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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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SPEAKING WITH OTHER TONGUES - 3 Acts 2:4-11 (6/02/13) Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. PURPOSES OF TONGUES A. Speaking in Tongues
was a Sign 1. When the Bible
refers to a “sign” (sēmeion - miraculous event contrary
to the usual course of nature and intended as a pointer or means of
confirmation, Friberg), it serves as a demonstrator that points to
God, His programs, and message. These signs are divine supernatural
manifestations or miracles, so that there is no
mistaking that they came from God and confirm His purposes and message. 2. Israel always
asked for a sign from God (Mt 12:38-39; Jn 2:18). Jesus performed signs
(miracles) to prove that He was from God (Lk 5:24; Jn 2:11, 23; 3:2; 10:38). 3. What were the
purposes for the sign-gift of tongues? B. Tongues were a Sign
to Unbelieving Israel 1. Paul links the
Corinthians immaturity (1Co 14:20) in regard to
tongues with their lack of knowledge of God’s Word concerning the purpose of
the gift of tongues (1Co 14:21-22). 2. Paul quotes
Isa 28:11-12 to show the true purpose for tongues. It was in essence a sign
to unbelieving Israel. a) Because Israel
refused to hearken unto God’s message proclaimed by Isaiah, God would
chastise them by sending another message, only it would come through “strange
tongues.” These “strange tongues” in Isaiah’s context, were the foreign
languages of the Assyrians who assailed Judah. This wa
theme throughout the Old Testament, (De 28:49-50; Is 33:19; Jer 5:15; Eze 3:5
cf. Jdg 2:11-16). b) When
unbelieving Israel heard the “strange (foreign) tongues” (through the gift of
tongues) at Pentecost, it was a sign for Israel to “listen to God.”
Otherwise, they would face His judgment for rejecting the Messiah. c) Paul himself
identifies the purpose of tongues, namely “a sign, not to those who believe but to
unbelievers” (1Co 14:22). Specifically, tongues are
a sign for unbelieving Jews, for they are the ones who should understand its
inference. d) The Assyrians
came with “strange tongues” or a strange dialect. So in 1Co 14, Paul writes
of tongues in the context of a dialect, not an ecstatic
non-language. In fact, if tongues is not a
foreign language, then Israel would not have been able to identify it as a
sign coming from God. On the other hand, an ecstatic non-language is a sign
of nothing and a sign to no one. C. Tongues were a Sign
to Affirm Apostolic Authority 1. In the third and
final record of tongues Acts, we read in that the Holy Spirit and the gift of
tongues were given when Paul laid his hands upon John’s disciples (Ac
19:1-6). 2. This was in no
way the norm for receiving the Holy Spirit (Ep 1:13), but in order to confirm
apostolic authority, these disciples received the Holy Spirit when the
apostle Paul laid hands on them (Ac 19:6). Upon receiving the Holy Spirit,
they began to speak in tongues and prophesy. 3. This affirmed
apostolic authority because only the representatives of God could confer
these gifts. Having established apostolic authority, it affirmed the
particular apostolic message of the gospel (Rom 15:18-19; He 2:3-4). D. Tongues were a Sign
of Salvation to the Gentiles 1. Most of the early
church was comprised of Jewish Christians. Many did not believe that Gentiles
could be saved apart from Judaism. 2. We find then
that the gift of tongues was shown to be a sign that
Gentiles also received salvation and the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus
Christ. a) Act 10:46ff and the
preceding context revealed that Peter had a vision of being
told to eat unclean meat. When God replied, “What God has cleansed, no
longer consider unholy,” this also
symbolized that the unclean Gentiles could also be saved (Act 10:9-15 cp.
28). b) Peter preached
the gospel to the Gentile Cornelius and others (Act 10:34-46) who received
Christ as Savior and also were given the Holy
Spirit. c) Afterwards
Peter met with the apostles and relayed the truth that Gentiles could be
saved, manifesting tongues as evidence in this case (Act 11:17-18). 3. In Rom 11:11-13,
Paul taught that because of the disbelief of the Jews, salvation has come to
the Gentiles. Like the sign of tongues, salvation to the Gentiles was to make
them jealous and return to the Lord. II. CESSATION OF TONGUES A. What
about tongues for today? Are they biblical? Is there anything
in Scripture to suggest that the spiritual gift of tongues has ceased? In
fact, there is. We find such a statement in Paul’s largest treatise on
spiritual gifts (1Co 12-14). The passage is found in
1Co 13:8-12. B. The great love
chapter, 1Co 13:1-8, is a part of Paul’s explanation on spiritual gifts. In
essence, if one exercises spiritual gifts but does not
incorporate love, then they are merely doing so contrary to God’s plan
(1Co 13:1-3). They have become like a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal,” or
become a useless “nothing” in a spiritual sense, and it brings no “profit.” C. Love will never
fail or become useless. However, spiritual gifts will be
removed when there is no more need for them. Paul teaches that
spiritual gifts will be “done away” (1Co 13:8). D. We read that
the spiritual gifts of prophecy (fore-telling and
forth-telling), tongues (sign), and knowledge (revelation from God) will be
“done away” when there is no more purpose for them. Their purpose is to aid
the believer during his “partial” and limited knowledge of God (1Co 13:9).
This does not mean that in heaven the believer will have omniscience. It
simply means that believers will be given a complete
and mature knowledge of God and His purposes. E. When would
there be no more purpose for these gifts? The answer is when the “perfect”
comes. When the perfect comes, the “partial” will be “done away.” At which
time there will be no need for these spiritual gifts (1Co 13:10). F. What is the
“perfect?” Some have suggested the completion of Scripture, the coming of
Christ, or Christ Himself. While these may be connected
with the “perfect,” they appear to be indirect. The “perfect” (to te,leion
-neuter singular nominative) may be better understood as the future
timeframe of the eternal state. Terms like “face to face” and “know fully”
can identify such a time as the eternal state when these spiritual gifts will not be needed. G. As for the
“doing away” with these spiritual gifts, there is a notable difference in the
verbs. Prophecy and knowledge will be “done away” (future passives of katargeō).Tongues on the other hand will “cease”
(future middle of pauō). The future
passive of katargeō indicates that
something (i.e. the perfect) will act upon prophecy and knowledge and do away
with it, i.e. “perfect.” The future middle of pauō
indicates that it will cease in and of itself. In other words, by the time
the “perfect” “does away” with prophecy and knowledge, tongues will have
already “ceased” by itself. H. Why would
tongues cease in and of themselves? Because they would have
fulfilled their purpose and would not be needed. Their purpose as a
“sign” would no longer be needed. I. When will
tongues cease? When they are no longer needed.
Today, tongues are no longer needed. Tongues are no
longer needed to confirm apostolic authority or to show us that Gentiles can
be saved . In fact, tongues have
not been needed to show us these things from the end of the first
century. In fact, we have no credible record of the gift of tongues that
continued after the first century. There are almost two thousand years of
Christian history without the gift of tongues. J. Then why do we
see tongues today? Much of what we see today cannot be
considered the true gift of tongues (foreign language) but ecstatic
utterances. The present day Tongues Movement began at the turn of the
twentieth century. It was promoted by Charles Parham, who believed that Bible Education
would prevent him from ministering effectively. It would not
allow him to “preach by direct inspiration.” His goal was to know and teach “more
fully the latest truths restored by the later day movements.” At its core
belief was the misunderstanding that speaking in tongues was the evidence of
the Baptism of the Spirit. The growth of the Movement continued in its ardor
for sensationalism more than sound interpretation. III. OBSERVATIONS AND
APPLICATIONS A. The controversy on
tongues, forces the church to look carefully into the full context of
Scripture to ascertain its truths. Much like Peter and Paul, we are mandated to let Scripture interpret Scripture rather
than popularity or sensationalism. If the Tongues Movement today is not
biblical, what does that say about the church’s discernment? B. The church must
not allow present day movements to side track us from precious doctrines
(Holy Spirit, baptism of the Spirit, filling of the Spirit, spiritual gifts,
etc.) for fear of misconception. C. The church must
also have knowledge of their spiritual gifts and purposes while putting them
into practice with love. In his
commentary on 1 Co. regarding
tongues John Chrysostom (345-407) writes, “This whole place is very obscure:
but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and
by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer takes
place.” (Hom. 29.1Co 12:1-2).
(Chrysostom, 344-407) |
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