SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS IT FROM GOD?

"I just don't understand," says Devon.  "Each week at my church, many seem to get the holy spirit and miraculously speak in different languages.  Some of them lead immoral lives.  Meanwhile, I try to live in a morally upright way. Yet, as much as I pray for it, I never receive this gift of the spirit. How can that be?"

Gabriel likewise attends a church where people appear to receive holy spirit and speak in tongues.  "What bothers me," he explains, "is that during my prayers, other interrupt me with loud speech that neither I nor they understand. No one really benefits from this speech. Should not a gift of God's spirit have some useful purpose? 

The experiences of Devon and Gabriel raise an interesting question, I speaking in tongues as done in some churches today really from God?  To answer that question, it is helpful to examine the gift of miraculous speech among the first-century Christians.  

They "Started to Speak With Different Tongues"

In the Bible, we read of some men and women who were given power to speak languages that they had never learned.  This first occurred on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., a few weeks after the death of Jesus Christ. On that day Jesus Christ.  On that day in Jerusalem, some 120 disciples of Jesus "became filled with  holy spirit  and started to speak with different tongues."  Visitors from foreign lands" were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language." -Acts 1:15; 2:1-6. 

The Bible mentions other early followers of Jesus who had this remarkable ability.  For example, empowered by holy spirit, the apostle Paul could miraculously speak in  numerous tongues.  (Acts 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10,28;  14: 18) But any such gift of God's holy spirit should logically have a good purpose. So, what purpose did speaking in tongues serve in Bible times? 

Next time: SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS IT FROM GOD?/ A Sign of God's Backing

From the Watchtower magazine