What speaking in tongues means . .

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**When I get asked, ‘Do you believe in speaking in tongues?’ I always follow with, ‘what does tongues mean?’, to the person asking the question. The answer usually includes Pentecostals.

The word tongues comes from the greek word glossa (gloce-sah). We get our word glossary from it. A glossary is a part of a book that defines foreign words. The miracle of speaking in tongues is not jumping up and down and saying non-sense gibber. The miracle of speaking in tongues is that the Holy Spirit was given to the gentiles, who all spoke foreign languages (tongues), and that they were able to communicate It** to one another.

1Co 12:10 -
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another {various} kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.

1Co 12:28 -
And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, {various} kinds of tongues.

1Co 12:30 -
All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

1Co 13:1 -
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1Co 13:8 -
Love never fails; but if {there are gifts of} prophecy, they will be done away; if {there are} tongues, they will cease; if {there is} knowledge, it will be done away.

1Co 14:5 -
Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but {even} more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.

1Co 14:6 -
But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?

1Co 14:18 -
I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all;

1Co 14:21 -
In the Law it is written, “BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME,” says the Lord.

1Co 14:22 -
So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy {is for a sign,} not to unbelievers but to those who believe.

1Co 14:23 -
Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?

1Co 14:39 -
Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.
 
There are actually 2 types of tongues described in the New Testament. The first was described in Acts, when the apostles were given the gift of speaking in languages they didn’t previously know in order to spread the gospel.

But if you check out 1 Corinthians 14:2, you will notice that Paul describes another type of speaking in tongues which is actually a prayer language. He says,“For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.” Paul goes on to describe this as one of the ‘least’ of the gifts of the spirit. (But if the Spirit is going to give me a gift, I wouldn’t be to proud to take the least!)

I actually did experience this gift of tongues as a prayer language a couple of times. But the truth of the matter is, if I hadn’t experienced it myself, I would never have believe it existed anymore either! I knew Pentecostals who claimed to have this gift, and I was sure they were faking it. Maybe what happened to me was God’s way of humbling me, because I sure didn’t ask Him to let me speak in tongues. It just happened out of the blue.

You can believe whatever you want. I’m a stranger on a message board and I’m not going to convince you one way or another. But beware. If God wants you to experience this gift, I don’t think your unbelief will stop Him!!

Happy Easter!
 
I was given a lone gift (in my mind) when I was baptised in the Holy Spirit and it is Love. I needed no other and wanted no other.
I heared other catholics say “you know real christians they speak in toungs” well that turned me off I couldn’t believe it. Latter by some two years while at work i was driving the logloader (30 feet up) past a paper stack on fwhich there was a book that Iknew sholdn’t have been there, it is called “They spoke in other toungs”.

I knew Jesus wanted me to read it i wasn’t interested but in obediance I read it gained some ability of speaking in some toung and as time progressed on learned which it was.
I then learned how satan has no ability of understanding prayer of praise, deliverance or empowerment in toungs, or any other reason so I had gained a strong tool against satans tools of darkness.

I have never looked back and at will in the right time fall into the joy of God’s gift to us all. It is not the most importaint gift in fact the bible tells us it is the least, Love is the greatest and all gifts have to be coated in love or they are non void.
There is a place for speaking in strange toungs at the right time and right place with the right knowledge of why we use this gift.
God bless
littleone
 
I’ve been around people who spoke in tongues, but I was not edified. Just the opposite. I wanted to run away.
 
Biblioassistant said:
I’ve been around people who spoke in tongues, but I was not edified. Just the opposite. I wanted to run away.
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I understand! Before I experienced this gift myself, I visited a Pentecostal church and many people in there were praying in tongues! I thought they were nuts!

St. Paul actually addresses this with the Corinthians (1 Cor 14). He specifically advises them against praying aloud in tongues while worshiping in church, as strangers may think they’re crazy!

For this reason, I wonder why so many Fundamentalist churches continue to pray this way. It seems that their church services go directly against Paul’s advise in 1 Cor 14. - but maybe I’m misunderstanding that Scripture passage!
 
IMHO, speaking in tongues only happens when there is a reason for it. Like when speaking to a crowd who does not all speak your native tongue. Thats one thing I hate about the misinterpretation of scripture, some actually think babbling crazily for absolutely no reason is speaking in tongues! Nope. Tongues is a language. Not random noises that have no meaning to anyone who hears it. Those who stand up in front of their churches and babble stupidly in some made up language in their heads are doing something, sure, its called “pretending” to get the gift. Sorry if I’m harsh, it just makes me sick.

Thank you OP, for your post. I’m going to read it more throughly.
 
Biblioassistant said:
I’ve been around people who spoke in tongues, but I was not edified. Just the opposite. I wanted to run away.
Click to expand...
I think folks get confused about how to appropriately use certain types of tongues. The tongues of langauge I believe is rare but has been used in certain modern day situtions where the speaker did not know the language and God gave him/her the tongue to communicate.The other tongue that I do believe in and use is for the strengthening of the individual in worshipping God and should be kept between the believer and God or as Paul stated and unbeliever walking in and her a bunch of white noise will proabably run!

Someone explained it to me like this: often times a poet or artist or musician may feel something so strong they cannot describe it in words but they know what they feel. Tongues is like that for me. There are times where I feel an intense love for my Lord, so strong that words cannot describe it and it’s in this intense love that speaking a tongue in the Holy Spirit brings me to a whole other level of worship and love. Lately when coming up to receive our Lord in the Eucharist my hands sweat, my heart pounds knowing I’m about to have this intimate encounter with Jesus, even more intimate than when the disciples walked with Him!! After recieving our Lord I kneel down and worship Him often quietly in a tongue because i cannot express my love with any words.

Now I’m not asking everyone to buy what I’m saying, this is simply my experience with tongues and I really feel edified and I guess that’s the key in it all.
 
Theresa of Avila describes better what I’m trying to say:

**Theresa’s Tongues **

In the midst of these experiences that are both painful and delightful together, our Lord sometimes gives the soul feelings of jubilation and a strange prayer it doesn’t understand. What I’m saying seems like gibberish, but certainly the experience takes place in this way, for the joy is so excessive the soul wouldn’t want to enjoy it alone but wants to tell everyone about it so that they might help this soul praise our Lord. All its activity is directed to this praise. Oh, how many festivals and demonstrations of the soul would organize, if it could, that all might know its joy! . . . The devil cannot give this experience, because there is so much interior joy in the very intimate part of the soul and so much peace; and all the happiness stirs the soul to the praises of God.

Oh, what blessed madness, Sisters! If only God would give it to us all. And what a favor He has granted you by bringing you to this house where, when the Lord gives you this favor and you tell others about it, you will receive help rather than the criticism you would receive in the world.
Sometimes it is a particular joy for me to see these Sisters gathered together and feeling such great joy at being in the monastery that they praise our Lord as much as possible. It is seen very clearly that their praises rise from the interior of the soul. I would want you to praise Him often, Sisters; for the one who begins, awakens the others. In what better way can you, when together, use your tongues than in the praises of God since we have so many reasons for praising Him?
May it please His Majesty to give us this prayer often since it is so safe and beneficial; to acquire it is impossible because it is something very supernatural. And it may last a whole day. The soul goes about like a person who has drunk a great deal but not so much as to be drawn out of his senses.
 
Michael_Howard said:
Theresa of Avila describes better what I’m trying to say:

**Theresa’s Tongues **

In the midst of these experiences that are both painful and delightful together, our Lord sometimes gives the soul feelings of jubilation and a strange prayer it doesn’t understand. What I’m saying seems like gibberish, but certainly the experience takes place in this way, for the joy is so excessive the soul wouldn’t want to enjoy it alone but wants to tell everyone about it so that they might help this soul praise our Lord. All its activity is directed to this praise. Oh, how many festivals and demonstrations of the soul would organize, if it could, that all might know its joy! . . . The devil cannot give this experience, because there is so much interior joy in the very intimate part of the soul and so much peace; and all the happiness stirs the soul to the praises of God.

Oh, what blessed madness, Sisters! If only God would give it to us all. And what a favor He has granted you by bringing you to this house where, when the Lord gives you this favor and you tell others about it, you will receive help rather than the criticism you would receive in the world.
Sometimes it is a particular joy for me to see these Sisters gathered together and feeling such great joy at being in the monastery that they praise our Lord as much as possible. It is seen very clearly that their praises rise from the interior of the soul. I would want you to praise Him often, Sisters; for the one who begins, awakens the others. In what better way can you, when together, use your tongues than in the praises of God since we have so many reasons for praising Him?
May it please His Majesty to give us this prayer often since it is so safe and beneficial; to acquire it is impossible because it is something very supernatural. And it may last a whole day. The soul goes about like a person who has drunk a great deal but not so much as to be drawn out of his senses.
Click to expand...
Good one.
I went to a prayer meeting in our home town and it was so edifying and I could feel the same spirit I always felt when alone. However after time the people started peaking different???
I couldn’t believe it these people were all surely, New Zealanders, or were they I didn;'t know all of a sudden. What was happening? That was the opening to toungs for me. I soon learned the meaning of it and how Jesus tells us that "If I am not a … that does not mean that I am not part of the body. No I am still part even as the smallest part.

God bless
littleone
 
one type of “tongues” I have experienced several times down here and in Mexico is when a priest is preaching, a brother is giving a spiritual talk, a person is giving a personal testimony during a prayer group or retreat, and I understand their Spanish perfectly, although usually my grasp of the language is very poor. I don’t mean I could rattle of a word for word English translation, but I get the full sense of what they are saying. Usually, even if I recognize the words, and can’t string it together to make sense in English, but at these times, that is reversed. On these occasions the message has been so valuable to me that I assume the Holy Spirit has given them the gift of speaking in tongues to people like me, or me the gift of interpreting what I am meant to hear.
 
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