Speaking in tongues
I see a lot of videos circling around among friends in chat groups, where Christian missionaries or pastors are talking loudly in tongues and pushing people backwards and telling them they are anointed with the Holy Spirit. It's so sickening to see people mocking at Christianity. Is this all true, and are those poor people required to fall back and roll on the ground in the name of the Holy Spirit? Is that what our loving and merciful God expects? What's even more intriguing is that I have read in the Bible that talking in tongues is a gift, but I do not know what it sounds like and how it's done. Appreciate your response. Thank You!
Acts 2 records the miraculous gift of speaking in known, intelligible languages that the Lord’s followers did not previously know. While God of course can do anything and can give similar gifts today if he so chooses, we have no such promise that he will do that. This We Believe, a statement of belief of our church body, addresses that point. “The Holy Spirit also equips the church with all the spiritual gifts it needs for its well-being (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). During the beginning of the New Testament era, special charismatic gifts were given to the church, such as signs, miracles, and speaking in tongues. These gifts were connected with the ministry of the apostles (2 Corinthians 12:12). There is no evidence in Scripture that we today should expect the continuation of such charismatic gifts.”
On the other hand, there can be the expectation and demand in Pentecostal churches that the Holy Spirit will give people the ability to utter sounds that are not known languages. A good course of action is to compare the teachings of those churches with the Bible. When we recognize that the teachings of churches are not the teachings of the Bible, then we do not believe their message or follow their instructions.
Today many Christians are being told that speaking in tongues is a sign that they are God’s children. That is unfortunate because the Bible tells us that we are not to expect the same spiritual gift in all Christians (1 Corinthians 12:27-31). More than that, the certainty of our status as God’s children is not dependent on us and what we can do, or claim to do. That certainty comes from God, as he calls us his own because of his work (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Titus 3:4-7).
Finally, the apostle Paul made it clear that it is clear communication in the church that benefits speakers and their listeners (1 Corinthians 14:1-25). Communication that is not clear is not beneficial.