Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20070729.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Corinthians: Discipling Believers With Very Sinful Backgrounds
VII. Overcoming Sinful Dishonor And Disorder
H. Heeding God's Call To Communicate In Verbally Understood Words
(1 Corinthians 14:1-25)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

In a recent sermon, we noted that the Charismatic "tongues speaking" practice of ecstatic utterances is spreading, and, it is changing the evangelical landscape among key evangelical groups:

(1) The May 24, 2007 article by Kimberly Winston, "Speaking in tongues: Faith's language barrier" in the nationwide paper, USA TODAY noted that America's largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, was struggling to decide if the Charismatic practice of ecstatic speech "adheres to Baptist principles."

(2) In June, 2007, Dr. Mark Bailey, President of the influential Dallas Theological Seminary, shared in a statement on the institution's web site that it admits those to its student body who believe in ecstatic tongues speaking though DTS and its faculty still adhere to its original statement of faith that denies tongues are for today! This is a notable shift from my student days: in the 1970s, I had to sign the statement of faith opposing tongues for today just to attend Dallas Seminary, and I would have been asked to leave had I changed my mind (cf. Glenna Whitley, "True Believer," Dallas Life Magazine, April 17, 1988).

So, in view of such changes on the evangelical landscape, it is worth our Biblically reevaluating whether today's "tongues speaking" is a gift from God! We must then test the credibility of the following key reasons Charismatics use to claim the Bible supports their practice:

(1) We must evaluate the claim by a few that the Acts 2 tongues gift was NOT the ability to speak another human language, but to understand God's truths uttered in the medium of ecstatic speech!

(2) We must evaluate the popular Charismatic claim that the Acts 2 gift where people spoke in human languages differed from the 1 Corinthians 14 gift where believers allegedly used ecstatic utterances.

(3) We must evaluate the claim of many Charismatics that their ecstatic utterances are the angelic tongues noted in 1 Corinthians 13:1!

(4) We must evaluate the claim by many Charismatics that 1 Corinthians 14:2 KJV condones ecstatic speech, that one thus speaks "mysteries" in ecstatic words that are acceptable worship to the Lord!

Thus, we may ask, "With the growth of tongues and the resulting shift in stance among key evangelicals on the practice, and in view of such key Charismatic CLAIMS that the gift is BIBLICALLY sanctioned, WHAT is GOD'S TRUTH on it all?!"

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "With the spread of tongues speaking' and its affect on evangelicalism, is this ecstatic utterance practice God's gift? Why?!"
  1. We TEST the CLAIMS by CHARISMATICS who support the "tongues speaking" practice BEFORE studying the Bible's context:
    1. Though some Charismatics say the Acts 2 gift was understanding ecstatic utterances, (1) Acts 2:4, 8-11 states the gift involved SPEAKING in other human languages! (2) Also, it was NOT the hearers, but the speakers who received the Holy Spirit, so the gift was for speaking, not for hearing, Acts 2:1-4, 6-12, 37-38!
    2. Though Charismatics popularly claim that tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 were ecstatic utterances in CONTRAST to God's gift in Acts 2:4 of speaking in human languages, in reality, they are the SAME gift:
      1. The Greek New Testament word glossa rendered "tongues" in Acts 2:4 KJV is the same Greek word translated as "unknown tongue", "tongue" or "tongues" throughout 1 Corinthians 14:1-40 KJV, Strong's Exhaustive Conc. of the Bible, p. 1067, 1090; Moulton & Geden, Concordance to the Greek Testament , 1974, p. 172-173.
      2. This word, glossa means a physical tongue, a language or a dialect, Moulton & Milligan, The Vocab. of the Greek N. T., 1972, p. 128.
      3. Besides, as the word "unknown" that describes "tongue" in 1 Cor. 14 KJV is italicized, it does not exist in the Greek text, but is supplied by the KJV translators! One errs in claiming "tongues" in 1 Cor. 14 is ecstatic speech versus the languages in Acts 2 only because the KJV uses " unknown" in 1 Cor. 14 and not in Acts 2!
    3. Though some Charismatics say the 1 Corinthians 14:2 KJV "unknown tongues" are the 1 Corinthians 13:1 angelic dialects, they are NOT so:
      1. The tongues gift had to involve speaking in human Gentile languages or dialects in order to fulfill Old Testament prophecy:
        1. According to 1 Corinthians 14:21, the gift of tongues was given to fulfill Isaiah 28:11-12 that is based on Deuteronomy 28:49 where, to signal His judgment, God said He would bring against Israel a Gentile nation whose language she did not understand.
        2. This is why Peter used the arrival of tongues in Acts 2 to warn his Jewish audience to repent and trust in Christ to be saved from God's judgment on the nation, Acts 2:8-13, 14-15, 36-40.
        3. After the fall of Jerusalem in A. D. 70, God ceased to minister to Israel as a nation, so tongues should have ceased to be given by God. History confirms this indeed occurred: "Chrysostom, a fourth-century theologian, testified that they had ceased so long before his time that no one was certain of their characteristics." (Homilies in First Corinthians, Homily XXIX in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 12:168 as cited by Thomas R. Edgar, "The Cessation of the Sign Gifts," Bib. Sac., Oct.-Dec. 1988, p. 373)
      2. So, Paul's 1 Corinthians 13:1 reference to using angelic tongues is an hyperbole, a reference to an impossible deed given to show that were he able to speak in angelic languages, but without love, even that deed would be futile, Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 535.
    4. Though many Charismatics claim that 1 Corinthians 14:2 KJV condones ecstatic utterances, it does NOT do so (as follows):
      1. The pagans of that era used ecstatic speech: the Cumaen sibyl (Virgil Aenid 6. 77-102), a pagan prophetess, Pythis, the female oracle at Delphi (Plutarch Moralia 5. 409e) and the maenads of Dionysus (Ovid Metamorphoses 3. 534, 710-30; cf. Euripedes Bacchae) all used ecstatic speech, Bib. Know. Com., N. T., p. 537.
      2. So, had his readers practiced this, Paul would have critiqued them for an idolatrous bent like he did their eating in pagan temples in 1 Cor. 10:20-22, but there is no critique about ecstatic utterances!
      3. Besides, Paul's proud readers (1 Cor. 5:2) would not stoop to use ecstatic utterances like mere pagans when they would more easily impress others with the gift of another language in God's power!
  2. Thus, in approaching the 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 CONTEXT, we see the gift of tongues was meant to give VERBALLY UNDERSTOOD WORDS to the MIND in order to EDIFY people with the TRUTH:
    1. Based on our study above, the KJV "tongue", "tongues" or "unknown tongue" in 1 Corinthians 14 means "Gentile language(s) or dialect(s)".
    2. If we supply this definition in the context, even a casual reading of 1 Cor. 14:1-25 shows Paul sought to get those who spoke in foreign languages to speak in turn and have their messages translated so their hearers could understand them and be edified, 1 Cor. 14:5, 16, 23, 27!
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, John 3:16; Romans 8:9b. (2) Then, may we EDIFY by both hearing and then speaking God's truths in known human words!

Lesson: The New Testament gift of tongues was the ability to speak God's truth in another Gentile language or dialect to warn Israel to repent for rejecting her Messiah, Jesus in accord with prophecy. In God's plan, that gift has now ceased, so we are to use understood words to edify hearers.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

Following a message like this, someone is bound to wonder, "If today's tongues-speaking' is not of God, from where does it come?!"

That's a loaded question -- one that often suggests a response like, "It's demonic!" However, we all probably know those who love our Lord and who claim Jesus Christ is God Incarnate in fulfillment of the test of 1 Corinthians 12:3 regarding one who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, folk who also accept or have practiced Charismatic "tongues speaking"! I presume, then, that the vast majority of "tongues speaking" activity today is not innately authored by demons!

However, the following reputable testimonies indicate that the practice is not only not from God, but that should rather be avoided:

(1) While a student at the Dallas Theological Seminary, I heard psychiatrist, Dr. Basil Jackson make a passing remark about "tongues speaking" that I can never forget! At the time he was giving the W. H. Griffith Thomas Memorial Lectures held November 5-8, 1974 (Ibid., Bib. Sac. vol. 132, nos. 525-528, a four part series of lectures on "Psychology, Psychiatry and the Pastor"). I recall he looked up from his notes at one point to say offhand that he had been able by hypnosis to induce any person of any gender, race or ethnicity, whether he was saved or lost, to practice what Charismatics say is "tongues speaking"!

Now, in no way do I condone a believer's involvement in hypnosis, a whole other sermon in itself, but I do respect this reputable testimony, and it indicates that today's "tongues speaking" has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit, His gifts or with a walk with God!

(2) Joseph Dillow, Th. D., Dallas Theological Seminary, in his book, Speaking in Tongues, 1978 that was promoted by Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, former Professor at the Dallas Theological Seminary and by Dr. Earl Radmacher, President of the Western Baptist Theological Seminary in Portland, Oregon, noted: "Pagan tribes all over the world have been speaking in tongues for centuries. The similarities between their practice and that of the tongues movement are striking." (p. 189)

So, if today's "tongues speaking" is not only unbiblical, but by reputable testimony has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit, His gifts or true godliness, and is what lost pagans all over the world have practiced for many centuries, we should never practice it!

May we obey the BIBLICAL directive to extol speech that CLARIFIES God's TRUTH in a KNOWN HUMAN LANGUAGE!