Saturday, July 31, 2010

What is Speaking in Tongues? (1/2)

I'm thinking I should take the Q&A approach to this blog. I think by doing that, it will allow the information I provide to be remembered easier, being it is written as an "answer" to a specific question that many will inevitably have. Alright, introductions aside, here is the question.

"What is speaking in tongues?"

I will try to explain this as best I know how.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine." 
-Acts 2:1-13
-The gift of tongues was a sign that was displayed by God for the purpose of letting the Jews know that the Holy Spirit has arrived (to fulfill that the purpose of the Holy Spirit is no longer just a helper but an "in-dweller," and no longer temporary but permanent.) just as Jesus Christ has promised. It was in no way meant to be taken as an indication that speaking in tongues was the sign that you have the Holy Spirit.

-The gift of tongues was an existing language that was not known to the person speaking it. The people were confounded at the fact a bunch of people from Galilee were speaking in not only their native languages, but with a perfect accent. As I mentioned in a previous blog, some modern day Christians use this verse as evidence for people doing wacky things. They say "People wouldn't think they were drunk if they simply spoke in another language. They must have looked drunk." To which I would reply "Then why were they confounded at what they saw?" I don't know about you but I am not in a position of not knowing what to think when I see a drunk person. I automatically know they are drunk. Personally, I believe they were confounded because every single Galilean was speaking every single language mentioned, at the same time. If you read the KJV wording, you'll see what I mean.

Acts 2 ABSOLUTELY does not teach anything other than God fulfilling prophecy in giving people languages to speak to one another. You can not use Acts 2 to justify any nonsense that people do in the church, because none of that stuff is in the Bible. If you try to justify actions based on Biblical SPECULATION instead of facts and principles, then you're flat out wrong already. That's like me living my life based on what I believe Jesus drew in the sand in John 8. It is just speculation, holding no ground.

Now that Acts 2 has been clarified, we can move on to 1 Corinthians 14. In this chapter of scripture, Paul addresses the SAME speaking in languages gift, but explaining guidelines for it's usage within the church. Reading the entire 40 verses, you come to one theme. Edification.

The Bible however does not teach the existence of a "prayer language." Paul was addressing the actual gift of tongues and the correct usage of it.

Continued in Part 2.

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Thursday, July 8, 2010

"Nonsense in the Spirit."

Something has been brought to my attention recently and I thought it would be a good time to write another blog and address everything. I will most likely turn this into several parts writing specifically about the misinterpretations of scripture and how they relate to the Corinthian church.

The thing that has been brought up is the subject of people doing wacky things and claiming God is behind it. Now, I'm going to be as straight up and honest as I can be, that is foolishness straight from satan himself.

There is a thought process used to justify this behavior in the church today, and by God's grace I'm going to destroy it today. Here is the question I have been brought recently,

"If the people were simply speaking in other languages and nothing else, why on earth would people think they are drunk? It MUST mean they did everything an actual drunkard would do!"

God help us...


First of all, the fact that they knew Jews were in the temple speaking gibberish in their ears and were not understanding what they were hearing (but saw these men testifying joyfully to what God had done) is enough to have made them joke that the men had been drinking. In the language it was written, the mockers said they were drunk in a joking manner, not because they actually believed the people were drunk. However, even if they DID actually believe they were drunk, it is still enough to make them believe. Let's look at another portion of scripture.

1 Samuel 1:9-13
"Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head." Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth. As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk."

Now then, do we look at this and assume Hannah must have been shaking violently, laughing uncontrollably, making animal noises and so on? No. The word of God is what it is. That really was the reason Eli thought she was drunk. Her lips were moving but nothing was understood by Eli. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Does that mean you need to force another reason upon scripture to make it easier to understand for yourself? No. Do not come up with subjective arguments to justify nonsense. It ain't in the Bible, sorry.

When the spirit of God came upon people they shared the good news of the gospel, were healed of illnesses and physical handicaps and were made completely whole. Over and over there are accounts which clearly illustrate what is of the spirit of God and what is from the evil one (Satan). Violent shaking, falling into fire, foaming at the mouth, barking, gnashing, etc. were the effects of demonic manifestation when the Lord had cast away demons. God NEVER hijacks your body and makes you do things you yourself cannot help, nor does He allow satan to. God will NEVER invade your free will. That being said, when someone gets up and does something foolish and says the Holy Spirit made them do it, it is a lie for sure. Emotions can make people do anything. The "Experience" can make a person believe anything. Nonsense! We were never made to go by our emotions/feelings/experience. You think you're at a spiritual high? tell that to Jesus Christ who sweat blood in the garden of Gethsemane. Not the greatest "experience" was it? No, no it was not. However, Jesus was SO close to God in that moment. Make no mistake about it, if you look to the experience instead of what God's word says, you will be deceived. Only fools look for signs and wonders.

If the Christians at Pentecost were acting a little drunk – anything from wobbly legs, to “loud” behavior – then the people watching them wouldn’t have been perplexed by their conduct, it would have easily been identified as drunkenness; and the mockers wouldn’t have had to make a joke of them, or mock them because their statements would have been true, not joking, if they were in fact acting a little drunk. Unfortunately for most Charismatics, the word "perplexed" (from the Greek word existēmi) was used to describe the reaction of the observers. A word meaning the people did not know how to react to what was going on. You are not perplexed when you see a drunkard, because you already know they are drunk. Drunkenness was very common in this day, considering the fact that wine was consumed more often than water. There is no way these people are looking on astonished at drunks. No way.

The word of God is what it is. Lets drop the need to add our own assumptions to justify actions we do, and lets conform our lives to what the Bible actually says, can we please?

"An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it..."
Matthew 16:4

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