Friday

Speaking in tongues stories

One summer night Louie and Mel set to over the issue of speaking in tongues, Louie arguing that this manifestation of the Spirit was to be sought earnestly, Mel holding that it was a miraculous gift given to the early church but not given by God today. I forget the Scripture verses each of them brought forward to defend his position, but I remember the pale faces, the throat-clearing, the anguished looks, as those two voices went back and forth, straining at the bit, giving no ground - the poisoned courtesy ("I think my brother is overlooking Paul's very clear message to the Corinthians?," "Perhaps my brother needs to take a closer look, a prayerful look, at this verse in Hebrews?") as the sun went down, neighbor children were called indoors, the neighbors turned out their lights, eleven o'clock came - they wouldn't stop!

"Perhaps," Grandpa offered, "it would be meet for us to pray for the Spirit to lead us," hoping to adjourn, but both Louie and Mel felt that the Spirit had led, that the Spirit had written the truth in big black letters - if only some people could see it.

The thought of Uncle Louie speaking in tongues was fascinating to me. Uncle Louie worked at the bank, he spoke to me mostly about thrift and hard work. What tongue would he speak? Spanish? French? Or would it sound like gibberish? Louie said that speaking in tongues was the true sign, that those who believed heard and to those who didn't it was only gabble - what if he stood up and said, "Feemalator, jasperator, hoo ha ha, Wamalamagamanama, zis boom bah!" and everyone else said, "Amen! That's right, brother! Praise God!" and I was the only one who said, "Huh?"

- Garrison Keillor, "Protestant," Lake Woebegon Days

For the last 20 years, between 7 and 9 percent of Americans have spoken in tongues - but almost the same percentage said the practice is evidence of demonic possession.
- Bernard Katz, "Quoteline and Commentaries," The American Rationalist, July/Aug. 1998

Michael Trofimov pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the murder of his father. Trofimov, who had recently joined a religious group, was found was his hands around his father's neck "speaking in tongues and screaming for God." His uncle said, "He was a good young man and then he started going to these [religious] meetings."
- Chuck Shepherd, John J. Kohut & Roland Sweet, More News of the Weird (1990)

True story: A young Pentecostal girl dared her girlfriend in church to shout out some nonsense syllables just to see if someone would stand up and "interpret the tongue." So the girl shouted, "coca-cola, coca-cola, coca-cola" and a church member promptly stood up and "interpreted the tongue" as a message from God.

Years later, I read that when the Coca-Cola company tried selling their brew in China, they discovered that the Chinese symbols that were pronounced, "Coca-Cola," meant literally, "Bite the wax tadpole." So maybe you can get a "message" out of "coca-cola, coca-cola, coca-cola," albeit a stuttering and meaningless one.
- Skip Church

As a former tongue-speaking Christian it wasn't the repetitive nature of many of the syllables I spoke that raised doubts. It was the fact that people in our group would sometimes "speak in tongues" a long time yet the "interpretation" could be quite brief. Or they would "speak in tongues" briefly and the "interpretation" came out long-winded. Folks who loved the King James Bible "interpreted tongues" in King James English, while those who loved other translations of the Bible delivered less Elizabethan-sounding "interpretations." And the messages received via this miraculous discourse were as trifling as the simplest cares and woes found in the Psalms with which everyone in the congregation was familiar - as if God didn't have anything more relevant or specific to say to us. Yet it seemed to me that if God was going to give people miraculous linguistic abilities, He'd have found far better uses to put them to.
- Skip Church

CONVERSATION ON THE "EX-TIAN" LISTSERV:
Rob Berry: I've heard that a trained listener can tell the difference between a New Yorker and a Southerner speaking in tongues, so the "tongues" spoken by an individual reflect the normal language of that individual. And a Japanese person speaking in tongues is not going to have any "L"s in their babbling.

David O. Miller: Actually this is true only for those Japanese who have never studied English. Those who have, consistantry have "L"s whele the "R"s berong and "R"s whele the "L"s berong. And that could totally change the meaning of the babbling couldn't it? Obviously, "uga-bali-raka-fulu" and "uga-bari-laka-furu" are two entirely different things, right?

Revival Centres Internation: The logo behind the logo

I speak in tounges (languages) more than you all

All I can say is like Paul, I glad that I speak in tounges more than you all

Seems like a pretty arrogant statement from Paul to address 'everyone' at Corinth and make such a bold statement. Sounds really boastful. Perhaps it doesn't mean what Revival churches have said it means. If you don't mind I'd like to put forward another slant into the melting pot for those people who like to explore ideas.
I've heard it said that Paul could have been saying that he spoke in more languages than you all. That sort of information would be more likely to be made known if he was a man who talked to a lot of people of many dialects because as we know, many races and religions were gathered in Corinth. It was a major center of trade and commerce for many peoples from many countries.
The influx of other cultures and people gave the city a bit of a mess and deviations from the gospel Paul was setting up would have likely happened in his abscence. There were church members of varying skills too, from "called to be saints" and some who were "sanctified" and "babes in Christ." etc etc. It was a church in flux.
I hope you can excuse this 'cut&paste' essay, I've tried to paraphrased and culled it as much as possible to make for easier reading, without taking too much meat from the author's intentions. Find the whole text at HERE
I Corinthians 12:13

Here the text usually translated "spiritual gifts" is one word meaning "spirituals,". "Gifts" was first inserted in the King James Version and placed in italics, as they thought it necessary to affirm it's meaning. But Paul wrote of much more than can be brought under the concept of gifts, and so "spiritual matters" is a more accurate translation of Paul's expression pneumatikon.

Paul's concern was towards their understanding of true spirituality (12:1). They had been idol worshippers and are now Christian, but some of their actions are more pagan than Christian. Paul wrote, " They were still being "led astray to dumb idols," They had lapsed into a pagan ritual, being carried away in an ecstasy until they did not know what they were doing. Paul recognized what was happening. Having begun in the Spirit they were operating after a human fashion. This would seem to be the beginning of their speaking in unknown tongues.

This form of ecstatic speaking had become a stereotype, which they claimed was evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Paul's immediate response was that the charisma of the Spirit takes many forms. There is always variety (12:4-6) seen in endowments of different kinds: "the utterance of wisdom," "the utterance of knowledge," "faith," "gifts of healing," "the working of miracles," "prophecy," "the ability to distinguish between spirits," "various kinds of tongues," "the interpretation of tongues" (12: 811). All this is done purposefully because God does not act aimlessly (12:7).

Paul extrapolated further: there are "first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues" (12:28). Not everyone is gifted in the same manner and Paul exhorts the Corinthians to "earnestly desire the highest gifts" (12: 31). When the two concepts are brought together gifts and calling- we find Paul saying that God calls selected people to the services of the church and empowers them by His Spirit. In this way they become gifted prophets, teachers, and the like.

To Paul , the true gift of speaking in tongues must be similar to the other grace gifts - a natural ability to speak, developed and improved and lifted to a new level of effectiveness by the Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit does not ignore human talents nor supplant them by something that is magical or unintelligible, He accepts them when dedicated to Him and causes them to exceed their natural limits of service and effectiveness.

Speaking in "unknown" tongues, then, would not be a true charisma or gracegift of the Spirit. The Corinthian Christians were demonstrating what had doubtless begun as a work of the Spirit but which had slipped into an emotional pattern, more human than divine, and gone out of control.

The More Excellent Way

If ignorance, or immaturity, had been the besetting sin at Corinth, instruction was needed. Paul does this as a means of control and not as a cure... for they were motivated by their own spirit (14:2), emphasizing "unknown tongues" at the expense of the grace gifts. The true evidence of the Holy Spirit is to be found, not in ecstatic speech, but in allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord (I Cor. 12:3) and in manifestations of agape, selfgiving love (I Cor. 13:47). This is why this great essay on love is dropped down in the midst of Paul's discussion of the excesses and aberrations of the Christian faith found in Corinth.

There is no indication that he considered speaking in "unknown tongues" as an overflow of the Spirit or an experience too sublime for normal expression. He emphasizes its failure to demonstrate spiritual maturity. It is a sign of spiritual childhood (14:20), and he calls the Corinthians "babes in Christ" and that they should become men (13:11). When the grace of God through the Holy Spirit touches a man's speech, it comes alive with meaning and effectiveness. It does not turn him inward upon himself, but outward toward others in love.

"Chapter 13, the great love chapter, was composed to meet the problem of 'tongues'. Love is the highest 'way' . . . Love is God's excellent and ultimate way. In contrast, tongues 'will cease' (v. 8). Love is God's endless highway; 'tongues' are a deadend street, leading nowhere."3 I Corinthians 14

St. Paul is not always uniform in his use of words. For instance, the same Greek word (pneuma) is used for the Holy Spirit, the human spirit, and for spirit having the connotation of a mood, quality or inclination. He also uses three different words which are translated "tongues" in most versions of the New Testament. They are dialekton, glossa and phonon. The second is used almost exclusively in the present chapter (14). The last is used to denote mere sound, while the other two are used to denote a language which is peculiar to a people and distinct from that of another. Wherever another meaning is intended it must be seen from the context. Thus glossa always means a language unless another meaning is signified. Paul indicated his meaning in the present usage by offering an analogy to the tongues at Corinth.

When a bugler blows an uncertain military call, the soldiers do not know whether to turn in for the night or fall in for battle (v. 8). From this we draw three premises: the speaking in tongues at Corinth was unintelligible (v. 13), it should not be supposed that glossa as Paul used it always means unknown tongues, and the purpose of speaking should always be communication. Whether in prayer or song (v. 15), praise (v. 17), or in public address (v. 27), one should make use of his mind as well as his inner spirit (v. 15) and it should be done for the purpose of mutual edification (v. 26).

Certain phrases in this chapter have become pillars of the doctrine and practice of unknown tongues. They are: "I want you all to speak in tongues" (v. 5); "If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful" (v. 14); "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all" (v. 18). "Do not forbid speaking in tongues" (v. 39); "In the law it is written 'By men of strange tongues and by lips of foreigners will I speak to this people' " (v. 21).

That All Speak in Tongues

In what kind of tongues did Paul wish the Christians to speak? Certainly not the kind in which people cursed Christ, neither that which was demonstrated when no one was able to understand what was supposed to be said (14:2), and which the speakers themselves did not understand, because they were advised to pray for the ability to interpret or translate (14:13). Only God could understand them (14:2). Those who prophesied or preached encouraged and edifled the church, while the tongue speaking was consumed upon the speakers (14:34). It is quite evident that Paul wished his converts to use the kind of speech which could be understood.

Praying in the Spirit

Paul's reference to praying "in a tongue" (14:14) is taken by many as evidence that he prayed in a unknown tongue, and Romans 8:26 is used to support the concept that praying in the Spirit and praying in an unknown tongue are the same. But in the first instance Paul is speaking hypothetically, and in the second there is no reference to tongues whatsoever. He emphasized praying with the understanding as well as within one's spirit (14:15).

Did Paul Speak in Unknown Tongues?

"I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all." This phrase follows closely upon the statement that, if one expresses his thanksgiving with meaningless emotions, the hearers aren't built up in the art of Christian praise. The exclusiveness of the Corinthian manner of religious expression (unknown tongues) made them feel superior to those who did not speak that way (14:36). And so Paul decided to boast a little for himself You speak in a tongue which no one can understand and are proud of yourselves; but I speak in languages more than all of you; and five words that I speak intelligently to instruct others is worth more than 10,000 words of what you utter unintelligibly for your own sakes.

Paul could say this because he spoke Hebrew, Greek, Latin and probably Aramaic. Also, he had communicated the gospel to multitudes more than all of them put together. And so to credit Paul with speaking in unknown tongues is quite out of keeping with what we know of him and his stress on intelligent speech and the moral and spiritual effects of the Spirit's work. Forbid Not to Speak in Tongues

Doubtless it was not always possible to ascertain in the Corinthian church whether a strange speech was a true language or not, because of the multilingual character of the changing congregation. To forbid all speaking except what the leaders could understand would have been unfair to visitors.

Funny Youtubing Tongues debunkers

If this guy(the one speaking audibly)-(apparently on the side of the screen-) doesnt and never has believed in Jesus, where is this "tongues" ability from? and then... what if he does become a Christian and want the pentecostal "tongues"? This looks exacly the same as that!How do u know the difference? Is it REALLY THE PROOF of Jesus' Holy SPIRIT living in you?So what do u think of that UPC and Revival and other tongues-for-salvation people?

If this is really an example of mindless "tongues" -(eg- not knowing what u said while u spoke it-)then it looks just like- or even MORE legitimate then a lot of "tongues" Ive seen! If that is really" tongues" and u dont believe in Jesus as your Saviour and never did- then here's proof ( along with Emily's "speakin in tongues" (also on u tube)-it proves that "tongues" is not proof that one has the Holy Spirit from God.

If you like this video clip, watch ehenocha- " I speak in tongues." She raises a totally valid point about "tongues" not necessarily being from God.

LOL I felt something! It sounded like an orgasm in hebrew! FUNNY! And so true. I've always taken "tongues" to mean languages ACTUALLY spoken on EARTH between people. In 'ACTS' the apostles speak in tongues - and the towns folk say something like "Hey, look at these guys, they're speaking my native language, but aren't they simple locals?"

Quite franky, when people speak in tongues they are just being freaky

Thursday

Lisa Gerrard uses "her own" language.

Lisa Gerrard sings in what some christians might call 'tongues'. She sings in her own language - it's that simple!
Lisa Gerrard uses "her own" language.

Lisa Gerrard's lyrics in "Now We Are Free" have no language known to man. She uses her own "language" or glosalalia, similar to what young children use to talk or sing or what some pentecostal groups use to pray. At least this is how LG has described her process in many interviews. She has said she makes up the words as she goes along. Sort of like Jazz vocalists when they scat sing. My impression is that she finds doing this doesn't hamper the listener's ability to add their own experience with the song itself - words get in the way, kind of like now, for example.
I verified this in Lisa Gerrard's homepage.
Her stuff gets a tad repetitive after awhile for some (I myself find it absolutely beautiful, but then I'm a crazy Enya fan) you might recall her stuff in the sound tracks of a few movies - namely "the gladiator'....she from Melbourne originally - imagine her as a 'pub act'....but that's how she started out.
She's not a christian in case anyone wants to know...She borrows her sound from a wide range of ideas..including the arabic styles - yep Muslim culture.

Check it out ...it might intrigue you. I don't think she's singing in the same tongues as the revivalists/penties...but even the Revivalists weren't as weird as some other church groups who encourage singing in tongues. Of course to sing in the spirit (in Chartdoctor's view) would be to sing in tongues as if that's the only way to spiritually sing.
I think its a bloody good example of how the 'act' can be done by anyone who trains themselves in this very unsupernatural and extremely over-rated gift(?)

"The words are in my own internal language, and mean more than I could ever explain,"
The phonemes one uses when one sings, regardless of their meaning, alter the musical shading and tone quality of one's voice. We have to put our tongues in different positions, tighten or loosen different parts of our throats, change the shape of the inside of our mouth, close or open our lips, etc. For example, if I am singing "feet" my voice is going to sound very different than if I am singing "wow" at the same pitch and volume. As a violinist, I can tell you that the angle at which the bow touches the string, the pressure of the violinist's fingers, even the angle at which the instrument faces (or doesn't face) the audience are all used for different musical effects.
Well, a singer's instrument is her body. When she's singing predetermined words, she is limited in how she can alter the timbre and tone quality of her words. For example, she might want the bell-like clarity that can be achieved when producing an "oh" sound, but she if she's singing the word "please," she's just going to have to attempt the best she can with that vowel sound, despite the fact that it's a high, tense, front vowel. On the other hand, if she's not singing predetermined words, but rather shaping the sound the way an instrumentalist does, she's free to sing "oh" went she wants a more clear, open sound, or "ee" if she wants a more constrained, higher tension vowel sound. If she wants an emphatic, staccato sound, she can put in "t" sounds or "p" sounds.

Borat meets friends of mr. jesus

Non Christian people speak in tongues too!

The Oracle at Delphi, for instance, started in the 400s BC, when Greece was at its strongest. It continued into the Roman era as if it was a parody of its former self, so the members of the churches of Greece and Asia Minor would have been very familiar with how Delphi worked. It was a shrine of the Greek god Apollo. In response to someone's questions, a priestess would go into a frenzy and start babbling. An attendant priest would then 'translate' the babble into some glittering generalities that could in some way be understood as an answer. Some of the best-known features of Greek philosophy streamed out from the Oracle's early years (for instance, it bred the saying "Know Yourself"); the great Greek philosophers were very good at finding jewels in waste water. The cult of Dionysis used rhythmic music, whirling dances, alcohol and/or herbal drugs, and magic spells to send peoples' souls out of their body (Greek ek stasis ) and into the presence of whatever deity or sub-deity was involved; this too sometimes caused strange sounds.

African animists, too, have long had ecstatic speech in their religions. But, just as glossolalia among Jews marked one as a prophet, glossolalia caused most African animists to foist onto the speaker the role of religious leader or priest, a heavy spiritual and cultural responsibility to lay upon an unprepared person. Wherever they have happened in the past, glossolalia and other extraordinary 'spiritual' happenings have not been, and have not really been allowed to be, a thing 'of the people', which could be a part of the otherwise-normal life of otherwise-ordinary people.

Deep in the gnostic book-hoard at Nag Hammadi, archaeologists discovered what may be the earliest, and perhaps one of the strangest, written instances of glossolalia. (Gnosticism arose at the same time as Christianity, and Gnostics were skilled at melding Christian devotions and spirituality to the un-Christian Gnostic framework -- to use a modern term, they tried to 'co-opt' Christianity.) While modern theologians give the unusual contents at Nag Hammadi much more attention than they deserve, a prayer introduction in *The Gospel Of the Egyptians* is a true attention-grabber. It reads roughly (very roughly) like this :
Ié ieus éó ou éó óua! O Jesus, bond of Yah's righteousness, O Living Water, O Child of Child, O glorious Name! Really truly, O Eon that is, iiii éééé eeee oo uuuu óóóó aaaaa, really truly éi aaaa óó óó! O One That Is, Seer Of the Ages! Really truly, aee ééé iiii uuuuuu óóóóóóóó, You who are eternally eternal, really truly iéa aió, in the heart, You who Are, You are what You are, ei o ei eios ei!

Even the translatable words are very iffy and full of vowels and mixed languages. Like modern glossolalia, it's got a lot of almost-words, divine titles, and 'really truly'. It's almost like a parody, it's so garbled, but it was serious in its intent. The ecstatic speech did not make the book's bizarre beliefs the slightest bit more true.

INDIGO CHILDREN - STAR LANGUAGE Recently on Safron's show, 'Speaking in Tongues', we saw one of the Indigo Children speak in her 'star' language and the audience was invited to email if they thought they could interpret it. The sound was uncannily similar to your stock standard Revival glossalalia. The rise of the Indigo Children was prophesied at the start of the century by the 'sleeping' prophet. According to the members of this new age belief, increasing in numbers around the world, people everywhere are developing new spiritual languages that has not been taught to them and are even able to understand each other. The response to safron's challenge saw a lot of emails that interpreted the STAR language successfully.

ALIEN ABDUCTEES - AURA LANGUAGE Last week on the show a guest was interviewed who had been an alien abductee. During her abductions, she was taught a healing process that involved making noises of particular frequencies in order to manipulate a person's aura thereby restoring balance and healing the body. Guess what the weird language she spoke in sounded like. Hmmm, perhaps when people are praying in tongues for healing they are actually accessing their own bodies normal aura frequencies.

DOES ALL OF THIS SOUND CRAZY TO YOU? It should! The point is, it that any wacko can do the tongue thing. (no offence to indigo children or alien abductees - you have as much right to your beliefs and experiences as any religion... I just think you're all a little kooky... azyoodo). Many would say that Satan mimics God's miracles (even though there is no biblical example of Satanic tongues), that being the case if believed, then anyone who can speak in tongues needs to undergo further investigation by Revivalists to see if they are actually God tongues or Satan tongues... perhaps you should look for other things in a person (showing love for one another etc... hmmm?). Seems the tongues sign can't really be totally trusted since even E.T. can do it.

Tongues - An Unsound Evidence of Salvation

By Nick Greer

"as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination ... Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.'" (Acts 16:16-18)

Acts 16 is a deep Scripture - deceptively simple, but one of those scriptures we come across from time to time that is bursting with meaning beneath the surface. Paul was much annoyed with this girl who had a 'spirit of divination'. Let's look at those words. In Greek, she had a pneu'ma py'tho·na, or literally, "a spirit of python". The NRSV Harper-Collins Study Bible notes of Acts 16:

"Spirit of divination, lit. 'a spirit of the Python,' which was associated with the Delphic oracle."
The Python was a mythical beast which guarded the Oracle of Delphi, near Corinth. At the Oracle of Delphi, travellers would congregate to hear a prophecy of the future for themselves or their country. According to some historians, the Pythoness (priestess) would cry out in unintelligible sounds which were interpreted by another person to form ambiguous verses. To have a spirit of the Python would be to be like the Pythoness - it would be someone who was filled with the demonic spirit of the oracle... someone who would prophecy by crying out in unintelligible sounds!

And as such, there is scriptural evidence in Acts 16 for false tongues. That is not to say that all tongues are wrong. While Paul excorcised this slave girl in Acts from the spirit of the Python, he himself spoke in tongues, and was glad of the experience (1.Cor.14:18).
...
What have we learned from the experience of the slave girl? When someone 'speaks in tongues' we cannot be sure that they have salvation, becuase tongues is not a solely Christian phenomenon. According to Professor Maja-Lisa Swartz of the Helsinki University, after her research of the Tanzanian tribes people, "speaking in tongues is nothing specific for the Christian religion. It appears in all religions and is no guarantee for what type of spirit it is that the speaker is speaking for".
...
For example, John MacArthur writes, in Charismatic Chaos, "Ecstatic speech is a part of many pagan religions in Africa, East Africa. Tonga people of Africa, when a demon is exorcised, sing in Zulu even though they say they don't know the Zulu language. Ecstatic speech is found today among Muslims, Eskimos, Tibetan monks. It is involved in parapsychological occult groups. Did you know that the Mormons, even Joseph Smith himself advocates speaking in tongues? ...." An Encyclopædia of Occultism says, "Speaking and writing in foreign tongues, or in unintelligible outpourings mistaken for such, is a very old form of psychic phenomenon."

Continued at http://rc.cutlweb.net

Indigo Children speaking STAR language

On John Safran's talk show they had a guest on who identified herself as an Indigo Child. They are part of a worldwide group of 'New Age' believers that believe mankind has been experiencing a new step in evolution as significant as the time we waddled out of the water and grew legs (yep, that sounds as studid to me as the Indigo Children).

These spiritually enlightened people started morphing into this new stage of evolution around about 1980 and was predicted by the famous sleeping prophet (1920s) as a people who would attain a new spiritual language called STAR Language. They are also very asceptable to seeing your aura and reading your emotions.

This particular Indigo child testifies to recieving a language and when coming into contact with other Indigo children and speaking this new language, the other Indigo children could understand them. Last night on the show John asked her to speak into the camera and he then invited the audience to e-mail in their interpretations to see if there were indigo children who could interpret the language. The challenge was to find people who interpreted the message in the same way.

When she spoke in her STAR language I nearly fell off my seat. It was exactly the same as the "ladashasumdiddy-yar hoolashoola yeekidddiiyaya" we heard every meeting in Revival. It seems that either new agers are being filled with the same Spirit as the Revivalers... or... it's the sort of sound string anyone makes when they pretend to make up a language.

Just thinking.. Robert Deniro did it in 'Cape Fear' too ... and that girl in the movie 'Saved' - they must have the magic language too.. or are they just able actors? ... or Indigo Children speaking STAR.

Is Speaking in Tongues Valid and Biblical Today?

This study suggests that the gift of tongues ceased a long time ago...

In many 'Charismatic' and Pentecostal churches today we see the phenomena of 'speaking in tongues' whereby people are told that when they are very spiritual and are baptized by the Holy Spirit, this is EVIDENCED by being able to 'SPEAK IN TONGUES' which they say is a 'heavenly prayer language which offers praise to the Lord! Anyone who doesn't 'speak in tongues' if left to feel not as 'spiritual' as those who do speak in tongues! Is this true? Are tongues for today and is it a sign or evidence of being baptized by the Holy Spirit? Or are people being seriously MISLEAD? What does the Bible say about tongues and this so-called 'tongues movement'? As we look at tongues in the Bible we see in Acts 2 in the early days of the Church, tongues appeared as one of the 'sign gifts' that the Lord gave to certain people in which they were supernaturally able to speak in known earthly languages without going to school to learn them. They used this ability to speak the gospel to the foreigners who had gathered at Jerusalem during the yearly Passover. The languages are listed in Acts 2:8-12! It is not some 'heavenly' angel language at all! For example, it would be like me being able supernaturally to speak the German language to a German man so I could give the gospel to him so he could take it back to his people. You see, in the early days of Acts, God was trying to get this new 'Gospel' out to the world. There was no completed bible yet, nor any media outlets such as radio, TV, or even newspapers! God used tongues and other of the 'sign gifts' to bring attention to this new program He was starting...the Church! Once the bible began to be completed (around about AD 60), these sign gifts, including TONGUES, were done away with and CEASED. (1 Corinthians 8-10) With this background, we also see that God gave certain guidelines for the use of tongues in those early church days as described in 1 Corinthians 14. Isn't it strange that charismatic groups today don't even follow these guidelines that Paul gave? We learn several things about the gift of tongues from the Bible when it was present and available during the early years of the church. In the church services in that day, an interpreter MUST be present or the tongues person must remain QUIET! (1 Cor. 14:27, 28)…and only 3 at the most could speak during a service and then only one at a time…and women were not to speak in tongues AT ALL! (v. 34) Do those speaking in tongues in churches TODAY follow these guidelines? If not, why not? Paul indeed said in 1 Cor. 14: 39 to forbid not those who had the gift of tongues to use it because when Paul wrote those words around AD 50 tongues was still present! Tongues did cease according to church history, and now have only come ‘back to life’ in the last 100 years when women preachers in the Holiness movement began to claim to have the gift and claimed it was a secret prayer language only angels and God could understand (yet wasn’t Satan an angel??). This can not be backed up in the Bible, for tongues in Acts 2 and 1 Cor. 12-14 were known earthly languages (see Acts 2:8-10)! Tongues was NOT a sign of “SPIRITUALITY” to other believers, but was a sign to unsaved UNBELIEVERS of judgment to come because the Jews had not obeyed God! (1 Cor. 14:22). Read this verse! It clearly says that TONGUES is not a SIGN to other BELIEVERS of one's spirituality, but it is a SIGN to unsaved, unbelieving Jews that Judgment is coming! Charismatics clearly deny this plain Scripture because it is obvious they imply that speaking in tongues is mark of spirituality! I challenge anyone to look at every instance of tongues in the Bible and you will see it is always a sign to people that because they have disobeyed God, judgment is coming! Tongues is found in 5 instances in the Bible and it is always a sign that the Jews had disobeyed God! Tongues would then come as “foreign languages” as a sign of judgment and dispersion would soon come. Study carefully the following 5 examples and you must agree:
(1) Gen. 9:1; 11:4-8 - Here God instructs the people to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. Instead, the people disobey and get involved in Astrology and Occultic worship at Babel and even build a tower for satanic worship. God confounds their languages (sends 'tongues' so to speak) and scatters them throughout the earth. (2) Deut. 28:1-62 -in this passage we see God instructing the people to serve and follow Him. If not he will send foreign armies 'whose TONGUE thou shalt not understand’ (Deut.28:49). This is exactly what happened!
(3) Jeremiah 4:1; 5:3-19 - Here God instructs the people to 'return unto me' (4:1) or He will send foreign language or tongues of enemy nations to scatter and disperse them..a "nation whose LANGUAGE thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say". They were dispersed and taken as slaves to 'serve strangers' in another land! (5:19). This was the Babylonian captivity as told in the Old Testament!
(4) Isaiah 28:10-13 -Here again God warns the people to come back to Him, lest more judgment come and enemy nations speaking with 'stammering lips and another tongue' shall come in judgment and dispersion will follow. We see this did happen and we have the 'lost tribes' of Northern Israel to this day!
(5) Matthew. 11:28, 23:37; 1 Cor. 12-14; Luke 21:24 is the example of tongues in the New Testament. Here Jesus instructs the Jewish nation to go throughout the world preaching the Gospel and making disciples. The Jewish nation as a whole, especially it religious leaders, disobey and even crucify Jesus! Therefore, we see TONGUES in the Book of Acts as a sign of judgment to come to the Jews. Recall in this last example of tongues in the NT, how tongues were spoken and judgment soon came in 70 AD when Roman General Titus destroyed Jerusalem and Israel was scattered as the 12 lost tribes all over the world. Anyone who carefully studies CHURCH HISTORY will have to acknowledge that TONGUES did disappear for 2000 years! Look at the church history books and you will not find examples of people speaking in tongues in the Church! Why? Because this is what the Bible said would happen! In 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 scripture clearly says when 'that which is PERFECT is come, that which is IN PART shall be done away with'. Now, my friend, what is the only perfect thing on this earth today? It is God's Word. Would you agree? When the Bible began to be completed at around the 2nd half of the first century, history testifies that TONGUES did cease! Strangely, tongues did not come back onto the scene until some holiness women preachers, and notably Agnes Osman, began speaking in TONGUES at the turn of this century! And now they claim it was a heavenly 'prayer language' which clearly it WAS NOT in all the examples in the bible before! World-known expert on the occult, Kurt Koch, who had devoted his life to studying the occult and witchcraft, makes the following AMAZING statement about the modern day tongues movement in his book OCCULT ABC p.207: “tongues and the so-called Charismatic Movement are the most dangerous weapons Satan is using against the Christian Camp….” Amazing statement? Consider the following:
(1) The Tongues Movement places ‘EXPERIENCE’ over and above the Bible! If you’ve spoken in tongues…it doesn’t matter what you believe or what the Bible says…to most Charismatics! My friend, the devil can give experiences…(2 Cor 11:13-15; 2 Thess. 2:9-11) and even do miracles!
(2) The Tongues Movement claims to receive visions and tongues messages, which would ‘add to’ the Word of God! If it is not adding to the Bible, why do we need the ‘tongues message’ since we have the Bible in front of us?
(3) The origin and background of the Tongues Movement is saturated with false teaching…as it still is today. The Tongues Movement teaches salvation can be lost; it places women in positions of authority over men and places them as pastors in churches teaching men when the Bible forbids it! (1 Tim. 2:12) It promotes the ecumenical movement and yoking up with pastors and churches that teach false plans of salvation. Charismatic “Tongues” churches are big members of the very Liberal National and World Council of Churches. In the last years WCC meeting prayer was led to the mother goddess “Sophia”!!
(4) It can cause believers without the gift to feel ‘second class’…and has caused many to become discouraged to the point of becoming ‘shipwreck in the faith’ and drop out of church completely…especially if sham and hypocrisy is seen in the ‘leaders’ and those who claim to ‘have the gift’…(1 Tim. 1:19)
(5) It makes tongues speaking the mark of true spirituality, rather than winning lost souls to the Lord! It causes many to miss the true spiritual life and sidetracks people from the main objective of winning lost souls!
(6) The Tongues Movement has lead to indecent activity and even immorality as married women and young girls “roll” in the floor uncontrollably as they are ‘slain in the spirit’, even to the point where “modesty blankets” are needed to cover the ladies! (1 Cor. 13:5)…But most seriously, it can open one up to DEMONIC & OCCULTIC INVOLVEMENT! You’ll notice in 1 Cor. 14:27-34 ones spiritual gift COULD BE CONTROLLED! For someone to be SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT to the point they are unconsciously laying prostate on the floor, to me is OF utmost DANGER if that is not the HOLY SPIRIT doing that! Always in the Bible the Believer had full consciousness and control of himself or herself! There is absolutely NO example of today’s so-called being ‘SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT’ in the Bible except for DEMONIC involvement! We at Gospel Center agree with Kurt Koch’s assessment above and WARN every Christian to STAY AWAY from the modern-day Charismatic Movement no matter how nice and sincere the members of these churches might be! It is wrong. It is dangerous. These folks, we believe, are badly deceived.
(7) TONGUES have left DEVASTATION whenever it has entered a church. A split almost always results with years of work in a Bible-believing church down the drain over night! If you will check one history of Charismatic church in your neighborhood, I challenge you to discover that most were started as a result of a split from a Bible-believing church where heartache and devastation was the result. I dare you to discover most Charismatic churches got their members from another church due to a split the majority of the time, rather than a few believers starting from scratch as most Baptist churches start out! (1 Cor. 1:10) God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33) and declares all things be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40)…Two commands which we believe are not followed very closely in most “Tongues” churches today.
We believe it is a shame for Christians to be seeking Spiritual Gifts that are not even available today and neglecting the Spiritual Gift God has given us to use for His Glory! God has given each of us some gift and ability to serve the Lord. We need to get busy using it to serve the Lord instead of seeking something that doesn't exist!

Tuesday

glossolalia

Glossolalia is fabricated, meaningless speech.

According to Dr. William T. Samarin, professor of anthropology and linguistics at the University of Toronto,

glossolalia consists of strings of meaningless syllables made up of sounds taken from those familiar to the speaker and put together more or less haphazardly .... Glossolalia is language-like because the speaker unconsciously wants it to be language-like. Yet in spite of superficial similarities, glossolalia fundamentally is not language (Nickell, 108).

When spoken by schizophrenics, glossolalia are recognized as gibberish. In charismatic Christian communities glossolalia is sacred and referred to as "speaking in tongues" or having "the gift of tongues." In Acts of the Apostles, tongues of fire are described as alighting on the Apostles, filling them with the Holy Spirit. Allegedly, this allowed the Apostles to speak in their own language but be understood by foreigners from several nations.

Glossolalics behave in various ways, depending on the social expectations of their community. Some go into convulsions or lose consciousness; others are less dramatic. Some seem to go into a trance; some claim to have amnesia of their speaking in tongues. All believe they are possessed by the Holy Spirit and the gibberish they utter is meaningful. However, only one with faith and the gift of interpretation is capable of figuring out the meaning of the meaningless utterances. Of course, this belief gives the interpreter unchecked leeway in "translating" the meaningless utterances. Nicholas Spanos notes: "Typically, the interpretation supports the central tenets of the religious community" (Spanos, 147).

Uttering gibberish that is interpreted as profound mystical insight by holy men is an ancient practice. In Greece, even the priest of Apollo, god of light, engaged in prophetic babbling. The ancient Israelites did it. So did the Jansenists, the Quakers, the Methodists, and the Shakers.

There is evidence that while speaking in tongues people experience a sharp decrease in frontal lobe function, the area of the brain that enables reason and self-control. There is also increased activity in the parietal region of the brain, which takes sensory information and tries to create a sense of self relating to the world. Psychiatrist Andrew Newberg, Director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania, studied five African-American Pentecostal women who frequently speak in tongues. As a control activity, Newberg had the women sing gospel tunes while moving their arms and swaying.*

Newberg gave the Pentecostals an intravenous injection of a radioactive tracer that allowed him to measure blood flow and "see" which brain areas were most active during the behaviors. Newberg and his associates published their findings in the November 2006 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. During glossolalia, the part of the brain than normally makes a person feel in control was essentially shut down. The findings make sense, says Newberg, because speaking in tongues involves giving up control and feeling a "very intense experience of how the self relates to God."*

Newberg noted that the glossolalia responses were the opposite of those of people in a meditative state. When people meditate their frontal lobe activity increases, while their parietal activity decreases. In meditation, one loses the sense of self while controlling one's focus and concentration.

The Pentecostal movement seems to have originated in the 19th century,* although the Biblical basis for the practice is traced to the Acts of the Apostles. The practice of Pentecostals differs, however, from what is described in Acts. Pentecostals utter gibberish and claim that they are speaking in a language understood by God* but not by other Pentecostals, but in Acts we are told that those present not only spoke "with other tongues" but "every man heard them speak in his own language."

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. [Acts II; 1-11]

This story is supposed to support the notion that such an event really did occur and it was prophesied by Joel that this kind of thing would happen in the last days. There is nothing in Joel, however, that prophesied that, when the last days didn't come as predicted, plan B would be to wait 1900 years and have a revival and claim that when you speak gibberish it is a sign that God loves you.

See also xenoglossy.

Saturday

Christian glossolalia, properly understood, is voluntary

I have yet to find the term "prayer language" in either the Bible or in ancient Christian writers.And you would think that people who speak in tongues would have an edge with Biblical languages. But they have the same difficulty that non-glossolalics do.

"So if I'm speaking in a room where no one understands me the only one that could possibly understand me is GOD. Does that fit into the context?"

First thing He'd say is "tone it down. I'm right inside you, not across the room." - 1corinth 14:28

I would suggest that Christian glossolalia, properly understood, is voluntary. This was its practice in the New Testament, where it is seldom if ever characterized as "ecstatic" in the popular sense of the term.In fact, regulations are laid down by the Apostle Paul for the public exercise of glossolalia in which he takes pains to tell people not to exceed three utterances in a tongue because it defeats the goal of the rational edification of those in attendance at gatherings.

Paul gives his own example as one heavily devoted to the practice and discusses how he of his own volition can choose to either speak/sing "in the spirit" or in the vernacular, as it were. You can read about this in First Corinthians chapter 14 if so inclined.

To tie speaking in tongues to the term "ecstatic" clouds the issue in my opinion and we do not typically see "uncontrolled" overwrought tongues speaking in the New Testament.

Full disclosure: I am a charismatic Christian and have been around this for 25 years +. Most people I know who speak in tongues do this voluntarily as and when they so choose and usually tongues is taught to be a volitional act under the control of the speaker who can "turn it on and off" at will.

Thursday

Overview:

"Speaking in tongues" forms a major part of Charismatic and Pentecostal Christian life.

There is a common belief among Pentecostals, Charismatics, and some other Christians the Holy Spirit, within the believer, uses glossolalia _1,2(speaking in tongues) as a method of talking to God the Father in heaven. i.e. two Persons of the Trinity communicate through the believer. Some support this concept with the text of Romans 8:26 which says that the Holy Spirit makes intercessions for us with God with groanings that words cannot express. The "groanings" phrase may mean that these intercessions cannot be spoken in the words of a human language, but only when the individual is in a state of religious ecstasy and speaking in the language of God.

Conservative Christian groups generally teach that believers are "saved" or "born again" when they repent of their sins and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior. Some denominations teach that, at the time that they area saved, or slightly later, the believer will be "baptized of the Holy Spirit." One manifestation of this baptism is the gift of speaking in tongues (aka glossolalia).

Author Tom Brown writes: "Theologians often confuse the baptism in the Holy Spirit with salvation. They often regard these two experiences as being the same...The Bible does not teach this. The Bible clearly teaches that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate experience from salvation and comes after a person is saved, although it can occur at the time of salvation." ₃

For example: The "SALVATION: Heaven on Earth" web site says: "Anyone who is saved is ready to receive [the Holy Spirit]...[Later] when you are Baptised in the Holy Spirit, you too will speak in tongues." ₄ This gift of "tongues" is considered proof they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. And since only saved believers can be so baptized, speaking in tongues is proof that their religious conversion is a valid one, and that the Holy Spirit is dwelling within them.

Other denominations have different views about "tongues." Some take a neutral view. Some consider it evidence of demon possession, and conclude that the believer needs to be exorcised. Although this phenomenon plays a large role in the lives of many tens of millions of conservative Christians, little attention has been paid to it by the scientific community.

Various interpretations of two key passages in 1 Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 12:4-11: In the King James Version (KJV) of the Christian Scriptures, this passage is translated:

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Conservative Christians who are not Pentecostals often interpret verses 7 to 10 as stating that the Holy Spirit gave different gifts to various Christians, and that no one gift (such as tongues) is given to all believers. Some Pentecostals, particularly those from the United Pentecostal Church, have an alternative interpretation. They believe that there are two distinct types of the "gift of tongues":

In 1 Corinthians 14:22-28:

22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
27 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.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
(KJV)

In verse 23, St. Paul refers to the entire church coming together and speaking in tongues. Many Pentecostals interpret this verse literally: that every member of the congregation at Corinth spoke in tongues. Other Christians might consider this as an exaggeration that Paul used for literary effect. He might have meant that too many members speaking in tongues simultaneously would reduce the meeting to chaos. Any non-believers who passed by might think that the congregation was insane. He put an upper limit of three persons speaking in tongues. But if no person with the gift of interpreting was present, then there should be no speaking in tongues.

Beliefs of various Christian denominations:

Various conservative Christian denominations teach different beliefs about the connections among Salvation, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and Speaking in Tongues. See below:

Assemblies of God:

The Assemblies of God is the second largest Pentecostal denomination, with a population of about 2.5 million in the U.S. They teach that when a person trusts Jesus as Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit indwells their body. At this instant, they are saved. They are then guaranteed that upon their death, they will attain Heaven. At this time, the Holy Spirit "...convicts them of sin, [and] convinces them of righteousness..." ₅

God has promised that every believer will receive a second "ministry of the Holy Spirit called the baptism in the Holy Spirit." The results of this baptism is that the believers

	Is helped to lead a holy life.
	Becomes more attached to Jesus Christ.
	Becomes a more effective witness.
	Experiences greater joy in spiritual service.
	Becomes more aware of their mission to the world. ₅
	Receives a "flow of spiritual gifts." ₆
	One automatic gift at the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the ability to speak in tongues. "The baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance..." ₇

This is not necessarily a one-shot event. As believers serve the Lord, there is an consumption of their spiritual power. They interpret Ephesians 5:17-18 "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." as instructing believers to seek refilling as needed with the Holy Spirit.

They acknowledge that some saved believers have a "dynamic and life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit." ₈ Yet, their baptism in the spirit, and the flow of spiritual gifts are delayed. However, they have still been saved from eternity in Hell; they will go to Heaven. The denomination rejects the assertion by some Pentecostals that "Unless you have spoken in tongues you will not go to heaven." ₆

United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI):

The United Pentecostal Church was founded in 1945 by the merger of the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. They have a worldwide membership of about 4 million people. They interprets the "birth of the Spirit" and the "baptism of the Spirit" as synonymous terms. It is an emotionally overwhelming experience.

They teach that if a person sincerely repents of sin, and trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior, that they are saved. At that time, or more likely at some later date, they will be "baptized of the Holy Spirit," and will automatically receive from the Holy Spirit the gift of speaking "in tongues." A main reason why "God chose speaking in tongues as the initial evidence of this spiritual baptism [is that tongues are]...an objective, external evidence that recipients and onlookers can both identify with certainty." ₉

In a World Aflame Press tract ₁₀ on its home page, ₁₁ They state that: "One vital reason why God chose other tongues as the initial sign of receiving the Holy Ghost is that speaking in tongues is an immediate, external evidence. There are many other evidences of the operation of the Spirit of God in a person's life, but it is a matter of time before they are manifest...Another reason why God chose other tongues as the initial sign of receiving the Spirit is that speaking in tongues is a uniform evidence. It applies to everyone, regardless of race, culture, or language."

The UPCI web site states that speaking in tongues is "a uniform evidence" that separates the saved from the unsaved: "At Caesarea all who heard the Word were filled, and all who heard the Word spoke in tongues. If some of them had not spoken in tongues, would the Jewish Christians have accepted their experiences? Clearly not. All twelve men mentioned in Acts 19:6 had a uniform experience. If ten of the twelve had spoken in tongues and the other two had not, would Paul have believed that the two had received the Holy Ghost just as the ten? Certainly not. Paul would not have accepted their experience if they have failed to exhibit the uniform evidence." ₁₆

The UPCI's official creed states that: "John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:11, said, '...He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.' Jesus, in Acts 1:5, said, '...ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.' Luke tells us in Acts 2:4, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance. The terms 'baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire,' 'filled with the Holy Spirit,' and the 'gift of the Holy Ghost' are synonymous terms used interchangeably in the Bible. It is scriptural to expect all who receive the gift, filling, or baptism of the Holy Spirit to receive the same physical, initial sign of speaking with other tongues." ₁₇(emphasis ours)

Doug Beaumont, a professor of apologetics, comments: "The UPCI teaches that there are two major evidences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit: speaking with tongues and the fruit of the Spirit. This Spirit Baptism is not considered optional for a believer: '...the new birth, consisting of water and Spirit, was never set forth as being optional or unessential. "Ye must be born again" are the words of Jesus in John 3:7. Until a person is born of the Spirit, he cannot be called a "son" of God.' Thus, speaking in tongues is a gift that all true believers have....the UPCI...make tongue-speaking an essential ingredient in salvation and deny the baptismal formula set out by Jesus Himself." ₁₈

The gift of tongues is considered proof a person has been saved - i.e. that their religious conversion is a valid one, and that the Holy Spirit is dwelling within them.They conclude that if a person does not speak in tongues, then they have not been saved. Perhaps the person had not been truly repentant of their sins, or did not fully trust Jesus as Lord and Savior. For whatever reason, salvation was not achieved. At death, they would go to eternal punishment in Hell with the other 90% or more of the human race who are not saved. This implies that, in the opinion of the UPCI, the vast majority of Christians, and the vast majority of saved Christians will spend eternity in Hell.

Church of God of Prophecy (CGP):

This is a smaller Pentecostal denomination with a membership of about 75,000 in the U.S.

According to author Michael J. Ediger, the founder of the CGP, A.J. Tomlinson, "declare[s] emphatically that no one ever has or ever will receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost without the speaking in tongues accompanying as the evidence." ₁₉

Church of God (Cleveland):

The "Declaration of Faith" of the Church of God (headquartered in Cleveland TN) contains the following statement:

"We believe...In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost." ₂₀

Although this appears to indicate that a person who does not speak in tongues is not saved, the denomination does not consider that speaking in tongues is a requirement for salvation. Also, it is not a requirement for membership in the church.

The Salvation army:

At least one congregation of the The Salvation Army recommends that glossolalia is not appropriate during public religious services, but is to be encouraged privately. ₁₂

Orthodox Christians

"The Greek Orthodox Church does not preclude the use of Glossolalia, but regards it as one of the minor gifts of the Holy Spirit...it is a private and personal gift, a lower form of prayer. The Orthodox Church differs with those Pentecostal and Charismatic groups which regard Glossolalia as a pre requisite to being a Christian and to having received the Holy Spirit." ₁₄

Other conservative Christian denominations:

Most other conservative Christian denominations teach that speaking in tongues and other gifts of the Holy Spirit were only given to Christians during the time that the apostles were alive. They ceased permanently in the second century CE. They are not given today. They recognize the same criteria for salvation (repentance and trust in Jesus) as do the Pentecostals. But baptism of the Holy Spirit or speaking in tongues is not expected. In practice, the latter is rarely seen within their churches. Some consider speaking in tongues as evidence of demonic possession.

Liberal Christian denominations:

Many liberal churches doubt the occurrences of many of the miracles discussed in the Christian Scriptures. Some might interpret the 1st century CE experience with tongues to be simple religious myths. Others might interpret the event symbolically.

They generally interpret modern-day speaking in tongues to be a byproduct of a state of religious ecstasy, without any informational content.

Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists, and other Secularists would probably agree.

Inter-Denominational Friction over Tongues

As noted above, most conservative Christians believe that the gift of tongues was not given to all believers during the lifetimes of the apostles. They believe that some received the gift of tongues, while others received a gift of administrative competence, the ability to translate tongues, etc. No one gift was given to all believers. No one believer received all of the gifts. They also believe that these gifts were phased out after the time of the Apostles. Some even suspect that people who speak in tongues today may be demon possessed.

But Pentecostals generally feel that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given today to Christians just as they were in the 1st century CE. Further, some Pentecostals say that if a person does not speak in tongues, that they have not been truly saved. Other Pentecostals say that some individuals are saved, but never receive the gift of tongues; the decision is up to God.

Needless to say, these conflicting beliefs about tongues generates much inter-denominational ill will. Members of a Southern Baptist congregation might view members of a neighboring congregation of United Pentecostal Church International speaking in tongues. The Baptists might believe that most believers in that congregation may be demon-possessed. Meanwhile the Pentecostals, noticing that few if any of the Southern Baptists speak in tongues, might conclude that almost none of the Baptists have been truly saved; the vast majority will spend eternity being tortured in Hell without hope of relief.

A sociologist studying the phenomenon of "tongues" might compare Southern Baptists with the UPCI and conclude:

	Both groups of conservative Christians hold very similar beliefs about theology, personal behavior, sin, etc.
	Both agree that the unsaved will go to Hell for eternal punishment, while those who are saved will go to Heaven.
	Both groups believe that salvation requires a person to repent of their sins and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior.
	The vast majority of the members of both denominations believe that they have trusted Jesus and have been saved -- most as children or youths.
	The Southern Baptist Convention does not teach "tongues." Most congregations probably frown on it. Some consider it evidence of demonic possession.
	Pentecostals teach that "tongues" is a gift from God to most people -- or all person -- who is truly saved. Some consider a person who has not spoken in tongues to be unsaved. By this reasoning, almost all Southern Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, United Church members etc are unsaved and destined for Hell.
	Speaking in tongues is almost never found among Southern Baptists. Speaking in tongues is almost universally found among Pentecostals.
	Sociologists might conclude that Pentecostals speak in tongues during periods of religious ecstasy because it is expected of them. However, the individuals might well be unaware of this cause.

When Will/Did Speaking in Tongues Cease?

Circa 55 CE, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:7-10:

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

He appeared to predict, in about the middle of the 1st century CE, that at some time in his future, people will no longer prophecy or speak in tongues. There appears to be no consensus on when this will (or had) happened:

	Pentecostals and Charismatics generally believe that speaking in tongues today is as much a gift of the Holy Spirit as it was during the time of the apostles.
	Most non-Pentecostals believe that the various gifts of the spirit, including the gift of tongues, ended with the death of the last apostle. ₁₃

References:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

Glossolalia: The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary on the Bible defines glossolalia as: "the ecstatic utterance of emotionally agitated religious persons, consisting of a jumble of disjointed and largely unintelligible sounds. Those who speak in this way believe that they are moved directly by a divine spirit and their utterance is therefore quite spontaneous and unpremeditated."
C.M. Laymon, Ed., "The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary on the Bible," Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN, (1971), Page 807.
Tom Brown, "Speaking in Tongues," at: http://tbm.org/tongues.htm
"Holy Spirit Baptised with Bible Evidence," at: http://bornagain.port5.com/tongues.htm
"Assemblies of God Beliefs," at: http://www.ag.org/top/beliefs/baptism_hs/baptmhs_01_distinct.cfm
"Assemblies of God Beliefs," at: http://www.ag.org/top/beliefs/baptism_hs/baptmhs_02_savedwithout.cfm
The Assemblies of God denominational home page is at: http://www.ag.org/ They have a position paper which deals with the gift of tongues at: http://www.ag.org/info/position/34-4185.htm
"Assemblies of God Beliefs," at: http://www.ag.org/top/beliefs/baptism_hs/baptmhs_09_filledwotongues.cfm
"The Gift of the Holy Ghost," at: http://www.upci.org/doctrine/Holy_Ghost.asp
Word Aflame Tract "Why did God Chose Tongues?" tract #6108 by World Aflame Press. Available at: http://www.upci.org/tracts/tongues.htm
The United Pentecostal Church International denominational home page is at: http://www.upci.org/
Campbelltown Salvation Army, "Guidelines for Salvationists: Speaking in Tongues," at: http://www.pastornet.net.au/salvcamp/tounge1.htm
"Ellery," "Speaking in Tongues Today-From God?" a contribution to the discussion group "Watchtower Review", posted on 1997-OCT-1 at: http://www.serve.com/larryi/messages/4791.html
Fr. George Nicozisin, "Speaking In Tongues: An Orthodox Perspective," at: http://www.goarch.org/access/orthodoxy/speaking_in_tongues.html
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/8255/spirit.html
"Why Did God Choose Tongues?," UPCI, undated, at: http://www.upci.org/doctrine/tongues.asp
"The Official Creed of: United Pentecostal Church International UPCI," at: http://www.bible.ca/cr-United-Pentecostal-(upci).htm
"The United Pentecostal Church," at: http://www.souldevice.org/upci.htm
Michael Ediger, "The Church of God of Prophecy," Darkness to Light, at: http://www.dtl.org/dtl/article/c-g-p.htm
Declaration of Faith, Church of God, at: http://www.churchofgod.cc/declaration_of_faith.cfm

Tuesday

Effusion in Ephesus: An exposition of Acts chapter 19

The website Please Consider is not connected with this blog, neither are its authors, but I would refer you to it for more information on this topic.

This 'Effusion' essay is the fourth, and final essay, in a series that seeks to interact with the book of Acts. Specifically, these four are offered as a corrective to the Revivalist position concerning the direct and (some would argue) indirect ‘tongues’ passages recorded in Luke’s historiography. Consequently it is recommended that Tongues in the Temple, Acts 2:38, The Spirit and Samaria, and Gentiles and Grace be read preliminary to this account, and preferably in that order.

Monday

Russell's Teapot

Sunday

An Overview of Spiritual Gifts

Please refer to An Overview of Spiritual Gifts

Tongues in the Temple: An exposition of Acts chapter 2

Please refer to Tongues in the Temple: An exposition of Acts chapter 2

Fifteen Other Salvation Accounts From Acts

An Examination of Salvation in the Book of Acts

Introduction

When discussing 'salvation experiences' from the Scriptures, Revivalist groups almost universally focus on a select few accounts from the book of Acts (generally Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10 and Acts 19). These selected texts are then presented by Revivalists in a very specific manner in an endeavour to seek support for their 'all must speak in tongues doctrine'. However, it may surprise some to learn, but there are around 19 salvation related accounts in Acts^[1]. The intent of this article, then, is to provide a summary of these numerous accounts in an effort to gain an overall feel for how the author of Acts intended to portray the essence of 'becoming a Christian' as it related to the early church (for further detail on salvation, see the linked article).

The tongues accounts in Acts

First, it is important to note that there is not a single instance in the Scriptures that describes (or even implies) anyone coming to salvation by 'seeking' for the Holy Spirit until they speak in tongues (neither by an individual or group). Throughout Acts, it is also of note that tongues were never mentioned as an experience to be sought. The movent of the Spirit was presented as either a totally sovereign affair, dictated by the will of the Spirit (Acts 2 & 10), or was given though the authority and laying on of hands of the Apostles as in Acts 8 & 19 (no tongues are recorded in Acts 8, and it is unlikely that the revivalist 'unknown tongue' would have produced the response the Scriptures highlight). It should also be noted that the 'sign' at Pentecost was not (and never was) an 'unknown tongue'. The sign was the fact the twelve Apostles, symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel, spoke in known Gentile languages, declaring the wonderful works of God. This, in combination with the highly symbolic occurrences of wind and fire, were all very significant signs for the Jews of the Dispersion that were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost^[2]. Unknown tongues would have been a pointless exercise that day, a fact which is supported by Paul's less than favourable treatment of 'unknown tongues as a sign' in his Corinthian discourse. For a more detailed study of these Acts accounts, see the following articles (Summary Acts 2,8,10,19 also Pentecost, Acts 8, Acts 10, Acts 19).

Salvation throughout Acts

Surprisingly, there are around fifteen other 'salvation accounts' recorded in the book of Acts. If we include the four supposedly 'Pentecostal' accounts that are listed above, there are 19 accounts in total. Out of these 19 accounts, on only three occasions are 'tongues' mentioned, all finding their place in a corporate setting. Of course, none are ever specifically described as an 'unknown tongue'. It should also be noted that, for at least one of the these tongues accounts, salvation is not necessarily the context of the passage^[3].

The following list provides a reference to these 15 other accounts, with a brief summary given of the signs associated with each account. As you read through, the developing theme may become obvious.

Acts 2:38-44

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

Peter explained that the Holy Ghost was a promise, not a requirement to be sought after
Many gladly received his word (which, in its context, was Peters preaching of Christ)
The 3000 were baptised and were added to the church
No signs were associated with the believers
Signs were evident, all of which were attributed to and centred on the Apostles

Acts 4:1-4

And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Christ was preached and his resurrection from the dead
About 5000 believed
No signs were associated with the believers

Acts 5:12-14

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women).

Believers were added to the Lord
No signs were associated with the believers
Signs were evident, all attributed to the apostles

Acts 8:35-39

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Phillip preached Jesus
The eunuch believed on Christ as the Son of God
Upon the eunuch's confession, Phillip baptised him
No signs were associated with the eunuch's conversion

Acts 9:3-19, Paul's conversion

The nature, timing and context of Paul's conversion still causes debate within certain groups. From the Revivalist perspective, Paul's conversion is generally accepted to be either at, or subsequent to, the visit by Ananias in Damascus (this was of course my original position). However, this position suffers from exegetical difficulties on several fronts, the least of which is Paul's own testimony on the matter^[4]. However, even should one still wish to insist that Paul's conversion was at or after the visit by Ananias, it makes no difference to the intent of this article. Paul was neither commanded to receive the Holy Spirit by Ananias, neither did he 'seek' for him, nor were there any external 'spiritual' manifestations such as tongues recorded as being evident. Paul's outward confirmation of the indwelling Spirit was his baptism. A summary of Paul's conversion could be expressed as follows;

Paul was confronted with the reality of Christ on the road to Damascus
Paul believed and became a follower of the risen Christ, even addressing him as Lord, all on the road to Damascus
Paul's sight was restored, assisted by Ananias
Paul was baptised
Paul went and preached that Jesus is the Son of God

Acts 9:32-35

And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

Peter healed Aeneas
All at Lydda & Saron 'turned' to the Lord
No signs were associated with these believers

Acts 9:40-42

But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

Peter healed Tabitha
Many believed in the Lord
No signs were associated with the believers.

Acts 11:20-24

And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord

The Lord Jesus was preached
Because the hand of the Lord was with them, a great number believed and turned to him.
Barnabas exhorted them to cleave unto the Lord.
Much people were added to the Lord
No signs were associated with the believers

Acts 14:1-4

And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

Many of the Jews and Greek believed.
Signs were evident, all attributed to the apostles
No signs were associated with the believers

Acts 16:13-15

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Lydia listened to Paul's preaching
The Lord opened her heart and she believed
Lydia and her household were baptized
She asked if Paul judged her to be faithful, to remain with her
Paul remained.
No signs were associated with the believers

It should be noted that Lydia said to Paul "If you have judged me to be faithful , stay". Now, from the Revivialist perspective, if Lydia had spoken in tongues at conversion, she simply could (should?) have made appeal to that fact for Paul to base his judgement on, just as Revivalists do when promoting their own 'faithfulness'. Lydia's non-appeal to 'tongues' is obvious due to its absence.

Acts 16:27-34

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

The prison guard asked what he had to do to be saved
Paul instructed him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
Paul and Silas spoke to him the word of the Lord
He and his household were baptised
He rejoiced, believing in God
No signs were associated with the believers
Signs were evident, all attributed to Paul & Silas (the earthquake was to set Paul & Silas free)

Acts 17:2-4

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Paul reasoned and preached Christ and his resurrection
Some believed
No signs were associated with the believers

Acts 17:10-12

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Paul and Silas preached the word
Those hearing searched for confirmation (from the Old Testament presumably)
Many believed
No signs were associated with the believers

Acts 18:7-8

And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

Paul preached to them (presumably Christ, see verse 5)
They believed
They were baptised
No signs were associated with the believers

Acts 19:13-18

Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.

Paul was known as a preacher of Jesus
A demon overcame some vagabond Jews, also declaring Paul's authority.
Because of this, the Lords name was magnified
Many believed
No signs were associated with the believers

Putting it all together

Let us now list out 14 of the above accounts where Acts actually 'details' what the converts 'did'.

(In the above summary, I have left out Paul's conversion, as the related text nowhere specifically states Paul's point of believing. However, if one reads Paul's testimonies it is reasonable to infer that Paul saw his own 'point of believing' on the road to Damascus, see Acts 26:19)

We can see from the numerous accounts, the main point that the author of Acts wished to highlight, was that to be a 'believer' was in essence, the result that occurred at a person's point of conversion. In not one instance in all the individual salvation accounts, is there any record of the believers manifesting any spiritual gifting, let alone speaking in tongues. The only 'sign', if one were to call it that, was the new believers desire to be baptised. In not one instance did an individual need to go any further than the act of believing in order to be accepted into the Christian community.

At this point it may also be helpful for some to read the article on Belief, which gives an overview of both the gravity and concept of this word.

Of the 15 accounts, the following is also to be noted:-

1 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized And all that believed were together
2 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed
3 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women
4 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
5 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord
6 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord
7 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord
8 And it came to pass..... that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed
9 whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul
10 Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house....he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house
11 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude
12 Therefore many of them believed
13 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized
14 And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds

Extra detail of the event & outcome is given, including any signs to be noted	7/15
Baptism of the believers was described	6/15
The believers spoke in tongues	0/15
Signs / Spiritual manifestations were displayed by the believers	0/15
The Holy Spirit was even mentioned	1/15*
The Holy Spirit was designated as something that needed to be sought for and received for salvation	0/15

(*twice if one wishes to insist on Paul's conversion as occurring with Ananias. However even this account speaks nothing of an individual seeking for the Spirit and bears no resemblance to the Revivalist practice in these matters)

If one wishes to draw any 'normative' assumptions from the events described in Acts, the only safe assumptions would be as follows:-

Christ was preached, particularly his death and resurrection

People either believed or they did not

Those that believed were often baptised

These people were accepted as fellow Christians

No further 'step' was required

Only those who were professed believers were baptised. This by the way, is not always the case within the Revivalist groups. I have personally heard a number of testimonies wherein people either said they were told they had nothing to lose, so they got baptised, or they didn't really understand what was going on, but they got baptised anyway. Within the RCI, people were often baptised before they spoke in tongues (i.e. before they 'had' the Holy Spirit). This attitude and approach completely misses the point of New Testament baptism and is an error I am sure I was also guilty of over time.

Summary

Taking into account the all the Acts events, there are 19 salvation 'type' accounts in total (for arguments sake I have included the Revivalist view that Pentecost was a salvation account, though it was not). Of the 19, only 3 specific groups spoke in tongues, for very specific reasons and in a very specific manner. Of the 15 accounts that I have listed above, where signs are described, they are attributed to the Apostles / original Disciples. Not a single sign is attributed to a 'believer'.

Tongues was never mentioned as a sign to look for regarding salvation or the Spirit, nor was anybody ever told to 'seek' to receive Holy Ghost for salvation. Paul was told that he may be 'filled', and in Ephesus, they were asked if they had received the Spirit, which task the Apostle completed through the laying on of hands).

Where tongues do occur, they are never the sole 'sign'. Pentecost had wind, fire, praise of God and miraculous known languages. Ephesus had accompanying prophecy, while Cornelius also had Praising of God (yes this was one of the signs, see the text).

Quite simply, the Revivalist picture of unknown tongues as the 'sign' of conversion is completely un-biblical if one wishes to be 'according to the Scriptures' on this topic.

Of course this does not mean that one cannot speak in tongues at conversion or evidence any other spiritual gifting at that time, however, the Bible nowhere maintains that it is to be sought after as a mandatory evidence or 'sign'. To do so diverts people from the true gospel, and is a diversion that can have disastrous long term effects.

If it is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is not the Gospel, no matter how 'powerful' and individuals experience may or may not be. For further reading on what was the 'Gospel' see the article at the following link .

Notes

[1] When terming an account as one of salvation or conversion, the author of Acts almost universally uses the simple description of the person / people becoming a 'believer in' or 'follower of' Jesus Christ and his Gospel. This becomes very clear when all the accounts in Acts are viewed in total.

[2] Historically, Pentecost was one of the major feasts of the Jewish religious calendar. During the first century, it was also widely regarded as the anniversary of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. Philo Judaeus, a Jewish contemporary of Jesus who lived at Alexandria in North Africa, wrote on the subject five years before the Christian Pentecost. He expressed the rabbinical belief that the Law was intended to be universal in scope, that it was given by God in the languages of all the nations of the world. Philo also described a number of rather interesting 'manifestations':

"...the heavenly voice sounded forth like the breath through a trumpet...the flame became articulate speech in the language familiar to the audience..."

Straightway we are confronted with a record (most likely) published before AD 30, expressing the Jewish belief that when God presented His Law (the Old Covenant) to Israel, it was with manifestations of (1) breath or wind, (2) visible flame and (3) gentile languages.

The tradition reported by Philo finds a measure of support in the Mishna, a commentary on Jewish religious tradition and belief:

Rabbi Johanan (died early 3rd century): "...the [one] voice [at Sinai] divided into [seven voices and these into] seventy languages [so that all the nations heard in their own language".

It appears, then, that when the 'Old Covenant' was formally confirmed at Sinai, it was with some decidedly 'Pentecostal' phenomena. That similar manifestations occurred at the confirmation of the New Covenant should not surprise anyone. Just as the original Pentecost was preceded by a pledge in the form of a Passover sacrifice, so it was with the New - the sacrificial type being fulfilled in the atoning death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Therefore, when we read of the fulfillment of Old Testament types in Acts chapter two, we should do so with a Jewish rather than 21^st century Christian perspective. Christians of all genera often fail to do this, to the detriment of developing a biblical theology of the events.

[3] Viewing the events in both Acts 2 (Pentecost) and Acts 8 (Samaria) in relation to a 'salvation' experience, needs to be cautioned. The giving of the Spirit in the manner described in these two accounts, was done for a very specific purpose, and one that simply cannot be considered 'normative' for a Christian conversion. The disciples relationship with Christ and his declaration of them that their names were 'written in heaven' certainly makes it difficult to see them as 'unsaved'. Christ did not command the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for 'salvation', but rather, till they were endued with power from on high, which would enable them to fulfil their special commission. All four Acts accounts should be viewed in the context of the authors declared intention of his writing of the Acts of the Apostles.

[4] Paul's own testimonies provide significant insight as to how and when the Apostle saw his own conversion. In both accounts (Acts 22:1-16, Acts 26:12-20), while trying to explain the legitimacy of his conversion and calling, he all together fails to even mention Holy Ghost (this would be an impossibility from the revivalist perspective. Indeed in at least one RCI assembly, people were instructed to testify not just that they received the Holy Spirit, but that they also spoke in tongues!). Paul's central point in both testimonies was his encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, and hence, his new direction and appointment in life (Acts 26:16-19). Even when he details the events with Ananias, instead of proclaiming he was 'filled with the Holy Ghost' he highlights the restoration of his sight (Acts 22:12-13). Though the events of Paul's conversion are well detailed, Paul displayed no spiritual manifestations and was not reported to have spoken in tongues at that time. Also, those who would insist that Paul was at that time 'filled with the Spirit' at the hands of Ananias, and hence this was his salvation moment, should exercise some caution as A - God never commanded Ananias to 'fill Paul with the Spirit' (Acts 9:12) and B - The 'filling of the Spirit' is not synonymous with salvation e.g. Acts 4:31 where known believers (including the already 'Spirit filled' and saved disciples), were again filled with the Spirit. This filling resulted not in tongues, but rather a boldness in preaching the Gospel.

Revival Churches Discussion forum

Friday

Thursday

Tuesday

Glossolalia is fabricated, meaningless speech.

Saturday

Thursday

Overview:

Various interpretations of two key passages in 1 Corinthians:1 Corinthians 12:4-11: In the King James Version (KJV) of the Christian Scriptures, this passage is translated:

Beliefs of various Christian denominations:

Assemblies of God:

United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI):

Church of God of Prophecy (CGP):

Church of God (Cleveland):

The Salvation army:

Orthodox Christians

Other conservative Christian denominations:

Liberal Christian denominations:

Inter-Denominational Friction over Tongues

When Will/Did Speaking in Tongues Cease?

References:

Tuesday

Monday

Sunday

Please refer to An Overview of Spiritual Gifts

Please refer to Tongues in the Temple: An exposition of Acts chapter 2

An Examination of Salvation in the Book of Acts

Introduction

Various interpretations of two key passages in 1 Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 12:4-11: In the King James Version (KJV) of the Christian Scriptures, this passage is translated: