Long post/tongues

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LONG POST!

 This is from my site.  I sent this to the guy that asked
for info on tongues.

Q: Hello, this site is just what I'm looking for. I am
Apostolic but I need some help on this. Please send me info
about tongues being the evidence of the Holy Ghost. And
distinguishing of this evidence from the gift of diverse
tongues. You don't know how important this is to me.

A: Acts 10:44-48, "44 While Peter yet spake these words,
the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45
And they of the circumcision which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the
Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that
these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy
Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be
baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to
tarry certain days." I call your attention to the word
"for" in verse 46 which means "because." All of the Jews
present "knew" that the Gentiles had recieved the Holy
Ghost "for" or because they had spoken in tongues unknown
to them (the Speakers). Is this always the sign of someone
recieving the Holy Ghost? I now refer you to verse 47 where
the phrase "as well as we" is better rendered "exactly like
we did" or by speaking in tongues since there is no mention
of the sound of a wind or tongues of fire appearing on
their (the Gentiles) heads. 

When Paul ran across some disciples of John he asked them
if they had recieved the Holy Ghost since they had heard
about Jesus. They said that they had not even heard of the
Holy Ghost. Acts 19:4-6, "4 Then said Paul, John verily
baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the
people, that they should believe on him which should come
after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard
this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost
came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."
The Bible doesn't specifically say that all those who
recieve the Holy Ghost speak in tongues but here in the
book of acts of the four times that anyone is mentioned
recieving the Spirit of God three times it is specifically
mentioned that tongues accompanied the infilling. Does this
mean that it didn't occur the forth time? Well if you had
already written three times that tongues are a sign of
recieving the Holy Ghost is it really necesary to mention
it every time you mention the Holy Ghost? Remember also
that these people had eyewitnesses and people who had
"experienced" this and could tell them that when you
recieve the Holy Ghost you will speak in a tongue unknown
to you. We have this today. 

Consider: Acts 2:4. "And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance." which says that it is the spirit that
gives the utterance. Who is this for. Let's see what Paul
thinks. 

1 Corinthians 14:5, " I would that ye all spake with
tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he
that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except
he interpret, that the church may receive edifying." where
the word "would" has the same meaning as "I would that my
son survive this fever!" It is a desire of profound
intensity. I call your attention to the word "all" which
means just that - all. Couple this with what we have
already seem and we see that tongues were a definitive sign
of recieving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and that the
ablility to speak in tongues was available to all who were
in Pauls congregation at Corinth. We also see that Paul
very strongly desired that they all speak in tongues.
Couple with this that I personally have seen several people
recieve the Holy Ghost and they all spoke in tongues and
after this experience they had absolutely no doubt that God
exists. 

What are the purposes of tongues? Consider what Paul wrote
in these four power packed verses! 1 Corinthians 14:1-4, "1
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but
rather that ye may prophesy. 2 For he that speaketh in an
unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no
man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh
mysteries. 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to
edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4 He that
speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that
prophesieth edifieth the church." There is a lot in these
verses but I will try to stick to tongues. 

First let us clear up that Paul is refering to "unknown
tongues" here. In verse 2 I call your attention to the
phrase "for no man understandeth him." The "eth" at the end
of understand means that the verb is continuous. As I
recently wrote to a sceptic "I think this qualifies the
tongue or language as "unknown." Paul says that the person
that uses this language is speaking to God and not to men.
This tongue is then not a message to men. Paul goes on in
verse 4 to say that the purpose of this tongue is to edify
or "build up" the believer. Many people miss this and I
really can't see why. This is not the gift of tongues but
the Spirit of God giving the believer "utterance" to the
"mysteries" (unknown requests) that the believer needs to
speak to God to encourage and instruct and correct the
believer. I have heard people say that this always has to
be a language but it can also be "groanings": Romans 8:26,
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we
know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered." Here again Paul refers to this
groaning as done by all believers and that it is the Spirit
itself that helps us pray for help with our "infirmities"
or habitual weaknesses. The main purpose of 1 Corinthians
14 is that people not stand in Church and have person after
person speak in this "unknown tongue" without an
interpretation. He says a little later in the passage that
this tongue was to be spoken by 2 at the most 3 people when
the time was set aside for it and if these spoke and none
interpreted, for them to sit down and speak to themselves
or else they were out of order. Paul also adds that if the
interpretation isn't forthcoming and the "understanding is
unfruitful" that he continues to "pray in tongues" and adds
his own thoughts with the prayers or songs as the case may
be. 

This brings us to the "gifts" involving tongues. When one
refers to the gifts involving tongues there are two
catagories: the gift of diverse tongues and the gift of
interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, "But the
manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same
Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another
the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the
working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues;
to another the interpretation of tongues:" The gift of
diverse kinds of tongues is the ability to speak to somone
in their language which you do not understand as well as
speak in the manner above where another interprets for you.
The gift of interpretaiton is self explanitory. 

What do we have left? 1. When one recieves the gift of the
Holy Ghost they will speak in tongues. 2. The main purpose
of tongues is that the Spirit of God will utter the
requests for the believer that they are unaware they need
to speak to "build that believer up." 3. Unless there is
interpretation of this tongue the believer is not to
"needlessly" waste the Churche's time but sit down and
continue to pray to themselves. 4. If the understanding of
the "personal" tongue is not forthcoming we are to add our
own requests mentally 5. The gift of diverse tongues is the
ability to speak in many known and unknown languages. 6.
The gift of interpretation is the ability to make known the
unknown tongue. 7. The manifestations of the gifts are for
the edification or building up of the Church as well as for
signs to the unbelievers. 

Timothy Litteral
472 Grant St.
Marion Ohio 43302
trlitteral@usa.net
http://members.tripod.com/~trlitteral