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what about the gift of tongues?

no single issue has ever divided the church then the issue of speaking in tongues.  denominations have been formed around the issue and churches have split because of the issue.  each side declaring it's side was on the side of right.  churches have fallen apart because of the issue.  yet, it is the most misunderstood and misquoted issue in scripture.  while I am a realist, in the reality that I will not solve anything by answering this question, I was asked the question by a new friend in Christ, and felt it important to answer.

let me start by saying that the only person in scripture who says they had had an experience with tongues is paul.  none of the other disciple had ever written they had experienced this wonder.  keeping this in mind we can not say that tongues is required as absolute proof of baptism of the Holy Spirit - let's examine some scripture:

1 corinthians 14:39 - we should not forbid people from speaking in tongues; 1 corinthians 14:13 - tongues has it's place in the church; 1 corinthians 14:8 - if tongues has ended as a gift of the spirit, so has prophesy and wisdom; keep in mind - for all those who claim that tongues is a required as proof of baptism of the Holy Spirit - that prophesy is a gift that is better and higher on the scale of gifts given by the Spirit (1 cor. 14:5)

tongues is a gift, but it is not the end all of end all.  if we see it as the only evidence of a rebirth in Christ we are missing out on the gifts other posses.  paul reminds us that tongues is a powerful way for us to be in communication with God.  since God is not the author of confusion, when the gift of tongues causes confuses we need to ask - it the confusion from God, or some place else.