Speaking in tongue is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, therefore speaking in tongue should naturally denote that the speaker is a person endow with the supernatural power of God, the qualification? A righteous living. In our churches today, can say that the modus operandi of speaking in tongue today mirror or replicate what happen in ACT 2 2-12? The portion of the Bible referred to, vividly confirmed that by standers heard them speaking their (Bystanders) local languages, but what we have to can it be understood by any bystander? Is that we are just opening our mouth and say something? Have gotten it wrongly

Mr Fisay, this facet of Christian Doctrine is one area i had planned to face squarely in the half of 2010 but since you brought it up, here goes

Speaking in tongues is a New Testament affair where a person speaks in a language that is unknown to him. This language is either the language of angels or other earthly languages (1 Cor. 13:1). It occurred in Acts 2 at Pentecost and also in the Corinthian church as is described in 1 Corinthians 14. This New Testament gift was given by the Holy Spirit to the Christian church and is for the purpose of the edification (teaching or building to maturity)of the Body of Christ as well as for glorifying the Lord.

There are 3 generally recognized types of tongue-speak
1: A personal prayer language that is not interpreted as noted in Romans 8:26 (Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.)
2: A language that is interpreted as this defines proper usage in the Christian congregation as Pastor Paul admonishes in the Book of Corinthians ("If you in a tongue utter speech that is not intelligible, how will any one know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air, But if I do not know the meaning of the languages, I shall be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me")
3: Evidence in some sort of missionary context i.e, a sign of deep connection with the Holy spirit (Holy Spirit Baptism) such that one edifies himself by speaking in tongues (Now this is a modern twist on the spiritual school of linguistics)

Now I sense your concern is whether there is a valid reasoning or logic or even scriptural truth to this phenomena in "Modern-day Christianity"

Let us take a look at the first tongue-speak incident at the Day of Pentecost (often ascribed to a Christian group called the Pentecostals or Evangelicals in today's scheme of things). The Apostles spoke in a strange language (Strange at first) until people recognized the language was from different nations and races, Today there is much debate as to the validity of speaking in tongues, especially since there is so much misuse of it in Christian circles. Some Christian churches teach that all the charismatic gifts (speaking in tongues, word of knowledge, prophecy, etc.) have ceased with the completion of the New Testament (1 Cor. 13:8-12). Others maintain that the charismatic gifts are still for the church today (1 Cor. 1:7).

I believe you can be in some deep state of psychosomatic consciousness that you cannot speak but simply mumble words due to the sheer weight or burden of your situation. You can also be at a high-level of spiritual ascendancy that the sheer shock of knowledge of this will put you in a state of vocal catalepsy such that your words will appear seemingly incoherent to an observer (unless of course he is in the same catatonic state as you).

But let us leave that to the theologians and psychiatrists to worry about. What is of concern here is that some churches wrongly maintain that you must speak in tongues in order to be saved. This is a grave mistake since not all people speak in tongues because not all people are gifted by the Holy Spirit this way.

1 Cor. 12:7-11,28-31, "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills, And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. "

So my dear Fisay, it is not a must that you must speak in tongues nor is it s pre-requisite to getting saved. When you see professional tongue-speakers getting down to the underground sound. You can rest assured that you have not been gifted the gift of spiritual speech nor interpretation as it seems

And you can be Baptized of the Holy Spirit and not utter a word in twaddling but you are fully anointed to go and do God's work

In closing Christians must pay strong heed to the words of the Lord's favorite apostle (Pastor Paul) in 1 Cor. 13:1-2,13

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing, But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."


Peace in the Middle-East

the very first time men or mankind spoke in tongues ( or other languages ) was when God pulled down the tower of BABEL in Gen. 10 : 10 , 11 : 9 , 11 : 4 -9. their language was confounded by GOD.
the second time was in ACT 2 22 as discoursed by the poster, and the speach came from God;

but this is a contrast from what we have today around us. MAY GOD NOT PUT ME UNDER A FALSE PASTOR AMEN