By Bob Vaughn - uca@uncommonanswers.com
"Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints"
Uncommon Answers Home Page
TONGUES
I
have found no
reason in
scriptures to believe that the gift of tongues is not real, or that it
is not
for the church today. I believe the true gift of tongues has been
shunned because of the abundance of counterfeits. Tongues and
counterfeit tongues are
often misused in the church today. Some teach that
today's
tongues are satanic or hysteria. Many may be. Just as counterfeits will
decrease the value of
money, counterfeits have caused this gift to be not valued by much of
the church.
Tongues
(1
Corinthians 14) are for three purposes -- personal edification (v. 4);
and when accompanied by the gift of interpretation, for edification of
the church (v. 5); and thirdly as a sign to those who do not believe
(v. 22). Tongues are not to be used audibly in the assembly
except when an interpreter is present; otherwise, because of lack of
understanding, confusion may be caused (v. 23). God is not the
author of confusion (v. 33). The misuse of tongues and counterfeit
tongues in the church today, causes the unlearned and
unbelievers think wrong things (v. 23). Tongues used properly are
a sign to the unbelievers
(v. 22). The church needs to be careful to use the gift
properly.
Some
teach there is one type of gift of tongues; others, two types;
and still others, three types. But what do the scriptures say? He that
speaks in a tongue which is unknown is speaking not unto men but unto
God (v. 2). And he should pray that he may interpret the tongue
which
is unknown (v. 13). This unknown tongue is used in an assembly only if
there is an interpreter (v. 23) or else silence is required on the part
of the individual as he speaks to himself and to God (v. 28). We see
only one type of tongue here. When it is unknown it is used in private
worship, but when an interpreter is present it is used to edify the
church. The tongues used in private
worship and the tongues used in conjunction with the gift of
interpretation
are not different. These verses clearly show that what makes the
private worship tongue unknown is the lack of an interpreter (v.
13, v.
27).
Some teach that the tongues the apostles spoke with on the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4) were different than the gift of tongues (1
Cor. 12:10) which we have been studying. We
have seen
that the gift of tongues is tongues unknown (for
edification
of self) or
interpreted (for edification of the Church) and is a
sign to unbelievers (v. 22). The other tongues - other than their
normal
tongues - on the day of Pentecost came following the apostles being
filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4). Many unbelievers from foreign
countries who were there for the celebration of Pentecost, heard
them and were confounded. Everyone heard the apostles speak
in
his own language (v. 6). These
tongues were a "sign" for those
unbelievers. They were amazed and marveled (v. 7, v. 12) and
then
listened to Peter preach (v. 14) concerning Jesus. We one gift of
tongues (1 Cor. 12:10), but it has different
operations or activities (1 Cor. 12: 6) - unknown, interpreted,
or as a sign to unbelievers.
The
Word has shown us that tongues in their various operations are for
edification to the individual (1 Cor. 14:4), and for edification to the
church (v. 5), and for a sign to the unbelievers (v. 22). Some
attribute still another operation to tongues. That being, evidence
the
believer had been filled with the Holy Spirit. There are two reasons
for this teaching. The first is believers
being filled with the Spirit and then immediately speaking with tongues
in certain
instances in the Bible (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6). In Acts 2:4,
as we have already mentioned, the other tongues were a sign to the
foreign multitudes there for Pentecost- unbelievers. In Acts 10:46,
because Jewish Christians didn't believe that Gentiles were accepted by
God, the gift of tongues was a sign to dispel their unbelief. Once
again, unbelievers -
although they were Christians they needed to see that the full scope of
God's grace included the Gentiles. In Acts 19:1-6, we see John's
disciples being instructed more fully and receiving Jesus. Tongues were
for their edification. The second reason for this teaching is Jesus
saying, "These signs shall follow them that
believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with
new tongues;..." (Mark 16:16). Notice that the
words "them" and "they" are plural. These signs follow the church, not
necessarily each individual. Some believers will speak in tongues, some
will heal the sick, some will cast out devils. Tongues did not evidence
the believer as having been filled with the Spirit.
There
are many signs given to evidence the
Spirit-filled life (Galatians 5:22,23; 5:16; Acts 4:31; John 14:26; Romans 14:17), none of which
mention tongues. If tongues were God's sign to us of the Spirit-filled
life, would He not have told us? He did tell us to examine the fruit
in a man's life and thereby know what spirit he has (Matthew 7:16; 1 John 4:1-3).
"Study to show
thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15)
Bob Vaughn