Problem 21 - That the Gift of Speaking in Tongues is for the Church today

PROBLEM NO. 21 --THAT THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS FOR THE CHURCH TODAY

Those who insist that the gift of speaking in tongues is for the Church are mainly Acts 2 brethren in their doctrine. All of the charismatics that I have had anything to do with were Acts 2 believers. They teach that what happened on the Day of Pentecost is normal for the Church. Since the Body of Christ began on that Day, speaking in tongues should be exercised by believers.

They go to 1 Cor. 14:39 to back up their claim for practicing this gift: "Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues." They also teach that the gift experienced by the Corinthians was different than what was exercised on the Day of Pentecost.

I am not aware of any charismatics who follow Covenant Theology, even though I would not be surprised if there were some. The Charismatic movement has penetrated most, if not all, Protestant denominations. However, the majority of charismatics believe that the Church began in Acts 2.

THE TRUTH

The doctrine of 'progressive revelation' from God in the Bible supplies the evidence to indicate that this particular gift of the Spirit was only temporary in nature.

By 'progressive revelation' is meant that God reveals His truth gradually over a period of time. This is the way He worked with the writers of the New Testament. This is particularly true with Paul because He revealed more truth to him than to anyone else. He DID NOT reveal ALL of His truth to Paul at one time. The risen Christ appeared to him over a period of about 30-35 years (1 Cor. 9:1, 'seen' is in the Perfect tense in Greek which includes a period of time). Truth about this particular gift of the Holy Spirit was given gradually, and the vocabulary that Paul used in 1 Corinthians was exactly the same as Luke used in Acts when describing the use of this gift. This would mean that the gift was the same gift in each instance and not something different.

Let us see the evidence for progressive revelation in relation to speaking in tongues.

1. Galatians was the first letter Paul wrote, and in Gal. 3:5 he mentioned the working of miracles through the Holy Spirit, which Acts 14:3 describes. This is the first indication of Holy Spirit 'gifts,' and who knows, maybe speaking in tongues (languages) was among the 'miracles' exercised here by Paul and the Galatian believers. This would be during Paul's first missionary journey.

2. The letter of 1 Corinthians was written after Galatians (about 5 years later - 48 AD for Galatians and 53 AD for 1 Corinthians). Because of the great abuse of the gifts of the Spirit by the Corinthians, he wrote 3 chapters about the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor., chapters 12-14). More time was spent dealing with the gift of tongues and contrasting it with the gift of prophecy than with any other gift (1 Cor., chapter 14). And for a reason.

The gift of tongues was abused more than any other gift. In fact, there are eight abuses of this gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians 14. They are:

a. They spoke to God (verse 2)
b. They spoke in mysteries (verse 2)
c. They edified themselves (verse 4)
d. They used it in praying (verse 14)
e. They used it in relation to believers (verse 22)
f. They spoke in tongues all at once (verse 23)
g. They spoke without an interpreter ('translator' is the meaning of 'interpreter' - verse 28)
h. It was done mostly by the women (verses 34-35)

[The 8 abuses are explained in my booklet 'The Abuse of Tongues in the Corinthian Church'].

But just before Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 14, he had written in 1 Cor. 13:8 that tongues would cease: "Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."

Three gifts of the Spirit are mentioned in this verse: (1) the gift of prophecy, (2) the gift of tongues, and (3) the gift of knowledge. There is an indirect reference to a fourth gift - the gift of interpreting, because this gift functions with the speaking in tongues.

When does the 'failing,' the 'ceasing,' and the 'vanishing away' take place? Verse 10 supplies the answer: "But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away" (1 Cor. 13:10).

What is the 'perfect thing?' It is the BIBLE, THE WORD OF GOD. The Bible is the only tangible perfect thing in our world today.

The teaching of this verse is that when the Bible is completed and finishe by the Holy Spirit working through Paul (Col. 1:25 - To COMPLETE THE WORD OF GOD), then the sign gifts (that which is 'in part') would cease. The Bible
was completed around 67 AD with the letter of 2 Timothy. The close of Acts took place around 62-63 AD. So in the sixties of the first century, Israel's sign gifts ceased to function when God's Word was completed. There was no
more need for them.

3. The last letter Paul wrote during the Acts period was Romans. In the list of 'gifts' to the Church in Romans 12, the gift of speaking in tongues is left out while the gift of prophecy was included (Rom. 12:3-8, but especially verse 6). As a matter of fact, other gifts were left out, too. And this was done on purpose, to indicate that Israel's sign gifts were to be done away with.

4. The last list of gifts is found in Ephesians 4:11: "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers Ephesians is often regarded as a 'prison epistle' because it was written by Paul while he was in prison in Rome for two years. Ephesians is also considered as being written shortly after the events of Acts 28, and therefore, sets the standard of truth for the rest of this Dispensation of grace.

Apostles and prophets have passed off the scene. God made no provision for continuing them. But the gifts of evangelism, pastoring and teaching, plus some others from Romans 12, are to be exercised in the Body of Christ today. See my book on the 'Ministry of the Holy Spirit During this Present Dispensation of grace.'

The doctrine of progressive revelation is very helpful in the understanding of some complex situations in the book of Acts. No contradictions are evident, and problems are cleared up when we view the necessity of giving Divine revelation gradually overa period of time when the situation at hand called for it.

By Robert C. Brock