Bible Question:
Hi Debbie, It is interesting to hear your description of tongues, b/c I also attend a pentecostal church. However, many times people in my church, including elders, speak in tongues without giving any interpretation. I think the general idea is that when you speak in tongues you are praying directly to God, without your mind getting in the way essentially, so you are always praying the will of God. So praying in tongues is seen as almost better than praying "regularly". Is this a sin? I keep going back to the portion of 1 Corinthians which gives guidelines for speaking in tongues in church. Also, my church believes in the speaking of tongues as the sign that you have been "baptized with the Holy Spirit". I have never fully understood this, because I believe that the Holy Spirit comes into a person at salvation. I would love to hear your views and comments on these issues! Thanks and God bless, Derek |
Bible Answer: Derek: when you are born again you receive the Holy Spirit inside of you John 20:22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. (Whole Chapter: John 20 In context: John 20:21-23) When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, He comes upon you (like the day Jesus was baptized, in His case in the form of a dove). Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit but was also baptized with it and it annointed him to preach the gospel to the poor, etc. You can find that in the New Testament, I don't remember the Scripture right now, sorry, but it is the same passage where he is handled the book and He read from Issaiah. One of the evidences of being baptized in the HS is speaking in tongues, speaking in tongues edifies YOU (the one speaking in tongues, so I agree with you, unless there is an interpreter we should pray in tongues quietly), also He gives you power as we read in Acts 1:8. Jesus had already told them "Receive the HS" when he told them "wait for the HS to come UPON you". Just remember Derek, most important of all is being filled with the Spirit and show forth its fruit which manifests as love, joy, peace, etc (Galatians 5:22). |