Speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the holy spirit, which is a sign that the person speaking in tongues has been filled with the holy spirit- "all of them were filled with the holy spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them" acts 2:4. Is a private prayer language that god understands and is often said when they cannot express themselves in their usual language. I am not sure why this is important as not all christians who have been baptised in the spirit have this gift.
The first to speak in tongues were the disciples. This occurred on the day of Pentecost. People often think that on this day the disciples were speaking human languages, because the people could understand what they were saying. I don't believe this is true because I believe there was a two-fold miracle taking place on this day: the miracle of speaking and hearing. The first miracle was the speaking in tongues. The second miracle was the enabling of some to understand the tongues. Not everyone understood the tongues, because some onlookers made fun of the disciples and accused them of being drunk (Acts 2:13); I think this clearly shows that they did not understand the tongues. And the ones who did understand the tongues were perplexed because each one heard only their own native language, not the languages of the other people (v. 6). The Bible tells us that there were foreigners representing many nations, speaking different languages. Yet each person heard the disciples praising God in their own language. They exclaimed, "How is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?" (v. 8) They could not figure out how this was possible. The disciples were "declaring the wonders of God" (v. 11). They were not speaking "to men but to God" (1 Cor 14:2). The people were listening in on their praises to God. So tongues are not supernatural human languages given to the apostles so they could preach in languages they did not naturally learn. The disciples were not speaking human languages; they were speaking in unknown tongues. But God enabled those whose hearts were opened to understand what the disciples were saying. The second miracle of the day was in the hearing of the people. Jesus says that those who believe in Him will "speak in new tongues" (Mark 16:17). The word "new" means appearing for the first time. No one had spoken these languages before. It is only appropriate that "new tongues" should be spoken by those of the "new birth." It is natural and normal to speak in the language of your birth. We are born again from above, therefore we should speak the language from above - that language is called "new tongues." It comes from Heaven! Tongues is the heavenly language, God's language. The Apostle Paul gives some importance to speaking in tongues when stating, "He who speaks in tongues edifies himself...I would like every one of you to speak in tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:4,5).
Speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the holy spirit, which is a sign that the person speaking in tongues has been filled with the holy spirit- "all of them were filled with the holy spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them" acts 2:4. Is a private prayer language that god understands and is often said when they cannot express themselves in their usual language. I am not sure why this is important as not all christians who have been baptised in the spirit have this gift.
ReplyDeleteThe first to speak in tongues were the disciples. This occurred on the day of Pentecost. People often think that on this day the disciples were speaking human languages, because the people could understand what they were saying.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe this is true because I believe there was a two-fold miracle taking place on this day: the miracle of speaking and hearing. The first miracle was the speaking in tongues. The second miracle was the enabling of some to understand the tongues. Not everyone understood the tongues, because some onlookers made fun of the disciples and accused them of being drunk (Acts 2:13); I think this clearly shows that they did not understand the tongues.
And the ones who did understand the tongues were perplexed because each one heard only their own native language, not the languages of the other people (v. 6). The Bible tells us that there were foreigners representing many nations, speaking different languages. Yet each person heard the disciples praising God in their own language. They exclaimed, "How is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?" (v. 8) They could not figure out how this was possible.
The disciples were "declaring the wonders of God" (v. 11). They were not speaking "to men but to God" (1 Cor 14:2). The people were listening in on their praises to God.
So tongues are not supernatural human languages given to the apostles so they could preach in languages they did not naturally learn.
The disciples were not speaking human languages; they were speaking in unknown tongues. But God enabled those whose hearts were opened to understand what the disciples were saying.
The second miracle of the day was in the hearing of the people.
Jesus says that those who believe in Him will "speak in new tongues" (Mark 16:17). The word "new" means appearing for the first time. No one had spoken these languages before. It is only appropriate that "new tongues" should be spoken by those of the "new birth." It is natural and normal to speak in the language of your birth. We are born again from above, therefore we should speak the language from above - that language is called "new tongues." It comes from Heaven! Tongues is the heavenly language, God's language.
The Apostle Paul gives some importance to speaking in tongues when stating, "He who speaks in tongues edifies himself...I would like every one of you to speak in tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:4,5).