http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/1871_The-Truth-About-Tongues-Part-1?q=tongues

Hello everyone, I have attached a link on study of Tongues. Recently there were posts on RITA about John McArthur, now I admit I do like him and his boldness and most of his sermons, but there is one area that has really confused me and bothers me a lot. I need help from some of you RITA folks who have been believers for a long time now, I need some of you to read what McArthur teaches on Tongues and tell me if you agree or is it just plain wrong. Its a long study and after reading it I can't figure out if I should ever use Tongues again when I pray or not. I am left wondering, if it is demonic and false as he teaches if I am doing a travesty to the Lord by praying in tongues. Tongues is something I received from the Lord in my room over two years ago while praying, I asked the Lord for tongues and minutes later it happened on its own. Please help clarify this issue.

Hi Kirk,

I did not look up the link but will say that not every preacher is 100% accurate and probably this applies to John McArthur. I also think he is a great teacher!

I believe that tongues is a relevant gift of the Holy Spirit for this day and age, even though I don't have it. Also I go to a Baptist church where tongues are not used or even really talked about.

The bible though I think is pretty clear that it is a current gift!

Just my 2 cents!

I echo Melissa's thoughts. I also attend a Baptist church and we do not speak in tongues. However I do not believe that this was a limited gift to only the New Testament era. Ask God to confirm in your heart if this is from Him or not. If you are sincere in your request I am sure He will answer.

I was raised in an evangelical Baptist home and taught that some of the gifts were not in use after the passing of the original apostles. I went to Bible college where John McArthur was later the president, and I know what the G.A.R.B denomination of the Baptist church teach and believe.

But, in 1977 the Lord drew me closer to Himself and gave me a hunger and thirst for more of Him and all he had for me. That lead to me asking him to give me a prayer language and to fill me with the fruit of His holy Spirit, (not all at once thank goodness), and any Gifts of the HS He wanted to give me.

It took several months, but one day while I was at a gas station pumping gas into my car, the Holy Spirit came upon me and filled my mouth with a language that I use to this day during times of prayer, especially when I don't have the words to express whats in my heart or while praying for someone that I don't have enough information to petition God on their behalf. When I pray in tongues, answers seem to come much sooner than when I don't. Does anyone else notice this??

The bottom line is for me, that all the gifts God gave the Church are as valid today as they were in the first century.

But, in the Western affluent parts of the world, it is probably the most divisive issue in all of the Bible. For that reason, I do not believe it is wise to "Major" in that area of our beliefs. It is impossible to talk someone out of their strongholds. Its best to let Love and a spirit of unity ride above our "minor" differences.

Love you all

Tom

For sure, Jesus alone possesses all the Truth . . thankfully, today, there are many gifted teachers in the Body of Christ to spread the whole gospel.

. . it happens occasionally during prayer time, I, too, speak in tongues when words don't come easily.

I want to thank all of you, especially Wendy for your detailed response, I really appreciate you posting all those verses to settle the issue once and for all for me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and you also Tom.

Tom: When I pray in tongues, answers seem to come much sooner than when I don't. Does anyone else notice this??

YES! This I can 100% affirm, since I got the prayer language my faith has exploded and every prayer is answered right before my eyes whether its moments later or a year or two down the road but with precision and clarity I recall the request and see exactly how the Lord answered it.

See what really got to me is, im not sure if you guys read the lengthy study by John McArther on tongues, but a lot of the verses you posted Wendy, several of them he twisted to me something completely different, im not sure if intentionally or not but there are also many verses that are clear cut and opposite to what McArthur is teaching.

Not trying to make an issue out of it, was just a bit confused after reading his study but I'm glad from everyones responses, it did help a lot. Thank you!

I received the gift of tongues with a warning last March 2009 to WARN people the LORD is coming very soon--twice I was accused by people to have received the gift from the enemy--and I confronted the Lord about this--and HE SET ME STRAIGHT THAT THE GIFT WAS FROM HIM AND THAT THE ACCUSATIONS THAT IT WAS FROM THE ENEMY WAS A THORN IN THE FLESH (LIKE PAUL).

Let me tell you that satan ABHORS Christians receiving this gift--he hates it--that is why so much controversy swirls around tongues.

satan hates Christians being baptized in the Holy Spirit and tongues is one manifestation of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Many of the churches are down playing this because of their fear of acknowledging tongues/visions/signs/wonders/manifestations of the Holy Spirit--and they are quenching the Holy Spirit and they are playing right into satan's hands

For more information about tongues, go to this informative website: http://www.daveroberson.org/custom_search.aspx

God bless--Paul said he spoke in tongues more than anyone and he wrote a good bit of the NT!

Email: lovethewhirlwind@sbcglobal.net

Website: sites.advancedministry.com/lovethewhirlwind

I was praying for a friend in tongues once and during the prayer the Lord showed me a flash vision of the pnuematic tube at the bank where you put your deposit or request for funds in the canister and hit the "send" button to shoot it up. He said, "tell me what you need and shoot it up to me and I will send it back to you the same way". He told me to read Matthew 6 where it says to pray in secret. God told me that doesn't mean to literally go into a closet to pray but to pray in a secret language of tongues.

He explained that it was like the codes used during WWII. The U.S. used an Indian language which the Germans didn't know and the enemy couldn't break the code. God told me that when I ask for something in tongues the answer comes quickly because the enemy (demonic forces) don't know what I am saying and they can't break the code. Therefore, they are not able to interfere and hold back the answer. Remember Daniel's 21 days of prayer and fasting? That was a great peek behind the curtain. The enemy principality - the "Prince of Persia" was able to hold up the answer for 21 days. The battle in spiritual warfare is over communication.

Tks Texas Sue for your practical explanation. I think from now on I will try to pray in tongue when I'm praying alone because I always avoid to do this as my mind doesn't understand what my mouth is talking about exactly.

YES! Praying in tongues is real and something that we should all do everyday. First we have to pray and ask for it. Tingues is usually the manifestation of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

IT IS PURE POWER. It is our spirit praying rather than our carnal minds.

Geneustace our minds are the enemy to speaking in tongues because our minds tell us it isn't real and we often back off at first.

Keep asking persistantly for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of a prayer language and the Lord will give it to you. Like the Word says.

I'll pray for you also.

Tom what a wonderful testimony!

I always thought that speaking in tongues was a way of communicating the Gospel to people in a different language or race. I found this on Gotquestions.org and I think this explains it well.

If the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God's Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6-12). It would be in agreement with the command God gave through the apostle Paul, “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 and speak to himself and God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

God most definitely can give a person the gift of speaking in tongues to enable him or her to communicate with a person who speaks another language. The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the dispersion of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). Just imagine how much more productive missionaries could be if they did not have to go to language school, and were instantly able to speak to people in their own language. However, God does not seem to be doing this. Tongues does not seem to occur today in the manner it did in the New Testament, despite the fact that it would be immensely useful. The vast majority of believers who claim to practice the gift of speaking in tongues do not do so in agreement with the Scriptures mentioned above. These facts lead to the conclusion that the gift of tongues has ceased or is at least a rarity in God's plan for the church today.

Email: brandonpalmer@charter.net

Several years ago I had a heavy burden to hit me to pray one evening. I separated myself to my work shop. I thought, "pray for who...what....why?" I began to pray in the "Spirit" (in other tongues) for an hour or so until I felt a release. It was most unusual.

The next day I got a phone call from my best friend. He began to tell me about how his daughter was coming home from the university where she was attending school and in a remote rural area was forced off the road by two men. She was kidnapped and raped and later left on the side of the road naked when the 2 men all of a sudden became very scared and kicked her out and left. These men were armed and I'm sure had no intention of leaving her alive but something movivated them to turn her loose. She was found the next morning. Physically fine, anyway.

Did my prayers make a difference in this situation? I do not know. How could I know...but in my heart I know that I did.

My question to all naysayers in regards to "praying in the spirit" is if the Lord woke you up in the middle of the night and said, "Pray!"

How would you pray? What would you say?

I only tell this to bring attention to another aspect of Praying in the Spirit and that is... intercession.

To pray in a known tongue limits you to what you "know."

To pray in an unknown tongue has no limits or boundries and the Lord can take that prayer and go with it anywhere he wants.

You will not be a total and complete prayer warrior until you are able to do both.

Its little wonder that Satan has fought this "gift" as effectively as he has. He hates it.

Brandon you are confusing the prayer language in tongues (which edifys self) with a message in Tongues and Interpretation given to a body of people (which edifys the group). 2 different things and I have participated in both and do not agree with your article in either case.

An argument is never at the mercy of an experience.
Thousands of Christians have these giftings and speaking to people in other languages has happened but is not typically how it works.

People that don't have these giftings can theorize but that is all it is is talk.

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/1871_The-Truth-About-Tongues-Part-1?q=tongues

It makes me cringe every time I hear someone suggest that speaking in tongues is from the devil.

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. I Corinthians 12:3

Yes, Susan! I too have read the study a couple of years ago by Macarthur. I love his teaching, and think he is very wise. But I was torn after reading this. At the time I would only use tongues in my prayer times and not all the time, but I would say frequently. After reading Macarthur's study, I thought, "maybe I shouldn't be doing this". But in recent days I have felt the power of the Holy Spirit telling me differently. It is of Him and it is okay to pray in tongues in secret, in my prayer time. Personally I wouldn't be one to speak in tongues in public, in church, unless I was just so overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit to do so. But I have never been led to do so either. I am sure there are times when that occurs. I definitely don't think we should quench the Spirit, and sadly, I must confess, I believe that is what I did for a couple years until recently(I quenched the Spirit at times because I was conflicted whether or not it was okay for me to pray in tongues and so I didn't)

Don't get me wrong please. I believe that tongues are misused a lot of the time and it's used for show in a lot of churches. I don't think it edifies the body of Christ one bit when someone in a congregation starts speaking out loud in tongues without there being an interpretation. I can see how a person who is an outsider who may otherwise hear a great Gospel presentation take it the wrong way and feel very uncomfortable and quite possible not come back.

However, I too at times of intense prayer feel overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit to speak in this language which I do not understand but it certainly does edify me.

And I too have thought this could be a way of secret communication so that the enemy cannot understand. It makes so much sense.

I am a member of a Southern Baptist church. I don't call myself a Baptist. I call myself a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have been in a church back in the early 90s where people would just get carried away, and it seemed confusing and uncomfortable. Many times someone would say something in "tongues" and there was no interpretation. It didn't sit right with my spirit, because even though I was a young Christian, I thought that tongues given in assembly of the church should have an interpretation.

I prayed in tongues last night when I was at work. I work as a firefighter and was at the fire station. I walked in the bed hall to make up my bed. I was the only one in there, and sat on the side of my bed and started praying. I could not hold it back. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit leading me to speak, so I did. I believe what ever He had me say was from Him and will be answered.

I don't want to go on too long, but just too say this thread has given me some good understanding, and that even though some among us may disagree on this issue,I think we all agree on the fact that Jesus is the King and we all love Him, and we know that He loved us first so greatly that He was willing to suffer and die on the cross and go to the grave and pay for our sin and offer us eternal life with Him, even though we definitely don't deserve it.

In Christ,
John

Email: murleyj@gmail.com

It makes me cringe every time I hear someone suggest that speaking in tongues is from the devil.

I AGREE LISA. CALLING THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE DEVIL IS BLASPHEMING HIM. A REAL BAD IDEA. PEOPLE WOULD BE WISE TO JUST BE QUIET AT TIMES. WHY THE NEED TO CRITISIZE THINGS OF GOD (OR ANYTHING) THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF?

REALLY UNWISE. WE WILL GIVE ACCOUNT OF EVERY IDLE WORD LET ALONE WORDS LIKE THAT.

Ok everyone is just going to have to attend church with me sometime... I attend a Spirit filled tongue talking on fire church and praying in the Holy Ghost is all I know...and everyone in my church too..and all my friends even the ones who do not attend my chruch.....

It is so awesome when everyone is on their faces before Jesus and praying in the Spirit... You had better get ready because thats when the Holy Spirit moves....

Ok when can yall come? the Holy spirit has been moving in the evening services for the last couple of weeks ( since easter.. that day the church was packed and 80 people came up for an alter call adnd then in the evening the Holy Spirit showed up in a mighty way)..It has been powerful......and now it is spreading to the school.... the kids are on fire. Awesomeness..

***Don't get me wrong please. I believe that tongues are misused a lot of the time and it's used for show in a lot of churches. I don't think it edifies the body of Christ one bit when someone in a congregation starts speaking out loud in tongues without there being an interpretation. I can see how a person who is an outsider who may otherwise hear a great Gospel presentation take it the wrong way and feel very uncomfortable and quite possible not come back.***

Right John... some people can be out of order and those people are usually escorted out of the service ...when things like this happen it is an attack to break the flow of the Holy Spirit....it happens though.....and it always is descerned by the leaders....

I am glad they are escorted out and those men have great discernment for that. Unfortunately, I never saw anyone escorted out when I witnessed it.

Email: murleyj@gmail.com

Come to church with me :)

I am so glad for this thread, didn't imagine I'd get all these excellent responses, thanks to everyone for their input and testimonies.

OK, Joyful Susan!!! I'm comin' !!! (Where do you live?)

I remember Hal Lindsey saying once that he was good friends with John McArthur and had tried very hard to get John to understand the validity of tongues but he would not be convinced. I believe other very well known pastors have tried too over the years.

My mother changed Johnny's diapers in the nursery at Eagle Rock Baptist Church in Los Angeles ... maybe she should have prayed over him then!!!

Email: ajguy@centurytel.net

Well, I use my prayer lanquage alot and I believe it is scriptual. I also truly respect Bro. John MacArthur and consider him a very solid Bible teacher. I listen to every Bible teacher with discernment and don't expect to always agree with each doctrine.

The truths that there should be NO division are : Salvation through Jesus alone, The Cross, Resurrection, and that Salvation is avaliable for all mankind. Jesus Diety, Holy Trinity, Virgin Birth, Creation, Authority of Scripture, sanctification through The Word. Being right before God, The power of prayer, The reality of Heaven and Hell, That God is is Just and gracious and above all good.

I am Southern Baptist and was raised thus. But they don't preach tounges , but that is fine with me because, they are so right about the foundations of our faith. We are having quite a move of The Spirit through our church right now also. So God most definately is moving there and blessing us , people are being Saved and Revival is breaking out. So it is a God honoring , annointed congregation.

That is how I feel about John MacArthur. He is so right on who Jesus is and boldly proclaims Jesus is the only way.



It is up to you and The Holy Spirit. This is just my chiming in on this thread.

Mary Ann,

Amen to that...I should have said all that myself because I agree 100%.

In Christ,

John

Email: murleyj@gmail.com

John,

Amen to what you wrote as well. Also your little girl is absolutely darling !

Thanks very much for that!

Email: murleyj@gmail.com

Ahh, Mary Ann



wonderful response, . .

Kirk - I also speak in tongues. And it is for today! I know it can be controversial amongst different one's and wow, I am disappointed to hear this concerning John McCarthur - but still and all, I like solid bold bible based teaching, and am glad to know about his ministry. I will still take out of his teachings all that rings true to me.

But we follow Jesus, the Word, and the Holy Spirit within us, and bottom line. When push comes to shove (so to speak), we follow our spirit leading within. If you had peace before hearing J Mc, then follow that peace and continue speaking in tongues.

Don't let any man take away from you a gift the Holy Spirit has given.