Tongues by David Davenport

The greek word GLOSSA is simply translated "languages" into the English language. Sometimes the word "tongues" is used… as in the King James Translation of 1611. Whether the word tongues or “languages” is used the unmistakable meaning of the word glossa is: “the known, recognized, and recorded word/sentence structures of a human culture which are spoken, written, and signed to convey meaning from the speaker to the hearer.”

This is exactly the point that the Apostle Paul is making in his first epistle to the carnal Corinthians, where he attempts to clear up some disputes regarding the purpose of the gift:

1Corinthians 14:23 “ If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”

. In First Corinthians Paul is manifesting the brilliance of the logical arrangement of the entire New Testament….that all scripture is given for a specific reason, and that it is our job as bible students to find out WHAT those reasons are.

2Timothy 3:16- All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Since God is a God of order, we can clearly see that the sequential Pauline books of Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians are aranged logically: Romans for doctrine, Corinthians for reproof, and Galatians for correction.

The word reproof signifies a strong public statement given to an individual or group to call attention to a departure from proper behavior or doctrine (it may be said that behavior and doctrine are nearly inseperable since everything we DO comes about from something that we BELIEVE). So with this groundwork in place we draw closer to an understanding of the PURPOSE of Paul’s letter of rebuke. He is calling them to task to change their belief and the resulting behavior on a particular issue.

Definition

What public statement is Paul making regarding the behavior or doctrine of the Corinthians? Again Paul is direct and to the point:

1Corinthians 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

There it is. The Corinthians were STUNTED doctrinally and their behavior that followed was predictably UNSPIRITUAL. They were unweaned from milk and couldn’t handle solid FOOD. This stunting was causing DIVISIONS of all stripes: envyings, stifes (v.3), pride (v.6), undiscernment (6:5), deception, adultery, effeminate behavior, homosexuality, thievery, covetousness, alcoholism, extortionism(6:9-10), marital problems(chapter 7), meat offered to idols (chapter 8), idolatry (10:14), and the misunderstanding and misapplication of the SPIRITUAL GIFTS (chapter 12-14).

Wow! The Corinthians were paying a very large price indeed being “babes in knowledge!” Their behavior was causing complete chaos in this early church and Paul wrote an entire LETTER to reprove them for it! And all this in spite of the fact that many of them had zeal, like many of the saved Roman Jews of Romans chapter 10:

“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.”

To sum up the problem, we might say this: “Paul is publically reproving the Corinthian believers for not knowing doctrine, which caused behavior problems…… which in turn caused SCHISMS in the church.” And Paul had stated that the purpose of the epistle to the Corinthians was that there would be:

1corinthians 1:10b “….no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.”

Tongues

Was the use (and abuse) of tongues one of the listed problems in the Corinthian church? An examination of chapters 12 through 14 will help. Paul devotes TWO ENTIRE CHAPTERS to the problem of tongues! Considering that there are only 16 chapters in the epistle, it can be seen that one eighth of the books’ contents are devoted to issues related to the gift of tongues! Therefore it may be fair to say that if knowledge was the Corinthians biggest deficiency, resulting in poor behavior, resulting in church schisms…….then it may be fair to say that TONGUES were the greatest source of misinformation, and chaos was the result.

Today

Has anything changed from Paul’s day to our day? Two thousand years later the “church” is still squabbling over this gift! Paul wrote two chapters in reproof of the Corinthians understanding and application of the gift of “languages” but it is obvious that millions of people have not understood Paul’s corrective rebuke and have remained “babes in knowledge” with the result that there are schisms in the body 2000 years later.

The squabble hits close to home to the author. I wasn’t raised in the church (which eventually proved to be an advantage doctrinally) but was saved in my late teens. Even then there was an immediate doctrinal division between those who believed that the charismatic gifts were still in operation in the Body of Christ, and those who believed they had “ceased” :

(1 corinthians 13:8) ….”whether there be tongues, they shall cease”…

After coming to understand that the Bible was the final authority, I was immediately involved in a major parachurch organization that epitomized the modern-day failure of the church to heed Paul’s words in verse 10. I had no bible knowledge, and I was a “babe” in doctrine just like the Corinthians were but it was obvious that there WERE divisions, differing minds, and differing judgements in the parachurch organization.

To list a few of the disputes to which I was subjected immediately: varying opinions on tongues & healings, the prosperity gospel, the issue of eternal security, the place of contemporary Christian music, the possibility of female pastors, the purpose of the Sermon on the Mount, the biblical grounds for divorce….just to name a few. I had been saved two months and I was in the middle of the squabble!

Some years later the squabbles became more personal because I had developed deeper friendships with people who had begun to attempt to “convert” me to becoming a charismatic. Honestly, I was quite curious about these experiences that my friends had described and began to ask myself if there might be something to it. After all, what was the likelihood that so MANY people could be WRONG? The squabble had become personal and I concluded that I simply did not know the answer to the question:

“Is the gift of tongues still in operation in the church today?”

I will be the first to admit that my inability to quickly figure out the answers that I wanted frustrated me and that I experienced a certain amount of turmoil as a result. Paul described such an intellectual/spiritual state very clearly:

Ephesians 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”

I was being tossed by the winds of doctrine on every side, and I had to admit that I was truly a “babe still drinking milk” doctrinally. I began to ask some questions.

Two Possible Solutions

It became clear that I had two options available to me. The first was to heed the exhortation of my charismatic brethren and try to “experience” what they had described. According to their instructions I might ask God to manifest the gift of tongues in my life by actually PRACTICING the gift to see if it might “take”.

I remember hearing how SOME people had begun speaking in tongues: “just pray, and then start talking by closing off your thought processes, and see if it starts up”….

There is a local Pentecostal megachurch in the area in which I live today that has been growing phenomenally in the past ten years. They have recently built a 13,000-capacity cathedral where they broadcast on television a weekly message centered around their persistent theme. The theme is a big part of the purpose for their church, and they put it in print, and on their website:

“CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD. MUST BE EXPERIENCED.”

This sentiment is NOT a new spiritual philosophy. It was around at the time of the early charismatic church, it was around during my years in the parachurch organization, and it is increasingly predominant today.

During my parachurch time I also visited some charismatic churches and observed the practice of speaking in tongues. But this only confused me further. In fact, I never ONCE heard anyone speaking in tongues that sounded as if they were uttering a language structure complex enough to be considered a “language”. What I heard sounded like manufactured gibberish- “HUM BUK TUK” was one person’s exclamations.

I also noticed that not ONCE was the public speaking of tongues followed by an interpretation. Hadn’t Paul REQUIRED an interpretation after a public demonstration of tongues?

Some time later I came to a conclusion. I would follow what the bible said and not worry about what PEOPLE said about the gift of tongues. I had to admit that I didn’t KNOW what the bible said about tongues but I was determined to find out. I had made a decision. I would NOT experience anything without a clear biblical mandate.

20 Years

Little did I know at the time that the study of tongues and the charismatic movement would become one of my major preoccupations over the next 20 years. I also studied Creationism , theology models (like Calvinism, Arminianism, and Dispensationalism)…. but the charismatic movement stayed at the front of my mind. I read and listened to countless books, sermons, testimonies, and radio messages over this time. I learned that Paul did INDEED have much to say on the topic. His words are for our instruction, and I was eventually comforted by the following exclamation:

2Timothy 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.”

Paul had given a promise and a procedure to people in my situation! The promise was to UNDERSTAND what he had written and the prescribed procedure was to CONSIDER his words. Since Paul had written the book of First Corinthians, and had addressed the controvery of tongues, I had a useful promise in hand! Today, as a student of theology, I might paraphrase the words of Paul with a bit of hard-earned wisdom:

“Consider, examine, and rightly divide the words of Paul as inspired by God carefully, over an extensive period of time, and the meaning in its proper context will faithfully emerge as promised.”

A second biblical principle that I understand better today involves another of Paul’s requirements for bible study:

2Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

It is not enough to have bible KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge in itself is good, but it must be put in proper context. Paul uses the word “to cut straight” in the greek for “division”. This involves differentiating one of God’s “programs” or “dispensations” from another.

For this reason it is possible to be SCRIPTURALLY CORRECT, but DISPENSATIONALLY INCORRECT. The word dispensation (which we will address in a moment) has to do with the programs and ages of God toward man. Think of it like this: it is scripturally correct to say that God requires animal sacrifices. But it would dispensationally INCORRECT since Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross ended Israel’s sacrifices. So it would accurate to say that “At one time God required animal sacrifices, but no longer “.

The second option that I had chosen (studying the bible instead of plunging into an experience) seemed very daunting! This was going to require a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and patience. But my knowledge of scripture was growing. In the words of Paul, perhaps I was graduating from MILK (1corinthians 3:2) to STRONG MILK. Some day I was to learn that what I needed was MEAT to solve the tough issues. And STRONG MEAT to solve the humanly impossible:

Hebrews 5:12 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

2Discoveries

Taking Paul at his word I began the long CONSIDERATION process and started at the beginning. What I did not know then was that my understanding would come in layers and progressions over a period of time and that each successive layer would add a layer of conviction to my understanding of the issue of tongues.

Discovery One The Major and Minor Purpose of Tongues

I was surprised to find out that the gift of tongues (languages) was PROPHESIED in the old testament. God had not only planned it out but he had revealed its purpose before the onset of the gifted early churches. As my fledgling study of theology had begun I actually started to get some even more valuable lessons about the way that God works and reveals His purposes and programs through the ages…..lessons that would prove valuable in EVERY theological question; not just tongues.

1Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

Just as Paul said , the purpose of the written Word is for our UNDERSTANDING. Not our CONFUSION. Understanding leads to peace. Confusion leads to chaos, bad behavior, and schisms.

So we shouldn’t be surprised at all to find out that the purpose of tongues is prophesied (foretold beforehand according to God’s omniscience) in the book of Isaiah:

28:9 “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.” 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” 28:11 “For with stammering lips and another TONGUE will he speak to this people (Israel).”

28:12 “To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”

What may surprise you is that the prophesied gift of LANGUAGES to “this people” (the Nation of Israel in context) is closely associated with the idea of the FAILURE OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL TO HEED GOD’S DOCTRINE.

This prophesy in Isaiah is RECONFIRMED by Paul to the very Corinthians we are studying now! Let us see what Paul has to say on the matter of Isaiah’s prophesy (foretold at 600 BC):

1Corinthians 14:21 “In the law it is written, With men of other TONGUES and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.”

1Corinthians 14:22 “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.”

What a discovery! We are beginning to understand the REAL major purpose for the gift of tongues according to the prophetic purpose of God:

1. The major purpose of tongues is for a SIGN. 2. The sign is to the Nation of Israel. 3. The sign is a judgement on those members of the NATION who have chosen not to hear God’s spoken doctrine WILLINGLY. 4. The manifestation of the gift is that God’s sign judgement is made clear through the uttered languages through the LIPS and TONGUES of foreign gentile nations (not the Hebrew tongue of the Nation of Israel). 5. The gift that is most opposite of tongues is PROPHECY(forthtelling God’s doctrine) because its major purpose is to EDIFY BELIEVERS. The major purpose of the gift of tongues was to JUDGE UNBELIEVERS.

What a wonderful discovery I had made. The major stated purpose of the gift of tongues is NOT for personal edification. It is for a SIGN of JUDGEMENT on the nation.

At this point a question may be asked about the outworking of the gift of tongues in the early charismatic church. “But doesn’t Paul say that true believers can be actually EDIFIED by HEARING the gift of tongues (either by understanding the spoke language, or through the translation) even though God’s sovereign purpose was to pronounce a sign of judgement on the unbelieving remnant of the National Israel?”

And the answer is a qualified YES!

Followed by the word IF.

IF the tongues were TRANSLATED. In the wisdom of God, the BELIEVING church (composed of people who spoke and understood various languages) could benefit (latently) in the following ways!

1. By UNDERSTANDING the language being spoken. 2. By HEARING the interpretation of the language.

Remember that the Corinthian church that Paul is addressing did not have the completed cannon of the New Testament that we have today. They had a copy of the complete Old Testament, and certain of Paul’s epistles written to the early church. Additionally, the gift of PROPHECY was in operation until the completion of the New Testament cannon.

Therefore God was still speaking through PEOPLE regarding His will and works. And during this time God used tongues as a minor vehicle for this purpose. How do we know this? We can turn to the second chapter of the book of Acts and examine verse 8:

Acts 2:8 “Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”

Do you see it? God was giving unbelieving Israel a SIGN. After all, they were the “sign nation!”

1Corinthians 1:22 “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:”

But He was also giving the BELIEVING audience who heard the various languages being uttered (through the speaking of the language and then the required translation) something edificial- namely the wonderful works of God according to verse 8. This is the secondary purpose for the gift.

But it should be clearly pointed out that having a translator present was REQUIRED and it should be obvious why. When someone spoke in one of the gentile languages (as listed in Acts chapter 2) during the church service most of the listeners would not understand what he was saying! And consequently it would be impossible for them to be secondarily edified through the understood proclamation of the “wonderful works of God.”

Also, if they knew the tongues-speaker personally then they would certainly know that he did not KNOW the language that he was speaking in, whether it be the tongues of the surrounding nations (parthinians, medes, elamites, Mesopotamia, Judaea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, and Romans). But most people would only see a stranger speaking to the church in a language which most of the congregants could not understand. They could not be edified without a translation.

The EXPRESSION of tongues to judge Israel.

After learning about Isaiah’s prophecy regarding the PURPOSE of tongues I reviewed the place in scripture where tongues first appear. I wanted to learn more about the PRACTICE of tongues. In Acts 2 the Jewish feast day of Pentecost is in view and the partial fulfillment of the minor prophet Joel. The SIGN NATION (Israel) is receiving her signs! Not just tongues, but prophecies, visions, dreams, miracles, wonders. The last days of Israel are in sight. Before Daniel’s 70th week of the thousand year Millenium can commence, Israel must receive her signs, repent of her rejection of her Messiah, call on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21 ), and go through the seven years of tribulation as a purification of judgement to prepare them to be a Nation of Priests:

1Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”

But we need to remember that God has all foreknowledge. The Nation of Israel is being re-offered on this Day of Pentecost the Davidic Kingdom but God KNOWS that they will not repent and receive the offer. Remember Isaiah’s prophecy? God is foretelling that Israel will harden her heart against the Messiah and that the sign of judgement will come forth during her rejection:

John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

Acts 1:6 “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the (Davidic) kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:7 “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

We need to pay close attention to what is happening during this precarious time in Israel’s history! It is simultaneously a time referred to as “Israel’s last days”, the re-offering of the Davidic Kingdom, the beginning of the miraculous outpouring of signs, the filling of the Spirit, the appearance of the “works” of God being spoken in the GENTILES languages, and the statement by the Messiah that “it is not for (the apostles) to know when the kingdom will be restored!!

If we read carefully, we can clearly see the foreknowledge of God. The Davidic Kingdom is being re-offered to the Nation, but God has foretold that they will willingly “not hear” the message of the King!

What seems to be a great victory for the Nation (the appearance of the supernatural gifts) is in reality a foreshadowing of the judgement spoken of in Isaiah and also in Joel’s prophecy:

Acts 2:19 “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:”

Acts 2:20 “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:”

While it is true that SOME of the Jewish people (including the Apostles) readily accepted their Messiah, the NATIONAL leadership of the NATION rejected Him . They are being given miraculous signs and they are not heeding the warnings!

If we continue in the book of Acts we will find out that the Nation will CONTINUE to disobey God’s Messiah and doctrine until the hour of judgement is inevitable. Most people mistakenly think that the book of Acts addresses the development of the early church when in reality it addresses the RE-OFFERING of the Kingdom of Heaven to the Nation of Israel, and it records their REJECTION OF THAT OFFER:

Acts 7:51 “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”

Acts 7:59 “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Paul Raised Up to Postpone Israel’s Judgement

In the aftermath of Israel’s sin in stoning Stephen, an amazing thing happens according to the wisdom of the Lord:

Romans 11:33 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

In the beginning of Acts chapter 9 the CHIEF rebel of the Nation of Israel gets saved as part of a completely new unprophesied program that will allow the POSTPONEMENT of Israel’s program and the prophetic timeclock. This new program is described by Paul as the MYSTERY. It was not PROPHESIED but was an unknown secret :

Romans 16:25 “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,”

Romans 11:12 “Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?”

Do you see it? God SET ASIDE the Nation to raise up a new program under the Apostle Paul called “Paul’s dispensation”. Since Israel (nationally) refused to be the channel of blessing to the gentile nations (which was her job) God intervened and offered the gentile nations SALVATION APART FROM THE NATION OF ISRAEL.

God set aside the Nation of Israel according to his foreknowledge and raised up an INTERRUPTION in the prophetic timeclock of the Nation. When the time of the gentiles is completed, He will resume His dealings and purposes for that Nation and will sit on David’s Throne just as He has promised. But until that time, we are living in a different dispensation, and ISRAEL’S LAW, ORDINANCES, WAY OF LIFE, RELIGION, STATUS, and GIFTS are set aside. To try to live UNDER them today would reveal a LACK OF FAITH AND UNDERSTANDING.

Ephesians 3:1 “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,”

Ephesians 3:2 “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:”

Ephesians 3:6 “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”

And in Colossians:

Colossians 1:25 “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;”

There it is. The Nation of Israel is set aside during the current dispensation. We are NOT under their law! In fact, if you’re mixing any part of Israel’s law, ordinances, signs, or way of life then you are guilty of “mixing” law and grace! And Paul’s tells us not to do that.

Ceased

Since Paul was given the new dispensation we’re living in now, we would expect him to tell us that tongues would eventually cease when the Nation was FINALLY set aside. After all, he wrote TWO entire CHAPTERS to the Corinthian church about the “operation” of the gift of languages before the Nation was fully set aside to CORRECT their misuse of the gift. Surely he would us when the gift was cease operations.

And he DOES!

1Corinthians 13:8 “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall CEASE; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”

There it is. Tongues (and other aspects of Israel’s program) will CEASE at some point in time. Interestingly, he also fills us in regarding the charismatic gifts of “knowledge” and “prophecies”. Those gifts ceased useful application after the completed cannon of scripture was FULFILLED. God had spoken all the prophetic and mystery words that He would choose to reveal and the bible was COMPLETE at that point. No human intermediary was needed from that point forward for the Body of Christ:

Revelation 22:19 “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

We are not to ADD or TAKE AWAY anything from the completed Word of God.

When the major PURPOSE for the gifts of tongues was fulfilled (a sign gift of judgement on the Nation of Israel) was completed, tongues CEASED.

We know this from scripture, history, and experience.

Understanding

The “tongues” being spoken today are NOT the biblical gift of languages because God is not SPEAKING to that Nation today. Indeed they are SET ASIDE according to the book of Romans. Indeed, since there is no NATIONAL Israel identity, there is technically no such thing as a JEW. There are Jews by heredity, but there are no Jews by RELIGION. Paul tells us this clearly:

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

During Paul’s mystery dispensation God is not dealing with mankind by a religious, cultural, racial, or national status of any kind. Everyone is on equal footing. In fact, there is no such thing as a GENTILE today either! There is NEITHER Jew nor Gentile!

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

There WAS a Jew during Israel’s existence, but there is NOT now.

Major Discovery TWO

As I continued learning and studying, I learned that scripture is extremely clear about the gift of biblical languages. I began studying where Paul deals with the MIS- INFORMATION regarding the gift in First Corinthians and I began to “get it”.

Let us return to Corinthians and see some of Paul’s CLEAR teaching regarding the gift in operation during that day (before the National setting aside of Israel) and see these major points:

1. The major purpose of tongues was NOT the edifying of the believer in the body of Christ.

1Corinthians 14:4 “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.”

See it? One of the byproducts of this supernatural gift of judgement (speaking in a language the speaker had not learned) was that the speaker EDIFIETH HIMSELF. This is a rebuke! The purpose for spiritual gifts are clearly stated by Paul- to edify the BODY of CHRIST!

2. Paul was “concerned” that the MIS-USE of the gift of tongues was interfering with the church’s WITNESS:

1Corinthians 14:23 “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”

3. Paul was concerned that the Corinthians would be “emotionally” drawn away from the REAL purpose of edification (The renewal of the MIND) for the church by the supernatural “showy-ness” of the existence of the charismatic gifts.

Wasn’t the Messiah concerned by the same issues? Didn’t he REPEATEDLY chastise his “followers” for merely following him for the miracles and the supernatural and the provision of fish and bread? Rather than the stated PURPOSE of those provisions?

In fact, Paul makes it clear that experiential emotionalism has no part in the church. It leads to self edification chaos, and a ruined witness IF MIS-USED.

1 Corinthians 14:9 “So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.”

There it is. Unless the languages were INTERPRETED the RESULT was as if the speaker was “speaking into the air”. The purpose would be in VAIN. And Paul’s worst fear would be realized! The speaker would be edifying himself only by this supernatural “show” of the miraculous and the major purpose of the tongue (judgement on hearing Israelites who were rejecting Christ) and secondary purpose (other “hearers” understanding the “wonderful works of God”) which might lead to salvation or true edification.

No one in the bible is ever given to have an experience that remains disconnected from SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. God is not in the business of “puffing us up” with spiritual ecstatic experiences, but has stated clearly his purpose for the NEW MAN:

Romans 12:2 ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Do you see it there? Ecstatic emotional experiences cannot renew you. SPIRITUAL INFORMATION CAN. What renews you is the RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND. Not your emotions.

Experiences ALWAYS follow facts. You cannot discern doctrine from EXPERIENCE. You have to use your MIND. And this is exactly the point Paul is making in Corinthians. The Corinthians are being sternly rebuked for unspiritual getting “puffed up” by the miraculous nature of the gift of tongues, instead of using it for UNDERSTANDING through the INTERPRETATION.

( As an aside, if you ever want to do an interesting word study, look at how many times Paul uses the word “puffed” or “puff” in both First and Second Corinthians—hint: more than TEN times. Then look at how many times the words are used by Paul in all the rest of his 13 epistles. You might begin to think that the Corinthians had MAJOR problems with being “PUFFED” up by the presence of the supernatural charismatic gifts in their presence ).

If there was no interpretation, there was to BE NO SPEAKING IN LANGUAGES:

1 Corinthians 14:27 “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.” 1Corinthians 14:28 “But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.”

Today

It should be obvious from this last section even APART from understanding the cessation of the gift of languages through the fall of Israel……..

That the practice of tongues speaking today is NOT the gift of languages that Paul was rebuking in the book of Corinthians. How do we know this? By the following points:

1. The “words and structures” being spoken are not languages. They are spontaneously uttered in a childlike auto-verbal fashion,and there is no understandable complexity.

2. There is no interpretation.

3. The gift of tongues ceased just as Paul said it would with the setting aside of the Nation.

4. The church misunderstands the PURPOSE of the gift and remains just as ignorant or Paul’s rebuke as did the Corinthians before receiving the corrective epistle.

The schisms and divisions which Paul sought for the Body of Christ to avoid are flourishing today as the church attempts to do EXACTLY what Paul told it NOT to do:

“Must be experienced. Cannot be explained” is being promoted as true spiritualism when in fact Paul would rebuke it today just as in THAT day.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

In Paul’s dispensation (until the ‘fulness’ of the gentiles comes in and before God deals with Israel again nationally ) we are NOT looking at the “seen” aspects of sign gifts and miracles. We are to walk by FAITH NOT BY SIGHT. Paul PROVES this out by NEVER MENTIONING TONGUES AGAIN after this Corinthian reference.

Have you ever thought of it? The gift of languages is mentioned ONCE in the book of Romans, and then several times in Corinthians. And then it is NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN. There is no need for it in the new Mystery Body of Christ which has presently replaced Israel in the dispensation of God. God is NOT JUDGING the Body of Christ and it has NOT BEEN set aside like the Nation was:

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Look at Paul’s magnificent church and pastoral epistles directed at the church after Israel was set aside. You will look in vain in the mighty books of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Timothy!

And what message DO we find in those books? The reality of the necessity of the transforming of your MIND, and the reality of walking by faith not by sight!

Ephesians 1:17 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him”.

We are told to grow in KNOWLEDGE. Not in supernatural EXPERIENCE.

Over the more than twenty years since my involvement in the parachurch organization, the confusion over the early charismatic gifts has only increased, and I have some sympathy for the people who are “caught” up in the confusing teaching of the Pentecostal movement. The movement itself is utterly schismatic itself and seems to be “evolving” without a theological base. Pentecostalism…..to Charismatism…..to Word Faithism…….to Latter Rainism…..

What will be next?

The failure to heed Paul’s rebuke and understand the bible in its context will lead to every kind of diversion and even heresy.

Conclusion

If you are struggling with the issue of the charismatic gifts I would challenge you to begin a three year study of the bible rightly divided. Some of the bibles mysteries are only unlocked over a longer period of intensive examination.

If you are being pressured by a charismatic to have an “experience” I would like to share something with you that I always use when dealing with a charismatic.

I ask them only one question:

“Did you become a charismatic through an extensive ongoing examination of every mention of the supernatural spiritual gifts as listed in the Old and New Testaments? Or did you get into it through the influence of an individual who encouraged you to have the experience?”

I have never met one charismatic who got into the movement through an extensive, ongoing, rightly-divided, properly contexted, self-examination of the Bible.

Final Q&A

I have probably talked with hundreds of charismatics over the years. In some ways, nothing replaces EXPERIENCE in dealing with questions. By experience, obviously, I mean the BIBLICAL kind, not the emotional kind which people are always encouraging us to have.

Romans 5:3 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;”

Romans 5:4 “And patience, EXPERIENCE; and experience, hope:”

There definitely is a type of experience that is highly useful! But it doesn’t come as easy as plunging into an ecstatic supernatural emotional happening that “MUST BE EXPERIENCED. CANNOT BE EXPLAINED”.

It comes over time and is accompanied by tribulations and hardships. So I am including a brief Q&A section that might help in dealing with some of the more common misunderstandings of the charismatic movement.

Q: Don’t you want to have this great charismatic experience?
A: I don’t want to have anything that the bible doesn’t tell me to have.

Q: I didn’t feel alive in my Christian experience or have any power until I had the experience of tongues.
< A: True power comes in understanding what God says and what He is doing no matter how “un” powerful we feel within ourselves.

Q: I have a personal private prayer language that makes me feel unbelievable.
A: What is your theology for that language? According to my bible, anything apart from faith is sin, and there is no way to have faith in something unrevealed in the bible. When angels appear in the bible, they are speaking normal human language.

Romans 14:23 “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Q: The bible says that the evidence of salvation for all believers is speaking in tongues.
A: No it doesn’t. In fact, Paul made it clear that even during Israel’s dispensation, Not EVERYONE spoke in tongues: and that tongues would CEASE.

Romans 12:30 ….”do all speak with tongues?”

Q: Getting tongues is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
A: No its not. EVERY believer has been baptized in the Spirit, or they are NOT a Christian.

Q: It must be of God since it is so powerful in my life.
A: No it must not. In fact, Paul is concerned about believers in the last days who may be DECIEVED by LYING SIGNS AND WONDERS. The only test of anything is the bible. Not your experience.

Something to Think About

First Corinthians is a reproof for the early church, and for us today. It tells to value MEAT over MILK so that we will not be confused and pass on our bad doctrine which leads to divisions and schisms.

Those Corinthians had all the charismatic gifts of Israel but they were puffed up by them and using them to “edify” themselves. And Paul, true to form, uses his incredible wisdom to make a STARTLING CONCLUSION that might surprise you. Keep in mind that Paul makes the following statement directly following the TWO CHAPTERS in which he rebukes, reproves, and corrects the Corinthians for their MIS understanding of the purpose and practice of tongues:

1Corinthians 14:37 “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

1Corinthians 14:38 “But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.”

In verse 37 he makes something very clear. No matter HOW spiritual or puffed up the Corinthians thought themselves, it didn’t impress Paul. Paul knew that what mattered was God’s COMMANDMENT and his WORD. Human beings are impressed most often by OTHER things: experiences, money, fame, power, showy puffery. We THINK of ourselves as all kinds of things, but we think vainly. We THINK that because we appear to do something miraculous or spiritual we are powerful. But true power comes in true understanding.

Verse 38 should get our attention! It seems out of place! Would Paul actually say (my paraphrase):

“If you choose to willingly be ignorant of the commandments of God on THIS matter, then STAY in your ignorance”?

Apparently.

Could anything be more obvious from the TWO CHAPTERS that Paul spent on tongues that it was absolutely FOREBIDDEN to speak in tongues apart from interpretation? But every channel surfer of religious television in our day knows that his reproof is universally ignored. People have their experience and they are not going to let ANYTHING, including the bible, GET IN THE WAY of it.

And to those people, both in Corinth and today, Paul says BE IGNORANT.

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