Part 1 -
There is absolutely nothing mysterious about Biblical "tongues" – when referring to something spoken, they are nothing more than real, rational language(s); usually unknown to those listening to them, but always known by the speaker(s) – it’s their native language.
In contrast, the “tongues” Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians are producing today is an entirely self-created phenomenon. It is non-cognitive non-language utterance; random free vocalization based upon a subset of the existing underlying sounds (called phonemes) of the speaker’s native language, and any other language(s) the speaker may be familiar with or have had contact with.
It is, in part, typically characterized by repetitive syllables, plays on sound patterns, assonance, alliteration, and over-simplification of syllable structure. It is also interesting to note that any disallowed sound combinations, i.e. consonant clusters, in the speaker’s native language are also disallowed in his/her tongues-speech. Further, this subset of phonemes typically contains only those sounds which are easiest to produce physiologically.
Tongues-speech is occasionally sprinkled with recognizable praise words/phrases (things like ‘hallelujah’, ‘praise Jesus’, ‘Meshiach’, ‘Adonai’, etc.). Sometimes, part of the utterance is rendered in the speaker’s native language, and part in tongues-speech. One of the most immediately recognizable results of all these processes is that no two ‘speakers’ will ever have the same “tongue”…ever. There are as many ‘tongues’ as there are speakers of tongues.
Occasionally some speakers will use two or more subsets of phonemes to generate glossolalia, producing what, to them, sounds like two (or more) distinct “tongues languages”, thus claiming to be able to speak in “divers tongues”.
Here’s the thing, if a person or being produces a stream of speech, in order for it to be ‘language’, regardless of whether spoken in front of you, in some remote corner of the word, on some alien planet, or on some heavenly/spiritual plain of existence, for it to be 'language', it must contain, at a minimal, two specific features – I can’t stress enough that these two features are universal, regardless of where or, more to our point, by whom the speech is being produced; 'tongues-speech’ contains neither one of these two features. It is simply a facade of language. Neither, by the way, is modern tongues/glossolalia gibberish. Gibberish by its nature does not seek to mimic language. Glossolalia does.
People tend to believe something to be supernatural because they can't explain it otherwise. There are, of course, many things in religion which must be taken on faith; they can neither be proved nor disproved. "Tongues" however, is not one of these things. It is something very concrete and tangible; it is a phenomenon which can be (and has been) studied and analyzed. As one writer rather bluntly put it: “tongues speakers need to understand they are making a very testable claim, and the test has failed, every single time.”
Indeed, there is absolutely nothing that “tongues-speakers” are producing that cannot easily be explained in linguistic terms.
Conversely, when it comes to something spoken, there are absolutely no Biblical references to “tongues” that do not refer to, and cannot be explained in light of, real rational language(s), though it may not be the explanation you want to hear, and it may be one which is radically different from what you believe, or were taught.
If the history of the Pentecost movement is examined, one fact is very clear: at some point, between 1906 and 1907, the Pentecostal church was compelled to re-examine the narrative of Scripture with respect to “tongues”. The reason for this re-examination was that it quickly became embarrassingly obvious that their original supposition, and fervent belief in tongues as xenoglossy, certainly wasn’t what they were producing.
As a result of things like Azusa Street, early Pentecostal missions were sent all over the world. The issue was that no one bothered to learn the language of the country they were going to, as they firmly believed their “tongues” were these languages. In not one instance was anyone able to even carry on the most basics of simple everyday conversation, let alone preach the gospels.
Not much has been recorded about the failure of these missions – you kind of have to hunt it down.
This forced a serious theological dilemma — As a whole, either the Pentecostal movement would have to admit it was wrong about “tongues”, or the modern experience needed to be completely redefined.
It seems the latter option was chosen.
You know nothing of the pentecostal doctrine or the founding of it. Which is in the Book of Acts and the New Testament. FYI most earlier ones for your information were Southern Baptist. There was no issue with the pentecostal experience until it became a movement. You try to use science and secular mind-set to explain a biblical/spiritual context, that is error. I looked very hard for any Scriptural references to support your post I do not see anything here to address 1Corinthians chapter 12-14 or Eph chapter 4 or the Book of Acts accounts contextually. Which all Pentecostals stand on.
The idea of those of secular, carnal, unsaved explaining
the Gifts of the Holy Spirit is absurd. And Christians regurgitating them because they have hate for Pentecostals. These same types who say when speaking about the gift of tongues, found in the listing of all gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1cor chapter 12 hold to secular explanation of biblical things. Here are some secular statements which is common:
- entirely self-created phenomenon.
- It is non-cognitive non-language utterance; random free vocalization based upon a subset of the existing underlying sounds (called phonemes)
- People tend to believe something to be supernatural because they can't explain it otherwise.
- “tongues-speakers” are producing that cannot easily be explained in linguistic terms."
Please know those who received such explanation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit will and have supported gay marriage , transgenderism, and look to pagan worship to attack and using the very same kind of secular science to do so.
I will say this, IF the science speaks against what God said not to do, the science is wrong.
Of course the secular science would say " it's all made up", but transgender is a real thing.
They even try to explain a supernatural event recorded in the Word of God because "it is scientifically impossible for the red sea to be split, or Jesus did not actually walk on water. " it's fairy tales", "Spaghetti Monster under the sea", and " that was meant figuratively, not literally". Most Christians who support this type of explanation have been attacked as many of us have in our Secular education. Can't be part of the clubs if you stand for such things. Wimps, and sell outs.
This is not about the gifts of the Holy Spirt, this is about those who have a carnal mind-set and will not accept what the word of God says because it insults their carnal mind-set (intelligence) . They will pull out a linguist or two but if there is list of other scientific studies that say otherwise, well, that is false.
You can't explain what happen in book ACTS accounts of the empowering of the 120, by the Holy Spirit or the House of Cornelius, or the christians who Paul met, refute 1cor 12 through 14, without taking only one verse to build a straw man on.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today and the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues, and prophesying are for the edification of the Body of Christ which that is still happening today.
Deal with the abuse, the scamming, of those who you know we all have spoken out about, but don't use pagan or secular science to disprove Biblical spiritual things seen in the word of God that we believe is for today.
Refute by the word of God. You can't you all wrong about 1cor 13:10 and many will not admit it because of pride ,so you
go out side the word of God and try to stick false pagan practices like Kundalini or other cult and pagan things.
Yet it is well known those in the holiness movement would never even have anything to do with pagan or Cultic practices .
The only source used in the 1900's for the gifts of the Holy Spirit was the Bible. Those here would have you believe
1. a group of people who had a desire to have more of God praying to the Lord Jesus was over taken by a cult they never knew about or even spoken on. The very Pentecostal doctrine which was taken from the very word of God explains why we believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today.
2. Those who claim to be christians have to go outside the Bible to explain what happen inside the Bib le that those who believe still happens today are going because , when they called on Jesus and asked for the empowering the Holy Spirit
God gave them a devil instead.
yet they say we are unbiblical. Ridicules.
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that is a great application you used I say amen
