Glosolalia, once again.

One day, I met an old friend. Already more than 10 years, I have not seen my friend. Warm handshake and hug happened between me and my colleagues. 10 years ago, I've become a Christian while my colleagues have not. A lot of discussion about their respective religions between me and my friend, also with some other friends. Each of us, respecting religious differences between us, even more to find similarities than differences.

Now, ten years later, I remain a Christian and my friends have become Christians. Familiarity was still tied when talking about our respective lives, during the last 10 years. However, when we talk about what we believe as a religion, the warmth was not like before when we were still different beliefs. He was so eager to tell his experience to get the baptism of spirit, feeling gets outpouring of the Holy Spirit and most of all: get experience glosolalia (speak in tongues). I listened carefully to the recognition of his spiritual experiences, until at some time out of his mouth saying that people outside his church denomination "knew the Holy Spirit only with his brain, not with his heart." Continues by saying that even harder, "they are the people who are spiritually dubious, a church that does not have the Holy Spirit." I am shocked and surprised to hear such a statement.

Then I asked my friend was about whether he understood or understand the language of the Spirit that he spoke during a glosolalia, or maybe the people around him at the time of glosolalia. My friend replied that he did not know or do not understand the language of the Spirit which he said (because he was in a state of trance), while the other church members were also busy with their own experience of glosolalia.

Apparently my friend and his congregation is very glorifying glosolalia, even while they were worshiping. For them, the glosolalia phenomenon is a "tangible manifestation" of the presence of the Holy Spirit, as the events of Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-4) when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and they "began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave ability to them to speak."(Acts 2:4)

When I asked, "Isn't in Acts 2:6 it is said that the people who gathered in Jerusalem "each one heard the disciples speaking in his own language" and is described in Acts 2:8 that "wwe hear each in our own dialect (διαλεκτω dialektoo from dialektos, which means the dialect or accent) in which we were born", so it is not the language of the spirit that "for no man understandeth" as found in 1 Corinthians 14:2? He replied that tongues are a more perfect form of prayer because it is through language that the Holy Spirit speaks to the Father (1 Cor 14:2), through glosolalia language which cannot be uttered (Rom 8:26), so that the people who have glosolalia experience are a more perfect Christian because they are able to communicate directly with the Father.

Here I stop the conversation. There is a clear difference in seeing gifts of the Holy Spirit. I'm not opposed, but not overwhelming glorify glosolalia. As Romans 12:6-8 gives a list of gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhorting, sharing in Simplicity, taking the lead, showing mercy. For Paul, the purpose of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is "for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ." (Eph 4:12).

Paul teaches that prophecy is more valuable than tongues since prophesying "builds up an assembly" (1 Cor 14:4). While tongues serve only to "builds himself up" (1 Cor 14:4). This is Paul's emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit. Do not let the gifts of the Spirit (in this case specifically: speaking in spirit or tongues) only used for pleasure or pride, satisfy personal ego, having a spiritual experience for themselves. Congregation is encouraged to desirous of spiritual gifts, but must keep on desiring Them for the upbuilding of the church. (1 Cor 14:12)

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