The Biblical Gift of Tongues

 

Text: Acts 2:1-11

Intro: Since the early 1900’s in England and America a new religious movement arose that claimed and still does claim that The Holy Spirit has revived the gift of “tongues” in these last days. This movement became known as the Pentecostal Movement. After spreading over into the Catholic church, Catholic tongue speakers identified themselves as “Charismatics” in order to distinguish them from Protestants. Today the terms are substantially interchangeable.

 

I. How Can You Know the Truth?

 

A. The Bible predicts demonic led miracle movement in the last days – Mt. 24:24; 2

     Thes. 2:9

     1. How do you tell the true from the false?

     2. Even Charismatics have written books warning of false charismatics.

     3. Other world religions speak in estactic utterances (Hindu’s; New Agers)

         a. Ancient mystery religions spoke in “estactic languages”

         b. Priests and Priestesses in pagan temples spoke in “estactic languages”

     4. Christian cults speak in “estatic utterances” – Mormon Apostles

 

B. Feelings often change and one person’s experience differs from another

     1. United Pentecostal tongue speaker demands tongues for salvation

     2. Many tongue speakers demand it is the sign of baptism in Spirit

     3. Others deny it is necessary for all believers

 

C. The Bible commands us to test all supernatural phenomena by the Word –

     Isa.8:19-20; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; I Thes. 5:17

 

 

II. What are Biblical Tongues According to Scriptures?

 

A. The Biblical principle of confirming truth – “in the mouth of two or three witnesses let

                                                                             every word be established”

 

B. The First Recorded Instance – Acts 2:1-11

     1. “every man heard them speak IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE” – v. 6

     2. “how hear we every man in OUR OWN TONGUE wherein we were born” – v. 8

     3. “we hear them speak in OUR TONGUES the wonderful works of God” – v. 11

           a. Here are three witnesses concerning the nature of the Pentecostal gift

           b. The KJV term “tongue” meant “language” in 1611 AD – check dictionary

           c. The word “language” in verse 6 translates the Greek term “dialectus” from

               where we get our English word “dialect”

          d. Nothing else recorded in the book of Acts contradicts what is clearly laid down

             three times concerning the Pentecostal gift – known earthly languages or dialects

 

 

 

III. The Biblical Corrective – I Cor. 12-14

 

A. The Problem of Spiritual Gifts at the church of Corinth – I Cor. 12-14

     1. Paul is not complementing them but correcting their misuse – 12:1

     2. Past pagan practices and demonic influences have entered church – 12:3

 

B. The First Correction – ch. 12 – God is in charge of spiritual gifts

     1. Gifts are not a matter of human preference but Sovereign distribution – 12:11

     2. Each member is for the sake of edifying the rest – vv. 12-28

     3. The Spirit does not give all gifts to all saints – vv. 29-30

         a. The literally Greek text contains the word “no” (Gr. me)

         b. The Gift of tongues is not for all saints

-         hence it is not necessary for salvation as that is for all saints

-         hence it is not necessary for spiritual growth as that is for all saints

 

C. The Second Correction – ch. 12:31-13:13 – The Better Way of Love

    1. A translation problem with the KJV in I Cor. 12:31

        a. the words translated “covet earnestly the best gifts” can be translated one of two

           ways

-         As an Imperative “covet earnestly the best gifts” - KJV

-         As an Indicative “you are coveting earnestly the best gifts BUT I will show unto you a MORE excellent way” – the way of love.

 

      b. The Indicative better suits the foregoing argument of Paul

-         Spiritual gifts are given according to “His will” not ours – v. 11

-         Each member is to seek the welfare of others first – vv. 12-27

-         Not all gifts are for all saints – vv. 28-30

-         Hence, it would be better to seek love than to seek gifts

 

   2. Seeking love is better than seeking Gifts because:

       a. Without love everything else is worthless – 13:1-3

       b. Love DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN but seeks whats best for others first – vv. 3-7

       c. Love never faileth but tongues will cease of itself BEFORE knowledge and

           propechy stop – vv. 8-9

-         The term “shall cease” – middle voice – shall stop of itself

-         The terms “shall fail” and “shall vanish away” – passive voice – requires something else to stop it.

-         That which is “perfect” or “complete” will stop knowledge and prophecy – v.10

-         Maturity will cause tongues and other “sign” gifts to stop of themselves – v. 11

 

      d. Now Faith, hope and love reign supreme over “sign” gifts and during the time of INCOMPLETE

          revelation from God – vv. 12-13

 

D. The Third Corrective – ch. 14:1-5 – After Love seek to emphasize Prophecy as it is better than

                                                               Tongues

     1. It is better because “foreign languages” in the context of the church is not understood without an

         interpreter and therefore is known only to God – v. 2 (with vv. 9-11; 19)

    

     2. Speaking a foreign language in the church context with no interpreter benefits no one but self –v. 4

     3. Prophecy is better than tongues in a church context because it builds everybody up –v. 5

 

E. The Fourth Corrective – ch. 14:6-12 – Seeking Edification is better than seeking gifts

     1. Unknown foreign languages are mere noise in the church without an interpreter – vv. 6-8

     2. Unknown foreign languages only have value if they are understood by all – vv. 9-11

     3. Seeking the edification of the church is BETTER than seeking gifts – v. 12

 

F. The Fifth Corrective – ch. 14:13-17 – Understanding what someone is saying is BETTER than

                                                                    hearing foreign languages in the church

   1. It is better for your own edification – vv. 14-15

   2. It is better for others hearing you – vv. 16-17

 

G. The Sixth Corrective – ch. 14:18-25 – The Church is not the MATURE  place to Speak with Foreign

                                                                  Languages

 

   1. Paul spoke in foreign languages more than all of them but not in the church – vv. 18-19

   2. The Mature use is according to the Biblical purpose for this gift – vv. 20-22

       a. The gift of Biblical tongues is designated for the Jews and their dispersion – v. 21

-         This is a quotation from Isaiah 28:11-13

-         The Jews will reject this “sign” to them – v. 21b “they will not hear”

 

      b. The gift of Biblical tongues is a “SIGN” gift – v. 22

-         Sign gifts are not for believers therefore it is not for the church

-         Prophesying is the gift for believers

 

     c. The confusion of using a missionary gift in the wrong place – v. 23

     d. The blessing of using the right gift in the right place – vv.24-25

 

H. The Seventh Corrective – ch. 14:26-31 – The Biblical use of gifts in the church

     1. Every gift must edify more the church as a whole – v. 26

     2. No more than three should speak foreign languages in the church – v. 27a

     3. No more than one speaker at a time – v. 27b

     4. No more than one person doing the interpreting – v. 27c

     5. None should speak in tongues if there is no interpreter – v. 28

     6. Same rule of order applies to Prophets –vv. 29-31 “one by one”

 

I. The Eighth Corrective – ch.14:32-40 – Order not Confusion is the evidence of the Spirit

     1. People led by the Spirit do not lose control of themselves – v. 32

     2. People led by the Spirit do not cause confusion – v. 33

     3. Women speaking in the church violates the Divine order of the Sexes and submission to their

         husbands – vv. 34-35

     4. Spiritually led people acknowledge all these things as God’s commandment – vv. 36-37

     5. Those who reject these standards are IGNORANT – v. 38

     6. Everything is to be done decently and in the order commanded above – v. 39

 

 

 

IV. The Present Day “Ecstatic Utterances” are Not the Biblical Gift

 

A. The Biblical Gift is clearly stated to be earthly Foreign Languages – Acts 2:6,8,11

     1. Some refer to the language of angels in I Cor. 13:1 as proof of heavenly language

         a. Paul is not saying it is possible

         b. He is considering what would it profit without love if YOU COULD

-         speak languages from men to angels

-         understand all mysteries

-         understand all knowledge

-         have all faith

 

       c. None of the above is possible but if it were it would be worthless without love

 

   2. Some refer to the corrective chapter 14:2,14 as proof of an “estactic tongue”

       1. He is considering the Gift of foreign languages in a church context with interpretation – v.5

       2. He condemns the use of Foreign languages in the church without interpretation – vv.12,19

       3. He identifies the Biblical use of Foreign language as the missionary gift to the Jews – vv. 20-22

 

 

B. Those who claim the Biblical Gift today do not abide by The Holy Spirit’s commandments for its

     Use in the church – I Cor. 14:26-37

 

     1. Is the Holy Spirit the author of confusion? – v. 33 – He is if He is empowering them

     2. Will the Spirit of God empower someone to violate His own inspired Commands?

         a. God is incapable of sin

         b. Sin is the transgression of His Word – I Jn. 3:6

         c. Hence, God the Holy Spirit cannot possibly be the source of such empowerments

    3. There is no AUDIBLE  difference between “estatic utterances” by Pentecostals and Buhdist and

       Hindu Monks, Mormon apostles, pagan mystery religions

    4. Pentecostals, Buhdists, Hindus, Mormons, Cultic Mystery religions all equally violate The Holy

       Spirits clear teaching concerning speaking in the assemblies.

 

C. The Purpose of “sign” gifts are to confirm the “truth” – Heb. 2:4

     1. Especially the truth of salvation – v. 3

     2. Especially the truth concerning the person and work of Christ – Acts 2:22

     3. Especially the truth concerning the Spiritual use of gifts – I Cor. 12-14

 

D. The Absolute Proof of Denomic Empowered Miracles and Signs – 2 Thes. 2:9 “lying”

     1. Demonic empowered gifts are said to be “LYING” wonders

     2. They confirm deception, Lies and false doctrine of demons – I Tim. 4:1

     3. Demonic led miracle movement is particularly recognized for its denial of salvation by grace alone –

          2 Thes. 2:10-13

         a. The contrast is between the true gospel of salvation (vv. 13-14) and the false (vv. 10-12)

         b. “deceivable unrighteousness” is an imitation righteousness – v. 10

         c. “love of the truth” – v. 10 refers to the “belief of the truth” concerning grace – vv. 13-14

         d. “strong delusion” – v. 11 refers to “power” like unto Spirit of God (same words used of the Holy

                                                        Spirit in Eph. 3:16,20)

         e. “pleasure in unrighteousness” – v. 12 refers to the imitation righteousness in verse 10 or a

             righteousness by works of the law which is unrighteousness

      f. Nearly all Pentecostal and Charismatic groups belief that a true child of God can lose his/her salvation – this is only possible if works are the basis for ultimate justification. This is utterly impossible if grace is the ultimate basis for justification. Hence all who openly espouse and teach spiritual apostasy of true believers are under  Satan influence and doctrine. The Holy Spirit will not confirm such errors by His power and gifts.