| The Truth About 'Speaking In Tongues'
A manifestation of 'tongues', or, speaking in an unknown language, has not been confined to the Christian religion. The phenomenon has also - quite widely - occurred among other religions. It is said, for instance, that when the priestess, or, Oracle, of Delphi became 'divinely inspired' she would speak in tongues. This signaled - to those present - the presence of a supernatural spirit, which was giving her guidance. I think that this fact alone should warn us to proceed with caution. From the presence of tongues in other religions we should begin to realize that tongues are not necessarily a sign of the presence, and guidance of, the Holy Spirit of God! The Gift Of Tongues.. Known Language or Unintelligible Utterances
We are exhorted by the apostle John to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 Jn. 4:1). Taking heed to the apostle's words, this paper is an attempt to determine the true nature of the language used in the gift of tongues. It will be argued in this paper that the biblical gift of tongues was, in fact, a known human language, though unknown to the speaker. If this view is found to be accurate, then it presents a great obstacle to those who believe that the tongues spoken today are indeed the biblical gift of tongues. Is Speaking With Tongues The Initial Evidence Of The Spirit Baptism
The key passages used to support the Initial Evidence doctrine, Acts 2, 8, 10, are unique historical happenings. This is evident not only by the circumstances surrounding these accounts but also because the many other conversion experiences described in Acts do not emphasize the matters found in these foundational events in the spread of the Gospel to new "people groups" (i.e. Acts 16:30f.). The Gift Of The Spirit Or A Gift From The Spirit?
There are many passages that reveal the activity of the Spirit, but only a few speak on when we initially receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 tells us, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” When the passages before and after Acts 2:38 are considered, the meaning becomes simple. When we are baptized, we receive the gift of the Spirit, not a gift from the Spirit. Should Believers Speak In Tongues?
It has been claimed that Mark 16: 17 indicates that today's Christians should be expected to speak in tongues. But is this what this Scripture is really saying? A cardinal rule of good scriptural exegesis is that all Scriptures on any given subject must be taken into account before there can be any sound attempt at establishing doctrine. This means that verses like this one should only be considered alongside any other Scriptures which discuss not only tongues but the Gifts of the Spirit in general. |
Index To Section 8B... 
