Do not forbid speaking in tongues?!
"Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues." (1 Corinthians 14:39)
Some say that it is wrong to forbid speaking in tongues, referring to this verse. But there is a problem with this claim. First, the reason Paul said do not forbid speaking in tongues is because the gift of tongues was given in his day. And to forbid a God-given gift would obviously be going against God. However, today, this verse does not apply, because God does not give tongues anymore. If you say that this verse applies today, how would you interpret be eager to prophesy in the same verse? Would you say that we are supposed to eagerly seek to prophesy, when we have the completed Word of God? As explained earlier, prophecy and tongues have been ceased with the completed Word of God, therefore this verse does not directly apply to us today.
Second, even in those days when the gift of tongues was given, the gift of prophecy, which is the Word of God, was more important than the gift of tongues. Then, how much more important is the Word of God, when the gift of tongues has ceased today? There is nothing but the Word of God because all the revelatory gifts have been ceased. When there is the perfect Word of prophecy given to us as a gift, why would we need more prophecies, knowledge, and tongues?
?s for those who believe and teach that the gift of tongues exists today even though we have the completed Word of God:
-If you pray in tongues does God answer more readily because praying in tongues is more powerful than normal prayer? Where in the Bible does it say that?
-Does the Bible command believers to pray in tongues?
-Did Jesus ever pray in tongues? Did He ever teach His disciples to pray in tongues?
-Is there any Biblical evidence that the apostles prayed in tongues after the day of Pentecost?
-Do you try to make your church members to pray in tongues? Is that Biblical?
-Do you teach 1 Corinthians 14:19?
-Do you only emphasize certain verses that support your views and disregard other verses that seem to go against your views?
-Do you claim that tongues are heavenly language or angelic language? How then, did those Diaspora Jews understand the disciples in their own language on Pentecost? In what languages do all angels throughout the Bible speak? (human or heavenly?!)
-Does the Bible teach you to pray in tongues when you heal people?
-Do you receive prophecies when you are praying in tongues? If you do, how can you be sure that it is from God?
-Do you think that the prophecies that you received are from God? Does God still give prophecies? Can you honestly believe that it is from God?
-If the prophecies that you received do not come true, what would you think then? Would you doubt that it was from God?
-You would probably know that God's prophecies are always true, without exceptions. Then what about the prophecies that don't come true today?
-Is a tongue really a proof that you are saved? Does the Bible teach this?
-Is a tongue really a proof that God loves you?
-Is it true that if a person can't speak in tongues he has not received the Holy Spirit? What is the true evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit?
-Some same that if you pray in tongues you can pray longer without getting tired. But, does that define true prayer? Is true prayer supposed to be long and not tiring?
-Do you have Biblical evidence that God gives tongues even today?
-Do you believe that tongues in 1 Corinthians and tongues in Acts are different? If so, can you prove this from the Bible?
-Do you speak the same tongues as the Corinthian church? What kind of tongues was mentioned in 1 Corinthians and what kind of tongue do you speak?
-Is it true that you can learn how to speak in tongues? If so, how can something that could be acquired by learning be a gift?
-How can you be sure that the tongue you speak is from God and where do you base your trust?
-Among many gifts from God, are tongues the superior gift? What is the evidence for that?
-If you say that the gift of tongues is a proof that one is saved, do you have assurance of salvation? How did you become a child of God?
-Do you sincerely love other souls? If so, is the Gospel more important than tongues?
-Do you believe in the Gospel or do you believe in supernatural gifts?
-What is your true motive for stressing the gift of tongues?
-Can the miracles of the apostolic era happen today? Where is the evidence of that?
-Are all miracles form God? Can't Satan also perform similar miracles?
-Have you ever questioned your tongues before God? Did you ever test the spirit to see if it is from God by diligently studying the Bible?
-If tongues are that important in Christian life, why doesn't the latter New Testament books mention the gift of tongues?
-If you speak in tongues and do not understand it, have you ever wondered if it was just babbling?
-What is more important to you, your experience or the Bible?
-Is it a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit if you forbid speaking in tongues? What does blasphemy against the Holy Spirit really mean in the context? (Mark 3:29,)
-When you pray in tongues do you ever fear that it is not from God?
Frankly, I have no intention of being offensive as I ask these questions. My hope is that those who claim that the gift of tongues is for today would thoughtfully answer these questions as a person who loves Jesus and who reveres God. This is a very important issue, because we are dealing with spiritual matters...Please help me to understand why your passion and focus is on tongues and other miracles rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What was Paul's attitude as a minister?
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-10)
What is at stake is the eternal destiny of individual souls. Leading people into repentance honors God and frees people from eternal condemnation. Evangelism is certainly pleasing to God!
Someday we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Oh, how glorious that day will be when we see our Savior face to face and He honors and blesses us for honoring and blessing Him in our lives upon the earth. What could be more wonderful and glorious than that!
I have no intention of condemning anyone. I simply desire that we may have a sound, Biblical understanding of tongues.
(from Paul M. Yoon's "Biblical Understanding of The Gift of Tongues" from "Sound Doctrine Missions")
Some say that it is wrong to forbid speaking in tongues, referring to this verse. But there is a problem with this claim. First, the reason Paul said do not forbid speaking in tongues is because the gift of tongues was given in his day. And to forbid a God-given gift would obviously be going against God. However, today, this verse does not apply, because God does not give tongues anymore. If you say that this verse applies today, how would you interpret be eager to prophesy in the same verse? Would you say that we are supposed to eagerly seek to prophesy, when we have the completed Word of God? As explained earlier, prophecy and tongues have been ceased with the completed Word of God, therefore this verse does not directly apply to us today.
Second, even in those days when the gift of tongues was given, the gift of prophecy, which is the Word of God, was more important than the gift of tongues. Then, how much more important is the Word of God, when the gift of tongues has ceased today? There is nothing but the Word of God because all the revelatory gifts have been ceased. When there is the perfect Word of prophecy given to us as a gift, why would we need more prophecies, knowledge, and tongues?
?s for those who believe and teach that the gift of tongues exists today even though we have the completed Word of God:
-If you pray in tongues does God answer more readily because praying in tongues is more powerful than normal prayer? Where in the Bible does it say that?
-Does the Bible command believers to pray in tongues?
-Did Jesus ever pray in tongues? Did He ever teach His disciples to pray in tongues?
-Is there any Biblical evidence that the apostles prayed in tongues after the day of Pentecost?
-Do you try to make your church members to pray in tongues? Is that Biblical?
-Do you teach 1 Corinthians 14:19?
-Do you only emphasize certain verses that support your views and disregard other verses that seem to go against your views?
-Do you claim that tongues are heavenly language or angelic language? How then, did those Diaspora Jews understand the disciples in their own language on Pentecost? In what languages do all angels throughout the Bible speak? (human or heavenly?!)
-Does the Bible teach you to pray in tongues when you heal people?
-Do you receive prophecies when you are praying in tongues? If you do, how can you be sure that it is from God?
-Do you think that the prophecies that you received are from God? Does God still give prophecies? Can you honestly believe that it is from God?
-If the prophecies that you received do not come true, what would you think then? Would you doubt that it was from God?
-You would probably know that God's prophecies are always true, without exceptions. Then what about the prophecies that don't come true today?
-Is a tongue really a proof that you are saved? Does the Bible teach this?
-Is a tongue really a proof that God loves you?
-Is it true that if a person can't speak in tongues he has not received the Holy Spirit? What is the true evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit?
-Some same that if you pray in tongues you can pray longer without getting tired. But, does that define true prayer? Is true prayer supposed to be long and not tiring?
-Do you have Biblical evidence that God gives tongues even today?
-Do you believe that tongues in 1 Corinthians and tongues in Acts are different? If so, can you prove this from the Bible?
-Do you speak the same tongues as the Corinthian church? What kind of tongues was mentioned in 1 Corinthians and what kind of tongue do you speak?
-Is it true that you can learn how to speak in tongues? If so, how can something that could be acquired by learning be a gift?
-How can you be sure that the tongue you speak is from God and where do you base your trust?
-Among many gifts from God, are tongues the superior gift? What is the evidence for that?
-If you say that the gift of tongues is a proof that one is saved, do you have assurance of salvation? How did you become a child of God?
-Do you sincerely love other souls? If so, is the Gospel more important than tongues?
-Do you believe in the Gospel or do you believe in supernatural gifts?
-What is your true motive for stressing the gift of tongues?
-Can the miracles of the apostolic era happen today? Where is the evidence of that?
-Are all miracles form God? Can't Satan also perform similar miracles?
-Have you ever questioned your tongues before God? Did you ever test the spirit to see if it is from God by diligently studying the Bible?
-If tongues are that important in Christian life, why doesn't the latter New Testament books mention the gift of tongues?
-If you speak in tongues and do not understand it, have you ever wondered if it was just babbling?
-What is more important to you, your experience or the Bible?
-Is it a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit if you forbid speaking in tongues? What does blasphemy against the Holy Spirit really mean in the context? (Mark 3:29,)
-When you pray in tongues do you ever fear that it is not from God?
Frankly, I have no intention of being offensive as I ask these questions. My hope is that those who claim that the gift of tongues is for today would thoughtfully answer these questions as a person who loves Jesus and who reveres God. This is a very important issue, because we are dealing with spiritual matters...Please help me to understand why your passion and focus is on tongues and other miracles rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What was Paul's attitude as a minister?
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-10)
What is at stake is the eternal destiny of individual souls. Leading people into repentance honors God and frees people from eternal condemnation. Evangelism is certainly pleasing to God!
Someday we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Oh, how glorious that day will be when we see our Savior face to face and He honors and blesses us for honoring and blessing Him in our lives upon the earth. What could be more wonderful and glorious than that!
I have no intention of condemning anyone. I simply desire that we may have a sound, Biblical understanding of tongues.
(from Paul M. Yoon's "Biblical Understanding of The Gift of Tongues" from "Sound Doctrine Missions")
posted by Andrew Brown at 7:37 PM
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