What are Tongues For?
Before we can answer the question raised in the previous post, "Must all tongues be interpreted?" we must first answer another question: "What are tongues for?"
I was taught as a non-Pentecostal, that tongues are for preaching the Gospel to heathen lands.
Of course, God is infinite, and can use tongues any way He chooses. He certainly could do that if He chooses. But He never did in the Bible.
What about Acts 2?
Read it carefully. Does it say the crowd heard the Gospel in their languages? No. It says they heard them declaring the wonderful works of God. This was a praise session.
But what about Peter? Didn't he preach in tongues? No.
First of all, Acts 2 does not say he did.
Second, the Bible proves he didn't need to.
This was the feast of Pentecost, one of the Feasts of Israel, when every Jewish male was to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. This same crowd came every year.
Fast forward a few years, to another incident that happened on the Feast of Pentecost.
In Acts 20:16, Paul was traveling determinedly toward Jerusalem, to be there for the Feast of Pentecost. In chapter 21, we see Paul captured in the Temple by the Jews, and rescued by the Roman soldiers. As Paul was carried aloft, bound by chains, he twists his head and speaks in Greek to the chief captain. (v. 37) Paul is given permission to speak to the crowd.
Acts 21:40 "And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them IN THE HEBREW TONGUE, saying,
Acts 22:1 'Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.'
Acts 22:2 (And when they heard that he spake IN THE HEBREW TONGUE to them, they kept the more silence...)"
Paul didn't need to speak in tongues, to proclaim the gospel on that Feast of Pentecost.
Peter didn't either.
They both spoke in Hebrew, the language every devout Jew was taught in the synagogue, from childhood.
If you are willing to open-mindedly search the Scriptures, you will find out a few things about tongues:
1. Tongues was never spoken by evangelists, to preach the Gospel.
2. Tongues were spoken instead by new believers, as they received the Holy Spirit.
3. Tongues were accepted as proof that the new believers actually had received the Holy Spirit.
We'll deal with these things further later on, but first, I want to challenge you to dig into the book of Acts, and "see if these things be so."
So... what are tongues for?
Tongues are for believers, as a tool with which their spirit can communicate with God, without the faulty human mind running interference.
When we are born again, our spirit comes alive. The soul still needs a lot of work. And the mind is in the soul realm. The human mind wants to exert control over the spirit. Human logic contains an element of pride. (1 Cor. 1:27)
How often have you tried to pray the will of God, but knew you simply didn't know how to pray?
And it's okay to pray, as Jesus did, "Thy will be done." But remember, Jesus knew God's will. He wasn't avoiding specific prayer.
God wants us to ASK, so that we can receive. He wants us to ask for exactly what we want.
(Mark 10:51) There's a sacred cow teaching that is completely unbiblical: that asking for something is selfish and God doesn't like it. This is completely opposite to the Scriptures!
In fact, James says we don't receive, because we don't ask. God wants us to ask!
But we have to ask according to God's will.
And that's where prayer in tongues supplies the need.
The Spirit of God communicates directly with our spirit. It might take the brain a while to catch on. The brain has all kinds of ideas, and is heavily influenced by the flesh.
But your spirit is not. Your spirit (filled with God's spirit) if it is allowed to pray, will pray the will of God.
And that's what tongues are for.
I've heard so many people denigrate the gift of tongues.
"What good is it?" (It comes down from the Father of lights! It's a good and perfect gift!)
"Isn't tongues the least gift?" (If you think that, please give me chapter and verse!)
How do you think God feels, when His children despise a gift he offers them?
When you cast doubt on the goodness of a gift, you cast doubt on the goodness of the giver.
It dishonors God, when people belittle tongues.
Now... I think we might be ready to discuss whether or not tongues should always be interpreted.
I was taught as a non-Pentecostal, that tongues are for preaching the Gospel to heathen lands.
Of course, God is infinite, and can use tongues any way He chooses. He certainly could do that if He chooses. But He never did in the Bible.
What about Acts 2?
Read it carefully. Does it say the crowd heard the Gospel in their languages? No. It says they heard them declaring the wonderful works of God. This was a praise session.
But what about Peter? Didn't he preach in tongues? No.
First of all, Acts 2 does not say he did.
Second, the Bible proves he didn't need to.
This was the feast of Pentecost, one of the Feasts of Israel, when every Jewish male was to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. This same crowd came every year.
Fast forward a few years, to another incident that happened on the Feast of Pentecost.
In Acts 20:16, Paul was traveling determinedly toward Jerusalem, to be there for the Feast of Pentecost. In chapter 21, we see Paul captured in the Temple by the Jews, and rescued by the Roman soldiers. As Paul was carried aloft, bound by chains, he twists his head and speaks in Greek to the chief captain. (v. 37) Paul is given permission to speak to the crowd.
Acts 21:40 "And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them IN THE HEBREW TONGUE, saying,
Acts 22:1 'Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.'
Acts 22:2 (And when they heard that he spake IN THE HEBREW TONGUE to them, they kept the more silence...)"
Paul didn't need to speak in tongues, to proclaim the gospel on that Feast of Pentecost.
Peter didn't either.
They both spoke in Hebrew, the language every devout Jew was taught in the synagogue, from childhood.
If you are willing to open-mindedly search the Scriptures, you will find out a few things about tongues:
1. Tongues was never spoken by evangelists, to preach the Gospel.
2. Tongues were spoken instead by new believers, as they received the Holy Spirit.
3. Tongues were accepted as proof that the new believers actually had received the Holy Spirit.
We'll deal with these things further later on, but first, I want to challenge you to dig into the book of Acts, and "see if these things be so."
So... what are tongues for?
Tongues are for believers, as a tool with which their spirit can communicate with God, without the faulty human mind running interference.
When we are born again, our spirit comes alive. The soul still needs a lot of work. And the mind is in the soul realm. The human mind wants to exert control over the spirit. Human logic contains an element of pride. (1 Cor. 1:27)
How often have you tried to pray the will of God, but knew you simply didn't know how to pray?
And it's okay to pray, as Jesus did, "Thy will be done." But remember, Jesus knew God's will. He wasn't avoiding specific prayer.
God wants us to ASK, so that we can receive. He wants us to ask for exactly what we want.
(Mark 10:51) There's a sacred cow teaching that is completely unbiblical: that asking for something is selfish and God doesn't like it. This is completely opposite to the Scriptures!
In fact, James says we don't receive, because we don't ask. God wants us to ask!
But we have to ask according to God's will.
And that's where prayer in tongues supplies the need.
The Spirit of God communicates directly with our spirit. It might take the brain a while to catch on. The brain has all kinds of ideas, and is heavily influenced by the flesh.
But your spirit is not. Your spirit (filled with God's spirit) if it is allowed to pray, will pray the will of God.
And that's what tongues are for.
I've heard so many people denigrate the gift of tongues.
"What good is it?" (It comes down from the Father of lights! It's a good and perfect gift!)
"Isn't tongues the least gift?" (If you think that, please give me chapter and verse!)
How do you think God feels, when His children despise a gift he offers them?
When you cast doubt on the goodness of a gift, you cast doubt on the goodness of the giver.
It dishonors God, when people belittle tongues.
Now... I think we might be ready to discuss whether or not tongues should always be interpreted.
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