Poll on the GIFT of TONGUES -- PLEASE VOTE!

Tongues = Languages. The People heard what the disciples were saying in their own langauge.

 

There is no question that Tongues in Acts 2 was languages.

They heard them speak in their own tongue or language.

My two cents...

 

Amen Amen and Amen

 

Acts was definitely languages.

The Corinthian letters were letters of correction. Basing a doctrine on tongues from such based on a perception of inferred meaning without substantial cross referencing is risky stuff... in fact, I think it is without foundation and dangerous.

 

I think there is some latitude on whether Paul was addressing the abuse of language gifts or some type of ecstatic tongues... incoherent jabbering really.

That kind of stuff appears in pagan cults if I am not mistaken and probably has for centuries. In fact, I seem to remember reading a commentary (MacArthur?) that indicated that this was known in Paul's time too. Wasn't that one of the quirks of the Montanists?

 

Took the words right out of my mouth!!!

Thanks, Phillip!

Bro. David

 

I have a mp3 audio file of Kenneth "Dad" Hagin speaking in counterfeit tongues in front of an audience that is just unbelievable.

On the other hand, I admire Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel, who I don't think practices this sort of thing in that way. IMHO, supernatural gifts are given by the Holy Spirit today, but are relatively rare and are given for a specific purpose, when needed. As such, they are not the possession of the believer to do with them whatever they will. And these gifts rarely have anything to do with tongues.

 

I think that if the gift of tongues has completey ceased today than the 1 Corinthians passages dealing with them pose a problem (aka they aren't useful to us and that contradicts 1 Timothy which sats ALL Scripture is useful). That's why I voted as I did. I voted the second option.

 

Scripture says tongues are for a sign to them which believe not.
Scripture also says that the Jews are always seeking signs.

Scripture makes it clear that the episode in Acts 2 was a sign to unbelieving Jews validating the Resurrection and the Truth of the Gospel. 3000 believed the message and the validating sign from God and were saved that day.

As one follows the history of the book of Acts, one can readily see that tongues faded while the preaching of the Cross took pre-eminence.

The situtation in Corinth was an enigma. It was a predominantly Gentile church but there were Jews living in that "international" city who most likely influenced the Gentiles. It is probable that these Jews witnessed the episode in Acts 2 since many foreign Jews were present, (remember?).
It would only be human nature to want to seem "spiritual" by imitating the gift.

Another influence would of course be the common pagan practice of excstatic utterances. Gentile converts would naturally be swayed by these influences.

I think all these realities explain why it was that Paul would give clear regulations for excercising the "gift". As you read the Epistle you can discern Paul's concern that the "gift" be not corrupted nor abused, thereby causing "confusion" in the church.

In light of what actually happened, tongues are NOT for today, even in the deepest darkest jungle for there are no Jews who are ignorant of the gospel.

Though it MAY happen on a rare occurance, I would like to see documentation AND evidence of salvations are the direct result of such an occurance.

BTW: I did not vote. I could not find any option I could agree with, since I came out of that mess of charismania. (To coin a term)

In HIS service;
Jim

 

The use of "tongues" on the day of Pentecost brought the Gospel to many unbelievers - and through hearing in their own languages, many became believers. The self-edifying use of "tongues" today is not used at all in the biblical sense, but rather as a means of making one appear more holy than another.

 

Paul's usual method was to go to the synagogues of Asia Minor and preach there to the Jews and proselytes and then to the gentiles.

The Jews required a sign which God in His sovereignty provided. Tongues was one of those sign gifts.

While the Temple in Jerusalem stood and the Apostles walked the earth, signs continued.

After the destruction of the Temple biblical Judaism ceased (Judaism today is talmudic) today the Gospel goes out to Jew and gentile alike with no signs apart from the completed revelation of the Word of God and in particular the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the sins of His people.

HankD

 

Tongues ceased with the Apostles deaths or maybe earlier. Tongues involved elements of known language in Acts 2, but not clearly so anywhere else. The people in Acts were drawn together as a result of the tongues speaking (not ears hearing) but the message was preached by Peter, probably in Aramaic. The audience was multi-lingual.

People who can speak three languages are tri-lingual. People who can speak two languages are bi-lingual. People who can speak only one language are North-American!

Paul laid down clear guidelines for the exercise of tongues in 1Cor 14. I have NEVER known of a Charismatic group to make it past even the first three...

1Cor 14:27-28, “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.”

1) No more than two or three
2) In order, succession, not simultaneous
3) One must interpret or no tongues

There are other guidelines, but I have never seen any charismatic group make it past these first three.

I will not say that God cannot do it. I will say that generally the gift of tongues ceased with the completion of the NT. Not the canonization of the NT, but the completion of the NT (1Cor 13). All the sign gifts ceased at that time.

My position is that tongues may have involved ecstatic utterances, or else why was there a need for a “gift of interpretation” instead of just someone who spoke the language? I believe they have ceased today. They were never used for evangelization in the NT. They were used for AUTHENTICATION of the apostolic authority.