More About Speaking in Tongues
What the Bible Says About
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
The Bible says in I Corinthians 1:22 "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom." "Signs" are required for the nation of Israel. The sign gifts are recorded in Mark.
· Mark 16:17,18
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
So what are tongues for? The Bible is very clear.
· I Corinthians 14:21,22b
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.
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not…
The reference in verse 21 is to Isaiah 28:9-14 and both are speaking of known languages of other countries. Those verses are directed at the nation of Israel, and verse 22 says that they are a sign for that nation, specifically for unbelieving Jews.
Tongues are only spoken three times in the Bible. In Acts 2:4 the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost and begin to speak in other tongues. WHY? To fulfill the above scripture there must be unbelieving Jews present. Were there?
· Acts 2:5
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Those Jews were there for the feast days (Pentecost is a Jewish feast), and they were unbelieving because they had never even heard of Jesus. Peter was getting ready to preach and the disciples were getting ready to witness. The tongues they spoke (the actual languages of the visitors) was a "sign" that their message was true!
· Acts 2:7a,8a
And they were all amazed and marvelled…how hear we every man in our own tongue…?
Every tongue that was spoken that day was a known language. The tongues fulfilled two purposes. They were a sign, that the Jews required, to believe the message was true, and the means with which to tell them that truth.
The second case of speaking in tongues occurred in Acts 10. Peter went to an assembly of Gentiles who were ready to be saved and needed to hear the gospel. Gentiles had been scorned before this. Peter himself needed a special revelation from God so he would answer Cornelius’ summons. (Acts 10:9-20) So Peter and "certain brethren" (v23) went to Cornelius, and he told them the good news.
· Acts 10:43b
…Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
· Acts 10:44
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Cornelius and his household were saved while listening to Peter. They received the Holy Spirit.
· Romans 10:9,10a
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness…
Now Peter was the only one who had received the revelation that Gentiles were no longer unclean, but other saved Jewish brethren were with him. They needed a "sign" that these Gentiles had really gotten saved, or they wouldn’t believe it!
· <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black”>Acts 10:45,46a
And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished …because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
Tongues was the proof those skeptical Jews needed to believe that the Gentiles had really gotten saved. When Peter had problems explaining to the brethren back in Judea (Acts11:1-18) he pointed to that "sign" saying that the Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost in the same manner (with the tongues) as they themselves had. (v15)
The third instance of speaking in tongues occurred 22 years later at Ephesus. In Acts 18:24-28 Apollos had been preaching the baptism of John. Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." He got saved and went his way preaching about Jesus.
Meanwhile Paul met some of Apollos’ original disciples at Ephesus and asked:
· Acts 19:2
He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
The answer they gave tells any honest Bible student that these disciples of Apollos’ couldn’t possibly have been saved at that point.
· Romans 8:9b
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
The men tell Paul they were baptized "Unto John’s baptism."
· Acts 19:4
Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is on Christ Jesus.
These disciples of Apollos were Jews who had followed the light they had been given thus far. Before Paul arrived they had never heard of Jesus or his sacrifice, but they had believed Apollos preaching and received John’s baptism. Just as Apollos was taught about Jesus and "believed through grace," so did Paul teach Apollos’ disciples. He told them they must "believe…on Christ Jesus."
Paul laid hands on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Does this final example conform to the Bible rules? Yes. These men were Jews who were hearing the gospel for the first time. Remember, "Jews require a sign." Not only that, but Paul was there to speak in a synagogue to unbelievers (v8,9). He had a "ready made" sign to show those unbelievers, by the tongues that were spoken by those newly saved men. This was like what happened with Peter in Acts 2.
These three cases are the only times tongues are spoken in the Bible. Their abuse is discussed at Corinth but this gift is mentioned no where else. This seems incredible if tongues are so important.
The gift of tongues was a Jewish sign gift that was in effect while God was dealing with the Hebrew nation. It is listed twice in I Corinthians 12:8-11 & 28-30. In Paul’s later lists in Ephesians 4:8-12 & Romans 12:4-8 tongues are not mentioned at all. Neither are they a "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5:22,23. Paul tried to explain to the church at Corinth about the immediate future (at that time) of the gift of tongues.
· I Corinthians 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.
"Prophecies" refers to the prophets who received direct and specific revelation from God to tell to the people. There are none but false prophets today who claim direct revelation from God. The Bible says:
· Revelation 19:10b
…the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
All Christians can prophecy today from the word of God. They can tell an individual about his eternal destiny or the future of the world from what the Bible says. God talks to people today through his word, and where a "prophet" disagrees with the Bible, he is a liar.
"Tongues…Shall cease" refers to "tongues as a sign gift" during God’s dealing with the nation of Israel. If tongues are a gift today, why do missionaries spend years studying to the learn the language of their fields? God has temporarily put the nation of Israel aside and the gift of Tongues given to them has ceased! </span>
"Knowledge…shall vanish away" refers to the partial knowledge that we have of God. In many places the Bible speaks of this knowledge, but it still can give us only very limited enlightenment.
· I Corinthians 13:9
For we know in part, and we prophecy in part.
At this point Christians only know what the Bible says about God and can only prophecy what the Bible says about the future. But in the future that partial knowledge shall be complete.
· I Corinthians 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
When Paul said "but then face to face" he was referring to the Lord’s return."Glass" is a reference to the word of God as in James 1:23. We see the Lord in the Bible but not clearly. When we see him at his coming it will be "face to face" (see II John 12) and with completed knowledge.
· I Corinthians 13:10
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
"That which" is the same "that which" of I John 1:1 : Jesus Christ. John sums it up.
· I John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Now today Biblical tongues have ceased, but they had not yet done so when Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Note some things about the church at Corinth.
1- there were contentions- I Corinthians 1:11
2- there were divisions- I Corinthians 1:12
3- some were puffed up- I Corinthians 4:18-21
4- they ignored fornication in the church- I Corinthians 5:1-5
5- they went to law with each other- I Corinthians 6:1-8
6- there was promiscuity- I Corinthians 7
7- there was idolatry- I Corinthians 8
8- they doubted Paul’s authority- I Corinthians 9
9- there were heresies- I Corinthians 11:19
These are only SOME of the problems Paul wrote about in this church. This is NOT a spiritual church! I Corinthians 14 is another chapter written to CORRECT a carnal people! This church is trying to ACT spiritual (when it wasn’t) by imitating what happened on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given.
In the first six verses of I Corinthians 14 Paul said that prophecy is more edifying than tongues. He said that you were speaking into the air if your words were not understood, and that you sounded like a barbarian. In verse 12 you are to seek to edify the church (NOT seek tongues). Prophesying edifies the church according to verse 4. Paul would have rather spoken five words that could be understood than ten thousand that were not.
· I Corinthians 14:23-25
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?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you in truth.
If a church wants visitors to worship God TONGUES IS NOT THE WAY!!! Paul told the Corinthians the rules. In verses 27 & 28 he said that only three people may speak in tongues at any service and then only one at a time and with an interpreter! He told them there should be no emotional display and confusion in verses 32 & 33. No women were to speak in tongues. That’s verse 34, and it sure knocks out a lot of the modern day movement! Lastly, if you wanted to be ignorant, go ahead!
Paul knew that he was writing to a carnal church full of spiritual babies. The ENTIRE epistle was written to rebuke them about their doctrine and practices! Why would any church want to be like this one?
Some Christians today say that tongues are for private or personal devotions and that it is a "heavenly" language that nobody understands. The Bible says:
1- ALL tongues spoken in Acts 2, 10, and 19 are a sign for some Jews who are listening – not private experiences.
2- The unknown tongues in I Corinthians 14 are in the church – not a private experience.
3- Tongues are ALWAYS a language that someone understands, and they can be interpreted and learned! Acts 2:4,6 & I Corinthians 14:13,16,23,27,27.
4- In the Bible "unknown" ALWAYS means "unknown by some yet known by others." Acts 17:23; II Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 1:22
5- The "tongues…of angels" (the language of heaven) is shown in the Bible to be Hebrew. Acts 26:14, Revelation 19:2,4. Alleluia is Hebrew. It means "praise ye Jehovah."
CONCLUSION
If tongues are so easily proven to be unscriptural why are so many Christians concerned with the subject? Since God has been ruled out there are three possible sources of the modern day tongues movement: Satan, psychological hype, and charlatans. All three make the movement what it is.
Tongues flourish where the Bible is not understood, or where people seek experiences and feelings rather than Bible truth.
· I Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
The Devil’s realm is SPIRITUAL DECEPTION! And he uses signs!
· II Thessalonians 2:9
Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.
The Devil IMITATES the real thing to deceive people. His imitations are often so close that people can only tell the difference if they study God’s word.
· II Corinthians 11:4
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom ye have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
The Devil has his own religion.
· II Corinthians 11:13-15
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.
Here you have counterfeit ministers with counterfeit signs! The Bible has a name for those who say they have the JEWISH APOSTOLIC gifts.
· Revelation 2:2
Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.
If you have been deceived by a non-Christian experience of speaking in tongues don’t be discouraged. So have many other Christians. You have to determine now whether you will follow your own feelings, or whether you will yield to God’s word. The choice is yours.
· I Corinthians 14:37,38
If any man think himself to b