For Those Who Have Witnessed or Participated in Tongues

[saturneptune]

If you are in the catagory of this thread, please describe the three elements required for tongues that you experienced

1. How the message sounded
2. What the interpreter did while discovering its meaning
3. What was the message that was edifying to the given local church

 

[Iconoclast]

If you are in the catagory of this thread, please describe the three elements required for tongues that you experienced

1. How the message sounded
2. What the interpreter did while discovering its meaning
3. What was the message that was edifying to the given local church

years ago i went into an assembly of God church, a man stood up and made the usual repetitive rhyming noises for about 2 minutes and sat down. 1 minute later a man stood up and said thus sayeth the lord,there is hope for nyc....it took about 8 seconds.....

the other minute of rhyming noises aside...i wondered why the interpretation was in king james english:tongue3:

 

[Scarlett O.]

I witnessed tongues once when visiting an Assembly of God church with a friend. There were a few people who made what I can only describe as "babbling" sounds randomly during the service. There was no interpreter nor message for the body.

 

[awaken]

If you are in the catagory of this thread, please describe the three elements required for tongues that you experienced

1. How the message sounded
2. What the interpreter did while discovering its meaning
3. What was the message that was edifying to the given local church

The message sounded like a language that I have never heard.
The one delivering the message gave the interpretation.
It was an encouraging message to the ones that the message was intended for. For the rest of us it was edifying to see God work in that way and people respond to it!

The real controversy over tongues is the private use....

 

[Tom Butler]

The message sounded like a language that I have never heard.
The one delivering the message gave the interpretation.
It was an encouraging message to the ones that the message was intended for. For the rest of us it was edifying to see God work in that way and people respond to it!

The real controversy over tongues is the private use....

Interesting. On the day of Pentecost, those who spoke in tongues (other languages) did not need an interpreter. They understand in their own language.

Paul says someone who speaks in another language must wait for someone else to interpret. If he can interpret it himself, why speak in another language in the first place? Just speak English (or Aramaic or Greek, whatever).

I've watch TBN for years, and heard people speaking tongues a lot. Never--I mean never--did anyone interpret.

 

[OldRegular]

Many years ago [about 40] I was in a carpool with an ex Roman Catholic, PhD in Physics, converted in a Full Gospel Businessman's Fellowship. I suppose it was natural he was at that time a charismatic. There were a lot around here at that time among Churches not generally associated with tongues!

One Monday he told me that he and others had taken a man to Spartanburg, SC to learn to speak in tongues. He said that it did not work! Never mentioned again!

 

[Zenas]

In 1970 my wife and I were living in the ground floor of a two story apartment. The space above was occupied by a young woman of charismatic persuasion. One night I was awakened about 3:00 a.m. to hear her praying. She was praying in a vary loud voice as if she were preaching, as is the practice of a number of Pentecostals. This went on for about 20 minutes, after which she stopped speaking English and started babbling in a high pitched voice just like a bird chirping. What she was saying was not language as best I could tell. Rather it was simply sounds, most of which were rapid and repetitive. This went on about two or three minutes and then she stopped.

 

[awaken]

Interesting. On the day of Pentecost, those who spoke in tongues (other languages) did not need an interpreter. They understand in their own language.

Paul says someone who speaks in another language must wait for someone else to interpret. If he can interpret it himself, why speak in another language in the first place? Just speak English (or Aramaic or Greek, whatever).

I've watch TBN for years, and heard people speaking tongues a lot. Never--I mean never--did anyone interpret.

Well, we interpret that different!

I see the disciples magnifying God in tongues.

Notice that they were all together in one place, then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they all began speaking in tongues. Since they were all speaking in foreign languages, they could not have understood each other. Therefore, they were not talking to one another, but notice that there was no-one else around at this point for them to be talking to. They were praising Him in tongues in the Holy Spirit, which is one of the primary purposes for tongues:

"If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?" (1 Corinthians 14:16)

On the day of Pentecost the disciples were talking to God in the Holy Spirit. They were praying in the Spirit.

The people in the crowd said, "we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" In other words, the disciples were praising God, telling Him of His wonders, as in Psalms 40:5 and 66:3:

"Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." (Psalms 40:5)

"Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you."" (Psalms 66:3)

Why were the disciples praising God in tongues? In Cor. 14 it tells why!

Notice in Act 10 there was not an interpreter..also Acts 19. We need to learn the difference in the ministry of tongues in a congregation and what we receive by being baptized in the Holy Spirit.

 

[USN2Pulpit]

If you are in the catagory of this thread, please describe the three elements required for tongues that you experienced

1. How the message sounded
2. What the interpreter did while discovering its meaning
3. What was the message that was edifying to the given local church

Okay, I'm gonna take a risk here...

1) The message sounded exactly like German.

2) It was directly given to a person that spoke only German by a person that did not speak fluent German. The German person understood what was said. The speaker had 1 semester of German in H.S. about 10 years earlier, which had never been used. But at the moment of truth, it flowed out as naturally as a native speaker.

3) It was simply a very short word of blessing to a passing stranger - a military man like myself at the time. I have no idea why I was moved to say what I did, nor did I prepare myself to speak in any other language. I didn't even realize it had happened until it was already done.

This was approximately 20 years ago, and hasn't happened again since.

 

[Aaron]

If you are in the catagory of this thread, please describe the three elements required for tongues that you experienced

1. How the message sounded
2. What the interpreter did while discovering its meaning
3. What was the message that was edifying to the given local church

My grandparents were Pentecostal. I grew up around it and heard it regularly. It was usually the women that spoke in tongues--loud jibberish. The translations, if there were any, were loud, rambling, nebulous, and, as noted in another's experience, in the King's English.

Concerning messages in tongues and prophecies: if they're not in agreement with the Scriptures, they're false. If they are, they're needless.

 

[Michael Wrenn]

I've seen and heard it. One time was when my sister was praying for me when I was very ill; I know it was genuine. I witnessed it at other times when I attended a Charismatic church; I don't like to talk about that, as it brings up very bad memories.

 

[Steadfast Fred]

The tongues spoken in Churches today are about as real as faeries and magical elves.

 

[OldRegular]

In my humble opinion those speaking in tongues get carried away into some emotional state, just like those who get slain in the Spirit.

I had forgotten until just now but I witnessed Oral Roberts [i think] speaking in tongues. He was reciting the names that referred to Jesus Christ in each book of the Bible. Very interesting until he started babbling, ruined it all!

Another instance comes to mind. Back around 1995 my mother was in the hospital with heart failure. There were other folks in the waiting room who had seriously ill family. One man wanted to have prayer so my niece and I joined hands in a circle with these folks. The man praying resorted to tongues just as he finished. As I recall my niece and I dropped hands when he started babbling! Don't know whether it was noticed or not! Really don't care!

 

[USN2Pulpit]

The tongues spoken in Churches today are about as real as faeries and magical elves.

Then I'm glad it didn't happen in church when I experienced it. I would hate to do something fake.

 

[Yeshua1]

Interesting. On the day of Pentecost, those who spoke in tongues (other languages) did not need an interpreter. They understand in their own language.

Paul says someone who speaks in another language must wait for someone else to interpret. If he can interpret it himself, why speak in another language in the first place? Just speak English (or Aramaic or Greek, whatever).

I've watch TBN for years, and heard people speaking tongues a lot. Never--I mean never--did anyone interpret.

the miracle was that the Holy Spirit allowed each person there listen to their language being spoken, either Aramiac /hebrew or Koine greek, and each person heard that in their own native 'tongue!"

also, the tongues/interpretations and prophecies were used by God in Apsotolic church by the "prophets and Apostles" to confirm and give revealtion from God, as full NT canon not completed as of yet!

 

[preachinjesus]

1. How the message sounded

I've heard a variety of kinds of tongues in varied cultures. In American culture I've heard tongues used that sounded akin to babbling, some that sounds like a coherent language, and others that were evidence of someone being filled in a way that spoke to someone in the congregation.

In other cultures I've seen many diverse uses.

2. What the interpreter did while discovering its meaning

As I mentioned above, I've seen both legitimate and illiegitimate uses. In the illegitimate uses someone just speaks on and on, either publcly or privately and no one arises to intepret. Since only a private prayer language can permit no interpreter this seems illegitimate according to the NT.

For the legitimate uses I've seen interpreters stand up and immediately start speaking or someone who has to be coaxed into their role.

3. What was the message that was edifying to the given local church

This is too broad a question to answer completely.

Suffice to say in the legitimate uses of tongues there is something that edifies those receiving and in the presence of it. There is a unifying element that encourages all.

In the illegitimate use it only seems to celebrate the speaker and reinforce a dogma.

FTR: I hold an "open but cautious" view of miraclous gifts and permit their use in our contemporary lives. However, I've only seen the gifts used in times of specific minsitry need and in environments where the church is in its institutional infancy and/or persecuted. As I have traveled I have seen healings, legitimate uses of tongues, words of prophecy, and other miraclous gifts. Too often it doesn't happen where people are looking for them. Instead their use almost always seems to be for a special time and a special place.

 

[Luke2427]

The real controversy over tongues is the private use....

No, that's not true at all.

The real controversy is whether or not ANY OF it has anything at all to do with God.

Before the advent of Pentecostalism in the first decade of the last century most Christians recognized that this stuff is not within a country mile of God.

The real controversy is whether or not churches and Christians should stand on the Word of God alone for direction and wisdom or should they embrace millions of new little revelations given around the world every year in the form of mindless babblings.

That there are good Christian people who practice this stuff is without question.

But that this is a blight on the reputation of Christianity in this culture and around the world is, in my opinion, equally without question.

That this makes us look stupid in the eyes of thinking people and that this undermines the authority of the Word of God in our lives is also without question.

 

[Luke2427]

the miracle was that the Holy Spirit allowed each person there listen to their language being spoken, either Aramiac /hebrew or Koine greek, and each person heard that in their own native 'tongue!"

also, the tongues/interpretations and prophecies were used by God in Apsotolic church by the "prophets and Apostles" to confirm and give revealtion from God, as full NT canon not completed as of yet!

Right.

_____

 

[awaken]

No, that's not true at all.

The real controversy is whether or not ANY OF it has anything at all to do with God.

Before the advent of Pentecostalism in the first decade of the last century most Christians recognized that this stuff is not within a country mile of God.

The real controversy is whether or not churches and Christians should stand on the Word of God alone for direction and wisdom or should they embrace millions of new little revelations given around the world every year in the form of mindless babblings.

That there are good Christian people who practice this stuff is without question.

But that this is a blight on the reputation of Christianity in this culture and around the world is, in my opinion, equally without question.

That this makes us look stupid in the eyes of thinking people and that this undermines the authority of the Word of God in our lives is also without question.

Isn't there a scripture that says he uses the foolish things to confound the wise?

 

[Luke2427]

Isn't there a scripture that says he uses the foolish things to confound the wise?

Yes,l and like the passages about tongues in the Bible, you need to understand it in context.

God is not using TRULY foolish things to confound the wise. He is using things the wise consider to be foolish to confound the wise.

He doesn't confound the wise by dressing all of his people up in dunce hats, crossing their eyes and causing them to speak like the snow man on Looney Toons.

He doesn't confound the wise by causing people to speak senseless jibber jabber.

He confounds the wise by the brilliance of the Gospel which is so far above them that they think it foolish.

Context.