Corn,
I wonder if you even realize the deception that you have offered? Below is a quote from a previous post that you made. In it, you state that you quote your scripture from THE Bible. I'm not sure what version you use, but in another post, you offered a quote that was DIFFERENT than that contained within MY Bible. Either the Bible you quoted from was different, or you deliberately left out words to alter the meaning behind the scripture that you offered:
1Co 14:2 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.
And here is what is ACTUALLY OFFERED:
1 Corinthians 14:
2For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
Note that the FIRST quote, by YOU, has eliminated the word UNKNOWN.
Jesus is the Word and certainly is my focus: That is where I quote my Scriptures from : the Bible.
I certainly did not suggest that we take our focus off Jesus, nor did I tell people anything but what is in the Bible. Jesus would be real comfortable with my posts.
If your quote is from a version that I am not familiar with then I guess you can abide in your offering that you 'simply quote scripture'. But even then, it is apparent that the elimination of the word UNKNOWN alters the sentence into something DIFFERENT than exists WITH the unknown.
And IF you were simply following scripture in your use of tongues, YOU WOULDN'T use them. For you have indicated that YOUR use of tongues is EXACTLY what Paul was condemning the Corinthians for practicing. One, two, NO MORE THAN THREE, and BY course, (this means IN ORDER; you know, like ONE and THEN another). MUST be an interpreter. That means that The Spirit KNOWS if there is one to interpret for this SAME Spirit would BE the means by which the 'tongues' would be interpreted. If there is NO interpreter, then one that wishes to speak in 'tongues' is TO REMAIN SILENT IN THE CHURCH. Women are NOT able to speak 'tongues' IN THE CHURCH. And one can ONLY speak in tongues AS The Spirit GIVES utterance.
Now, at the end of this Paul offers that ANYONE claiming to be Spirit LED MUST admit that these words are the COMMANDMENTS of God. But, if anyone denies the 'rules' as laid down, LET THEM REMAIN IGNORANT. He then goes on to ask the Corinthians: CAME THE WORD FROM YOU? An obvious indication that he is pointing out that HE is their Spiritual leader in TRUTH and that they have 'made up' the conditions for which Paul is offering rebuke.
So, Cornillius, please, don't offer in words what you can't back in truth. The Bible has LITTLE to say concerning 'tongues'. And what it DOES say is that 'tongues' are LANGUAGES. NOT 'voices of angels'. For a voice is NOT a language to start with. A voice is NOTHING other than the MEANS by which the SOUND is transfered. This has NOTHING to do with LANGUAGE. We have a description of WHAT 'tongues' ARE and what they were FOR offered up in the beginning of Acts. We have NO OTHER evidence that there is ANY other SORT of 'tongues'.
IF God is able to KNOW what's in our hearts, then He is WELL able to understand us in WHATEVER language we speak. But 'tongues' were FOR A SIGN, not to THEM THAT BELIEVE, but to them that BELIEVE NOT. Now, what message of significance could one offered in GIBBERISH to one that BELIEVES NOT?
So, you have shown over and over through the method of your defense that you DO NOT simply use the Bible as a means of discernment concerning 'tongues'. You choose to promote something that was NEVER EVER offered up in scripture. And if you insist on saying different, then PROVE IT. Show us where the 'tongues' that you profess to practice EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE. Do so, and I'll relent and recant. But if you can't, then don't continue to say that CAN.
It's one thing to BELIEVE in something for YOUR OWN SAKE. But it is an entirely DIFFERENT situation when you attempt to sway others with that which you have NO EVIDENCE of except your OWN belief.
Paul's letter to the Corinthians was a LETTER OF REBUKE. He was NOT encouraging the use of "TONGUES''. Actually, he was telling them that the 'tongues' that they were using were NOT 'true tongues'. It's really that simple. They were MISUSING what they 'THOUGHT' were 'tongues'. That is WHY Paul laid down the RULES. Any form of tongues that do NOT conform to his words are NOT 'true tongues'. This is what HE SAID. And he went so far as to say that ANYONE that IS Spiritual will KNOW the difference. He also offered that it was TIME TO GROW UP in Christ. Instead of trying to impress others with 'how spiritual they were', it was TIME TO GROW UP and start learning to practice the PRINCIPLES of Christ in LOVE. And that consists of LOOKING OUT for OTHERS instead of simply doing that which benefits SELF. Read the entire epistle of 1 Corinthians and you will PLAINLY see that they were following remnants of the PREVIOUS pagan ways and that was the REASON for Paul's letter. An attempt to put them 'back on path'.
Blessgings,
MEC
I was very open to receive it if it was truly from God.
when I see people flock to these false teachers; they are NOT or source of salvation, Jesus is and it is Jesus alone who is worthy for our focus. May we all stay focused on the One and Only Savior of mankind! :amen