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Well lets get this one right., as this is about as confused a topic located within Christianity, as has ever been caussed by misunderstanding and then twisting a few verses in the NT.
Lets just get this topic dialed in and nailed down, so that at least the people here can know what you are supposed to understand..
Its very simple, reader.
There is a 1.) "prayer language".... and there is a 2.) " spiritual GIFT", that is the gift of being able to speak in a foreign language.
These are NOT the same thing, yet, 99.99567 % of the charismatic leadership teaches them as the same and that is why there is such confusion and division regarding this word "tongues".
Lets think now....you have to think..
Lets go back to Pentecost... 2000+ yrs ago, and now enters PETER the Apostle.. Here is what the NT says regarding his PREACHING....... "everyone heard in their own LANGUAGE".... Acts 2:6. See that word LANGUAGE ?...... THERE YOU GO. That is a "Gift of the Spirit" ... One of the 9 spiritual Gifts. ITs God giving YOU the ability to speak a foreign language to a hearer, same as Peter is doing, so that they can understand the message... This means you can speak a LANGUAGE, that you have not learned. as that is THIS Particular spiritual GIFT.
Now notice this... Peter is a JEW. Everyone there is a JEW.......Its a JEWISH FEAST (Pentecost). So, you had different dialects there....... the bible defines these as "language".... because its the same idea.
And here is the part that you are never taught by the people who are foolishly obsessed with "spiritual gifts"...... "tongues are for a SIGN".. 1st Corinthians 14:22. and "Signs are for the JEWS".. 1 Corinthians 1:22.
Now do you see that? YOU have Peter, a JEW.... speaking to jews, and he is doing something miraculous.. in front of JEWS..... because they are supposed to look for SIGNS.....
Now lets look at this verse. 2nd Corinthians 12:12. "signs of an APOSTLE". And what is Peter? He's an APOSTLE..... So what do you have? You have a spiritual GIFT, being performed by an Apostle, in front of JEWS, who require a SIGN, during a JEWISH FEAST, because Jews require a SIGN, and Tongues (foreign Language) is a SIGN GIFT.
See how easy that is to SEE? All you have to do is compare scripture with scripture and it all lines up and the confusion leaves the building.
Listen, do you remember Jesus? He IS a JEW. He performed MIRACLES. In front of WHO? " house of ISRAEL"...= JEWs. So, you had Jewish Jesus, giving them "signs" =MIRACLES..= proving His Authority, Power, and TRUTH. "jews REQUIRE A SIGN">.. = JESUS performing MIRACLES is a SIGN for the JEWS, who require it.
See it?
--------------
Now what is a "prayer language"..... This is what Paul is talking about when he says......"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, PRAYING in the Holy Ghost"
Now do you see that verse? That is all about Praying. And notice.....YOU ARE PRAYING...... and this is why it can be referred to as a "prayer language".
Now remember that Peter is not PRAYING at Pentecost......>He's sharing the Gospel.....Hes TALKING.....PREACHING......LANGUAGE...= that is not PRAYING.
Got it?
So, that is all there is to it.
2 Separate situations. 2 Separate reasons. One is a "sign gift" , and one is NOT.
One is a "speaking in a foreign language' as a spiritual GIFT and one is PRAYING in the 'Holy Ghost".
So, when they are not explained as being these 2 separate situations, 2 separate REASONS, then you end up thinking that its all the SAME. = CONFUSION.
So, welcome to the reason the Body of Christ is so confused about this issue.
Its because a few denominations that are basically built on this CONFUSED TOPIC, can't read a bible and don't care to KNOW !
--
And you would ask me.....>"does everyone do this"......"does this always happen when you are born again".
The answer is : No.
You are not saved because you exhibit anything, you are saved because you became BORN AGAIN when you TRUSTED Christ.
So, are you supposed to worry about it? Are you supposed to spend your life by becoming a "chronic seeker" of spiritual GIFTS?
NO.
You are to live holy, and tell unbelievers about the Love of God. You are to help unbelievers find their way to JESUS.
Saint, work on that part, consistently, get that RIGHT....... and if God needs you to have a spiritual "gift", for a particular reason...... then He'll give it to you.
You are not given these things to amuse yourself, ....God gives these 9 "gifts" to get out HIS GOSPEL more effectively.
Just Look at Peter.....Had he not been Given this Gift, then He could not have been UNDERSTOOD by all those JEWS. who "heard in their own LANGUAGE"..
So, if God calls you to do something and it takes a "spiritual GIFT" to get it done, then you will receive it.
-
Babies want gifts.
Immature believers, who are spiritual babies, worry about gifts of the Spirit.
Paul told you to desire the "best", and spiritual babies want to brag about their "prayer language" that isn't the gift of Tongues.
What could be more confused or carnal?
Listen,
God's concern is getting people into the family.
This is actually why He died on The Cross....so, A mature believer is concerned for people going to hell, & concerned with learning and teaching the word = so that when you are asked to teach a SS class or if you lead someone to the Cross, you can then disciple them till they are grounded in Truth, instead of grounding them in ERROR.
The Corinthian Christians were spiritual babies. At one point Paul is saying..>"what ???, do you not know the Holy Spirit is in you? So, they were concerned with status, and "look at me", and "i have this gift, what u got "....?
Truly its a carnal person who chases and worries about this stuff. This is the church that had the boy and the dad's new wife together.
Imagine this.. = a believer is standing before Jesus, and Jesus says...."so, you had a long life, what did you do "in my body".. and the believer says...>"well, i spoke in my prayer language a lot". And Jesus says, yes you did, and i noticed that you never tried to lead one single person to me, you never invited a neighbor to church, you never memorized any bible verses, you never gave to the poor, "....."you even left your younger sister to take care of your eldery parents because you didn't want to have to deal with that".....AND...."you spent all your time on Christian Forums trying to make my blood bought believe that their works and NOT MY BLOOD kept them saved"....
I always liked that story about the son and the dad's bride, because later, after this boy was kicked out of the assembly.....not loved more, not given more chances to do harm, but he was kicked OUT as per PAUL's orders........Later Paul brings him back in ..
So, i like to use this story to teach carnal believers, who think that 'sinning willfully" is "to lose your salvation",.... I like to help them realize that this boy WILLFULLY slept with dad's new wife, and was not LOST while he was doing it.
See, you can't OUT SIN the Blood of Jesus. And that is because its an overpayment....Its greater then sin. "where sin abounds, GRACE MORE Abounds". "you are not under the law, you are under GRACE"
Salvation can't be lost, exactly as it can't be earned.
Well lets get this one right., as this is about as confused a topic located within Christianity, as has ever been caussed by misunderstanding and then twisting a few verses in the NT.
Lets just get this topic dialed in and nailed down, so that at least the people here can know what you are supposed to understand..
Its very simple, reader.
There is a 1.) "prayer language".... and there is a 2.) " spiritual GIFT", that is the gift of being able to speak in a foreign language.
These are NOT the same thing, yet, 99.99567 % of the charismatic leadership teaches them as the same and that is why there is such confusion and division regarding this word "tongues".
Lets think now....you have to think..
Lets go back to Pentecost... 2000+ yrs ago, and now enters PETER the Apostle.. Here is what the NT says regarding his PREACHING....... "everyone heard in their own LANGUAGE".... Acts 2:6. See that word LANGUAGE ?...... THERE YOU GO. That is a "Gift of the Spirit" ... One of the 9 spiritual Gifts. ITs God giving YOU the ability to speak a foreign language to a hearer, same as Peter is doing, so that they can understand the message... This means you can speak a LANGUAGE, that you have not learned. as that is THIS Particular spiritual GIFT.
Now notice this... Peter is a JEW. Everyone there is a JEW.......Its a JEWISH FEAST (Pentecost). So, you had different dialects there....... the bible defines these as "language".... because its the same idea.
And here is the part that you are never taught by the people who are foolishly obsessed with "spiritual gifts"...... "tongues are for a SIGN".. 1st Corinthians 14:22. and "Signs are for the JEWS".. 1 Corinthians 1:22.
Now do you see that? YOU have Peter, a JEW.... speaking to jews, and he is doing something miraculous.. in front of JEWS..... because they are supposed to look for SIGNS.....
Now lets look at this verse. 2nd Corinthians 12:12. "signs of an APOSTLE". And what is Peter? He's an APOSTLE..... So what do you have? You have a spiritual GIFT, being performed by an Apostle, in front of JEWS, who require a SIGN, during a JEWISH FEAST, because Jews require a SIGN, and Tongues (foreign Language) is a SIGN GIFT.
See how easy that is to SEE? All you have to do is compare scripture with scripture and it all lines up and the confusion leaves the building.
Listen, do you remember Jesus? He IS a JEW. He performed MIRACLES. In front of WHO? " house of ISRAEL"...= JEWs. So, you had Jewish Jesus, giving them "signs" =MIRACLES..= proving His Authority, Power, and TRUTH. "jews REQUIRE A SIGN">.. = JESUS performing MIRACLES is a SIGN for the JEWS, who require it.
See it?
--------------
Now what is a "prayer language"..... This is what Paul is talking about when he says......"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, PRAYING in the Holy Ghost"
Now do you see that verse? That is all about Praying. And notice.....YOU ARE PRAYING...... and this is why it can be referred to as a "prayer language".
Now remember that Peter is not PRAYING at Pentecost......>He's sharing the Gospel.....Hes TALKING.....PREACHING......LANGUAGE...= that is not PRAYING.
Got it?
So, that is all there is to it.
2 Separate situations. 2 Separate reasons. One is a "sign gift" , and one is NOT.
One is a "speaking in a foreign language' as a spiritual GIFT and one is PRAYING in the 'Holy Ghost".
So, when they are not explained as being these 2 separate situations, 2 separate REASONS, then you end up thinking that its all the SAME. = CONFUSION.
So, welcome to the reason the Body of Christ is so confused about this issue.
Its because a few denominations that are basically built on this CONFUSED TOPIC, can't read a bible and don't care to KNOW !
--
And you would ask me.....>"does everyone do this"......"does this always happen when you are born again".
The answer is : No.
You are not saved because you exhibit anything, you are saved because you became BORN AGAIN when you TRUSTED Christ.
So, are you supposed to worry about it? Are you supposed to spend your life by becoming a "chronic seeker" of spiritual GIFTS?
NO.
You are to live holy, and tell unbelievers about the Love of God. You are to help unbelievers find their way to JESUS.
Saint, work on that part, consistently, get that RIGHT....... and if God needs you to have a spiritual "gift", for a particular reason...... then He'll give it to you.
You are not given these things to amuse yourself, ....God gives these 9 "gifts" to get out HIS GOSPEL more effectively.
Just Look at Peter.....Had he not been Given this Gift, then He could not have been UNDERSTOOD by all those JEWS. who "heard in their own LANGUAGE"..
So, if God calls you to do something and it takes a "spiritual GIFT" to get it done, then you will receive it.
-
Babies want gifts.
Immature believers, who are spiritual babies, worry about gifts of the Spirit.
Paul told you to desire the "best", and spiritual babies want to brag about their "prayer language" that isn't the gift of Tongues.
What could be more confused or carnal?
Listen,
God's concern is getting people into the family.
This is actually why He died on The Cross....so, A mature believer is concerned for people going to hell, & concerned with learning and teaching the word = so that when you are asked to teach a SS class or if you lead someone to the Cross, you can then disciple them till they are grounded in Truth, instead of grounding them in ERROR.
The Corinthian Christians were spiritual babies. At one point Paul is saying..>"what ???, do you not know the Holy Spirit is in you? So, they were concerned with status, and "look at me", and "i have this gift, what u got "....?
Truly its a carnal person who chases and worries about this stuff. This is the church that had the boy and the dad's new wife together.
Imagine this.. = a believer is standing before Jesus, and Jesus says...."so, you had a long life, what did you do "in my body".. and the believer says...>"well, i spoke in my prayer language a lot". And Jesus says, yes you did, and i noticed that you never tried to lead one single person to me, you never invited a neighbor to church, you never memorized any bible verses, you never gave to the poor, "....."you even left your younger sister to take care of your eldery parents because you didn't want to have to deal with that".....AND...."you spent all your time on Christian Forums trying to make my blood bought believe that their works and NOT MY BLOOD kept them saved"....
I always liked that story about the son and the dad's bride, because later, after this boy was kicked out of the assembly.....not loved more, not given more chances to do harm, but he was kicked OUT as per PAUL's orders........Later Paul brings him back in ..
So, i like to use this story to teach carnal believers, who think that 'sinning willfully" is "to lose your salvation",.... I like to help them realize that this boy WILLFULLY slept with dad's new wife, and was not LOST while he was doing it.
See, you can't OUT SIN the Blood of Jesus. And that is because its an overpayment....Its greater then sin. "where sin abounds, GRACE MORE Abounds". "you are not under the law, you are under GRACE"
Salvation can't be lost, exactly as it can't be earned.