Jump to content
  • Welcome Guest

    For an ad free experience on Online Baptist, Please login or register for free

Gift Of Tongues


Left the Bldg

Recommended Posts

  • Members

John, I agree that there are these exceptional instances from time to time, but they are not the norm, and we are never told to seek after these miraculous gifts.  I think that is what separates the Bible Believer from the Charismatic.

 

It is not that we don't believe God could not empower somebody to "speak in another tongue" (i.e. a known language that somebody else present understands), or that God could not empower us to pray over a sick person and then they miraculously recover.  It is that we make the Bible our final authority, and fully trust in God's power to help us in the present moment, crisis, or situation. 

The Charismatic purposefully goes out of his way to try to get these "gifts" and then they abuse these "gifts" (if they truly have them at all.)  They boast of their "gifts" and do not use them for the edification of others. 

The Bible Believer relies upon the power of God through the preaching of the word.  The man in China is a great example - he did not try to speak in tongues, he did what he needed to in the moment, and God did something greater than he imagined.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 77
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

The clarity of vision has to do with seeing the information clearly - it is there to be seen. If someone chooses to misunderstand the information, that is not the fault of the information if the information is perfect.
It is the fault of the interpreter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I've heard several IFB pastors say the verse regarding when that which is perfect is come is referring to Christ, not the Bible.

 

There was also a Baptist missionary in China (if anyone knows his name, please post it because I can't find it or remember it) who served either in the 1800s or early 1900s which spent several years in China and couldn't learn the language. He was contemplating leaving China when something major happened where he was and when he went out to try and calm the people in English, because he still couldn't speak Chinese at all, the crowd all heard him in Chinese.

 

There are also reports from Baptist as well as many other Christian missionaries who talk about various miracles and such they have been a part of and witnessed.

 

Are we no longer gifted with faith, teaching, healing and such? Even John R. Rice spoke of his experience with some of these.

 

(Before anyone takes a wild leap here, NO, I'm not endorsing the crazy goings on in some churches and ministries which feature people flopping on the floor while spewing gibberish, or the phony and falsely called "faith healers")

I've heard a missionary testify in our church (IFB) where he spoke in their language which he didn't know to communicate the gospel.  It's not a usual occurrence these days but who says God can't do it when necessary?  He can still perform miracles and we shouldn't place limits on what He can do. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I have also heard a preacher, an IFB, tell of speaking to two hispanic ladies, one of which could understand, the other could not. He gave one the gospel and she was saved-when he asked her to interpret for her friend, the same said, in Spanish, that she had heard every word and understood and wanted to be saved. I have no reason to disbelieve him.

 

My point, with the others mentioned here, is that the Lord does ultimately as HE pleases, and bestows gifts from time to time upon His servants to do His work. The Bible speaks about those who are given a gift to do certain works, and they were given in much more abundance during the time of the Apostles. But there is no reason the Lord cannot still work in those ways through His people-we just often don't even know when they are happening. It is just something we shouldn't be following after or expecting or demanding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

One of the biggest things about this subject is that there is NO BIBLICAL EXAMPLE of universal tongues.
That means that anyone who says tongues is a sign of salvation (that is probably 95% or more that I have met) is clearly adding to salvation or security.
At most, those promoting tongue speaking could allow a few only that gift, and only if they ignore all other arguments here already.

But there is no Biblical way every Christian could have this gift.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

 

 

Face to face is just a rhetorical expression to express clarity. I can a general idea of what you look like from your picture, but I wouldn't really know all the details unless we were talking face to face. I know in part what you look like, but if we were face to face I would know what you looked like as much as you know what I looked like. Without Scripture we only know about God in part, but with His Word before we can know Him the same as people can know us. That's the general idea behind it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Sometimes I choose not to discuss this issue with charismatics unless they specifically ask me.

 

That's a good strategy. It's such a personal thing for them because they define their faith by experience and they are certain that their experience of ecstatic utterance is evidence of the Holy Spirit.  It'd be like walking up to a Catholic and tell him/her that praying to Mary is wrong. They have to be open to listening first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I dated a girl from a Pentecostal church, who insisted that, if I spent two weeks sincerely asking the Lord for tongues, I would speak them. So I took her up on her challenge, and for two weeks, every day, I prayed sincerely and honestly for the Lord to give me the gift of tongues IF it was His will for me to have them, and that I might be able to better glorify Him through their use.

 

Guess what happened? Nothing. No tongues. She said I just didn't have faith-the standard reply. She just never thought to seek it according to God's will.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Face to face is just a rhetorical expression to express clarity. I can a general idea of what you look like from your picture, but I wouldn't really know all the details unless we were talking face to face. I know in part what you look like, but if we were face to face I would know what you looked like as much as you know what I looked like. Without Scripture we only know about God in part, but with His Word before we can know Him the same as people can know us. That's the general idea behind it.

I look as good face to face as I do in my pic.  Bwahahah!  Just a joke. Tee hee hee...ha ha ha.  ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I dated a girl from a Pentecostal church, who insisted that, if I spent two weeks sincerely asking the Lord for tongues, I would speak them. So I took her up on her challenge, and for two weeks, every day, I prayed sincerely and honestly for the Lord to give me the gift of tongues IF it was His will for me to have them, and that I might be able to better glorify Him through their use.

 

Guess what happened? Nothing. No tongues. She said I just didn't have faith-the standard reply. She just never thought to seek it according to God's will.

I went to AOG for 20 yrs and spoke in tongues.  Of course, I don't practice that now and haven't for years.  I also thought it was evidence of having the HS. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I look as good face to face as I do in my pic. Bwahahah! Just a joke. Tee hee hee...ha ha ha. ;-)


Well, I don't look any worse face to face, but then it is hard to get worse than this.... :lol:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Plus, there's also the problem with the fact that the Bible is clear that the gift of tongues wasn't given to every member of the body.

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4   Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5   And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6   And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7   But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8   For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9   To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10    To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11   But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
 
 
1 Corinthians 12:28-31
28   And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29   Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30   Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31   But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
 
However, the Pentecostals/Charismatics seem to believe that ALL can and should speak in tongues...a direct contradiction to God's word.  Some even take it to the point that speaking in tongues is proof of salvation; thereby, implying that if you're truly saved, you will speak in tongues...which would mean that God would violate his holy word in giving that one particular gift to every member.

 

Most do seem to hold to such an idea though I've known some Pentecostals who don't.

 

Two friends many years ago adopted the belief that speaking in tongues was a proof of salvation. They became so dogmatic about that, and so accusing of all who didn't speak in tongues that it led to separation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

John, I agree that there are these exceptional instances from time to time, but they are not the norm, and we are never told to seek after these miraculous gifts.  I think that is what separates the Bible Believer from the Charismatic.

 

It is not that we don't believe God could not empower somebody to "speak in another tongue" (i.e. a known language that somebody else present understands), or that God could not empower us to pray over a sick person and then they miraculously recover.  It is that we make the Bible our final authority, and fully trust in God's power to help us in the present moment, crisis, or situation. 

The Charismatic purposefully goes out of his way to try to get these "gifts" and then they abuse these "gifts" (if they truly have them at all.)  They boast of their "gifts" and do not use them for the edification of others. 

The Bible Believer relies upon the power of God through the preaching of the word.  The man in China is a great example - he did not try to speak in tongues, he did what he needed to in the moment, and God did something greater than he imagined.

Agreed, and very well stated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I dated a girl from a Pentecostal church, who insisted that, if I spent two weeks sincerely asking the Lord for tongues, I would speak them. So I took her up on her challenge, and for two weeks, every day, I prayed sincerely and honestly for the Lord to give me the gift of tongues IF it was His will for me to have them, and that I might be able to better glorify Him through their use.

 

Guess what happened? Nothing. No tongues. She said I just didn't have faith-the standard reply. She just never thought to seek it according to God's will.

Went down that road many years ago too, minus the dating of a Pentecostal girl!

 

In my situation, afterwards and there being no tongues speaking, those who had asked me to pray about it said that I had showed a lack of faith by say "if" when I had prayed. Like you, I prayed that IF it was His will for me to speak in tongues to His glory and honour then I was willing.

 

At least these Pentecostals still accepted me as a brother in Christ and didn't demand speaking in tongues as a proof of salvation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.



×
×
  • Create New...