Is the "Gift of Tongues" needed today?

[Alabama Larry]

Boy, I'll tell you this...You two are making my day. Momma, the boys and myself are eating at a local diner. The waitress walks up and says... (after we got done eaten )"y'all want some desert"? Momma say, no he wants to get and see what Fastbreak and 5wide have said.

 

I love your spirit both of you, not only in these last few topics but y'all do a great service on here. Its real hard to get folks to discuss topics of the bible with me, and in my last posts I was trying to get across a major point and that was its OK for us to differ and still want to converse with each other.

 

I have to go thru some comments and go eat but I'll be back later.

 

What do you other folks think about this? See the way we can still discuss without getting upset or anything like that. Can't wait to get "Can you enter heaven without going to the water ?"

[5wide]

Boy, I'll tell you this...You two are making my day. Momma, the boys and myself are eating at a local diner. The waitress walks up and says... (after we got done eaten )"y'all want some desert"? Momma say, no he wants to get and see what Fastbreak and 5wide have said.

 

I love your spirit both of you, not only in these last few topics but y'all do a great service on here. Its real hard to get folks to discuss topics of the bible with me, and in my last posts I was trying to get across a major point and that was its OK for us to differ and still want to converse with each other.

 

I have to go thru some comments and go eat but I'll be back later.

 

What do you other folks think about this? See the way we can still discuss without getting upset or anything like that. Can't wait to get "Can you enter heaven without going to the water ?"

 

:laugh:

 

I know what you're saying. I never had much luck starting threads and getting a discussion on any Bible topics. That's why I'm glad you came along...

 

1. You'll talk about things

2. You seem to get more responses from people, so it gets more people into the discussion

 

Keep it up. :thumb:

[ladiesbballcoach]

No, they don't. The apostles lived in a world that it was not easy to learn 2nd, 3rd or more languages. Yet they were supposed to witness to these countries that spoke different languages. The Holy Spirit provided "tongues" or speaking other languages without studying them as a way to offset that need.

 

Look at Acts 2....

4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 (emphasis mine)

 

Seems pretty clear on the purpose and what tongues were. Today with the ability to learn to communicate in multiple languages and with interpreters, it is not a needed gift.

I don't remember anyone addressing this Scripture. Does anyone have any Scripture that indicates speaking in tongues is anything other than speaking in another persons native language?

 

It seems extremely clear in this Scripture that speaking in tongues is speaking in a language.

[Fastbreak]

For Larry Acts 19:6 and 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 make it clear that the gift of tongues was not merely for Apostles.

 

I don't remember anyone addressing this Scripture. Does anyone have any Scripture that indicates speaking in tongues is anything other than speaking in another persons native language?

 

It seems extremely clear in this Scripture that speaking in tongues is speaking in a language.

There's no question that the gift poured out on Penetcost was distinctly that of other "human languages"... but as you have pointed out in other threads, it is not wise to base an entire religious tenet on one passage of scripture.

 

This thread is filled with specific passages in which Paul specifies the uselessness of "tongues" in a group assembly without and accompanying interpreter with the gift of "interpretation". Why, if the gift of tongues is only as it was described in Acts... the miracle of every man hearing the speakers in his native language... would Paul specify the need for an interpreter?

 

So, to answer your question, "Yes, there are several verses in Corinthians that clearly indicate that speaking in tongues is something other than speaking in another person's native language."

 

1 Corinthians 12:10

1 Corinthians 12:28-29

1 Corinthians 13:1

1 Corinthians 14:1-40 - At least 21 verses of I Corinthians chapter 14 deal with speaking in unintelligible tongues. I could post them here. I would prefer you read the whole chapter on your own.

 

Paul refers to these unintelligible tongues as a Spiritual Gift. Who are we to question him?

[Belfry Wins]

I have heard stories of missionaries ministering to a tribal people, speaking english but being heard by the tribal members in their own language. I don't want to put God in a box, everytime I do He jumps out and shows me that He is God and I am not. Tongues as a personal prayer language - not so sure about that. Tongues used to minister God's word and deliver the Gospel of Christ to a people that have no other way to hear it - absolutely. The main thing you have to ask is what is the purpose? Does this bring glory to God or man? Does this enhance the cause for Christ or hinder it? Is it for selfish gain or to equip the saints for service? Interesting topic.

First something mroe closer to home for us, one of my pastors spoke in tongues in the middle of his preaching. After service they was this co uple in the back and they were never in Pnetecostal service. They was like Im impressed that you know Chineese, to the pastor after service. He was like I dont, and they were like well we do and you was giving God praise in perfect Chineese.

[Belfry Wins]

This is out of context.

 

1 Corinthians 13

Love

1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror(or as the KJV says, 'through a glass, darkly"); then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

I believe that what it means in verse 8 is that these things, prophecies, tongues and knowledge, will all pass at the 2nd coming of Christ when we receive perfection.

 

I'm always amazed at the number of famous sayings that come from the Bible and people don't realize it. I.e. "by the skin of his teeth" "through a glass, darkly".

Im Pentecostal if you havent figured it out, Church of God Minister, and people try to use the verse were tonges shall pass away. And Im not one to argue but it also says knowlege will pass away. So if you can prove to me that knowledge has passed away in the computer based society then I am wrong, but the bible talks about the knowledge increasing.

So I do believe this scripture is talking about the second comming.

[5wide]

First something mroe closer to home for us, one of my pastors spoke in tongues in the middle of his preaching. After service they was this co uple in the back and they were never in Pnetecostal service. They was like Im impressed that you know Chineese, to the pastor after service. He was like I dont, and they were like well we do and you was giving God praise in perfect Chineese.

 

That's a cool story. :thumb: Thanks for sharing that.

 

My opinion on tongues changed quite a bit after I really put some time into studying it. I'm still skeptical when I see it sometimes (on TV), because I think it's a gift that can easily be counterfeited and abused. But, I used to think it was always false. Now, I believe tongues is still very much in existence, along with the other gifts, at the discretion of the Spirit. Other than believing that, I can't say much more about it. I haven't been around it in person, so I don't have any personal experience to draw on other than seeing it on television as I previously stated. (And, I'm a little skeptical of televangelists from the get go, but I won't get into that.) However, from reading the Bible and hearing accounts from reliable people, I do not believe that tongues have ceased.

[Brewsky]

I can't add much to this debate from a substantive point of view, but as a youngster I remember thinking those who spoke in tounges and started shaking and freaking out were faking.

 

I was in a Church of God - about 40 people in attendance and nearly 1/4 of them were "touched by God" that day.

 

I was skeptical to say the least.

[Belfry Wins]

That's a cool story. :thumb: Thanks for sharing that.

 

My opinion on tongues changed quite a bit after I really put some time into studying it. I'm still skeptical when I see it sometimes (on TV), because I think it's a gift that can easily be counterfeited and abused. But, I used to think it was always false. Now, I believe tongues is still very much in existence, along with the other gifts, at the discretion of the Spirit. Other than believing that, I can't say much more about it. I haven't been around it in person, so I don't have any personal experience to draw on other than seeing it on television as I previously stated. (And, I'm a little skeptical of televangelists from the get go, but I won't get into that.) However, from reading the Bible and hearing accounts from reliable people, I do not believe that tongues have ceased.

Well you know everything God has something real of Satan has a fake of it to try to delute it. They are fakes in Pentecostal organizations that does give us bad names. Im not the judge of who they are or anything but they are out their, we all know that. But I believe that is the case with Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ, or any other kind of organization out there. I guess we just stand out more lol.

I will agree with you on the TV thing though, and I will never knock TBN because they reah more people in a day than I can reach in my whole life. But I know a few of those ministers, I have met and been around them and some of them I have all the faith in the world in, and some I wouldnt go across the street to hear.

[ladiesbballcoach]

That's a cool story. :thumb: Thanks for sharing that.

 

My opinion on tongues changed quite a bit after I really put some time into studying it. I'm still skeptical when I see it sometimes (on TV), because I think it's a gift that can easily be counterfeited and abused. But, I used to think it was always false. Now, I believe tongues is still very much in existence, along with the other gifts, at the discretion of the Spirit. Other than believing that, I can't say much more about it. I haven't been around it in person, so I don't have any personal experience to draw on other than seeing it on television as I previously stated. (And, I'm a little skeptical of televangelists from the get go, but I won't get into that.) However, from reading the Bible and hearing accounts from reliable people, I do not believe that tongues have ceased.

I bolded a great point you made. The Holy Spirit decides what gifts are used and what gifts are not.

[Mayfieldsportsfan]

I just wanted to say thank you to my fellow posters for such a wonderful, informative and really genuine thread. I wish some of the posters who post in other parts of this website would read this thread and learn what a good discussion really is. :thumb:

[Belfry Wins]

I just wanted to say thank you to my fellow posters for such a wonderful, informative and really genuine thread. I wish some of the posters who post in other parts of this website would read this thread and learn what a good discussion really is. :thumb:

Hey it is the way all religious threads should be, nothing wrong with discussion of the word but argument is not christ like.

Plus Pentecostal or non Pentecostal we can all agree Jesus is the way the truth and the life. I believe no matter what your relgion is as long as it is focused on Jesus and the blood of Jesus and you live your life according to his Holy Scripture then your on the right path.

So I guess its just the love of Christ in all of us that makes this thread go so well. I know not all of us agree but we respect each others opinions and I have enjoyed everybodys views.

[Alabama Larry]

Mayfield...what a nice thought that you have shared.

 

 

Ladies...How about the great commission when Jesus tells his disciples to "go out all over the earth sharing the Gospel" they would be given the power to tell the story so it could be understood.

[5wide]

Hey it is the way all religious threads should be, nothing wrong with discussion of the word but argument is not christ like.

Plus Pentecostal or non Pentecostal we can all agree Jesus is the way the truth and the life. I believe no matter what your relgion is as long as it is focused on Jesus and the blood of Jesus and you live your life according to his Holy Scripture then your on the right path.

So I guess its just the love of Christ in all of us that makes this thread go so well. I know not all of us agree but we respect each others opinions and I have enjoyed everybodys views.

 

That's the main thing....we can disagree on these secondary issues, but we cannot disagree on that.:thumb: