“They shall speak with new tongues”

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” 1 Timothy 1,1-7 (NIV)

Today, I would like to spark your curiosity on this particular matter: tongues;

Speaking in tongues / speaking with new tongues, praying in tongues / praying in the Spirit.

You may know about speaking in tongues. You may have heard some people speaking or praying in tongues. Or you may not and this is your first time to hear about it.

I find that this particular subject is seldomly mentioned in some Christian circles and not sufficiently taught about in others and yet the practice of speaking in tongues has some amazing benefits.

Before I elaborate on this topic, I am inviting you to do a personal study on this same topic with the following references:

• Jesus Christ Himself prophesied it / promised it for believers. Mark 16,17-18

• The first group of believers received these tongues when the Holy Spirit came upon them after the ascension of Jesus. Acts 2,1-4

•  The Apostle Paul is a man whom God chose to laid the foundation of the New Testament dispensation; that is the new arrangement as it is applied to the believers in Jesus Christ in the grand scheme of things (the old before the coming of Christ and the new after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ). He wrote on speaking in tongues in the first book of Corinthians.

  I would like you to read 1 Corinthians 14,1-5 and 1 Corinthians 14,39-40.

These portions are like the introduction and conclusion only, but they are a good starting point. The development in between has its context, which, by the grace of God, I’ll discuss next time.

The study of the Scriptures is done for the purpose of enlightening the eyes of our understanding, to deepen our understanding and to deepen our relationship with God.

In the next post, we shall dive into the why, the how and the when of speaking in tongues.

Child of God, may the Bible be open to you. May you receive insight and understanding each time you open it. In Jesus’ name.

^“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 1,20-21 NKJV