WHAT IF I DON`T SPEAK IN TONGUES?

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Permalink Reply by Larry M. on July 1, 2011 at 1:51am

I believe when we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

The Holy Spirit that lives in me is also the one that lives in every believer.

Who teaches us all things. If anyone would speak in tongues, every believer should be able to understand depending of course

on his spirituality and language barriers. If i would not understand what he is saying whose spirit has a problem?

Speech can be twisted, actions tell more about our salvation.

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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on July 1, 2011 at 5:12am

Richard,

⁸ For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of ^xwisdom, and to another the utterance of ^yknowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another ^zfaith by the same Spirit, to another ^agifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another ^bthe working of miracles, to another ^cprophecy, to another ^dthe ability to distinguish between spirits, to another ^evarious kinds of tongues, to another ^fthe interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, ^gwho apportions to each one individually ^has he wills.

^x ch. 2:6, 7

^y See ch. 1:5

^z ch. 13:2; 2 Cor. 4:13

^a ver. 28, 30

^b ver. 28, 29; [Gal. 3:5]

^c ch. 13:2, 8; 14:1

^d [ch. 14:29; 1 John 4:1]

^e See Mark 16:17

^f ver. 30; ch. 14:26

^g [2 Cor. 10:13]

^h Heb. 2:4

The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001, S. 1 Co 12:11

Pursue love, and ^tearnestly desire the ^uspiritual gifts, especially that you may ^vprophesy. ² For ^wone who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. ³ On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. ⁴ The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵ Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but ^xeven more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

^t ch. 12:31

^u ch. 12:1

^v See ch. 11:4; 13:2

^w ver. 18–23, 27, 28

^x [Num. 11:29]

The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001, S. 1 Co 14:5

The Pentecostal says that one must speak in tongues to be saved but that is a man made doctrine. I have posted 2 major verses from Corinthians where Paul speaks of this gift but I don't see where he says that one MUST speak in tongues.

I do think that we need to strive for the gifts of the Spirit, but I don't see where our salvation depends on it. The greater gift would be wisdom, then knowledge, etc. right down the line.

I believe that we can receive all the gifts of the Spirit if we ask for them but we also need to be ready for them when we ask. We need to be ready to use them to teach and help others. I think that I can speak in tongues but I really don't know because I have not yet been able to interpret what I utter. I do believe that those two gifts belong together and need to be used together.

I remember 2 different occasions when I understood what another uttered in tongues. I have seen a wife of Church of God preacher speak in tongues and the preacher interpret something different each time although she uttered the same thing each time.

I say all that to finish with Paul's comment that it is better to ask for the greater gifts. 

Blessings,

Rita

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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on July 1, 2011 at 12:05pm

"...I believe what Jesus says..."

Kudos, Michelle.

 

Absolutely the only way to go. It always makes me wonder when churches violate that principle. 

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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on July 1, 2011 at 11:51am

Richard, I did a study on this once. Before I answer, allow me to give some background: 

 

Shortly after I got saved, the Lord directed me to a church that believed this doctrine. For a while, I felt that I was "supposed" to accept it and buy into it completely. I tried and prayed and tried and fasted and tried, but did not get a genuine gift of tongues. I became very discouraged about that. Some suggested I may not be saved. I met with the Pastor, who assured me that he believed I was born again and he said that I probably "had the gift" but didn't know it. 

 

This all led me to begin questioning. One thing that made me really wonder was when we had a revival speaker come in who's focus was on Tongues. My wife had a divine healing in the meeting that was later verified by an X-ray. But the questions kept coming to mind. I just could not reconcile the position of the church with either my experience or the scripture. 

 

1 Corinthians 13 thru 14 really made me think and pray a lot about it. It seemed to me that Paul was saying it's much more important to glorify God with words that can be understood than to say things that "cannot be understood". This made me wonder why the church believed you must say things that cannot be understood by most people, that perhaps could be understood if someone has a gift of interpretation. 

 

At one point, I did an investigation of:

1. all the recorded times people got saved in the book of Acts.

2. all the people who spoke or heard tongues in the book of Acts. 

 

My purpose was to align all the similarities and find any anomalies.

 

I came up with two interesting points:

1. The Phillipian Jailer is the first record of a person not speaking in tongues when they got saved. However, a miracle was reported - the earthquake and the open jail door. As the record states, it appears that the entire place was filled with gentiles. In fact, the only Jew present was Paul, as I understand the story. 

 

2. All of the people recorded in the events surrounding manifestation of the gift of tongues in the book of Acts are Jews; specifically those who heard the Gospel, then believed and either heard someone speaking in tongues or who then spoke in tongues are Jews - with one notable exception: The Centurion and his household, whom Peter acknowledges as the first Gentile believers "that also received the Holy Spirit as we did".

 

So, I took account of all the times I had heard tongues spoken where I could verify in my mind that it was probably of divine origin, and not merely human. In each case, there were Gentile believers who were in the presence of Jews (either believing or non-believing). In one startling case, a person was on a mission to the Ukraine and quietly prayed in tongues on the airplane, when she opened her eyes she had two elderly women asking her "what [she] meant by saying words from

[their] Ukrainian-Yiddish dialect and how did she know them since she was a gentile American"?

 

I went back in my mind and noted that the times where tongues was spoken in church that things did not get interpreted or where the events turned against the purposes of the Gospel. At one point, my father in law came to our church and heard tongues spoken. The situation went very badly. Rather than coming to faith, it has served to convince him that Christianity is nonsense and that our church was "full of crazies who mumble jibberish".  It reminded me of where it says "So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?" (1 Corinthians 14:23)

 

Yet, the same passage says, just before that: 

 In the Law it is written:

   “With other tongues 
   and through the lips of foreigners 
I will speak to this people, 
   but even then they will not listen to me, 
            says the Lord.”

 ²² Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers

It seemed to me that the key verse here is: "in the Law", meaning "in the Old Testament Bible". So, this is a word speaking to Jews for a specific purpose. It seems to be a fulfillment to what was said in Deuteronomy 32:21 "I will make them envious by those who are not a people;" which is generally considered to be a veiled reference to the fact that the Church was destined to become primarily Gentile, as a sign to the Jews of how God sees their rebellion against Jesus. 

 

So, if tongues are a sign for unbelievers, then that would not mean that it has to do with my salvation, but rather with the salvation of others, meaning it is a point of Evangelistic witness. Now, I am pretty certain of this, but I will say that it's speculation: I think that we'd have a whole lot less controversy over whether Tongues is supernatural or not, if we agreed that it's only purpose is to be "a sign for unbelievers" meaning that you'd have to be witnessing in order to use the gift. (realize that church in the 1st century was held around a table or in a living room, not in a row of pews). I think you'd have a lot fewer people blurting out their "tongue" if they were doing it face to face with someone else. 

 

If Sister Sally can jump up in the middle of service and say something and sit back down into her spot without anyone commenting, it's not really something that needs supernatural intervention. But, I'll guarantee you that she and Brother Brian are going to be a lot less likely to walk up to a foreigner's face at the Sunday potluck and blurt out something that could sound like total nonsense - you'd HAVE to know it was God whispering in your ear, right? 

 

So, no, in review of the whole balance of what is taught on Tongues, I do not think that you have to speak in tongues to have the Holy Spirit or to be saved. But, I do understand that there's a major segment of Christians who do. 

 

Here's what I now pray for: the ability to know truth and to clearly and faithfully speak it to those who do not. That would truly be a miracle for most of us. Wouldn't it? 

 

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on July 3, 2011 at 7:17pm

Scribe,

 

Right on bro. I praise God for you.

 

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Permalink Reply by Carla on July 4, 2011 at 3:01pm

Scribe.. Amen to your post..

especially this part:

 

Here's what I now pray for: the ability to know truth and to clearly and faithfully speak it to those who do not. That would truly be a miracle for most of us. Wouldn't it? 

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Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on July 1, 2011 at 7:47pm

Wow! You guys are great! I`m glad you`re on our side.

 

It`s obvious how you feel in your hearts from the research and study put in your responses.

I totally agree with y`all. My thoughts are also based primarily in 1 Corinthians, chapters 12-13-14.

Some Saints have the gift of speaking in tongues. FINE. I never have. But, to me that`s alright. The Holy Spirit has given me other gifts and talents, just as you guys.

 

Interesting though, we haven`t heard anything yet from that segment holding the belief that speaking in tongues is necessary to get into Heaven................

 

Grace and peace.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on July 2, 2011 at 10:01am

Personally I think people spend too much time looking for and seeking after gifts, when our goal is the Giver Himself. If you seek the Giver and desire to live for Him, He will give you all the gifts you need to serve Him.

 

Lord Bless,

LT

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on July 3, 2011 at 7:18pm

Amen LT

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Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on July 2, 2011 at 8:59pm

Amen, LT,

 

Well said. LT,

It seems to me, to be a human characteristic, that we keep  wanting things, more than appreciating what we have been given.

Plus we need to use and work with what we have.

 

Grace and Peace.

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Permalink Reply by Janie Cooksey on July 2, 2011 at 11:07pm

So sad for a person to tell someone they are not saved.  That's a dangerous statement for anyone to make.   How would he/she know the heart like Christ does?

Tongues have nothing to do with being saved.  You're saved first, then filled with the H. S.  By faith, I was baptised with the baptism of Christ into His church body, received the Spirit of Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit,  at that conversion.  Then later (in fact many years later after I married) I received the infilling of the H.S.    I was seeking the H.S. at the altar near these precious sincere and patient old ladies who were kneeling around me.  It was late and I got tired, but encouraged by my sweet ladies, and my sincere desire to know more of Christ,  I finally started  spitting out something that sounded like silly jibberish.   The ladies got excited and kept urging me on, and the next thing I knew I took a very deep breath, and the most filling and fulfilling fresh breath ever, opened my eyes, looked up and saw a large mist sweeping overhead and downward in our direction at the altar.  

With that breath, I must have breathed in the Holy Spirit and I became so relaxed as a new joy filled my heart; it felt so good and different, I began to laugh and forgot the speech for a moment and just enjoyed the new freedom of breathing in and out that freedom of heaven's breath, felt my chest expanding, taking in a new kind of fresh air.   As I worshiped God with other members, the sounds of my words  became more "rounded" and distinct, more fluent with inflections, and I found I could worship in the Spirit, with singing, reaching the highest notes ever,  with the greatest of ease;  I was worshiping Christ, never wanting to quit singing and worshiping Him.  

(Never, in the natural,  have I reached those high notes anywhere near like I did when the H.S. gave them to me.) 

Other experiences came after that, all different in nature.  Most enjoyable times of worshiping in the Spirit were with other worshipers at the altar.   Now, I pray in tongues most times at home, alone,  and worship in tongues  when I hear or see a very inspiring H.S. message or testimonies of what Christ has done for others.   Don't have the gift of tongues and interpretation.  H.S. did not gift me in that way.   I'm okay with that.  I do need to pray more in tongues for my family, friends and our precious country to return to ways of Christ.   Not only do I not know what the H. S. is saying through my tongues, but the devil does not know either.  We can bypass him and get where we want to go.  

So Don't sweat it, just keep loving Christ, follow His new commandment that covers all the former 10 commandments.  You never know, you may decide to ask the Lord for the infilling sometime and He will give it to you.   You'll really enjoy the results and find it easier to live an overcoming life; He feels and is so very near!

Haven't found a spell check on these reply notes and it's late, so here goes.

I love you,  Janie

 

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Permalink Reply by RoyW on July 3, 2011 at 7:34pm

Richard,

I belonged to two different Pentecostal churches - the Assembly of God and the Pentecostal Holiness. Neither teach that you have to speak in tongues in order to be saved. That is a misconception. What they teach that being baptized in the Holy Spirit is an event that follows salvation or a distinct work from salvation. The Pentecostals teach that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit experience is evidenced initially by speaking in other tongues. However, no reputable Pentecostal church that I know of teaches that to be saved one must speak in tongues. Again, that is a misconception. There may be a few flakes out there teaching that you have to speak in tongues but very few really believe that.

I personally do not believe that to be baptized in the Spirit or with the Spirit or being filled with the Spirit has to be accompanied by the gift of tongues. I do believe some do still have the gift of speaking in tongues. My only purpose here is to clarify the idea that Pentecostals teach that you must speak in tongues to be saved. I know of no reputable Pentecostal organization that teaches that.

 

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