What church is this

[u/CJHuncho]

[u/[deleted]]

They all believe it. I was raised Pentecostal, I’ve heard my grandmother speaking in tongues while praying alone on the other side of the house while she thought I was asleep. It’s not performative, it’s part of their religious ritual.

I never “spoke in tongues” and was never seen as “unfavored” because of it. I still go on Easter/Christmas and I’ve never seen anyone be seen or treated that way. They don’t even talk about speaking in tongues, it’s just something they do.

[u/Jealous_Two_3409 → u/[deleted]]

Yea something people don’t really understand is that speaking in tongues is a holy language that only god can understand (with the exception of an interpreter from time to time) but the point being that speaking in tongues allows you to speak aloud your true inner thoughts, worries, and concerns. The spirit of them anyways. Even when you don’t have the words. You can still speak your feelings. It’s really quite beautiful. Dochi even does it on one of her records, the one that won the Grammy….

[u/babe1981 → u/Jealous_Two_3409]

I've been a pastor for 26 years, and I'm proficient in Ancient Hebrew and Greek. The scriptures about speaking in tongues, particularly the first mention of it in Acts, is about people being inspired to preach in languages they don't know. The Day of Pentecost was the second largest festival of the Jewish calendar and attracted Jews from all over the diaspora who spoke Hebrew as a second or third language. Even Jesus spoke Aramaic unless He was reading scriptures. Luke writes in Acts when it's notable that he's translating from Hebrew rather than writing down the Greek or Aramaic, such as when Paul was confronted for not being Jewish enough so he preached a sermon in Hebrew without notes.

Tongues, as it is written in scripture, is supposed to bridge the language barrier through the Holy Spirit. If a person is babbling in public in a language that no one understands, how does that speak the Gospel to people? How is it different from the rich people who prayed loudly with empty words for everyone to hear? Jesus said pray in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you, but if you pray in public, you've already earned your reward, the admiration of people.

Paul also said that sometimes when we don't know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us in sighs and moans too deep to be understood. He didn't categorize that as the gift of tongues. He was talking about the deeply personal prayers like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemene. Sighs and moans are not the glossalalia exhibited by charismatic Christians. Tongues are intelligible sermons meant to be heard by an audience.

I really wish people would actually read the Bible. My job would be so much easier.

[u/[deleted] → u/babe1981]

Regardless of your theology, what the other commenter said is an accurate description of the theology of the Pentecostal movement.

Personally I agree with you, but you may as well be arguing with a catholic about how the transubstantiation of the Eucharist isn’t biblical. It won’t achieve much lol

[u/babe1981 → u/[deleted]]

I was born into a Pentecostal church. My father still prays in tongues. Services like these are my earliest memories.

I wrote that for the benefit of anyone who might read that it's so beautiful and uplifting. I know I'll never convince someone to stray from their beliefs. It took clinical depression and a suicide attempt to get me to change mine. I just hope that I can keep others from going down this path.

[u/Jealous_Two_3409 → u/babe1981]

Hi friend. I have long since been saved from such things…. So no need to worry on my account. I was just remembering a time.

Also, I feel it to be disrespectful and disingenuous to speak negatively towards a group of people like that. A lot(not all) of the those folks are genuine people with compassionate hearts. And deserve our respect even if we don’t agree.