Posted on 10/19/2006 5:44:54 PM PDT by split
FORT WORTH, Texas - After a Baptist pastor said in a chapel service at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary that he sometimes speaks in tongues when he prays, seminary trustees adopted a resolution Tuesday that states the institution will not tolerate the promotion of the practice of speaking in tongues.
The resolution: "Southwestern will not knowingly endorse in any way, advertise, or commend the conclusions of the contemporary charismatic movement including private prayer language. Neither will Southwestern knowingly employ professors or administrators who promote such practices."
Speaking in tongues is described in the Bible as a spiritual gift from God that empowers humans to speak in other languages. But many contemporary theologians teach that the practice was distinctly for first-century Christians. However, in the past century, Pentecostal and charismatic Christians have contended that speaking in tongues should be practiced in today's churches.
Patterson said he has consistently maintained a different view.
"I have opposed (speaking in tongues) for all of these years because I think it's an erroneous interpretation of the Bible," he said. "Southern Baptists traditionally have stood against what we feel like are the excesses of the charismatic movement. All we're doing is restating where we've always been."
Baptists are "the most intense advocates of religious liberty," Patterson said, defending the right of other Christians to believe in speaking in tongues. "But don't wear a Yankee uniform when you play for the Mets."
"We interpret the Scriptures in such a way that we do not see room for a private prayer language and we're saying we will not waver on that," Redmond said.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
The person I addressed didn't respond, and you came back with so many posts, emphatic statements, bible quotes, it's overwhelming to me to try to wade through all that.
I'm more than a little curious about why the atheist has followed this thread, can't help wonder if he/she finds it amusing that Christians squabble so much or what.
"Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication" (Eph. 6:18).
"For one who speaks [prays] in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit....He who speaks [prays] in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. Now I want you all to speak [pray] in tongues, but even more to prophesy " (1 Cor. 14:2-5).
When we pray in tongues to the Father, we let the Spirit pray His perfect but mysterious and secret prayer on our behalf.
(2) For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. (4) He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself (promotes spiritual growth and character development). (14) For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. (15) So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. (16) If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say 'Amen' to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? (17) You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. (18) I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. (19) But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Are you always insulted when people don't agree with you?
= = = =
The abundant evidence would suggest strongly otherwise to most informed and fair-minded observers.
Well done. Thanks.
I believe using a concordance or Greek lexicon can clear up many of the generic (mis)understandings and (mis)applications we have of scripture.
How dare you say that!! My mother is a saint!!!
I've already apologized (several times) to those who took offense...please, let's not start it up again.
Do Baptists really think that God only had the gifts of tongues for a certain time and then he just went dead silent on tongues and canceled them out? If that truly was the case then it would be written in his word that the gifts of tongues were a temporary movement.
Baptists are usually grounded in Gods word but on this issue they have rejected a gift that comes from Gods heart.
Pray to God to allow him to give you what he desires.
“GROUP THINK”
“IN-GROUP” VS “OUT-GROUP”
“THEOLOGY”
and related forces have held sway in
RELIGION
for more than 2,000 years.
Usually they pontificate about I Cor 13 . . .
having brain fade about how, actually, I Cor 13
speaks FOR tongues etc. being throughout the “CHURCH AGE.”
However, group social forces, egos, arrogance, turf, etc. are all very powerful forces which tend to put even God in 2nd place in the lives of so many
“erudite”
“RELIGIOUS” “LEADERS.”
Though Paul . . .
who said we ought to
follow him as He followed Christ . . .
mentioned praying in tongues . . . and thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than all his readers.
Clearly an old thread, but I’m very curious as to the reactions of some folks on here. Why is speaking in tongues bad? Why should it be banned? According to some on here, everyone I’ve heard speaking in tongues was just babbling incoherently and they should be shunned for it.
Interesting.
An amazing amount of fear over a relatively small thing.
Instead the clear language of the article is that the Seminary simply disagrees with the modern doctrinal position of (generally) Charasmatics.
"Southwestern will not knowingly endorse in any way, advertise, or commend the conclusions of the contemporary charismatic movement including private prayer language.
The Southern Baptists do not think the gift of tongues ever was or is given for the purpose of being someone's private personal prayer language unknown to all others and given to someone for that same person to edify themselves instead of the "Body".
Ever wonder what Arabic shorthand looks like?
There have been times when I have been so grieved (the loss of my son), I did not have the words to pray, but the bible tells me that the Holy Spirit is able to interpret the grief and tears and present them to our Lord.
I have no need to babble.
Based upon which differences?
Please name the specific differences you are referring to and the parties guilty of using those specific differences to judge who is a 'true' Christian.
For some reason (discernment here) you seem to be confused. You made an erroneous and huge leap from the word "wrong" to the words "and not a true Christian".
Paul did not always agree with Peter completely and had to set him straight; in fact he told him he was wrong to his face, but nowhere did he say Peter was not a Christian.
Paul is mostly correcting the carnal Corinthian church when he wrote them. He corrected their errors gently, but he did not say they were lost due to their abuse of the gifts.
If Paul did not think it mattered, he would not have acted as if it did matter.
There is a dearth of Bible knowledge in America today, it is heartbreaking.
Some doctrinal positions, such as the virgin birth, or Jesus' death, burial and resurrection are much more important than others, such as tongues.
FWIW, my only reservation about speaking in tongues is the Scriptural example we are given is those speaking did so in native languages that others understood. The speakers were not creating a language.
St Paul did speak of Heavenly language, unknown languages as well, however.
True.
I’ve experienced a lot of both.
The release in my spirit, heart, mind, emotions, psyche
was much more robust, fuller, complete
when praying in tongues.
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