Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661
Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org
OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”
Nobleton Community Church
Date August 18, 2024
Text: I Corinthians 14:6:25
Pastor Paul Lehmann
TONGUES: THE BIGGEST CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP AND ONENESS BUSTER OF THE CENTURY
This morning we come to the charismata or spiritual gift that has probably caused more division in the evangelical church than any other doctrinal issue. We have become so polarized that in some cases that even Pentecostals can’t have fellowship with “Charismatics“ because they don’t believe in the evidence doctrine which states that speaking in tongues is the initial evidence that one has been filled with the Holy Spirit. Therefore most Pentecostals do not believe you ae filled with the Holy Spirit unless you speak in tongues. Most “Charismatics” from independent non-denominational churches, don’t believe that tongues is necessary tor one to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They usually say though that it is available to all, just like the other gifts. Some speak in tongues and some don’t.
Then evangelicals can’t seem to have fellowship with either one since both believe in speaking in tongues. As we have already talked about, some denominations believe that the sign gifts (manifestation gifts) like tongues, prophecy, miracles, words of knowledge and wisdom and healing are no longer for today. That they ceased or ended by the end of the first century.
These things should not be in the body of Christ. I would like to try to explain what I believe the Bible teaches about this gift. That it is valid for today, but not everyone speaks in tongues, and if a person doesn’t speak in tongues, it doesn’t mean that they are not filled with the Holy Spirit.
Part of the reason this is so, is that:
- there are many misunderstandings about speaking in tongues. Also:
- there are those who are fearful of the abuses of not just tongues, but all of the spiritual gifts.
Therefore, through the years they have looked for ways to denounce those and say they are not for today. However theologians and Bible scholars, who otherwise are very careful when interpreting and what we call exegeting a passage (that simply means taking the meaning from a passage), when it comes to tongues and other spiritual gifts they lean more towards “tradition” than on what the scriptures actually say. We talked about this last Sunday.
Now let’s look at the phrase, “speaking in different kinds of tongues.” The words in Greek for “speaking in tongues” comes from two words, glossa (which means tongue), and lalein (which means to speak.) Three basic definitions have been given for the word glossa. Together the word is glossolalia.
First, it may refer to the tongue simply as an organ of speech. Luke 16;24 uses it this way, describing or referring to the tongue of the rich man.
James warns us about how we can misuse our tongue and curse people, but the same organ, our tongue, can praise God. This should not be happening James says.
Now because of a nonliteral translation of I Cor. 12:10—-
Glossa has come to mean for some, “ecstatic utterances” and some Bibles translate it this way. The Greek words ekstasis and existemi, from which we get the English word “ecstasy,” are indeed used in the New Testament, but they are always used of those who observed the phenomena and not those who participated in the phenomena.
Translating the passage in I Cor. 12:10 as ecstatic utterances associates glossa the notion of being overwhelmed by emotion and beyond self-control. Paul makes it clear later on that he prays in the Spirit (not knowing what he is saying), but also he prays with his mind and he knows exactly what he is saying. Although ekstatasis may refer to a trance as in Acts 10:10 where Peter is on the flat roof top at Cornelious’ house where we read that he fell into a trance. Then in 22:17, Paul, after he receive his sight back returned to Jerusalem and went to the temple to pray and he says, “I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking” The Lord told him to quickly leave Jerusalem.
But the primary focus is astonishment and terror which grips an audience which has seen the power and gifts of God. It can also just show God’s love, mercy or concern for preaching his Word.
In Kinshasa, Dr. Bill McPherson, was the Embassy doctor, and lived in a compound where he often had young people and their parents there for revival services. On one occasion when we were stationed at Boma, and I had driven to Kinshasa to see Susan who was staying at the hostel for our missionary kids. (The last year that we did that). I attended one of these meetings, when he had invited an evangelist from England to speak. After a time of singing worship praise music, He began to speak. Then after awhile Bill spoke out in tongues. Then he interpreted what he said, quoting a passage from the Psalms. The speaker stopped and listened, and then said; “Isn’t God good? I had wanted to share that verse with you, and I completely forgot, but God didn’t, and through our brother Bill, he reminded me of this verse.
So now the third meaning is simply speaking a language. But what kind of a language is it? It depends on the context where it is described. At PENTECOST After waiting in obedience to Jesus’ words, (Acts 1:4,5) the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (or languages—Acts 2:4), Luke described the event as, hearing the mighty deeds of God spoken in their own languages. (Acts 2:6,9, 11). They spoke in foreign languages which they had never learned, and the people who spoke these languages were astonished to recognize what they were saying.
In I Corinthians 12:14 what Paul is describing is something much different from Acts, 2. At Corinth they were apparently not foreign languages, which Paul denotes by a different word, phone’—he uses this in 14:10, 11 too, because a special gift, not linguistic proficiency was necessary to understand them, nor were they meaningless ecstatic sounds, though the mind was inactive (verse 14) and the utterances, without interpretation, were unintelligible both to the speaker and any who would hear. But the languages had meaning, otherwise there would be no need to interpret what was being said. So Paul says to pray to interpret. He puts speaking in tongues on the same level as Prophecy, only if the words are interpreted by the speaker, or by someone who has been given the gift of interpretation. Otherwise the speaker should keep quiet and speak only to God when he is praying.
Tongues are best regarded as special languages not having ordinary human characteristics, and that is why when linguists try to analyze the tongues spoken by some, that they say it is gibberish, because it doesn’t contain the syntax and characteristics of a language. This in itself is a copout, because the languages spoken by a number of tribes in South Africa speak a language that is made up almost entirely of click sounds, and don’t have the normal characteristics of most spoken languages either.
The language that is given by the Holy Spirit is for worship, for a sign to unbelievers (14:22), and when interpreted, for the edification of believers.
Thus we see that there are two definitions of tongues speaking in the Bible. Speaking in tongues, is speaking in a language unknown to the speaker, but known to those who speak that language, like what happened at Pentecost. Incidentally this still happens today. The second kind of tongues speaking is in a language known only in heaven, and unknown on earth unless God gives a gift of interpretation. That’s why in I Cor. 13, Paul says that even if I speak in the “language of men (like at Pentecost) or angels” (unknown language) but I don’t have love it is like a gong or clanging cymbals.
Because false religions also promote speaking in tongues, and because it is sometimes and occultic practice we need to be aware that sometimes it means, speaking under demonic influence, or speaking in non rational ecstatic verbiage that is a psychological human response to a religious emotion. That’s why some evangelicals and churches have denounced tongue speaking as either demonic or psychological because they are afraid of false tongues. This is of course like the old adage, “throwing the baby out with the dirty bath water.”
Beyond doubt, one of the greatest theological tragedies to befall the church is the suggestion that tongues is a visible sign of having been baptized in The spirit, or filled with the spirit. This suggestion finds no warrant in scripture. Pentecostals refer to this as in quotes, the evidence doctrine“. They say that it is the additional evidence that someone is “filled with the holy spirits“. This suggestion, unfortunately finds no warrant in scripture. Tongues did accompany the spirits coming at Pentecost. Ask 2:4; 10:46; 19:6. But at other times when the spirit was received with Eagle faith, Luke says nothing about tongue speaking. Acts 8:14 Peter and John placed their hands on the people of Samaria and they received the Holy Spirit. Nothing is mentioned about them speaking in tongues, but perhaps at least some dead, or something happened. Perhaps they collapsed when the power of God hit them, which still happens today. The point is that being filled with the spirit even though sometimes someone might speak in tongues, just like an adult, believers, water, baptism, sometimes people, speaking tongues, but it isn’t something that always happens. Many times in the book of acts, it is said that the people put their faith in Jesus and accepted him, but nothing has mentioned of speaking in tongues..
Finally, what Paul says in first Corinthians 12:29–31 clearly makes clear when he inserts. The Greek negative me parentheses pronounced me parentheses, to firmly establish that all do not possess the gift of tongues. In fact, not everyone has all the spiritual gifts. Paul says; quotes, all our apostles? All our prophets? Our all teachers? Do all miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do All speak in tongues? Do all interpret? The answer to these phrases in Greek Are all understood as no! Paul says in verse 31; but eagerly desire the greater gifts. He follows up in chapter 14: one by saying, follow the way Of Love and legally desire, spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy, so to demand the universe of tongues is to demand something which scripture does not teach. Pushing the gift on everyone is not only biblical, but can also do great personal damage.
Having said this, we must still make a place for the gift of tongues to function among Christians. It is a biblical gift, and there is no reason to be fearful of it, it is truly given by the Holy Spirit. Most certainly, we are wrong to dismiss what we have not experience as being of the devil, which is How some passes and denominations have a characterize those who speak in tongues. Paul has made it clear that the public use of tongues is to be accompanied by interpretation. This is the final gift mentioned in our text: the interpretation of tongues it is always required. If and when there is a public use of this gift. We are told in one Corinthians, 14:28 that if there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. This is why this gift is usually referred to as “a prayer language.” Verse four says he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophecies is edifies the church. Our goal and public services is to edify and build up everyone in the body of Christ not just the speaker.
Now something that has always been rather vague from scripture is this interpretation part. Some might wonder how we will know if there is someone with the gift of interpretation in our congregation. We have seen that discernment is important period in 14: 29 referring to prophecy, we read two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said End Quote. This however has nothing to do with the interpreting tongues, but nevertheless there is a need for discernment as to the spirit of these prophesying. I believe this concern about who will interpret can be taken care of, if those who God has given the gift of speaking in tongues will pray to interpret. We read in 14: 12… since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 1st 13 1st 13 quote for this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says quote once the person who speaks in tongues in a service, also interprets, we will know who has this gift of interpretation.
It is only in this way that tongues was put on the same level as prophecy. But people can understand what God is saying through the person. May we desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy we are told. We must reconcile the validity of tongues, the importance of discernment of prophecies given, and the importance of interpretation when tongues are used. Verse 39 tells us quote my brothers, be eager to prophecy and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. In fact it is biblical to eagerly desire spiritual gifts, and to seek them zealously, so let’s not be so cautious of doing something wrong, that we inadvertently quench the spirit, and in fact are forbidding the use of tongues, which we are told not to do. May the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth.