Victor Font

“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. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 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.”—1 Corinthians 13:8–12, (AV)

There’s no doubt that the sign gift of tongues was important to the early church. But I can’t think of an issue that creates more contention amongst believers than the discussion of whether or not tongues is a gift for today’s church. Those of you who have had an experience with tongues believe it is for today. Those who have been brought up in a fundamentalist background know its not for today. But we all can’t be right and truthfully, there’s no sense arguing over it.

As human beings we often let our experiences trump God’s Word. Experiences can be extremely powerful motivators. But God’s Word is supposed to be our ultimate authority, isn’t it? If not, then we are believing something that isn’t true no matter how real it is.  We are believing what 2 Thessalonians 2:9, (AV) calls “signs and lying wonders.” “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”

Our decision to believe that tongues are for today or not hinges upon our understanding of one single verse of Scripture. That’s 1 Corinthians 13:10, “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” Specifically, our decision hinges on the first part of that verse, “But when that which is perfect is come…” What is “that which is perfect?” It all boils down to what we believe the “that which is perfect” actually is.

Some believe “that which is perfect” is Jesus Christ Himself at His second coming. There are some problems with this. The word translated from the Greek as perfect is “teleion.” Teleion is an adjective that means” brought to its end, finished.” or “wanting nothing necessary to completeness.” The entire phrase translated “that which is perfect” is “To Teleion.” “To” (that which) is an definite article of neutral gender. This does not describe Jesus Christ, nor is Christ ever referred to in the Bible with the name “Perfect” even though we know He is.

“That which is perfect” cannot refer to the Holy Spirit either. When 1 Corinthians was written, the Holy Spirit had already entered the picture. The only safe conclusion that we can come to is that “that which is perfect” refers to something of neutral gender that is not yet complete but is anticipated by Paul to be completed in the indefinite future. What could that be?

I believe “that which is perfect” refers to the completed canon of Scripture. The Holy Bible. Here is why I believe this:

1. The early church had special needs
2. 2. They did not have a complete New Testament
3. 3. They needed authentication of these revelations by miracles and signs.
   

   How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?—Hebrews 2:3–4, (AV)

4. 4. The New Testament was finally completed and is the “living and powerful” word of God.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”—Hebrews 4:12, (AV)

The gift of tongues was used only in the transitional period between Law and Grace and that the sign gifts continued through the time of the Apostles while the New Testament was in the process of being written and completed. So if this all true, what are people experiencing today? What is the source of the experiences often accompanied by feelings of euphoria and spiritual highs? Why are people not turning to God’s Word to understand the truth? Why are people allowing experience and emotion to trump the authority of God’s Word?

It all comes back to 2 Thessalonians 2:9, Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, …. As I stated in Speaking in Tongues—Part 1, we are witnessing a growing phenomenon of satanic activity in the realm of the miraculous. Where the Devil does not succeed in taking the Bible from us, he works hard at taking us from the Bible. Sadly, when he succeeds in getting Christians to focus their attention on some supernatural experience, those seeking after the experience have neither the time nor interest in searching the Scriptures for God’s truth.

I do believe God is still in the miracle business today. But as for the sign gifts, the Bible speaks for itself, For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:—1 Corinthians 1:22, (AV). “Greeks” here means gentiles.

And when speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus said, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.”—Matthew 16:4, (AV)

So if you fall into the camp that believes experience and euphoria trump God’s Word, won’t you please seek God’s wisdom from His Word instead? I’ve known many great men of God, great soul winners who have led hundreds, maybe thousands to the Lord. Not one of them ever spoke in tongues.

In our previous lessons we’ve learned the Bible teaches that speaking in tongues:

• Is for Jewish unbelievers
• Is always acknowledged as a known human language when documented in Scripture
• Is used as a missionary or evangelistic tool
• Confirms the message of the Gospel

Today, we are going to evaluate what the Bible teaches is the proper use of tongues in church worship practices. First, tongues are not a prayer language. Look at Romans 8:26-27:

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Human beings are inherently weak spiritually. Now there’s nothing wrong with asking God for things or for His blessing on people, but the most overused word in our prayer lives is the word “bless.” But even Paul had difficulty at times knowing the right things to pray for, “for we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” It’s during times like these that the Holy Spirit, the great Comforter, makes “for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

What does this mean? If something cannot be uttered, is it audible to those around us? Of course not! When the Holy Spirit inspires us with “groanings which cannot be uttered,” they are conscious, deep and intense yearnings moving us and teaching us to pray. We may still not be able to put our requests of God into a definite form, or even express them in words; but we know that God knows the meaning of what His own Spirit has inspired (V.27). Even apart from the faith and inspiration of the Gospel, the internal consciousness of our souls, with their yearnings after something as yet unseen, is one of the most cogent evidences of a life to come. Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

A more serious problem arises in the understanding of the 21 references to tongues in 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14. There are those who insist that the tongues in 1 Corinthians are ecstatic utterances not known in any country on earth. They base their conclusion on the term “unknown” which appears in 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4, 13, 14, 19, and 27. But the student of God’s Word must not fail to observe that the word “unknown” is italicized in every place where it appears. This means that it does not occur in any Greek manuscript but was inserted by the translators. Translations are not inspired. Only the original autographs as dictated to men by the Holy Spirit are inspired. The Holy Spirit did not inspire Paul to write that the tongue is unknown. All the usages of tongues in Paul’s treatment of the subject refer to foreign languages. “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 air” (1 Corinthians 14:9)

Let’s keep something in mind about the Corinthian church, it was one messed up body of believers. Paul’s letters to them were to instruct them in proper Christian conduct and behavior. When tongues were used in the church, Paul establishes rules in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 for their orderly use:

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

When used in the church, at the very most only three people were permitted to speak in tongues. They needed to speak in turn and not all at the same time; and one of them must be an interpreter to translate what was being said to the entire congregation. If there was no interpreter present, tongues were not permitted. Is that the way tongues are being used in churches today? Are today’s churches following this Scriptural precept? Based on your experience, if you answered “no” to either of these questions, the use of tongues is unscriptural. That church is not following God’s Word regardless of how wonderful or emotional the experience.

There is never any reason for anyone to speak except to converse intelligibly. The term that is used to identify tongues in the Bible is “glossolalia,” made up of two Greek words, glossa (language or tongue) and lalia (speech). The Greek word laleo means “I speak.” The word is never used for mere sound or noise. Nor is it used for the mumbling or muttering of unintelligible gibberish. The tongues-speaking in the New Testament was in the native languages of the people hearing them. The supernatural phenomenon which took place at Pentecost was the exercise of a gift whereby many people from many countries, gathered at Jerusalem, heard God’s message in their own language. This was indeed a miracle of God.

It’s an arbitrary and strange interpretation of Scripture that makes tongues-speaking in the New Testament anything other than known human languages. There is no trace of Scriptural evidence that tongues were ever heard by anyone as incoherent, incomprehensible babbling.

We’ll conclude our Bible study on Speaking in Tongues in our next lesson.

In Speaking in Tongues—Part 2, we learned that tongues are for Jewish unbelievers. Since this is true, then we may expect to see that wherever tongues are used in Scripture, that they are used for the purpose of convincing Jewish unbelievers of the Gospel. The first account of this is found in Acts 2.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”—Acts 2:4–6, (AV)

Acts 2 describes the events that occurred on the day of Pentecost. As the Apostles and those that waited with them in the upper room received the sign gift of tongues, the tongues were used as a missionary or evangelistic tool in fulfillment of Isaiah 28:11 (AV) which says, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.”

Acts 2:5 says, “And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” There was no need for the disciples to learn other languages before they could communicate the Gospel. God overcame the language barrier through the miracle-gift of tongues.

When the disciples “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4), the hearers responded with the question, “And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”—Acts 2:8, (AV).

Those attending the feast were “Jews” from other countries who spoke many languages and dialects, and yet each heard the Gospel in his own tongue. Whenever tongues are used in Scripture, they are always acknowledged as a known human language. They would have to be wouldn’t they, if their purpose is to convince the Jewish unbelievers of the Gospel and fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy?

The people who heard the Gospel message preached in their own languages (tongues) responded in great numbers. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”—Acts 2:41, (AV)

The second mention of speaking in tongues occurs in Acts 10:46:

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision [Jews] which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, ”—Acts 10:44–46, (AV)

On this occasion the use of tongues was to communicate the Gospel and to confirm the message of the Gospel to the believing Jews who accompanied Peter. As a result, Cornelius and his house became believers. Later, when relating this experience, Peter associates it with Pentecost. He says, “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). At the house of Cornelius, tongues-speaking was a sign to the Jews present at a time when the Gospel was being communicated.

The third passage in Acts in which speaking in tongues is recorded is Acts 19:6, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”

Again the purpose of tongues was missionary and evangelistic. When Paul came to Ephesus he encountered twelve disciples of John the Baptist. He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Ghost when (not since) you believed?” (Acts 19:2, see the R.V.). These at Ephesus considered themselves to be Christians because they had heard the message of John through Apollos. You see, there is a belief unto salvation and a belief that does not result in salvation. The latter is merely an academic, intellectual belief that even Satan and the demons demonstrate (James 2:19. cf. Mark 5:7).

There are undoubtedly people today who have a belief in the historical Jesus Christ as a man and maybe even the Son of God, but who have not been saved. Paul suspected that such was the case with the disciples of John whom he met at Ephesus. When he learned they were not saved, he told them they must trust Christ for their salvation. We can understand the confusion they might have experienced, therefore some evidentiary sign was necessary. “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6). Again the purpose for speaking in tongues is obvious, namely, to communicate the Gospel message.

These are the only instances of tongues-speaking recorded in the Bible. Except for the passage in 1 Corinthians, none of the later Epistles even mention speaking in tongues. Many of you will probably disagree when I say the gift was used only in the transitional period between Law and Grace and that the sign gifts continued through the period of the Apostles while the New Testament was in the process of being written. But I’d like to encourage you to stay with the study as we move into Speaking in Tongues—Part 4 so you can see what God says about the matter.