Modern Importance Of Speaking In Tongues
In modern cultures, many look around and feel they do not see Christians speaking in tongues, and doubt its existence. Others insist that anyone with the Holy Spirit can and should be able to speak a heavenly prayer language.
When assessing these claims, it is important to hold them up against the Bible, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God . Striving to ensure that a claim is in line with Scripture, especially with the words of Jesus Christ, is important.
When examining if every believer must be able to speak in tongues, Paul does appear to address this notion. Going back to 1 Corinthians 12, Paul wrote:
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body … If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body .
In other words, Paul asserts here that Gods Spirit gives different people different spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. There may be some churches where the Spirit gifts all of them with tongues and interpretation, but not every believer around the world may have the same experience.
What Is The Difference Between Tongues And Languages
For many Christians, the tongue is a coveted gift from God. Speaking in tongues is said to be a sign of being born again and joining the church of Christ. It is a holy language that is only spoken by those who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. tongues can be interpreted with interpretation guides or dictionaries when possible to maintain accuracy.
Languages are created through human effort and thought, while tongues are said to be a gift from God. This gift is said to be able to interpret spiritual truths that are not understood through language.
So, the tongue is a language in the sense that it is created by human effort and is used for communication, but it is not a language in the sense that it is understood by all.
Tongues As Intelligible Languages
The first time speaking in tongues is mentioned is in Acts chapter 2:
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.Acts 2:1-4 NIV
The Greek phrase for other tongues is heterais glossais. Glossais is also used in Acts 10:46 and 19:6 .
However, the occurrence in Acts 2 is the only place where other tongues are identified as known human language.
6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.7 Utterly amazed, they asked: Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?Acts 2:6-8 NIV
The word language is translated as such because it comes from the Greek dialekto. In Acts 2, heterais glossais is understood as native dialectsknown human languages.
Peter indicates that this understandable form of tongues, xenolalia, is a type of prophetic utterance foretold by the prophet Joel: Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy .
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Benefit Of Speaking In Tongues
If the Holy Spirit creates precisely this language in our minds, what benefits can we derive from it? Lets see some of them:
- Speaking in tongues allows us to make coded prayers that the devil cannot decode.
- Speaking in tongues connects our minds directly with God.
- Speaking in tongues helps us to always be aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.
- Speaking in tongues allows us to pray according to Gods perfect will.
- Speaking in tongues helps us learn to fully trust God.
- Speaking in tongues allows us to subjugate the flesh.
- Speaking in tongues broadens your perspective of the power of God in your life.
- Speaking in tongues allows you to understand the scriptures from a divine point of view, not an intellectual one.
- Speaking in tongues takes you beyond what intelligence knows.
- Speaking in tongues takes you out of the bounds of the flesh towards the abundant supply of the Spirit of God.
Is A Special Language Needed To Speak To God
John Price/Unspalsh
I had started visiting various churches and denominations in my teens and then I quit completely. After marrying, my husband and I looked for another to attend. Many of our neighbors were attending a local church, so we decided to attend there too. It seemed a nice place, very casual with a young crowd. They sang a lot of songs led by a guitar-playing pastor and reached to the heavens at various times throughout the service. I had never experienced such a church, and it was a little exciting.
I noticed people’s mouths moving quietly throughout the service. I wondered why. The next week, a woman sitting next to me was doing the same. I could hear her, but I didn’t understand the words. I asked her after services what language she was speaking. She said she was speaking in tongues. She said it was a gift from God. I’d never heard of this before, so she and some other nearby people explained. I was told that speaking in tongues was a a spiritual language a direct communication line to God. It was the greatest of the gifts God had to offer, that the fruits of the Spirit are actually initiated by speaking in tongues and that it increases your faith.
One of the scriptures most often used to support the group’s ideas is in the listing of gifts. To another the working of miracles to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another diverse kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues .
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What The Science Says
Linguistics aside, a few scientific studies have been conducted to determine what is happening in the brain when someone starts speaking in tongues.
One such study, conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, looked at changes in cerebral activity during bouts of glossolalia and found that there was decreased activity in the frontal lobes. These are the parts of the brain associated with controlling our behavior, so the implication is that when people speak in tongues, they experience a loss of control. The study also found that tongue speakers were not in control of the usual language centers that would be activated during normal speech, indicating that calling glossolalia a sort of language would be disingenuous.
But if not a language, and not a controlled uttering of sounds, what is glossolalia? It may require many more studies to find out.
Differences Between The Two
In the prayer language, you are the one that usually initiates it. In the spiritual gift it is the Holy Spirit that initiates it.
In the prayer language the speaker is the main beneficiary. In the spiritual gift, other people are the main beneficiaries.
In the prayer language you are talking to God. In the spiritual gift God is talking to others through you.
In the prayer language you are encouraged to do it all the time. In the spiritual gift you only do it when the Holy Spirit tells you to.
In the prayer language no interpretation is needed or expected because God is the intended audience and He understands it. In the spiritual gift, the gift of interpretation of tongues will likely be given so that the people can understand the message and receive the benefit God intended for them.
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Speaking In Tongues Helped Propagate The Gospel
Referring back to Acts 2 again, we see that the gift of tongues was used to spread the Gospel message to people of different nationalities whose languages were unknown to those tasked with proclaiming its truths.
Outside of Acts 2, there is no mention of tongues being used for this purpose. However, we have no reason to doubt that tongues were not thus used, especially in light of the Great Commission which demanded the Gospel be taken outside of Judea and into all the world . The rate at which the Gospel was able to spread may be due, in part, to the gift of speaking in tongues. Being that those endowed with this gift didnt have to spend years learning a foreign language prior to going on mission trips, the rate at which they could spread the Gospel increased exponentially.
Christian Prayer Language Speaking In Tongues
Speaking in tongues is a prayer language from the Holy Spirit. Lets start by looking at the Biblical origin.
Biblical Origin Pentecost
Speaking in tongues first happens in Acts 2. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples in Acts 1:8, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. After this, He left and ascended into heaven.
The day of Pentecost came and according to Acts: 2:3-4, after the disciples were gathered together, a mighty wind came which was the Holy Spirit. It says
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The disciples went out into Jerusalem and were able to speak to people in their different languages from around the world. The Holy Spirit was speaking through them and the disciples did not know the languages they were speaking in. The people they spoke to were amazed.
This day is remembered by Christians as Pentecost. Its celebrated for being the day the Holy Spirit came to earth and filled the disciples.
An Outpouring of the Holy Spirit through Peter
Acts 10:44-46 says
Paul Baptizes in the Holy Spirit
Acts 19:4-6 reads
Speaking in Tongues Interpreter
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What Is Christian Prayer Language
Christian prayer language is a spiritual gift from God. This includes both speaking and praying in tongues. The reason its called a prayer language is that you are speaking in a language you do not know, only God knows what they are saying unless they have a translator. A translator is when someone is able to interpret what a person speaking in tongues in saying.
Tongues are a gift from the Holy Spirit. To better understand this prayer language, lets dig deeper into speaking & praying in tongues.
Profound Spiritual Fruit Is Possible In The Life Of The Individual Believer When He/she Prays In Tongues Privately
When you pray in tongues in private, you are most certainly praising. The person who speaks in tongues is truly praying to God , praising or worshiping God , and thanking God , all the while his/her mind is unfruitful . By unfruitful he means either, I dont understand what I am saying, or other people dont understand what Im saying, or perhaps both. Paul doesnt understand what he is praying or how he is giving thanks or in what manner he is worshiping. But praying, praising, and giving thanks is most certainly taking place! And all this at the same time he lacks cognitive awareness of what is happening.
Many say: Pauls response to his mind being unfruitful should be to stop speaking in tongues altogether. Shut it down. Forbid it. But that isnt Pauls conclusion. No sooner does he say that his mind is unfruitful than he makes known his determined resolve: I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also . We know that Paul is referring to praying and singing in tongues because in the next verse he describes giving thanks with ones spirit as unintelligible to those who may visit the church meeting.
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What Does The Bible Say
The problem is they completely ignored other verses in the Bible that explain what the gift of tongues is meant for. For example: Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?'” (Acts 2:7-8Acts 2:7-8 And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
American King James Version×). Look at it this way: If I spoke French and you spoke English, you wouldn’t understand me when I talked to youonly God would. And what use is that to you if I’m saying something important? Paul explained to the church in Corinth that speaking in tongues was a legitimate gift, but only worthwhile if used to edify someone else by speaking in their language so they could understand!
What did I actually learn from the experience? I saw people so focused on a single supposed gift that they basically worshiped it instead of God. I learned that God did indeed have many gifts to share, but not necessarily the ones I expected. The gifts we receive are given in order to help others, not ourselves. Let’s use the gifts God gave us to further His work and to glorify Him.
Can Tongues Be A Language
For many people, tongues are seen as a holy gift. The Bible references it many times and its seen as an important spiritual gift. From a Christian perspective, tongues can be considered a language.
Tongues are often seen as the signs of the Spirit and are used to speak in other languages . As Christians, we should strive to speak in tongues whenever possible!
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All Believers Should Speak In Tongues
As with the first point, there is no Biblical support for the idea that all believers should speak in tongues. In fact, quite the contrary.
1 Corinthians 12:11 says that it is God who apportions to each one individually as he wills, meaning that the believer has no say in which spiritual gifts he receives. While this by itself doesnt forbid God from giving all believers the same gift of speaking in tongues, it is highly unlikely that God would do so for the body does not consist of one member but of many .
Furthermore, Paul tells us that not all believers would speak in tongues. In 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 he poses the following rhetorical questions: Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? The answer to these questions is an obvious no.
That being said, the Bible does not support the theory that every believer can or should speak in tongues.
What Does The Bible Say About Tongues
From the Bibles perspective, tongues are often seen as one of the most significant pieces of evidence of Christianity. It is mentioned specifically only once in the bible .
However, tongues are not explicitly mentioned in the bible, but it does declare that languages are created by God. This means that tongues are a natural result of the gift of language. Some believers believe that speaking in tongues is a sign that someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit and filled with the divine power to prophesy.
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Most Common Misconception About Speaking In Tongues
God has blessed me with an assignment to carry His message about the spiritual gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues.
As Ive walked out that assignment, Ive run into a lot of misconceptions about speaking in tongues. Perhaps the most common misconception people have is that speaking in tongues only refers to speaking in earthly languages that are not known to the tongue speaker, but that can be understood by others who speak that same earthly language.
Well-meaning people will even often say things like, Biblical tongues is speaking in a foreign language. They then go on to state that any tongue speaking which does not involve an identifiable earthly language is somehow anti-biblical. That argument is completely contrary to the Bible. Please afford me the opportunity, and Ill do my best to explain.
New Languages, Not Earthly Languages
The first mention of tongues in the New Testament is a statement by Jesus found in Mark 16:17:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons they will speak with new tongues.
All the major Bible translations translate this word as new. Jesus did not say, Those who follow me will speak in earthly languages that are unknown to them. Instead, He said we would speak in new languages.
What Actually Happened at Pentecost?
When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
A Likely Scenario
Beyond Pentecost
Does Everyone Who Receives The Holy Spirit Speak In Tongues
Everyone who is baptized with the Holy Spirit receives the gift of tongues, and subsequently will speak in them.
How do I ask God to speak in tongues?
To activate speaking in tongues, simply switch over from praying in your native language, to praying in your heavenly language by speaking out loud the syllables coming from your spirit. It may sound foolish at first, but thats OK. Keep going. The more you pray in tongues, the more developed the language will become.
Can you pray to God in any language?
As for prayers to Jehovah, it can be done in any language. For He is the creator of Man and all his abilities including the ability to understand and speak languages.
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