New Policy: Southern Baptist Missionary Candidates

[Salt]

There is a lot of counterfeiting of tongues today that needs to be considered. I'm sure there has been a discussion on this BB on this.

[nebula]

All I know is that I wasprayed with to receive the gift of tongues, and I was given the gift!

I use it often in payer and in worship.

If I am ever in the place where I can use it to minister, that would be awesome!

[Keith]

All I know is that I wasprayed with to receive the gift of tongues, and I was given the gift!

I use it often in payer and in worship.

If I am ever in the place where I can use it to minister, that would be awesome!

Praise His Name! To God be all the glory!

[Rerun]

Keith, there is no experation date that I know of, however, to my knowledge there's no intruction booklet either.

In anycase, the SBC didn't say that "if you speak in tongues you cannot be saved" nor did they say "there is no possibility that tongues exist (which Btw would be odd to hear someone say that without a tongue)" Instead they merely stated, "you cannot take part in the SBC's Missions and participate in a trivial doctrine." The SBC is smart, don't you realize they'll no doubt have to pay for the Doctrine their association is responsible for preaching? In any case I applaud them.

[nebula]

Participating in trivial doctrine?

Boy, does that statement drip of despising the gift of the Spirit or what?

[Guest shiloh357]

This "policy" is not new at all. They are just trying to breathe new life into it. This is not the first time they have tried to regulate speaking in tongues. I remember not long after I was saved, when they enacted this policy when a number of SBC preachers began speaking in tongues. The policy has been enacted back in the nineties, and it was ignored back then as well.

What you have is little group of tyrants trying to dictate to everyone else how they will believe. That is a violation of Southern Baptist beliefs. The Southern Baptists are not a "creedo" denomination. We hold that every congregation should be, according to Scripture, autonomous and democratic. We do not force people to sign a creed or a set of by-laws.

I know Southern Baptist missionaries who speak in tongues. They have continued being missionaries despite this policy.

It bothers some that there are those in SBC ranks criticizing those who are using this gift, but if they are fighting God, they will be marginalized. There are more Southern Baptists who are open to the power of God than ever before. Southern Baptist Doctrine is not threatened by speaking in tongues. It is no threat to the spreading of the gospel. I think these "policy-makers" need to focus their energy on the task at hand, the preaching of the gospel.

Edited November 27, 2005 by shiloh357

[Rerun]

"Boy, does that statement drip of despising the gift of the Spirit or what?"

"The" gift of the Holy Spirit, and the unknown tongue being a trivial matter have nothing to do with despising. I don't despise tongues, neither do I despise those who use it. What I do despise, however, are those who cast judgement upon me for saying I approve of people standing up for what they believe. But I suppose you're entitled to your opinion.

To adress the issue, I couldn't be more in love with the gifts from the Spirit. Though I must admit I don't thank God enough for the Holy Spirit, or his gifts. To say the least I don't believe the unknown tongue is a gift of the Holy Spirit, I also don't think tongues should even be nearly as important to people as they have become. Tongues is to confirm salvation to those in doubt, not to the user. Kinda like baptism.

[Keith]

"The" gift of the Holy Spirit, and the unknown tongue being a trivial matter have nothing to do with despising. I don't despise tongues, neither do I despise those who use it. What I do despise, however, are those who cast judgement upon me for saying I approve of people standing up for what they believe. But I suppose you're entitled to your opinion.

To adress the issue, I couldn't be more in love with the gifts from the Spirit. Though I must admit I don't thank God enough for the Holy Spirit, or his gifts. To say the least I don't believe the unknown tongue is a gift of the Holy Spirit, I also don't think tongues should even be nearly as important to people as they have become. Tongues is to confirm salvation to those in doubt, not to the user. Kinda like baptism.

If you were so "in love" with the gifts of the Spirit, you wouldn't say the unkind, not to mention unscriptural, things you say. Only by arrogance could anyone say that anything that comes from God, including tongues, is trivial. Do you just make this up as you go along?

"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself."

-- St. Augustine

[CarolineS]

"Boy, does that statement drip of despising the gift of the Spirit or what?"

"The" gift of the Holy Spirit, and the unknown tongue being a trivial matter have nothing to do with despising. I don't despise tongues, neither do I despise those who use it. What I do despise, however, are those who cast judgement upon me for saying I approve of people standing up for what they believe. But I suppose you're entitled to your opinion.

To adress the issue, I couldn't be more in love with the gifts from the Spirit. Though I must admit I don't thank God enough for the Holy Spirit, or his gifts. To say the least I don't believe the unknown tongue is a gift of the Holy Spirit, I also don't think tongues should even be nearly as important to people as they have become. Tongues is to confirm salvation to those in doubt, not to the user. Kinda like baptism.

Rerun,

You are correct. Nice post.

CarolineS

[nebula]

Only by arrogance could anyone say that anything that comes from God, including tongues, is trivial.

Thanks, Keith!

That is what got under my skin - the calling of the gift of tongues as "trivial."

What I do despise, however, are those who cast judgement upon me for saying I approve of people standing up for what they believe.

Do you do this for homosexuals and aortion-supporters - applauding them for standing up for what they believe?

Does this action not indicate "support" for the policy?

To say the least I don't believe the unknown tongue is a gift of the Holy Spirit, I also don't think tongues should even be nearly as important to people as they have become. Tongues is to confirm salvation to those in doubt, not to the user. Kinda like baptism.

My first response is this: Do you have the gift?

For how can you understand the gift unless you have it?

Or how can you who does not have the gift (if that is so) tell me how I am to use my gift or not?

It is like this - would you take driving lessons or advise from someone who has never driven?

My second response is this: Well, I do agree that there has been a mis-priority given over tongues - though I understand why it has happened. It is what I refer to as the pendulum effect. When opinion is swng so far one way that when opinion is changed it tends to swing equally far to the other side. A pursuer will eventually swing into balance, though.

But with tongues - it was a gift that had been lost to the mainstream Church for so long that when people "found" it again, they went overboard with it. These days, many Christians with the gift go overboard with it because of the resistances against it. Likewise, it is probably the easiest of the gifts to practice, thus in our society where the supernatural is so rare due to the unbelief of the society (like those towns Jesus couldn't heal in because the unbelief within the town was too pervasive), and so those of us with this gift tend to be more excited about it.

Truly, it is a woneful gift to hav, and it has done so much for my Christian walk that I would hate to think of how my life would have been without it. So, yeah, if i "push" it, it's because I love it so much and it has done so much for me and my spiritual growth and walk with Christ.

So, to hear church leaders forbidding the gift - that does make me feel angered.