Hello new poster here! Never knew there was a CF in /k/


I'd like to point out that speaking in tongues *isn't* exactly denomination specific, because it's not just something one denomination adhere's to and it doesn't.
I personally think a friendly, loving debate/discussion is healthy for the faith because if you note the emphasis Paul places on keeping sound doctrine, we should always keep one another in check that we are doing what we do just because our pastors told us to, but because the Bible teaches it!

As for tongues, I came from a charismatic background, and I grew up in a charismatic background. I think the dude who brought up 1 Cor 14 is right: I think Paul explicitly says that we shouldn't speak in tongues when we gather as a whole unless there is an interpreter of the tongues, but why? His reasoning is consistent with one of the central arguments in his letter to the Corinthians: Because it isn't building up and edifying your brothers and sisters. Paul seems to be pointing out that Church is other-people centered! Note how he isn't saying that tongues is wrong, but he's talking about a public church situation. I think he even brings up the fact that it isn't helpful to outsiders who visit as well!

I mean, the Corinthians clearly had some unity issues and were arguing about gifts, but look at the famous 1 corinthians 13- it isn't talking about love between man and wife, it's talking about love within the congregation of believers. Paul tells them how the most "excellent" way is to love one another, and not just in some weird feeling-ish sorta way, but in a way clearly visible on the outside (i.e. patient with one another, kind to one another).

Why not you create pls haha. I will continue the discussion in the other thread

"Mere Christianity" By C.S.Lewis is a classic. You can get a copy at Evangel.

Or if you want to start ground up, there's DA Carson's "The God who is there". He's a renowned scholar but in the book he paints the big picture of what God is trying to say through the Bible.

Well Charismatic is a loose term. It can mean :"The belief that spiritual gifts have not ceased" AKA prophecy, tongues and healing still happen today. It's often contrasted to cessationism which says that when the Bible was complete, these spiritual gifts stopped (should be a correct definition).

In Malaysia, a same denomination can hold different views (strangely). E.g. I've been to a baptist church that leans towards cessationism and another baptist church that is hardcore charismatic.

The only denomination here that I know of that are strict cessationists are the Brethren.

Also it's helpful to think of it not as mere black and white; some people/churches are in the middle.

It's located next to Savemart @ SS2.

It's great that you have a desire to read, too many Christians seem to think that Christianity is a feeling based religion, when in fact it commands your whole life (including your intellectual life)

mmm.. I left my old church quite awhile ago and visited a few churches around PJ (cos I live here too). You should give Pantai Baptist Church (the one next to the Buddhist temple) a visit, the pastors there preach very faithfully from scripture and they're very logical (specifically Ps Marvin). If you wanna give his sermons a listen, you can go here: http://www.pbc.my/index.php?option=com_eve...ault&Itemid=124

I found his Bible Overview and his series on the holy spirit to be quite helpful. Don't worry, it's far from an emotion driven church.

Alternatively, there's a church called Christ Evangelical Reformed Church that's located next to Taylor's Lakeside, you can google their location. The sermons are about 2 hours long, and it's mostly filled with young adults/teenagers who are passionate for the gospel; but it's a very intellectual church (not in a bad way), people there might appear scary, but they're actually really nice. It's also a good place to go if you've got alot of questions about Christianity and the Bible.


I'm from neither of the two churches above, but I've visited them both before. I'd recommend them based on how they're faithful to what the Bible is teaching and they work hard to make sure they've understood it correctly. and both churches don't practice speaking in tongues in public, everything's really logical and orderly.

This post has been edited by Decky: Oct 29 2014, 10:57 PM

This video is helpful to understand the reformation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AbixVnKu9s


That's where the major split first happens between the Roman Catholics (RC) and the Protestants (P's); and it isn't just because of some random reason, if you've watched the video, you'll see why.


Let me know if you don't understand anything in the video.



Anyway, the Anglicans (I go to an anglican church ), baptist, reformed baptists, methodists and the like tend to differ on how they DO church, but they tend to differ in some minor ways (e.g. membership, infant baptism, who can take the communion) but they generally are in agreement in the core doctrines of Christianity i.e. The gospel (That Men are sinners saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and he rose from the dead on the third day), The trinity and the like. But in today's day and age, many of these denominations have loosened up and so one baptist church might not be like the other. (i.e. one Baptist church might believe in vastly different things from another) So hence the problem for you: You could attend a baptist church but then it could be cultish because it has gone astray.


My advice to you to read and pray (at the same time): It's of maximal importance that you know who this God is that you're having a relationship and what he has done for you and how you should be responding to Him. Because like CS Lewis sad: Christianity, if false, is of no importance. But if true, is of infinite importance!

PS you could try visiting CERC this sunday, it's reformation day so I think the members there would be more than happy to talk to you about your questions!

No dude...

Some "Churches" believe that the gospel is about us obeying God so that he will bless us with material blessings AKA the prosperity gospel, but when we check the scriptures, we know it to be false!

Likewise, some churches believe that it's not Christ alone who saves, but also the stuff we do to please him, but in Galatians, Paul curses the false teachers who taught something OTHER than the gospel!

So no, it's not just a diffferent interpretation of the Godhead, but a complete different understanding of scripture.