tongue-speaking necessary for salvation?

Discuss topics related to the nature, character, and work of the Holy Spirit, including related topics of miracles, signs, and inspiration. Also included are apostles, because of their miraculous deeds.

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tongue-speaking necessary for salvation?

Post by email » Tue May 26, 2009 9:34 pm

Dear Sir,

I read couple of your writings such as Baptism, Tithing, etc. I can see the right points in your notes. May God bless you for passing this understanding to others.

Me and my wife were born and brought up in very religious catholic families, but around 3 years back a family came to us and stayed with us (they were our good friends) and found the difference of thier faith. Seeing it we started searhing for the real truth, read a lot in internet bible and prayed. When we humbled ourselves and prayed to open our hearts in front of Jesus, he opened our eyes. There after whichever passage we read, we get a different understanding than earlier years. Two years back we were convinced, a complete water baptism is required and we did, and now we are going to AOG church.

The question is about tongue!. Even though pastors said we have it, we were not able to experiance it. Whenever we praise and worship, it is spondanious in normal language, and sometimes during worship tears flow down even when we are happy. (I cant stop it) Some of the people say, if you are not received tongue, you are not saved! Is it true? In our heart we believe, we belongs to Jesus and no one else.

Please guide us.

A brother in Christ
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larry
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Re: tongue

Post by larry » Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:03 pm

Thanks for visiting insearchoftruth.org. I'm glad to hear you found the web site helpful. It is good to hear you and your wife are trying to serve our Lord and are willing to make changes in your life to do so. I will try to provide you some information regarding your question about tongues.

Being able to speak in tongues has nothing to do with one's salvation according to the Bible. If you will read the very first article "God's Plan for Salvation" on the web site, you will learn that one is saved from his/her past sins when they have heard the word of God, believed, repented of their sins, confessed Christ as their savior and have been baptized for the remission of their sins. The web site provides scriptures for each of the things I have mentioned.

There is not a word said about the need to speak in tongues in order to have the forgiveness of one's sins. Once your sins are forgiven, then you need to live a life that pleases God to inherit eternal life. The things we must do and not do are outlined in the Bible. Since we live under the law of Christ, those things are outlined in the New Testament. Jesus said in Jn. 12:48 that the word that He has spoken with be our judge on the last day. So, we follow His word.

Please see chapters 14, 15 and 16 of the book of John. Especially note Jn. 14:16; 15:26; 16:13. You will see in those verses that Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit and He would guide the disciples into all truth. Then read Ephesians 3:1-5 and you will see that God's word was revealed by the Holy Spirit to the apostles and prophets and they wrote it down so we could read and understand it. We have the New Testament to show us what Christ would have us to do.

Now let me say a few things about tongues. According to I Cor. 12:8-10, there were nine spiritual gifts given to the early Christians. What was the purpose of those gifts? According to John 20:30-31, it was to produce faith. Then according to Heb. 2:3-4 and Mark 16:20, the gifts were given to confirm the spoken word. You see back then when the apostles started teaching that the law of Moses was being replaced by the law of Christ, the people would ask for proof. The apostles could perform miracles to show they were from God. The apostles also could speak in tongues so those they were talking to could understand the gospel message even though the apostles had never learned that particular language.

You can see in Acts chapter two that the apostles began to speak in tongues after the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them and everyone heard them in their own language. And there were people there from many different countries speaking many different languages. So their being able to hear in their own language made it possible for them to know the gospel. The apostles didn't just speak gibberish; they spoke in real languages even though they were never taught these different languages. So that was miraculous.

Next let me show from the Scriptures how tongues were administered. The ability for those other than the apostles to speak in tongues was only possible by the laying on of the apostles' hands. Read chapter 8 of the book of Acts. You will see in verse 5 that Philip went down to Samaria and preached Christ. And in verse 6 the multitudes heeded the things spoken by Philip. Why did they do that? Verse 6 also says because they heard and saw the miracles which he did.

We then see in verse 12 that they believed and were baptized. Even a sorcerer named Simon also was baptized and was amazed at the miracles and signs which Philip did (verse 13). Please note that Philip was performing miracles, healing the sick and doing many signs.

Now let us carefully review verses 14 through 19. The apostles heard about all this and sent Peter and John, two of the apostles, down to Samaria. They prayed for these who had been baptized so that they might receive the Holy Spirit for He had not fallen upon any of them thus far even though they had been baptized. Verse 17---"Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." Now verses 18 and 19---"NOW WHEN SIMON SAW THAT THROUGH THE LAYING ON OF THE APOSTLES' HANDS THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIVEN, SAYING, GIVE ME THIS POWER ALSO, THAT ANYONE ON WHOM I LAY HANDS MAY RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT."

What do we learn from Acts 8? We learn that only the apostles had the power to impart spiritual gifts. So we now know that once the apostles all died and all those people on whom they laid their hands died, the spiritual gifts ended. In fact, they were no longer needed.

This conforms to what Paul said in I Cor. 13. He made it clear that spiritual gifts would come to and end. He specifically mentions the gifts of prophecies, TONGUES, and the gift of knowledge in verse 8. He says they will vanish away. When was that to happen"? When that which was perfect had come (verse 10).

Some say that which is perfect refers to Christ because He lived without sin. But Christ had already come and promised to send the Holy Spirit (read again paragraph 4 above) to guide them into all truth and that happened. So, that which is perfect is His word which James refers to in James 1:25 as the perfect law of liberty. Paul said in I Cor. 13 that they knew in part when he wrote that letter, but later the part would be done away with. We now have the New Testament so we no longer need spiritual gifts.

So now you see that not only do you not need to be able to speak in tongues to be saved, those who claim they have the ability to speak in tongues are violating what the Bible teaches. There are no apostles alive to lay their hands on them and that was how spiritual gifts were imparted.

You and your wife have been searching for the truth because you want to please our Lord. You left the Catholic church when you learned that they were not teaching the truth. I left the Methodist church years ago when I learned they were not teaching all the truth. I encourage you to continue your search for truth and leave the church you are now a part of and find a church that just follows what the Bible teaches.

Please let me know if I can help you in that search. I would be honored to do so.

larry
http://www.insearchoftruth.org

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Re: tongue-speaking necessary for salvation?

Post by email » Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:59 pm

Dear Larry,

Thank you for taking your valuable time to write me so much. I didn't get time to read and study this fully and I will do this weekend. I pray and wish that Jesus gives me the insight on this subject fully and I thank you once again and pray for you that our Lord Jesus bless you to do the run to the finish in his light.

Your brother in Christ
The above presented views do not necessarily represent any specific individual, registered on this forum or otherwise.
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larry
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Re: tongue

Post by larry » Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:14 pm

I hope you have had time to study the information I sent you. I would be interested in what you think.

larry
http://www.insearchoftruth.org

Nikos
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Re: tongue-speaking necessary for salvation?

Post by Nikos » Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:01 pm

Although tongues are not necessary for salvation, they are a valid experience. They are an evidence of being fullied with the Holy Spirit.

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