Speaking in Tongues: Humbug?

Speaking in tongues Has to be one of the most controversial Gifts of the Holy Spirit throughout just about every century since Christianity began.

I speak in tongues. I don’t use the gift all that often. Though I do find it of great use in times of stress or when the passion for a situation just overtakes me. I don’t use it in the church however and never around none believers. Including around church people with no background in it. I just find that it is too alienating. I’m also never quite sure about the motives of those that do use it in church.

I don’t want to diminish the gift. Nor the miraculous consequences of it, then or now. In fact, I want to emphasise the coming of the tongues of fire in Acts chapter 2.

Fire is dramatic. Even in the controlled environment of the fireplace. There is always the potential of something rolling out and becoming uncontrolled. I think that is part of its facilitation. This thought should give us pause at the very least about failing to recognize the status this gives to preaching the gospels to people in their heart language. Doing so misses one of, if not the most significant point of this whole event.

I seriously believe that if you think that the miracle of the fire descending on that day of Pentecost is just a symbol of the beginning of the spread of the message of the salvation of Jesus then you are missing something significant.

If you think that miracle is mealy opening the door to some Christian being able to gain the gift of speaking in languages they haven’t learned, then again your a missing something significant.

The fire means it is important! Very important! We must speak the message of Jesus to all people “in their own heart language”. Read more in this article about just how much importance God places on communicating His message orally and in people’s own heart language.