10/8/2013
What About
Tongues and
Prophecy?
1 Cor 12-14
Bible
Question
Night
1 Cor 14
The Corinthians missed the whole point: love.
Tongues and prophecy were similar yet different.
Tongues were real languages, not ecstatic noises.
14:1-5 The tongues-speaker knew the content. Only
thus could he be edified. But others did not.
14:6-12 Tongues alone: like indistinct music notes.
Useless without a clear message.
14:13-19 If one’s mind was “fruitful,” producing fruit in
the hearers, that is, in understandable words, then
others (even outsiders) could say “Amen.”
1 Cor 12:28-31
1 Cor 14
These were free gifts, not earned by perfect faith / life.
There was a hierarchy of gifts: first apostles, etc.
Tongues-speaking was last of all.
These gifts co-existed. When there were apostles …
Some gifts were miracle gifts (healing).
Some gifts were revelation gifts (prophecy).
Some gifts were a combination of both (tongues).
Not all were apostles, healers, tongues-speakers, etc.
Love was more excellent than any / all of these gifts.
14:20-25 Quotation from Isa 28:11-12. In the past
God used foreign, uninterpreted tongues as a
punishment for His disobedient people in exile. Those
tongues were for unbelieving Israelites. So, having
uninterpreted tongues was not a good thing.
14:26-33 Without interpretation (translation), listeners
would not know the content and could not be edified.
Tongues-speakers were to be silent in such a case.
With an interpreter, tongues-speakers took turns.
Tongues-speakers could exercise control.
1 Cor 13:8-13
1 Cor 14
In Paul’s time, knowledge and prophecy were partial.
God gave these tools to the immature church, in its
infancy, to complete revealed knowledge and prophecy.
When this process was complete or “perfect,” the gifts
would no longer be required.
The apostles’ office would cease. They and those on
whom they laid hands would die.
With the closing of the canon would come the ending of
these special, temporary gifts.
Faith and hope would continue.
Love would excel and outlast all else.
14:34-35 Women were not to speak in the assembly,
under any circumstances, even with “speaking” gifts.
14:36-40 No place for arrogance.
True spirituality: respecting Scripture.
If one with special gifts did not submit to this
command, he would not be recognized.
All was to be done decently, properly, and in order.
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10/8/2013
Church History
Augustine
AD 354-430, contemporary of Chrysostom.
So-called bishop of Hippo Regius in Africa.
In homilies on 1 John, he said:
“In the earliest times the Holy Ghost fell upon them that
believed, and they spake with tongues which they had
not learned, as the Spirit gave them utterance. These
are signs adapted to the time. But there behooved to be
that betokening of the Holy Spirit in all tongues to show
that the gospel of God was to run through all tongues
over the whole earth. That thing was done for a
betokening, and it passed away.”
Montanus
2nd-century convert to Christianity in Phrygia.
Claimed to be inspired and to restore mirac. gifts.
Converted two women, “prophetesses.”
Churches took action and called it heresy.
The Pentecostal Movement
Beginning 1901-1906
Said the sole proof of
“Holy Spirit baptism”
was tongues-speaking.
John Chrysostom
4th century (AD 300’s). John the “golden-mouthed.”
So-called Archbishop of Constantinople.
Spoke based on 1 Cor 12.
“This whole passage is very obscure, but the obscurity
is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to
and by their cessation, being such as then used to
occur, but now no longer take place.”
The Neo-Pentecostal or Charismatic
Movement
Beginning in the 1950’s
“Charismatic” - from the Greek word for
“gifts” in 1 Corinthians 12:4, 9, 28, 30, 31.
“Full Gospel” includes physical healing and
speaking in tongues.
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10/8/2013
Though the miraculous gifts have ceased …
Rather than forming new denominational
groups, these “charismatics” stayed within –
and may be found in – all religious branches:
Catholic, Protestant, and cults.
The promise, gift, and indwelling of the Holy
Spirit continue today!
The Holy Spirit encourages us and helps us
in our weaknesses still today!
The Third Wave: Vineyard Christian
Fellowship
Beginning in the 1970’s and 1980’s
John Wimber
Yorba Linda, California
This movement claimed “to continue Jesus' ministry
of proclaiming the kingdom, healing the sick,
casting out demons and training disciples.”
Tragically, Wimber had cancer (and radiation
treatments) in 1993, a stroke in 1995, and triplebypass surgery in 1997. He died later that year
after a fall and a fatal brain hemorrhage.
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