← Back to the Bible Podcast
Back to the Bible Podcast
Episode 127: Speaking in Tongues, 2
00:30:02
In this episode, we consider the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues again.
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:01]
A
Back to the Bible. Let it be our plea. God's word alone, our authority, every word, every step in the name of Christ. Back to the Bible for the way of life. Back to the Bible, indeed. That is our aim. That is our goal. That is our desire. That is our plea that we go back to the Bible for it all. My name is Larson Plyler, and this is the Back to the Bible radio program and podcast. And however you came to the program today, we are thankful. Perhaps you were just searching through the radio stations and you've tuned in to us. Maybe you have searched out the podcast. Whatever the case may be, we are thankful that you are listening and we hope that the work that we are doing together will be a benefit to you. But most of all, that it will be glorifying and that it will be honoring to God because we want to be faithful to His Word. You might find some resources@backtothebiblepodcast.com that would be helpful to you. We have workbooks and we have lessons and we have organized older radio programs. We have information about us on there that we hope will help you understand the work that we are trying to do and help you to understand more about God's Word. It may be that you want to reach out and ask a question or maybe you have some topic that you would like for us to cover. We would love to do that. We think that may very well be the very best way to run this program, is try to address the questions that people have by going back to the Bible. Of course, the Bible has plenty to say, so we have plenty to talk about. But we would love to address things that you're concerned about and try to address those in a biblically appropriate way. That's what I want to continue to do today as we study together. Last week I received a question about a video that had been going around and about a conversation that had happened in the wake of that with regards to the matter of speaking in tongues. And I want to talk about that because it is a question that someone raised. But I also think that perhaps we have missed talking about that very much on the program, and I want to make sure that that is addressed in a good way. And so we looked at several chapters in the Book of Acts last week, and we'll do that again. So let me just kind of set the stage for the conversation. There was a video that was going around on Facebook and it said, if you're not speaking in tongues, you're not going to heaven. Now, this person believes that there is the speaking of tongues that is associated with baptism into the name of Jesus. And basically that as soon as you are baptized you should begin speaking in tongues. Now I understand why somebody would take the view that speaking in tongues might be a thing that was still available. Now I don't think that's the right view, but I understand that what you see in the Scriptures is the laying on of the apostles hands and the passing on of those spiritual gifts. Now here's what I do not see. I do not see how a person would say that without the speaking in tongues someone is going to hell. And the way that I want to make that case is to show you today that not only do not all people who are saved immediately have this gift of speaking in tongues. There are many people in the New Testament that we read about who are Christians who don't have the benefit of speaking in tongues, don't have what we might think of as the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues. Now let me say this. It is not the case that if you do not speak in tongues that you are going to hell. Now we do want to proclaim that someone must be believing in Jesus, that they must turn away from their sins, that they must be baptized into water for the forgiveness of their sins. And while I am not the final judge, the final arbiter, the final decider of that, of course I am not. God's word says, he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. He who does not will be condemned, will be damned. Peter, when they asked what they needed to do to be saved, he said, repent and let every one of you be baptized for the remission of sins in the name of Jesus Christ. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And we can go on and on and on through the New Testament. So let me say I do not have an issue with making what the Bible teaches a matter of heaven and hell. This is not an issue of me saying, well we shouldn't be saying who's going to heaven and who's going to be lost. Of course I cannot be the decider of that. But God's word is the clear description of who will be saved and who will be lost. Jesus said, Jesus himself said that the way is narrow, that leads to life and there are few who find it. And the way is broad and the way is easy that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it. And so this is not a matter of telling the fellow to step back from saying that people are lost. Now it is A matter of saying, I think he needs a better understanding of the way in which spiritual gifts work. And so let me say a couple of things that we tried to reiterate last week. First of all, in Acts chapter two we see that the Holy Spirit was directly given to the apostles in Acts chapter two. And we tried to make that case in several different ways. We won't belabor that today. But let me say that the apostles were the ones who were directly given the Holy Spirit's spiritual gift. The Holy Spirit came upon them and they were able to speak in tongues. But in Acts 8 we see that the only way that those spiritual gifts were passed on was through the laying on of the apostles hands. Philip, not an apostle but a gospel preacher who had the power to work miracles, was able to go and perform those miracles in front of the Samaritans. They were convinced of the gospel truth and they were obedient. Now when Philip, when they saw Philip heard Philip teach, they repented. They believed, they were baptized. The text says they came to obedience to the gospel and they were saved. And the way I know they were saved is because that's what Jesus said they needed to do in order to be saved. And this is the inspired writer's record of them responding. And the apostles back in Jerusalem hear that they are Christians. Now he hears that they have obeyed the gospel. And so the apostles go up to Samaria and they lay hands on the people there so that they receive the the spiritual gifts. This is in Acts 8:17. Then they began laying their hands on them and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now this is not a matter of them having the Spirit indwelling them. That happens when someone is obedient to the gospel. They are the dwelling place. The Holy Spirit dwells in them. But this is a matter of spiritual gifts being passed on. I want you to notice in verse 18, when Simon saw that the Spirit had been bestowed through the laying on the apostles hands, he offered them money. Now Peter obviously is going to refuse and call Simon to repentance. But what I want you to see here is how would Simon see the passing on of the Holy Spirit? Well the Holy Spirit dwelling in us is not visible except in the way that we live and the way that we conduct ourselves, recognizing that the Spirit is dwelling inside of us. And so what we say here is that obviously Simon is seeing the spiritual gifts that are being worked. And that's how he sees that the Spirit is being bestowed through the laying on of the apostles hands. Now that's a biblical quote. Right there, through the laying on of the apostles hands. That's how the Spirit is delivered. I know someone who lived in Mississippi, maybe I told this story last time. I can't remember who was baptized. And when he came up out of the water, he didn't start speaking in tongues. So they concluded that his baptism was not sufficient, that it wasn't genuine, that he wasn't sincere. So we're going to have to do that again. But let me show you here is it when the Samaritans come up out of the water that they begin speaking in tongues? It is not. It's when they come up out of the water that they are recognized as being saved. And then the apostles come and they lay hands on them so that they can receive the power of the Holy Spirit. That's a very important distinction between what many people say about the gift of spiritual gifts and what they say is happening today. Now, what happens is many people look at the examples of the apostles in Acts 2 and Cornelius in Acts 10 and use those as the standard cases. But can I show you something here? This is in Acts, chapter 11. So Peter is talking about the case of Cornelius. This is Acts 8 and verse. Excuse me, Acts 11:15. He said, and as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as he did upon us at the beginning. And I remember the word of the Lord, how he used to say, john the Baptist baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if God gave to them the same gift he gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could prevent God's way? Now, what I want you to notice here is what does Peter reference when he describes what happened to Cornelius and his household? He says, just like what happened to us at the beginning. Now we know that the gospel has been spreading since Acts 2, all the way through Acts 11. We know that people are hearing and believing and obeying the gospel all the way through that period of time. This is in Acts chapter 9 and verse 31. The church throughout all Judea and Samaria was having peace and being built up and going on in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Spirit. It continued to multiply. We know that the church is growing all the way through this period. But notice that Peter does not say, oh, the Holy Spirit fell on them just like he did the people last week. That's not what he says, is it? He says, the Holy Spirit came on them just as he did on us at the beginning. Remember the apostles are here in this conversation. In Acts chapter 11 he says, just as it fell upon us at the beginning. What I want you to see here is that Peter, when he refers to what happens to Cornelius, only references two occasions them in Acts chapter 2 and Cornelius in Acts chapter 10. This doesn't remind him of what happens every time somebody obeys the Gospel. These are two stand together events. And we also have Peter's explanation in Acts 15 about why this happens. And that is because this is God's witness that they are going to be justified in the same way that the Jews would be justified. I hope that that is clear. Now let's flip over to Acts 19. We did not get an opportunity to talk about this in our last consideration of the speaking in tongues. But in Acts 19 we come to Ephesus again. Paul is there and he found some disciples and asked, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? They said to him, no, we have not even heard if the Holy Spirit is being received. And he said, into what then were you baptized? And they said into John's baptism. Then Paul said, john baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in him who was coming after him, that is in Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. Now there were about, in all about 12 men. Do you see what's happening there? These men had been baptized, but they had been baptized into John's baptism. Now Paul asks about the Holy Spirit. I don't think he's asking here, do you know that the Holy Spirit exists? He's saying, do you know? Did you receive the Holy Spirit? I don't even think that he is asking about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I don't think he's saying, is the Holy Spirit in you like Romans 8 would say. Now of course we want to consider that. But what he's asking here is, did you receive the gifts that came through the Holy Spirit being given to you? And they say, no, we've not even heard if the Holy Spirit is my text adds the idea of is being received. I don't think their question is about the or their response is about the existence of the Holy Spirit. I think their response is saying, we didn't even know that the Holy Spirit was being given and received by people. So that raises the question, oh, okay, well, you must not know about Jesus baptism. So Paul begins asking what were you baptized into? And it's evident that they were not baptized in the name of Jesus because they hadn't received the Holy Spirit. But what I want you to notice here, when they are baptized, do they automatically receive the Holy Spirit? Not in this sense. Not in the sense of the spiritual gifts. Because what you see in verse 6 is that Paul lays his hands upon them and the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. Do you see that that is how these spiritual gifts were passed on. Now somebody's going to raise the question, okay, well if that was the case, if it was through the laying on of the apostles hands that the spiritual gifts are passed, then how do we receive those spiritual gifts today? That's a great question. But I think we ought to see that the means that the New Testament shows for passing on the spiritual gifts as a general rule has gone away. That is not the case anymore. And let me also say this, that the need for the spiritual gifts to be poured out directly has gone away as well. Right? The apostles, they receive it directly in this baptism of the Holy Spirit that would empower them to serve as witnesses. Acts 15 we learn that Cornelius baptism in the Holy Spirit was for the purpose of indicating that they were candidates for the gospel, that they would be justified in the same way as others. Can I also mention to you as we move along, that in Romans chapter one, Romans one, that you have Christians there that Paul says, this is In Romans chapter 1 and verse 11 he says, I long to see you that I may impart some spiritual gift to you that you may be strengthened. Now are the Romans saved when Paul writes them the Roman letter? Indeed they are. They are saved. He will talk about that. But what we see is they did not all have spiritual gifts. I think some of them may have. I think some of them did. But what we see here is that Paul says, I want to come and impart a spiritual gift to you. It seems to me that an apostle had not been there yet and so they are not able to engage in those activities. Alright, now let's use the rest of our time. I want to go to First Corinthians. First Corinthians 12:14 is the longest section in the New Testament that deals with spiritual gifts. And what he says, this is chapter 12 and verse 1. Now, concerning spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be ignorant. That's exactly right. We do not want to be ignorant, do we? Now what he's going to say is that when we think about the spiritual Gifts. We need to understand that God gives different spiritual gifts to different people even in the first century. Now, most of these spiritual gifts, I would say, have faded away with the completion of the Scripture. And I'll make that case in just a moment. But I want you to see that even in the era of the Corinthian spiritual gifts, that not everybody had the same spiritual gifts. And let me say not everybody spoke in tongues because speaking in tongues was just one of a variety of gifts. So this is First Corinthians, chapter 12, beginning at verse 8. For to 1 is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same spirit. To someone else faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one spirit, and to another the workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, and to someone else various kinds of tongues, and to another the translation of tongues. But one and the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as he wills. Do you see that text there? This is so important. These people believe that everybody is supposed to be speaking in tongues. That's what the man on the video that's been spread around. If you look at several Pentecostal services, you will see that what they will understand as evidence that the Spirit is working is that the whole crowd, the whole group will be speaking in tongues. That is not the way it worked in Corinth, and that's not even the way it was used when multiple people could speak in tongues. It wasn't just a free for all of that. So what Paul is saying here is the Spirit, the same spirit is working in all of us. We're not saying that somebody has the spirit or somebody doesn't. With regards to spiritual gifts, when one can't speak in tongues and another one can heal and another one can do miracles and another one can prophesy. No, the same spirit is working through all of them, but they have different gifts that are given. So Paul uses the illustration at the end of chapter 12 of A Body that has different body parts. One body part can't look at another body part and say, well, I wish I could do that, or I need to do that, or I'm going to leave the body since I can't do that, or I'm this part of the body, I don't even need that part. No, that's not the way it works. We all need one another. Now, when we come to First Corinthians 13, Paul says at the end of 12, I'm going to show you a more excellent way. Can I show you this? In verse 27 he says, now you are Christ's body and individually members of it. This is 1227. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, then helps administration various kinds of tongues. You see all these different gifts and listen to Paul's question, are all apostles? What's the answer to that question? No. Are all prophets? No. Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all translate? The answer to all of those is no. We're not all the same in that. But he says, you earnestly desire the greater gifts and I will show you a more excellent way. He's saying, we don't all have these same gifts, but there is a gift we should all want and we need to see that more excellent way. That brings us down to 1 Corinthians 13. He says, if I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Now this is the one reference to the tongues of angels. Now one thing that we should understand, and we'll see this when we come into chapter 14, is that the purpose of speaking in tongues was to be revelation to people who didn't speak the same language you did. Now today, when people speak in tongues, it is no recognizable human language, right? When you go into a service where people are speaking in tongues and claiming to be that that is the G of the Holy Spirit or spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, they will say, this is a language between me and God. This is a language that is, they might call it the tongues of angels. And they will say, this is simply an indication between God and me that I am in right standing with him. Let me tell you that that just it spits in the face of the purpose of tongues. That is not what they were for. They were for revelation. That was not the sign that someone was right with God. Let me tell you this. You can have spiritual gifts and be lost even in the first century. Matthew, chapter seven. Don't you remember that? Not everyone who says to me, lord, lord and King of Heaven, but many will say in that day, lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not cast out demons? Did we not do many wonderful works? I will profess to them, I never knew you depart from me, you that practice lawlessness. Do you hear that? They could have spiritual empowered gifts and still be lost Now Paul is saying here, I could have spiritual gifts and still be lost. But does every saved person have the speaking of tongues? No, we've already seen that. Let me also say that the speaking of tongues and the healings directly and the prophecy and those things are things that have faded away with the completion of the Scriptures. Now, not only have the means for passing those spiritual gifts on gone away, but the need for them has gone away. Notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:8. He says, Love never fails. But if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away. Do you see? Does everybody see that? Paul is pointing to a time where prophecy, tongues and knowledge will go away. Now, my understanding here is that these just represent all of the spiritual gifts that are listed in the book. But these would be the three key ones that we're looking at, tongues, prophecy, and knowledge. This would be spiritually endowed knowledge. All of these are the ones that are given for revelation. So he doesn't mention healing, he doesn't mention maybe other things here, because these are the ones that are given with regards to revealing God's word. That's significant. Now he says, we know in part and we prophesy in part. That is, we only have pieces of the information that we need right now. Verse 10. But when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. Now what are the parts? The parts are information from God. The parts are the revelation of God. What is the perfect? The perfect is the complete. It's the full. It's the total revelation of God. Now some will suggest, oh, no, the perfect is the coming of Jesus. That's when these spiritual gifts will come away. No, the parts make up the perfect, right? If the parts are pecan pie, the perfect will be pecan pieces. When the parts are revelation of God's will, the perfect is revelation of God's will. So Paul says, when I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child. When I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known. But now about faith, hope, love, these three. But the greatest of these is love. Now, what you have here is Paul saying, right now we live at a time where we have these spiritual gifts, but they're not going to be necessary forever because we're going to have the mature thing we're going to have the perfect, the full revelation of God's word. You know, it would be neat for us to be able to speak in tongues that we had never studied. It would be interesting to have prophecies that are given. But we would rather be. We ought to rather be in the situation we are now with the total revelation of God's Word than receiving God's Word piece by piece and part by part. We have what all the tongues, what all the prophecies, what all the knowledge, all of the. The significance of that we have in the Scriptures. Let me say. Let me say that in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul explains in detail the use of speaking in tongues. And it is so much in contrast with the way that tongue speaking is used today. First of all, there has to be an interpretation that is very rare in these cases where people are speaking in tongues. They are not translating it. They are just speaking in tongues. In addition to that, it is supposed to be. Look at verse 27 of First Corinthians 14. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it is by two or at the most, three, and each in turn, and each must translate. But if there is no translator, he must keep silent in the church and let him speak to himself and to God. Now, I've already made the case that I don't think that spiritual gifts like the speaking in tongues are continuing today. But even if they were, look at this. You get a hold of it and you don't do it unless there's a translator present. That is not the way it's often conducted. There's a lot more in 1st Corinthians 14 that could be said, but our time is used. Thank you for your kind attention. If you have questions, please reach out. And until next time, we bid you a pleasant good day. Back to the Bible. Let it be our plea. God's word alone, our authority, every word, every step in the name of Christ back to the Bible for the way of life.