GIFT OF TONGUES

QUESTION? / COMMENT!

I was told to receive the “gift of tongues” all I had to do was go to a charismatic prayer meeting and ask God from my heart and he would give me the “gift of tongues”?                                     

ANSWER! / COMMENT!

God the giver of the gifts assigns the charismatic gifts as he wills. Read the Scriptures below.

>1 Corinthians 12:6-11 (NAB) “there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.”

>1 Corinthians 12:27-31 (NAB) “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way.” The most excellent way is ‘love,’ that’s why he begins chapter 13 talking about “The Way of Love.”

>Ephesians 4:7, 11-13 (RSV), answers the question as follows: “But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift…And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and of knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

>1 Peter 4:9-11 “Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

>Romans 12:6-8 “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others,* with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

So, in light of the clear teachings from Sacred Scripture we see that God gives us (the baptized) the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit as He see’s fit and as He wishesl. We don’t receive the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit by raising our hands at a charismatic meeting in the Parish basement and shouting to God to give me the gift of tongues with emotional outburst? Or repeating “I wanna honda, I wanna honda, I wanna honda” 50 times real fast. Fr Cliff Ermatinger (Exorcist) calls this practice “spiritual lust or spiritual gluttony” (book: The Devils role in the Spiritual Life).