What is speaking in tongues?

[tonychanyt]

See What is speaking in tongues?

 

[AlexB23]

Act 1:


This phenomenon is called xenolalia: A believer speaks in a human language he doesn't know.

There is another kind of speaking in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:


This latter kind of speaking in tongues is called glossolalia: A believer speaks non-human language.

What's the purpose of glossolalia?

1. It edifies the speaker himself.
2. When interpreted, it edifies the listeners in the church.

Is glossolalia available today?

I think so. Jesus promised in Mark 16:


Does every believer have this gift?

No, 1 Corinthians 12:


So, it is up to the Holy Spirit to hand out these gifts.

Glossolalia seems to be some spiritual/angelic language. 1 Corinthians 13:


1 Corinthians 14:


Do you have to speak in tongues to be saved?

No, not every Christian is required to speak in tongues.

Are some people faking speaking in tongues?

Probably.

There are three uses of tongues:

1. A Christian speaks a foreign language he does not know.
2. A Christian speaks an angelic language publically with interpretation to edify the church.
3. A Christian speaks an angelic language privately to God to edify himself.

Not every Christian is required to do any of these. I have done #3 occasionally.

Well, a lot of pastors that speak in tongues could be making it up. Heck, Ras enutra nuh, hresan yulsan zal haasvat ghistelsan*.

That is my constructed language which the Xa'na race speak in my sci-fi plot set on a far away planet named Xanadu which had a war between two continents in the 1910s. (still under development, but almost abandoned). *This phrase translates to: All one needs is bread, butter and berry jelly.