Have Tongues Ceased?

By John MacArthur

The uniqueness of the gift of languages (tongues) and its interpretations was, as in all sign gifts, to authenticate the message or messages of the gospel before the NT was completed (Heb.2:3,4). "Tongues" was also limited by judicial sign from the God of Israel's judgment. "Tongues" were also not sign to believers, but unbelievers, specifically unbelieving Jews. Tongues also ceased because there was no need to verify the true messages from God once the Scripture wa given. It became the standard by which all are to be deemed true. "Tongues" was a means of edification in a way far inferior to preaching and teaching. In fact, chapter 14 of I Corinthians was designed to show the Corinthians, so preoccupied with tongues, that it was an inferior means of communication (vv. 1-12), an inferior means of praise (vv.13-19), and an inferior means of evangelism (vv. 20-25). That tongues have ceased should be clear from their absence from any other books in the NT, except Acts. Tongues ceased to be an issue of record and practice in the early church, as the Scripture was being written. That tongues have ceased should also be very clear form its absence through church history since the first century, appearing only sporadically and then only in questionable groups that in some cases even denied essential Christian doctrine.