Pitfalls in Solely Relying on Acts for doctrine?

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

Is there any scripture that separates the "initial evidence" of tongues from either prayer language, or the gift of tongues?

It's not expiclitly stated in any single verse, but contextually, it's fairly easy to see that the NT makes the distinctions among the 3 manifestations of speaking in tongues...

1...We see repeatedly in Acts where people spoke in tongues when they initially received the gift of the Holy Ghost.... (Explicitly stated in Acts 2,10, and 19... and also implied in Acts 8)

2... But Paul also speaks of tongues as a prayer language, such as when he refers to "praying with the spirit" as opposed to praying with the mind. (1 Cor 14:13-17) This is tongues for the individual's benefit, since this edifies their own spirit. In this instance no interpretation is necessary, because the person is speaking to God in the spirit realm. Here Paul even gives an example of how a person sitting at a meal should not pray in tongues at the giving of thanks, because it doesnt bless the others who are sitting at the table. So clearly this is a different manifestation of speaking tongues than what we see when someone receives the baptism of the spirit.

3... In the same chapter he speaks of the gift of tongues along with th gift of interpretation, to benefit the church body. Paul contrasts the gift of tongues with the gift of prophecy... and Paul makes it known that tongues plus interpretation is equivalent to the gift of prophecy, while the gift of prophecy is itself greater than the gift of tongues since prophecy edifies the church body. This is the type of "message in tongues and interpretation" that fairly common in Apostolic churches. From the context of that chapter we clearly see two separate manifestations of the tongues there-- (one to benefit the individual, and one in conjunction with the gift of interpretation, to benefit the church)

So from New Testament context, we see 3 different manifestations of tongues... (namely, two distinct manifestations of the gift of tongues, as mentioned above --- as well as the speaking in tongues that we see accompanying the receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit)

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

But, once again, we're making assumptions that there are different types of tongues.

BUt, as I said, I won't discuss that here, it's a thread hijacker. I'll start another thread, maybe!

There are, as seen in 1 Cor chapter 14, and even...

1 Cor 12:10

10To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: