What is speaking in tongues?

Question

i was just watching Jesus camp and these people were speaking in tongues. and i don't quite get what it is.what are they saying?is it Hebrew or what?

Answer 1

Speaking in tongues is mentioned a few times in Mark, Acts, I Corinthians, Romans and Jude. It is not always referred to in the exact same terms in each of those books.
It is one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and it was one of the evidences in Acts that showed the other believers that someone had been filled with the Holy Spirit, or baptised in the Holy Spirit. (Those terms are roughly synonymous.)
According to I Corinthians, it is a sign to unbelievers that God is moving in a service, but in a service a public exhibit of tongues is always to be followed by an interpretation of what was said. If not, the speaking in tongues is considered out of (proper) order. It is also a gift to be used in private devotions, during which the speaker-, or in this case the prayer-, in-tongues may or may not recieve the interpretation. St Paul said that speaking in tongues does not use the mind, but is in effect the spirit of man praying directly to God using this gift of The Spirit, bypassing the human mind. In Romans he seems to infer that these prayers, aided by The Holy Spirit, are perfect and therefore very effective, and more effective than English (or Greek, etc) prayers. Occasionally the gift exhibited itself in various moves of God outside of the first century church, but especially during the founding years of the pentecostal denominations, starting about 1900, and the charismatic renewal, starting in the 1960's. These two movements continue unto today, and both continue, to one extent or another, to utilize this gift in services and in private devotional prayer. I believe it is one of the "good gifts" which Jesus said His Father would give to His children.

Answer 2

In the book of Acts, chapter 2, the believers miraculously spoke in the languages of all the Jews who came from different countries to celebrate the Jewish Feast. They recognized the languages and were amazed.
This was a sign for unbelieving Jews, according to 1 Corinthians 14.
Some people believe today that they are speaking in tongues in this way when they speak in an "ecstatic language". Others believe they are just babbling. They can't prove they are speaking in a genuine language, and some even claim they are speaking in the language of angels!
I believe many of these are quite sincere, because they are taught to expect the "gift of tongues", and as they start babbling, the first time at least, they are often in a near trance. I don't say this to undermine them. I just believe they are sincerely mistaken about what is happen because of a mistaken understanding of the Biblical teaching on the gift of tongues.
Many of those same believers have a lot to teach us about prayer and faith in general, and about the fact that God still intervenes today.
What goes on in the Jesus Camp, if you are referring to what I just saw in the U-Tube, belongs to some kind of sect, I think.

Answer 3

In Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit alighted on the disciples they "spoke in tongues". In that instance although the disciples only spoke Aramaic there were many in the surrounding area who understood their own language. So in that instance it was basically speaking in a language one could not possibly know in order to be understood by another in their own language.
There are some who hold to the idea of "the language of the heavens" which is essentially unintelligible to any of us human beings, therefore the required use of a "Holy Spirit" filled interpreter. (Read Acts for the first instance and 1 Corinthians for the second.)

Answer 4

There are 2 kinds, ecstatic utterance which is just nonsense people make up, or there are real tongues where God gives you the ability to speak a different language and for another to interpret it giving glory to God and giving a sign to believers that he is with them. I think God may do them today but I also see a lot of fakeness in charismatic churches. I think it was more of a 1st century thing because afterwards it dropped off the face of the earth.

Answer 5

It's not real words one just makes up what they're saying. The real speaking in tounges happen on pentecost the apostles receiving the Holy Spirit started to preach in different languages which all could understand in they're own languages. The speaking in tounges didn't need to be interperted as it is to those who practice it these days. Pentecostals think everyone who is filled with the Holy spirit has the gift and they do those rituals where they are annoited and speak it tounges ...mostly all theologians argue that it's more like phsyco blabber then speaking in tounges because they aren't actually speaking a real language and people are used to interpret them.

Answer 6

It is an actual language. I once heard a story of a man who was in Africa for a missions conference. He heard another man speaking in tongues and it was clearly ENGLISH. That man did not speak english naturally.

Answer 7

Christians believe that they are speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit a language that is a heavenly language.

Answer 8

Maybe it's coming from that other 90% of the brain we (humans) apparently don't use.

DNA is also hereditary. I think a lot more than just our hair color and size of our butt/thighs is passed down from our ancient ancestors. Part of great (multiplied by 507) grandma's brain-DNA is planted deep down inside your own brain today.

So, that, coupled with our apparent 90% brain-abandonment, could explain numerous weird and strange things we all ponder in our world.

Answer 9

Speaking in tounges is an utterance given to you by God. It is a form of speaking or praying so the devil can not understand what is being said and interfere. You can look in your bible in Acts 2 it will explain it.

Answer 10

tongues are alike the cell phone to those whom speak in tongues and Jesus. this the universal celestia language