Why was there a need for the interpretation of tongues?

Question: Greetings Brother, Thank you in advance for answering my question, which is: Why did the disciples, who received the Spiritual gift of speaking in tongues by the laying on of the hands of the apostles, need interpreters when employing that gift and the apostles did not? Thank you so much for your help. Answer:…

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What Kind of Tongues Are Meant in I Corinthians 12?

by Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 47, Nov. 20, 2009. The apostle Paul writes of various “gifts of the Holy Spirit” in I Corinthians 12-14. Notice the reading in I Corinthians 12:7-11: “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. For to one is given through the…

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Were the prayers in I Corinthians 11 referring to praying in an unknown tongue?

Question: Good day, Regarding I Corinthians 11:3-16, where women commanded to cover their heads while praying and prophesying. Some argue that the prayer mentioned in that verse was a miraculous activity connected with prophecy. God talked to man through the Spirit. In I Corinthians 14:14, Paul mentioned praying with an unknown tongue. “For if I…

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Subjective or Objective?

by Kenneth Frazier Sentry Magazine, June 2000 The two terms, “subjective and objective,” are defined by the dictionary as follows: Subjective: Relating to the subject of mental states, the ego; proceeding from or taking place within the thinking subject: opposed to objective. Objective: Having independent existence or authority, apart from experience or thought. Under the…

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What is speaking in tongues?

Question: What is speaking in tongues and what does it prove? Answer: In Acts 2:5-12 the apostles were speaking in a way that people from 15 different nationalities were able to understand the speakers in their own tongue.  Since the hearers heard a language that they understood, it stands to reason that the language of…

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Can I be filled with the Spirit when I have a sinful past?

Question: Hi, good morning, I was looking for a particular topic online when I came across your page where you were giving advice about fornication, etc. However, I’m 21 years old, baptized at 11 years old, changed churches, and I’m now at my present church for several years now; anyways, I’ve been engaging in sexual…

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What about the prophecy and tongue-speaking that I’ve witnessed?

Question: Whether prophecy has ceased or not ceased is one of the issues I am struggling with as a seminary student. I read your article about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and let’s say you are right. But what about those prayer warriors who prophesy and speak in tongues in today’s Christian churches? And…

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The Gift of the Holy Spirit

by Matthew W. Bassford A couple of weeks ago, I found myself chatting with a friend online about a very familiar subject to me, the meaning of the phrase “the gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 and 10:45. I literally spent decades arguing the point with my father, as part of our ongoing…

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Miraculous Gifts

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/MiraculousGifts.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text:   I.         For decades now many of the traditional denominations have been in decline.             A.        The more liberal the beliefs, the larger the decline. Those espousing conservative views show growth. But the ones showing strong growth are the charismatic groups             B.        Name the largest groups in a region, and over half are…

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I think the Holy Spirit may have told me I am condemned

Question: I have recently been filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of tongues. But before I received him, and now after, I have feared committing the unpardonable sin. I have thoughts that constantly plague me and the Bible said we should cast down everything that exalts itself above the knowledge of God, so…

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Can a person pray in a tongue and not know what they are saying?

Question: Hello! I was talking to someone about tongues, or the so-called ‘tongues,’ with a friend. She insists that people can say what they don’t understand and referred to I Corinthians 14:14. This verse literally says one can pray using words they themselves don’t understand. Please help me out. Thanks. Answer: “Therefore let him who…

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Is Romans 8:26 proof that people still speak in tongues today?

Question: Kenneth Copeland uses Romans 8:26 as proof that people speak in tongues.  I understand that tongue-speaking has ceased (I Corinthians 13:8-10). I don’t know what Romans 8:26 is saying so I can’t denounce it to a friend who believes she can speak in tongues.  Separate from the question I want to say thank you…

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Should I wait to be baptized?

Question: I am a new convert. I converted about 6 months ago, but I have been always curious about God and learning about Jesus. The only problem is that I’m not baptized through the waters yet. I still know that the Holy Spirit is with me and I can carry (at least to me )…

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I wish you could experience speaking in tongues first-hand

Question: I have been reading your sermons for years and using some of them in my own examples. I enjoy reading your thoughts and ideas on the Scriptures. The one thing that you are missing in the text about Speaking in Tongues is the experience of hearing it first hand and seeing it work to…

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Why doesn’t Paul clearly state that tongue-speaking is useless?

Question: God be a witness today, brother, if the Gift of Tongues is useful for the edification of our faith in Christ Jesus or not! I am sick and tired of all these divisions in the Body of Christ — some say no, some say yes.  If Tongues demonstrates no support from God, serving no…

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Speaking in Tongues

Text: Acts 2:1-11   I.         I received several questions in recent days regarding speaking in tongues             A.        People wanting to know what it was, what is the heavenly language, what is the unknown tongue             B.        But probably more than anything else, they want to know if you must have the gift of tongues as evidence of having the…

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Doesn’t prophecy require an interpreter?

Question: Could you also tell me how there can be an interpretation of prophecy without prophets? “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation” (II Peter 1:20). Answer: “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day…

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Didn’t Paul say he could speak in the language of angels?

Question: In reading the answer to the Azusa Street revival I was confused by your stance on that revival. A lot of the people quoted kept saying the “tongues were in gibberish” not another language like they thought it would be. But plainly in I Corinthians 13 it plainly says I will speak in tongues in…

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Are speaking in tongues and prophesying similar gifts?

Question: With talking in tongues, some of the time it says they talked in tongues and prophesied. Was that part of talking in tongues, or separate? I always get confused. I know in I Corinthians 14:22 mentions reasons for each, but I don’t know if they are separate. Answer: Speaking in tongues means having the…

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Was Balaam’s donkey speaking in tongues?

Question: Was speaking in tongues done in the Old Testament? The reason I ask is that talking in tongues is nothing more speaking in a language not known to the user. I know it won’t be a critical or applicable statement, but didn’t even a donkey speak in tongues with Balaam? I know it says…

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Chirps or Testimony?

by Robert Turner The current wave of ascetic utterances, “speaking with or in tongues”, which has swept parts of the country and made inroads among some brethren, is directly related to the increase in a subjective approach to authority. External authority, exemplified in the written word and approached objectively, has been eroded by “no pattern”…

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Are tongues still in existence today?

Question: Are tongues still in existence today? Answer: When the gift of speaking in tongues was first mentioned in the Bible, the people found it a wonder. “And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?” (Acts 2:8). Hence, the proper definition of “tongues” is “languages.” By…

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What is it that I’m doing if it is not speaking in tongues?

Question: every time i pray its in tongue.even when iam a sleep my husband says. i speak. and dreams of what is to come. Answer: Normally when I receive statements and questions, I will correct any grammatical errors that I notice. I realize that many people write quickly and don’t take the time to proofread…

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What do you think about the Azusa Street Revival?

Question: What do you think of the Azusa Street revival with William J. Seymour? Answer: The events at the Azusa Street revival in 1906 is frequently cited as the beginning of the Pentecostal movement. Numerous charismatic denominations refer to this revival as the beginning of their particular beliefs. Four denominations which were founded in the…

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Must you speak in tongues to have the Holy Spirit?

Question: Is it true, as most Pentecostals say, that if you do not speak in tongues, you do not have the Holy Spirit? Answer: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: … There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same…

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What is an unknown tongue?

Question: Is unknown tongues a heavenly language or does it mean a language not known to people but for God? Answer: The phrase “unknown tongue” only appears in the King James Version in six places in I Corinthians 14. If you look carefully you will notice that in all six cases “unknown” is in italics.…

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Praying in a heavenly tongue

Question: Would you discuss the idea of praying in a heavenly language where the person is edified even though others don’t know what they are saying? Answer: The mention of the language of angels is only found in I Corinthians 13:1 where Paul states that speaking in any language is without benefit if it is not accompanied…

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