speaking in tongues

[donna369]

i have to come realize that a lot of my understanding is flawed/tainted by things i learned when i studied for a year with the JWs. in the past whenever i heard a preacher on tv start “speaking in tongues” i would turn it off feeling a bit disgusted. but now i wonder - do people really speak in tongues in this day and age? why? was the purpose not to be able to communicate with others when the apostles did this? we don’t need that anymore - we have lots of ways to communicate now, and lots of translators and such. so what would be the purpose of this? most especially if we are alone?

 

[Abbagail]

Yes people do speak in tongues today. I have before as we’ll as many people I know. Why? That’s an interesting question. I’ve heard it said before that speaking in tongues is a way of your soul speaking to the Holy Spirit. I like that idea. For me it’s just another way to praise and pray. I love the prayers the Church gives us. But I also love praise and worship as a way to lift up my praise and intentions to God. This is the same reason why I speak in tongues.

 

[donna369]

what does that feel like? and, do you know what you are saying? is it an actual language?

 

[Abbagail]

I’m not sure what it feels like…I’m not exactly focusing on what I feel like. Speaking in tongues can be real languages. Do I know what I’m saying? I know I’m praising/praying to God. For me, I speak in tongues only when I’m 100% focused on God. So no I don’t know exactly what I’m saying.

 

[po18guy]

Tongues receives waaaaay too much attention. It is but one of many charisms that the Holy Spirit gives us. And, we are expected by God to use those charisms for the building up of the Church - no other reason. Yet, the Holy Spirit knows what it takes to build up the individual as part of that Church, or to improve their spiritual communication with God. If He has chosen to give that gift to someone, and a different gift to me, what is that to me? It is the Spirit acting and God’s Kingdom being built up. I will not grieve the Holy Spirit over His divinely selected gifts to others or to me.

 

[Southern]

If I may, Speaking in tounges is not what people think it is. The real speaking in tounges came after the Holy Spirit decended on the Apostles. I will use Peter for an example… Peter would speak Hebrew. He would go to an Italian and speaking in his own native language which is Hebrew, the one that speaks Italian would hear him preach in Italian but Peter is speaking in Hebrew. The crowds were amazed that the deciples were speaking to crowds of different languages in Hebrew but each heard the words in thier own native tounge. This is the gift of speaking in tounges. Not some mumbo jumbo that I hear in some churches. They don’t even know what they are saying… Useless! God Bless!

 

[grannymh]

If I may, Speaking in tounges is not what people think it is. The real speaking in tounges came after the Holy Spirit decended on the Apostles. I will use Peter for an example… Peter would speak Hebrew. He would go to an Italian and speaking in his own native language which is Hebrew, the one that speaks Italian would hear him preach in Italian but Peter is speaking in Hebrew. The crowds were amazed that the deciples were speaking to crowds of different languages in Hebrew but each heard the words in thier own native tounge. This is the gift of speaking in tounges. Not some mumbo jumbo that I hear in some churches. They don’t even know what they are saying… Useless! God Bless!

May I respectfully point out that the marvelous gift of hearing a missionary in one’s own language is usually referred to as miracle or gift of hearing. Acts 2: 5-11.

 

[tafan]

I’m not sure what it feels like…I’m not exactly focusing on what I feel like. Speaking in tongues can be real languages. Do I know what I’m saying? I know I’m praising/praying to God. For me, I speak in tongues only when I’m 100% focused on God. So no I don’t know exactly what I’m saying.

Do you keep it quiet, unless someone there is able to interpret? 1Cor. 14:27 is rather clear on that point.

 

[grannymh]

Do you keep it quiet, unless someone there is able to interpret? 1Cor. 14:27 is rather clear on that point.

Thank you for citing 1Corinthians 14: 27.

I was just about to post that in Catholicism there are two, different, separate, individual gifts of the Holy Spirit which employ the use of tongues. The verse you gave us refers back to 1Corinthians 12: 4-11 which is St. Paul’s list known as the nine classical gifts of the Holy Spirit which are intended to build up the Church. The gift of speaking God’s message in tongues and the gift of interpreting this message in the vernacular are the last two mentioned gifts. These gifts are used when there is an assembled group. 1Corinthians 14: 26.

Abbagail’s post 4 says: “I know I’m praising/praying to God. For me, I speak in tongues only when I’m 100% focused on God. So no I don’t know exactly what I’m saying.” The key point is “praying to God”. This is the second, more common, gift of the Holy Spirit which uses tongues. Briefly, the person gives up control of the speech mechanism so that the Holy Spirit can form the sounds of prayer. Because this gift is personal prayer to our Loving God, it does not require someone to listen in and interpret.

 

[Falco]

I attended an Assembly of God church for a few months, where the people spoke in tongues, interpreted for each other, and were ‘slain in the spirit’ every week.

On observing these people, I found that they were very repressive in their home lives - no movies, dancing, pop music, novels -in fact no fun. But on Sunday they ‘let it all hang out’ and fell backwards and writhed on the floor spouting streams of language with only the vowel ‘a’ in it. It was embarrassing to watch, but cathartic for them. They had another week to build up pressure to be released in 7 days.

If someone is ‘speaking in tongues’, surely they would know what they were saying, and not need another to ‘interpret’.

I’m sure there is authentic speaking in tongues to this day, and in the Catholic church - but what I saw was not it.

 

[tafan]

Thank you for citing 1Corinthians 14: 27.

I was just about to post that in Catholicism there are two, different, separate, individual gifts of the Holy Spirit which employ the use of tongues. The verse you gave us refers back to 1Corinthians 12: 4-11 which is St. Paul’s list known as the nine classical gifts of the Holy Spirit which are intended to build up the Church. The gift of speaking God’s message in tongues and the gift of interpreting this message in the vernacular are the last two mentioned gifts. These gifts are used when there is an assembled group. 1Corinthians 14: 26.

Abbagail’s post 4 says: “I know I’m praising/praying to God. For me, I speak in tongues only when I’m 100% focused on God. So no I don’t know exactly what I’m saying.” The key point is “praying to God”. This is the second, more common, gift of the Holy Spirit which uses tongues. Briefly, the person gives up control of the speech mechanism so that the Holy Spirit can form the sounds of prayer. Because this gift is personal prayer to our Loving God, it does not require someone to listen in and interpret.

I have a difficult time understanding your point. The verse I referred to is in context of all of chapter 14, tongues and prophesying. And in 14:2 Paul specifically says tomgues is speaking to God, which would, correspond to what Abigall says ( as you acknowledge). So the requirement to keep quiet when speaking in tongues ( speaking to God) certainly applies. You are twisting all of chapter 14 to say otherwise.

 

[po18guy]

Do you keep it quiet, unless someone there is able to interpret? 1Cor. 14:27 is rather clear on that point.

Not necessarily. Tongues builds oneself up. It is not for show, but to praise and deepen our relationship with God. When others are present, interpreters should be there.

It has been made into a circus sideshow for the purpose of TV dollars. Yet, it is a charism of the Holy Spirit, and early on recognized by the Church as genuine.

But, all charisms are subject to testing by the Church, since they are in the spiritual realm. 1 John 4:1

I hope that no one gets worked into a lather over failing to understand the Holy Spirit and His gifts.

 

[po18guy]

I have a difficult time understanding your point. The verse I referred to is in context of all of chapter 14, tongues and prophesying. And in 14:2 Paul specifically says tomgues is speaking to God, which would, correspond to what Abigall says ( as you acknowledge). So the requirement to keep quiet when speaking in tongues ( speaking to God) certainly applies. You are twisting all of chapter 14 to say otherwise.

Easy there! Let’s have a civil conversation, since we are not Pope and Council here. Let us work toward understanding, rather than discord.

 

[peace2u2]

tongues is a gift of prayer - a form of prayer - a way to communicate with God. It is a beautiful form of prayer where we yield to the Holy Spirit. We have to participate and allow our voices to make the sounds or nothing will come out but the clashing of noise. Used in private prayer and contemplative prayer is very uplifting and a lovely way to rest in Him. It can also be used to edify the members of the Church with the gift of healing. It has helped me grow closer to God and to understand His Will for me in my life.

Amen to that!

A great book to help you understand this gift:

The Charism of Tongues: A Gift of Prayer and Edification by Fr. Michael Sears.

 

[cjforJesus]

i have to come realize that a lot of my understanding is flawed/tainted by things i learned when i studied for a year with the JWs. in the past whenever i heard a preacher on tv start “speaking in tongues” i would turn it off feeling a bit disgusted. but now i wonder - do people really speak in tongues in this day and age? why? was the purpose not to be able to communicate with others when the apostles did this? we don’t need that anymore - we have lots of ways to communicate now, and lots of translators and such. so what would be the purpose of this? most especially if we are alone?

As far as I can discern the gift of ecstatic tongues appeared sometime in the early 1900s. I can find no refences to it in any of the church fathers writings.Ecstatic tongues are what is generally associated with the charismatic renewal,and it is supposed to be a charism for building up the church.

The Pentecostal churches,where it first seemd to manifest,claimed it was evidence of being baptised in the Holy Spirit. Since there is only one baptism,this would be more accurately termed an outpouring or consolation of the Spirit.

I still have a difficult time understanding the utterings as they as so similar to the manifestations of a kundalini awakening(Hindu self deification) as to be concerning.

 

[donna369]

people in other churches acting out with strange gyrations and speech have always made me nervous - which is the main reason i never joined the baptist. i know this can be a psychological response to charismatic preachers - i don’t like it. i don’t feel they are receiving the Spirit; why would the Spirit make them act in such a way. i do feel that i am receiving the spirit often in church after the Eucharist. but it is a quiet and potent experience for me. i have never to my knowledge spoken in tongues or acted out. one of the things i enjoy about the catholic church is that it is dignified and we can experience God’s presence without “losing it”.
while i don’t understand the whole “tongues” thing, i will accept it as real if the church does. but i need to know more. what is really going on here? i’m still lost. so please tell me more. and consider me as a child that knows little but seeks deeper understanding even though i have many years.

 

[Deus_tecum]

I had a little one awaken from sleep with leg pains. Massage and stretching did not relieve him and he was crying and writhing in pain. I prayed aloud in a regular way for healing, and he continued to writhe in pain. I asked God what I should do, and prayer in tongues came out (the first time in regard to healing but not the first time otherwise, so I was not shocked). The little guy stopped crying and wriggling almost immediately and fell right asleep for the whole night. Tongues for me has always been a private matter, and I assume prayers the Holy Spirit helps me to utter.

 

[Zach1788]

If I may, Speaking in tounges is not what people think it is. The real speaking in tounges came after the Holy Spirit decended on the Apostles. I will use Peter for an example… Peter would speak Hebrew. He would go to an Italian and speaking in his own native language which is Hebrew, the one that speaks Italian would hear him preach in Italian but Peter is speaking in Hebrew. The crowds were amazed that the deciples were speaking to crowds of different languages in Hebrew but each heard the words in thier own native tounge. This is the gift of speaking in tounges. Not some mumbo jumbo that I hear in some churches. They don’t even know what they are saying… Useless! God Bless!

Exactly. The Greek word glossa, in the original text simply means languages. Tongues=languages. It was used to spread the Gospel when Christianity had just begun. These days millions of people claim to speak it, yet not one of them can interpret it.

 

[Abbagail]

Do you keep it quiet, unless someone there is able to interpret? 1Cor. 14:27 is rather clear on that point.

No. It’s a form of worship. What I say is between me and God, no one else, unless He says otherwise. That verse seems to be talking about when people prophesy through tongues.

 

[pwlj_christ87]

a Catholic parish near my home had a seminar series for seven weeks and in the fifth week we had a special ceremony including the eucharist, prayers, forgiveness and finally a “baptism of the holy spirit”. this was not a baptism in the sense that we are being baptized over again but simply a coming upon of the spirit…

what I expierenced was amazing and nothing I had ever witnessed before… there were several priests present in the hall and all prayed for the spirit to fall upon us… My heart had raced just like the apostles who had been in the upper room when they had experienced it…

immediately everyone in the hall started praying and people around me started speaking in tongues…this speaking in tongues was authentic in that everybody speaking it was very similar… and the speaking was a form of praise towards god and this was evident…

I personally had been a little weireded out at first due to various stereotypes I had in my mind but eventually i put that away and closed my eyes and started to pray…

the next thing i felt is that my arms and body felt immense strength and power…i had gone from feeling like a weakling to completely feeling incredible strength… i can imagine this sort of strength in a battle of war and a sword it was incredible… my feet firm against the ground…

i started to pray more intensely to the spirit and remembed scripture saying when you ask for something in jesus name it will be granted to you… and so i continued to pray over and over everything i wanted… in jesus name i kept repeating…

then this divine strength poured through my body and cleansed my mind , with my feet firm on the ground and arms across it felt like my neck and head were moved to look up while eyes closed and i stood there praying incredibly…

once i opened my eyes i saw people doing similar things on the floor , some resting etc.

After this expierence I walked to meet my mother and i noticed my mind body and soul entirely cleansed… my eyes no longer felt weak and drowsy i truly felt alive again… my mother picked me up and she had said that my face was “shining” … i have before and after pictures of what i looked like and the spirit breathed into me new life…

it is now my responsibility to upkeep it… and continue in it… i strongly recommend this prayer to the trinity!

when i had come home it felt like the spirit cleansed my entire household and i was amazed to see that my prayers were all answered!

truly we owe everything to god. praise him until the last day and never give up