Speaking in tongues.

[nebula]

The babbling of today...

Why is there an insistence to claim that what happens today is babbling?

I meant no offense. But, it sounds like babbling to me.

Well, when you hear a foreign language you have never heard before, does it sound any less gibberish?

[goldust59]

speaking in tongues is not a requirement for salvation or a test of whether you are saved or not. I speak in tongues on a regular basis, but it is in my private prayer times, I sing in the Spirit too. Actually, I sang in Spirit first, at church, during a really intense worship service after the preaching.

I have been led to pray for people I don't know, nor their situation. When this happens, I will pray in the Spirit because I don't know what the need is but God does.

I believe that the Spirit prays through us. Romans 8:26,27 ~Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

personal speaking in tongues edifies us:

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST, ~ Jude 20

He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself, 1 Corinthians 13: 4a

[nebula]

If someone is speaking in tongues but has no idea what they are saying and no one is around to hear them who are they edifying. Prayer spoken in earnest to God as Otherone suggests may not be the gift of tongues but the gift of intercession. Prayer is a most powerful weapon in the hands of those called to be 'prayer warriors'. I don't think theres an instance in scripture that shows tongues were used except for the benefit of others present, is there? What I have seen in some churches I just cannot see how that is serving or edifying anyone but that not in every church and pray that its not the rule of thumb.

When you read 1 Cor. 14 past the misuse of the gift parts, Paul describes several purposes and benefits of it:

2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God.... - Speaking to God, a.k.a. prayer. Tongues are used for prayer, which is how most of us tend to use it.

4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself - Very true. If it did not edify ourselves you can be assured we wouldn't use it so much and we certainly wouldn't be defending the use of the gift.

14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,.... - Again, the gift of tongues has a prayer function. While in the passage Paul is emphasizing the value of one's mind to pray, I hope you can appreciate the value of one's spirit praying verbally.

15 What is the outcome then ? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also ; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. - Paul equates tongues with praying and singing with the spirit.

16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, - So tongues will bless in the spirit.

18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all - Paul is thankful for the gift.

39 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. - So the encouragement regarding tongues is not to forbid them, despite any abuses or greater value to prophesy for the Body.

[nebula]

The babbling of today...

Why is there an insistence to claim that what happens today is babbling?

I meant no offense. But, it sounds like babbling to me.

Well, when you hear a foreign language you have never heard before, does it sound any less gibberish?

I don't see your point.

When I hear a foreign language with sounds I do not recognize, it sounds like gibberish - or babbling (I am thinking of the terms synonymously).

Does it not sound like babbling to you?

[Guest shiloh357]

The babbling of today...

Why is there an insistence to claim that what happens today is babbling?

I meant no offense. But, it sounds like babbling to me.

Well, when you hear a foreign language you have never heard before, does it sound any less gibberish?

I don't see your point.

The point is, how is speaking in tongues more "babbling" than hearing people speak fluently in a foreign lanuage that you have never heard?

[nebula]

In regard to unknown tounges edifying ourself, the next part of scripture tells us that he who prophesies edifies the church. What is being implied is that speaking in unknown tongues make us "look good"

That isn't what it says, nor implies.

Also, can someone please provide scripture for praying and singing in tongues?

I did, above.

[Sian12]

When I was a part of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal I went to prayer meetings where many (including myself, but not my husband) spoke in tongues. Often one person would be inspired to speak out in an unknown tongue and another person would be given the translation and it was a message from the Lord. Often too, though, the whole group (those that had the gift anyway) would all speak out together and it would have seemed like gibberish/babbling. To me it was pure worship and just beautiful singing like of the angels around the throne - ! I confess I liked it very much.

We believe/ed that tongues was a gift given to many but not all and that it was really a lesser gift, mostly to edify the individual. We were taught that one was saved first and believed in the Lord and then later when they dedicated themselves to Him they were prayed for with the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit which would empower them for their Christian lives ahead. Experienced individuals gave 'Life in the Spirit' seminars to those newly filled with the Holy Spirit to instruct them in what to expect and how to live. ( Personally I think that being saved and spirit-filled are experiences that can/will be tailored to the individual; He knows the needs of each of us).

All this was in the 70s. I have beautiful memories of those years but surely things have changed.

My .02

[~candice~]

It says they heard in their own language, not that it was spoken in their own language.It's all rather moot... foreign languages to us sound like gibberish.

[Guest shiloh357]

Of course, but so what. That has nothing to do with anything.

Well, yeah it does. You said that tongues just seems like "babbling" to you. Yet, you admit that genuine langauges sound like babbling to you as well, so calling speaking in tongues babbling does not mean it is not a genuine language.

Biblical toungues were earthly languages. The Book of Acts spells this out perfectly.

They were earthly languages when they were manifest in Acts 2. The manifestationn of the gift as outlined in 1 Corinthians 14 indicates that there is more to the gift than speaking in earthly languages.

[nebula]

When I hear a foreign language with sounds I do not recognize, it sounds like gibberish - or babbling (I am thinking of the terms synonymously).

Does it not sound like babbling to you?

Of course, but so what. That has nothing to do with anything.

Biblical toungues were earthly languages. The Book of Acts spells this out perfectly.

Actually, it has everything to do with anything.

How do you not know the "babbling" you are hearing is an earthly language you have never heard before?

There are so many out there, it could be any one of them!

I remember watching a documentary on some Buddhist Temple where the monks speak a "sacred" language, and as I heard them speaking I was 98% positive I was hearing the tongues-language of one of the members of my prayer group at the time.