Does the gift of tongues still exist

[TheMatrixHasU71]

Does the gift of tongues still exist today? Charismatics make a big deal of the gift of tongues. But does it still exist today and WHAT is it?

Now in Acts 2:6, and 9-11 you see very clearly that the gift of tongues was in known earthly languages.

WHAT was the gift of tongues for? To edify the church before the unbeliever (1 Cor 14:4,22). This was necessary in a time when Scripture hadn’t been fully committed to paper. Many commentators generally believe that the gift didn’t last much more than 20 years or so. At worst it didn’t last beyond the writing of Revelation.

When Revelation was written, the canon was completed, closed, and since that time Scripture edifies ITSELF without any other help.

Many Charismatics believe that you need tongues as a sign of salvation. But salvation is solely dependent on your profession of faith. Also many people in the bible did NOT receive the gift of tongues and tongues was pretty much at the bottom of the list of importance to begin with (Romans 10:9-10, 1 Cor 12:30, 1 Cor 14:19, 1 Cor 12:28)

Charismatics will use 1 Cor 14 to defend their stance on unknown prayer tongues. They will also use Paul’s reference to tongues of angels (1 Cor 13:1) to the same effect.

Paul was basically rebuking the Corinthians for being too showy, seeking only the showy signs gifts because they wanted to look good in the eyes of the unbelievers. The Corinthian church may also have taken part in the excesses of the modern Charismatic church, with their pagan babbling nonsense and other ungodly practices prevalent on some of today’s Charismatic churches, blasphemously called “the anointing”.

Paul in 1 Cor 14 speaks of an unknown tongue, a word that doesn’t exist in the original Greek but was added to separate EARTHLY tongues where there were translators immediately present from EARTHLY tongues where no translator was present.

Paul here is clear that if a tongues speaker wishes to speak, they must speak only with an interpreter, and not all at once. (1 Cor 14:23,27)

GUYS... YOU CANT INTERPRET BABBLING GIBBERISH!!! Someone show me please where in the bible do you see references to tongues as babbling nonsense? Such a thing has long since been PROVEN as being pure paganism

There are Charismatics who believe they have the “gift” of interpretation, but THAT IS PURE FANTASY.

Paul’s reference to tongues of angels also doesn’t work because there are no tongues of angels. Paul was merely using hyperbole in making his point about doing all sorts of great and wonderful things which don’t mean a blessed thing without love.

I hope here I have thus proven my point. The gift of tongues was only a first century gift and doesnt legitimately exist today. Do not be like the wicked and adulterous generation who seeks after signs.

Edited February 6, 2017 by TheMatrixHasU71

[OneLight]

Faith in scripture is something personal.  You don't believe tongues are for today.  I believe they are.  Not being an issue of salvation, feel free not to believe that the Holy Spirit still gives gifts to the Body as He sees fit.  It is your loss.

[Ezra]

1 hour ago, TheMatrixHasU71 said:

The gift of tongues was only a first century gift and doesnt legitimately exist today.

Since tongues (genuine languages) were a sign for unbelieving Jews, this is correct.  See Acts 2.

In the law [the Old Testament] it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people [the Jews]; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. (1 Cor 14:21,22).

If tongues were still valid, then every missionary going to a foreign country would have this gift, and there would be no need for language schools.

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, Ezra said:

Since tongues (genuine languages) were a sign for unbelieving Jews, this is correct.  See Acts 2.

In the law [the Old Testament] it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people [the Jews]; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. (1 Cor 14:21,22).

If tongues were still valid, then every missionary going to a foreign country would have this gift, and there would be no need for language schools.

Good post.

[HAZARD]

There are nine Spiritual gifts one can have. These are listed in 1 Cor. 12: 4-11.

 4, Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
    5, And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.
    6, And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.
    7, But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal.
    8, For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
    9, to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
    10, and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues:

11, but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will.

These are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and He is the one who operates them in the lives of believers. The purpose of these gifts is to enable all believers to do the works of Christ and to carry out the work that He began both to do and to teach (Acts: 1-2, 12-15; 1 Cor. 1:7; Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-31; 14:1-40; Heb. 2:3-4).

[missmuffet]

I do not believe that speaking or praying in tongues is for today. It was spoken in the NT but it has no use today. Jesus did not speak or pray in tongues for why should we? It is very popular today in Churches among the Charismatic and other Churches and denominations.

Question: "What is the gift of speaking in tongues?"

Answer: The first occurrence of speaking in tongues occurred on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. The apostles went out and shared the gospel with the crowds, speaking to them in their own languages: “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:11). The Greek word translated tongues literally means “languages.” Therefore, the gift of tongues is speaking in a language a person does not know in order to minister to someone who does speak that language. In 1 Corinthians chapters 12–14, Paul discusses miraculous gifts, saying, “Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?” (1 Corinthians 14:6). According to the apostle Paul, and in agreement with the tongues described in Acts, speaking in tongues is valuable to the one hearing God’s message in his or her own language, but it is useless to everyone else unless it is interpreted/translated.

A person with the gift of interpreting tongues (1 Corinthians 12:30) could understand what a tongues-speaker was saying even though he did not know the language that was being spoken. The tongues interpreter would then communicate the message of the tongues speaker to everyone else, so all could understand. “For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says” (1 Corinthians 14:13). Paul’s conclusion regarding tongues that were not interpreted is powerful: “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Is the gift of tongues for today? First Corinthians 13:8 mentions the gift of tongues ceasing, although it connects the ceasing with the arrival of the “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10. Some point to a difference in the tense of the Greek verbs referring to prophecy and knowledge “ceasing” and that of tongues “being ceased” as evidence for tongues ceasing before the arrival of the “perfect.” While possible, this is not explicitly clear from the text. Some also point to passages such as Isaiah 28:11 and Joel 2:28-29 as evidence that speaking in tongues was a sign of God's oncoming judgment. First Corinthians 14:22 describes tongues as a “sign to unbelievers.” According to this argument, the gift of tongues was a warning to the Jews that God was going to judge Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah. Therefore, when God did in fact judge Israel (with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70), the gift of tongues would no longer serve its intended purpose. While this view is possible, the primary purpose of tongues being fulfilled does not necessarily demand its cessation. Scripture does not conclusively assert that the gift of speaking in tongues has ceased.

At the same time, if the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God's Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6-12). It would be in agreement with the command God gave through the apostle Paul, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

God most definitely can give a person the gift of speaking in tongues to enable him or her to communicate with a person who speaks another language. The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the dispersion of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). Just imagine how much more productive missionaries could be if they did not have to go to language school, and were instantly able to speak to people in their own language. However, God does not seem to be doing this. Tongues does not seem to occur today in the manner it did in the New Testament, despite the fact that it would be immensely useful. The vast majority of believers who claim to practice the gift of speaking in tongues do not do so in agreement with the Scriptures mentioned above. These facts lead to the conclusion that the gift of tongues has ceased or is at least a rarity in God's plan for the church today.

https://www.gotquestions.org/gift-of-tongues.html

 

 

[OneLight]

It is a shame to start a post denouncing scriptural beliefs about the gifts of the Spirit many hold as true.  Despite your doubt, there are two ways to pray in the spirit.  One is in public, which requires an intrupratation and the other is in private prayer which is between the person and God Himself.  1 Corinthians 14 addresses both.

[missmuffet]

8 minutes ago, Yowm said:

I have not found any clear scripture stating that tongues will cease and therefore I have no conviction that they have ceased. Misused yes, ceased no. All I see are logical inferences trying to make that point.

You are not alone. There are many who are very much into tongues.

[warrior12]

7 hours ago, TheMatrixHasU71 said:

There are Charismatics who believe they have the “gift” of interpretation, but THAT IS PURE FANTASY.

Not only Charismatics, but Pentecostals too..    I have been to many Pentecostal churches and seen the tongues speaking in operation and very  rare have seen it done with interpretation the way the Bible  has outlined.  During the preaching or sermon, the pastor may at random speak in tongue, but no one else translate, and at times others in the pews may start to speak, then others may join in and it may go on like that for a few minutes. 

At the climax of the service, with altar call, the tempo of the call picks up and when those who come up to the altar, a whole lot of tongues and slaying in the spirit takes place. Now, let me say, from my experience with the spiritual realm, those people falling to the ground and people speaking in tongues are real, but it is a different spirit, that is a counterfeit spirit that comes in to deceive and manipulate the people and induce it further upon those who have been indoctrinated to believe and receive those spirits.  

When it come to those who are aware and has not put their trust in those beliefs, you are then labeled as quenching the spirit and holding back.  In the spiritual realm, those spirits know who you are, i.e those who reject their seduction and warfare ensues.  Believe it or not, i have been through much of that situation .   

I still hold though, that it is a counterfiet spirit that satan has come to use as a powerful weapon  to use and control men. 

That being said, i have asked the Lord to forgive me, if my speech is wrong and it is not as i described. I know what i have felt and experience in those places and i cannot lie to myself and to the world here as this is my witness before the Lord. 

[n2thelight]

True tongues will not be spoken again until the elect are delivered up to satan

 

Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost [Spirit]."