Praying in tongues is part of Biblical Christianity

[Presbyterian Continuist]

In recent years there has been an explosion of false teaching and false "experiences" that purport to be the baptism with the Spirit and praying in tongues. Criticism using terms like "Charismania" has muddied the waters and created so much doubt, fear and suspicion that many genuine seekers after the baptism with the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit have been spooked and driven away from seeking what they fear could be a demonic counterfeit. The truth is that to receive the genuine baptism with the Spirit, one has to be born again. Most of the "Charismania" crowd are not born again, because in most of their churches and gatherings the Gospel of Christ is never taught. These people don't have a clear view of Jesus bleeding and dying on the Cross for their sins, and have no idea that they need repentance from sin and to show the fruit of it. These people do not represent what being baptised with the Spirit actually is.

To be truly baptised with the Spirit, one has to be born again and showing the fruit of repentance. The Holy Spirit will not fill an unclean vessel that has not received the righteousness of Christ. Being religious, talking the talk, and joining a church is not the same as being born again. True conversion to Christ is a personal transaction between the person and Jesus Christ, and it is from the heart. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.

The baptism with the Spirit is not just "Pentecostal" or "Charismatic". These are just man's labels attached to it. The truth is that it is Biblical Christianity. It is God's idea about how a believer is empowered for service. Tongues is God's way of enhancing a believer's prayer life, to give an extra dimension in prayer, the ability to pray with the Spirit as well as the understanding. If a person says they are filled with the Spirit but does not demonstrate the power of the Spirit in ministry, such as getting people saved, doing powerful intercessory prayer, casting out demons, healing the sick, as is demonstrated in the Book of Acts, then the person is fooling himself and just pretending. He may make a lot of noise in hallelujah hootenanny meetings. but it is just all the steam going out the whistle.

A person who is truly baptised with the Spirit is fully involved in glorifying Jesus, presenting the true Gospel, showing God's compassion toward the sick and suffering. If all the person is doing is jumping around babbling in gibberish in emotionally charged meetings, all they are doing is performing a display in the flesh, and the Holy Spirit is far from them.

Many modern church goers have no idea who the Holy Spirit really is. This is because of incompetent teaching by those who have never experienced him in their lives, or are opposing it. There is a wealth of Scripture that supports the baptism with the Spirit and praying in tongues, but there are no Scriptures that clearly state that these were limited to the Apostolic period. Not one! Those who are using 1 Corinthians 13:10 to say that prophecy and tongues have ceased at the completion of the canon of Scripture are hanging their hats on the nail of a part of a verse out of context. They have made up their opposition out of their own imagination and have scraped the bottom of the barrel to provide some sort of proof text to support their ridiculous false teaching.

If we are to present Jesus to the unconverted, we need the baptism with the Spirit to provide the power and the demonstration of the Spirit instead of just the wisdom of man. If we are to have effective, Biblical prayer lives, we need to pray in the Spirit as well as from out limited understanding.

The Scripture says not to quench the Spirit, nor to forbid praying in tongues, and not to despise prophecy. We are to test all things and hold fast to that which is good.

 

[YahuahSaves]

Another false teaching is the assumption that a believer will inherit all the gifts upon the baptism of the Spirit, when it is infact the Spirit who decides what each person should have and in what degrees. I'm a believer that God does guide us in different gifts at different times, depending on the situation, but regarding our "given" gifts, I believe they're given according to the work God had planned for us to do in advance.

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[a]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[c] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

 

[sandman]

Benefits of Speaking in Tongues


The primary purpose of tongues is designed for the individual believer in his/her private prayer life.

It edifies the believers and is a sign → when in a group meeting and the person speaking, also interprets.


1. To speak the wonderful works of God

Act 2:11
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.


2. To magnify God

Act 10:46
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.


3. To give thanks well

1Co 14:17
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.




4. To bring a message from God {when interpreted}

1Co 14:5& 27

5) ...except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

27) If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let that one interpret.



5. Sign to the unbelievers

1Co 14:22, Mar 16:17

1Co 14
22) Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Mar 16
17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;




6. To edify you, build you up.

1Co 14:4, Jude 20

1Co 14:4
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

Jde 20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the holy spirit.



7. To speak to God mysteries {divine secrets}

1Co 14:2
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.


8. Makes intercession for us

Rom 8:26&27, Eph 6:18

Romans
26: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom
27: And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God

Eph 6:18
18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;



9. Your proof in the senses world that you are born again.

1Co 12:3
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the holy spirit.


10. To have the spirit bear witness with our spirit – Similar to #9

Rom 8:16

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:



11. To know you are a joint-heir with Christ.

Rom 8:17

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.



12. To strengthen you with might in the inner man

Eph 3:16

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man;

 

[YahuahSaves]

Benefits of Speaking in Tongues


The primary purpose of tongues is designed for the individual believer in his/her private prayer life.

It edifies the believers and is a sign → when in a group meeting and the person speaking, also interprets.


1. To speak the wonderful works of God

Act 2:11
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.


2. To magnify God

Act 10:46
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.


3. To give thanks well

1Co 14:17
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.




4. To bring a message from God {when interpreted}

1Co 14:5& 27

5) ...except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

27) If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let that one interpret.



5. Sign to the unbelievers

1Co 14:22, Mar 16:17

1Co 14
22) Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Mar 16
17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;




6. To edify you, build you up.

1Co 14:4, Jude 20

1Co 14:4
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

Jde 20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the holy spirit.



7. To speak to God mysteries {divine secrets}

1Co 14:2
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.


8. Makes intercession for us

Rom 8:26&27, Eph 6:18

Romans
26: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom
27: And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God

Eph 6:18
18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;



9. Your proof in the senses world that you are born again.

1Co 12:3
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the holy spirit.


10. To have the spirit bear witness with our spirit – Similar to #9

Rom 8:16

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:



11. To know you are a joint-heir with Christ.

Rom 8:17

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.



12. To strengthen you with might in the inner man

Eph 3:16

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man;

Speaking in "tongues" is not gibberish, like many people are doing today.

Acts 2:1-13
The Holy Spirit Comes

2 On the day of Pentecost[a] all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

In recent years there has been an explosion of false teaching and false "experiences" that purport to be the baptism with the Spirit and praying in tongues. Criticism using terms like "Charismania" has muddied the waters and created so much doubt, fear and suspicion that many genuine seekers after the baptism with the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit have been spooked and driven away from seeking what they fear could be a demonic counterfeit. The truth is that to receive the genuine baptism with the Spirit, one has to be born again. Most of the "Charismania" crowd are not born again, because in most of their churches and gatherings the Gospel of Christ is never taught. These people don't have a clear view of Jesus bleeding and dying on the Cross for their sins, and have no idea that they need repentance from sin and to show the fruit of it. These people do not represent what being baptised with the Spirit actually is.

To be truly baptised with the Spirit, one has to be born again and showing the fruit of repentance. The Holy Spirit will not fill an unclean vessel that has not received the righteousness of Christ. Being religious, talking the talk, and joining a church is not the same as being born again. True conversion to Christ is a personal transaction between the person and Jesus Christ, and it is from the heart. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.

The baptism with the Spirit is not just "Pentecostal" or "Charismatic". These are just man's labels attached to it. The truth is that it is Biblical Christianity. It is God's idea about how a believer is empowered for service. Tongues is God's way of enhancing a believer's prayer life, to give an extra dimension in prayer, the ability to pray with the Spirit as well as the understanding. If a person says they are filled with the Spirit but does not demonstrate the power of the Spirit in ministry, such as getting people saved, doing powerful intercessory prayer, casting out demons, healing the sick, as is demonstrated in the Book of Acts, then the person is fooling himself and just pretending. He may make a lot of noise in hallelujah hootenanny meetings. but it is just all the steam going out the whistle.

A person who is truly baptised with the Spirit is fully involved in glorifying Jesus, presenting the true Gospel, showing God's compassion toward the sick and suffering. If all the person is doing is jumping around babbling in gibberish in emotionally charged meetings, all they are doing is performing a display in the flesh, and the Holy Spirit is far from them.

Many modern church goers have no idea who the Holy Spirit really is. This is because of incompetent teaching by those who have never experienced him in their lives, or are opposing it. There is a wealth of Scripture that supports the baptism with the Spirit and praying in tongues, but there are no Scriptures that clearly state that these were limited to the Apostolic period. Not one! Those who are using 1 Corinthians 13:10 to say that prophecy and tongues have ceased at the completion of the canon of Scripture are hanging their hats on the nail of a part of a verse out of context. They have made up their opposition out of their own imagination and have scraped the bottom of the barrel to provide some sort of proof text to support their ridiculous false teaching.

If we are to present Jesus to the unconverted, we need the baptism with the Spirit to provide the power and the demonstration of the Spirit instead of just the wisdom of man. If we are to have effective, Biblical prayer lives, we need to pray in the Spirit as well as from out limited understanding.

The Scripture says not to quench the Spirit, nor to forbid praying in tongues, and not to despise prophecy. We are to test all things and hold fast to that which is good.

Thanks for sharing! I agree that a "person who is truly baptised with the Spirit is fully involved in glorifying Jesus." Blessings.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Thanks for sharing! I agree that a "person who is truly baptised with the Spirit is fully involved in glorifying Jesus." Blessings.

Those who are teaching that the supernatural gifts of the Spirit ceased at the end of the Apostolic period are false teachers, just as bad as the Prosperity teachers they criticise. They can't produce even one "thus says the Lord" scripture to back up their false teaching.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

There is a reason why Paul said to "not forbid speaking in tongues"

this is logical.

at the writing of that letter, most Christians didn't.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is required, agreed.

However, the gifts vary.

The doctrine of "you must speak in tongues to be saved" also tends to be held by anti-trinitarians by coincidence.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

There is a reason why Paul said to "not forbid speaking in tongues"

this is logical.

at the writing of that letter, most Christians didn't.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is required, agreed.

However, the gifts vary.

The doctrine of "you must speak in tongues to be saved" also tends to be held by anti-trinitarians by coincidence.

Anti-trinitarians aka Oneness Pentecostals aka "Jesus Only" are not saved, therefore any doctrine they hold is false. It the tree is bad, so will be fruit. We don't know that most Christians didn't speak in tongues. All we can get from what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14 is that some Corinthian believers might not have spoken in tongues. To say that most Christians didn't speak in tongues is a speculation - a one plus one equals three view. We are not told about the speaking in tongues in the other churches because it was the Corinthians only who had issues that needed to be corrected. Seeing that tongues, according to the Acts references accompanied the baptism with the Spirit, we can assume that tongues were spoken widely across the churches. It is just that none of the other churches had issues that needed correction. Seeing that 1 Corinthians was circulated around the other churches, they would have welcomed Paul's teaching.

The notion that one doesn't have to speak in tongues to be baptised with the Spirit is Charismatic teaching, not classical Pentecostal. The original Pentecostals, as they still do, believed and taught that the baptism with the Spirit was and is a subsequent endowment with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Speaking in "tongues" is not gibberish, like many people are doing today.

This is speculative generalisation. Seeing that most who pray in tongues do it in the private prayer times with God, you would have no way of knowing whether they are speaking in genuine tongues or not. The event described in Acts 2 was a one-off sign event to show that the Holy Spirit has now arrived in the church to represent the ascended and glorified Jesus. If you are using Acts 2 as the ordinary way that believers are baptised with the Spirit, they would need to have the noise like the rushing mighty wind and the tongues of fire on their heads. Seeing that the Corinthians did not have all that, then their baptism with the Spirit was different and so their speaking in tongues was different as well.

When you receive the baptism with the Spirit and find that you are speaking in tongues as the river of living water flows out of you, you might change your opinion about tongues.

 

[YahuahSaves]

This is speculative generalisation. Seeing that most who pray in tongues do it in the private prayer times with God, you would have no way of knowing whether they are speaking in genuine tongues or not.

Plenty of people do it publicly. Just watch some famous pastors on youtube.

The event described in Acts 2

The description of tongues in that passage is accurate.

When you receive the baptism with the Spirit and find that you are speaking in tongues

Not everyone receives this gift upon baptism of the Holy Spirit. Read the scripture carefully.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[a]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[c] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Another false teaching is the assumption that a believer will inherit all the gifts upon the baptism of the Spirit, when it is infact the Spirit who decides what each person should have and in what degrees. I'm a believer that God does guide us in different gifts at different times, depending on the situation, but regarding our "given" gifts, I believe they're given according to the work God had planned for us to do in advance.

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[a]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[c] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

The Holy Spirit does not relinquish the ownership and the distribution of the gifts. Therefore a believer cannot say that he has the gift of this or that. In saying that, Paul does encourage his readers to desire the best gifts, and in other place he says to desire spiritual gifts but rather that they prophesy. He said that the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet, so this means that the person who desires to prophesy has full control of how, when and what to prophesy. It is the same with speaking in tongues. The person can choose to speak in tongues or not to in any situation. The Holy Spirit works with the faith of the believer. This is why Paul said in Romans that people can prophesy according to the level of their faith. The Holy Spirit doesn't come upon a person to cause compulsive behaviour. He doesn't cause people to lose control of themselves. Self control is a fruit of the Spirit. People behaving out of control in meetings are not in the Spirit but in the flesh.

Those video clips of people falling around laughing, running and jumping over the pulpit as part of a Toronto Blessing type church just shows the stupid and idiotic behaviour of people in the flesh. The Holy Spirit is not an idiot. He causes people to conduct themselves decently and in order. This doesn't mean that people should sit like wooden statues in church, and there is plenty of joy, laughter and praise in worship services, but it is not compulsive and out of control. People can enjoy themselves in church and know when to express themselves in love and praise to the Lord, and then sit down to quietly hear the preaching. The Holy Spirit is not the author of confusion and disorder that we have seen in some video clips of Charismania meetings. These are not representative of normal Pentecostal or Charismatic services, the majority of which are run decently and in order.

 

[YahuahSaves]

He said that the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet, so this means that the person who desires to prophesy has full control of how, when and what to prophesy.

Don't agree with that^ we are not in control of what the Spirit of God does and does not allow, no matter how much faith.

The Holy Spirit is not an idiot

I agree^

Now, rather than comment on something irrelevant, I said: speaking in tongues (which means other languages) is not gibberish.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Don't agree with that^ we are not in control of what the Spirit of God does and does not allow, no matter how much faith.


I agree^

Now, rather than comment on something irrelevant, I said: speaking in tongues (which means other languages) is not gibberish.

I just wanted to make it quite clear that tongues as spoken by most genuine Pentecostals is not gibberish, but expressive and articulate language in prayer to a holy God.

What concerns me about your first sentence is that you seem to imply that one opens his mouth and anything comes out without any moderation on what is being said. Faith is a deliberate action based on God's Word. I am sure that if someone was impelled by some spirit and under compulsion without self control said that the moon was made of green cheese and that the man in the moon is God, others would find it very difficult to believe that it was a true prophetic word, even though the person maintained that he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to say it.

I have seen quite a number of Youtube prophecies where the person has uttered just a mish mash of Charismatic buzzwords as a word salad but without saying anything really coherent. I can give a prophecy like that right now.

"We are entering into a season where there will be a rush of mighty winds blowing on us to raise us to a higher level in the Spirit and that we will clearly see the way ahead according to the demonstration of effective insight into the heavenly realms."

What does that tell you? Nothing. It is a nothing burger spoken by someone who is just babbling out whatever comes to mind without checking what he is saying. If you read the prophecies in Scripture you will see that they are not like that.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Anti-trinitarians aka Oneness Pentecostals aka "Jesus Only" are not saved, therefore any doctrine they hold is false. It the tree is bad, so will be fruit. We don't know that most Christians didn't speak in tongues. All we can get from what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14 is that some Corinthian believers might not have spoken in tongues. To say that most Christians didn't speak in tongues is a speculation - a one plus one equals three view. We are not told about the speaking in tongues in the other churches because it was the Corinthians only who had issues that needed to be corrected. Seeing that tongues, according to the Acts references accompanied the baptism with the Spirit, we can assume that tongues were spoken widely across the churches. It is just that none of the other churches had issues that needed correction. Seeing that 1 Corinthians was circulated around the other churches, they would have welcomed Paul's teaching.

The instruction to "not forbid" means there were enough people in the church who would forbid it to have a significant impact.

As it is written elsewhere in the scriptures, commands are given when there is transgression.

The notion that one doesn't have to speak in tongues to be baptised with the Spirit is Charismatic teaching, not classical Pentecostal. The original Pentecostals, as they still do, believed and taught that the baptism with the Spirit was and is a subsequent endowment with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

The baptism of the spirit is required for salvation, teaching you need to speak in tongues to be saved is incorrect.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

The instruction to "not forbid" means there were enough people in the church who would forbid it to have a significant impact.

As it is written elsewhere in the scriptures, commands are given when there is transgression.



The baptism of the spirit is required for salvation, teaching you need to speak in tongues to be saved is incorrect.

I subscribe to AOG theology which states that the baptism with the Spirit is subsequent to being born again, and tongues is the initial evidence. There are no actual Scriptures that clearly say that the baptism with the Spirit is essential to salvation. The Samaritans were saved under Philip's preaching, but it needed Peter and John to come and lay hands on them for them to receive the baptism with the Spirit. The 12 Ephesian disciples were saved and when Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they were saved, they didn't know that there was a Holy Spirit. When Paul laid hands on them, they received the baptism with the Spirit and spoke in tongues. These two events show clearly that according to the Scripture record the baptism with the Spirit along with tongues is not essential for salvation. There are Charismatic teachings that are made up, ignoring definite Scripture, and that view of the baptism with the Spirit being essential to salvation is one of them. That is why I am Pentecostal and not Charismatic.

 

[YahuahSaves]

I just wanted to make it quite clear that tongues as spoken by most genuine Pentecostals is not gibberish, but expressive and articulate language in prayer to a holy God.

What concerns me about your first sentence is that you seem to imply that one opens his mouth and anything comes out without any moderation on what is being said. Faith is a deliberate action based on God's Word. I am sure that if someone was impelled by some spirit and under compulsion without self control said that the moon was made of green cheese and that the man in the moon is God, others would find it very difficult to believe that it was a true prophetic word, even though the person maintained that he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to say it.

I have seen quite a number of Youtube prophecies where the person has uttered just a mish mash of Charismatic buzzwords as a word salad but without saying anything really coherent. I can give a prophecy like that right now.

"We are entering into a season where there will be a rush of mighty winds blowing on us to raise us to a higher level in the Spirit and that we will clearly see the way ahead according to the demonstration of effective insight into the heavenly realms."

What does that tell you? Nothing. It is a nothing burger spoken by someone who is just babbling out whatever comes to mind without checking what he is saying. If you read the prophecies in Scripture you will see that they are not like that.

How is the majority of your post not agreeing with what I actually said? Tongues (language) is not gibberish, i.e. word salad. Also a language that cannot be interpreted by at least one person with the gift of understanding "tongues". The scriptures clearly point to a language "unknown" to the person (as in, not one that is their native tongue). If you disagree, then show me scripturally where tongues is gibberish (not an actual language).

 

[YahuahSaves]

There are no actual Scriptures that clearly say that the baptism with the Spirit is essential to salvation.

Really? Then explain this passage of scripture:

John 3:5

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.[a]

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

How is the majority of your post not agreeing with what I actually said? Tongues (language) is not gibberish, i.e. word salad. Also a language that cannot be interpreted by at least one person with the gift of understanding "tongues". The scriptures clearly point to a language "unknown" to the person (as in, not one that is their native tongue). If you disagree, then show me scripturally where tongues is gibberish (not an actual language).

True tongues are not gibberish. They are definite languages that God clearly understands. They may be world languages, as has been shown through the testimonies of people hearing tongues being spoken in their own native dialect. That happened in my own church in the late 1970s. We had a visitor from Ghana, and during a prayer meeting my friend was praying in tongues, and the visitor from Ghana told him what he was saying in praise to God in his own rural village dialect, a language my friend could never have known. At another time when I was praying in support of the up front ministry to those who had gone forward for prayer, my New Zealand Maori friend told me that I was speaking encouraging things to her in the Maori language. I had not learned basic Maori language at that stage. This shows that tongues can actually be world languages unknown to the speaker, but sometimes known to a native speaker of the language.

Yet, they don't have to be world languages. Paul speaks of the language of angels, and those languages can be spoken in tongues. Whether they are world languages or angelic languages, God understands what is being said because tongues is prayer directed to God. This is what 1 Corinthians 14:2 says. Tongues is spoken to God and not usually understood by men, and that they are mysteries in the Spirit. If any person has been rightly taught about the ministry of the Spirit and the gifts and goes through the Scriptural steps to receive the gift of tongues or prophecy, then they will receive the real thing and not a counterfeit.

Counterfeits are endowed by people or groups that are involved in false teaching and a gospel other than what Paul preached. A false prophet or teacher when laying hands on someone seeking the baptism with the Spirit and the gift of tongues, can impart what he is, and what the person receives is as false as the false prophet or teacher is. So, when looking at Charismatic mega churches or groups, pay attention to the type of gospel they preach, if their gospel does not include us being wretched sinners whom God is angry at every day, and that we need to put our trust in Jesus Christ who bled and died on the Cross to pay for our sins, and that we need to repent of our sin and receive the righteousness of Christ, and then go on to forsake the works of the flesh and live a holy life, then their gospel is false. Therefore if the tree is bad, then the fruit is bad, so anything imparted through their laying on of hands is bad as well.

If a teacher says that Jesus is your friend, and that if you give your heart to Him He will make you prosperous and wealthy, and give you guaranteed healing, and that you don't have to live a holy life because you are under God's grace, then he is preaching a false gospel and pointing you to the road to hell.

 

[YahuahSaves]

God understands what is being said because tongues is prayer directed to God. This is what 1 Corinthians 14:2 says. Tongues is spoken to God and not usually understood by men, and that they are mysteries in the Spirit. If any person has been rightly taught about the ministry of the Spirit and the gifts and goes through the Scriptural steps to receive the gift of tongues or prophecy, then they will receive the real thing and not a counterfeit.

OK I get what you're saying now. Private prayer is private prayer though. When a person suddenly starts babbling during prayer in front of others and throws a couple of "praise" and "el shaddai's" in there, I'm sorry but I find it suspicious. And often with these types of people you get a fakery vibe. And you're right, there's to many of these mega churches and false teachings. I still don't agree that everyone receives tongues or the gift of prophecy and I personally think it's up to God to distribute gifts according to HIS plan and purpose.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Really? Then explain this passage of scripture:

John 3:5

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.[a]

You are using the verse out of context. It is explaining to Nicodemus the need to be born again. It has nothing to do with the baptism with the Spirit and the gifts.