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COGwriter<\/a><\/p>\n PCG’s<\/a> Eric Anderson reported the following:<\/p>\n The Plain Truth About \u201cSpeaking in Tongues\u201d…<\/strong><\/p>\n The Basic Doctrine<\/strong><\/p>\n The late Herbert W. Armstrong made it plain that \u201cthe gift of \u2018tongues\u2019 spoken of in the Bible is the ability to speak of God in other languages<\/span>\u2014languages that are foreign and previously unknown to the speaker\u201d (Tomorrow\u2019s World<\/em>, February 1972).<\/p>\n In other words, the gift of tongues is the God-given, miraculous ability to speak in a human language that one has not learned in any normal manner. But it is certainly not<\/em> those demonstrations of emotional and indecipherable gibberish that some religious groups today call \u201cspeaking in tongues.\u201d<\/p>\n Usual Teachings of This World<\/strong><\/p>\n The 15th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica<\/em> states that the \u201cgift of tongues, also called glossolalia<\/em> (from [the] Greek glossa<\/em>, \u2018tongue,\u2019 and lalia<\/em>, \u2018talking\u2019), [includes] utterances approximating words and speech, usually produced during states of intense religious excitement. The vocal organs of the speaker are affected, the tongue moves without the conscious control of the speaker, and unintelligible speech pours forth. According to religious interpretations of the phenomenon, the speaker is considered to be possessed by a supernatural spirit, is in conversation with divine beings, or is the channel of a divine proclamation \u2026”<\/p>\n Some groups view this experience as absolute proof one has the Spirit of God. Others allow that Christians who do not speak in tongues in this manner may have the Spirit, but that those who do speak in tongues have obtained a higher degree of the Spirit with such \u201cinspired\u201d speaking. Glossolalia is a greatly prized spiritual goal in all tongues-speaking circles…<\/p>\n Most all who do such speaking take the greatest pride in the fact that they \u201cspoke in tongues\u201d\u2014not in what they babbled that might have been meaningful.<\/p>\n Few, it seems, stop and ask themselves whether their \u201cgift\u201d agrees with the biblical definition of tongues…<\/p>\n The day God established for this special bestowing of His Spirit was on His annual festival of Pentecost\u2014also known as the feast of weeks or feast of firstfruits\u2014which was observed 50 days after the day on which Christ was resurrected. The word pentekoste<\/em> is a Greek word meaning \u201c50th [day],\u201d or \u201ccount fifty.\u201d Leviticus 23:15-21 tells us that Pentecost is an annual holy day which true Christians are commanded to observe every year in the late spring. Strangely, and significantly, the modern Pentecostal groups of this world do not even keep this biblically commanded day!…<\/p>\n \n Pentecost, A.D.<\/span> 31<\/strong><\/p>\n At last, when the day of Pentecost had \u201cfully come,\u201d something truly amazing happened. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit arrived with a great display of power! (Acts 2:2-4, 8, 11)…<\/p>\n Then Peter, the chief apostle, stood and delivered a sermon (Acts 2:14-21). Again, the tongues he spoke in were known languages of the day that were clearly understood by those listening. The listeners marveled because Peter, to their ears, seemed to be speaking in their native, local dialects, although he obviously hadn\u2019t learned all these languages by going to school or through some other normal method of study.<\/p>\n Obviously, Peter was not speaking incomprehensible, meaningless clack. He did not work up the crowd with rhythmically chanted, vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7). Further, we see no descriptions of wildly gyrating bodies, waving hands or people rolling around on the ground.<\/p>\n Concerning this utterly unique and amazing account of the gift of tongues, Mr. Armstrong concluded that \u201cthe miracle was in the hearing<\/span> as well as the speaking<\/span>\u201d (ibid., emphasis mine)…<\/p>\n The Gift of Tongues<\/strong><\/p>\n The book of 1 Corinthians has much to say about the subject of tongues. The gift is mentioned in verses 1 and 10 of 1 Corinthians 12, but verses 27-31 are the most critical.<\/p>\n In verse 28, Paul lists the governmental offices of the church, including the ranks of apostle and prophet. Then, beginning in verse 29, through a series of rhetorical questions, Paul decidedly proves that not all have the gift of tongues (or any of a number of other gifts for that matter). Clearly, having the gift of tongues cannot be the only proof one has God\u2019s Spirit. Nor is it proof of superior righteousness, for verse 31, along with 1 Corinthians 13, declares absolutely that love is a greater gift of the Spirit than speaking in tongues! 1 Corinthians 13:1 says that even if one has the power to speak in the \u201ctongues of \u2026 angels,\u201d he is spiritually worthless unless he has love.<\/p>\n It is important to note that these verses do not<\/em> imply that the Corinthians spoke in angelic language. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-2, Paul lists a number of incredible feats, all of them beyond human capability (i.e., moving mountains with faith, and understanding every single mystery of life)… It is clear that Paul spoke of the tongues of angels also as something beyond the Corinthians\u2019 natural abilities, just like moving mountains.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A point that I would like to emphasize that PCG<\/a> did not is that we in the Living Church of God <\/a>suspect that God may pour out this gift again relatively soon, whereas it is not clear (to me at least) if PCG<\/a> believes it will happen again anytime soon.<\/p>\n The late Living Church of God<\/a> evangelist John Ogwyn wrote:<\/p>\n Paul emphasized in 1 Corinthians 14 that the gifts God gives are for edifying or strengthening the Church. He encouraged his readers to seek God\u2019s gifts for the purpose of serving others\u2014<\/em>not for self-aggrandizement. As for tongues or languages, Paul explained that it was better to speak just a few words that were understandable and helpful, rather than ten thousand words in a language no one could understand (v. 19). For unless the content is helpful and instructive, words in and of themselves lack benefit to the hearers (v. 6, 9). LCG’s<\/a> R.C. Meredith mentioned tongues a few months back:<\/p>\n And while tongues will likely be a gift relatively soon, we in the Living Church of God<\/a> do not accept that that the current “Pentecostal movement” has it.<\/p>\n
\nA prophecy in Joel 2:28\u201332 foretells an end-time outpouring of God\u2019s Spirit in a miraculous way. Peter quoted this scripture and applied it to the miracle that occurred on the first Pentecost after Christ\u2019s resurrection from the dead. It is apparent upon close scrutiny, however, that a much greater fulfillment of this prophecy is for the time just prior to the Day of the Lord (v. 31). Thus, many of the miraculous outpourings of God\u2019s Spirit that happened in the first century will undoubtedly occur again in the end time.
\nHowever, from what we have seen, it should be clear that the “speaking in tongues” commonly practiced today in the charismatic movement\u2014with its incoherent babbling often accompanied by uncontrollable shrieks and spasms\u2014is most certainly not<\/em> from God. “For,” as Paul says in his discussion on tongues, “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Indeed, we may rightly discern that most of the “speaking in tongues” that goes on today has a different <\/em>author\u2014either demonic spirits or simply human imagination. For just as demons were involved in the pagan Greek religion of long ago with its babbling oracles (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:20), so also are they involved in false religion today…If the author of individuals\u2019 ecstatic speech is the human mind, it is either an outright fraudulent act, some form of mental illness or simply a frenzy of human emotion.
\nTrue miracles, however, are not brought about by human emotion. They are, rather, the result of God supernaturally working through His true servants\u2014those who genuinely obey Him and are yielded to His will. As mentioned at the outset, in the spiritual confusion of modern religion, many today recognize a great void in their lives. Without real understanding of God\u2019s ultimate purpose and plan, they are accepting a counterfeit of true<\/em><\/strong><\/span> spirituality. They are pursuing a feeling\u2014<\/em>and are therefore setting themselves up to be deceived by the end-time false <\/em>miracles of which Christ warned (Matthew 24:24). We should seek God <\/em>and His ways<\/em>\u2014not feelings.
\nIf we do so with all our heart and continue to genuinely walk with Him, the true <\/em>miracles will certainly follow in God\u2019s own time. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
Remember that Jesus Christ told us, \u201c\u2018And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;\u00a0they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.\u2019 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.\u00a0And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with\u00a0them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen\u201d (Mark 16:17-20).<\/div>\nBrethren, we really need to \u201ccry out\u201d for God to help us, teach us every lesson we need to learn, draw us closer to Him and begin to give us the \u201caccompanying signs\u201d of which Jesus spoke. This certainly would be a powerful witness that God was, in fact, \u201cconfirming the word\u201d which we preached if<\/strong> we begin to have these powerful signs from our Father in heaven.<\/div>\nAlso, we are told to pray for the Holy Spirit. And God shows us in His Word, \u201cBut the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit\u00a0of all:\u00a0for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,\u00a0to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by\u00a0the same Spirit,\u00a0to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another\u00a0different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues\u201d (1 Corinthians 12:7-10) (Meredith RC. Church Fast Reminder. Email to ministry, March 20, 2009).<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n