TONGUES:
A BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
There were many reasons for God to cause
tongues to be used in early church but as we shall see, the reason for tongues
diminished and therefore tongues eventually ceased. (I Corinthians 13:8)
1. Acts 1:6-9- A sign to the disciples that the
power Jesus promised to them was now come upon them
Acts 2:14-18 Languages-Acts 2:1-4
2. Mark 16:17-20- A sign to confirm the
Word. (Note-Those who practice tongues
today do not try to perform the other signs listed in this passage of
Scripture.)
3. Acts 11:12-18- A sign to Jewish believers
that the Gentiles were also to be equal participators
4. I Corinthians 14:21, 22-A sign to them who
believe not. Verse 28 is a direct quote of Isaiah 28:11.
Israel was blessed when living in the
land, but when out of the land, down through their history
they received judgment from God and
unknown tongues for their ears. In A.D. 70 the Romans put
them out of the land, a judgment from God
for rejecting their Messiah. The Early Church gift of tongues was a sign to the Jew of this coming judgment
from God which was the fulfillment of I Corinthians 14:28
5. II Corinthians 12:11, 12; Ephesians 2:20-A
sign to authenticate the Apostolic office and authenticate the
Early Church as from the hand of God. Acts
2:43; Hebrews 2:3, 4; II Corinthians 12:12 also teach that the Apostles were the only ones to possess these miraculous
sign gifts and with the passing away of the Apostles, all of these sign gifts
ceased.
6.
I Corinthians 14 reveals that tongues in the Early Church was a means of
revealing previously unknown New Testament truths which they needed from
God, before the Word of God was written and available to the many churches.
7. A sign in and of itself is nothing in the
program of God, but what the sign reveals or points to is important.
8. The tongues movement of today wrongly teaches
that speaking in tongues is a sign of having the Holy Spirit indicating the
spirituality of the one 'speaking in tongues' in direct opposition to the
revealed truth of the Word of God (James 4:6; Philippians 2:3). The Bible
teaches that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ through faith and repentance
are born again becoming children of God through the new birth by the Holy
Spirit. This is when the child of God receives the Holy Spirit 'For by one
Spirit are we all baptized into one body' (I Corinthians 12:13)
9. In I Corinthians 13:8 Paul said tongues would
cease, and according to history they did!
a. Last Apostolic
Biblical Miracles-A.D. 58 (Acts 28:3-9)
b. Around 60 A.D.
Epaphroditus was sick unto death but was not healed (Philippians 2:25-30)
c. A.D. 62 stomach
ailment not cured (I Timothy 1:2)
d. A.D. 64
Trophimus left sick (II Timothy 4:20)
e. A.D. 95 Clement
of Rome's letter to Corinth-NO tongues mentioned!
f. Early Church
Fathers wrote to every area of the Roman Empire for four centuries on many
types of doctrinal issues without ONCE mentioning tongues.
g. Justin Martyr
A.D. 100-165 traveled extensively throughout Roman Empire-NO mention of
tongues even though he included lists of
the gifts of the Holy Spirit: understanding, counseling,
strength, teaching, foreknowledge, and the fear
of God!
h. Origen A.D.
185-253 most scholarly of his day, read and traveled extensively. Quote:
"The signs
of the Apostolic age had been temporary,
and that no contemporary Christian exercised any of
the ancient prophetical gifts."
j. Chrysostom A.D.
345-407 said tongues no longer take place.
k. Augustine A.D. 354-430
said tongues passed away.
l. The great men of
the faith did not exercise this sign gift even though they did great exploits
for God! Martin Luther, John Calvin, John & Charles Wesley, Charles Finney,
C.H.Spurgeon, D.L.Moody,
R.A.Torrey, Billy Sunday, Bob Jones and
tongues were not included in the Great Awakenings of the U.S.A.or during the earlier Reformation in
Europe in the 1500’s i.e. Luther, Calvin and Zwingli.
10.
Tongues in Biblical Perspective by Charles R. Smith gives a lot of insightful
information on the tongues movement of today:
a. Speaking in
tongues is definitely a learned skill today.
b. Many teach and
write instructions on how to learn.
c. Tongues can be
spoken at the speaker's will.
11.
An Apostle was a 'sent one' with power and authority of the One who sent them,
who was Christ. All were healed in Acts 5:12-16, 19:11, 12. Today, according to
James 5:14-16 it is the prayer of faith that heals. If your
sickness/disease/trial hinders your effectiveness to have a ministry for the
Lord, He may choose to heal you or change your situation, but, many times you
are more effective with the affliction, as Paul was with his ‘thorn in the
flesh’, and so, because God knows what is best He may choose to allow your
affliction to remain.
12.
In I Corinthians 12:11 God divides the gifts to His children as He wills. He
chooses the gifts. Gifts are not learned, but given, and if God decides
to use these gifts today or in the future He will definitely do it according to
His Holy Word!
In summary, this information on tongues does not
say that the people in the present-day tongues movement are not saved. But
unless they explicitly follow the Word of God, they are clearly involved in
dangerous and deceitful error.
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