Is tongues necessary?

[Blien]

I get visions and I believe I have the gift of discernment of spirits. But when I was learning about God this year and all things which you all know and I am still yet to know, I wanted to communicate with my holy spirit more and openly and get to know Him, so I was going to buy a book called "Drawing Near: A Life of Intimacy with God" by John Bevere.. but as I read the reviews about it, it said that he basically got to the point of the need to speak in tounges. I'm not that advanced and I don't think tounges was a gift for me either.. so I was feeling envious. But.. since then I've learned to communicate with the Holy Spirit via actions and visions.

I think this is what you were getting at Greg Davis? I'm not saying this is the answer but, maybe we can all advance to that stage later one?

[Guest Greg Davies]

Shouldn't we be able to understand whatever someone speaking in tongues is saying? Isn't that the point of tongues? When and why has it become something that no one can understand? What am I missing?

I'm going to give a short answer now. I gotta go somewhere. I Cor 12 and 13 are talking about the gift of tongues as one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. An example of this is Acts 2:6-12.

In I Cor. 14, Paul is talking about a prayer tongue which is the evidence that you have been filled with the Holy Spirit. It is an "unknown" tongue to man. You are praying mysteries to God. It is for personal edification whereas the gift of tongues previously mentioned is for the edification of the church as you can see in the Acts 2 reference.

God bless, Greg.

[poorinspirit]

No. Tongues are not neccessary.

I agree with this site below on the subject, because I have not seen tongues used properly yet.

http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/have-tonguesceased.html

I'm sure that speaking in tongues is a gift of the Spirit. What I am not sure of is of its usage today.

Which brings up another question: Is there a danger of vainglorying in it when it edifies not but the person speaking?

A bigger question: Do those that speak in tongues believes that if they are speaking in tongues , then they are in communion with the Spirit as if everything is okay between themselves and the Lord?

Biggest question of all: If the Lord is leading people still in tongues, would He point out the one that is just following the crowd to fit in? I thought the interpretor was the only way to stop that from happening.... so if there are no interpretors....why is no one being silent?

For those that do speak in tongues, I know you can't speak for all, but have you considered this?

I was in a Bible Study long time ago where the leader and a few in the group told me to babble, and the speaking in tongues will come. I was to keep doing this each week. I started to do it for the first two or three times, then I began to wonder if by doing it regularly, I was just forming a habit of babbling or a routine in speaking in this manner.... so I stopped. Since there were no interpretor, and they were just doing it to pray to the Lord.... I kind of stopped going eventually. It wasn't just that which made me stop going. As time went on as knowledge came to me, there was also fellowshipping with a few masons and devout catholics that were in it. It seemed to me that if God was using speaking in tongues for another to interpret, He would have given some corrections to the group... in more ways than one, but it was like this verse....

2 Timothy 3: 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Scary thought.

[exrockstar]

QUESTION: if its an unknown tongue, then who is really receiving the message?

answer: NO ONE

Your answer is I Cor 14:2: You are speaking mysteries to God. A perfect prayer. That's why in Rom. 8:26 it says that even though we don't know what we should pray for as we should, the Spirit insires us with "groanings" which can not be uttered or understood.

God Bless, Greg.

a person "speaking mysteries to God" is saying that

youre telling God things He doesnt know.

you dont think Paul was being sarcastic but making a point?

my oh my

may God bless you too.

[damo1]

No. Tongues are not neccessary.

I agree with this site below on the subject, because I have not seen tongues used properly yet.

http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/have-tonguesceased.html

I'm sure that speaking in tongues is a gift of the Spirit. What I am not sure of is of its usage today.

Which brings up another question: Is there a danger of vainglorying in it when it edifies not but the person speaking?

A bigger question: Do those that speak in tongues believes that if they are speaking in tongues , then they are in communion with the Spirit as if everything is okay between themselves and the Lord?

Biggest question of all: If the Lord is leading people still in tongues, would He point out the one that is just following the crowd to fit in? I thought the interpretor was the only way to stop that from happening.... so if there are no interpretors....why is no one being silent?

For those that do speak in tongues, I know you can't speak for all, but have you considered this?

I was in a Bible Study long time ago where the leader and a few in the group told me to babble, and the speaking in tongues will come. I was to keep doing this each week. I started to do it for the first two or three times, then I began to wonder if by doing it regularly, I was just forming a habit of babbling or a routine in speaking in this manner.... so I stopped. Since there were no interpretor, and they were just doing it to pray to the Lord.... I kind of stopped going eventually. It wasn't just that which made me stop going. As time went on as knowledge came to me, there was also fellowshipping with a few masons and devout catholics that were in it. It seemed to me that if God was using speaking in tongues for another to interpret, He would have given some corrections to the group... in more ways than one, but it was like this verse....

2 Timothy 3: 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Scary thought.

from damo1

high poor in spirit

then how do you explaine what paul was talking in about in 1 corinthians 14 on spiritual gifts and have you read threw the topice and to what every one has been talking about blink i think one might have to read james 3 from 13 to 17

i have been praying for you as i read in one of your posts you left that you do not belong to a church and if it is true to what you said in a topic you posted should some one like your self be giving such advice when it comes to new christians as one would need to be very care full that they are not a stumbling block

speaking in tounges is not of the devil i speak in tounges and i know of a lot of other youngesters that do the same but in my post on this topic that i left in i do not force my veiws on no one or judge those that do not spleak in tounges

that means even you as a christian should not judge us that do speak in tounges and encourage others that are new to read the bible and not alow your self to be manipulated by disgrubtled people so please rethink what you state when you aply to a topic as i have been keeping you in my prayers as it seems to me you have been hurt very bad and i am trusting that god heals that hurt

i started to speak in tougnes as soon as i got baptized this was not prayed over me it was given to me by god as i just came out of jail and was only 18 i got the gift to speak in tounges around midnight and my spiritual mentors who took me in to theire home when i came out of jail said on the day i got baptized and with my pastor is this do not reject the gift of tounges if god gives this to you as it is something that will help you in your walk i speak in tounges in my prayer meeting group with my pastor and sevral other when i can not pray i speak in my god given gift for 1 hr and this way my spirit is comunitcating to my father in heaven telling him how i am feeling

so please be very care full how you reply you are with in your rights to your views but i do not become a stumbling block to the new brothers and sisters in christ as i want them to open up to the truth of gods word and even the gift of speaking in tounges it is not of the devil it was not for the time of the disciples or the apostles this gift is still used today i know an 8yr old that prays in tounges and this child has been bought up in a strong christian house hold wear the kids wear read gods word from a young age and when they wear able to understand their parents walked them threw gods word with out holding back the truth

i love you as a brother but please just try to be more sensative if you do not understand some thing ask or talk to a pastor or any leader near the church that is near you it is very dangerouse for one to not be connected to the body of christ as this leaves one wide open to be attacked

and as i said i do not judge those that do not see that the gift of tounges is for them i love them and treat them with the utter respect they deserve

please explaine to me when you said you have not seen tounges used proopley its some thing personal poor in spirit i know sevral cathlic nuns who speak in tounges and when i am in canberra i join the tuesday prayer meeting group held by the kathlics who want to walk in this gift and since they started to pull away from doctrine and the traditional way they wear bought up sevral have judged them very harshly for making this bold move i know anglicans who speak in tongues and sevral from the salvation army and these people live in my own town and we meet every 3 fortnight and pray together as they can not do this in their own denominations due to not wanting to rock the boat

so why discourage people if they want to ask for this gift and say some thing like this you have not seen it used propley it is as i said a personal thing and when i am at work by my self cleaning i even pray in tongues so please tel me how then this is dangerous for me and many others as in one of my questions i left why do many think it was for that time only and not today when its in plain print in gods living word other wise 1 corinthians 14 would have been taken out al together and we would have not heard of the gift of speaking in tongues or the spirit would not have fallen on the apostles at penticost and they would not even have spoken in tongues this should be a personal thing not some thing some one questions when its written in plain ink in gods living word

[eric]

The title of this thread is...........Is tongues necessary? and the short answer is.....NO. I have managed for over twenty years of not speaking in tongues and have no desire to start now. I am sure the Lord can understand my Kiwi english.

[Fraught]

i'm glad this topic came up because on the one hand, i feel that as a spirit-filled christian, i should at least pray alone in tongues. when there is no one around to interpret, i don't think it is for public use.

on the other hand, i've heard too much about it being evil spirits. so i wonder if the reason i do not do it is because i am frightened of it.

on the third hand, there are probably too many guys on this thread that won't have a clue about being frightened of something. maybe a gal knows what i'm talking about.

anyway, i don't see where the bible teaches that it is necessary. the one necessary gift is 'love'.

[damo1]

from damo1

to poor in spirit

i went into that link you gave me and it sounds like a bashing link set up to come down on people like my self and many who believe in the gift of speaking in tongues is of god and it is meant for the church today other wise when i got baptized just out of jail at the age of 18 yrs old in 1988 the lord would not have given this gift to me so i can communicate to him

i also sent an email to a Baptist in America and he responded back very fast and said he has ran in to this group and he said do not believe what this group places on the web sight you left for others to read and said you believe in this web sight as my friend has his own spiritual war fare sight set up on the net and is constantly renewing it with new advice what gets up my goat is when some one has been told to bable or say gibberish things which is very miss leading when i got the gift to speak in tongues it came out natural and when i was in a good bible believing church i was able to lead two country men to god who wear Croatians them selves i could not speak their language due to me picking this language up very fast i gained the Australian language and lost my own i began to ask the holy spirit to help as my Australian friend could not say what he wanted to say then i opened my mouth and began to speak and i talked in my own language to these two Croatian brothers who came up to me and grabbed my hands and said we new everything you said as i could only talk a little bit like say hello and i was able to lead them to an Assembly's of god church that had a lot of Croatians and other mixed language group active in that church and these two men gave their lives to god all because i asked the holy spirit to help me

and this is not a lie my friend i do not lie when i share so the spirit is still active as he was when the disciples and apostles wear using these gifts that fell on the apostles on Pentecost this is still happening to this day

this is what this sight says on the gifts of tongues

i took my time to read and i found this very offensive to say what it said to people like my self who still use this gift of speaking in tongues

this is a vexing question evangelicals are confused and needly to say trying to prove that speaking in tongues have ceased by restoring 1 Corinthians 13 =8 is futile it is unconvincing and inconclusive it merely fuels more heated debates adding to the confusion

1 Corinthians 13 - 8 love never fails now if their are prophecy's they will be done away with if there are tongues they will be done away they Will cease if there is knowledge it will be done away with

the fact that the miracle of languages at Pentecost has completely ceased with the passing of the apostles is beyond question why then is the prevailing confusion

James 3 10

from the same mouth comes blessings and cursing it should not be like thks my brothers

James 3

14 but if you have bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts stop boasting and lying against the truth

gods word speaks the truth and if 1 corinthians 14 is meant to be written in plain ink for every one who reads gods word i am going to hold onto 1 Corinthians 14 oh my 10 yr old son who turns 11 is asking me questions on the gift of speaking in tongues as he knew that i believe in the gifts that 1 Corinthians 14 speaks on and very soon when he is ready i am going to lead him threw 1 Corinthians 14 and open him up to this as in the church he goes to with his mother and her new husband the people including some of the youth and kids my sons age are open to this and are asking questions i was told to speak to him on this should i tel my 1o yr old son to what i read in the link then not to believe in what you are hearing preached in church as it was for that time

this relay fires me up when some one gets on their band wagon and picks on Pentecostals evangelicals and other groups that have taken this gift in openness and not been so judgmental to what happened on Pentecost if i was you i would be challenging those that told you to babble and i mean question them and go over what the bible says

when i share i share nothing but the truth and do not twist gods word or look any one in the face and pull them down for what they believe in we need to be walking in unity and not against each other as to one group believing one thing and another group trying to correct another group

i love you as a brother but i will not cease speaking in my god given language as to a few disgruntled souls not being told the truth and not experiencing the gift in a natural way

you wear fed rubbish and i feel sorry for you for having been told that as this is what my spiritual mentors did not tell me to do

so how is it that i am confused by what this group is placing on the inter net and are saying they have the gift to correct people like my self ?

[poorinspirit]

No. Tongues are not neccessary.

I agree with this site below on the subject, because I have not seen tongues used properly yet.

http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/have-tonguesceased.html

I'm sure that speaking in tongues is a gift of the Spirit. What I am not sure of is of its usage today.

Which brings up another question: Is there a danger of vainglorying in it when it edifies not but the person speaking?

A bigger question: Do those that speak in tongues believes that if they are speaking in tongues , then they are in communion with the Spirit as if everything is okay between themselves and the Lord?

Biggest question of all: If the Lord is leading people still in tongues, would He point out the one that is just following the crowd to fit in? I thought the interpretor was the only way to stop that from happening.... so if there are no interpretors....why is no one being silent?

For those that do speak in tongues, I know you can't speak for all, but have you considered this?

I was in a Bible Study long time ago where the leader and a few in the group told me to babble, and the speaking in tongues will come. I was to keep doing this each week. I started to do it for the first two or three times, then I began to wonder if by doing it regularly, I was just forming a habit of babbling or a routine in speaking in this manner.... so I stopped. Since there were no interpretor, and they were just doing it to pray to the Lord.... I kind of stopped going eventually. It wasn't just that which made me stop going. As time went on as knowledge came to me, there was also fellowshipping with a few masons and devout catholics that were in it. It seemed to me that if God was using speaking in tongues for another to interpret, He would have given some corrections to the group... in more ways than one, but it was like this verse....

2 Timothy 3: 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Scary thought.

So then, you can say, without a doubt that this gift has totally ceased? The article you sited in the link was nothing more than peoples opinions. It gave no scripture to back it's claims, only the commentaries of different people. When someone says that these gifts have ceased, that flies in the face of millions of peoples testimonies who operate in this gift daily. Plenty of people believe this gift has ceased and say that it has ceased, but these same people do not address that speaking in tongues is a regular occurance for many Christians. So I would have to ask, if you think that the gift of tongues has ceased, just what it is that is occuring when people speak in tongues?

There are very specific rules for speaking in tongues, as laid out in 1 Corinthians 14. These rules do not apply to a private prayer language. I would have to be very leary of anyone who told you to simply "babble" a few times daily and tongues would just come to you. But once again, someone abusing this gift, or using it for the wrong motivations, or faking it, or whatever does not negate the gift, or render it irrelevant. Why is it that whenever this subject is brought up, those that do not believe in it begin saying that people who say they speak in tongues are doing it to puff themselves up, feel "more special" or that they do so to feel more superior? How can anyone be a judge of their motivations or attitudes? Can we assign these bad motivations to other Christian manifestations? Is that why people go to church? Is that why people read their Bible? Is that why people pray? Why do we not assign selfish motivations to these actions? Could it be that those who speak in tongues simply use this as another method for moving closer to the Lord? Could that possibly be their motivation? if people do not believe in it, they do not believe in it. My question has always been, and will always be, if they do not believe in it, why are they constantly telling other people what they are experiencing is not really what they are experiencing? Is this a salvation issue? Why the frequent vehemence from those who believe this gift has ceased? Why the derision? Why the insults? And I speak in general here, not to you specifically. Is this really an issue worth dividing over? I don't think tongues are "neccesary" but I also do not think it is neccesary to deride the people who believe in tongues.

Hi Cobalt1959!!!

Can I say without a doubt that this gift has ceased? I can say I haven't seen it used properly yet in the here and now... so yes, I tend to believe in that article at that site, but my main answer that tongues are unneccessary.

But once again, someone abusing this gift, or using it for the wrong motivations, or faking it, or whatever does not negate the gift, or render it irrelevant.

I believed I connected the proper usage of it with having an interpretor present. I'll stick by that statement about it being used properly. I just cannot believe that in all those that are speaking in tongues that edifies self... the Lord has no interpretor to edify the church. BUT if there is an interpretor, then I like to know what is being said that the Lord wants the church to hear in edification of the faith. One would think there be alot of web sites on that to share that with other churches as well, but it just seems to me the subject of speaking in tongues is just on speaking in tongues and not on any results for what it is used for. Kind of like the subject of latter day prophets when it seems to be more about them than it is about keeping the faith. But that is where I am coming from.

If I had the gift of speaking in tongues and there was an interpretor, and the Lord was edifying things in my church in regards to the faith, and somebody came along and said.. I haven't seen the proper use of it yet online, I would not be offended if I knew I really had it. That person just doesn't know. But I would think I would have my church publish what was shared on the church's website that edifies in the knowledge of Jesus Christ the Lord for it should be available to all. Know of any? I'm not talking about doomsayers or latter day prophets. Surely the Lord edifies in regards to the faith that we may be found abiding in Him.

My question has always been, and will always be, if they do not believe in it, why are they constantly telling other people what they are experiencing is not really what they are experiencing? Is this a salvation issue? Why the frequent vehemence from those who believe this gift has ceased? Why the derision? Why the insults? And I speak in general here, not to you specifically.

I understand, brother.

Well, I am sure you have heard the hersey about.. "if you don't speak in tongues.. you don't have the Holy Spirit.. and thus you are not saved." ... as they reason that speaking in tongues is the least of all the gifts and thus everybody saved should be able to do so as evident that you have the Holy Ghost. I'm sure you can see how that would generate the opposition to be totally against it. I have heard of it...been confronted with that hersey in my travel through life... even on the internet! But I don't believe I am angry at those that speak in tongues. I am just declaring that I have not seen it used properly yet, but for all intents and purposes, I believe tongues are unneccassary when the King James Bible is available. Can any more edification be had through tongues that cannot be found in the Bible? Would it not be easier for the Lord to lead that person to the scriptures he or she needs to read in regards to the faith than resort to tongues and an interpretor?

Mayhap a thread on the proper use of tongues and how it has been edifying your church today is needed to show that the Lord is still using it to edify the church in the knowledge of Him, but it is strange how no one has done it yet... given the signs of the times.

So pardon me for my skepticism. I just don't believe tongues are necessary today. It is the lack of proper usage of the tongues as in lacking an interpretor that has led me to believe that it has ceased... among other reasons, but that is only because I have not seen it used properly yet.

So... how about a game of paper, rock, and scissors?

[Guest Greg Davies]

a person "speaking mysteries to God" is saying that

youre telling God things He doesnt know.

you dont think Paul was being sarcastic but making a point?

my oh my

may God bless you too.

Hey Ex, I see you have the gift of sarcasm.

We both know that God is all knowing. So the mystery is obviously on our part. No, I don't think Paul was being sarcastic. He was correcting a problem of disorder in the Corinthian church and he was giving some very serious instruction.

Greg.