Do you have to speak in tongues to be saved?

[DaveSlayer]

Do you have to speak in tongues to be saved? Some Churches teach that all believers will speak in other tongues as evidence of their salvation and the receiving the Holy Ghost. They often use Mark 16:17 as scriptural proof for this position.

Mark 16:17 (KJV)
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Is this the correct Biblical understanding of this verse?

[JIP]

Originally Posted by DaveSlayer

Do you have to speak in tongues to be saved? Some Churches teach that all believers will speak in other tongues as evidence of their salvation and the receiving the Holy Ghost. They often use Mark 16:17 as scriptural proof for this position.

Mark 16:17 (KJV)
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Is this the correct Biblical understanding of this verse?

IMO, no... isn't it to be one time event?
i just wonder and despise ppl trying to pretend talking in tongues..
they use only couple of words and repeat them like a parrot....

but I also had a nasty experience when I doubted someone.. i thought that was silly.. but then without my control something silly happened to me immediatedly...

[DaveSlayer]

Originally Posted by JIP

IMO, no... isn't it to be one time event?
i just wonder and despise ppl trying to pretend talking in tongues..
they use only couple of words and repeat them like a parrot....

but I also had a nasty experience when I doubted someone.. i thought that was silly.. but then without my control something silly happened to me immediatedly...

I believe the gift of tongues to have ceased as it served it's intened purpose.

Isaiah 28:11-13
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

1 Corinthians 14:21-22
In the law it is written, WITH MEN OF OTHER TONGUES AND OTHER LIPS WILL I SPEAK UNTO THIS PEOPLE; AND YET FOR ALL THAT WILL THEY NOT HEAR ME, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:

Every instance I have seen tongues being spoken there were no unebelieving Jews around. These verses are about the unebelieving Jews. The Jews required a sign and so God gave the sign of tongues.

This is a topic that can be debated but Paul makes it clear what the purpose of tongues were.

Anyways, that is all I want to say about that here. I want to see what others think about it.

[JIP]

Originally Posted by DaveSlayer

I believe the gift of tongues to have ceased as it served it's intened purpose.

1 Corinthians 14:21-22
In the law it is written, WITH MEN OF OTHER TONGUES AND OTHER LIPS WILL I SPEAK UNTO THIS PEOPLE; AND YET FOR ALL THAT WILL THEY NOT HEAR ME, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:

Isaiah 28:11-13
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Every instance I have seen tongues being spoken there were no unebelievers around. It was all for edifying themselves. This is a topic that can be debated but Paul makes it clear what the purpose of tongues were.

Anyways, that is all I want to say about that here. I want to see what others think about it.

Indeed dave & it would be interesting to hear what others have to say....
we had a thread long ago where I was categorically bashed in here

[AmaaandaB]

I don't believe that speaking in tongues is a pre-requisite for salvation. You simply need to believe in Jesus Christ and receive him as your Lord and Savior to be saved. However, I do believe that speaking in tongues is for today. Why not? Why limit the Holy Spirit? As long as tongues are not abused, they can be for us. Paul cautions about misuse of tongues in the epistles. They must always be followed by interpretation. They're not for show and self-aggrandizing.

[DaveSlayer]

Originally Posted by AmaaandaB

I don't believe that speaking in tongues is a pre-requisite for salvation. You simply need to believe in Jesus Christ and receive him as your Lord and Savior to be saved. However, I do believe that speaking in tongues is for today. Why not? Why limit the Holy Spirit? As long as tongues are not abused, they can be for us. Paul cautions about misuse of tongues in the epistles. They must always be followed by interpretation. They're not for show and self-aggrandizing.

If the gift of tongues is indeed still alive in this day, then I would agree they should not be abused. Paul laid out some guidelines when tongues were being spoken.

However, the two scriptures I posted above were written about the Jews, that is what it meant whan it says "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

"This people" in context is referring to the Jews. The Jews required a sign and so God gave the sign of tongues.

Paul also said that tongues are a sign for unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 14:21-22 (KJV)
In the law it is written, WITH MEN OF OTHER TONGUES AND OTHER LIPS WILL I SPEAK UNTO THIS PEOPLE; AND YET FOR ALL THAT WILL THEY NOT HEAR ME, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:

If that is true, then why do I never see this happen today? I have not seen tongues as a sign to unbelievers, let alone unbelieving Jews as this verse was referring to. It is always around other Christians, usually in Church and without interpretation.

There is a difference between the gift of tongues and speaking in tongues. The question becomes "what are tongues?". Well, the Bible tells what tongues were.

Acts 26:14 (KJV)
... I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Ezra 4:7 (KJV)
... and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

Revelation 9:11 (KJV)
... whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Tongues are known human languages. Everywhere tongues are mentioned in the Bible they are a known language that is spoken somewhere on earth.

Some people believe that Paul was talking about known languages and unknown languages. The "unknown tongues" are said to be a language that is a prayer language that sounds like gibberish and not a known human language. Something that you may not know is that the word "unknown" was not found in the original manuscripts. It was added by the King James translators and appears in italics in the Bible.

What it meant was that if you speak in a language that is unknown to the hearers, it becomes futile, for no one is edified but the speaker.

The gift of tongues was to supernaturally speak in other languages having never learned. This is what occured on the day of Pentecost, and some probably at Corinth had this gift as well. But they were still languages, not gibberish sounding stuff.

Speaking in tongues is just speaking in another language. Paul wanted languages to be translated at the Church of Corinth because they were being abused. Corinth was in a geographical location where many foreigners visted. This caused a language barrier and therefore Paul said for tongues to be interpreted or not to be spoken at all.

If a person were to speak in a language that no one else present could understand, then that person is left speaking to himself and God, for no one else understands him. (1 Corinthians 14:2)

The main reason why I do not believe scripture to teach a gibberish sounding language is because it can easily be faked where as foreign tongues cannot. If someone were to make up tongues and interpret it, you would be forced to believe the interpretation whether or not it is true.

There are other verses that are used to support a prayer language idea, but I will not cover them in this post. Perhaps others could reflect on it.

Anyways, I hope this helps. I am not saying that my thoughts on this subject are the correct interpretations, but these are my interpretations and thoughts.

God Bless!

Dave

[smellycat]

nope many gifts are given.

[JIP]

Originally Posted by smellycat

nope many gifts are given.

Are gifts necessary?
Are the ungifted doomed?

[ByHisGrace]

Speaking in tongues is a subject that many speakers have either slated or agreed with. It is a gift and should be used in the manner that it was intended as in 1 Corinthians 14 but we need to also read 1 Corinthians 12 there it tells you that it's only one of many and should not be held up ans a prerequisite to salvation.
I for one am unsure if speaking in tongues are for our time.

[Jon-Marc]

Originally Posted by DaveSlayer

Do you have to speak in tongues to be saved? Some Churches teach that all believers will speak in other tongues as evidence of their salvation and the receiving the Holy Ghost. They often use Mark 16:17 as scriptural proof for this position.

Mark 16:17 (KJV)
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Is this the correct Biblical understanding of this verse?

No, speaking in tongues is not a requirement for salvation. The "new tongue" with which I speak is one that praises God instead of cursing Him, and I believe that is the meaning of that verse.