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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Tongues, madness or sign for unbeliever | 1 Cor 14:22 | Just Read Mark | 151055 | ||
Thanks for the in-depth answer. It is fascinating, and I appreciate how the OT quote is integrated into it ( ... although it is a strange passage for Paul to quote. It's relation to tongues is certainly metaphorical...). So, if I understand it right, Paul is saying that tongues are for unbelievers. If the tongues are improperly used, however, they will be discrediting to the church. If they are properly used, they will somehow reach unbelievers. I have two questions.... first, why would an unbeliever be impressed by unintelligable words? Second, if Paul's criticism is simply that they are using tongues badly, why doesn't he contrast "good tongues" to "confusing tongues" instead of contrasting tongues to prophecy? I hope I have made my questions clear.... it seems a bit muddled. JRM |
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2 | Tongues, madness or sign for unbeliever | 1 Cor 14:22 | Makarios | 151137 | ||
Greetings JRM, Acts 2 gives us the best example in scripture of how speaking in tongues could excite or impress a person who does not believe in the Gospel. If perhaps a believer would speak to a traveling person who does not already believe in his or her own language, then it would be most impressive indeed to the traveler - to meet a person who could speak in their language. That fact alone would catch a person's attention, and hopefully pave the way for the person to be receptive enough to receive the Gospel message through the believer. And if the traveler then believed, then the Gospel would spread through the traveler (Acts 8:39). On the other hand, an interpreter of the tongues is needed in the church, if the members do indeed speak in tongues during worship. When tongues is spoken in the church, it is used for the edification of the church as a whole, not just for any one person. Therefore, whenever there is someone in the church who speaks in a tongue, then there also must be an interpreter (1 Cor. 14:26-28), since the spoken message must be a message that edifies the whole body, rather than just the one. If only one is edified and there is no clarification through interpretation, then only confusion results, since tongues are spoken by one person at a time. But in church, all things are (or should be) done for the edification of the whole, rather than just the one. And if unbelievers were to join believers when even the believers are confused, then it would be discrediting to the believers and to the message that we are attempting to give to the unbelievers. With unbelievers, we must present the Gospel message as clearly as possible. Blessings to you, Makarios |
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