Speaking in tongues: genuine charism or silly gibberish?

[RedSoxFan]

Getting the gift of speaking in tongues is like getting socks on christmas morning. Yeah the might keep you nice and toasty but you really wish you had one of the cooler gifts…

That’s not to slam it too much. I’m sure it’s legitimate, but what’s the point? I would just rather pray mentally or in English and it’s just as effective.

 

[jcrichton]

The way I look at it is, praying in this “gibberish” is really more about acknowledging that our human words are inadequate in praising God. Even our most well-articulated prayers cannot possibly convey the honor and adoration that we owe to God. Romans 8:26 says “In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” This is the verse I always think of when I hear people praying this way.

Hi, Joe!

Though I agree with you that there is authentic “speaking in tongues,” I cannot use a blanket statement that all that sounds like “gibberish” is an elevated prayer that from its origin (the Holy Spirit) is a higher level of praise.

Though the passage you’ve cited does reveal that the Holy Spirit intercedes in our behalf, perfecting our weakness and our ignorance, it does not necessarily translates to everyone who is making sounds is speaking in tongues; if you noticed that other part “…God who sees in our hearts…” this suggests to me a spiritual rather than physical manifestation.

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[thistle]

Well on that basis I guess we don’t have to agree with his personal initiative document, non ex-cathedra on the Latin Mass.
I personally believe he speaks in the Holy Spirit and with authority, the authority of Peter. I can’t pick and choose, and place myself over Peter - can you?

We certainly do not have to agree with everything the Pope says or writes.

For example, in his introduction to the book he wrote, Jesus of Nazereth, he specifically states:

QUOTE

It goes without saying that this book is in no way an exercise of the magesterium, but is solely an expression of my personal search “for the face of the Lord”. Everyone is free, then, to contradict me. I would only ask my readers for that initial goodwill without which there can be no understanding.

UNQUOTE

 

[Joe_5859]

Hi, Joe!

Though I agree with you that there is authentic “speaking in tongues,” I cannot use a blanket statement that all that sounds like “gibberish” is an elevated prayer that from its origin (the Holy Spirit) is a higher level of praise.

Though the passage you’ve cited does reveal that the Holy Spirit intercedes in our behalf, perfecting our weakness and our ignorance, it does not necessarily translates to everyone who is making sounds is speaking in tongues; if you noticed that other part “…God who sees in our hearts…” this suggests to me a spiritual rather than physical manifestation.

Maran atha!

Angel

I completely agree.

 

[myfavoritmartin]

To the OP…I’d be very careful calling a gift of the spirit silly and gibberish…
Especially if these gifts are clearly manifested to “give the glory to God”.
The manifestation of the Spirit is given to " to each one for the profit of all". (See 1 Cor. 12:7),
How the Holy Spirit manifests Himself is personal and is different for all.

 

[thistle]

To the OP…I’d be very careful calling a gift of the spirit silly and gibberish…
Especially if these gifts are clearly manifested to “give the glory to God”.
The manifestation of the Spirit is given to " to each one for the profit of all". (See 1 Cor. 12:7),
How the Holy Spirit manifests Himself is personal and is different for all.

The OP did not call a gift of the spirit gibberish. The OP is simply questioning whether the incoherent sounds made by people who CLAIM to be be speaking in tongues is gibberish or not.

In my opinion the gift of tongues is real when it is a person speaking a foreign (but real) language they could not speak before and that goes for someone interpreting.

With regard to the incoherent sounds people claim to be tongues, I think that is simply gibberish and those people are faking, further evidenced by them refusing to submit to the Church for discernment.

 

[guanophore]

I am saying I would not brag I had it, and I would ask God to take it from me

Padre Pio asked that the stigmata be removed…It wasn’t. I went to 1 charismatic mass, and will never go to another. I was not impressed, nor am I a candidate for this type of behvior

The question is, shall the clay say unto the potter, why has thou made me thus? Who are we to decide our candidacy? Is not that the perogative of God? Is it our place to be impressed by God?

Is it our place to say, if given a gift from God, please take it away?

Is not the response of Mary the more humble? “Be it done to me according to your will”?

 

[redrosetea]

I would refuse to talk if it wasn’t removed. I have nothing against speaking another language, but I am not going to make all kinds of sounds that no one can understand and then pat myself on the back for it

I don’t think a lot of people that claim they have this gift are humble at all, I think they are showing off …

Humbleness is in the eye of the beholder, and I don’t see much humilty in many of these people

Mother Angelica refused to speak the day that she spoke in tongues, do you think she isn’t humble enough?

 

[Lepanto]

I have been to many Spirit filled events etc., yet I don’t walk around calling myself a Charismatic first, even though I have prayed in tongues many, many times.

Precisely what humanly recognizable languages (that you did not know before) does the Spirit enable you to speak? Lithuanian? Swahili? Navajo? Mandarin? Ibjo?

 

[Lepanto]

It was there that I saw everyone waving their arms around during mass including the priest. I thought it looked very tacky, and theatrical. they had a note for people not to interupt mass with a prophesy unless it was really important.

I guess some prophecies are just more important that others.

 

[Lepanto]

Most dicoeses that have a Charsimatic ministry have a priest who is appointed by the Bishop as the Charsimatic laison, who is the eyes of Christ in this regard.

Back a few generations ago before the infestation of Protestant practices in the Church, such a laison priest would have been an exorcist. People just don’t go about “speaking in tongues”!

 

[Lepanto]

Jesus said in My father’s house are many mansions,

But what exactly is the proper interpretation of “many mansions”? I have a friend who is convinced that this verse refers to extraterrestrial beings living on other planets.

 

[Lepanto]

I hate to tell you but our last three popes including Pope Benedict XVI have embraced it or at least accepted it as an important lay movement in our Church.

Benedict XVI inherited the CCM (and many other relics from the 1960s) from Paul VI. I think he’s just tolerating it and hoping that it flames out on its own.

 

[christisall]

I think you know what many mansions I’m referring to - the ones Jesus was speaking of whatever they may be, both the places he prepared for us now and in Heaven. You sound like your way which is probably (sectarian) Latin Mass or TLM or hyper-tarditionalist and myopic is the only and right way, since you speak with disdain of a former Holy Father (which is in itelf from Satan) and seem to infer the work of a Council (VII) was all bad, I’ve heard it all before, and quite frankly people who speak this way are NOT following the Roman Catholic Church, but branching out on their own.

Pope Benedict as have the three other successors of Peter have all spoken of the Charismatic Renewal as an integral part of the renewal of the Church. To say he’s waiting for it to flame out is more your thinking, not his. And if you aer going to claim this, prove it, give us some statements along this line. We’ve already got plenty of statements from the Holy Father.

But what exactly is the proper interpretation of “many mansions”? I have a friend who is convinced that this verse refers to extraterrestrial beings living on other planets.

 

[christisall]

You don’t even know what you are talking about. Just because you say it makes it so?

Back a few generations ago before the infestation of Protestant practices in the Church, such a laison priest would have been an exorcist. People just don’t go about “speaking in tongues”!

 

[Pani_Rose]

Interesting isn’t it, there are over 6,800 known languages in the world. The Bible has been translated into over 2,100 languages.

Humm…

An article I read says that in North America there are 165 ‘indigenous languages’.

I wonder, do you suppose people who question praying or speaking in tongues, somehow know all of these 6,800 languages?

God bless you all!

 

[Claire_from_DE]

I’ve read about half the posts on this thread and see a lot of negative comments. So, to throw in my positive comments…

Speaking in tongues is for the benefit of others, so God will provide an interpreter. It is quite rare but God gives it when He will. Praying in tongues is to benefit the person praying and to praise God.

IMHO both are gifts of the Spirit and both are under the control of the person; God does not force anyone to pray or speak in tongues.

Praying in tongues is a gift the Holy Spirit will give (eventually) to anyone who asks and seeks it. It is best done alone or in company with those who understand what is going on so as not to scandalize or distress others. At times I have found praying in tongues to be helpful and healing in my own prayer life. It can be a useful way of praying for others when you don’t know how to pray or what to ask for them.

Praying in tongues isn’t necessary for salvation. But prayer is necessary. Everyone is different. Some pray best when singing, some just talk to God, some meditate, some say novenas, some like mass in Latin and reverent silence, some like loud, joyful sounds of praise. God made us and He must like the variety of our prayers.

 

[thistle]

I’ve read about half the posts on this thread and see a lot of negative comments. So, to throw in my positive comments…

Speaking in tongues is for the benefit of others, so God will provide an interpreter. It is quite rare but God gives it when He will. Praying in tongues is to benefit the person praying and to praise God.

IMHO both are gifts of the Spirit and both are under the control of the person; God does not force anyone to pray or speak in tongues.

Praying in tongues is a gift the Holy Spirit will give (eventually) to anyone who asks and seeks it. It is best done alone or in company with those who understand what is going on so as not to scandalize or distress others. At times I have found praying in tongues to be helpful and healing in my own prayer life. It can be a useful way of praying for others when you don’t know how to pray or what to ask for them.

Praying in tongues isn’t necessary for salvation. But prayer is necessary. Everyone is different. Some pray best when singing, some just talk to God, some meditate, some say novenas, some like mass in Latin and reverent silence, some like loud, joyful sounds of praise. God made us and He must like the variety of our prayers.

That’s not what the charismatics told us when we attended a Life in the Spirit meeting. They stated categorically that “speaking/praying” in tongues is the ONLY way to communicate with the Holy Spirit, and also that exorcisms only work if “tongues” are used. They said exorcisms in real languages do not work.

Of course several of us spoke to some priests in the following days and they agreed what the charismatics said was absolute rubbish.
The reason I am telling you this is that it typifies the pride and arrogance of many of those who claim to speak in tongues.

 

[TheApologist]

Here is my experience of tongues.
Many of you may not know this, but the Steubenville conferences around the country are typically very charismatic. (At least the one I’ve been to is very charismatic, and by the looks of the promotional video and other such talk, it seems that most conferences are like that).

Three people whom I trust very much (at least in the regard that they wouldn’t lie about something like speaking in tongues, I think), have spoken in tongues (two of them had their tongues originate during the Steubenville conferences). Real or not, they have spoken in some sort of manner that seems to relate to tongues.

I’ve actually heard it from two of them. The first one actually speaks another language, because I heard when he said “Christ”(I’m assuming that’s what he said) he used the word “Christe” or “Christi” or something of that sort. It sort of sounded like Latin.

The second one actually spoke some language as well. Although I didn’t listen well enough to hear specific words or recognize something like “Christ.” He was speaking a language even if it was invented or something.
For this second one, I also heard him speaking very quickly in English to the praise of God. I’ve wondered whether or not others heard him at the same time speaking in tongues. Did I interpret, I wonder.

The third one, whom I haven’t actually heard, has shouted out (spoken loudly probably) in tongues at the Steubenville conferences. This is second-hand info, but some say that, at the same time, some people heard English while others heard tongues.

I don’t know what to make of it all. On the one hand I don’t think tongues would be this widespread. I think it would just be in choice (God’s choice that is) circumstances. I think that, while tongues this widespread are faith-supplying, aren’t really that reasonable. It seems that tongues should be actual languages.

On the other hand, these people who have spoken in tongues are honorable and trustworthy men. They wouldn’t lie about something like this, but I believe they could be mistaken. They could have somehow thought the Spirit overtook them, but really spoke on their own action. I don’t really know. The problem is that at least one of these men openly talks about his tongues and acts as if they were certainly real. I just don’t know.

The Church says to praise the Spirit for giving these gifts, but to be cautious about their authenticity.

I’d like to share one other experience. Other than the three men, I have heard other tongues. Once I went to a Healing Mass. It seemed that many people could easily turn their tongues on and off. For example, the two ministers (they were blessing people with oil- of course, they announced it wasn’t the sacrament of last rites) spoke in tongues for whole duration of the blessings. Also, at the moment of consecration, anyone who had spoke in tongues at the meetings spoke in tongues in unison. I just don’t think God would give tongues to so many people at once.

I think I need to read up on what the Church teaches.

Can anyone give me good Bible verses/chapters to read(any and all that you have)? Church documents? Thanks in advance.

 

[Primrose]

That’s not what the charismatics told us when we attended a Life in the Spirit meeting. They stated categorically that “speaking/praying” in tongues is the ONLY way to communicate with the Holy Spirit, and also that exorcisms only work if “tongues” are used. They said exorcisms in real languages do not work.

Of course several of us spoke to some priests in the following days and they agreed what the charismatics said was absolute rubbish.
The reason I am telling you this is that it typifies the pride and arrogance of many of those who claim to speak in tongues.

I can tell you that what you were told was wrong and unfortunately alot of charismatics believe what they have told you. I started off in a charismatic church when I first became a Christian 6 years ago. I did pray in tongues but since the Lord has been leading me in gaining knowlege I have stopped. Not because I don’t believe in praying in tongues but because I want it to be the ‘real’ gift not a whim because everyone else is doing it in church. The charismatic movement has been easily infiltrated by false doctrine and teachings so you do have to be aware. The devil mimics and when someone is barking like a dog how is that glorifying God? The Holy Spirit is a spirit of peace and harmony not a spirit of chaos and discord. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are real and we shouldn’t be afraid to use them but it shouldn’t take away from God. I know alot of Christian friends who blindly are believing it is of God when they shake and quake in the what they see as being ‘slain in the spirit’.

An interesting website is www.charismatic-heresy.blogspot.com