Speaking in Tongues Poll

Define 'speaking in tongues'

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

I think that the idea of "baptism in the Spirit" with the evidence of speaking in tongues leads many to "just do it" (of themselves) without considering that what they're doing is not of God. They do it to be accepted as a truly saved/sanctified/baptized believer within their church. I've seen for myself how believers attempt to outdo each other during the time of tongues in a pentacostal church. There was one man that related a story how he just couldn't do it, and was counciled to just get started, and in so doing, "give the Spirit a little jump-start."

 

Define "Sham." Do you mean, "Is it sometimes fake?" Or "Is it always fake?"

Do sincere believers think they are speaking in tongues, but are mistaken? Is it Biblical? Does it glorify God? Are the tongue speakers "faking it" to be accepted by their churches and friends or are they convinced in their minds that what they are experiencing is real?

I am afraid a one question poll is not sufficient to express this matter. There are tongues in the Bible. We can look at differences between tongues now and then and show where some do not follow the Biblical matter but to lump them all together and label them a sham is an over generalization I am not willing to make, so I voted no.

 

I still can't vote unless Phillip defines what he means by 'tongues'...

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

I believe he did,by the usage of the word "pentecostal".

 

Not really, hence NCT's request for clarification likewise.

Let me make my request specific, then, so there can at least be clarity from my POV: do you mean genuine foreign languages or gibberish?

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

I read it to mean gibberish, Matt. I think that's what he means.

 

I cannot vote. Though it is the tongues of the Pentecostals, it seems to be against all tongue speaking. I have never witnesses, as far as I recall, true tongues, or at least something I believe to be real. BUt I have met people who have given testimonies of being given real languages. I reject tongues as the initial evidence, and I think that is what led Pentecostals down the road to gibberish, since in the early days they did testify to foreign languages.

 

I have heard reports from missionaries where people who spoke another language have said they understood someone who was speaking in his own. These were cases where the Lord's intervention was necessary in a crisis.

 

Even if you DON'T know another language, some words can be 'figured' out or understood because they either sound alike or remind you of some aspect of an object.

Ever see a person begin to use sign language to witness to the deaf, when they have no idea about ASL? Neither have I.

Aqua = Water
Rouge = Red
Bleu = Blue
Luna = Moon
Enfant = Infant

You get the idea!

 

any one can speak in a different toungue if they want to learn a foreighn language
Hebrew, Greek, aremiak, Latin ect
but but the display that penticostals put on during their church services is Jibberish
the Gift of toungues was given to the apostles on the day of penticost that all nations could understand the preaching of the Gospel that they may all be saved.
People who hold to the doctrine that they have been given the gift of speaking the language of the Angels IMO are full of it. what It is I will not expound on but I think you get my drift.

Baptisim of the Holy Spirit?

every person who Gives their life to Jesus christ is Instantaneously filled with the Holy spirit, it is NOT 2 seperate events.
No one spiritually reborn person has more of the Holy Spirit than another Christian, we have all been given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the moment we submit our life to Christ.

 

Amazing how such a simple question generates such complex discussion. At least it seems simple to me. It was obvious to me from the very beginning that Phillip was referring to the gibberish of the charismatics. I am afraid that out of fear of being branded intolerant we have become rather "weak-kneed" in taking a stand on such issues. If it was a false practice (as most of us "boomers" were taught) many years ago, it is still a false practice and should be identified as such...even from the pulpit.

 

Yes. And it is without biblical backing unless you rip context to shreds.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

This is "anecdotal," but vouched for by some I trust (and I realize experience is not as valid as Scripture!).

A seminary prof who loved the Lord and spoke both Hebrew and Greek fluently decided to "try the spirits," and went to one of the better-known meetings. He stood at the proper time and quoted the 23rd Psalm in Hebrew, then listened while an "interpreter" gave a totally different reading to what he had said. Another similar story tells of such a missionary brother on a stateside assigmnent who listened with horror while a "tongues speaker" blasphemed the Holy Spirit in a fluent use of the "tongue" in which the missionary was trained for overseas service.

Do these anecdotes prove that all tongues are a "sham"? Certainly not; but such incidents happen often enough to remind us that demons are real, "spiritual" beings who can influence even the saved (demon oppression) as well as the lost (demon possession). (By the way, we also need to avoid "demon obsession" - not every sneeze or sore toe is necessarily demonic!)

IMHO: The normative NT passage is Acts 2, where the gift was clearly of languages known to the hearers, not to the speakers; the Galileans may have all been speaking Hebrew with a "northern" accent, and the primary significance was to the hearers! Find that today. Charles - Ro. 8:28

 

This is a true and accurate account of an experience that both my wife and I experienced years ago in our earlier years as a Christian.
We went to a local Charismatic Church to hear a SBC Minister Who has since joined the ranks of the Charismatics and by most peoples standards has been quite successful (sought after).
At the end of his mesage an invitation was extended to everyone who "Would like a closer walk with the LORD". Naturally being new christians and were certainly eager to follow in the Word which we were not into as we were new converts. So both she and I along with about fifteen or twenty other people went forward and stood at the front of the church until the invitation was over. At this time we were invited to go upon the platforn and take a seat in chairs that had been arranged in a semi-circle and a group of people, I am assuming they were mostly from the fellowship or this particular church, gathered behind the people seated and placed their hands on them and began to pray in unison with the instruction for us to pray and say the first thig that came into our mind. The only thing on my mind by now was "What in the world am I doing here" After no ecstatic utterances I was in structed to repeat the word, "Hallelujah" as fast I could, still no results. Needless to say I came away with no proof of being "Filled with the Holy Ghost'.
When I related this experience to my pastor I was told by him that this was what was commonly known as "Psychic Tongues".
After careful study I have come to the conclusion that the way I have seen this "gift" manifested, that it certainly is not in keeping with The Apostle Pauls teachings in I Corinthians.