This individual is another who confuses the simple gift of tongues for edification with the public gift that needs an interpretation. But he goes a step further and confuses tongues with holiness. Tongues is not a prerequisite for holiness.
The fruit of holiness is the fruit of the Spirit and every born-again believer has the Spirit within them so that they can produce the fruit of holiness in their lives. The Corinthians were enriched in the gifts (1 Cor. 1:4-7), but Paul said they were yet carnal because there were strife and divisions among them (1 Cor. 3:1-3). This proves that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is not primarily to produce holiness in our lives, but power (Acts 1:8).
6.
“Tongues are not to be turned on and off by people but given utterance by the Holy Spirit.”
This next individual seems to imply that speaking in tongues is controlled by the Holy Spirit. This may be true for the public gift of divers tongues that requires an interpretation, but it is not true for the private use of tongues, which a believer receives when he is baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Paul said he could pray or even sing in tongues at will (1 Cor. 14:15).
7. This next person seems to be quite sure of his position and even acts as the expert teacher who wants to give me a Bible lesson.:
“Bert, your article on tongues is based on cheerleading without a shred of authentication. You rely on stories instead of the Word. I pray in tongues. I have for 40 years. When it wants to come up, I go with (it).”
We’ve already covered this. He believes you need to wait for a spirit of ecstasy before you can speak in tongues.
“But I do not ascribe miracles to tongues that are not found in Scripture. When you make tongues a cure-all, you are way out of bounds, encouraging us to live in la-la land.”
A thorough study of Romans 8:26-28 in the Greek will shed much light on how praying with groanings, which includes tongues, is indeed connected to miracles of healing and salvation and even spiritual growth and gives birth to such.
“Consider this: for all the praying in tongues that Pentecostals and Charismatics (PCs) have done over the eons, it has not stopped America from sliding into the muck of immorality and godlessness. America as a nation has gone to hell in a hand-basket while PCs prayed in tongues, believing it is a cure-all for all of our problems. The Church has seen a great falling away from the Word while we prayed in tongues. You must stick with Scripture, Bert, when you speak of the benefits of tongues, or you’re teaching error.”
I concur with the reverse of what this person is stating—that the very reason America is in bad shape is because the church has done too much mental praying in English and not enough spiritual praying in other tongues.
“Please consider this: when you make tongues the answer for everything, you become part of why so many leave tongues alone. Tongues were given to spread the Gospel to those speaking foreign languages. They were meant to awe those who heard it, as they knew those speaking didn’t know their language. It was a sign given by God to them to persuade them to believe in Jesus, but PCs have made [tongues into] getting people healed. That’s nonsense.
The nonsense here is that this Christian takes the preposterous position that tongues is for preaching in other languages, but we have already seen that this is only one use or purpose of tongues and is subject to the will of the Spirit. The main use of tongues is for personal edification and prayer.
“You have no scripture for that. You’re teaching us to live by what we think, not by the Word. The only reason I pray in tongues is because it sometimes wants to come up, if I don’t know how to pray, so I let it fly, but since I cannot know what I am saying, I cannot put faith in my tongues to fix the problems at hand. It is the prayer of faith in Jesus that saves the sick, and tongues cannot be prayed in faith, believing for healing, as you know not what you say. Stick with scripture, Bert, so those who read you will not live by illusions and fantasies.”
What else can be said? This individual is all muddled up and tangled up in seeing tongues from only one angle. I never said that tongues will fix all our problems, but it will sure fix many of our problems because you will be dealing with life’s issues from a place of personal edification and revelation. Speaking in tongues does not give you faith for everything, but it stimulates the faith you already have from the Word (Jude 19-20). My advice to this commentator is that he needs to learn the Scriptures.
8.
“Tongues were given as a ministry tool but we made it a private prayer language and changed it from a true language to praying in English syllables, calling it a language of the heart. Where do we find scripture for that?”
The same error keeps being repeated. Can you see that? Several of these believers are not distinguishing the difference between the private and public use of tongues. It is a ministry tool and it is also a private prayer language.
“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. For no one understands him, although in the spirit, he speaks mysteries” (1 Cor. 14:2).
These many comments to my last Charisma blog revealed again to me that ministers need to teach more on the topic of tongues so that believers can exercise their faith in their personal use of it. There is too much confusion in this area. We need the light of the Scriptures to bring clarity and understanding.
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