| Chuck Vandhitch wrote: I believe Tongues is a gift that is highly misused today. Tongues is nothing more than being able to speak a language that you don’t know. Example: You’re in the room with nothing but Japanese speaking people and you have absolutely no ability to speak the language and like wise they don’t understand English. Tongues gives you the ability to speak their language so they can understand and ‘interpret’ what you have said. |
I would agree with Pilgrim’s response to this post, but would like to add my voice. Obviously in Acts 2 there were people in Jerusalem of many differing languages due to Passover. When the disciples and apostles spilled out of the upper room and onto the streets, many people of differing languages heard them speak in their own tongue and marveled. Therefore, we can assume that at times the gift of tongues can be a human tongue.
The great missionary Jonathan Goforth’s daughter was a friend of ours. She was born in China during the Boxer Rebellion, and continued to live there for most of her life. She was not Pentecostal one bit, but attended a service with us once. During the service a woman gave a message in tongues which was given in the exact dialect of the town and time where Mary had lived in China. When the service was over she beelined to the woman and asked when she had last been to this town. The woman looked at her blankly and stated that she had never been in China and didn’t know what she was talking about. Needless to say Mary didn’t argue about tongues again.
So my conclusion, tongues are in “heavenly languages” but can also be in earthly languages. However I don’t believe that we can “summon” either. The heavenly language in our own prayer language, however at times the Lord will use this tongue to convince unbelievers. This is up to his discretion.
Just my thoughts, looking forward to the responses. 
