter soeech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air... if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. Then Paul says, I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I WOULD RATHER SPEAK FIVE WORDS WITH MY MIND IN ORDER TO INSTRUCT OTHERS, THAN TEN THOUSAND WORDS IN A TONGUE... If any speak in tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone intepret. But if there is no one to intepret, LET EACH OF THEM KEEP SILENT IN CHURCH and speak to himself and to God.
Sorry if the quotation is too long, but I think it gives the answer to your question. As myself, I had experienced some issues with speaking in tongues in churches back home and discussed it with my parents. And I went through this passage with them.
Just a side word, I don't speak in tongues, and I can't pray in tongues. But I believe that the Holy Spirit is with me and am truly baptised.
great to hear your thoughts, will have to speak more
Hi Steve,
Today I was just thinking about this and where do I stand kind of. I have read the passage in 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 and really convinced that if one has the gift of speaking in tongues that he should pray asking God so that he may interpret it. From what Paul said, He seems to stress the building of the church rather than building of individuals. He rather have prophecies than tongues unless there is someone who can interpret so that the whole church is edified. Really nowadays there are churches that has session to speak in tongues together. This was my church too backhome. But now it is very clear that if there is an unbeliever, he will definetly think us crazy and he will not be helped to know God more because he could not understand a thing. It is so much more useful for the church to be prophesying so that his response be indeed God is among you. My question is now What does it mean by prophesying?
I question my ability to speak in tongues because my church had a 'session' where people was baptised with Holy Spirit and the sign would be that the person would be able to speak in tongues. Now, I can say that it is DodGY. My church even thinks of having a practical session to learn to speak in tongues. This is very wrong because it is God's right to give gifts not human and thus u cant teach the gift. It has to come from God.
At first I question the whole ability me speaking in tongues because almost all people in my church can speak in tongues. I dunno whether we just become use to hear it and start speaking it. My teacher (from different denomination) said to look at the fruit. I do not want to speak in tongues for the sake of breaking silence while praying though I would say it can be tempting.
Can I speak in tongues? I say yes because I have looked at the fruit and it is beneficial for myself, uttering things to God that I can not express, making me feel closer to God. v4, He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself but he who prophesies edifies the church.
The challenge is to now to ask God so that I may interpret what I am saying. In church context (not individual praying), if there is no interpreter, we should keep quiet.
I'm very interested on verse 22, It is said "Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers." I wander what makes tongues to be a sign for unbelievers and so prophecy for believers. What does it mean by "sign"? Any insights?
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