THE
GIFT OF TONGUES
It’s
Place In Scripture – Also Other Sign Gifts
“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 they will not hear Me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.” 1 Cor. 14: 21, 22.
“And
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance….And they were all amazed and marvelled,
saying one to another, Behold are not all these which speak Galileans?…we do
hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:
4-11.
It
is most important when speaking of this subject that we realize two things. What
was the purpose of the gift of tongues? Were they languages that were spoken in
the world, or were they merely ecstatic utterances? Now the Scriptures quoted
above answer these questions very clearly.
If
we bear these two things in mind, then all the scriptures dealing with the
subject become clear at once. As to whether they still exist today, then, if
they do, we must expect them to be the same as those spoken of in the Scripture.
God gave signs to confirm the Word to unbelievers that is, before the New
Testament had been written (Mark 16: 20, Hebrews 2: 3,4) Alas, today we find two
things that alarm us in the present tongues movement.
| 1. |
They are not used to proclaim the wonderful
works of God to unbelievers in their own language. |
2.
|
They are very often associated with some very
serious errors as
o the Person and work of Christ, as well as other unscriptural practices. |
These
things ought to place us on guard before getting involved in such movements, for
we are told to, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
1 Thess. 5: 21. The way we prove them is by the Word of God. It is a dangerous
thing to look for a power that is not according to God’s Word.
THREE PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES THAT SPEAK OF TONGUES
1
This
refers to the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down according to the
promise of Acts 1: 4, 5 (see also John 7: 39; 16: 7).
Up
to this time God had been dealing with a particular nation, and the Lord Jesus,
when here upon earth, said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of
the house of Israel.” Matt. 15: 24. He also told His disciples, “Go
not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any of the cities of the Samaritans
enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matt.
10: 5, 6. But now on the day of Pentecost, a new thing was about to commence.
The Lord Jesus had said, “I will build My church” Matt. 16: 18, and
this church was to be composed of Jew and Gentile (1 Cor. 12: 13). The middle
wall of partition between Jew and Gentile was to be broken down (Eph. 2: 14) and
what more apt sign of this new thing could be given than the gift of tongues?
The message of the wonderful works of God, without previous education on the
part of the speakers, goes out in many different languages. God was showing that
he was reaching over the bounds of Israel, for he was about to break down the
middle wall of partition that divided them.
2.
ACTS
CHAPTER 10: 46
Here
it is a company of Gentiles in the house of Cornelius, for again I say we see
God introducing this new thing by the bringing in of the Gentiles to form the
Church of God on earth. They received the Gospel proclaimed by Peter, and when
the Holy Ghost fell upon them they spoke with tongues and were added to the
church. In rehearsing what took place in Acts 11: 4-18, Peter said, “the
Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.” This makes it very clear
that they also spoke in intelligible tongues (languages spoken in the world),
for this is the way the gift of tongues was given at the beginning. Again we can
see that this was in harmony with the ways of God, to show that He was reaching
out beyond Israel to the Gentiles. Those in the assembly at Jerusalem were led
to confirm this, for they said, “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted
repentance unto life.” Acts 11: 18.
3
This
refers to when Paul came to Ephesus. Here were a company of disciples who have
never heard the gospel of the grace of God. They had accepted John the
Baptist’s message telling of the coming of the messiah, and in repentance had
been baptized by him. Now they hear of the Lord Jesus who had died and risen
again, and that the Holy Ghost has come. John had said that the Lord Jesus would
baptize with the Holy Ghost (Matt. 3: 11), and this had already taken place on
the day of Pentecost as the Lord Jesus had said it would in Acts 1: 5. Now it
was no longer necessary to wait for the baptism of the Holy Ghost, for he had
come, and so when Paul laid his hands on them they received the Holy Ghost. They
too bear witness, by speaking in tongues, that Christianity was not like
John’s message to the nation of Israel, for the gospel message in Christianity
reaches out to the Gentile. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians does not mention
the gift of tongues, but clearly brings out how the middle wall of partition
between Jew and Gentile has been broken down, forming one body in Christ (Eph.
2: 14-16; 3: 6).
THE ONLY EPISTLE, WHICH SPEAKS OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES, IS 1 CORINTHIANS
Here
we are told that the Corinthians came behind in no gift, and yet they were
carnal Christians. (1 Cor. 1: 7; 3: 1). Now “the gifts and calling of
God are without repentance” Rom. 11: 29, and God does not withdraw a gift
from a person to whom He has given it, even though the person may not use it
according to His mind as revealed in his Word.
It
is possible to use a God-given gift in the wrong way, or for display and
self-exaltation. Moreover it is important to notice that all the believers at
Corinth did not have the gift of tongues, (1 Cor. 12: 30) but some who had been
given this gift, were not using it in love nor for profit, and this is why Paul
exhorts them not to act as children who like to show off (1 Cor. 13: 11; 14:
20). When he speaks of the tongues of men and of angels it is in the same way as
he speaks of angels preaching another gospel (Gal. 1: 8), for we may be sure
angels can speak any earthly language, and the elect angels are ministering
spirits caring for all the children of God regardless of nationality (Heb. 1:
13, 14).
NOT A
‘HEAVENLY LANGUAGE’.
There
is no thought here of a so-called “heavenly language”, for how could a
language unknown to any people or nation on earth be a testimony to unbelievers.
Yet, Scripture shows us, as we have already pointed out, that tongues were given
as a sign to unbelievers. Tongues will not be needed when “that which is
perfect is come” (1 Cor. 13: 8-10) so they will cease in the coming
glory. Notice here it does not say “the gift of tongues”, but simply
that “tongues” would cease. In heaven prophecy will not be
needed, and knowledge will no longer be in part, and since all will be of one
mind and speak the same language, then tongues will cease. The various languages
began at the tower of Babel when man in his pride sought to put up a building of
bricks whose top would reach to heaven. Now God is building a spiritual house,
of which all believers are part as living stones, regardless of nationality or
tongue. Again we see the wisdom off God in introducing this new thing by giving
the gift of tongues. To use this gift without love, and simply for display was
not in God’s purpose.
Therefore,
in the fourteenth chapter of Corinthians, the apostle follows on with this
subject, and regulates its use in the assembly. On the previous occasions
recorded in the Acts, they were not used in the assembly as gathered together,
but only as a sign in keeping with God’s purpose in giving them. Now since it
was a God-given gift, its use was not forbidden as long as there was an
interpreter. It would, when used in this way, be a reminder to the Assembly of
God’s grace in working among other nations in blessing, and gathering them
into one body in Christ. Even today, we may be prone to forget, in an assembly
where all speak in one language, that God is saving souls and giving them the
Holy Spirit as members of the one body, from every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation. Very often, when some of another tongue comes in, and we
have to interpret for them, we are reminded of how, on the day of Pentecost,
every one heard in his own tongue wherein he was born, the wonderful works of
God. (Acts 2: 8).
Sad
to say the Corinthians were using the gift of tongues for display, and so Paul
had to tell them not to speak in another tongue, unknown to those present,
unless there was an interpreter. They could, however, “speak to
themselves and to God” in another tongue, for He understood every
language. If I were in a meeting where no one understood English, I would speak
to myself and to God in English. But verses 21 and 22 of this chapter make it
clear that it was not some ecstatic utterance that is referred to, but the
tongues Paul was speaking about, were other languages which would be a sign to
unbelievers of the power of God and of how the message of salvation now goes out
to all nations.
If there was no one present in the assembly who understood the language and no interpreter it would not serve its God-given purpose as shown in Acts 2. Moreover, it would seem foolish to strangers coming in, who could not understand what was spoken. It would be confusion, God would not be glorified and no one would be edified (I Cor. 14: 21-25).
But
the question is often asked whether we have the gift of tongues today. To ask
the question is to answer it, for there is no person or group who would claim to
be able to do what took place in Acts 2, gathering a group of people from
“every nation under heaven” Acts 2: 5, and then speaking to them in
their own tongues the wonderful works of God.
OTHER
‘SIGN GIFTS’
This brings us to an important consideration, not only as to the gift of tongues, but also as to all the sign gifts. The Scripture does not promise that the gifts of tongues, healing and miracles, even to the raising of the dead, as wrought by specially gifted ones in the early church, would continue. We know they existed in the early church as is clearly recorded in the Acts and in Corinthians, as signs to confirm the Word, which had not yet been written. There is, however, the promise of the continuance of the gifts of ministry for the edification of the church (Eph. 4: 7-16). Now we have in the written Word, the foundation of Christianity laid by the apostles and prophets (Rom. 16: 26, 1 Cor. 3: 10, Eph. 2: 20-22), and the continuation of the gifts of ministry, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we hence forth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” Eph. 4: 12-14.
THE
SO-CALLED ‘GIFTS’ OF TODAY – NOT THE SAME AS THOSE DURING
THE
PERIOD OF THE ACTS
As mentioned before, there are those who profess to have the gift of tongues and other “sign gifts” today. As we test their claims by the Word of God and by facts, we find they are not the same as in the book of the Acts. They do not use the gift of tongues as a sign to unbelievers, nor can a group of sick ones be called together and every one be healed. (Acts 5: 12-16) Even as regards the healings recorded in the Acts, there is no assurance that those who were healed were believers, but rather every indication to the contrary. It was a sign to confirm the Word to unbelievers, for true believers do not need to have the Word confirmed to them, for they have received it as the Word of God. (1 Thess. 2: 13). Also, it is important to see that healing has to do with the world or age to come. (Heb. 6: 5, Isaiah 33: 24, Psalm 103: 3). It was especially a sign to those who had rejected their Messiah, and to others as well, that he is the one who will later bring in the kingdom blessings on the earth, and that he is now risen and these mighty works were done in his Name (Acts 4: 9, 10).
It
is very important that we distinguish the two distinct spheres of blessing of
which the Lord Jesus will be the heavenly scene to which the church belongs (2
Cor. 5: 1, Col. 1: 5, 1 Pet. 1: 3, 4) and there will be the earthly scene of
which Jerusalem on earth will be the centre (Isaiah 4: 3-5; 65: 18).
Since we, as part of the church, are a heavenly people, we await the moment of
His coming when we will be changed and have bodies of glory fashioned like unto
Christ’s s glorious body (Phil. 3: 20, 21). In the meantime “in this
tabernacle we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which
is from heaven.” 2
Cor. 5: 2.
In
connection with this, it is most interesting to notice carefully the mention of
sickness among believers in the epistles that is among those who belong to the
heavenly company. We read in Romans 8: 23 that we “which have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for
the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” There is no mention
here of healing, but rather of waiting for the redemption of our bodies. The
Spirit in the meantime “helpeth our infirmities”, but it does not say
he removes them.
Then
later in 2 Cor. 12: 7-10, we find that Paul had a thorn in the flesh, called an
infirmity in Gal. 4: 13, yet the Lord did not heal him, but taught him
dependence upon him through it. Timothy had “oft infirmities” but
Paul did not suggest a healer, but rather a remedy for his infirmity (1 Tim 5:
23). Again in 2 Tim. 4: 20, though Paul had healed many in his gospel work, (as
recorded in Acts 19: 11, 12; 28: 8, 9) he left Trophimus at Miletum sick.
Here
we have the case of one who is sick and he calls for the elders to pray for him.
It is not the sick man’s faith that restores him to health, nor is his faith
even mentioned, but rather faith exercised on the part of those who pray for
him. Nor is it the gift of healing in exercise, but rather answered prayer,
suggesting that the one who is sick recognizes that he must be upright and
confess known sin. The ones who pray discern the Lord’s mind in connection
with the sickness, and praying according to God’s will, he answers their
prayer. There is no mention here of a miraculous sudden healing, but of the lord
raising the sick man up again. In those days too, there were elders appointed by
the apostles, whereas today there are no apostles or apostolic delegates, as
Titus was, (Titus 1: 5) to appoint them. The local assembly never appointed its
own elders even in Scripture times, though no doubt in these days of ruin and
failure, God is faithful, and so as Paul looked on to those days when grievous
wolves would (and have) come in, he spoke of those elders at Ephesus, not as
appointed by himself, but by the Holy Ghost (Acts 20: 28-30).
Raised
up of God to take the oversight of His people, in the spirit of humility and
love for the flock of God. This is no doubt, why James mentions the case of
Elijah, a prophet in the days of Israel’s failure and division, and shows how
he was intelligent as to the Lord’s mind in his prayers. He first saw the need
of discipline on God’s people in withholding the rain, and then God in grace
answering the prayer of Elijah in sending rain. How often we have seen the Lord
answering prayer in our day in many difficult situations, and in restoring sick
ones to health, but let us have an understanding of the times and discernment as
to his will in these things (Eph. 5: 17).
We
can see from 1 Cor. 11: 30 how God uses sickness in his governmental ways with
us, for we read that because of unjudged sin, God had allowed many in Corinth to
be “weak and sickly” because they had not judged themselves for
their careless ways. John also speaks of these things in the epistle (1 John 5:
14-17) showing how the Lord might remove one in death because of his careless
ways. While the Christian is eternally secure as to his soul’s salvation, he
comes under the governmental ways of God, and God sometimes uses sickness to
deal with His own. If we refuse to listen, we may lose the privilege of living
here as a testimony for Christ, even though the blood of Christ has bade us fit
for heave. Of course this does not mean that all sickness is chastisement, for
it may be simply because our bodies are part of a groaning creation and we may
have inherited some weakness as such, or it may be God’s schooling, like
pruning a vine so there will be more fruit. This was the case with Paul in 2
Cor. 12: 7-10.
It
is most important for us that our expectations do not go beyond the Word of God
(Psalm 62: 5, Num. 23: 19). Those who are looking for these sign gifts today,
have allowed their expectations to go beyond the Word of God, and this leaves
them open to “every wind of doctrine” and to the power of the
enemy (Psalm 17: 4, 5; 2 Tim. 2: 24-26). False prophets will do signs and
wonders in a coming day (Matt. 24: 24) but they will be done by Satan’s power,
and the only way that we can be sure that a thing is of God is that it is
according to his Word. All the Scriptures that speak of the last days of the
church’s history speak of departure from God and weakness, not signs and
wonders. Look at Paul’s description of the last days of the church in 2
Timothy 3, or John’s description of the last days of the church as seen in
Laodicea (Rev. 3: 14-20), and Peter’s warnings in 2 Peter 3: 3, 4. Joel’s
prophesy in Acts 2, which some have used to support signs and wonders in these
last days of the church’s history, refers to a future day for Israel (the last
days for them, Joel 2: 21-32). The day of Pentecost was of that character, for
Israel as a nation were then given the opportunity to repent of their guilt in
crucifying their Messiah and thus receive the promised blessing which will be
theirs in a later day when they do repent. (Acts 3: 17-26).
The
Holy Ghost was given on the day of Pentecost, and now, as a divine Person He
indwells the bodies of believers (1 Cor. 6: 19). The Lord Jesus spoke of this
(John 14: 16, 17) and told the disciples, prior to the day of Pentecost, to wait
for His coming at which time they would be “endued with power from on high” Luke
24: 49. In Corinth the believers were not told to wait for “the
power” to come upon them, but rather to use the gifts of the Spirit
God had given them, intelligently as directed by His Word, in holy liberty as
led by the Spirit (1 Cor 12: 4-11). Another has said, “The Spirit and
the Word cannot be separated without falling into fanaticism on the one hand or
rationalism on the other.” It is a dangerous thing to wait for a further
outpouring of power beyond that which we have as indwelled by the Spirit of God.
There are two powers above man, and they are the power of God and the power of
Satan.
The
charismatic movement leads people to look for displays of power that are not
according to the Word of God and therefore are not by the Spirit of God. Mr.
Edward Irving who began this movement in England in the last century taught some
of the most shocking things about the Person of Christ which one dares not
repeat, yet there were great displays of power and tongues at that time which
caught even real Christians in the snare. (Spirit Manifestations by Sir Robt.
Anderson, pages 19, 20). Even today the display of this power and tongues is too
often associated with evil doctrine as to the Person and work of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and other unscriptural practices, for Satan can take the form of an
“angel of light” (2 Cor. 11: 13-15) as well as a “roaring
lion” (1 Pet. 5: 8, 9). His great aim has always been to attack the
glorious Person and the finished work of our ever-blessed Lord and Saviour.
For
this reason we can see the importance of first testing this modern charismatic
movement by the Word of God. Let us not look for “the power”, for if
one is a true believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, he or she is indwelled by the
Spirit of God who is the power for our walk as children of God. In Luke 11: 13,
before the day of Pentecost, the Lord Jesus told His disciples to ask for the
Holy Spirit, for He had not yet been given (John 7: 39), but now He indwells the
bodies of all those who have believed the gospel (Eph. 1: 13). There is no
record of anyone being told to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit
after the day of Pentecost. There is the exhortation to be “filled with
the Spirit” Eph. 5: 18, which means that we are to allow Him to lead us
in all that we do. It is placed in contrast with being drunk with wine, for such
a person would be out of control, whereas one who is filled with the Spirit
would be under control, for one of the fruits of the Spirit is temperance or
self control. (Gal. 5: 22, 23). Where the Spirit of God is leading there is
liberty and intelligent service.
As
we walk close to the Lord in dependence and obedience, there will be, by the
power of the Spirit of God, the enjoyment of Christ and of our portion in Him,
for the Holy Spirit does not speak of himself, but guides us into all truth and
glorifies Christ (John 16: 13, 14, Eph. 3: 16, 21, Col. 1: 8-14) He will also
enable us to render a true testimony for Christ before others (Phil. 2: 15, 16).
If we see displays of power about us, we will be more concerned about whether
they are according to God’s Word than whether the sign or wonder comes to pass
(Deut. 13: 1-4).
In
closing one would commend these remarks to the Lord that they may be used to
help the people of God to discern the path of faith in these last days. We
rejoice to see God working in grace in saving souls, using his precious Word by
whomsoever it may be preached (Phil. 1: 18). But God would also have those who
are His to “come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2: 4).
The path of obedience to His Word is the only safe and truly happy path, and in
that path, as another has said, “there are no disappointments and no
deluded hopes.” Wisdom’s ways are “ways of pleasantness, and
all her paths are peace.” Prov. 3: 17.
The
Scripture does not tell us to look for a second Pentecost, but rather to know
how to act and how to gather to the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in obedience,
when Christendom has become a great house with “vessels to honour and
vessels to dishonour in it.” 2 Tim. 2: 16-26. The Lord had to say to
Peter on one occasion, “Get thee behind Me, Satan, Matt. 16: 23, showing
how even a real and useful believer can be led astray and used of the enemy.
May we know what it is to enjoy our portion in Christ now, by the Spirit,
having, as another has said, large hearts (to love all the true children of God)
and narrow feet (to walk in the narrow way of obedience to God’s Word) while we
look forward to that blessed day when we will be with Christ in that glorious
Home above. Then the church will be presented “a glorious church, not
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.” Eph. 5: 27. All that will
really count then will be to have His approval as to our pathway home to the
Father’s house.
G.
H. H.
“Lord,
haste that day of cloudless ray,
That
prospect bright unfailing;
Where
God shall shine in light divine,
In
glory never fading.”