Hey,

So can anybody answer the above question? My friend believe that it is only a recent phenomena that is unbiblical and says that tongues ceased after the early church..

However I speak in tongues and he believers that people who speak in tongues are either deceived or of the devil.

If you could help me and link me to books/ websites that would be MOST helpful!

In Christ
Evangel

I don't have the resources at my fingertips but a good friend shared with me that several of the early Presbyterian had the gift despite it scorned at the time. I'll have to ask him for some links.

http://www.cfcindia.com/web/mainpages/articles.php?display=article07

I hope this will help :)

hi, luther wrote a great hymn:a mighty fortrace is our God. in the 4th stanza he wrote that the Spirit and the gifts are ours.jimp

It sounds like your friends mind is made up.

Here is a link...
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Glossolalia

When he has a need someday, offer to pray for him and allow him to experience your gift, the Lord might work mightily through that.

God bless,
Lisa

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Lisa

Let's not get carried away... praying for someone's needs in tongues is no more powerful than not. God does not honor prayers offered in tongues anymore than He does the simple plea of a child or an adult who approaches Him as a little child.

Which one of us has had the impact of someone like Billy Graham, or Charles Spurgeon, or Billy Sunday, or etc etc? Not even close. And imagine... none of them spoke or prayed in tongues.

Some people are given the gift of tongues, and some are not. Scripture is VERY plain about that. Let's not be ignorant.

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? DO ALL SPEAK WITH TONGUES? DO ALL INTERPRET? But earnestly desire the higher gifts."

Two things here...

1) Paul is asking a question that has an obvious answer in order to make a point... and the obvious answer to all of his questions is: "NO"...

2) Paul conlcudes this line of questions with "earnestly desire the higher gifts". TONGUES is the LOWEST gift, and Paul goes on elsewhere to proove that point.

If you back up to verse 10 Paul even says: "to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, TO ANOTHER VARIOUS KINDS OF TONGUES, to another the interpretation of tongues."

So this gift, regardless of what some churches teach (in error) is NOT for every believer. God NEVER intended it for every believer, nor does He GIVE it to every believer. And having that gift does not make a believer special. In fact, that gift all too often gets ruined by that believers inability to control his or her own pride. And this is the whole reason why Paul wrote this portion of scripture. To deal with believers pride. It's not really even about tongues or gifts, it's dealing with sinful pride and believers who think they are something special.

And then Paul nails it down hard in verse 11 when he says: "All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as HE (the Holy Spirit/GOD) WILLS."

It's all according to HIS WILL, not ours. Pray till you're blue in the face, but if God has something else in mind for you OTHER than giving you the gift of tongues... thats HIS decision and He will not give it to you.

So if He has given you the gift of hospitality and not tongues... rejoice. Dont let those who have the gift of tongues lie to you and tell you it's for every believer and that it is THE sign that you're truly born again or baptized in the Spirit. Thats not true.

To say that is to say that Billy Graham is not born again or baptised in the Spirit. Or Spurgeon... or Billy Sunday... etc etc.

And then there are those who "speak in tongues" that really are not, and they are deceived and/or abusing "tongues". Personally I believe that would apply to the majority of those who claim to speak in tongues. I believe just like with people who are actually saved, there are few who actually have the gift of tongues.

Narrow is the gate and FEW are those who find it.

I do not go around judging who is really speaking in tongues and who is not. If you claim to have the gift great! I hope you do. Now be quiet about it and use it according to HIS WILL... use it in your prayer closet. Be humble about it. LOVE is the greatest gift, practice that one in public.

Krispy

By the way, some may read what I wrote and take that to mean I am saying people here are "lying". Thats not what I mean. I am, however, calling it "error" and "unbiblical" to assert that tongues is the evidence that someone is born again or baptised in the Spirit.

If someone claims that I do not think they are purposely lying, I know many sincerely believe that. But the Bible makes it clear that that is sincerely wrong.

So... it's not my intention to call into question anyone's character. I'm just trying to point out truth.

Krispy

Because clearly u have cornered the market on truth. It's amazing to see how u discourage people when they are looking for truth. Sometimes your opnions about things should remain to yourself. Spirit calls out to spirit not flesh. Brother I know u mean well but sometimes we should just be silent. And Krispy I know u love the Lord and His Word but honestly no man can have an answer for every scripture.

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Brian