Spiritual gifts are important to all positive, growing believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the moment you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, God the Holy Spirit imparted to you at least one spiritual gift. Some gifts of the Spirit given to the church have ceased. This study is about one of the temporary spiritual gifts, the Gift of Tongues. What is speaking in tongues today? Is this a legitimate spiritual gift? Is this like what the early church experienced on the Day of Pentecost? Good questions all to be answer in due time.
By Pastor Dave Farmer
In the Seventies, there was an avalanche of books on the ministry of God the Holy Spirit to explain a spiritual phenomenon called "Speaking in Tongues." As a Pastor at that time, I sought the Word of God for understanding because of the claims those in the movement were making. 1 Their experience was the true spiritual norm for the church. It was a new work of God the Holy Spirit. It was legitimate because it was found in the Bible. One thing was apparent, the spell of the ecstatic had been cast, the whipping up of the emotions was being desperately sought after, and the search for the extraordinary began to grip the Church
Paul's warning to the Ephesians is as pertinent today as it was in the First Century:
Ephesians 4:14
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
The Apostle John, along the same line, advises:
1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Like an epidemic, the Charismatic Movement has covered the world. In its wake is global confusion and strife. This current movement has broken the denominational barrier infiltrating Catholic and Protestant denominations. Concerning the rapid expansion of the Pentecostals. Dr. Kurt Koch writes:
In 1961 when I was preaching in California, again and again I came across the speaking in tongues in my counseling . . . . The following year l again had to render services in California. In the meantime the tongues movement had spread all over the state. One could find tongues speakers in all denominations, with the Anglicans as well with the Lutherans, with the Methodists and Baptists, the Presbyterians and Congregationalists. The same trouble everywhere. Oftentimes the ministers were at a loss. Some agreed with it, others were against it. Nobody was completely sure whether this was a movement of the Holy Spirit or not. In 1963 I went for a third time to the Pacific Coast. Now the tongues movement had spread from West to the East Coast. By the time of my fourth visit to the United States in 1964, the tongues movement had grown into a social problem. The government appointed a commission to investigate the movement, which consisted of a psychiatrist, a Lutheran minister, and a layman who was to explore the character of the tongues movement and watch it's development. This disturbance and confusion must have been quite exceptional for the government to feel urged to stop it if possible. In 1965 the tongues movement had spread its roots to all continents and countries. Tongues speakers tell of a ‘world-wide revival.‘
One can read this in the magazine "Voice" edited by the Full Gospel Business Men in its March 1965 edition . 2
The impressive advances made by this group do not necessarily imply it is of the Lord. The Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, and even the Christian Scientists all have experienced growth. But do we consider them Biblical? Popularity is not a criterion for determining what is of God and what is not. In fact, the Bible predicts that in the latter times of the Church Age, 3 the majority of those who claim to be Christians will depart from pure doctrine, 1 Timothy 4:1.
It is also interesting to note in Elmer L. Towns‘ book, America's Fastest Growing Churches, that eight of the ten strongly oppose speaking in tongues. The Charismatic Movement is not the only growing branch of Protestantism.
CONFLICT SUPER-ABOUNDS
Church conflict is the name of the Charismatic game. Many have experienced the destructiveness of the tongues crowd who split churches, which have taken years of hard work to build.
They claim their purpose is to bring unity of Spirit and life to the Church. 4 Yet, their tactics are "revival (Charismatic, not Christian), or we will riot." The Holy Spirit does not split churches, but He punishes sin, stirs the conscience, breaks pride, shows us the Lord Jesus Christ, and assures salvation. The Holy Spirit unites the Church and does not pull it apart. 5 The only church epistle in the New Testament which mentions tongues is 1 Corinthians. What was the problem?
1 Corinthians 1:10-13
10) Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11) For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.
12) Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “l am of Paul," and “l of ApoIlos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “l of Christ.”
13) Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Division, schisms, and strife were significant problems of the Corinthian church. When Paul addresses the Corinthians on the regulation of tongues, he has to say, "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace as in all churches of the saints," 1 Corinthians 14:33. Conflict and confusion are the lot of many who hold hands with the Charismatics or by subtler means, as the proverb puts it, “ When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart,“ Proverbs 26:25.
They consider the Church as subnormal and that it can't speak meaningfully to our modern world. It is precisely this point which causes the problem, for they say, ". . . The Body of Christ must either live the “Life, the Truth, the Way or else get out of the way. It must have charismatic revival to justify its survival." 6
What kind of a Christian would sneak into a church, win friends in that church, and then spread their teaching on tongues? What kind of Christians would deceitfully break up a church to propagate their views? The answer is simple. A Charismatic Christian whose head is so swollen that anyone who doesn't speak in tongues is a lesser sort of Christian! A Charismatic Christian who is so far off base that he has to lie (which is a sin), deceive (which is a sin), and wickedly plot (which is a sin) a church's destruction to help the Omnipotent Spirit of God do His work.
These people have made a patsy out of the Holy Spirit. With their own mouths, they condemn themselves. They say, "Our movement is of God," then their actions betray their hidden motives. They bring strife, but the Holy Spirit unifies. They deceive, but my Bible says the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. This philosophy spells conflict wherever it exists. Being sincere and believing you have right on your side is never an open door to sin. The Charismatics need to be reminded it is never right (in their case, the propagation of their views) to do wrong (split churches) that right may win out. The end does not justify the means. The plan of God requires correct procedure:
A wrong thing done in the wrong way is wrong!
A right thing done in the wrong way is wrong!
A wrong thing done in the right way is wrong! Only
A right thing done in the right way is right!
At the very heart of their theological base is this theory: "Truth divorced from experience must always dwell in the realm of doubt." 7 The Charismatic criterion is experience. I accept as truth only what I can validate by my experience. Thus, truth becomes subject to one‘s own experience and is, at best, man-centered. To follow this further, if l am to interpret my experience in order to determine truth, then my system of knowing is meritorious and depends on human ability. It also follows that since man is imperfect, what he interprets will be imperfect that spiritual truth cannot be known apart from spiritual experience is fallacious. Dr. Charles Ryrie writes:
. . .the answer to this question about tongues must be found in what the Bible says about the matter, not what somebody‘s experience seems to prove or disprove. This is not to say that the experiences which many are having today are not real; of course they are. However, the all-important question is ‘Are they Scriptural experiences?‘ The only way to determine if any experience is Biblical is to test the experience by the Bible and never vice versa. 8
The Charismatic statement, “Truth divorced from experience must dwell in doubt,” places experience above the Scriptures. My counter-proposal to this is:
EXPERIENCE DIVORCED FROM SCRIPTURE SHOULD BE DOUBTED, AND WHEN EXPERIENCE CONFLICTS WITH SCRIPTURE, IT MUST BE DENIED AS "OF GOD."
The Word of God, not experience, is the final authority in all matters of faith, doctrine, and opinion.
However, we are told by Charismatics that no one can adequately interpret the Charismatic Movement unless he has first tasted the Charismatic experience. 9 It follows then that no male gynecologist can deliver a baby unless he has had a baby. There are many experiences we have never personally had, but knowledge is not confined to experience alone. I‘ve never had a baby, but I know it is painful.
Anyone who has spent even a brief time in the labor room can testify that it is so. I‘ve never experienced having a child, but I have experienced pain. When a woman tells me how long she suffered, I can understand her agony because l too, have experienced pain, although not to the degree of childbearing, but pain nonetheless.
Granting, for the sake of argument, that tongues-speaking is a spiritual experience, the same logic is true. I have not spoken in tongues, but I have had many marvelous spiritual experiences since I trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. It is foolish to say we must have "Charismatic experience to interpret the Charismatic Movement." Tongues-speaking is not the only spiritual experience a believer can have.
There are two extremes today. One group only accepts as truth what they can understand with their minds. If it is not logical, then it isn't true. They scratch from the Scriptures all supernatural phenomena (miracles, etc.). They are slaves to their minds. This is a Jesus-minus theology.
On the other hand, we have those who only accept as truth what they can experience. They are slaves to their own emotional patterns. This is a Jesus-plus theology. The first group is called rationalists; the second is empiricists. What they each have in common is they will never know the truth by the means which they have selected. As Paul states:
1 Corinthians 2:9
But just as it is written, “Things which the eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
The Bible says, "The Just shall live by faith." The criteria for truth is the Word of God. The means by which I appropriate truth is not logic or experience - IT IS FAITH. If God's Word states a truth that I can't understand or logically grasp, I believe it. I trust the Word and not my mind. If God's Word states, “My life should be overflowing with joy and peace," and I don't possess these things, I believe it. I trust God's Word. I believe this should be my experience and allow the Word to challenge me to bring my experience in line with what God has said.
To the Charismatics, being born again is not enough. They need a "second blessing" and a "second baptism of the Spirit." For this reason, they seek an emotional experience to prove they are saved and sanctified. As Erwin put it:
The Apostolic Christians were commanded by Jesus not to leave Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit's enduement with power. Clearly then, their "new birth," received on the first Easter day was not all they were to expect from the Holy Spirit of Promise. 9
Salvation is incomplete. We need more than the new birth and all of its wonderful blessings. Dr. Koch says:
The whole terminology - full gospel, second blessing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, gifts of the Spirit speaking in tongues, latter rain, shows that for this movement the thing that matters is the extraordinary and the experience, rather than the sure foundation of the Word of God and it's true scriptural proclamation. 11
To add an emotional experience to regeneration is not necessary, for salvation is perfect and complete the moment we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. How arrogant we have become to think we can add or subtract from the Word of God at will. Paul's warning is for all who would blaspheme in such a way:
Galatians 1:6-9
6) I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
7) which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ
8) But even though we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9) As we have said before, so l say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
There are many sincere Charismatics who desire victory for the Lord in this world. They view the church as dead, devoid of resurrection life, and lacking the joyous awareness that the Lord Jesus Christ is alive. But the seeking of a Charismatic experience is not the answer. The answer lies in doctrine, in the Word itself. Spiritual growth brings spiritual life. Capacity for spiritual life reaches the maximum as the believer learns and uses the Word of God. Spiritual immaturity sponsors lifelessness. Immature believers who remain childlike in faith will become carnal, and eventually, the church becomes permeated with a spiritual dullness. As the Scriptures testify:
Hebrews 5:11-14
11) Concerning him [Christ] we have much to say [many doctrines to communicate], and it is hard to explain since you have become dull [through the process of negative volition] of hearing.
12) For though by this time you ought to be teachers [of divine viewpoint], you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles [doctrines] of [from] God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness [maturity] for he is a babe.
14) But solid food [advanced doctrine] is for the mature [growing and mature believers], who because of practice [self-discipline] have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (Expanded Translation)
The Charismatics are right in this: The Church is lukewarm. But the answer is not in Charismatic revival. Doctrine is the key. The teaching of the Word of God produces spiritual growth, whereas ignorance of the Word of God spawns spiritual lethargy. We will examine the "Book of Books" to see what God's Word says about tongues. We will study the subject under Three significant headings: (1) The Prophetical Perspective of Tongues (2) The Historical Perspective of Tongues, and (3) The Doctrinal Perspective of Tongues.
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ENDNOTES
1 I am reproducing these studies that I first did in 1977 and revised in 2002 due to a dear friend whose pastor began to speak in tongues. This evil will not disappear, and Biblical truth is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
2 Kurt Koch, The Strife of Tongues (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1971), pp.14-16
3 See Glossary in the Reference Section of this magazine.
4 Howard M. Erwin, These Are Not Drunken As Ye Suppose (Plainfield, New Jersey, 968) p.226.
5 Koch, p.46
6 Erwin, p.226.
7 Erwin, p.1.
8 Charles C. Ryrie, The Balanced Christian Life (Chicago,1969) p.168.
9 Erwin, p.3.
10 Erwin, p.50.
11 Koch, p.47.