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Tongues: A Biblical ViewBy Ovid Need, Jr. Chapter Six Finally, let us touch on a few Scriptures within Paul's instructions as found in 1 Cor 12-14. We will mention only a few because there are books on the market which do a much better job than we can. (See Introduction.) Knowledge and prophecy, 13:9, 10: both were in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 2 Pet 1:19-21, we have also a more sure word of prophecy: the word of enscriptured word of God, breathed by God's Spirit. As the word of God was completed (John was probably the last one to write, and all the books completed before 70 A.D. 1) prophecy dropped off. (Prophecy defined as Divine inspiration for foretelling the future.) Prophecy dropped off and became more and more infrequent until John wrote the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen. With this, all prophecy as a supernatural gift spoken of in 13:8 stopped. Prophecy today Prophecy today is the use of the written word of God spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit, Revelation 19:10. The NT author's super- natural office of prophet disappeared as Scripture was completed, but the ministry of the prophet of exhorting and edifying from God's word is still with the church. God's prophet was His mouth-piece, and we now have the complete revelation of God in His Son and in His written word. Therefore, the supernatural gift of prophecy can no longer be in operation, for there is no further supernatural revelation from the Father or the Son although there is further illumination. 1 Cor 13:11, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I grew up and matured, I quit those childish things (cf. Eph 4). I now have the complete revelation of God in His word, but even that is as a dark glass which will not be done away with until I see Him face to face." Furthermore, note 14:1: "You should desire to be spiritual (defined as love. Certainly, love will prophesy; it will teach and present Christ to and in the church in a manner that will build the hearers up in faith and obedience to the total law-word of God." Then chp 14 gives the guidelines for the use of other tongues because tongues were still active in the church. When Paul wrote, Israel was still in the land, but even then Paul gave guidelines for their use so that he might purge the pagan ecstatic speech from the worship of Aphrodite out of the church. Problems addressed One of the main problems which is addressed here is pride, 12:12-31, because in chp 14, we see that they were practicing this in order to draw attention to themselves (to the speaker. The "spiritual temperature" was, "My, look how much contact he has with God," when the ecstatic speech had no spiritual significance). They were using tongues for their own self-edification, 14:1-14, when the true mark of spirituality was edifying the whole body of the church, vs. 4, 12. Paul encourages them to prophesy, to speak the word of God in such a way as the whole church could easily understand it and apply its principles. We see that what they were doing was incoherent, yet they were claiming it was something which revealed godly spiritually, 14:6-11. Paul tells them that they do not know the Scriptures and to go the better way and desire to prophesy, v. 1: teach the doctrine of sin and the whole counsel of God which brings conviction and repentance, v. 24. This Corinthian church was like barbarians talking back and forth, and those present couldn't understand a word they were saying; they had no consideration of those present. An example here would be us in a foreign country: I was in U.S. Navy Mobile Construction Battalion #7 for a little over three years. Our main objective at that time was upkeep and maintenance on overseas Naval bases: Cuba, Spain and Puerto Rico. On these bases there were usually many civilian employees who helped on some of the construction jobs or in the kitchen. I well remember building some new barracks in Cuba; many civilian workers were brought in from the surrounding islands (Haiti, &c.) and they would speak among themselves in their native tongue which we could not understand. Paul says he was not going to use his supernatural gift of speaking in a foreign language because it was unfruitful; neither he nor those around him could understand his words, 14:14, 15. Paul closes this chapter with a strong note, which we will close this booklet with: If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. "If any man claims to be spiritual, let him admit these things are true. If he refuses to admit and abide by these things, then ignore him and let him continue on in his ignorance," 14:37, 38. Tongues (the supernatural ability to speak in a foreign language), as mentioned in Acts and Corinthians, are no longer needed. Their need was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the judgment which they spoke of came upon Israel; therefore, this supernatural gift is gone. Prophecies and knowledge in the sense which Philip's daughter spoke are gone also, gradually replaced with the more sure word of prophecy and knowledge, the word of God (Acts 21:9). The Apostle John finished the word of God. These people at Corinth evidently ignored Paul's instruction against the ecstatic speech which had overwhelmed this church from the pagan worship. This church passed off the scene because they chose their emotional experience over the clear concise teaching of God's word. Good sincere people today are caught up in a similar Corinthian emotional experience: "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts. I have had this experience." No doubt one of the most difficult of all things is to lay aside personal experience, ideas and emotions for the foundation of God's word, but we have no choice. The Spirit of God The Spirit of God gives the desire, wisdom and power to work for God, to understand His word and to apply it to every area of life. His Spirit gives the desire and power to obey His commands, thereby inheriting the blessings of God (Ex 28:3; 31:3; 35:21,31; Deut 28; Josh 1:7,8; Ph 2:13). One will not find any Biblical connection with the Spirit and emotions we are hearing so much about today (Ph 2:13; 2 Tim 1:7). Love is not defined by God as a feeling, but as action toward God and toward man; when love is defined as feeling, the door to all kinds of ungodliness and false doctrine is opened. The world is full of deceiving spirits of Antichrist willing to give good feelings, and the only method of recognizing them is the total word of God (1 Tim 4:1; Heb 4:12, etc.. Also note that 1 John, chps. 2, 4, deals with this). Things may look, sound and feel good and draw in money by the truck load, but they cannot replace the authority of God's word. One last point: as we hear and see the TV and radio charismatic movement in action, we hear testimonies of people telling how they have "received Christ into their life," or some variation of these salvationless false doctrines. As a rule, the electronic evangelists have no salvation message from the word of God of the substitutionary death, burial and resurrection (See "The Gospel Perverted"). 2 John 10, as well as Gal 1, clearly instructs us to avoid those who do not present the gospel of the substitutionary atoning work of Christ. When anyone, even an angel from heaven, emphasizes anything over the work of Christ, be warned! God identifies them as false teachers. May God see fit to give light in the dark day of false teachers in every area of His word. Footnotes
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