Tongues In The Church
Ivan Djurina
In this study we will examine more than three dozen scriptures on speaking in tongues and spirit baptism.
Has
Tongues Ceased?
Many
people use that scripture to prove tongues have ceased . But it also
said prophecies shall fail; knowledge shall vanish away.
He
was saying that when perfection has come we shall not need those
things which were helping to perfect us.
We
still need prophecies or to teach others, I still need knowledge of
truth, and I still need to pray in tongues in my spirit
because I have many needs.
1
John 4:24 God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth.
Jude
20 But ye, beloved building up yourselves on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.
What
is the Purpose of Spirit?
The
Spirit will give us the power to be witnesses for Jesus!
Luke
24: 28-Jesus said, “And ye are witnesses of these
things.”
Luke
24: 49- Jesus also said, “ … but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Acts
1:8- “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me...”
Acts
2:4- And they were all filled with the holy ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues, as the spirit gave the utterance.
Why
did God give us His Spirit?
The
Spirit helps our infirmities or weakness.
We
don’t know how or what to pray for.
But
the spirit makes intersession.
Our
words cannot express our emotional feelings on what to
say.
God
who searches our hearts he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit
and goes beyond our emotions and answers according to the will of
God.
(Example
is like a funeral as we all can relate to, just like a soul in
anguish of sorrow)
What
if you don’t have the Spirit?
Romans
8:9- Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his.
Romans
8:10- …The Spirit is life,
Romans
8:11- … The Spirit that quickens our bodies. -(It’s
the Spirit that will be resurrected)
Romans
8:13- The Spirit helps to crucify the works of the flesh.
Romans
8:15- …It’s the Spirit of adoption.
Romans
8:16- The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit.
What
was Paul's view on Tongues?
1
Corinthians 13:1- Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels.
1
Corinthians 14:2- For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh
not unto men, but unto God; for no man understandeth him ; howbeit
in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
1
Corinthians 14:4 “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue
edifieth himself…”
1
Corinthians 14:5- I would that ye all spake with tongues…
1
Corinthians 14:14- For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my
spirit prayeth , but my understanding is unfruitful .
1
Corinthians 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the
spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing
with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
1Corinthians
14:16 Else when thou bless with the spirit,…”
1
Corinthians 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with
tongues more than you all….”
1
Corinthians 14:21 In the law it is written, With men of other
tongues and other lips will I speak unto this
people: and yet they would not hear me, saith the Lord.
1
Corinthians 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to
them that believe, but on to them that believe not:…”
1
Corinthians 14:22 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy , and
forbid not to speak with tongues. (The word
forbid means by your words , deeds or action against
a person.)
Paul
was saying tongues is the angels language , speaking to
God, edifies himself, it’s prayer, you can sing in
the spirit, bless with the spirit, and tongues is a sign ( evidence
) to those that believe not.
Sign
of Tongues - Book of Acts
In
chapter 8, Phillip goes to Samaria. Samaritans had seen miracles and
had great joy, believed in preaching of the kingdom of God and
were baptized. Then when Simon himself believed also, and baptized,
continued with Philip. However, Samaritans did NOT receive the Holy
Ghost. John and Peter when they were come down, prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
What
did Simon see, that he offered money in verse 19 saying, “Give
me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive
the Holy Ghost.” ( What visible sign did
Simon see and what sign was absent in their initial
belief of the kingdom)
Acts
9:17 …Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto
thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest
receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
As
we see, there is no mention of speaking in tongues when Paul was
filled with the Holy Ghost. But lets look at Paul’s own
writing. 1Corinthians 14:18 “I thank my God, I speak with
tongues more than ye all:”
Acts
10:45-46 And they of the circumcision which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles
also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard
them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
Acts
19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye
believed?
Acts
19:6 And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Later,
he wrote to the Ephesians (whom he met in acts 19:2 and there spent
two years teaching), writes in Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye have heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise,”
Tongues,The
Second Witness
Acts
5:32 And we are his witnesses
of these things; and
so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God
hath given to that obey him.
Acts
15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness,
giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Romans
8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that
we are the children of God:
1
John 5:6 …And it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is truth,
1
John 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is
greater.
Who
is this second witness spoken of in the above scriptures. It is
evident that the second witness is the Holy Spirit. Can he
talk? Or, is he a silent witness? Let the scriptures give you
the answers to this very important question.
What
did Jesus say about Spiritual Birth?
John
3:5 Jesus answered say verily, verily , I say unto thee, except a
man be born of water and of the spirit , he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God.
John
3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit.
John
3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
John
3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it
goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Sound-
In Greek means “phone” Voice, saying, or language.
Tell-
In Greek means “Eido” Know by perception, to have
knowledge or to understand.
Mark
16:16 And these signs shall follow them that believe;...they shall speak with new tongues:
Old
Testament
Prophecies
on
Spirit
Promise
Isaiah
28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue
will I speak to this people .
26:12
To whom he said , This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the
weary to rest: and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear
.
Isaiah
wrote about this experience that when you spoke in tongues
he would be speaking to people. Yet they would not hear
and Paul wrote this to the Corinthians.
1
Corinthians 14 :21 In the law with men of other
tongues and other lips will I speak to this people; and yet for all
that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
1
Corinthians 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that
believe not:
Ephesians
1:13 In whom ye trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye
were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,….
Jeremiah
31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel: After those days saith the Lord I will put my law
in their inward parts, and write in their hearts: and will be
their god, and they shall be my people.
Hebrews
10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for
after that he had said before,
10:16
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days
saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in
their minds will I write them;
Ezekiel
36 : 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put in you : and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an new heart of
flesh
Jesus
said …out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh. Then if we receive a new heart should we not receive a new
language. Since our minds are carnal and our hearts can
deceive us but he said this was a new covenant. When God gives a
covenant He gives a visual sign. For example Noah it was the
rainbow, Abraham it was circumcision, and with Israel it was the
blood of the lamb which was applied to the door post.
Spiritual
Gifts
in
the
Church
1
Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual, I would not
have you ignorant.
1
Corinthians 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts:..
1
Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts,…
1
Corinthians 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of
spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the
church.
The
term gift of tongues is used in many churches, but its not
scriptural. Divers or diversities of tongues is
mentioned under spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:9
and 1 Corinthians 12:28. This gift is for the edifying
of the church and I personally have been used in this gift.
Some have the gift of interpretation and so we see as the
scripture says every word will be established in the
mouth of two witnesses.
When
it comes to gifts we are not to be ignorant about them, we are
to covet, desire them, and seek to excel to the
edifying of the church.
Pentecost
the
Birth
of
the
Church
Why
did God choose this day to fulfill the prophecy of Joel
2:28-29 as Peter quotes in Acts 2:17 And it shall
come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour
out of my Spirit upon all flesh. ..…
IT
is on that day that the Jews heard the voice of God in Mount
Horeb, and he made his covenant with them.
Deuteronomy
5:2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb .
Deuteronomy
5:4 The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the
midst of the fire.
Acts
2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire
Did
God in his infinite wisdom know what he was doing? Yes
he did plan the feast to be an spiritual harvest.
The
great
Challenge
of
Truth
If
you don’t speak in tongues can you have the Holy
Spirit? Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 14:23) that when they all gather in one place and they
all speak with tongues, that the unbelievers and unlearned
would they are mad (insane).
You
either fit in as unlearned or unbelieving! I myself was both but
the Lord showed me through others who taught me and so I
pass on the torch to others.
You
can use and misquote all the scriptures you want against
speaking in tongues but why was the new testament written
by all tongue talkers? Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, James, and
Jude. Read Acts 1:13 mentions them in the upper room
waited for the promise and he filled them
all. Oh yes we have Paul I will give his take on
the last page his own words.
I
just marvel at one thing how can those who never spoke in tongues
teach on this subject. Of course their against it.
Conclusion
to
all
When
all of you gather and all are speaking in tongues and are
edifying yourself in the spirit speaking mysteries.
You
speak the angelic language while you bless in the spirit, you
can also sing in the spirit.
I
thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all and forbid not to
speak in tongues.
Remember
that tongues is the sign to the unbeliever that you are sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise from the Father.
Some
teach that tongues is of the devil.
I
leave you with this - Luke 12:10 "...but unto him
that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be
forgiven." - and Luke 11:13 "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
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