Are 'tongues' real? Should we all speak in tongues?
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- Опубликовано: 27 май 2024
- Tom 'NT' Wright answers a listener's question on the Apostle Paul and whether we should all quote-unquote, 'speak in tongues'. 🔥🔥🔥
#tomwright #ntwright #tongues #biblequestions #charismatic
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Been praying in tongues since January 29th 1980. I was saved the day before. It’s been a true blessing and I believe it’s for anyone who desires it.
The only times the bible says you should speak in tongues when you are with other people is only if a person is there that can translate what you are saying.
Or by yourself praying to God one on one.
This is not true dear.
@@emmanuelansah4035
I edited my comment after reading yours. Thank you Sir.
Yes. I was speaking in tongues before I’d even heard of speaking in tongues. But I always do it privately at home or under my breath at church or in public.
1 Corinthians 14:2
ESV - 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
1Cor. 14:2 is perhaps *the* quintessential verse used by many to “evidence” modern tongues-speech in the Bible.
The whole passage is talking about real, rational language.
Let me use an analogy - If I attend a worship service in “East Haystack”, some remote town in the US out in the middle of nowhere, two things are going to be evident: one; there’s only going to be so many people at that service (i.e. there will be a finite given amount of people there) and two; the chances that anyone speaks anything *but* English is pretty slim to nil.
If I start praying aloud in say Lithuanian, there’s no one at that service that’s going to understand a single word I’m saying. Even though I’m speaking a real language, no one _there_ will understand my “tongue”. That does not mean or imply that no one else understands Lithuanian; just no one at _that particular service._
In this sense, therefore, I am speaking _only to God,_ since he understands all languages. To everyone at the service, even though I’m praying in the Spirit (as defined further below), to the people listening to me, I’m still speaking “mysteries” - i.e. even though I’m praying as I ought, no one understands me. An idiomatic expression to say that no one has a clue what I’m saying as no one speaks my language.
When one looks at the original Greek, the verb which is usually translated as “understandeth/understands” is actually the verb “to hear” in the sense of understanding what you’re hearing someone say. The verb is *not* “to understand”. That part of the verse is more properly “no one hears [him] with understanding”, i.e. no one listening to him understands what he’s saying.
There is _nothing_ in this passage that suggests modern tongues-speech nor is there anything that even _remotely_ suggests that the speaker does not understand what he himself is saying. The Greek bears this out; it is the _listeners_ who do not understand, *not* the speaker - no matter how hard modern tongues-speakers want the speaker to also not understand…….unless the author of the text is a bad grammarian, it just isn’t there.
“Praying in the Spirit” does _not_ refer to the words one is saying. Rather, it refers to how one is praying. In the three places it is used (Corinthians, Ephesians, and Jude), there is absolutely zero reference to 'languages' in connection with this phrase. “Praying in the Spirit” should be understood as praying in the power of the Spirit, by the leading of the Spirit, and according to His will.
I spoke in tongues before I had even heard of speaking in tongues. I was a new Christian and suddenly during prayer strange words started coming out of my mouth. I remember asking someone about it, and they explained what it was and that it was in the Bible.
It took me a long time to realise that the Word teaches us (Eg 1 cor 14) Tongues and interpretation should be directed towards God (man to God ) and not people (man to man) as per prophecy.
For example 1 cor 14,16-17 is about thanksgiving, directed to God through praise and prayer
The Biblical background of, eg, Numbers 11 and 12 cannot be ignored in understanding 1 Corinthians 12-14.
This is the thing we are skeptical of when it comes to religion?
Christianity is not religion but a relationship with Jesus Christ, religion is man made
I wonder if believers feel ashamed in praying or speaking in tongues or something. I honestly dont understand our problem. I mean this seems to be only prevalent in the West. If my presumption serves me right. In west Africa, Ghana where I'm from. Rarely do believers wrestle with tongues speaking or praying in tongues. I pray in tongues almost all the time. There are things words fail me to express. I just pray in tongues. Well in a congregation of believers where almost everyone prays in tongues, we all do humbly pray in tongues together. We dont hide in our bedrooms to speak in tongues. Mind you when during a worship session and someone burst out loud in tongues that's where its expected for interpretation. Most of what I've seen, another person will be inspired by the same spirit to interpret. As the testimony of two holds. Now if there was no interpretation just the babbling. After the service, this Person is approached by spiritual leaders and they sort of assess that individual. Like in 1 John. Test all Spirits. Know the fruits these individuals bear. Certain things will informe even the average ears what this person spoke is not true tongues. Well i can hear that mostly. Had a prayer session one time in high school and mate of mine started speaking in tongues and what he was saying i could hear profanity in it. Babbling left and right. Seems uncontrollable and i hear the F word in whatever he was saying. Not that he was joking but he was certainly under the influence of something. Now as the word said. The spirit of the prophets are subject unto them. If anyone claims to be filled with the spirit and speaks or prays in tongues and he/ she have no self awareness or control over what he's saying it calls him into question. Now how do you address that? Discredit all tongues? No. But be subtle in testing the Spirit of people who claim to speak in tongues or operate with any other spiritual gifts. If you are in doubt as a believer about what tongues really is. As some call it gibberish. Ask the holy spirit to enable you to speak the true tongues. I'll be glad to hear what that is. I don't think like others interpret that as meaning different language as in if im fluent in English, I'll all of a sudden speak in Spanish or Chinese just to edify myself. Why would chinese or Spanish edify me. I find that explanation to be ridiculous. Much said. I wish i could verbally dialogue. There's so much to this than our prejudice interpretations. May God help us all.
As you may know better than me, the largest Christian affiliation in Ghana according to its 2021 census is Pentecostal/charismatic, comprising 31.6% of the population, so I'm not that surprised why speaking in tongues is more common where you're from compared to certain parts of the West.
@@onionbelly_ Exactly dear, the same spirit, the message. It's about the reception. How you receive the holy spirit and the things of God. For Us, it's not foreign and we desire such intimacy with the Holy spirit.
@@emmanuelansah4035 Yeah I would disagree on that point since I'm not a Christian, but I understand what you're saying.
i ain't reading all that
i'm happy for you tho
or sorry that happened
@@TomFewchuk oh okay bro👍
At the oracle of delphi they inhaled volcanic vapors and would speak in tongues. It became a sign in the ancient world of spirituality. We can do the same if we inhale enough gas fumes but people will think we are crazy.
Wait, Justin is back?
I am an athiest. Wanted to make that clear. I have a couple of questions:
I thought tongues was something that just came over you if you were 'feeling it'. If you can choose to do it, aren't you just making silly noises? Everyone would be different, therefore it could not be a language. Do you suppose that God listens more when people do this instead of just talking?
I would love to learn more because it seems silly to me.
Hi. The first time that I spoke in tongues I didn’t have a clue what it was as I hadn’t even heard of such a thing. I was a new Christian praying alone at home. Suddenly these words started coming out of my mouth and I wasn’t controlling what I was saying. I wondered at the time if the words were Hebrew. It was bizarre and unexpected, yet I felt at peace about it as it was a pleasant experience.
I then asked someone about it and they explained what it was, as they did it too. I was amazed that it was in the Bible.
In answer to your question, from my experience speaking in tongues can sometimes be God initiated (like it was that first time for me) and sometimes initiated by the individual (mostly my experience) But even if it’s the later, I don’t think about what words I’m going to say or noises I’m going to make. I initiate the start if it, and then the rest flows without thinking about it.
For me, speaking in tongues isn’t about ‘getting God to listen’. Instead it has a calming effect when I’m anxious and makes me feeler closer to God. Biblically speaking in the tongues (of Angels) are a way of expressing things that are difficult to express in English or any human language.
@@christopherflux6254 Thank you for the information. It confirms my impression that the question, "should we all speak in tongues" misrepresents the phenomenon. It also calls into question the validity of the experience.
I think N.T. dodged the question by obfuscating. Not helpful. As to his assertion at 1:10 that "if we didn't have 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 we would never know that there was any question of tongues in the early church at all." what about Acts 2:4? Now, we may distinguish public speaking in tongues from private ecstatic utterances, but that needs to be clearly stated. And, the problem in the contemporary church is that ecstatic babbling is considered "tongues" and, of course, is neither speaking in a foreign yet known language which can be interpreted, nor is such ecstatic utterance to be done in public. So, today, we have utter confusion. We do not see the public gift of tongues as a sign of the reception of the Holy Spirit, but we do see a lot of nonsense ecstatic babbling in so-called charismatic and pentecostal gatherings. It's a hot mess, and N.T. Wright shed no light on it whatsoever in his seemingly erudite response to the initial question.
All those in the barnyard, to the best of their lungs, The Praises of God Tell, all 'speaking in tongues' ! QUACK, ARF, OINK, CLUCK, HALLELUYAH !
We don't all have to speak in tongues, but only do it privately or with an interpreter at church (which most people arent' doing sadly)
That's not true. You don't need a private interpretor. When you pray in tongues it is a groaning which words can't express but only your heavenly father who does understand. What you're probably referring to is when in service and someone profess all of a sudden, during worship or sermon in tongues. That's when there needs to be another person also filled with the spirit to interpret. As the witness of two holds.
@@emmanuelansah4035 thanks but I didn’t say we need a private interpreter.
@@LeslieFlemons oh okay dear
Why does our faith have to be filled with so many weirdo things. Tongues, laying on hands, trance like worship songs..
It’s only weird in the western ridged churches. It’s commonplace in Holy Spirit filled churches.
That’s like saying why does human overtly have to be filled with all kinds of weird things… paintings, music, rap, MUMBLE RAP, all the rock forms, poetry, games… like telephone, jenga….
People feel weird because they can’t make it legitimate in the eyes of the world. I can, but the world dosent really care. Someday I will.
Because retarded things please retarded minds
I see some here dispute that tongues are a heavenly language and are unbiblical. Let’s see what Paul says:
“…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 distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
1 Corinthians 12:10-11 NIV
How are tongues included as “the work of the one and the same Spirit” if this is just a known ordinary language?
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels… ” 1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV
What are the “tongues of angles” that Paul spoke?
“For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 14:2 NIV
Paul is clearly stating that tongues do not “speak to people but to God” and “no one understands them” and “they” the speakers of tongues “utter mysteries by the Spirit”
I believe the Bible is rather clear that the gift of tongues is the ability to speak a language one had neither studied nor previously been able to speak. This is especially clear in Acts 2.
The sounds and mumblings that have been seen in many other religious traditions is a counterfeit of the true gift of tongues God gives for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. What most of Christianity refers to as tongues today is actually not biblical.
So true. The gift of tongues is presented as a reversal of the confusion of language following the Tower of Babel; it's intended to break down the barriers of language that might otherwise prevent the spread of the Gospel. What's often called speaking in tongues today only serves to create another layer of Babel-like confusion. The Spirit brings clarity, not obscurity.
@@BradleyFear Amen
If you can do away with one of the gifts you must do away with them all. Romans and Corinthians will join Acts as castaways too. Anybody want to try that without offending the Holy Spirit? Certainly not me. And by the way, if we do away with the Corinthians then we must discard Communion and the Resurrection. Again, not me!
I am not a Christian, and i am wary of all religions.
I wish People could have Mutual respect.
May God bless everyOne!
Religion degrades humanity.
Paul spoke in various languages. The word 'glôssa' in Greek simply means 'language' - nothing more should be read into it.
Further, Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles - it stands to reason he would use his knowledge of foreign languages more than the average person to spread the Gospel, and thanked God for giving him the ability to do so. A frequent use of foreign languages was sort of part of his “job description”.
It also stands to reason that he wished others were able to do the same - would make his job a lot easier and the message could be better spread to all corners of the known world. Paul is not speaking about, nor is he advocating here for, modern tongues-speech.
There is absolutely nothing mysterious about Biblical "tongues" - and there is only *one* type - when referring to something spoken, they are nothing more than real, rational language(s); usually, but not always, unknown to those listening to them, but always known by the speaker(s) - it’s their native language (in some cases, it is a language the speaker has learned).
_Nowhere_ in the Bible is modern tongues-speech advocated or evidenced.
‘Tongues’ (read, *‘languages’* ) - the divine gift, is the God/Holy Spirit given ability to effortlessly learn to speak and be understood through real-language barriers. It is not xenoglossy (as many people incorrectly assume), nor is it the self-created non-cognitive non-language utterance of what certain Christian denominations are producing today (modern tongues-speech).
“…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 distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
1 Corinthians 12:10-11 NIV
How are tongues included as “the work of the one and the same Spirit” if this is just a known ordinary language?
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels… ” 1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV
What are the “tongues of angles” that Paul spoke?
“For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 14:2 NIV
Paul is clearly stating that tongues do not “speak to people but to God” and “no one understands them” and “they” the speakers of tongues “utter mysteries by the Spirit”
So no, the Bible clearly does not state that tongues are human languages. Quite the opposite.
@@PeterbFree
Again, ‘tongues’ (read, *‘languages’* ) - the divine gift, is the God given ability to effortlessly learn to speak and be understood through real-language barriers. It is not xenoglossy, nor is it the self-created non-cognitive non-language utterance of modern tongues-speech.
It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. With respect to Paul’s usage of the wording “the work of one and the same Spirit” In this section Paul sort of hammers home the concept of a singular deity. He’s speaking to a Greek population in Corinth who likely grew up worshiping the Greek pantheon. Most pre-Christian religions (including, of course, that of the Greeks), consisted of a pantheon of deities; oftentimes, major and minor.
Typically, each deity was responsible for a specific thing/concept. In the Germanic tradition, one would not pray to Tyr for advice/petitions concerning fertility; one prayed to Freja for that. Similarly, for matters of war, one prayed to Tyr, etc.
Since Paul speaks of several gifts, it would have been natural for Greeks (as well as many other religious cultures represented by Corinth’s multi-cultural make-up) to associate each gift with a specific deity.
Paul is just illustrating here that though there are multiple gifts, in Christianity, they all come from, and are bestowed by, one-in-the-same deity; not several.
“Tongues of angels” is frequently used as a vehicle to posit ‘angelic speech’. That entire phrase, as well as a few others in that particular part of Paul’s letter, is 100% pure textbook hyperbole no matter how one wishes to slice and dice it. There’s just no getting around that. In all instances of angels speaking, it has always been in a real, rational language. In fact, in traditional Jewish belief, angels can only speak and understand one language; specifically, the sacred/sacerdotal language of Judaism, Hebrew. Paul, being a Jew, would have known this, which lends further support for his intentional use of hyperbole.
1Cor. 14:2 is perhaps *the* quintessential verse used by many to “evidence” modern tongues-speech in the Bible.
The whole passage is talking about real, rational language.
Let me use an analogy - If I attend a worship service in “East Haystack”, some remote town in the US out in the middle of nowhere, two things are going to be evident: one; there’s only going to be so many people at that service (i.e. there will be a finite given amount of people there) and two; the chances that anyone speaks anything *but* English is pretty slim to nil.
If I start praying aloud in say Lithuanian, there’s no one at that service that’s going to understand a single word I’m saying. Even though I’m speaking a real language, no one _there_ will understand my “tongue”. That does not mean or imply that no one else understands Lithuanian; just no one at _that particular service._
In this sense, therefore, I am speaking _only to God,_ since he understands all languages. To everyone at the service, even though I’m praying in the Spirit (as defined further below), to the people listening to me, I’m still speaking “mysteries” - i.e. even though I’m praying as I ought, no one understands me. An idiomatic expression to say that no one has a clue what I’m saying as no one speaks my language.
When one looks at the original Greek, the verb which is usually translated as “understandeth/understands” is actually the verb “to hear” in the sense of understanding what you’re hearing someone say. The verb is *not* “to understand”. That part of the verse is more properly “no one hears [him] with understanding”, i.e. no one listening to him understands what he’s saying.
There is _nothing_ in this passage that suggests modern tongues-speech nor is there anything that even _remotely_ suggests that the speaker does not understand what he himself is saying. The Greek bears this out; it is the _listeners_ who do not understand, *not* the speaker - no matter how hard modern tongues-speakers want the speaker to also not understand…….unless the author of the text is a bad grammarian, it just isn’t there.
When referring to something spoken, there are no references to “tongues” in the Bible that do not refer to real, rational language(s).
Saying a lot without saying anything.
He failed to answer the question
You guys have got to be joking?
Keep these people visible, then we know who to avoid 👍
He was probably high on lsd !
You’re all bonkers
Studies of tongues have shown no difference in the tongues of any religion and no markers consistent with actual language. It’s gibberish and ununique to Christianity.
In a sense yes - as a linguist who has studied the tongues phenomenon, let me elaborate....
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, alliteration, assonance, and over-simplification of syllable structure. The "nail in the coffin", so-to-speak, is that _any and all_ phonological rules (rules governing how sounds are put together in a given language - what is allowed and what is disallowed) governing a speaker's native language, will _also_ govern their tongues-speech. That fact alone negates anything that can be construed as 'divine' in nature and cements that fact that it is a self-created phenomenon. Further, this subset of phonemes mentioned above typically contains only those sounds which are easiest to produce physiologically.
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”.
There is absolutely _nothing_ that “tongues-speakers” are producing that cannot be explained in relatively simple 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. _Nowhere_ in the Bible is modern tongues-speech advocated or evidenced.
“Praying in the Spirit” does _not_ refer to the words one is saying. Rather, it refers to how one is praying. In the three places it is used (Corinthians, Ephesians, and Jude), there is absolutely zero reference to 'languages' in connection with this phrase. “Praying in the Spirit” should be understood as praying in the power of the Spirit, by the leading of the Spirit, and according to His will.
I'm not doubting or questioning the 'tongues experience'; glossolalia as the spiritual tool that it is, can be very powerful and, for many people, the experience is profound. As one commenter put it, “Speaking in tongues distracts the ego/analytical/conscious mind while leaving the subconscious (the heart) wide open to import the divine." Both the spiritual and physical benefits of using this tool are also well documented. Again though, it is important to note that this same statement can be made for virtually _any_ other culture that practices glossolalia. Religious and cultural differences aside, the glossolalia an Evenki Shaman in Siberia, a vodoun priestess in Togo and a Christian tongues-speaker in Alabama are producing are in no way different from each other. They’re all producing their glossolalia in the exact same way; they just have different explanations and beliefs as to why they’re doing it, and where it comes from. It is only in certain Christian denominations where is it construed as something it never was.
“Tongues” is to some Christian believers a very real and spiritually meaningful experience but consisting of emotional release via non-linguistic ‘free vocalizations’ at best; non-cognitive non language utterance - the subconscious playing with sounds to create what is perceived and interpreted as actual, meaningful speech. In _some_ cases, I would argue that it is clearly a self/mass delusion prompted by such a strong desire to “experience God” that one creates that experience via “tongues”.
‘Tongues’ (read, *‘languages’* ) - the divine gift, is the God given ability to effortlessly learn to speak and be understood through real-language barriers. It is not xenoglossy, nor is it modern tongues-speech.
That claim is demonstrably false and gas been tested and broadcast in the 90s on Dateline NBC. The part of the brain that is activated is not the part for creating speech. Also, you are clueless and what you claim is "well documented" is complete trash. Lying and saying that won't fool anyone.
Speaking in ‘tounges’ is the biggest load of tosh imo 😂
Now that's unpardonable!
What a load of utter nonsense.