Tongues

In the previous post, we reached the following conclusion:

Ultimately, the Mind/Soul makes two "first cause" decisions:
1. The Mind/Soul chooses to open or close the nucleus basalis.
2. The Mind/Soul chooses the influence from within the Conscious Brain.

We will conclude this Series with a look at the ultimate effects of choosing to allow the Holy Spirit working through an individual...

You are your Mind/Soul. Your Mind/Soul is Eternal.

This is YOUR First Cause.

EVERYTHING after your choice to think or not think is an EFFECT of your decision. This is YOUR responsibility.

Your flesh desires to be comparative and comfortable.

God, through your spirit, desires you to be contrastive and growing.

Your Mind/Soul casts the deciding vote between God and your flesh.

The Ultimate decision is to realize you are flawed and the ONLY way to be Righteous is for YOU to choose to let God direct your actions. This is GRACE.

Yes, God alone is able to make our actions Good, NOT us. However, this does NOT happen UNLESS we FIRST CHOOSE to let God direct our actions. God cannot cause us to receive GRACE against our will. GOD'S WORD stated God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

THAT FIRST CHOICE IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

We can get judged for the choice our Mind/Soul makes.

All three influences (God, flesh, Mind/Soul) battle it out in your Brain.

The battlefield is NOT the Mind...it is the Brain!

We saw Spiritual Warfare takes place in the Brain! Strongholds are in the Brain...NOT the Mind/Soul. Spiritual Warfare is fought with WORDS and THOUGHTS (which are made up of WORDS). The Brain files away information in terms of WORDS.

We are also responsible for the Brain we have.

ALL of this justifies God and blames ourselves.

ANY explanation that justifies ourselves will result in blaming God...which is idolatry.

When the Holy Spirit flows through an immature Christian or immediately after a Christian has made an immature decision, the effect is conviction:



Notice, the Christian ought to respond to conviction by confessing and repenting. The fact that the individual sins is NOT what determines his Salvation. I John 1:8-10 stated we all sin. (We have seen this is First Dimensional Sin.) Salvation is determined by the individual's response to his sin. If the individual rationalizes and justifies himself, he is in pride and not saved. (We have seen this is Second Dimensional Sin.) If the individual confesses his sin, then I John 1:9 stated God is faithful and righteous to cleanse the individual from all unrighteousness that he has as an effect of this sin.

Remember, the Holy Spirit convicts. The Holy Spirit doesn't condemn. If you feel condemnation, it is not from the Holy Spirit. (For more information, look at this post titled, "Conviction vs. Condemnation".)

If we look at the line at the bottom of the diagram as a spectrum from Christian immaturity to full Christian maturity, then this most basic proof that the Holy Spirit dwells within the individual could also be called "Grace"...because responding well to conviction leads to the individual retaining his Salvation. Notice, this effect is in response to sin...

The next most mature effect would be for the individual to allow the Holy Spirit to initiate a good effect through the individual. The most basic effect the Holy Spirit can physically do through a believer is known as "speaking in tongues"...



Notice, the individual is unable to speak in tongues from their Amygdala because the Amygdala responds with physical movement and clouding the Conscious Brain. The individual is unable to speak in tongues from their Unconscious Brain because the Unconscious Brain does not work according to words. The individual is only able to speak in tongues through their Conscious Brain (because it works according to words), however, the Mind/Soul cannot speak in tongues intentionally with the Conscious Brain because the words would have to make sense to the individual and be rehearsed...these words wouldn't flow.

The ONLY way for the individual to speak in tongues is for another influence to speak through the Conscious Brain of the individual.

The reason that Christians run from speaking in tongues is that they don't understand it. They may think they do, but just like Christians think their kids who grow up in the church understand Christianity, the proof they don't is 89% of teenagers who grew up in the church leave the church once they graduate high school. These adults don't truly understand the WHY/HOW well enough to see a value in continuing to grow while attending church.

Likewise, many Christians think that speaking in tongues is from the Unconscious Brain which would make it an effect of the enemy. THAT is a dangerous declaration...

Remember, Jesus stated that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was stating that a miracle done by the Holy Spirit that had obvious benefits was actually an act done by the enemy. When a person does an obviously beneficial act by the Holy Spirit and someone attributes the benefit to Satan, that someone may be beginning the process of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

In the last ten years, most of the people who exhibited this basic proof of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit were attending Pentecostal churches. Today, many of these people who have spoken in tongues are going to non-Pentecostal churches and no longer speaking in tongues. Why? I believe it is the same reason as teenagers raised in the church running from church once they become adults: they don't understand the WHY/HOW.

Ultimately, this all comes back to not UNDERSTANDING Grace: the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life. EVERYTHING that is covered in this post is an effect of GRACE. The enemy has caused the church to be deceived with a man-made definition of Grace ("unmerited favor")...and the effect is that we can't explain the WHY/HOW of tongues.

Let's look at a couple of basic scriptures. First, here is how the Gospel Account of Mark concluded:

"14 And afterward he was manifested unto the eleven themselves as they sat at meat; and he upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.
17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen." (Mark 16:14-20)

Jesus stated one of the basic signs that are an effect of belief (an effect of having the Holy Spirit direct actions) is speaking with new tongues. This does not mean a person is not saved if they don't speak in tongues. This means that a person has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit if they do speak in tongues.

Second, here is the passage that documented the beginning of our dispensation:

"1 And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

(The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues...as the Spirit gave them utterance. The disciples were taking direction from the Holy Spirit to the point the Holy Spirit physically spoke a language through each of them that each of them did not understand with their Conscious Brain.)

"5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
6 And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying, Behold, are not all these that speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia,
10 in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, What meaneth this?"

(Notice, a person would be speaking in tongues...and each person not speaking in tongues when they heard that person heard about the mighty works of God in their own language...and they knew that others who didn't speak in tongues were hearing the same person state mighty works of God in their own language. Remember, we hear with our brains...not our ears. These people heard logical and powerful declarations in their own language from a person speaking in tongues...and realized someone else who spoke a different language was hearing logical and powerful declarations about God from the same person.)

"13 But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine."

(The Bible stated those who didn't believe and tried to rationalize away the power of speaking in tongues were MOCKERS.)

"14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words.
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel:"

(Peter stated this event was spoken of by the prophet Joel.)

"17 And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams:"

(Today, the Holy Spirit is upon all flesh. The Holy Spirit dwells within believers. These disciples were full of the Holy Spirit.)

"18 Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day.
21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:1-21)

It makes sense that the FIRST effect the disciples demonstrated as an effect of being full of the Holy Spirit...as an effect of allowing the Holy Spirit to physically direct them...would be to speak in tongues. This is a Spiritual Gift. Let's look at a key chapter from Paul in order to understand the importance of Spiritual Gifts...

"1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant."

(Paul blatantly stated the point of the following discussion was to make sure Christians weren't ignorant concerning Spiritual Gifts.)

"2 Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might led.
3 Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit."

(Paul stated that before these people were believers...before they were led by the Holy Spirit through their Conscious Brain...they were led by dumb idols in a random, illogical way (Unconscious Brain). However, Paul stated that no man speaking according to the Holy Spirit can say something negative about Jesus.)

"4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal."

(The purpose of Spiritual Gifts is so that others may Profit. NOT so that the individual doing the Spiritual Gift Profits. There are a lot of effects of the Holy Spirit that are called Spiritual Gifts. Here is a list...)

"8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
9 to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
10 and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will."

(Notice, nine effects were listed. Speaking in tongues and interpreting the tongues were two of these nine gifts. Notice, there are some gifts that people consider to be Big Gifts: healings, miracles, prophecy...while the rest of the gifts are considered to be second tier: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. Paul said they all come from the same Spirit...and to this point Paul presented them as unique and equal...)

"12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
13 For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now they are many members, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you."

(Paul compared the gifts to parts of the body. Paul stated that looking down on any of the gifts was proof a person was misguided.)

"22 Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary:
23 and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;
24 whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked;"

(Notice, the parts of our body that are necessary are NOT comely/attractive: heart, brain, lungs, liver, kidney, stomach. However, the parts of our body that are attractive are NOT necessary: eyes, hair, nose, teeth, etc. Paul warned us that those gifts that people are attracted to...the Big Gifts...are not necessary...and those gifts that people aren't attracted to are more necessary.)

"25 that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

(Paul made the point that the principle that ought to guide us is whether we are caring for each other or not.)

"27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, divers kinds of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you." (I Corinthians 12:1-31)

(There is an order to the Spiritual Gifts as it relates to the Church (Apostles begin the process, etc.), however Paul stated that everyone ought to desire earnestly the greater gifts. What are the greater gifts? What are the Spiritual Gifts that actually ought to be desired? Wouldn't it be the effects seen from a fully mature Christian?)

The ensuing chapter was an aside by Paul to explain the most excellent way (HOW): love. Before Paul explained the greater gifts, he reinforced that HOW these gifts ought to be used was with love.

Remember, love is the giving of a value to another without expecting anything in return from the person to whom you gave the value. Love benefits others in the Long Term. Likewise, the greater gifts ought to benefit others. In fact, the proof that these gifts are greater is THAT they benefit others. Remember, doing Big Gifts that are attractive benefits the person doing the gift...

Let's see what Paul believed were the greater gifts...

"1 Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy."

(Prophesying is the greater gift. Notice, this is NOT prophecy. Paul explained it...)

"2 For he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God; for no man understandeth; but in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."

(When a person speaks in tongues, they do not do it for the benefit of others. They do it for the benefit of themselves. Think about a baby that begins to talk. When the baby first speaks what looks to us like gibberish, how does the parent react? The parent gets excited. Why? Is the parent benefiting from the baby's gibberish. No. Who is benefiting? The baby. The parent is encouraging the baby to continue practicing in hopes that the baby will speak something intelligent. However, until the baby speaks something the parent can understand, the person benefiting from this gibberish is the baby. Likewise, people speaking in tongues are benefiting themselves.)

"3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men edification, and exhortation, and consolation."

(Prophesying is speaking words by the Holy Spirit that are understood and lead to edification, exhortation, and consolation. This sounds A LOT like word of wisdom and word of knowledge.)

"4 He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church."

(Notice, Paul blatantly stated the person who speaks in tongues benefits themselves. The person who speaks a word of wisdom and a word of knowledge by the Holy Spirit benefits the church.)

"5 Now I would have you all speak with tongues, but rather that ye should prophesy: and greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying."

(Paul blatantly stated that he would want everyone to speak in tongues. Why? Because there is a personal benefit and now we can see it is a step towards being able to do the greater gifts. Paul even stated that interpreting tongues would be considered as a greater gift if it led to prophesying. Let's see how this would look according to our diagram...)




(Now we see that speaking in tongues essentially "primes the pump"...it gets the Holy Spirit flowing through a person on a minimal physical level in preparation of giving the Holy Spirit more control. However, in order to do the greater gift, a person must be able to understand the Holy Spirit to a higher degree in their Conscious Brain. Again, it is not the person's Conscious Brain creating the word of wisdom or the word of knowledge. If it was, the person would be able to explain the stimulus that caused the Complex Thought. Instead, the person ought to be speaking revelation by the Holy Spirit. Revelation means words without a precedent/cause. Grace is a causeless complex thought. The greater gifts are also causeless complex thoughts that benefit others. Remember, as you read the rest of what Paul stated, that speaking in tongues is a step towards being able to do the greater gifts ...)

"6 But now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophesying, or of teaching?
7 Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself for war?
9 So also ye, unless ye utter by the tongue speech easy to understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking into the air."

(Paul compared the Profitability of speaking in tongues with the Profitability of hearing a musical sound without understanding. Both tongues and music are sounds that require understanding in order to benefit others.)

"10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and no kind is without signification.
11 If then I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian unto me."

(Paul also compared the Profitability of tongues with the profitability of hearing a language you don't understand.)

"12 So also ye, since ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may abound unto the edifying of the church."

(The greater gifts benefit everyone else.)

"13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
16 Else if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest?
17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified."

(Paul continued to emphasize that helping everyone UNDERSTAND was an effect of the greater gifts. Notice, miracles and healings don't lead to everyone UNDERSTANDING.)

"18 I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all:"

(PAUL SPOKE IN TONGUES MORE THAN EVERYONE HE WROTE TO.)

"19 howbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue."

(Paul said five words of UNDERSTANDING were greater than 10,000 words in tongues. Notice, healings and miracles don't even enter into this conversation.)

"20 Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men."

(The KJV uses the word UNDERSTANDING in place of "mind". Paul BLATANTLY told us to be ADULTS in our MIND/UNDERSTANDING. I know people who try to say we are supposed to have childlike faith. The Bible NEVER stated this. Jesus said we ought to be HUMBLE like children...which spoke to GRACE, not FAITH. Faith was this list of Spiritual Gifts. Faith is based on UNDERSTANDING and EXPERIENCE. Being ADULTS in MIND/UNDERSTANDING would also cause us to be ADULTS in Faith. ALL of this would require us to be masters of WORDS and DEFINITIONS. ALL of this would require us to be masters of finding this influence from the Holy Spirit in our Conscious Brain.)

"21 In the law it is written, By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers will I speak unto this people; and not even thus will they hear me, saith the Lord.
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving: but prophesying is for a sign, not to the unbelieving, but to them that believe.
23 If therefore the whole church be assembled together and all speak with tongues, and there come in men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that ye are mad?"

(Paul referenced scripture to show that God meant tongues to be a sign to unbelievers...like it was at Pentecost. At Pentecost, 3000 people got saved as an effect of witnessing the disciples speaking in tongues.)

"24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one unbelieving or unlearned, he is reproved by all, he is judged by all;
25 the secrets of his heart are made manifest; and so he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed."

(Paul clarified that prophesying would involved making manifest a secret only known by the unbeliever. So prophesying would also be a sign to the unbeliever and lead to conversion.)

"26 What is it then, brethren? When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."

(Paul's metric for what ought to be done was whether it edified others.)

"27 If any man speaketh in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that in turn; and let one interpret:
28 but if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
29 And let the prophets speak by two or three, and let the others discern."

(Paul didn't want people speaking without understanding. He put in a guideline that after every two or three people spoke a word in tongues everyone ought to wait for an interpretation...otherwise, they had not spoken for edification and needed to stop. Notice, prophets were given the same guideline. Prophecy is a revelatory statement about future events. Prophets are also very attractive in the church. However, prophets were required to go through the same testing as people speaking in tongues. Prophecy could be seen as prophesying if the prophecy leads to edification, exhortation, or consolation. However, not all prophecy is prophesying. Notice what takes precedence...)

"30 But if a revelation be made to another sitting by, let the first keep silence.
31 For ye all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted;"

(Notice, this guideline did NOT exist for those prophesying (all could do it one by one...not twos and threes) because understanding was part of each presentation of prophesying!)

"32 and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets;
33 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,"

(Paul stated that prophets should be able to explain their prophecy so that it edifies, otherwise it will lead to confusion...and could not have been from God because God would not speak through the individual to cause confusion. Notice, the prophetic visions that are documented in the Bible were visions that occurred in the Conscious Brain. The prophet can describe with words what stimuli they were receiving, what they thought, how they responded, and how angels or God responded back...all with logic. We saw the New Age beliefs have crept into the church today by teaching how to "soak" or "meditate" in our Unconscious. Actually, it appears the way to "soak" and have a spiritual experience with God would be to do this in our Conscious Brain. Not by repeating a word that is not a word...but by remaining completely Conscious and stating our will towards God the Father. However, a person would have to know God's Nature in order to state their will towards the correct God. Also, the kingdom of heaven is HERE...it is NOW. The kingdom of heaven is a spiritual kingdom. This means it can be physically within reach of your hand, but in a spiritual dimension...and the way to that spiritual dimension would be through your spirit which is attached to your Conscious Brain. The New Age practices are a perversion of the truth. People who don't understand the WHY/HOW of what is written in this post will lump both practices together and declare what the prophets and John as having done as being from Satan...which can be a very dangerous thing to do.)

(Speaking a word in tongues and speaking prophecy need to be checked for edification and UNDERSTANDING, otherwise it does not benefit everyone. Prophesying is the greater gift because it benefits everyone.)

"34 let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law.
35 And if they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home: for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church.
36 What? was it from you that the word of God went forth? or came it unto you alone?"

(Paul's example is that wives ought to ask their questions at home from their husbands. We've seen this was done to benefit the marriage because husbands ought to teach their wives the word of God (Ephesians 5). However, Paul was using this analogy to support his point that there shouldn't be confusion in church because of Spiritual Gifts...just like there shouldn't be confusion in church from wives asking questions during the service.)

"37 If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.
38 But if any man is ignorant, let him be ignorant."

(Paul's admonition was specifically to prophets. Paul knew this was an attractive gift and could lead to confusion if the gift was presented without UNDERSTANDING. Paul wanted those who thought they were prophets to take knowledge of his guidelines because they are the commandment of God. Paul stated that if a person didn't know if they were a prophet, they ought to stay not knowing this. This admonition to prophets was separate from the conclusion of this chapter which was stated in contrastive fashion from the admonition...)

"39 Wherefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
40 But let all things be done decently and in order." (I Corinthians 14:1-40)

Paul wanted people who thought they were prophets to be careful and those who didn't know if they were prophets to stay ignorant...BUT he wanted EVERYONE to desire earnestly to prophesy (because it is the GREATER GIFT)...and Paul wanted EVERYONE to not forbid speaking in tongues (because it was the step before being able to prophesy).


CONCLUSION
Jesus said tongues were a sign that followed believers.

The proof that the disciples were full of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was speaking in tongues.

Paul stated that he spoke in tongues more than others and did not want people to forbid the speaking of tongues.

However, Paul recognized speaking in tongues was not beneficial to others...just the person speaking in tongues. Paul stated ALL believers ought to desire earnestly the greater gifts which was prophesying...

...which was word of wisdom, word of knowledge, and (sometimes) interpretation of tongues and prophecy.

Paul realized miracles, healings, and prophecy were attractive gifts, however these didn't just benefit others...because they are attractive they benefit the doer of these signs...which makes them NOT the greater gifts.

ALL of this is impossible to understand without having a correct definition for Grace: the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life. The reason many people who used to speak in tongues don't currently reside in Pentecostal churches is because they don't understand the WHY/HOW of tongues because these churches are preaching a man-made doctrine of Grace.

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