do you speak in tongues

[Caste]

I hope this will not be too terribly far off topic, but a question has come up on a different thread that may be beneficial to be answered by some here....

To thos who practice this:

Is this something you practiced from the time you became Christian? Or did it begin at a later time?

Also, it is something you were taught, or developed in another way?

It was well after I accepted Christ that I even know of any gifts. This is not something that I "practiced", but was the Holy Spirit speaking through me. At first, I was hesitant to allow Him to do so, but then it became a blessing and a natural experience to pray in tongues. I knew in my heart that this was right.

A mirror image of how I came to speak in tongues Alan

And I can say the same thing!

[nebula]

I hope this will not be too terribly far off topic, but a question has come up on a different thread that may be beneficial to be answered by some here....

To thos who practice this:

Is this something you practiced from the time you became Christian? Or did it begin at a later time?

Also, it is something you were taught, or developed in another way?

When I was about 8 years old, my father lay his hands on me (I think he put his hands on my head - the Bible speaks of the laying on of hands; it just means you place your hands on a person when you pray for them; it forms a connection) and prayed I be given the gift of tongues. I didn't feel anything, but he said that it helps to relax the mind and not think about it, but make mumbling sounds until something flows forth. (I have a strong left-brained intellect, so getting past my natural mind, which impedes the flow of the Spirit, is a bit tougher.) In faith, I did what he said. After "bla-bedee ma-badee" for a while, suddenly a flow of various sounds which I could never conceive came forth out of my mouth. I don't know languages very well, but it sure did sound like language sounds, and as I said, I could never create this.

I've since discovered that at times the sounds coming forth are different, so I believe I speak forth different languages. Why this happens, I do not know. But one of them sounds Oriental.

[Holy Joe]

I think you all are missing the point in tongues all together.

Joe

[Mark2005]

I think you all are missing the point in tongues all together.

Joe

Which is????

[brightmorningstar]

It happened a while after I was saved. Once I learned of it, I wanted it & asked for it. I was in a powerful praise & worship at an assembly & was somewhat pleasantly surprised to find myself singing in tongues. It was awesome & I have never stopped.

It was the same for me too

[xero]

This is an example of speaking in tongues from the Bible.

Acts 2:5"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God."

Notice the tongues are intelligible languages. More proof continues.

1 Corinthians 14:1"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 2For 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. 3But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 5I 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."

Many have interpreted this passage from Corinthians as if its saying that speaking in tongues is mystical communication with God but reading the last verse shows the language can be interpreted so it isnt random nonsense theyre speaking. I cant tell anyone that God doesnt perform a ventriloquist act with them but if you dont understand what youre saying then how can you interpret it? Food for thought.

[nebula]

Notice the tongues are intelligible languages. More proof continues.

How can you determine if a tongue is or is not an intelligible language? Would it not require a person nearby who speaks that language? How can you state positively that what comes from one's mouth is not an intelligible language? Do you know how many languages there are in the world?

1 Corinthians 14:1"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 2For 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. 3But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 5I 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."

Many have interpreted this passage from Corinthians as if its saying that speaking in tongues is mystical communication with God

No, not mystical. Just my spirit praying without my mind getting in the way.

"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God..." - is not prayer speaking unto God?

but reading the last verse shows the language can be interpreted so it isnt random nonsense theyre speaking.

Interpretation of tongues is also a gift of the Spirit.

True story - at the funeral for a woman who immigrated from Lithuania, there was an open-share time for people to share about her. One person got up and spoke their eulogy in Lithuanian. While this person spoke, another woman had an inspiration for something to share; so after the person was done she got up and shared, in English, about wonderful things the woman had done (i.e. how she helped others immigrate from Lithuania). After the funeral, someone expressed how it would have been nice for the Lithuanian speaker to have been interpreted. One of the Lithuanians there responded that the woman who spoke after did translate what was spoken in Lithuanian.

I cant tell anyone that God doesnt perform a ventriloquist act with them but if you dont understand what youre saying then how can you interpret it? Food for thought.

No one is claiming ventriloquism.

14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth , but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Paul never minimized the benefit of the gift of tongues, nor was he discouraging its use.

[goldust59]

Notice the tongues are intelligible languages. More proof continues.

How can you determine if a tongue is or is not an intelligible language? Would it not require a person nearby who speaks that language? How can you state positively that what comes from one's mouth is not an intelligible language? Do you know how many languages there are in the world?

1 Corinthians 14:1"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 2For 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. 3But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 5I 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."

Many have interpreted this passage from Corinthians as if its saying that speaking in tongues is mystical communication with God

No, not mystical. Just my spirit praying without my mind getting in the way.

"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God..." - is not prayer speaking unto God?

but reading the last verse shows the language can be interpreted so it isnt random nonsense theyre speaking.

Interpretation of tongues is also a gift of the Spirit.

True story - at the funeral for a woman who immigrated from Lithuania, there was an open-share time for people to share about her. One person got up and spoke their eulogy in Lithuanian. While this person spoke, another woman had an inspiration for something to share; so after the person was done she got up and shared, in English, about wonderful things the woman had done (i.e. how she helped others immigrate from Lithuania). After the funeral, someone expressed how it would have been nice for the Lithuanian speaker to have been interpreted. One of the Lithuanians there responded that the woman who spoke after did translate what was spoken in Lithuanian.

I cant tell anyone that God doesnt perform a ventriloquist act with them but if you dont understand what youre saying then how can you interpret it? Food for thought.

No one is claiming ventriloquism.

14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth , but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Paul never minimized the benefit of the gift of tongues, nor was he discouraging its use.

I was going to give the same scripture, but you beat me to it nebula!

[Mark2005]

So when a person prays in tongues, is it their spirit praying? Or the Holy Spirit inside of them?

I have heard that some non-Christian religions also practice this but I don't know enough about that to argue one way or the other. Perhaps someone else is more knowledgeable.

[xero]

Where is the scripture to validate that speaking in tongues is gibberish? Show me where it says in scripture to mumble phonemes until you think your speaking another language even though you cant be sure because you cant interpret it. Prove your belief by presenting scripture. Its not out of line to ask for proof your beliefs are based on the Bible because I dont remember reading anything like what is being claimed as speaking in tongues being written within its pages. Nor is it unreasonable to conclude that if it cant be proven by scripture as fact that its false. I just see no reason in babbling.