Baptists that believe in divine tongues

[Isreal]

I went to a Free Will Baptist church and they all prayed in tongues.

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[WinBySurrender]

How can one NOT believe in tongues/want to speak in tongues? It has made me spiritfilled many times, and it makes me happy, peaceful and well in the spirit, in the morning.

I'm not going to get into a lengthy discussion with you about this. In fact, I won't reply to any further posts from you on this subject. This issue is divisive, and I will not participate in anything that manages to distract from fellowship and the glory of God. It is not likely that someone who believes as you will listen to opposing viewpoints anyway, just as it is unlikely I will consider evidence you may have for that viewpoint because of my understanding and belief. Therefore, it is my desire only to post -- for the consumption of those who do not understand the question of the miraculous gifts -- the opposing views to your teaching.

Before you get all bent out of shape, let me say the central question is whether the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, described primarily in 1 Corinthians 12–14, are still active in the church today. This is not a question of the Holy Spirit's ability to give someone a miraculous gift. The question is whether the Holy Spirit still dispenses the miraculous gifts today. Above all else, I certainly recognize that the Holy Spirit is free to dispense gifts according to His will.

1 Corinthians 12
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
​

So it's obvious that the Holy Spirit can act as He wishes, according to the Father's will. In the book of Acts and the Epistles, the vast majority of miracles are performed by the apostles and their close associates. Paul gives us the reason why:

2 Corinthians 12
12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. [Emphasis added]
​

If every believer in Christ was equipped with the ability to perform signs, wonders, and miracles, then signs, wonders, and miracles could in no way be the identifying marks of an apostle. Peter spoke plainly of this plan of God:

Acts 2:22
22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, [emphasis added] just as you yourselves know --
23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death."
​

Similarly, the apostles were “marked” as genuine messengers from God by the miracles they performed.

Acts 14:3
3 Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. [Emphasis added]
​

This passage affirms that the gospel message was being “confirmed” by the miracles Paul and Barnabas performed.

Chapters 12–14 of 1 Corinthians deal primarily with the subject of the gifts of the Spirit. It seems from that text “ordinary” Christians were sometimes given miraculous gifts (12:8-10, 28-30). We are not told how commonplace this was. From what we learned above, that the apostles were “marked” by signs and wonders, it would seem that miraculous gifts being given to “ordinary” Christians was the exception, not the rule. Beside the apostles and their close associates, the New Testament nowhere specifically describes individuals exercising the miraculous gifts of the Spirit.

It is also important to realize that the early church did not have the completed Bible, as we do today. The biblical canon was not completed until John finished his writings in 96 AD. Therefore, the gifts of prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, etc. were necessary in order for the early Christians to know what God would have them do. The gift of prophecy enabled believers to communicate new truth and revelation from God. Now that God’s revelation is complete in the Bible, the “revelatory” gifts are no longer needed, at least not in the same capacity as they were in the New Testament. Neither are the "confirming" miraculous gifts of tongues, healing, etc., as we have the testimonies of believers to confirm the power, glory and love of God.

God miraculously heals people every day. God still speaks to us today, whether in an audible voice, in our minds, or through impressions and feelings. God still does amazing miracles, signs, and wonders and sometimes performs those miracles through a Christian. However, these things are not necessarily the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. The primary purpose of the miraculous gifts was to prove that the gospel was true and that the apostles were truly God’s messengers. The Bible does not say outright that the miraculous gifts have ceased, but it does lay the foundation for why they might no longer occur to the same extent as they did as recorded in the New Testament.

1 Corinthians 13
8 Love never fails ; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. [Emphasis added]
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child ; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face ; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three ; but the greatest of these is love.
​

And yes, I know the arguments that v. 10 is speaking of Jesus, "the perfect." That's not possible, however. "Perfect" is the Greek teleos. It is an adjective, not a male pronoun. It is applied only to concepts, ideas, or inanimate objects. "The perfect" Paul writes of is the finished canon. When the canon was complete, and testimonies innumerable, the miraculous gifts ceased. They were no longer necessary. Rare occasions, such as a lost tribe somewhere on the planet might require a brief and limited revival of the miraculous gifts, particularly tongues. But as the "miraculous gifts" are practiced today, they are unbiblical in nature and more for show than for proper edification.

 

[Hupomone10]

It seems to me that authentic speaking in tongues would be given to someone who was totally not expecting it. How can we tell the Holy Spirit what spiritual gift we want (tongues, for instance) when the Bible clearly says that the Spirit distributes His gifts as He wills?

Paul does say that we should desire spiritual gifts, but I agree with you brother that no one knows better than the Holy Spirit what each member of the body should be gifted with.

 

[TheCharismaticOne]

This is not a question of the Holy Spirit's ability to give someone a miraculous gift. The question is whether the Holy Spirit still dispenses the miraculous gifts today.

God and the Holy Spirit will never change. You really have no clue that God said he is the same God he was Yesterday, today, and in the future. You as a Christian should understand that by now.

 

[WinBySurrender]

God and the Holy Spirit will never change. You really have no clue that God said he is the same God he was Yesterday, today, and in the future. You as a Christian should understand that by now.

I find it interesting that rather than challenge my Scripturally well-supported views, you choose to attack me and attempt to draw me into a spitting match over who's faith is greater, stronger, better, faster, higher, etc. Guess what? I prefer correct biblical exegesis to emotion, though I don't discount emotion in my faith. I prefer truth to supposition, though I engage in supposition occasionally for the sake of clarity. I prefer fellowship to divisiveness, which is why I won't engage in an exchange that questions your biblical understanding or knowledge of God. OK by you?

 

[martinlb]

The divine tongue is the English language spoken with the Southern drawl. Living in Ohio, I haven't heard much of the divine tongue in a while.

Boooo!

 

[Osage Bluestem]

I went to a Free Will Baptist church and they all prayed in tongues.

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What did you expect? They let you know they are in error right off the bat with the name on the door.

 

[VCViking]

What did you expect? They let you know they are in error right off the bat with the name on the door.

I almost spit my coffee out when reading that!

 

[martinlb]

Originally posted by Jonathan95

How can one NOT believe in tongues/want to speak in tongues? That's true.
This is what I discovered years ago while praying for the gift of tongues.

Not all have the same gifts.

When I was young and in bible college, my denomination more or less forbade the practice. While I was attending college, groups from a local congregation called the glory barn would come to the campus to "debate" with us. Nothing productive ever came out of those exchanges as far as I'm aware, but I did attend one of their services to see what went on. It seemed chaotic to me. At another service, a healing crusade, I asked a woman standing next to me how she felt about speaking in tongues (I gave her the benefit of the doubt that that was what she was doing) without an interpreter. Her reply was something along the lines of "I don't know and I don't care. It feels WONDERFUL!"

From the interactions I had with pentecostal Christians at that time, I got the impression that speaking in tongues was seen as proof of special standing with God. No wonder so many I met seemed to feel they needed to do it. There also seemed to be an unfortunate lack of concern about testing the spirits and about what the bible has to say.