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==First encounters==

I remember many years ago my first encounter with a [[Pentecostal church]] service. At the time my father had just been diagnosed with a serious medical illness and my whole family was praying for God's healing. This sometimes lead to my mum and dad attending church services that had a special emphasis on healing. On one occasion, my mum, sister and I (I cannot remember my father being present, although I suppose he must have been) visited a Pentecostal church in the suburbs of Adelaide. When the service started, the pastor welcomed the congregation and invited everyone to stand and sing the first song. What followed was entirely new to me... People enthusiastically stood and raised their hands, and some sang. However, some didn't sing, but instead began chanting or babbling what seemed like nonsense to me. This was, I found out afterwards, speaking in tongues.

==Teachings about Tongues==

''The [[Roman Catholic Church]] teaches that speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and that it should only occur if there is a Christian to interpret its meaning. ''

==Speaking in tongues in the Bible==

:''14:1-4 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 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. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 14: 6 Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 14: 9-18 Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 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. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say Amen to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 14: 19 In the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 14: 22-25 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, God is really among you! 14: 26-28 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue - two or at the most three - should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church''

It seems that tongues must have been a big issue in the church in Corinth at this time. It's interesting to notice that this topic isn't discussed in the other letters of the [[New Testament]], suggesting that it wasn't such a problem for these churches. Similarly, since Corinthians was written, tongues has only been a major issue in the last century.

==Dangerous emphasis on tongues==

This is not Christian teaching and this is not taught in the Bible. In fact, in Corinthians, Paul wrote that the gift of knowledge is given to some, the gift of prophecy to others and the gift of tongues to others again, and so on. He rhetorically asks, "Do all speak in tongues?"

==Could true speaking in tongues simply mean speaking different unlearnt human languages?==

The Chinese man said, "She did speak in Chinese, and she was cursing God the whole time."

==Conclusions==

''Some Pentecostals'' - Speaking in tongues is the evidence of being baptized by the Holy Spirit and is evidence of being saved

{{returnto}} [[Speaking in tongues]]