WHAT IS “TONGUES”?
The title sounds like I should be asking, “What ARE Tongues”, but I am referring to a GIFT of the Holy Spirit (What is the GIFT of Tongues).
Spirit - filled churches or “Full - Gospel” churches such as ours (Heart of the Hills Church) define themselves as “churches that believe in the WHOLE Bible including the Holy Spirit and His gifts” :)
Still, many of you have never heard a teaching on the subject of tongues and what tongues is for .... so .... here goes:
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The Gift of Tongues is listed with the 9 “Gifts of the Holy Spirit” (scripture to follow) and it is a WONDERFUL PRAYER gift. There is only ONE mention of the gift being used in the public church (explained later), but 99.9 percent of the time tongues is a PRAYER gift and NOT to be spoken to PEOPLE ! This is a MISUSE and causes FEAR of the truly great gift of tongues.
First the list of the Gifts of the Spirit:
1 Cor 12:8-10 (NIV)
8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
The only PUBLIC use of tongues in the church is explained here:
1 Cor 12:28-30 (NIV)
28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
Each ministry listed in verses 29 and 30 are public ministries in the church (tongues and interpretation equaling prophecy)
WHAT IS THE “GIFT OF TONGUES”?
The Gift of Tongues is the God-given, supernatural ability to pray to God DIRECTLY from your spirit.
1 Cor 14:2 (NIV)
2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does NOT speak to men BUT TO GOD. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
Here is a Bible example of people speaking in languages NOT their own, yet they were understood by others:
Acts 2:1-12 (NIV)
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"
12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
NOW WHAT IS THE GIFT OF TONGUES FOR ??
1 Cor 14:2 (NIV)
2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
Just as previously mentioned in this scripture, we are NOT speaking to MEN, but we ARE speaking to GOD ... that means tongues is prayer and the Gift of Tongues is a prayer language :)
Rom 8:26-28 (NIV)
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE OUGHT TO PRAY FOR, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with GROANS THAT WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
HERE are some OTHER BENEFITS of using the Gift of Tongues:
You BUILD YOURSELF UP SPIRITUALLY ...
1 Cor 14:4 (NIV)
4 He who speaks in a tongue EDIFIES HIMSELF, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
Jude 1:20 (NIV)
20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
When you “pray in a tongue”, your SPIRIT prays, but your MIND does NOT understand the meaning of the words (it is a SUPERNATURAL GIFT):
1 Cor 14:14-15 (NIV)
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
You are GIVING THANKS WELL when you pray in another tongue:
1 Cor 14:17-19 (NIV)
17 You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
. . . WHICH brings us FULL CIRCLE (back to the first point) . . . according to PAUL (probably the most spiritual man to live besides Jesus), tongues should NOT be used in public unless accompanied by the interpretation in a known language to instruct . . . however tongues SHOULD be used in prayer REGULARLY ... the Gift of Tongues is PERFECT PRAYER and BUILDS YOU UP SPIRITUALLY :)