I've been asked to do a study on this subject so I thought it was time to stop putting it off and get on with it. I'd like to start with showing you a verse that is commonly thought to be talking about this subject, when in truth it has nothing whatsoever to do with it.
Romans 8:26-27 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. 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.
This verse isn't talking about what we pray, it's talking about the Holy Spirit praying for us, not "through" us. Let me share what the commentaries say about it:
The reason I wanted to start the study this way is because too often people seem to get the idea that all believers MUST speak in tongues if they are saved, or if they are baptized with the Holy Spirit and that simply isn't true. That would be like saying that all believers must perform miraculous healings or they're not saved! No, tongues is a gift of the Spirit given to some believers, not all of them. We see that in this next passage:
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 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. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
So we see from the above passage that tongues are given for the common good to whoever God determines should have that particular gift.
Speaking in tongues, simply means to speak in another language that you haven't learned of your own effort. There's an example of this in Acts that is the perfect example of this gift in action for the common good:
Acts 2:4-12 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
This aspect of the gift is given to believers so that they can be witnesses for Christ regardless of the language barrier. There are many stories like the above one even today of this happening. It's really amazing when you experience something like this, because it is quite obviously the power of God and not the persons own language skills that is at work in the situation.
There is another aspect of this gift that deals with speaking in an unknown or "heavenly" language. It is this second aspect of the gift of tongues that confused many people. It's also often called using a private prayer language to speak to God. We'll talk about that part of it tomorrow.
Romans 8:26-27 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. 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.
This verse isn't talking about what we pray, it's talking about the Holy Spirit praying for us, not "through" us. Let me share what the commentaries say about it:
Quote:
| This has nothing to do with praying in tongues, as some suggest. The groaning is done by the Holy Spirit, not believers, and is not stated in words. The help the Spirit gives (v. 26) is His interceding. “Intercedes” translates hyperentynchanei, which occurs only here in the New Testament; it means “approaches or appeals to someone.” The One who searches our hearts is God (1 Sam. 16:7; Heb. 4:13), and He knows (oiden, “knows perceptively or intuitively”) the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes (entynchanei; cf. Rom. 8:26) for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Even though the Spirit’s words are not expressed, the Father knows what the Spirit is thinking. This is an interesting statement about the Father’s omniscience and the intimacy within the Trinity. The Lord Jesus continually intercedes for believers in God’s presence (v. 34; Heb. 7:25) and the Holy Spirit also intercedes on their behalf! Though believers are ignorant of what to pray for and how to voice those requests, the Spirit voices their requests for them. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures |
The reason I wanted to start the study this way is because too often people seem to get the idea that all believers MUST speak in tongues if they are saved, or if they are baptized with the Holy Spirit and that simply isn't true. That would be like saying that all believers must perform miraculous healings or they're not saved! No, tongues is a gift of the Spirit given to some believers, not all of them. We see that in this next passage:
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 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. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
So we see from the above passage that tongues are given for the common good to whoever God determines should have that particular gift.
Speaking in tongues, simply means to speak in another language that you haven't learned of your own effort. There's an example of this in Acts that is the perfect example of this gift in action for the common good:
Acts 2:4-12 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
This aspect of the gift is given to believers so that they can be witnesses for Christ regardless of the language barrier. There are many stories like the above one even today of this happening. It's really amazing when you experience something like this, because it is quite obviously the power of God and not the persons own language skills that is at work in the situation.
There is another aspect of this gift that deals with speaking in an unknown or "heavenly" language. It is this second aspect of the gift of tongues that confused many people. It's also often called using a private prayer language to speak to God. We'll talk about that part of it tomorrow.
Grace and peace, my congratulations! your blog is so interesting. this post is very important for people who loves God´s word.
ReplyDeleteThank you! We have continued the study on the board if you'd like to read more:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fresh-hope.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32131