I’ve practiced it daily ever since (missing only a few times). God uses this to build me up so that I can pastor more effectively. Although, I haven’t shared it publicly with the congregation for the same reasons a professor would not want to. People growing from our ministries would be too freak out (as I would’ve been). Therefore, I practice it in private, and they receive the benefits.

I thank God that I speak in tongues.

http://www.1ccc.org

Consider the opposite. Given that Paul had to preach a lot in Greek, a widow spending her days in prayer from sun-up to sun-down could easily pray in an earthly language unknown to herself more than Paul. Since Paul is not given to exaggeration he could be speaking as he does in Philippians. In Philippians, he said that all those things he once thought so worthwhile (heritage, accomplishment) are now considered rubbish in order that he may know Christ. Similarly, in 1 Corinthians, sandwiching the love chapter, he gives his testimony as a person many look up to, saying, “Hey, you want to be like me because I speak in tongues. Fine, then listen up: I speak in tongues more than all, but I’d rather speak 5 intelligible words in the church to lift people up rather than 1000 unintelligible ones that don’t, and you should also, okay? ” Pretty powerful testimony and example.

Fascinating topic though, I appreciate all the dialogue.

Consult Stanley Porter’s work on verbal aspect. Tense is probably not so neatly tied to time as most introductory grammars suggest.

Any thoughts?

Please forgive me if I don’t agree with your doctrine or arguments. I didn’t intend to respond to any more comments, but you seem so intent on getting your point across I thought it rude not. I can’t promise to do so from now on. All the best with your study.

Yeah, it is a little difficult to see the flow between the two quotes because I left out some connecting sentences.

Basically, the first quote is addressing the argument that the word pausontai alone indicates that tongues stops on its own. The second quote is addressing a similar argument that broadens out to include sentence structure and use (or not) of prophecy, knowledge and tongues in Corinthians 13. Both these arguments have been presented in the comments above.

Do I agree with Carson? Yes, I think so. I think you need to do more than try to read your preferred meaning of pausontai into Luke 8:24. You seem to be trying to read into Jesus’ stopping the storm the same “stopping action” you read into “tongues will cease” i.e. that the action of something being stopped by someone is the same as the action of something stopping by itself.

What you seem to have done to get to that conclusion is conflate the sovereign acts of God behind the scenes with a specified act “in front of the scenes”. It’s like saying that a car that “ceases” to move because Jesus held up his hand to stop it is the same as a car that “ceases” to move because of a mechanical failure. Sure, Jesus sovereignly caused both to happen, but acted directly on the car to cause the first, and not the second.

I’m sorry, I’m not convinced.

As for the second quote, Carson’s main point is that people read things into differences of word order and choice that can just as easily (more easily according to Carson) be explained stylistically.

I get the impression you are quite attached to your argument, Benjamin, so I’m not going to try and convince you to let it go. There are millions of Christians who have survived and thrived without ever speaking in tongues, and I trust you’ll be one of them, despite the fact that you and Carson and I disagree.

God bless.

Do you even agree with your post #54? Or are you simply using it as an alternative view?
From my read of that quote, and re-read, it is of no consequence. It adds nothing seriously for consideration.
It simply seems like an attempt to blur the plain reading of the text.
Just my opinion.