Eph 6:18 Praying in the spirit?

[Guest shiloh357]

Good explanation.   Thanks Ezra.

[Qnts2]

 

Where does the Bible specifically talk about praying in tongues? 

Praying in tongues is a misapplication of 1 Cor 14:14-19, where Paul is actually rebuking the Corinthians for praying in tongues.  Paul says that he will pray with the spirit (not in the Spirit as in Eph 6:18) AND ALSO pray with the understanding (regular prayer). 

 

Evidently this was an ABUSE of the genuine gift of tongues (which has ceased - 1 Cor 13:8-10).  Paul went on to chide the Corinthians that they were being childish about tongues (v 20) and that he would rather speak 5 intelligible words of prophecy than 10,000 words in tongues (vv18,19).  In any event, tongues has nothing to do with Eph 6:18.

 

 I think that you misrepresent 1 Cor 14. Paul is not rebuking them for speaking in tongues, but the manner in which they are speaking in tongues. 1 Cor 14 accepts that there is a valid 'praying in tongues', and calls it a lessor gift while prophesy is a greater gift. He says that he prays in tongues and that he wishes all spoke in tongues. . 

 

1 Cor 14:1 Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ² For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one ^]understands, but ^]in his spirit he speaks mysteries. ³ But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. ⁴ One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.

 

Verse 14 ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

 

So, Shilo, 1 Cor 14:14 specifically says that Paul prayed in tongues. There is your verse.

[Guest shiloh357]

No, Qnts, that is incorrect.   Paul is talking about praying in an unknown tongue,  not praying "in tongues."   He is not talking about a supernatural "prayer language" as some try to assert.  

 

It is not some heavenly language.  The word used for "tongue" is used to refer to human languages in every other place it is found in Scripture. 

[lavey.online]

Do not have doubt on speaking in tongues, because you CANNOT be mislead-ed in case in the activities of Holy spirit anyway ... Read the following words(s) :

 

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." - Luke 11:13. (NLT)

[Guest]

 

How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

 

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

 

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Jude 1:18-20

[1to3]

It was my understanding that their are two types of speaking in tongues, one is from another "known language" and the other kind is a unknown language only understood by God,

so that the devils cannot understand.

[Guest shiloh357]

the idea of two types of tongues, one being a human language and one being a supernatural language, is not supported in the Greek of the New Testament.  

[Ezra]

There are two types of tongues:

 

1. Language of Earth

2. Language of Angels (Heaven)

 

Paul said " If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." - 1.Cor. 13:1.

 

I believe it would be a gross error to conclude from this verse that there are two types of tongues. 

 

Why did Paul make this statement and what exactly is the thought that he is bringing across?

 

1. The spiritual gift of tongues (speaking foreign languages supernaturally Acts 2:1-13) was being abused by the Corinthian church, and instead of treating it as the least of the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:18,19) it had become the focus of "displaying" gifts, instead of edifying the church.

 

2. After all the discussion on tongues, Paul concludes that Christians should earnesty covet THE BEST gifts (1 Cor 12:31) and concludes that the very best gift is agape (charity = love) (1 Cor 13:13).

 

3. To show that tongues (or any spiritual gift) without charity is meaningless, he says that even if he could speak with "the tongues of men" (all foreign languages) and "of angels" (if that were even possible, since we never hear about angelic languages in Scripture, and angels always spoke Hebrew/Aramaic to those to whom they were sent), and he did not possess and display charity (God's love), all his speaking would be worthless.

 

There are certainly those today who claim that they speak "angelic tongues", but there is no Scriptural authority for that.  As a matter of fact, Paul clearly stated that tongues would cease (1 Cor 13:8-10) and cease they did.  There are three superntural gifts associated with Divine revelation -- prophecies, tongues, and knowledge.  As long as the New Testament was incomplete, these gifts were necessary in the churches. 

 

After the book of Revelation was completed, these gifts were withdrawn because "when that which is complete (perfect = Gk teleios = complete) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away" (1 Cor 13:10).  There are many who misapply this Scripture deliberately to Christ, but if that were the case then Paul would have said "when He who is perfect is come...", but that would be meaningless in this context (since only three gifts are to be terminated). 

 

"In part" refers to revelations which were not complete books of Scripture but oral revelations.  "Complete" refers to the entire NT (which Paul saw prophetically in 2 Tim 3:16,17, (which then makes the man of God artios = complete = perfect).

[OneLight]

Ezra, which document is perfect?  Which bible is perfect?  That, which is perfect (Jesus) has not come yet.  The gifts remain until Jesus returns.

[Hall7]

If a church is filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't it mean that the Spirit of God is present in that church? If speaking in tongues isn't Biblical would the presence of the Holy Spirit be around you? All I can say is that I've never felt the Holy Spirit so strongly until the day I started going to a church who spoke in tongues, and I really miss that church... I guess you'll never know until you attend one of these churches to decide whether or not speaking in tongues is a powerful gift of God that fills the atmosphere around you...