It doesnt say "new tongues". Just "tongues". Also you should note that it speaks of several things that pious believers would be capable of doing. Its like drinking poison and surviving. So it is basically a miracle.
I was going according to the translation you used in your OP which says "new tongues". Yes, they would be miracles. In Acts, the believers miraculously were able to speak foreign languages.
In other verses, it is not shown as a sign of piety, and miracle working faith like drinking poison with no effect. Please read the verses with their context, and the linguistics I have given you already.
Who else does 1 Corinthians say that the gifts are given to besides those in the Body of Christ? The Body consists of believers does it not? The gifts also would be miracle working faith. I think that the difference here is that the miracle working faith in Mark are really objective miracles, like growing a hand back, whereas 1 Corinthians is classing things that are more ordinary in the miracle category.
What I find strange is that in the epistles I do not see any mention of people picking up snakes and drinking poison. If it was such a big deal as Jesus said, why wouldn't there be mention of it as an everyday thing by Paul and Peter and the rest. Nobody seems to be showing those two signs. Odd.
Yes. Jim Jones episode was world record. Just imagine 300 plus children dying in vain due to a belief in a forged verse!!
Yeah, and the children were forced to drink. The sad thing is that they actually practiced this drinking of poison multiple times. Some people thought it was just another drill. Another sad thing is that Jim Jones started off as a fairly OK guy who was respected and then, possibly because of disease, the guy degenerated into a madman. And people still followed him.
Nevertheless, I dont think anyone has done a Sociological study done on the sociology behind the followers of something like this. And above, quintessence has actually given a path to take in this matter. I am gonna suggest to a friend of mine honestly.
Well there has been indepth research into Jim Jones and other dangerous cults for decades. I even have a book comparing Jim Jones, Branch Davidians, Thuggee and other dangerous cults and the similarities are glaringly obvious.
I like Quintessences reply too. There is a stigma behind speaking in tongues. From what I know the concept was around before Christianity, as it is a common Voodoo practice as well, and we all know how Voodoo is perceived in the West..