I ran across this by accident this morning and have to run to church soon. But I want to share something, because the scriptures are dissected and divided and digested by so many in so many ways, all believing they hold the correct interpretation. It seems a time to point out that God is not subject to OUR interpretations, but to his meaning and sometimes we miss part or all of it, though our intentions be good.

I must agree with Trent and Nichole in saying the “sign gifts” as you call them are for today. Yet, Denny makes a good point in saying that today’s preachers arrogantly claim to have the ability to control the Holy Spirit in these things. I have seen this too.

In my own experience, there is a God and I am not He!

Denny, if you are reading this…. you are correct in saying these things are given by God alone. That does not mean that the gifts are not given by God today. Please allow me to share my own experience:

I was in a chapel late at night and had been praying for a few hours. God’s PRESENCE was so real I almost could not bear it. I had prayed every prayer and sung every song I knew. As tears poured down my face I cried out to the Lord that I had no words left. There is no way to describe to you the sense of His very real presence that night and the depth of my desire to praise Him forever, and knowing that there were no words sufficient to expound his mighty majesty and glory as I felt it that night.

Suddenly, I was singing a song in tongues that I did not know, but the Lord was giving me the interpretation at the same time! I had no one laying hands on me. It was just me…. and God. And He gave me this miraculous gift. I was singing high praises to the Lord in Heaven in a language I did not know.

When these discussions/debates about gifts for today, how is it given, and is it of Satan come up…. I don’t care how anyone interprets the written word of God. I know what happened that night and I know it was from God, period.

Today, most Christians fail to explain their own testimony. When one has experienced the miraculous…. no one will ever take it away or convince them that it was not true. No one will ever convince me that the gifts I am given came from any other source than the Lord God Almighty, Creator and Sovereign God of All, who is seated on the Mercy Seat, his Throne of Judement, Mercy and Grace, upon which my Savior Jesus Christ sprinkled his own blood and is now at the right hand of the Father, interceding for me, and who promised the Holy Spirit would come to believers and miracles would be done in His Holy Name.

To deny that, is to deny Jesus ministry on earth, because it is what he taught and lived.

Where I distance myself from many preachers, is when they try to “teach” such things…. like “saying syllables until it comes to you” and other such things. When the Holy Spirit comes on a person, it is all of God.

That is my experience and opinion.

God Bless,
Sue

Denny wrote:
Furthermore, the Apostles NEVER sought the miracle of tongues, it was always initiated by God. Pentecostals preachers today arrogantly claim to have the ability to access God’s power at their will. They do not. This is sinful pride and a perversion of the teachings of God’s Word.

The above is erroneous. Yes, the apostles never sought after the miracle of tongues, they sought after people being baptized by the Holy Spirit, which some believe is accompanied with tongues. Remember, Paul was talking to people who already believed, if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed.

Denny wrote:
Also, please note that every time the Bible mentions the Apostles speaking with new tongues that the Gospel message was being preached. In sharp contrast, Charismatics today don’t even know what they’re trying to say, and someone else has to interpret.

Thanks for bringing up that point. You are right, when speaking in tongues, we don’t know what we’re trying to say, because the spirit prays, but the mind is unfruitful. (1 Corinthians 14:14). Now, this makes me wonder if you even read my article (because I already mentioned this), but instead just wanted to come on here and refute a biblical doctrine that you don’t believe in.

Denny wrote:
So none of the Apostles, nor any of the New Testament saints, ever spoke in some unknown Heavenly jibber-jabber;

Hmm, that’s not what the bible says. Again, it’s becoming pretty obvious that you did not read a word of what I wrote, and the scriptures I posted.

Denny wrote:
The gift of tongues still exists today; but the Apostolic miracles of tongues and healing ceased during the New Testament, which is evidenced by Paul’s inability to later heal himself, Timothy, and Trophimus. God does still heal today, but he works through the prayers of the saints, and requires for us to be reconciled with our Christian brethren (James 5:15-16

You are confusing me.
1. Tongues exists for today
2. Tongues doesn’t exist for today
3. God doesn’t heal today
4. God does heal today

Denny wrote:
A clear distinction needs to be made between the sign miracle of tongues in Acts 2Open Link in New Window, and the “gift” of tongues (languages) which Paul spoke of in 1st Corinthians 14:18. It is also very important to notice that NO ONE in the Bible ever decided to initiate the miracle of tongues, it was ALWAYS initiated by God alone. In sharp contrast, the language gift of tongues for today is something which we can use daily as we serve the Lord, trying to get people saved with that gift.

Yes, there is a difference between the two. But, I’m not following you about the bolded sentence above. How is it that a prayer language that no man understands is going to get someone saved, unless God gives the interpretation to them so that they hear it in their own language? The tongues that comes with baptism in the Holy Spirit is a prayer language, not for everyone else, unless someone has the gift of interpretation of tongues.

Denny wrote:
If speaking in tongues is evidence of salvation, as Pentecostals claim it is, then why DIDN’T John mention tongues even once in his epistles? I mean, John stated that he wrote his epistle of 1st John so that we may KNOW that we are saved; yet he NEVER mentions “tongues.”

1. I didn’t say that tongues is evidence of a person’s salvation, nor does the bible as far as I can tell
2. John was writing to a specific people at a specific time for a specific reason, just as many of the epistles were written to specific people, at specific times, for specific reasons. So, we do not know if John already knew they were all baptized in the Holy Ghost or not. They most likely were though, being people he had apparently brought into the fold.

Denny wrote:
John spoke of love, and keeping God’s commandments; but, he never mentions tongues. He never mentions baptism either.

See the previous response above.

Denny wrote:
The Biblical sign of one’s salvation is a changed life

I agree.

Denny wrote:
If speaking in Charismatic tongues were so important, then why doesn’t the Bible place any emphasis upon it, as the Pentecostals do?

Well, namely because it is the least of all gifts. I mean people put emphasis on the gift of healing too, and it’s also labeled by Paul as one of the least gifts. Having a gift of healing is not a good indicator for one’s ability to be a “leader”.

Denny wrote:
The purpose of ALL of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is to win lost souls to Jesus Christ; not to make a display for entertainment. Charismatics have turned the house of God into an entertainment center–with their drums, screeching guitars, falling on the floor, rolling on the floor, laughing, barking, acting crazy! They make a mockery of decency and the Word of God.

Couldn’t agree with you more. The Charismatic church is nothing more than a circus these days. And yes, most of the sign gifts are to win lost souls to Jesus. But they are also for edification of the body, as Paul said.

Denny wrote:
Charismatic tongues is dangerous, because it involves familiar spirits. It also draws unsaved people into church for the wrong reasons. It’s the same problem with so-called “Christian rock.” People come to the rock music, not to Jesus Christ. Most people join Charismatic churches because of the excitement and entertainment, not because they want to find God.

Be careful what you say. I agree that there are probably demonic tongues. But, unless God told me that a particular person was speaking in demonic tongues, I wouldn’t be saying so.

Denny wrote:
We are living in apostate times, when most people have religion without God, and knowledge without truth.

Totally agree with that one.

Denny wrote:
You do not apply sound biblical hermeneutics and exegesis in your post above.

If that is true, you’ve done a downright lousy job of showing me.

Anyhow, if the gift of tongues works the way you say it does, and it’s not a prayer language (which it seems you implied), then why would God be so silly to have a bunch of greeks start speaking in tongues for no apparent reason at all?

Furthermore, the Apostles NEVER sought the miracle of tongues, it was always initiated by God. Pentecostals preachers today arrogantly claim to have the ability to access God’s power at their will. They do not. This is sinful pride and a perversion of the teachings of God’s Word.

Also, please note that every time the Bible mentions the Apostles speaking with new tongues that the Gospel message was being preached. In sharp contrast, Charismatics today don’t even know what they’re trying to say, and someone else has to interpret.

Consider this, why do Pentecostals only speak in Charismatic tongues during Charismatic meetings, and in Charismatic churches? If speaking in tongues is a sign of being saved and spiritual (as Pentecostals teach), then why do they never speak in tongues in public? Have you ever seen a Pentecostal speak in tongues on a city bus, or at a ball game, or in a restaurant? Hmmm?

So none of the Apostles, nor any of the New Testament saints, ever spoke in some unknown Heavenly jibber-jabber; but rather, in their own native language. This is confirmed in Acts 2:8. The gift, or miracle, of tongues was manifest in the HEARING of the Word, and NOT the speaking.

The gift of tongues still exists today; but the Apostolic miracles of tongues and healing ceased during the New Testament, which is evidenced by Paul’s inability to later heal himself, Timothy, and Trophimus. God does still heal today, but he works through the prayers of the saints, and requires for us to be reconciled with our Christian brethren (James 5:15-16).

A clear distinction needs to be made between the sign miracle of tongues in Acts 2, and the “gift” of tongues (languages) which Paul spoke of in 1st Corinthians 14:18. It is also very important to notice that NO ONE in the Bible ever decided to initiate the miracle of tongues, it was ALWAYS initiated by God alone. In sharp contrast, the language gift of tongues for today is something which we can use daily as we serve the Lord, trying to get people saved with that gift.

Revelation 7:9, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues…” It is abundantly clear from Revelation 7:9 that the word “tongues” here is referring to established earthly languages. The word for “tongues” here is “glossa,” the same as in Acts 2 and 1st Corinthians 14. So there is no debate for the honest Bible student concerning the word “tongues,” it simply means known earthly “languages.” This is also confirmed in Acts 2:6, “…every man heard them speak in his own language.”

Some believers today question whether the gifts of tongues is still valid; but they have a completely wrong understanding of what tongues is to begin with. Biblical speaking in tongues was a sign gift, to validate the message of the Apostles. The Word of God wasn’t completed until A.D. 96, and the sign gifts ceased near the completion of the Bible. There is no speaking in tongues today, as there was in Acts Chapter 2. And there NEVER was a jibber-jabber type of speaking, as the Charismatic Pentecostals practice today.

If speaking in tongues is evidence of salvation, as Pentecostals claim it is, then why DIDN’T John mention tongues even once in his epistles? I mean, John stated that he wrote his epistle of 1st John so that we may KNOW that we are saved; yet he NEVER mentions “tongues.” The Biblical sign of one’s salvation is a changed life (2nd Corinthians 5:17). John spoke of love, and keeping God’s commandments; but, he never mentions tongues. He never mentions baptism either.

If speaking in Charismatic tongues were so important, then why doesn’t the Bible place any emphasis upon it, as the Pentecostals do? The purpose of ALL of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is to win lost souls to Jesus Christ; not to make a display for entertainment. Charismatics have turned the house of God into an entertainment center–with their drums, screeching guitars, falling on the floor, rolling on the floor, laughing, barking, acting crazy! They make a mockery of decency and the Word of God.

Charismatic tongues is dangerous, because it involves familiar spirits. It also draws unsaved people into church for the wrong reasons. It’s the same problem with so-called “Christian rock.” People come to the rock music, not to Jesus Christ. Most people join Charismatic churches because of the excitement and entertainment, not because they want to find God.

We are living in apostate times, when most people have religion without God, and knowledge without truth.

You do not apply sound biblical hermeneutics and exegesis in your post above.