Background To The Gifts of Tongues

[Onesiphorus]

Firstly ,DeaconDan says that Cornelius gave nothing to the Jews I refer to Acts 10:2 and Acts 10 :22

Dear JayDub ,Please note that the delegation of jews also went into Simons house Acts 10:23

Now as to Peter still being a levitical law abider I refer first to Acts 10:14 -16

and now

Acts 10:28

Acts 10:44-48 is the signs and wonders that the Jews require that demonstrated the filling of Cornelius with the Holy Ghost and the water baptism of John of repentance and the kingdom of heaven at hand message

[Lily]

Good questions. What is the difference between a uninterpreted tongues and someone speaking gibberish and thinking it is a language? In the Bible, there is no private prayer language. There is no intent for anyone to use the gift of tongues without someone understanding.

If God is giving utterance, it follows that what is being said is suitable for God's ears. But, is God giving utterance?

My point in post 68 where I made a statement then asked a question which, until now, wasn't answered.I agree with Dan Canny, it's not a daft question, it's a very good question.

Tongues has been presented as a special spiritual communication with God.

Where in Scripture does it say that ?

[DeaconDan]

Firstly ,DeaconDan says that Cornelius gave nothing to the Jews I refer to Acts 10:2 and Acts 10 :22

(Was my response deleted? Onesphorus needs the education.)

[Onesiphorus]

Cornelius gave nothing to Jews. Your theology has lead you astray.

I have just shown that Cornelius did give alms to the Jews ,what are you going to tell me that the scripture does not say what it says

[Pariah]

Romans 8:26 says,,,,

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered "

Yet my understanding is, that tongues today is quite verbal and audible.

Tongues has been presented as a special spiritual communication with God.

Where in Scripture does it say that ?

As far as I am aware, the only reference to using tongues as a prayer language is in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 and then note the small s in spirit,,,

" For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful ".

1 Corinthians 14 seems to me to be a lengthy admonishment against the practice of speaking in tongues and unless I have got it wrong, Paul was telling them that what the Corinthians were practicing was not Scriptural and was admonishing them to stop.

1 Corinthians 14:19 seems to be quite clear about that.

Agreed, Lily.

Tongues was never meant to be a stand alone gift as the same tongues Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 14:2 is the same tongues spoken of throughout the chapter that needed interpretation to be understood and to be fruitful. When reading the entire chapter from 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul was exhorting the Corinthian church that if they were to seek one singular gift among all spiritual gifts, it should be the gift of prophesy, and Paul explained why prophesy is even better than the gift of tongues in the next verse because 1 Corinthians 14:3 states that prophesy edifies the church whereas tongues by itself, does not, and therefore in need of interpretation. Paul reinterates his point of exhorting prophesy over tongues and other gifts again in 1 Corinthians 14:12 in summary.

Another point to consider is that Jesus Christ is the Only Mediator between God and man as He is before that throne of grace making intercessions for us: Just as the word searches our hearts ( Hebrews 4:12-16 ) as Jesus is the Word made flesh ( John 1:14 ) so is this "he" being Jesus in Romans 8:26-27 in searching our hearts and knowing the mind of the Spirit.

This explains why no sound needed to be uttered as confirmed in Matthew 6:7-8 because Jesus is fulfilling the role as Our only Mediator as the Holy Spirit is fulfilling the role as Our Conforter in being within us always.

If the Holy Spirit will only speak what He hears: ( John 16:13 ) then there is no point for this "secret communication" with God because God would just be talking to Himself of what He spoke for the Holy Spirit to relay. Since God does not do thing out of vanity, then only believers are doing this out of vanity if they think they are pulling down stronghold by babbling prayers.

Since believers are to abstain from all appearances of evil as God would call those out of the world to a personal reconciled relationship with God through the Son, then there can be no invitation to the Holy Spirit nor another calling for any believer to heed to chase after because those in the world that worship spirits and seek after familiar spirits are asked to repent of such practises in coming to the Son and that is why all invitations points to the Son and why the indwelling Holy Spirit and scriptures are still pointing to the Son so that believers will not be misled by seducing spirits or false prophets.

2 Timothy 2:16 should be clear to drop babbling prayers to stand apart from the world as Matthew 6:7-8 reproves why not even the Holy Spirit needs to say anything because of Him being in us, and thus being the means by which Jesus Christ Our Mediator can intercede for us in searching our hearts and knowing the mind of the Spirit, thus the Father already knows before we even ask anything.

So God has it covered and another reason why we can rest in Jesus Christ to ignore those hyping up another baptism of the Holy Spirit that comes with evidence of tongues when there is none but one baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation: Ephesians 4:4-6 & Ephesians 1:11-15 as there is only one drink of that One Spirit : 1 Corinthians 12:13 by which many believers are failing to test the spirits when these phenomenons happens to them, misleading them into thinking that there is another receiving of the "Spirit" again, thus taking the eyes off of Christ Jesus, drawing attention to seeking after these spirits just to get tongues... and by doing so, departing from faith in Jesus Christ.

Still, while the doors are open, God is calling every believer that name the name of Christ to depart from inqiuity so they can be ready as that vessel unto honour in God's House to be received as a chaste bride for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. 2 Timothy 2:16-26

All believers that come to and believe in Jesus Christ should be resting in Him, but if they are not, but heeding another Jesus or another spirit to receive: 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 then it is high time they return to their first love: Colossians 2:5-10