TONGUES - A SIGN

[DigitGen]

    No one on the planet earth is speaking in the Biblical gift of tongues.  Not one person, yet there are thousands of persons who are claiming that they do speak in tongues.  What is happening?  What is going on?

     The Biblical gift of tongues was the ability to speak in a known foreign language without any prior training for the purpose of evangelizing the lost.  No one is speaking in a foreign language without training today!

     What about the baptism of the Holy Spirit?  Every believer has the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the moment they trust the Lord as their Saviour.  I Corinthians 12:13 says, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond for free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."  According to this verse, the baptism of the Spirit is the act of God whereby we are placed into the body of Christ.  I Corinthians 12:27 goes on to say, "Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular."  If you are not in the body of Christ, you are not saved.  The baptism of the Spirit is the means by which we are placed into Christ's body.  All believers have the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

     Before tongues ceased (I Corinthians 12:30), only a few spoke in tongues even when the gift was operative.

     Pentecost will never be repeated, nor can it be.  Pentecost will not be repeated anymore than Calvary will be repeated.  The word Pentecost means fifty days.  It occurred fifty days after the resurrection of Christ.  We are now nearly 700,000 days since the resurrection.

     On the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:5-8 records, "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.  And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

     "Dialektos" is the Greek word translated language (Acts 2:6) and tongues (Acts 2:.  This Greek word refers to more than a specific language.  It refers to the very dialect of the language.  For example, there are many dialects of the English language.  If you were to visit Plains, Georgia, you would hear one dialect of English.  If you were to visit the Carolina's, you would hear one dialect of English.  Now, how about Brooklyn, New York, or what about Boston, Mass.?  Each has a distinct dialect.  Then if you were to visit England, you would find a totally different dialect of English, yet the British are speaking English, aren't they?

     Let's imagine what happened at Pentecost, and let's say that you were there.  Let's say that you were born in Plains, Georgia.  You know, and everyone else knows, that few folks on the earth speak that brand (dialect) of English.  You are in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.  A Jew approaches you.  He is uneducated and has been raised around Galilee.  He is a fisherman and has never traveled out of Israel.  All of a sudden he speaks to you in Plains, Georgia English.  You would have to admit this is a miracle.  This Jew sounds just as though he was raised next to Jimmy Carter.  It must feel great to be in a foreign country and hear someone who sounds like they are from back home.  This Jew then gives you the gospel message in your native tongue.  Friend, that is what happened at Pentecost.

     Acts 2:5 says, Jews from every nation were visiting Jerusalem.  Acts 2:6 says that these foreigners heard the gospel in the dialect of the language wherein they were born.

     Why did God give the tongues (known foreign language) gift?  In I Corinthians 14:21 we read, "In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak to this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord."  Isaiah had predicted that God would turn to the Gentiles during this age, after the rejection of Christ, and that He would give the gospel to the Jews in Gentile languages.  At Pentecost this required a miracle.  To witness to these foreign born Jews in a Gentile language required that God give them that language dialect on the spot.

     As the gospel went to the Gentile nations the gift became unnecessary.  For example, I witness to Jewish people in the Gentile tongue of English.  German Christians witness to Jews in their country in German.  French Christians witness to Jews in their country in French and so on.  I think it would be rare indeed if any Jew on the earth today heard the Gospel in Hebrew.  They are hearing it in Gentile languages just like Isaiah prophesied.  I love to make it a point to tell Jewish people that I am fulfilling prophecy by telling them of their Messiah in a Gentile language.  It is exciting!

     Tongues are for reaching the lost!  I Corinthians 14:22 says, "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:"

     Tongues were to be easily understood.  I Corinthians 14:9 says, "So likewise you, except you utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?  For you speak into the air."

     The gibberish that is being done today is not the Biblical gift of tongues.  The Pentecostals, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Roman Catholics, and others are doing this gibberish.  People of world religions also do it, such as the Buddhists and the Mohammedans.  It is done by the cults, like the Mormons.  It is done by the occult.  A medium in a satanic seance will break into the same unintelligible speech described above!

     The Biblical gift of tongues has ceased (I Corinthians 13:8-10) and is not present today!  What we are seeing is a sign of the return of Christ.  Jesus said, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs, and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (Matthew 24:24)."

     Tongues are a sign that Christ is coming.  Beware of the deception!  Watch for the soon coming Jesus Christ.

[Shammu]

The Biblical gift of tongues has ceased (I Corinthians 13:8-10) and is not present today!  What we are seeing is a sign of the return of Christ.  Jesus said, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs, and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (Matthew 24:24)."

Tongues are a sign that Christ is coming.  Beware of the deception!  Watch for the soon coming Jesus Christ.

Well said DigitGen!

[DigitGen]

Thank you, but I just hope that it is not just those that understand it that see this God bless!
in his love and grace,
David Winn

[GKB]

digitgen,

according to your faith be it unto you. here we go again trying to limit jesus to our understanding. i was going to scripturelly correct you, but i decided i'd give it to you simple, not to mention it appears that you've come across the scriptures on some level. i believe that your statement about other nations being able to understand is accurate, however, i also believe that there is a heavenly language that is between me and god specifically.

heres the thing that i love the most about the truth. the truth is the truth rather you believe it or not. it only becomes true for YOU when you believe it. god is not limited to what you believe or how you've interpreted what he said, only you are!

[Jemidon2004]

Keep in mind that Scripture does contain absolutes truths GKB.

 I commend you for all you said in this post DigitGen. You are right on the ball. Keep up the good work.

Coram Deo,
Joshua

[DigitGen]

Excuse me RBK but what is more important is that his word describes him and how he is and what he does, and even if an angel with wings as wide as constelations came down and wanted me to give me a new revelation I would would ask his for a scripture reference and if he would not give me one he is not to be trusted. and you are correct in that the holy spirit prays for us cause we don't know what we should pray for, but he does so in groanings WHICH CANNOT BE UTTERED not to mention that the special way God tends to speak to them or (so they believe) can usually be traced to be purely of emotion and emotions the bible says are from the heart (the 'center' of the flesh) and the heart is... Jer.17:9
and last but not least
PR.28:26He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
PR.18:2fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
God 'speaking to you' starts at his word and I have never seen it there in special language
In his Love and Grace,
David Winn

[GKB]

let me ask you scholars,

did god stop giving out gifts? or does he only give gifts that you believe? gods gifting is not on trial. he has given out gifts of the holy spirit, prophecies, healings, tongues, interpretations of tongues, etc...because you haven't gotten one doesn't mean hes not god, or that he has ceased to give these gifts. perhaps your faith has not belived for these miracles, doesn't mean they do not exsist, just means they do not exsist for you! perhaps you should ask jesus instead of creating a doctrine of your own and teaching it..god is not limited to your understanding, you are!

[Soldier4Christ]

Yes, it is still possible for the gift of tongues to be given to someone to fit the purpose of God. After all all things are possible with God. However to much emphasis is put on this gift. Some today even say that one is not saved unless they "prove it" by speaking in tongues. There are many that seek this gift to the extent of ignoring others.



1Co 14:6  Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
1Co 14:7  And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
1Co 14:8  For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1Co 14:9  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 the air.
1Co 14:10  There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
1Co 14:11  Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
1Co 14:12  Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.


1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

[DigitGen]

I am not completely certain these gifts are gone it is just my best interpretation. But what I am certain of what the gift is and its purpose, and it is quite clear on this. There is no don't that this gift's purpose in to win the lost and this babble that is done in churches today is not it, Tell me what purpose it would serve to do this babble to an unsaved person He Will Laugh At You! Now if he were to be Russian and know that you do not speak russian and you were to suddenly speak a perfect russian with the specific dialect <dialectos> of the city he was from you will amaze him and demonstrate the awesome power of God, and I believe you would win him (well the Holy spirit would you know what I mean), now to those who had this gift they may demonstrate it in church but the verse he cited tells them to have a translator for the russian he speaks or what language he speak in. Because the Greeks and hebrews or whoever was there, probably would not understand. Not to mention they DID NOT have a complete bible even in their language but now I have over 130 bible translations that are complete in over 100 languages, the word is not hidden to other countries even close to as much as it was back then. There was an astronomical need back then for that gift, but the major problem today is not a lack of the word it is a lack of care, That lack of care God will not give them signs, thousands of people cames to see what Jesus was about, to see if he is what he said he is, They cared, today the people do not. Even Thomas Genuinely wanted to know today people are so concerned with aquiring & polishing their private space on the Titanic.

Eccesiastes 10:5a. There is [another] evil [which] I have seen under the sun, 6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich are seated in [a] low place. 7I saw servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth
Afflicted but still..
In his Love and Grace,
David Winn

[Frederic Dalton]

Lots of good posts. DigitGen says:

Tongues were to be easily understood.  I Corinthians 14:9 says, "So likewise you, except you utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?  For you speak into the air."

... but if that was actually true, then what about Acts 2:12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" - indeed, if tongues were so easily understood, it wouldn't occured to anyone to ask what it means. And people would definitely not have alleged drunkkenness, as you see in verse 13.

So when you write off tongues that you personally don't happen to understand as occult and satanic, I see it as like verse 13. And Peter goes on to explain it in verses 14-36.

That said - I'm certainly not going to disagree with you that Jesus might be coming again any time soon. As it says in Acts 1:7, It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.

So I'm broadly with GKB and Pastor Roger on this one. The gift of either speaking in tongues or of understanding tongues isn't everything. If you've got it, great. If you only seem to have it some of the time, well that's fine too. But if you never seem to have the gift at all, that's not a problem. You certainly don't need to prove that you have the gift in order to be saved. Indeed, the idea that you're guaranteed to be saved because you spoke in tongues once a little while ago is fallacious.

Speaking in tongues does not give you a licence to commit sins and not ask forgiveness for them. It doesn't give you a licence to pass judgement on others either. But then again, we shouldn't be ignoring God and judging other people anyway - if we want to be saved.

[GKB]

I am not completely certain these gifts are gone it is just my best interpretation. But what I am certain of what the gift is and its purpose, and it is quite clear on this. There is no don't that this gift's purpose in to win the lost and this babble that is done in churches today is not it, Tell me what purpose it would serve to do this babble to an unsaved person He Will Laugh At You! Now if he were to be Russian and know that you do not speak russian and you were to suddenly speak a perfect russian with the specific dialect <dialectos> of the city he was from you will amaze him and demonstrate the awesome power of God, and I believe you would win him (well the Holy spirit would you know what I mean), now to those who had this gift they may demonstrate it in church but the verse he cited tells them to have a translator for the russian he speaks or what language he speak in. Because the Greeks and hebrews or whoever was there, probably would not understand. Not to mention they DID NOT have a complete bible even in their language but now I have over 130 bible translations that are complete in over 100 languages, the word is not hidden to other countries even close to as much as it was back then. There was an astronomical need back then for that gift, but the major problem today is not a lack of the word it is a lack of care, That lack of care God will not give them signs, thousands of people cames to see what Jesus was about, to see if he is what he said he is, They cared, today the people do not. Even Thomas Genuinely wanted to know today people are so concerned with aquiring & polishing their private space on the Titanic.

Eccesiastes 10:5a. There is [another] evil [which] I have seen under the sun, 6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich are seated in [a] low place. 7I saw servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth
Afflicted but still..
In his Love and Grace,
David Winn

Well done frederic,

digitgen, if you are worried about rather people will laugh at you, you are in for a lifetime of dissappointment. as a matter of fact, i've laughed at some of what you've said already, but thats neither here nor there. i know people who interprets tongues, so there goes that theory! it sounds to me like you are trying to convince me that because man has created some other translations of the bible, a portion of gods gifting has expired. god made it plainly clear when he said "for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith th lord" isaiah 55:8. i don't need you to understand what i am talking about but i would like you to know what jesus is talking about. i will not budge when it comes to the things of god. you weren't there when he found me, you did not experience the power of that gift flowing through you, and for that i offer my condolences. but what he has done in me and through me is non-negotiable. you will never understand with your crainial knowledge, because the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are none of his. we keep trying to mix spiritual buisness with natural buisness...wanting to figure god out....well he requires you to believe somethings that you do not understand, hence the reason for faith....let he with an ear hear!

[Soldier4Christ]

you will never understand with your crainial knowledge, because the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are none of his.

Is this statement to mean that if you have not spoke in tongues then you are not His? Whether you meant that or not this is what you have said? Do you really mean this?

[GKB]

thats not what i am saying, what i am saying is that only the spirit of god can know the things of  god. tongues are one of those things, however it is certainly not limited to tongues. tongues is not going to be everyones gift, and i understand the frustration that some have with an assembly of believers and every one of them speak in tongues every single sunday, however, whatever your gifts are i hope that they are used frequently, otherwise what is the purpose of your gift in the body? if you know god, you wouldn't denounce his gifts to your very limited understanding.

[Jemidon2004]

I seriously hope that's not what he's saying, cause we're gonna have a big problem if that's the case. :-D I happen to agree with what you have stated DigitGen. You have provided a biblical basis for what you have state...that's all we can ask of you. The thing I will say is biblically speaking...it seems that tongues have ceased and I will say this first and foremost...do not jump on that statement because I am making a generalized statement. I know some out there are like wolves ready to argue at a moment's notice that tongues are indeed used. I've never seen them used...and I have been witness to the power of God. I do NOT have the gift of tongues...my gifts lie elsewhere. As have been prevalent in my writing and my theology. Such may be the same case...it's up to the individual person as to whether they believe tongues are still around or not. Personally, I have studied and have come to the conclusion that they have ceased. Biblical tongues that is. Many others hold that stance as well, however, i'm not going to limit God to what He can do. He may very well use tongues...however, not in a widespread usage as in Biblical period. If you study the words for tongues in the greek, you'll learn that they were in reference to an actual language spoken on this earth, not a 'special' prayer language. God is the author of all language, and there is one language that He speaks rather fluently and that's the language of the heart. Why do we need a special language to communicate with God in our prayers when we speak to Him directly from our heart? I'm just offering up those questions to think about, not to respond. This subject has been battered and worn out for decades if not centuries. Even Paul spoke against false usage of tongues...i believe to the Corinthians, but enough about that. Tongues are not essential to the salvation of the soul, nor are the essential in the church today. Also, I will not stand here and write off tongues. I will say this though GKB, cranial knowledge is not a bad thing to have when discussing matters of Biblical interpretation and hermenutics my friend. Not everyone has to have "cranial" knowledge in order to be saved...nor am I saying that anyone has to have it, but after you are saved, we are told to study to show ourselves a workman approved unto God if I remember correctly. It's around, oh say 2 Timothy 2

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene.
ESV

I'll give you the KJV and the NLT to further convey my statement concerning scholarship.

 15Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

NLT

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

KJV


Just a few thoughts. God Bless

Coram Deo,
Joshua

[Jemidon2004]

I just saw your post, and i'm glad that's not what you were saying GKB. Thought i'd add that. Now we're all on the same page. :-D

Coram Deo,
Joshua