Alive in Christ
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Speaking
in Tongues
Speaking in tongues is one of the many spiritual gifts that a believer can receive from God. But, just like the other spiritual gifts, not everyone is given the gift of tongues. The Holy Ghost gives every Christian several spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:11), but no one gets every gift available. Read 1 Cor 12:12-30, which teaches us that in the body of Christ, there are many members, each with different function in the church.
Speaking in tongues is the ability to speak in a language (tongue) previously unknown to you. You may not even understand what you are saying yourself. It can be a language from another part of the world (Acts 2:8-11), or a private prayer language to be used only between you and God:
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.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
1 Cor 14:2,28
Saying things like “oh ob go golab wa wa” or “hubba da dudda” repeatedly is NOT speaking in tongues. Repeating the same syllables is not speaking in tongues; when you are in a conversation, do you repeat the same sentence over and over?
It’s purpose, just like any spiritual gift, is for the edification of the body of Christ:
3 But he that prophesieth
speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
1 Cor 14:3,4
Speaking in tongues cannot edify the church when there is no man to interpret. That is why you MUST have someone to interpret if you are speaking in tongues in church. Speaking in tongues through an interpreter, is a means of prophesying and edifying the church. A prophet is greater that someone who speaks in tongues. How can one be edifies and exhorted if he cannot understand the word being spoken?
5 I would that ye all spake
with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth
than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may
receive edifying.
9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
1 Cor 14:5,9
Therefore, there must be an interpreter when speaking in tongues in the church.
27 If
any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three,
and that by course; and let one interpret.
28
But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him
speak to himself, and to God.
1 Cor 14:27,28
To speak in tongues in church (or any other group of people), you must have an interpreter. And you can only have two or three speaking in tongues at once. If you are have more than three speaking in tongues at one time, or no interpreter, or both, what you are doing is WRONG AND UNBIBLICAL!!! I’m talking to you, Charismatics!!
Speaking in tongues is a gift. If you do not have it, that does not mean that you are not saved (disregarding the teaching of some Charismatics). Not speaking in tongues also does not mean that you lack the Holy Ghost. If you want know how to get the Holy Ghost, click here.
Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
1 Cor 14:39
The Charismatics are not the only ones mixed up over the gift of tongues. Many churches, especially fundamentalist/ Baptist (despite the good that they have), will altogether shun speaking in tongues, even if all the Biblical criteria are met. Maybe they see the Charismatic chaos, and try to stay away from it. But God commands us to not forbid to speak with tongues.
“1 Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because
many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:”
1 John 4:1,2
A
pastor should test the spirit behind someone who wishes to speak in tongues,
especially if they new or from a different church. To do this, they should ask the spirit if it
admits that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. If the spirit does confess that Jesus Christ has come
in the flesh, and there is someone to interpret the tongue, and they MUST be
given an opportunity to speak at some point in time.
For
those who doubt what I have just stated, please note that most of my scripture
came from 1 Corinthians chapter 14.
As Paul ended this chapter, he made it very clear that he was not
writing, but God:
37 If any man think himself to
be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write
unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
1 Cor 14:37,38
Speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift. Those who have this gift should use it, and use it properly. Those who desire it can beseech the Lord for it, but that does not guarantee that He will give it to you. We should all strive to learn what our spiritual gifs are, then use them for the Kingdom of God and edification of the Body of Christ.
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