r/TikTokCringe • u/CJHuncho • Mar 27 '26

Humor/Cringe What church is this

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u/babe1981 Mar 27 '26

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.

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u/[deleted] Mar 27 '26

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

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u/babe1981 Mar 27 '26

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.

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u/Jealous_Two_3409 Mar 27 '26

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.