Where does the Bible talk about relics and holy objects and the reverent attitude towards them?

D

Let there be light

Quote from the Bible (Old Testament, Genesis, chapter I, line 3).

May everyone be rewarded according to his deeds

Scripture. Found in the Gospel of Matthew (Ch. 16, p. 27), in the Psalm (Ch. 61, p. 13), in the Epistle to the Romans of the Holy Apostle Paul (Ch. 2, p. 6), in the Revelation of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian (Ch. 22 p. 12).

Give, and it will be given to you

Quote from the Bible, from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 6 line 38.

David and Goliath

About opponents who are strikingly different from each other in their physical and moral qualities.

A phrase from the biblical story of David and Goliath. The Old Testament (First Book of Kings, chapter 17, line 49) tells about the Philistine giant Goliath, with whom the young hero David entered into a fight, being much weaker than his opponent. Davil defeated Goliath by killing him with a stone thrown from his sling.

Tithing (in church)

The established tradition is to give one tenth of a parishioner’s income (property) to the needs of the church.

The tradition of giving a tenth of income to the needs of the church is mentioned in the Bible. Thus, chapter 28 of the Book of Genesis (pp. 20 - 22) talks about the vow made by Jacob.

Ten Commandments

Ten basic laws, which, according to the Bible, were given by God himself to Moses, in the presence of the children of Israel, on Mount Sinai on the fiftieth day after the Exodus from Egypt.

Good Samaritan

An expression from the Bible (Gospel of Luke, chapter 10), which describes the story Jesus told his disciples. In this parable, the one from whom the person least expected help came to the rescue. The Samaritans were a small ethnic group living in Israel.

Antediluvian animals

The word "antediluvian" comes from the biblical story of the Flood (animals that existed before the Flood). God decided to punish people and ordered Noah to assemble Noah’s Ark and place “a pair of each creature” in it.

The story of the Flood is described in chapters 7 and 8 of the Book of Genesis (Bible).

Tree of the knowledge of good and evil

In the Bible, a tree planted by God in the Garden of Eden. Symbolizes knowledge, including ethics, the ability to consciously determine what is good and what is evil.

Don't quench the spirit. Do not disparage prophecies. Try everything, hold on to the good

Quote from the Bible, from the First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians (chapter 5, vv. 19-21). Words of the Apostle Paul.

L

The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing

Quote from the Bible, from the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 6, pp. 1 – 6).

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Quote from the Bible, from the Gospel (Matthew 19:24; Luke 18:25; Mark 10:25).

catcher of men

In the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew tells how Jesus called two fishermen to faith in God. These fishermen were the future apostles Peter and Andrew (chapter 4, vv. 18 – 19).

It's better to be a living dog than a dead lion

Bible quote from the book of Ecclesiastes, ch. 9, art. 4.

AND

Let the wife fear her husband

Scripture. The Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians (chapter 5) speaks about the relationship between husband and wife.

Wife and husband are one flesh

Found in Genesis chapter 2.

A woman is made from a man's rib

A saying based on a story from the Bible, when God created Eve from Adam's rib (Book of Genesis, chapter 2).

We are His witnesses

Sharing a personal testimony requires experiencing it firsthand and receiving revelation from God.

“This is the gospel which we have heard from Him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5)

God needs us to reach others: “But how can we call on Him in whom we have not believed? How can one believe in One about whom one has not heard? How to hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14). We can be instruments in God's hands through which He works in the lives of others.

Z

Give for lentil stew

Change, betray out of petty self-interest, gain; (bookish contempt) [based on the biblical tale of Esau, who sold his birthright to his twin brother for lentil stew]).

the Forbidden fruit is sweet

The expression “Forbidden Fruit” from the Bible - God commanded Adam and Eve not to touch the forbidden fruit (apples) in the Garden of Eden. But Adam and Eve, at the instigation of the serpent, broke this rule and were exiled from heaven to earth.

Promised land

1) the country (Palestine), to which, according to the biblical legend, God brought the Jews from Egypt, by virtue of his promise. 2) transfer country, region, place where someone strongly strives, wants to go.

Serpent-tempter

The one who leads into temptation is the tempter [according to the biblical story of the fall of Adam and Eve, who were tempted by the serpent].

Sign of the times

The Gospel of Matthew (chapter 16, vv. 1 – 4) tells how the Pharisees began to ask Christ to show them a sign from heaven. Christ ridiculed them, pointing out that although they know how to predict the weather from heavenly signs, they have never learned to discern “ the signs of the times.”

", sent by God himself.

Golden Taurus

The Old Testament, in the Second Book of Moses (Book of Exodus, Chapter 32) tells how the Jews, returning to their homeland from Egyptian captivity, wandered through the desert for a long time. They have lost faith that these wanderings will stop. The priest Aaron ordered to collect all the gold jewelry they had, melt it down and make a golden statue of a calf (bull). Having done this, the Jews began to worship this calf and make sacrifices to it in the hope of returning home.

Principles of Bible Interpretation

“God’s Word is in the Bible as the soul is in the body.” Peter Taylor Forsyth, Congregational theologian

When my family and I lived in Jerusalem for a year, I interacted with many archaeologists living there. I spoke with a geologist who was studying new data from the Hezekiah Tunnel at Siloam. I spoke with the chief archaeologist at the excavations of Palestinian Caesarea. I talked with the archaeologist who oversaw the work at Bet Shin during the summer. Archaeologists often encounter difficulties during excavations. They find data in separate layers of the earth that contradict existing theses. When they find themselves in such a dead end, they have a tried-and-true method for finding a solution to the dilemma—dig deeper. In archaeology, when you want an answer, you dig deeper.

The same applies to Bible study. When you discover material in a text that you don't understand, dig deeper. But what tools should we use to go deeper into the Bible? Below are four principles for interpreting the Bible to help you delve deeper into the text. Examples are provided to clarify these principles. Happy diving!

AND

And cereal for the service of man

1) About what is useful for something 2) On the farm, everything will do (phrase from the Bible).

Expression from the Psalter.

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free

Quote from the Bible, from the Gospel of John (chapter 8, line 32).

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Quote from the Bible, from the Book of Genesis, chapter 1, line 26.

And God saw that it was good

Scripture. Chapter 1 of Genesis (Old Testament) tells how God created the universe.

Trumpet of Jericho

An expression from the name of the city of Jericho, the walls of which, according to the biblical story, were destroyed by the Jews with trumpets.

Who art thou in heaven

An expression in Old Church Slavonic from the Lord's Prayer, taught by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.

Massacre of the innocents

Expression from the Gospel of Matthew. The second chapter (chapter 2, vv. 1 – 6, 16) tells that the Jewish king Herod learned from the wise men about the birth of Jesus, whom they called the future “King of the Jews.” Herod, fearing for his crown and not knowing who exactly Jesus was, ordered the killing of all the babies in Bethlehem (the murder is called “massacre” in the text).

Chosen People

Such references to Jews occur several times in the Old Testament.

Expulsion of traders from the temple

An expression from the Bible, which tells the story of how one day in Jerusalem Jesus Christ came to the temple and saw there a crowd of people selling and buying livestock for sacrifices, as well as many money changers. Then he wove a whip from ropes and drove all the merchants out of the temple, so that no one would desecrate the temple either with trading or with monetary transactions.

Pour out your anger

An expression from the Bible, from the Revelation of the Apostle John the Theologian (Apocalypse), ch. 16.

The sower went out to sow his seeds

Quote from the Bible, from the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 13 p. 3). This phrase in Church Slavonic begins the story of the parable of the seed.

Their name is legion

A phrase from the Bible, which tells about the expulsion of demons by Jesus Christ from a person in Gadara (one of the Miracles of Christ is “Healing of the demon-possessed in the country of the Gadarenes”).

When Jesus asked, “What is your name?” - the possessed person answers: “Legion,” meaning that many demons have possessed him. The legion of the Roman army numbered 6,000 soldiers.

Job the long-suffering

A phrase from the Bible. In the Old Testament, in the Book of Job, it is told about Job, who led a respectable lifestyle and was distinguished by virtue. By doing this he incurred the wrath of Satan.

Herod

The Jewish king Herod learned from the magi about the birth of Jesus Christ, whom they called the future “King of the Jews.” Herod, fearing for his crown and not knowing who exactly Jesus was, ordered the killing of all the babies in Bethlehem (the murder is called “massacre” in the text).

This story is told in the Bible, in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 2, v. 1 – 6, 16).

Isaiah rejoice

Isaiah is a prophet who foretold the birth of the Virgin Mary of Jesus Christ. Accordingly, the phrase “Isaiah rejoice” literally means - Isaiah, we congratulate you on the fact that your prophecy about the birth of the Savior by the Virgin Mary has come true!

The truth will set you free

Quote from the Bible, from the Gospel of John (chapter 8, p. 32).

Judas

In the Bible, Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 disciples (apostles) of Jesus Christ, who betrayed the teacher into the hands of the Jerusalem authorities for 30 pieces of silver. This story is described in the Gospel of Matthew, ch. 26, art. 14 – 16; Gospel of Mark, ch. 14, art. 44; Gospel of Luke, ch. 22, art. 47 – 48.

Seek and you will find

Words from the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ, which is given in the Bible, in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 7).

The Bible prohibits idolatry, the veneration of icons, and the worship of objects even dedicated to God.

Throughout its entire narrative, the Bible teaches the worship of the One Living One

To God - the Creator of heaven and earth. The second commandment of the Decalogue unequivocally and clearly prohibits believers from idolatry - the divine veneration of idols, idols and images. This is how it is set out in the Holy Scriptures and, accordingly, was engraved on stone tablets:

“Do not make for yourself an idol or any image

what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water under the earth;
You shall not bow down to them or serve them,
for I the Lord your God am
a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Ex. 20: 4-6>).

Jesus repeated this thought: “Worship the Lord your God and Him alone.

serve” (Matt. 4:10, Luke 4:8), quoting the Old Testament (see Deut. 6:13, Deut. 10:20, 1 Chron. 7:3).

From some representatives of Orthodoxy you can hear the explanation: “We do not have idolatry. We worship the One God, and not the idols of other gods. And we turn to shrines to “get closer” to the Creator.”

However, the second commandment prohibits not just idolatry, as the worship of idols symbolizing other gods, but the veneration of everything

living and non-living, which
is not
God Himself.
Look, the Creator has already prohibited the worship of other gods with the first commandment of the Decalogue: “You shall have no other gods
before Me” (Ex. 20:3).
This means that the second commandment, without repeating the first, proclaims not only about other gods. Look, she’s talking specifically about something else: idols and images
.
So, the second commandment is not just about idols, which are foreign gods. With the second commandment, God declares that attention directed to Him should all
belong
only to Him
, and not to anyone or anything.
Here and in other places of Scripture, speaking about His relationship with man, the Creator calls Himself a jealous man (see Ex. 20:5, Ex. 34:14, Deut. 4:24, Deut. 5:9) - a husband, where His the wife is His chosen people: “The Creator is your husband” (Isa. 54:5, see also Jer. 3:1, Hos. 1:2, Eph. 5:25, Rev. 12:1,6, Rev. 19:7). From the texts of the Bible it is clearly clear what (who) the jealous God is jealous of. What kind of husband would like it if his wife gave some of her love to someone or something? Each spouse will be angry, even if adultery does not reach the level of intimacy, but is limited only to kisses, attentions or caresses. I think few people will argue with the fact that when turning to God through an icon, relic or saint, a believer transfers part of his love to this “mediator.”
The third, fourth, fifth...
extra ones
into the relationship between two spouses .
All “holy intermediaries” are not faceless “conductors” for people to the heavenly Spouse, but acquire features inherent in living individuals
: each of the relics is perceived by a part of the earthly body of the intercessor now living in heaven;
famous icons have proper names, people choose between two icons at home and five in the temple - one is always nicer than the others, and it is more pleasant to pray to, and if one icon does not help, the believer goes to another; if the saint does not protect, the petitioner turns to the next, etc. But God is One. Believers, kissing icons and relics, objects in which there is no God, know that God is alive, but continue adultery. This is precisely what causes jealousy
.

As we have seen in previous chapters, only God answers prayers. Prayer in secret (see Matt. 6:6) illustrates the intimacy of the relationship between the Creator and each person. Only the Creator is the other side of the relationship. Therefore, God’s categorical attitude towards any type of idolatry is understandable. The Lord, a jealous husband, through the Bible more than once threateningly warns of the impending punishment for infidelity:

“Because of all the adulterous acts of the apostate daughter of Israel, I have released

her and gave her
of divorce
... Judah... by sheer fornication... defiled the land, and committed adultery with stone and wood" (Jer. 3:8,9, see also Jer. 3 (whole chapter), Ezek. 16 (whole chapter), Ezekiel 23 (whole chapter), Hosea 2 (whole chapter).

God, through the Holy Scriptures, explains the meaninglessness and danger of idolatry - the veneration by people of any product of human hands:

“What is the use of an image made by an artist,

this litago of a false
teacher,
although the sculptor, making dumb idols, relies on his work?
Woe to the one who says to the tree, “Arise!” and to the dumb stone: “Wake up!” Will he teach you anything? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, but there is no breath in it.
But the Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth be silent before Him!” (Hab. 2:18-20).

“Those who make idols are all worthless, and those who desire them most profit nothing.

... They
do not see and do not understand
... All those participating in this will be ashamed, for
artists themselves are from people
... A blacksmith makes an ax out of iron and works on coals, hammers it and works on it with his strong hand until he becomes hungry and he is powerless, does not drink water and is exhausted.
The carpenter...cuts down cedars for himself, takes pine and oak, which he chooses from among the trees in the forest, plants ash, and the rain brings it back. And this serves as fuel for a person, and he uses part of this to keep him warm, and makes a fire, and bakes bread. And he makes a god out of the same thing, and worships him, makes an idol, and prostrates himself before him... and prays to him, and says: “Save me, for you are my god.” And he will not take this to his heart, and he does not have enough knowledge and sense to say: “I burned half of it in the fire and baked bread on its coals, fried the meat and ate it; and from the remnant of it shall I make an abomination? Shall I worship a piece of wood
?
He chases dust; his deceived heart has led him astray,
and he cannot free his soul and say: “Is there not deceit in my right hand?” (Isa. 44:6-20, see also Ps. 113:10-17, Jer. 10:5,14,15).

As we have already noticed, the Creator in the Bible, speaking about idolatry, forbids the worship of everything

idols and images, even those associated with Him.
The Lord knows that anything that distances the Living One from Him can become an idol,
even that which
is dedicated to Him
.
After all, any object that at first serves only as a symbol of God, over time begins to acquire in the eyes of people the creative power
inherent only in the Creator. Therefore, it was in the 2nd commandment that the Lord said that He is a zealot.

Look, immediately after receiving the commandments and concluding a covenant with God, the people of Israel, without waiting for Moses to ascend the mountain to receive the tablets of the covenant, fell into idolatry - they made themselves a sculpture of the God of Israel

:

“And all the people took the gold earrings out of their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took them from their hands, and made a molten calf out of them, and dressed it with a chisel. And they said, Behold your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!

"(Ex. 32:3,4).

Here people did not violate the 1st commandment of the Decalogue, because they did not find another god. The Israelites did not say, “Now our god is a calf.” They only depicted God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, as they imagined Him - in the form of a strong calf. However, the Creator did not like this,

since the people violated the 2nd commandment about idolatry:

“The people have become corrupt... they have quickly turned away from the way that I commanded

to them, they made themselves a molten calf and
worshiped
it” (Ex. 32:7,8).

There is also an example in Scripture when the people of Israel began to serve the brass serpent, through which God saved them in the wilderness (see Numbers 21:7-9). The venom of snakes symbolized killing sin. And looking at the serpent, raised by Moses on a banner at the direction of God, healed people, being an act of faith (without kissing or touching) in the heavenly Savior. However, later the Israelites made an idol out of the copper serpent, which is also a type of idolatry. Despite the fact that this object was a type of Christ (see John 3:14), such veneration was not acceptable

To the Creator:

“And he (King Hezekiah - author's note) did that which was right in the sight of the Lord

in everything as David his father did;
he abolished the high places, broke the statues, cut down the oak grove and destroyed the brass serpent
that Moses had made, because until those days the children of Israel
burned incense to it and called it Nehushtan
” (2 Kings 18:3,4).

Look, the people here are convicted of starting to serve

the snake was burned incense in front of him and they even gave him his own name Nekhushtan.
Unfortunately, today many do not carefully read the Word of God. But the second commandment on idolatry prohibits not only worship, but also service
to idols and images: “You shall not bow down to them or
serve them
” (Ex. 20:5).
Therefore, the statement of some representatives of historical churches: “We do not worship, but only honor” is not an argument. Indeed, in any case, if Orthodox Christians do not worship, then they certainly serve
icons, relics and saints, which has signs of idolatry and is also a direct violation of the second commandment of the Decalogue.
Service is action for someone or something. It is obvious that services
: religious processions dedicated to them, prayers, chants, holidays, candles, incense, services in the temple, etc.

The biblical story of Gideon also clearly demonstrates the prohibition of worshiping objects dedicated to God. So that the glory of victory would not be attributed to people, Gideon, at the command of the Lord, disbanded his army and defeated the Midianite army with only three hundred men. The rescued Israelis each gave him an earring from the spoils. In memory of the great victory bestowed by God, Gideon made an ephod from the collected decorations, which then turned into an object of worship for the people, which was not desired

To the Creator:

“Out of this Gideon made an ephod and placed it in his city at Ophrah, and all Israel became prostitutes.

go there after him, and he became
a snare to
Gideon and to all his house” (Judges 8:27).

And in chapters 17 and 18 of the book of Judges of the Bible, a certain Micah, living on Mount Ephraim, is ridiculed, who placed in his house an idol, a cast idol, an ephod and a teraphim dedicated to the God of Israel. He hired a Levite to serve in the home tabernacle. Subsequently, the Israelites from the tribe of Dan stole the items from his home tabernacle and bought the priest. The idols, of course, did not resist theft. But Micah, the owner of the “personal temple,” chased after the robbers. The Word of God denounces Micah: he is pitiful, in despair, his whole world is destroyed, he whines before the offenders: “You have taken my gods, which I made,

and the priest, and left."
Although the Living God, as he was, remained with him. Then the sons of Dan built a city nearby, destroying the people who lived in that place. There they served the idols stolen from Micah, although the real tabernacle of God
was at that time in Shiloh (see Judges 18:31, Joshua 19:51, 1 Samuel 1:3,24).

According to the text of Scripture, the Jews did not worship either the ark or the temple utensils. None of the common people had the right to enter the tabernacle, then the temple of Solomon, and then the second temple built after the Babylonian captivity. In accordance with the law of Moses, only priests from the clan of Aaron performed services in the sanctuary (sacrifices, laying out the showbread, burning incense on the altar of incense before the veil, maintaining the fire in the seven-branched candlestick) - each family at a certain time of the year (see Numbers 4:16 , 2 Chron. 13:10,11). And only the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies and only once a year on the Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur (see Lev. 16:2,34). The Israelis from the tribe of Levi helped carry out auxiliary functions to the Aaronids in serving at the temple:

“And the Lord said to Aaron

: ... the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, take for yourself: ... let them serve you and serve in the whole tabernacle;
only so that they do not approach the things of the sanctuary and the altar,
so that both they and you do not die... and
a stranger should not approach you.
The children of Israel
must no
longer
approach
the
tabernacle of meeting,
lest they suffer sin and
die
” (Num. 18:1-4,22, see also 1 Chron. 23:27-32).

That is, neither the ark nor the temple utensils were ever seen by ordinary believers and even by Levites who were not members of Aaron’s family. When moving the sanctuary, all the objects in it were first wrapped by representatives of the clan of Aaron so that no one could see them, including the Levites from the clan of Kohath, who carried the tabernacle and its internal contents:

“When it becomes necessary for me to go up on the journey, Aaron and his sons will come in and take away the curtain that covers it, and cover the ark of the testimony with it; And they will put on it a covering of blue skins, and on top of it they will put a covering all of blue wool, and they will put in the poles thereof; And they will cover the table of showbread with a robe of blue wool, and they will place on it dishes, plates, cups and mugs for drink offerings... and they will put a scarlet robe on them... and they will cover the lampstand and its lamps... When... Aaron and his sons will cover the whole sanctuary and all the things sanctuary, then the sons of Kohath will come up to carry ... do not destroy the tribes of the tribes of Kohath from among the Levites ... they themselves must not

come and
see the shrine
when they cover it,
so as not to die
” (Num. 4:5-20).

The above biblical texts prove that in Old Testament times there was, and could not have been, worship and service of believers to the holy things of the sanctuary (see 2 Chron. 2:4), because no one except the Aaronid priests had ever even seen them. This is explained simply: God forbade believers to see the utensils of the temple in order to exclude the possibility of idolatry - to deify the things of the sanctuary and worship them, because it was not these objects themselves that were important, but their functions in the service of “cleansing” people from sins, which we already thought about in the chapter "Rituals".

Let us conclude: the Bible not only does not encourage the veneration of objects dedicated to God and service to them, but, on the contrary, prohibits such actions by believers.

For edification

The gift of tongues can be a help to a person. Paul says, “Whoever speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself.” 1 Cor. 14:4. The gift of tongues can help us express what we feel in our spirit that we cannot express in words. Paul also makes it clear that the best way to edify the church is to prophesy; “ordinary” words that build faith and understanding in all who hear. “I thank my God: I speak in tongues more than all of you; but in church I would rather say five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in an [unfamiliar] language.” 1 Cor. 14:18-19

The gift of tongues can also be “for edification” in the congregation if it is interpreted (or translated) into a language that is understood in the congregation: “So what then, brethren? When you come together, and each of you has a psalm, there is a teaching, there is a tongue, there is a revelation, there is an interpretation - let all this be for edification. If someone speaks an [unfamiliar] language, [speak] two, or many three, and then separately, and explain one.” 1 Cor. 14:26-27.

In this case, the gift of tongues should be used to confirm the spiritual gospel, to confirm what has been preached, and not because the person simply feels overwhelmed by his emotions. In this way, everyone who listens will also be able to feel edified in their faith.

Who receives this spiritual gift?

The Bible says that not all the faithful receive this gift: “And God appointed others in the Church, firstly apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers; further, [to others he gave] powers [miraculous], also gifts of healing, help, government, different languages. Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are everyone miracle workers? Does everyone have gifts of healing? Does everyone speak in tongues? Are everyone interpreters?” 1 Cor. 12:28-30. Here we see that there are only a few who receive the gift of speaking in tongues, just as only a few are called to be apostles, etc.

Just like other gifts of grace, the gift of tongues is not a necessary sign of spiritual maturity. Many in Corinth spoke in other tongues, but Paul says of them that they were babes in Christ. (1 Cor. 3:1) When we use the gift of grace as intended and accordingly, then it will serve for the edification of the one who has it and for the edification of the rest of the body of Christ.

Your story is unique

We often find it difficult to tell others about our faith in Christ because we are embarrassed. We are sometimes ashamed that we are not perfect. Also, some have an understanding that witnessing about Christ is the lot of pastors and missionaries. To become a witness for Jesus, you don’t have to be an evangelist; each of us has our own story that we don’t need to be ashamed of.

“Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor of me, His prisoner; but suffer with the gospel of Christ by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8).

It is important to remember that it is not we who save, but the Holy Spirit who leads us to Christ and fills our mouths. Just be yourself and don’t waste the opportunity to tell people about your faith in Christ!

“Open your mouth, and I will fill it” (Psalm 80:11)

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A sign for non-believers

There is another reason why we have been given the gift of tongues: “In the law it is written: With other tongues and other mouths will I speak to this people; but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord. So tongues are a sign not for believers, but for unbelievers; prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for believers.” 1 Cor. 14:21-22. In this way, it can benefit those who come to the meetings but have not yet fully surrendered their lives to God.

In Acts.Ap. a case is also described when people who received the baptism in the Holy Spirit began to speak in other tongues at the same time. This happened on the day of Pentecost, when the baptism with the Holy Spirit occurred for the first time. There were other cases as well (read Acts 1 and 19:5-7) But there is not a single place in the Bible where it is said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues must occur simultaneously.

What does the Bible say about the gift of tongues?

Much of what is written in the Bible about this gift of grace was written by Paul to the church at Corinth. Apparently, many of them received this gift but did not know how to properly use it in their communities.

Paul tried to help them understand the purpose of the gift of tongues: “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and the services are different, but the Lord is the same; and the actions are different, but God is one and the same, producing everything in everyone. But everyone is given the manifestation of the Spirit for their benefit. To one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to others gifts of healings by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” 1 Cor. 12:4-10

The gift of tongues, one of many other gifts of grace, which is given to the faithful to help edify the body of Christ in the churches.

Our lives speak louder about God than just words

“You show that you are a letter of Christ...” (2 Corinthians 3:3).

Don't forget that people look at us, at our actions and reactions. Sometimes they may call us “saints” or, without irony, canonize us as saints. In this case, it is important to explain why you do or don't do various things, your biblical values ​​and views, and glorify God. Your lifestyle will attract people, they may themselves be interested in what is the secret of your joy, family happiness, kindness...