This essay is long but I implore your indulgence to read through patiently.
Since the advent of pentecostal churches, movies and dramas of all sorts have passed our faces in the name of churches and pastors; some we keep mute and overlook, others we grumble silently for fear of being lynched and labelled AN ANTI-CHRIST or UNBELIEVER. But I have out-grown such rhetorics and I can't bear it any longer, I just have to spit it out!!
Ever since certain people went to college to study "God", then afterwards, open churches, we've seen and hear all manner of things, and one of them is "SPEAKING IN TONGUES"! As a matter of fact it is the trendiest show in new generation churches. The trend has become so habitual you can find people displaying it on the streets in this part of the world and one can mistake them for socially unstable people.
As a curious chap, I interrogated one "curly-hair" tongue-speakingbrother, and my question was simple "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING AND CAN YOU INTERPRETE IT IN ENGLISH?" According to him, "I don't know what I'm speaking, but God does. The Holy Spirit is groaning for me". Yes I know all those bible verses "He that speaketh in an unkown tongue edifies himself", I'm also aware the bible says its a "GIFT OF THE SPIRIT". But my understanding of a Gift is something that is special and not common. But today every, Dapo, Chike and Akpan are speaking in tongues. Why should I blame them when some churches are making it a compulsory course for them to speak, they even have "speaking in tongues classes" for new comers.
In the bible, they say the Holy Spirit came upon Peter and the rest of them like a fire and they began speaking in OTHER TONGUES such that people around them were hearing them speak their own dialets e.g. A yoruba man speaking Ijaw and so on. But these days, folks just say whatever enters their mouth and obviously, no Holy Spirit has come upon them like Peter and Co in the bible. Some of them believe they are speaking latin or some kind of heavenly language!!!
Please if you don't understand what you're saying is it the person you're speaking to that will understand what you're saying? Because these folks believe God is some kind of interpreting machine that decodes all kinds of gibberish from the mouth. I told the curly-hair brother to write a letter in tongues for me to see, and he just walked away, probably he discussed me with his fellow "tonguers" as an UNBELIEVER.
I know they will say "God uses the foolish things of this world to confine the wise". If speaking gibberish means speaking in tongues, then all the men and women in the psychiatric hospital and streets are communicating with GOD, period!!

I know you are addressing a particular church but I will ignore that. I agree with what you said about 'speaking in tongues' being misunderstood, but you said the gift isn't meant to be for everyone, that means you feel the holy spirit isn't for everyone ? Can you make yourself clear on that part and another thing keep an open mind, a close minded person won't gain anything.

First of all, wen u take an uninfrmed biased stand on an issue dont try to act like u open minded. Any explanation to some1 like u is a waste of time.
You say you know d verses on tongues - do u believe them? Obviously no!
Since u dont believe wats d point reasong with u?
Go ahead and tear down <watever ur pet peeves> are in christianity . Wat difference does it make anyway. Truth is not contingent on opinion.

@ OP. I agree with you to a large extent especially regarding the issue where even harlots & area boys, and immoral & na`ked,jerry curled church goers are even "taught" to speak in tongues without any iota of evidence of repentance.
.
What they fail to realise is that there is demon inspired/possessed speaking in tongues too.I've heard of cases where these kind of so called christians were speaking in tongues before armed robbers & were shot & killed on the spot.There's been cases where people spoke in tongues & the interpretation is glorifying satan & mocking God.Any speaking in tongues done without genuine repentance & withdrawing from all known sins & genuine baptism of the Holy Ghost is nonsense.Speaking in tongues with conscious wilful sins will attract demons & will surely backfire.

Mekanus: But my understanding of a Gift is something that is special and not common. But today every, Dapo, Chike and Akpan are speaking in tongues.

LUKE 11:11-13
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT ASK HIM?

Baptism of the Holy Spirit comes with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues. It is for ALL believers who thirst and desire Him.

@sweetdreams
Is it not recorded in the scriptures that not everybody is given any particular (manifestation) gift?
"Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" (1 Corinthians 12:30).

@bidam
This "initial evidence" that people talk about,I'm sure it is being picked from the happenings recorded in the book of act. However,it just still stir the question "did Paul speak in tongue when he received the holy spirit and when did he receive him?" "Did Timothy speak in tongues also or did he not receive the holy spirit?"

I remember the Master's word. He said "signs" as to mean more than one. All which are pointer to the manifestation of the spirit. Why do we hammer on the "tongue" gift?
Little wonder anyways it is a debatable issue and a front burner issue today. It is a gift that would stir up debate, and it did in those days too that's why the apostle has to address it. Read the whole chapters (1 cor 12,13,14) with open mind.

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17-18).

@bidam
This excerpt should help a little. Take note of the capitalized (by me) phrases.

"For to one is given BY THE SPIRIT the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge BY THE SAME SPIRIT;
To another faith BY THE SAME SPIRIT; to another the gifts of healing BY THE SAME SPIRIT;"

"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: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally AS HE WILL."
(1 Corinthians 12: 8-11).

Take note that it said the spirit decides who gets what. Yes,you can covet (desire and ask) any gift but that means you never had it.

anukulapo: @sweetdreams
Is it not recorded in the scriptures that not everybody is given any particular (manifestation) gift?
"Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" (1 Corinthians 12:30).

@bidam
This "initial evidence" that people talk about,I'm sure it is being picked from the happenings recorded in the book of act. However,it just still stir the question "did Paul speak in tongue when he received the holy spirit and when did he receive him?" "Did Timothy speak in tongues also or did he not receive the holy spirit?"

I remember the Master's word. He said "signs" as to mean more than one. All which are pointer to the manifestation of the spirit. Why do we hammer on the "tongue" gift?
Little wonder anyways it is a debatable issue and a front burner issue today. It is a gift that would stir up debate, and it did in those days too that's why the apostle has to address it. Read the whole chapters (1 cor 12,13,14) with open mind.

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17-18).

My bro.. it shouldn't be an issue of debate if you got people filled with the Holy Spirit. The evidence you know they are filled is the TONGUES that burst forth from their lips. I have got people filled and i know what i am talking about.

The 120 that tarried in Jerusalem in the ACTS of apostle where ALL filled with the initial evidence of tongues. Other gifts may have been given, but tongues is the door-way to the other gifts.Acts 2:4 tells us how we know when we are filled: ". . . they were all FILLED with the Holy
Ghost, AND BEGAN TO SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES

As for the Corinthians i did a comprehensive study on that and i believe ALL SPOKE IN TONGUES.In First Corinthians 14:18, Paul says, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than [size=16pt]ye all[/size]."

anukulapo: @bidam
This excerpt should help a little. Take note of the capitalized (by me) phrases.

"For to one is given BY THE SPIRIT the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge BY THE SAME SPIRIT;
To another faith BY THE SAME SPIRIT; to another the gifts of healing BY THE SAME SPIRIT;"

"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: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally AS HE WILL."
(1 Corinthians 12: 8-11).

Take note that it said the spirit decides who gets what. Yes,you can covet (desire and ask) any gift but that means you never had it.

I really did open a thread to explain the difference between ministry gifts and devotional gifts.What Paul was explaining in 1corinthians 12:8-11 was ministry gifts which can be manifested through the five-fold ministry, even individuals can exercise that gifts in public. I had an experience of speaking divers tongues and someone interpreted it. The Holy Spirit distribute the gifts as He WILLS.

But devotional gifts is for ALL believers, to help them in their private prayer life.This is where you missed the whole point.

Take a look at this scripture:

1 CORINTHIANS 14:2
2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for
no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

Let's look at Moffatt's translation of First Corinthians 14:2.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:2 (Moffatt)
2 ... For he who speaks in a 'tongue' addresses God, not man; no one understands him;
he is talking of divine secrets in the Spirit.

In other words, it is a prayer language we use as communication to God who is a SPIRIT. We might not understand it but He understands.

Tongues are also used as a means of spiritual edification. The Bible says, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself. . ." (1 Cor. 14:4). The word "edifieth" means to build up.Greek language scholars tell us there is a word in our modern vernacular that is closer to the meaning of the original Greek than the word "edifieth," and that is the word "charge." We use the word "charge" in connection with charging a battery.

Notice that praying in tongues is not mental edification, nor is it physical edification, but it is spiritual edification. Paul said, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, MY SPIRIT prayeth . .." ( 1Cor. 14:14).

The Amplified Bible reads, ". . . my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive ..." (1 Cor. 14:14). So praying in tongues is not for mental edification, but for spiritual edification."For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him ..." (1 Cor. 14:2). Here Paul is not talking about diversities of tongues: that is, ministering tongues in a public assembly as a ministry gift.

Paul is talking about the individual Spirit-filled believer employing the use of tongues in his prayer life. ". . . howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" 11 Cor. 14:2). Moffatt's translation says, "... he is talking of divine secrets in the Spirit."

As for whether Paul received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the the evidence of speaking in tongues? Yes he did. Ananias laid hands on him and the scripture i quoted above is glaring evidence that PAUL SPOKE IT.

ACTS 9:17
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him
said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou
tamest, hath sent me, THAT THOU MIGHTEST receive thy sight, and BE FILLED WITH
THE HOLY GHOST.

As for Timothy also,i believe he was filled with the Holy Ghost because Paul encouraged him to stir up the gift which he received by laying on of Paul's hands(2timothy 1:6).

Note:That Paul put Timothy in charge of the Church in Ephesus. Look at this interesting scripture below,you will see that the laying of hands is how folks receive Holy Ghost just as Peter and John laid hands on folks in Samaria to receive the Holy Spirit(Acts 8: 17).

ACTS 19:1-3,6
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul have passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them and [size=16pt]they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
[/size]

As you see from the verses above, these believers at Ephesus had never heard about the Holy Ghost. But when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues. Every one of them.

Mekanus: But today every, [b]DAPO[/b]Chike and Akpan are speaking in tongues.!

why would you mention my nane in speaking gibberish

@Bidam
As much as I love to quote and make comments on some of your response,I really do not have time and I can't type so much on my phone.
I read through your response and by that,word for word.
Let me skip towards the end of my submission. I hope we can do a little conversation by question and answer method. In this case,I am the one with questions.
#Question#
"... Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9b).
From the above scripture, what is "the spirit of christ"?

anukulapo: @Bidam
As much as I love to quote and make comments on some of your response,I really do not have time and I can't type so much on my phone.
I read through your response and by that,word for word.
Let me skip towards the end of my submission. I hope we can do a little conversation by question and answer method. In this case,I am the one with questions.
#Question#
"... Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9b).
From the above scripture, what is "the spirit of christ"?

Holy Spirit at new birth. Baptism is a different ball game altogether.

The Bible says speaking in tongue should be purposeful and not a cover up. The way most people speak in tongue casually these day, i don't believe they are speaking in the Holy spirit.

anukulapo: @sweetdreams
Is it not recorded in the scriptures that not everybody is given any particular (manifestation) gift?
"Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" (1 Corinthians 12:30).

@bidam
This "initial evidence" that people talk about,I'm sure it is being picked from the happenings recorded in the book of act. However,it just still stir the question "did Paul speak in tongue when he received the holy spirit and when did he receive him?" "Did Timothy speak in tongues also or did he not receive the holy spirit?"

I remember the Master's word. He said "signs" as to mean more than one. All which are pointer to the manifestation of the spirit. Why do we hammer on the "tongue" gift?
Little wonder anyways it is a debatable issue and a front burner issue today. It is a gift that would stir up debate, and it did in those days too that's why the apostle has to address it. Read the whole chapters (1 cor 12,13,14) with open mind.

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17-18).

paul said in 1st cor 14v18 ah tank my God dat ah speak in tongues more than ye all so ah ask u if u tink it isn't important den y did he have to say dat ..read d verse u quoted again n u see dat jesus was tellin us how to know a believer wen u see one..

Elantracey: paul said go 1st cor 14v18 ah tank my God dat ah speak in tongues more than ye all so ah ask u if u tink it isn't important den y did he have to say dat ..read d verse u quoted again n u see dat jesus was tellin us how to know a believer wen u see one..

hahahaha.....see as them don brain wash my brother....... WHAT IS THE MEANING OF TONGUE AS USED IN BIBLE TIMES

1 Corinthians 14:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

mcfynest:


hahahaha.....see as them don brain wash my brother....... WHAT IS THE MEANING OF TONGUE AS USED IN BIBLE TIMES

1 Corinthians 14:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

so wat re u sayin

Elantracey: paul said in 1st cor 14v18 ah tank my God dat ah speak in tongues more than ye all so ah ask u if u tink it isn't important den y did he have to say dat ..read d verse u quoted again n u see dat jesus was tellin us how to know a believer wen u see one..

Really? I though this (quoted below) is what Jesus said.

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35).

Elantracey: so wat re u sayin

tongue in the bible times means language......read my former post again

Bidam: Holy Spirit at new birth. Baptism is a different ball game altogether.

So,which of the above is the answer to my question (if these 3 options mean 3 different things)? 1)Holyspirit. 2)Holy Spirit at new birth. 3)Baptism

The question once again is
"... Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9b).
From the above scripture, what is "the
spirit of christ"?

anukulapo:

So,which of the above is the answer to my question (if these 3 options mean 3 different things)? 1)Holyspirit. 2)Holy Spirit at new birth. 3)Baptism

The question once again is
"... Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9b).
From the above scripture, what is "the
spirit of christ"?

I have answered your question.My question to you based on the scripture you quoted is: how much of you does the Holy Spirit have?

Mekanus: ok

so what should we do from your post... silence them out or what... if its not you drift... just ignore it... glad you are enlightened enof to make a better judgement instead of listening to some rhetoric nonsense.

But if i remember there is freedom of worship... is my speaking gibberish not my right to freedom of worship?

Bidam: I have answered your question. My question to you based on the scripture you quoted is: how much of you does the Holy Spirit have?

Yes you did but I didn't know which of the answers was the main answer to the question. I guess I was expecting a straight single answer.
When I get a straight answer to the question,we'll continue thanks.

anukulapo:
Yes you did but I didn't know which of the answers was the main answer to the question. I guess I was expecting a straight single answer.
When I get a straight answer to the question,we'll continue thanks.

Thanks,I'll pass.

Many people don't understand the truth,that there is distinction between the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Birth versus the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Yet the Scriptures thoroughly define these as two separate experiences.

Jesus' words about the Holy Spirit in John 14 refer to the New-Birth experience:

JOHN 14:17
17 . . .Ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be IN you.

Then in Acts 1:5 and 8, Jesus speaks of the Holy Ghost again, but His words clearly point to a different experience:


ACTS 1:5,8
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. . ..
8 But YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, after that the Holy Ghost is come UPON you ....

'I already have all the Holy Spirit I can have.'

MANY denominational churches teach the bolded above that if you're born again, you have all the Holy Ghost there is to have—and that's the end of it. There is no other experience for you beyond the New Birth.

But although that teaching is partly true, it is mostly false. The first part is true because it is the Holy Spirit who imparts eternal life to our spirits. It is the Holy Spirit who through the Word makes the human spirit a new creature in Christ Jesus.

The problem is, people are actually more wrong than right when they say, "I'm a Christian, so I already have all the Holy Spirit I can have." A partial truth like that can do more damage than a lie.

You see, the Holy Spirit is present in the New Birth to bear witness with your spirit that you are a child of God (Rom. 8:14,16). The Bible calls that New-Birth experience receiving Christ (John 1:12), receiving eternal life (1 John 5:11), or receiving forgiveness of sins (Acts 26:18).

On the other hand, as you read the Book of Acts, you'll notice that it says people receive the Holy Ghost, are filled with the Holy Ghost, are baptized with the Holy Ghost, or receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. All four of those terms are used in the Acts of the Apostles concerning the same experience, and every time this experience comes after a person is born again.

^@Bidam
True...the new birth experience,the filling of the spirit. All so true. The question people ask is usually about "all" speaking in tongues.
I hope you understand.
Cheers.

anukulapo: ^@Bidam
True...the new birth experience,the filling of the spirit. All so true.
The question people ask is usually about "all" speaking in tongues.
I hope you understand.
Cheers.

Take time and do a deep study on the subject matter.All
were baptized with Tongues as evidence in Acts of the apostles.

To show that God does not respect persons..Cornelius(a gentile convert)
and ALL his households were baptized with tongues as evidence.

People just criticize what they do not understand.God is not moved by
emotion.HE is moved by His words.

My initial post and other threads i opened on this forum with valid
scriptural proofs did answer the queries.

Bidam: Take time and do a deep study on the subject matter.All
were baptized with Tongues as evidence in Acts of the apostles.

To show that God does not respect persons..Cornelius(a gentile convert)
and ALL his households were baptized with tongues as evidence.

People just criticize what they do not understand.God is not moved by
emotion.HE is moved by His words.

My initial post and other threads i opened on this forum with valid
scriptural proofs did answer the queries.

God bless you, for this post... it seems when it comes to tongues, peeps that are against it are divided in the following order:

1. Modern tongues have a pagan origin. [Just becos satan can imitate what God's does, so we shouldnt do tongues]

2. I believe in tongues that the disciples spoke but not the modern tongues [as if they heard what the disciples said then]

3. Its a mere human language and nothing more [ hmm can mere human langugae edify me, say swahilli, when i dont understand it?]

4. It ended with the last apostles! [ hmm so the Spirit in them and us must surely be different? or rather the Spirit also ended with the last apostles ]

5. Believers that speak in tongues and sin are not genuinely speaking in tongues.[ Believers that dont/refuse to speak in tongues, also sin, but you hardly here about them, if they are genuine or not]

6.

Source: religious section: nairaland

hisblud:

God bless you, for this post... it seems when it comes to tongues, peeps that are against it are divided in the following order:

1. Modern tongues have a pagan origin. [Just becos satan can imitate what God's does, so we shouldnt do tongues]

2. I believe in tongues that the disciples spoke but not the modern tongues [as if they heard what the disciples said then]

3. Its a mere human language and nothing more [ hmm can mere human langugae edify me, say swahilli, when i dont understand it?]

4. It ended with the last apostles! [ hmm so the Spirit in them and us must surely be different? or rather the Spirit also ended with the last apostles ]

5. Believers that speak in tongues and sin are not genuinely speaking in tongues.[ Believers that dont/refuse to speak in tongues, also sin, but you hardly here about them, if they are genuine or not]

6.

Source: religious section: nairaland

@ Bidam
You are fast becoming a staunch teacher of error bro, coupled with all the self aggrandised study and experiences you claim to have acquired.

What has tongues got to do with the relationship to be built with God?

Speaking in a tongue negates what the church,gospel and the doctrine of Christ represent in this age. There is a triangle to the entire doctrine of the epistles, it is of love, faith and hope.

Speaking in a tongue (gibberish, a sound that had no phonetics to it. It could not be reduced to writings, it was just a guttural sound , and had no pronunciation) was a fad in the Corinth church, It became a way of showing off a distinct level of spirituality. Moreover, the apostle never said he speaks in a tongue, he said he speaks in tongues (its plural, its a clear understandable language not intrinsic to his own education.


There were three instances in Scripture when the Holy Spirit delegated this miracle of speaking in tongues to men, and it was only three times.They happened to be all plural, they spoke languages that men could understand.

Pitiful!

I have spoken only once on Nairaland about speaking in tongues, probably because from experience I know that people hardly ever change their beliefs, more so when these beliefs, however erroneous can be backed up by experiences and not by reason. I have been there before, you see. I have spoken in tongues, prophesied, sown seeds, been slain in the spirit... name it. It was only when I began to STUDY the bible in detail, putting my education to good use that I discovered the truth. Now that I know better I count all those things as loss.

Now, for those who use 1st Corinthians chapters 12 to 14 as their excuse for engaging in this unbiblical practice, please note:

1. When a word (like "unknown" in 1st Corinthians 14 vs 2) is italicized in a translated work such as the bible, it means such a word was not in the original text but is added for clarity. In other words, the word "unknown" as used in 1st Corinthians should ordinarily not be there but was inserted by translators of the KJV 1611. No wonder in the NIV translation the word "unknown" is absent in those same verses.

2. As part of my course in the university, I studied the evolution of the English language and can authoritatively say that "tongue" as used in 1611 was just another synonym for language. However, it was more specific as it con notated "dialect". Therefore, what the translators wanted us to know was that any language the corinthian xtians did not understand was simply "unknown" to them. While this was clear in the Greek, we English speakers would have found it difficult to grasp, so the learned KJV translators inserted "unknown" to make it easier for us. It is unfortunate that much of christendom has stumbled over this single word.

ashieduplus: however erroneous can be backed up by experiences and not by reason.

great for you. In addition, could you do a little research on these words - NEW, OTHER in greek and come give us some enlightenment