Speaking in Tongues a Cessationists’ View
According to scripture, God enabled believers to speak to him in a heavenly language. A language unknown except by him and those to whom he gave a gift for interpreting it (1 Corinthians 14:27–28).
Many think the Apostles spoke supernaturally in human languages at Pentecost. And people from different nations naturally understood what they said in their own tongue. But Paul says when a person speaks in tongues, they speak to God and not to men (1 Corinthians 14:2). So on Pentecost, the Apostles spoke to God in a heavenly tongue and devout Jews from every nation overheard them in their own native tongue. So they must have received the gift of interpreting too.
God delivered the gift of tongues personally in the baptism of the Holy Spirit during the Jewish outpouring and about seven years later in the gentile outpouring at Cornelius’ house. But all other times he delivered the gift of tongues through the Apostles’ hands (Acts 8:18). Scripture does not mention any other means of distribution apart from these.
God placed tongues and interpretation into groups of converts in various regions through the Apostles. So each church would have God’s word spoken personally to them by individual members who received the gift. We see the laying on of hands in Jerusalem (Acts 6:6), Ephesus (Acts 19:1–7), and Samaria (Acts 8:14–17) and throughout Paul’s journeys where he gave the gifts (2 Timothy 1:6; Romans 1:11). God sent Ananias, who according to history was one of the original seventy disciples ordained by Christ, through whose hands Paul became healed and filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17).
They spoke God’s word through tongues and interpretation and through prophecy. With this they passed around the Apostle’s writings that would become the New Testament scriptures. Paul said tongues would stop when a better way, one that is perfect comes (1 Corinthians 13:8–10.)
Many think perfection happens in the new heavens and earth. But Paul qualifies this by saying whenever it comes, faith, hope and love would remain (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith, hope and love fits well into this present world where we need all the faith, hope and love we can get. But in the world to come we’ll have all we ever hoped for and believed in. So Paul inferred tongues would stop sometime before Christ’s return on the last day, when hope and faith find fulfillment in the new world.
Paul urged believers to come behind in no gift until the coming (apocalypse or Revelation) of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:7). This is the same word John uses for the apocalypse of Jesus Christ. What we call the book of Revelation.
So this is likely what Paul saw through a glass darkly. A revelation he knew was coming but didn’t know how or when. Paul urged them to continue seeking spiritual gifts until Christ provided a revelation. We know a revelation came through John about the time speaking in tongues disappears from history.
Many gifts continue today as permanent endowments to the Church. We have miracles and healing through the prayer of faith (James 5:15). Also pastors, evangelists and teachers with the Apostles and Prophets cast in their writings (Ephesians 4:11). But God removed the apostolic signs and wonders with the death of the last Apostle. And he gave us a more sure word of prophecy than tongues and prophecy could provide (2 Peter 1:17–20).
God withdrew the Apostles, honoring them in the Book of Revelation. He wrote their names in the foundations of heavenly Jerusalem with the names of the twelve sons of Israel. This brought to a close the apostolic age and the gifts that flowed through their hands.
Comments
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That works as a position for anyone who does not have the gift.
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@GaoLu said:
That works as a position for anyone who does not have the gift.Here's the problem. Paul teaches that understanding what we say or hear is the basis for edification. And he says prophecy edifies because of this. But he also says tongues edifies the speaker. So they must have understood what they said while speaking in tongues. And today's tongue speakers do not.
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Oh?
You make some big assumptions there. -
@GaoLu said:
Oh?
You make some big assumptions there.Not really. Understanding what was said was the basis for edification. The tongue speaker was edified while speaking. But would interpret = explain to others what it meant.
But here's the big problem. God only distributed the gifts thorough the Apostles' hands, other than during the two outpourings. And the charismatic gifts expired with the Apostles. If you can find exceptions to this I would welcome them, but as far as I know they do not exist in scripture.
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Whatever the truth is on that matter, you say lots of things the Bible does not say.
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@GaoLu said:
Whatever the truth is on that matter, you say lots of things the Bible does not say.If you can prove tongues came any other way than through the two outpourings, and the Apostles' hands, I'll buy it. But scripture mentions no other ways.
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I am not concerned about what you say, that the Bible actually says. It is all the other speculative stuff tacked on that gets way out there. Stick with what the Bible says and we agree on that much.
You might be better off to simply say that you do not have any such gift.
I remember an old Missionary who came from staunch cessationist stock until he became a missionary and encountered new interesting ways God was working. He never received the gift of tongues but would say regarding the matter, "I long for the kind of sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that God gives some people." Wise man.
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@GaoLu said:
I am not concerned about what you say, that the Bible actually says. It is all the other speculative stuff tacked on that gets way out there. Stick with what the Bible says and we agree on that much.You might be better off to simply say that you do not have any such gift.
I remember an old Missionary who came from staunch cessationist stock until he became a missionary and encountered new interesting ways God was working. He never received the gift of tongues but would say regarding the matter, "I long for the kind of sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that God gives some people." Wise man.
This is to discount the truth and make it optional.
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For sure you don't make Biblical Spiritual gifts an option but deny them, based on your own lack of the gifts. Truth is that God can work however He wants, and He will always escape Dave's tiny little theology box.
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@GaoLu said:
For sure you don't make Biblical Spiritual gifts an option but deny them, based on your own lack of the gifts. Truth is that God can work however He wants, and He will always escape Dave's tiny little theology box.But if scripture does not produce or support your views, where do they come from?
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You said it so well.
