Paul bragged about Speaking in Tongues more than anyone else. This means Paul spoke in Tongues at Church gatherings, his private prayer, praying in your mind. Do you think every time Paul prayed in private he was in the Spirit, when you pray in private are you in the Spirit?
Paul also claimed he wished everyone Spoke in Tongues. That means Paul believes everyone single person Saved and filled with the Holy Spirit has the ability to Speak in Tongues. Since these 2 mini Paragraphs can be proven in Scripture, how come you haven't reached the point of Speaking in Tongues? Is it that you have little Faith? Is it you don't believe what the Bible claims?
There are many of great faith, who don't speak in tongues, or did speak in tongues, and then were rebuked by the Holy Spirit to stop and come out of this false modern mov't.
To say manifesting signs and wonders, speaking in tongues and healing people is a sign of great faith, is exactly what is wrong with the whole charismatic/Pentecostal mov't of modern days.
Faith is so much deeper and vital than these superficial signs and wonders.
1. Faith is a gift of God! It is not something we muster up, or psych ourselves up to get more faith. That is unbiblical!
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:8-10
2. God gives us the exact amount of faith we need.
"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." Romans 12:3
God has given, or assigned us the measure of faith we need.
Faith is a gift of God. False Word Faith teachers teach you need to dig up more faith. But Faith the size of a mustard seed is all you need!
"And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32
God gives us that tiny mustard seed of faith, the sower plants it, and the natural elements cause it to grow!
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you." Psalm 89:14
When you speak of faith, it goes hand in hand with righteousness, Justice and love. And that comes from God! Not some trite earthly signs. Signs and wonders in the NT are not to prove anyone's personal faith, but rather to confirm Jesus was who he said he was -the Messiah, the Son of Man! To show how he fulfilled all the Old Testament promises and prophecies.
Instead, the charismatic mov't makes it "all about me!" "All about the 21st century" and NOT to the people in the first century AD. And not about the correct way to grow mature in Christ and in your faith. ("All about me" is the best way to describe a personality disorder!)
Take the focus off your faith and your gifts, and you will find a deeper relationship with God. Babbling in tongues, regardless of the interpretation, does not compare to walking quietly with the Holy Spirit leading and transforming you. And that is done by renewing your mind, through prayer and meditation, feeding on the Word of God, acts of service and like Romans 12:4-10:
"For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." Romans 12:4-10
Further, let us look at the verse just before, which really establishes how we are to walk with God! Romans 12:2 says:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2 ESV
The word transform in Koine Greek is μεταμορφοῦσθε or transliterated, it is metamorphousthe. It means transform, but the tense is very important! It is in the passive imperative.
Passive means it is done to you. So the Holy Spirit does this too you. It is also imperative, which is a command. So we are commanded to let God change us. It is also known as the Divine passive. That means God is the one changing us, while we are renewing our mind on the Word of God!
Not dancing around, shouting and being emotional. A real filling of the Holy Spirit means, we are passive, while the Holy Spirit brings us closer and closer, while continuing to transform us into the imago dei - the image of God.
Instead, these revelries are Dionysus/Bacchus parties of excess! (Dionysus, also spelled Dionysos, also called Bacchus or (in Rome) Liber Pater, in Greco-Roman religion, a nature god of fruitfulness and vegetation, especially known as a god of wine and ecstasy.)
You have substituted a wild drunken party for the quiet leading of the Holy Spirit. You have lost the renewing of the mind, following Roman sin and idolatry, instead! You have been brainwashed into believing that God is present in the wild, babbling excessive tongues, and lost contact with the fact that God doesn't use revelry to transform us-he uses the renewing of the mind.
PS Don't bother pointing out the "love feasts or fellowshipping wildly" is what Paul had in mind. Paul believed in the assembling of believers. But people do not lose their collective minds, but they could be taught to walk with the Holy Spirit! I hope there are many Pentecostals/charismatics who feel this way. I just never saw it in my 15 years in those type of churches. Excess and emotionalism is not the way to grow into a mature Christian, but that is what erupts frequently in these immature churches!
As for all the examples in Acts of speaking in tongues, it was the birth of the church. 1000s came to the Lord weekly. But 1000s do not come to the Lord in modern day 21st century revelling. I do not think tongues is completely dead, if the unknown tongue is heard by an unbeliever, and the prophecy said "Jesus Christ is Lord!" In their own real language. And that unbeliever gets saved, and 27 members of his family, also.
1
