Dear Jurek,

As I promised you I am writing in more detail regarding article "Today's gifts are not the same". Please read my writing with the Bible in your hand and check everything carefuly.

Let me answer some of the arguments in this article in points, to make it clearer to understand.

 I argument: refering to I Kor. 13/1 article states: "a brief look at the passage shows that this is an obvious mistake of interpretation because Paul is using hyperbole or exaggeration to make a point… It is a very poor interpretation... that believers may speak angelic tongues".

In my view it is a very poor interpretation that believers on earth can't speak angelic tongues. Why? Because:

The Acts 2/4 says: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance". It is the Spirit who gives! Does the author of the above article want to say that this is impossible for the Holy Spirit to give believers the angelic tongues? Jesus said to the religious people: "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the ressurection the believers are like angels of God in heaven" (Mat.22/29-30). So if the believers will be like angels in heaven, what's problem to speak angelic tongues now, if the Holy Spirit is giving them? Isn't it beautiful to magnify on earth our God together with angels in their heavenly language?

Jurek! Don't be deceived by strange, unbiblical doctrines limiting the Holy Spirit, be focused on God and His Word and receive His gifts, angelic tongues included!

 II argument: "In the first apostolic days speaking in tongues meant speaking in a real foreign language which had not been learned, whereas now it means speaking in a strange, unheard-of language".

Let's have a check what Scriptures says about that: "For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him" (I Cor.14/2). "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself..." (I Cor.14/4).

We can clearly see from these verses three main reasons for speaking the tongues: -1)speaking for God, -2) edify ourselves , -3) edify Church (I Cor.14/5). There is only one example in the Bible when unbelievers understood the tongues spoken by believers baptised in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2/11). From that example we can't build the doctrine that the tongues are only Gentiles languages (see the answer to point III). God in His Word says that speaking in tongues is one of the things which have to be practiced in the Church (I Cor.14/26-28). God appointed in His Church varieties of tongues (I Cor.12/28). As long as Church is on the Earth the varieties of tongues and other gifts of the Holy Spirit should be and are used by the true believers! Ap. Paul's wish is that all in the Church speak in tongues and prophesie (I Cor.14/5) - Jurek, be one of those christians.

We have to take a faithful, biblical stand against doctrines which are taking one verse and disregard other in order to accuse charismatic christians. As it was in the apostolic times it is now, that some untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction teachings of ap. Paul as well as the rest of the Scriptures (II Pet. 3/16).

 III argument: "Tongues were therefore real languages - Gentile languages - given as a gift to certain Christians, and designed by God to strike awe into the hearts of doubtful and cynical Jews..."

Again there's only one example of that in the Bible - no any other case of using tongues in this way. Now I'll give you two examples were it wasn't designed "to strike cynical Jews".

1) Jews who came with ap.Peter to Cornelius house were all baptized in the Holy Spirit before, and during Peter's preaching Gentiles were baptised also in the Holy Spirit (YES, BEFORE WATER BAPTISM!) and started speaking in tongues not in order "to strike cynical Jews" (all Jews there were Christians!), but to magnify God (Acts 10/46). Also the tongues were given not to "certain Christians" but to Gentiles before their water baptism. It seems to me, that todays' tongues are striking doubtful and cynical modern-time pharisees!

2) When ap. Paul laid hands on disciples, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and "they spoke in tongues..." (Acts 19/6) again not "to strike cynical Jews", because none of those Jews were present there!

Also if the tongues are only real Gentile languages, their interpretation could be done by unbeliever, who knows this language (as it was in the case of Acts 2/11), so the gift of interpretation wouldn't be needed, and Word of God invalid in this area! However interpretation of heavenly language can be done only by believer, who received supernatural gift of interpretatin given by the Holy Spirit - so, the Word of God is valid in this area as long as His Church is on the Earth.

Of course there are angels of darkness, who speak angelic tongues too, so no wonder that their servants on Earth (various occultists, sorceres, etc.) can speak the tongues too. The main problem of some people who call themselves "christians" is that they don't know the difference, between the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of deceiving spirits. In many cases - as it was in Jesus time - they are calling the work of the Holy Spirit as the work of satan (Mat.12/24-32), because they not only rejected the gifts of the God's Spirit, but even attack them! Jurek, let it be their problem, not yours or mine.

Jurek, be blessed man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of scornful (Psalm 1)

"To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled" (Tit.1/15).

Jurek, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. - Roman