TONGUES
1. The gift is listed at 1 Cor. 12:10: kinds of languages
A. genos: neuter plural noun which means class or kind
= "kinds"
B. of glossa: feminine plural noun which means language = "languages"
2. It is Divine ability to speak in a foreign language
that you do not know or understand. Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 14:13-14
3. It is a sign gift but different from the miracle type
signs.
A. The miracle signs draw attention to the teaching of
the Word. This has always been the purpose of miracles; Both Old and New
Testaments.
B. The gift of tongues is a sign to the unbelievers of
the nation of Israel as God's evangelistic agency from The Exodus to the
cross. 1 Cor. 14:21-22; Mt. 21:43
4. Background to Israel's replacement:
A. Israel was appointed by God to be the evangelistic
agent from the Exodus to the cross. Phase 1 fulfillment to Abraham.
Rom. 9.4-5; Is. 41.8-9; 43.7, 10; 49.3; Ex. 19.5-6; Deut. 5.1-3; 7.6; Ps.
118.1-4
See Topic: DISPENSATIONS:
Summary
B. Included in this appointment was discipline for failure.
Lev. 25:55-26.46
And temporary replacement if they do not recover.
Deut. 32:21; Mt. 21:42-46; Rom. 10:19
C. The nation's ultimate failure occurred in the generation
of the Messiah (4 BC - 70 AD)
1. The church became the replacement evangelistic agent.
1 Pet. 2:4-10
2. And Israel was turned over to hardness of heart until
the church age is completed. Rom. 11:25
5. The gift of tongues was a sign of this replacement
act by God.
Is. 28:9-17; 1 Cor. 14:20-22
A. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the mechanics of
forming the new evangelistic body since it is not a physical nation but
a spiritual entity made up of physical people. 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:13-22
B. Because of this, it was necessary to have a formal
manifestation of the Spirit for the 4 groups of people involved.
Jewish, Samaritan, Gentiles and NEW Testament "Jewish age" believers.
C. So at the beginning of the church age in 30 AD, the
formal arrival of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues occurred together
in order to correlate the end of the old priestly body (evangelistic agent)
and the formation of the new.
D. After the four "formal" arrivals of the Spirit,
the issue of the
change is clear and there is no need for further "arrivals."
E. As the revelation of the new priestly house (body)
progressed, the general pattern for receiving the Holy Spirit was established.
Acts 19:2; cf. 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9
F. The transition period between the old and the new agents
extends from 30 AD to 70 AD, the fall of Jerusalem. Accordingly, the gift
of tongues continues during this time as a personal message to each unbelieving
Jew of his 2 choices. 1 Cor. 14:22
1. Blessing through identification with the new priestly
house (church).
2. Cursing through identification with the old house (Jewish
nation).
G. The issue of this choice is removed when the 5th cycle
of discipline hits Israel (See Topic: Discipline, 5 cycles).
Therefore, the gift of tongues ceased shortly before 70 AD. 1 Cor. 13:8
(The gift of tongues is not mentioned in scripture after 60 AD)
6. However, as in the case of all the sign and miracle
gifts, there is the hazard of believers using tongues as the object of
religious and emotional rationale. Therefore, misuse and abuse.
A. Over emphasis to the neglect of other gifts. 1
Cor.
14:28
B. Attempt to require it for all believers as a sign of spirituality. 1 Cor. 12:30
(all this does is cause a jibberish Imitation)
C. Emotional involvement to the exclusion of edification.
1 Cor. 14:4, 12-19
D. Over emphasis that rejects its true purpose. 1
Cor.
14:20-22
E. Over emphasis that causes chaos and disorder. 1
Cor.
14:26-33, 40
F. Emotional involvement that counterfeits the gift in
women.
1 Cor. 14:34-35 (also causes a jibberish Imitation).
G. All of these things were done when the gift existed.
Today, you have the same perversions taking place with the difference that the true gift is not even available.
1. No need for it (its purpose was fulfilled prior to 70
AD).
2. Women never had it.
3. It was never disorderly
4. When it did exist, it was given by the Holy Spirit.
5. It was never to be worked for, waited for or sought after.
7. The Interpretation of Tongues: this is a separate gift
from tongues although it is directly connected to the gift of tongues in
the local assembly.
A. The gift is listed as a separate gift at 1
Cor. 12:10,
30.
B. 1 Cor. 14:5, Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues,
but {even} more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies
than one who speaks in tongues, UNLESS HE INTERPRETS, so that the church
may receive edifying.
The idea of "he" interprets is explained in
the context as being the activity of a separate person.
C. Unless there is content to the message; content that
can be understood by the hearers because it is communicated in a REAL language
in the four categories of instruction, there is no benefit.
D. 1 Cor. 14:9, So also you, unless you utter by the tongue
speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will
be speaking into the air.
E. 1 Cor. 12:13, "Therefore let one who speaks in
a tongue pray that he may interpret."
However, the person who does the speaking is not the one
who does the interpretation. 1 Cor. 14:27-28
If anyone speaks in a tongue, {it should be} by two or
at the most three, and {each} in turn, and let one interpret; BUT IF THERE
IS NO INTERPRETER, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak
to himself and to God.
F. In the same way that the gift of tongues was not a
gift that women possessed, so also, the interpretation would not be given
by a woman.
8. The Corinthian Problem
A. Background: The Mystery cults:
1. Concerning the expression of tongues:
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Vol. 1, page 722
"Parallels may be found for this phenomenon in various
forms and at various periods and places in religious history."
2. "In Greek religion there is a series of comparable
phenomena from the enthusiastic cult of the Thracian Dionysus to the divinatory
manticism of the Delphic Phrygia."
3. Page 723, "The unintelligible lists of magical
names and letters in the magic papyrus which are used in the invoking and
conjuring of gods and spirits may also be analogous to this obscure and
meaningless speaking with tongues. With these mystical Divine names, etc,
in which there are echos of all the various oriental languages, we may
certainly couple the view that they derive from supraterrestrial tongues
used by the gods and spirits in heaven, each class having its peculiar
voice or dialect."
4. Summary: The practice in these
cults was to farce oneself into an emotional or physical frenzy through
drinking or dancing or chanting and singing. This produced a semi-conscious,
self-hypnotic condition in which an unintelligible ecstatic gibberish would
be uttered. They considered this speaking the language of the gods and
angels and therefore was the ultimate in earthly spiritual communion.
