Baptists that believe in divine tongues

[TheCharismaticOne]

I went recently to a Baptist church and the Pastor and some of the congregation believed in divine tongues and they said in fact that they speak them sometimes. Now, I've always thought that Baptists only believed in the tongues that lets us speak in different languages. Is it unusual for a baptist church to believe in divine tongues?

 

[ChristianT]

In this day and age, nothing is unusual. But traditionally, and doctrinally, that sure is unusual.

 

[Hupomone10]

I went recently to a Baptist church and the Pastor and some of the congregation believed in divine tongues and they said in fact that they speak them sometimes. Now, I've always thought that Baptists only believed in the tongues that lets us speak in different languages. Is it unusual for a baptist church to believe in divine tongues?

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.

 

[TheCharismaticOne]

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.

That's an insulting thing to say.

 

[Isreal]

That's an insulting thing to say.

no it just shows an appreciation for his southron heritage.

No, most Baptist don't believe in speaking in tongues.

 

[TheCharismaticOne]

Ok then.

 

[CMDRExorcist]

I went recently to a Baptist church and the Pastor and some of the congregation believed in divine tongues and they said in fact that they speak them sometimes. Now, I've always thought that Baptists only believed in the tongues that lets us speak in different languages. Is it unusual for a baptist church to believe in divine tongues?

It's very unusual. Most Baptist congregations don't believe in tongues.

 

[98cwitr]

Anyone under the possession of the Holy Spirit should be heard and revered. Yet as Paul tells us: if we can't understand it then it is pointless to listen without interpretation (1 Cor. 14).

Anyone ever watch Jesus Camp? Well...those imho aren't tongues...

 

[WinBySurrender]

I went recently to a Baptist church and the Pastor and some of the congregation believed in divine tongues and they said in fact that they speak them sometimes. Now, I've always thought that Baptists only believed in the tongues that lets us speak in different languages. Is it unusual for a baptist church to believe in divine tongues?

Yes, primarily it is the isolated Free Will Baptist Church, and some Fundamental Independent Baptist churches. I suppose their could be the odd SBC or ABC church, but it's not likely at either one.

 

[Hupomone10]

That's an insulting thing to say.

Let me see if I understand you correctly, since you can't take a joke.

You are suggesting that unintelligible syllables, gibberish, is somehow a "divine language" for the sole reason that people doing it say it is so?

And you are wondering if Baptists do this gibberish and call it divine, a language, and legitimate?

Not so much.

H.

 

[Hupomone10]

(a letter to one ministry regarding this issue, and pastor and teacher Ray Stedman's answer:

(letter) Do you have to speak in tongues to be born again? I would say no based on 1 Corinthians 14 where Paul wrote about Desiring Spiritual gifts. What do you think?

Thank you,
EB.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear EB.,
The late Pastor Ray Stedman was my friend, teacher and mentor. I brought him nearly the same question shortly after I met him in the late 60's. For a brief time I thought I had the gift of speaking in tongues, so my good friend Carl Gallivan arranged a lunch meeting with Ray without telling me what he was up to. The lunch was pleasant enough but a bit rushed because Ray and Carl both had places they needed to be. Perhaps it was the pressure of time constraints or maybe it was the Holy Spirit active in Ray's life. He had always been cordial and patient with my ignorance of the Bible but this day he turned rather suddenly to me and bluntly asked me if I thought I had the gift of tongues. I replied that I did and he then asked me one of the most profound questions I have ever been asked.

Profundity is not always apparent but over the years I have asked literally hundreds of other tongue speaking Christians the same question Ray put to me. Please allow me to pass it on to you because you undoubtedly are or will be involved in many "discussions" with Christian brothers and sisters over the issue of tongues.

Ray asked, "Ted, how do you know what you are doing is what the Apostles did in the book of Acts?"

I had no answer. Dan, a friend who had accompanied me, said rather timidly, "By faith?" That didn't seem to be answer enough to satisfy me let alone answer Ray's question. The plain truth was that I didn't have the slightest idea if what I was calling tongues was the actual Biblical gift of tongues. Ray Stedman, like Jesus, often taught by asking me questions I couldn't answer.

Among my tongue speaking friends there circulated at least half a dozen different ideas about the gift of tongues. They ranged from the convoluted, complicated, out of context verse reading to the overly simplified, "...just open your mouth, trust the Holy Spirit and start talking". Do that and sure enough, out would come the old "shundula, shundula...". Shundula was a popular word among tongue speakers in those days. The problem with that kind of test is that even my non-Christian friends could do it.

Eventually in my younger years I was able to justify, if only to myself, the rather un-biblical notion that maybe one could have a private two person prayer language, understood by God, who of course hears our hearts and could discern its meaning quite easily. I based this on the fact that He certainly heard and answered a lot of barely comprehensible prayers that I voiced in English. However, once again I failed to answer Ray's question. I still didn't know if that was what the believers were doing in the First Century Church. These days, I'm certain that wasn't what our Church Fathers were doing.

Finally I came to rest. According to the Book of Romans, we all face the same problem everyday. As Paul wrote, "For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish." (Rom 7:19). Our moment by moment dilemma is: are we walking according to the Spirit or are we walking according to the flesh? The tongues issue is no different. In the early Church and today all speaking gifts of the Spirit are governed by this one rule, the Apostles spoke as, "...the Spirit was giving them utterance". Spirit versus the flesh is always the issue because our flesh loves to be religious. No matter what language I speak, I must be sure of my motivation. As James wrote about the power of words, "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless." (James 1:26).

English is a tongue. Had there been by some kink in time English speaking Jews present in the crowd on that great Pentecostal beginning of the Church, they might have heard some of the Apostles speaking English but only as, "...the Spirit was giving them utterance." (Acts 2:4). The key to understanding what the scriptures are about is the Holy Spirit and no matter what language or to whom I might be speaking, it is only fruitful if I speak as the Spirit gives me utterance.

I resolved to only speak in tongues if I was certain that it was the Spirit and not some urge prompted by my flesh to simply appear spiritual to my friends. That was many years ago and I'm still waiting. I have learned from the Bible that a lot of what is going on in the Church isn't the gift of tongues and furthermore, that it definitely is not a sign that one is born again, filled with the Spirit or anything else unless it is clearly what the early Church was doing in the book of Acts. It is the Biblical gift of tongues only if it is the same thing the Apostles were doing.

And what were the Apostles doing when they spoke in tongues? They were speaking known languages, "Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." (Acts 2:11). And they were speaking as the Spirit gave them utterance. Go and do likewise.

In Christ's love,
Ted Wise

 

[Jonathan95]

Let me see if I understand you correctly, since you can't take a joke.

You are suggesting that unintelligible syllables, gibberish, is somehow a "divine language" for the sole reason that people doing it say it is so?

And you are wondering if Baptists do this gibberish and call it divine, a language, and legitimate?

Not so much.

H.

Anyone under the possession of the Holy Spirit should be heard and revered. Yet as Paul tells us: if we can't understand it then it is pointless to listen without interpretation (1 Cor. 14).

Anyone ever watch Jesus Camp? Well...those imho aren't tongues...

Well, read the other things he tells us.

Smith Wigglesworth prayed in tongues aswell. It expels, and repels demons, I felt that once.

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.
Like it says in 1 Cor 14:4 below, speaking in tongues edifies and improves oneself

1 Corinthians 14:14
(Amplified Bible)
For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody].
1 Corinthians 14:13-15 (in Context)

1 Corinthians 14:15
(Amplified Bible)
Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.
1 Corinthians 14:14-16 (in Context)

Jude 1:20
(Amplified Bible)
But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [ make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
Jude 1:19-21 (in Context)

1 Cor 14:2
(Amplified Bible)
For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].

1 Cor 14:4
(Amplified Bible)
He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself, but he who prophesies [[c]interpreting the divine will and purpose and teaching with inspiration] edifies and improves the church and promotes growth [in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, and happiness].

Paul said:

1 Cor 14:18
(Amplified Bible)
I thank God that I speak in [strange] tongues (languages) more than any of you or all of you put together;


Obviously there are angelic/(spiritual languages?) too:


1 Corinthians 13:1
(Amplified Bible)
IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

 

[greatdivide46]

Originally posted by Jonathan95

How can one NOT believe in tongues/want to speak in tongues?

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?

 

[Isreal]

Originally posted by Jonathan95

How can one NOT believe in tongues/want to speak in tongues?

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?

That's true.
This is what I discovered years ago while praying for the gift of tongues.

Not all have the same gifts.

 

[Chaplain David]

I went recently to a Baptist church and the Pastor and some of the congregation believed in divine tongues and they said in fact that they speak them sometimes. Now, I've always thought that Baptists only believed in the tongues that lets us speak in different languages. Is it unusual for a baptist church to believe in divine tongues?

You visited a Pentecostal Baptist Church.

Baptist churches despite the various organizations, are all self-governing entities. Now if you went to a Southern Baptist Church, you would undoubtedly not hear about the speaking or interpretation of tongue as they do not believe that gift is active anymore despite it occurring in the past and documented in Scripture.

 

[DeaconDean]

You visited a Pentecostal Baptist Church.

Baptist churches despite the various organizations, are all self-governing entities. Now if you went to a Southern Baptist Church, you would undoubtedly not hear about the speaking or interpretation of tongue as they do not believe that gift is active anymore despite it occurring in the past and documented in Scripture.

Not to correct you brother, but that is "Bapticostal". (Yes it is a legitimate movement)

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[Chaplain David]

Not to correct you brother, but that is "Bapticostal". (Yes it is a legitimate movement)

God Bless

Till all are one.

Bapticostal is the slang term many of us affectionately use.

 

[DeaconDean]

Bapticostal is the slang term many of us affectionately use.

I first heard it in my home church from a lady who claimed to have been raised Pentecostal, but attended a Baptist church.

And that was 10 years ago.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[WinBySurrender]

Not to correct you brother, but that is "Bapticostal". (Yes it is a legitimate movement)

How very disappointing ...

 

[TheCharismaticOne]

Well, read the other things he tells us.

Smith Wigglesworth prayed in tongues aswell.

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.
Like it says in 1 Cor 14:4 below, speaking in tongues edifies and improves oneself

1 Corinthians 14:14
(Amplified Bible)
For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody].
1 Corinthians 14:13-15 (in Context)

1 Corinthians 14:15
(Amplified Bible)
Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.
1 Corinthians 14:14-16 (in Context)

Jude 1:20
(Amplified Bible)
But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [ make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
Jude 1:19-21 (in Context)

1 Cor 14:2
(Amplified Bible)
For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].

1 Cor 14:4
(Amplified Bible)
He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself, but he who prophesies [[c]interpreting the divine will and purpose and teaching with inspiration] edifies and improves the church and promotes growth [in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, and happiness].

Paul said:

1 Cor 14:18
(Amplified Bible)
I thank God that I speak in [strange] tongues (languages) more than any of you or all of you put together;


Obviously there are angelic/(spiritual languages?) too:


1 Corinthians 13:1
(Amplified Bible)
IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

You are a very smart and spirit filled 16 year old. I applaud that and thanks for making the point I didn't want to make.