The Gift of Tongues: its General Availability, Purpose, and Power

[Dave L]

It may "prove" it to you, but don't let your head swell up too much with that apparent success which really isn't. I am slow to state what I know as opposed to what I believe, but I have to say my gift of tongues received back in 1976 is not of the flesh but of God. I could give you details but you would not believe them anyway. That is your loss as you have limited God. The Israelites did that and most definitely paid a high price for it.

If it was of God you would know what you were saying. It is because it is of the flesh that you do not understand.

 

[amadeus]

The gifts ended when they finished their purpose, providing the first words of the New Covenant. When written and collected, the complete replaced the fragments with what we call scripture.

Without the Holy Spirit in a person to quicken the scriptures read or heard those scriptures remain as dead as they were unread in the book. Jesus did not heal a single person while he was dead between giving up the Ghost on the cross and the Resurrection. The Bible is not complete alone. It can become complete within a person as the person is brought to Life. This is happening still now. The work in many person remains unfinished but is making progress toward being like Him:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." I John 3:2

 

[Dave L]

Without the Holy Spirit in a person to quicken the scriptures read or heard those scriptures remain as dead as they were unread in the book. Jesus did not heal a single person while he was dead between giving up the Ghost on the cross and the Resurrection. The Bible is not complete alone. It can become complete within a person as the person is brought to Life. This is happening still now. The work in many person remains unfinished but is making progress toward being like Him:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." I John 3:2

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

 

[amadeus]

If it was of God you would know what you were saying. It is because it is of the flesh that you do not understand.

When I am in the Spirit I do understand... always. When I am not, I do not.

 

[amadeus]

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Yes, it is so given by inspiration of God, but alone without the Holy Spirit a man will never make the perfection and never be furnished "unto all good works". It took inspiration to write it and it requires the same inspiration to correctly understand it and properly use it.

Give God the glory!

 

[Nancy]

Doesn't it ALL bottom out if there were not Love?

 

[amadeus]

You are trying to sell a hog for a horse.

No, I was simply trying to penetrate the hard shell you have built that limits God's working you. I will continue praying that God open a way for you... for ultimately the decision, to open or not, does not belong to me or even to God... but to you. To block Him or not! There are only two choices: God or mammon.

 

[amadeus]

I don't think anyone can overthrow my argument.

Certainly no man can while you block God. God has power but He gave to each of a bit of His power in the choice we are to make between Himself as mammon as Jesus said. God cannot break His own Word. Until a man's time is finished... that is until his course is ended [until the dirt is thrown onto his face], without his express permission not even God can overthrow the man's argument. Jesus makes this clear here:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Matt 23:37-38

 

[amadeus]

We attended a Pentecostal church for a time. I did not like the outbursts, the speaking in tongues in public, and rolling in the aisles. I felt that it was emotionalism and not the calm and reasoned teaching of Scripture. A visiting pastor named "Billy Something" (I think he meant to be the next Billy Graham. He was preaching and walked over and shouted "There's HOMOSEXIALITY HERE! I SENSE IT! SOMEBODY HERE IS PRACTICING HOMOSEXIALITY!" (he pronounced it that way). All the churchgoers sat in the pews with their heads down while he kept demanding to know who was practicing it.

That really showed me that was NOT of God. God doesn't work that way and the pastor looked like a fool. That and the emotionalism were what turned me off. I did not sense God in what they were doing. In fact I've been reading "War on the Saints" by Jesse Penn Lewis and she talks about it. She is difficult to follow with the way she writes; at least for me, but she speaks truth.

I still don't know about tongues - only God can really answer that in His time and way.

Indeed, in Pentecostal churches as in other churches there is foolishness happening, but don't let your personal ignorance [read : lack of experience] or bias make a decision to throw everything out. Consider rather the advice of Jesus:

"Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." Matt 13:30

But many unable to really discern between tares and wheat presume that where they presently are is necessarily full of wheat alone and they are seeming willing to cast out and/or burn anything else now. Leave it the reapers in God's time:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Ecc 3:1

That 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes continues with details, but it does not say how a person is to know when to do and when not to do. Do we know how to tell time? God does... if we are paying attention He will lead us correctly:

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jerem 10:23

So who then but God through the Holy Spirit can and will direct if we are paying attention and NOT quenching the Holy Spirit in us...? Every church or supposedly Christian assembly I have ever attended, as I understand it, has regularly practiced quenching the Holy Spirit although some, LOL, did it better/worse than others.

 

[amadeus]

How do you know your flesh isn't finding release the same way others do cussing? Or screaming? "Tongues" today are of the flesh and not of the Holy Spirit by any stretch.

If I were doing as you suggest, I would be in a delusion. The only way I have found to avoid delusion is to keep first things properly first and keep going back [daily!] to the lowest room with God so that completely empty again He can refill me or correct or whatever He sees fit to do to keep me from or to remove from me any delusions:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Rev 2:4
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" II Thess 2:10-11

What is this "truth" which we must love? Should this not be our first Love?

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment." Matt 22:37-38

So then again what did Jesus say?

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matt 6:24

Ultimately, there can be no riding the fence:

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Rev 2:15-16

 

[GTW27]

Certainly no man can while you block God. God has power but He gave to each of a bit of His power in the choice we are to make between Himself as mammon as Jesus said. God cannot break His own Word. Until a man's time is finished... that is until his course is ended [until the dirt is thrown onto his face], without his express permission not even God can overthrow the man's argument. Jesus makes this clear here:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Matt 23:37-38

For me, when I read His Words above, it is some of the strongest in all of scripture. I can feel His heart and how it aches for His people. "and ye would not!"

 

[Anthony D'Arienzo]

No one speaks in tongues today...nobody.

 

[Hisman]

No one speaks in tongues today...nobody.

Haha that is very funny.

...signed..Mr Nobody

 

[Berserk]

What makes Dave L's responses so reprehensible is not his cessationist view of tongues, but his unwillingness to analyze the basis for the interpretation of the various relevant texts and, worse, his unwillingness to watch posted videos documenting eyewitness testimony about how the Azusa Street Revival happened and the many hours of intercessory prayer, fasting and waiting on God that led to the Azusa outpouring and miracles. He is totally lacking in intellectual integrity and a willingness to engage in honest and open inquiry into biblical truth.

 

[Dave L]

If I were doing as you suggest, I would be in a delusion. The only way I have found to avoid delusion is to keep first things properly first and keep going back [daily!] to the lowest room with God so that completely empty again He can refill me or correct or whatever He sees fit to do to keep me from or to remove from me any delusions:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Rev 2:4
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" II Thess 2:10-11

What is this "truth" which we must love? Should this not be our first Love?

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment." Matt 22:37-38

So then again what did Jesus say?

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matt 6:24

Ultimately, there can be no riding the fence:

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Rev 2:15-16

We need to believe based on scripture. That is where faith comes from. Other than this we believe with the flesh and it is a dead end. Nothing eternal about flesh faith.

 

[Dave L]

Certainly no man can while you block God. God has power but He gave to each of a bit of His power in the choice we are to make between Himself as mammon as Jesus said. God cannot break His own Word. Until a man's time is finished... that is until his course is ended [until the dirt is thrown onto his face], without his express permission not even God can overthrow the man's argument. Jesus makes this clear here:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Matt 23:37-38

The reason I say this is because it comes from scripture. And not human reason.

 

[Dave L]

Yes, it is so given by inspiration of God, but alone without the Holy Spirit a man will never make the perfection and never be furnished "unto all good works". It took inspiration to write it and it requires the same inspiration to correctly understand it and properly use it.

Give God the glory!

We cannot understand most of scripture apart from the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Dave L]

When I am in the Spirit I do understand... always. When I am not, I do not.

You still do not have the original gift on tongues. You might get an impression while babbling. But the original speakers knew exactly what they were saying and could explain the message to others. Try recording some babbling and have several different groups interpret it. Each will give a different message.

 

[marksman]

If it was of God you would know what you were saying. It is because it is of the flesh that you do not understand.

Wrong again as I have told you before. God gave the gift of interpretation because the speaker in tongues would not know what they were saying. if they did, they would not need for anyone to interpret.

 

[marksman]

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Meaning what?