What Does the Bible Teach About Speaking in Tongues? -What about speaking in tongues today?

 The miraculous gift of speaking in tongues evidently ended about the end of the first century C.E. No one today can rightly claim to speak in tongues by God's power. 

How true Christians be identified?

Jesus said that self-sacrificing love would identify his disciples. (John 13:34, 35) Likewise, the apostle Paul taught that love would be a permanent identifier of genuine Christians. (1 Corinthians 13:1, 8) He indicated that God's spirit would produce in Christians the qualities referred to collectively as "the fruitage of the spirit, "the first qualities which is love. - GALATIANS 5:22, 23.

Next time: What Doest the Devil Look Like?/The Bible's answer

From the jw.org publications 

What Does the Bible Teach About Speaking in Tongues? - Was speaking in tongues to continue permanently?

 No. The gifts of the holy spirit, including that of speaking in tongues were a temporary provision. The Bible foretold; "If there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease." - 1 CORINTHIANS 13:8.

When did speaking in tongues cease? 

The gifts of the holy spirit were generally passed on to other Christians in the presence of the apostles, usually by the apostles placing their hands of fellow believers. (Acts 8:18; 10:44-46) It appears that those who received the gifts of the spirit from the apostles did not transfer them to others.  (Acts 8:5-7, 14-17) To illustrate, a government official may issue a driver's license to someone, but that person is not given the legal authority to issue a license to anyone else. Apparently, speaking in tongues ended with the death of the apostles and those who had personally received the gift from them. 

Next time: What Does the Bible Teach About Speaking in Tongues? - What about speaking in tongues today? 

From the jw.org publications 

What Does the Bible Teach About Speaking in Tongues? - What was the purpose of speaking in tongues?

 (1.) To show that God was backing Christians. In the past, God provided miraculous signs to prove that he was backing faithful people such as Moses. (Exodus 4:1-9, 29-31; Numbers 17:10) Speaking in tongues served a similar purpose, showing that God was backing the newly formed Christian congregation. The apostle Paul wrote: "Tongues are not a sign for the believers but for the unbelievers." - 1 CORINTHIANS  14:22. 

(2.) To enable Christians to give a thorough witness. Those who heard Jesus' followers on the day of Pentecost said:  "We hear them speaking in our languages about the magnificence things of God." (Acts 2:11) Thus, another key purpose of this miracle was to enable Christians "to give a thorough witness" and to "make disciples of people of all the nations," as they had been commanded by Jesus. (Acts 10:42; Matthew 28:19) About 3,000 who observed the miracle and listened to the witness that was given became disciples that very day. - ACTS 2:41. 

Next time: What Does the Bible Teach About Speaking in Tongues? -Was speaking in tongues to continue permently?

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What Does the Bible Teach About Speaking in Tongues?/ The Bible's answer

 "Speaking in tongues" refers to a miraculous ability some early Christians had enabled them to speak a language without first having learned it. (Acts10:46, New Internation Version) The speaker was easily understood by anyone who knew the language. (Acts 2:4-8) Speaking in tongues was one of the gifts of the holy spirit of that God gave to some first-century Christians. - HEBREWS 2:4; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4, 30. 

Where and when did speaking in tongues start.

This miracle first occurred in Jerusalem on the morning of the Jewish Festival of Pentecost in 33 C.E. About 120 of Jesus' disciples were meeting together when "they all became filled with holy spirit and started to speak in different languages."  (Acts 1:15; 2:1-4) A large crowd of people "from every nation under heave gathered, and "each one heard them speaking in his own language." - ACTS 2:5, 6. 

Next time: What Does the Bible Teach About Speaking in Tongues? - What was the purpose of speaking in tongues?

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What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion?

 Bible verses about spirituality

MATTHEW 5:3: "Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need."

Meaning: Cultivating spirituality leads to happiness. 

GALATIANS 5:22, 23: "The fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control." 

Meaning: Spirituality produces positive qualities. 

GALATIANS 6:8: "The one sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit." 

Meaning: God will reward spiritual people with everlasting life.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16: "All scripture is inspired of God." 

Meaning: The Bible contains God's thoughts and has the information you need to develop spirituality. 

Next time: What Does the Bible Teach About Speaking in Tongues?/The Bible's answer

From the jw.org publications

What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? -Misconceptions about Spirituality - Conclusion

 Misconception: Any connection with the spirit realm, including spiritism or spiritualism, promotes spirituality. 

Fact: One form of spiritism, sometimes called spiritualism, is the belief that the spirits of dead people can communicate with the living. However, the Bible teaches that the dead are unconscious. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) Spiritism is actually communication with spirit creatures who opposed to God. Spiritism angers God and prevents a person from being spiritual.  -LEVITICUS 20:6; DEUTERONOMY 18:11, 12. 

Note: These people who believe in haunted houses, don't see ghosts. These spirits are demons who can take the shape of a loved one to make people think the opposite of what God wants. They are insulting God and make him very unhappy. You don't want to mess with these demons, they can and will cause problems you don't want or need. The dead are exactly what it says -dead and they stay way until God's time to do otherwise. 

Misconception: All creatures possess spirituality. 

Fact: Everything God created brings honor to him. (Psalm 145:10; Romans 1:20) However, only God's intelligent creatures can develop spirituality. In contrast, animals act on instinct and cannot establish a friendship with God. Their actions are mainly driven by their physical needs. (2 Peter 2:12) Thus, the Bible contrasts spirituality with animalistic thinking and behavior. - JAMES 3:15; JUDE 19. 

Next time: What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? -Bible verses about spirituality

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What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? - Misconceptions about spirituality

 Misconception:  Spirituality includes any path to self-fulfillment or achieving a person's full potential. 

Fact: The Bible refers to spirituality as a way of life guided by God's thoughts. It does not promote self-fulfillment independent of God. Spiritual people find fulfillment by acknowledging Jehovah as their Creator and living in harmony with his purpose. - PSALM 100:3.

Misconception: A Person can develop spirituality by practicing extreme self-denial or inflicting pain on himself.

Fact: Harsh treatment of one's own body is "a self-imposed form of worship" and of fleshly thinking. (Colossians 2:18, 23) The Bible links a life of spirituality, not with pain, but with Joy. - PROVERBS 10:22.

Next time: What is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? -Misconceptions about spirituality - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? -Do I need religion to be spiritual?

 Simply belonging to a religion does not make a person spiritual. The Bible says: "If any man thinks he is religious but not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he is deceiving his own heart, and his worship is futile." - JAMES 1:26; footnote.

Even so, the Bible shows that spiritual people worship God in the way that he approves. They acknowledge that there is only "one spirit"-God's holy spirit. That spirit moves them to worship God as "one body," a congregated group that maintains "the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace." - EPHESIANS 4:1-4.

Next time: What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? - Misconceptions about spirituality

From the jw.org publications

What Is Spirituality? Can I be Spiritual Without Religion? - How can I develop spirituality?

 . Learn and obey God's commandments. You can do this by reading the Bible, which contains God's thoughts as recorded by men who "were moved by holy spirit." (2 Peter 1:21) What you learn will help you to worship God "with spirit and truth," guided by holy spirit and in harmony with God's will. - JOHN 4:24. 

. Pray for God's help. (Luke 11:13) God will help you to display the qualities what identify a spiritual person. (Galatians 5:22, 23) It can also give you the wisdom to deal with life's challenges. - JAMES 1:5.

. Associate with spiritual people.  They will encourage you to build your spirituality. (Romans 1:11, 12) In contrast, associating with people whose conflicts with that of God can erode your spirituality. -JAMES 4:4. 

Next time: What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? - Do I need religion to be spiritual? 

From the jw.org publications

What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? - Why is spirituality important ?

 Spirituality leads to "life and peace." (Romans 8:6) These gifts from God have valued beyond compare.

. Life: God promises to grant everlasting life to spiritual people. - JOHN 17:3; GALATIANS 6:8. 

. Peace: This is peace with God. Those who focus on their only on their physical needs are enemies of God. (Romans 8:7) Further, God rewards those who cultivate spirituality with "the peace of God that surpasses all understanding." (Philippians 4:6, 7) Such inner peace helps them to find happiness in life. - MATTHEW 5:3. 

Next time: What Is Spirituality? Can I Be Spiritual Without Religion? -How can I develop spirituality?

From the jw.org publications