Manifestation Of God's Power Gifts Series

Illustration: Spiritual warfare; sinful bondage; places or individuals under the influence of Godly or demonic spirits.

8. Speaking in Tongues [used interchangeably with languages in the Bible]

OT ~ starts at the tower of Babel in Genesis [God used it to cause confusion as man had rebelled]

NT ~ shows up again in Acts 2 [God used it to bring all races, nations, ethnicities etc together]

Manifestation ~ The Apostle Paul instructed the church in Corinth about speaking in tongues in his discussion of the gifts of the Spirit in a letter to them. His purpose was to encourage them to value the gift, but not too highly; to practice it, but not abuse it. In the letter, Paul commands church brethren, "Do not forbid to speak in tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:39), while warning them that "all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner" He further expresses his wishes that those to whom he wrote "all spoke with tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:5) and claims himself to speak with tongues more than all of the church at Corinth combined ("I thank God I speak with tongues more than you all" 1 Corinthians 14:18). At the same time he argues that not everyone can speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 12:29) and discourages simultaneous speaking in tongues directed at people rather than God, lest unbelievers should think that the assembled believers were "mad" (1 Corinthians 14:23, 27). Tongues, says Paul, is speaking to God, rather than men ("in the Spirit he speaks mysteries" (1 Corinthians 14:2)). Paul claims that tongues-speaking edifies the person speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:4), that it is the action of a praying tongues-speaker’s spirit (as opposed his or her understanding, see 1 Corinthians 14:14), and that praying in tongues serves both to bless God as well as to give thanks (1 Corinthians 14:16-17). However, he also expressed a preference for prophecy over tongues-speaking, unless [a tongues-speaker] interprets, so that the church may be edified (1 Corinthians 14:5). Paul also gave instructions that unless there was an interpreter of tongues present, believers should avoid directing their tongues toward other believers, and instead speak only to themselves and to God (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). In 1 Corinthians 14: 22 some assume that tongues are "a sign for unbelievers that they might believe", and so advocate it as a means of evangelism. Others point out that Paul quotes Isaiah to show that "when God speaks to people in language they cannot understand, it is quite evidently a sign of God’s judgment"; so if unbelievers are baffled by a church service they cannot understand because tongues are spoken without being interpreted, that is a "sign of God’s attitude", "a sign of judgment". Some even go to the extent of having only one tongue / language ~ which one is appropriate? Why or why not English? Obviously people making animal like sounds doesn’t line up with scripture and therefore we can be assured that practice of such articulation is ungodly or to be precise ~ demonic.