Tongues and Cessationism
Pastor Bret Lovitz of Grace Fellowship
Presented Sunday May 21st
I Introduction
Within the body of Christ, arguments still wage on regarding the gift of tongues, and whether certain
Gifts of the Spirit, often called “sign gifts” or “revelatory gifts” or “apostolic gifts” are still in use today.
I believe that the Tongues were human languages unknown to the speakers, yet known to the people of
that nation. I believe that the gifts of word of knowledge, word of wisdom, miracles, and healing, ended in the first century with the completion of the word of God. I believe that the gift of tongues have ceased in operation as they were in the first century, but that God may be pleased to give someone that gift sporadically to reach a person or group of people from a nation with the gospel, and you do not know that language.
Anyway, this is why I hold to the view I do regarding these two teachings.
II Tongues
A) Were there two types of Tongues? It is clear that the Tongues that began on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:5-11 were human languages. Miraculous because they were unknown to the speakers, but the people that heard them, heard them speaking the language from their lands that are listed in that passage of Scripture.
B) One of the rules of interpretation of Scripture is that we always compare clear passages with those that are not as clear and “appear” to have more than one interpretation. It is also wise to compare such Scriptures that “appear” to have more than one interpretation and happened later in the church with the ones that happened earlier in the church. In this case, the Tongues at Pentecost happened before the issue in Corinth. So unless it clearly says otherwise, 1Cor. 14 should be interpreted in light of Acts 2 regarding the nature of the gift of Tongues.
C) Reasons why I believe Tongues was only an intelligible human language:
1. Acts 2:5-11 says so.
2. Both Greek words (Dialektos and Glossa) are used for “language” and “tongue” in Acts 2:5-11.
3. Is. 28:11-12 says that God would speak to His people through foreign tongues. This is quoted in 1Cor.14:21, and was fulfilled in Acts 2.
4. 1Cor.14:2 is often used as a proof text to support non human language unintelligible tongues. Yet this verse and the rest of chapter 14 still makes sense if it is a human intelligible language and there is no one there to understand it and there is no interpreter.
5. Unintelligible non human language tongues were spoken in pagan cultures.
6. Two different kinds of tongues (human language and non human language) doesn’t seem to make sense.
7. God created languages. He is the one that confused them at Babel. Unintelligible languages do not serve any purpose except “maybe” to edify self. Yet 1Cor.14 seems to put the emphasis on prophesying, edifying the church, and reaching unbelievers from other nations/lands with the gift of human languages/tongues.
8. The fruit of the unintelligible tongues so called in Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Word-Faith Churches.
III Have the Sign, Revelatory Gifts Ceased?
A) We know that the word of God speak of numerous gifts of the Spirit. Have all the gifts been in operation since the beginning of the church until today. For those gifts that are still in operation today, or all of them in operation the same way today that they were in the first century church? What was the purpose of those gifts?
B) Reasons Why I Believe The Gift of Tongues Have Ceased as They Were Done in the 1st Century.
1. Because 1Cor.13:8-10 says: “Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
a) The Greek word for “cease” means “to come to an end on its own.”
b) It is a different Greek word than for the one used for “done away.”
c) “Done Away” means to be put to a stop by something.
d) “Knowing” and “Prophesying” is in part, and the partial shall be done away when the perfect comes.
e) Notice that the “tongues that will cease” is not in the same category as that which is in part which
shall be done away when the perfect comes.
2. Because the Tongues appeared to cease according to church history.
a) In all the writings we have by the early church fathers, theologians, puritans, reformers, etc., the few
times Tongues is mentioned, they were associated with cultic and fringe groups.
b) They didn’t show again in more of the so called mainstream until the turn into the 20th Century at the
alleged Asuzu Street Phenomenon, and that was of the non human, unintelligible language kind.
c) Because of the abuse of the so called gift that we have seen among the Pentecostals & Charismatics.
3. Because they were Apostolic Gifts and we’ve had no more Apostles.
C) Objections:
1. But Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever:” Character, not in the way He deals with people.
2. “It’s in the bible, and all in the bible applies for us today:” Are you sure you want to go down that road?
a) Everything in the Old Testament?
b) Have there been Apostles since the 1st century?
c) Do Christians have the gift of healing like they did in the 1st century?
d) Word of knowledge? Word of Wisdom?
e) Still raising people from the dead?
3. What about the “praying in tongues” mentioned in 1Cor.14:14? Intelligible or unintelligible?
4. What about the “tongues of angels” mentioned in 1Cor.13:1? Hyperbole?
5. What about the “groanings too deep for words” in Rom.8:26? Who does this? The Spirit!
IV Conclusion
1. More reformed pastors and churches are embracing the “non cessation” position. Is that because more are starting to see that as the truth, or is it because of the influence of charismatic and Pentecostal churches?
2. I’m more concerned about the unintelligible so called tongues and the abuses that abound than I am the non cessation position.
3. The church doesn’t take a firm position on the cessation vs. non cessation issue, but will not tolerate the speaking of unintelligible tongues here.
4. Let’s keep studying, but one day when we are with the Lord in Heaven, we will know.
Pastor Bret Lovitz of Grace Fellowship
Presented Sunday May 21st
I Introduction
Within the body of Christ, arguments still wage on regarding the gift of tongues, and whether certain
Gifts of the Spirit, often called “sign gifts” or “revelatory gifts” or “apostolic gifts” are still in use today.
I believe that the Tongues were human languages unknown to the speakers, yet known to the people of
that nation. I believe that the gifts of word of knowledge, word of wisdom, miracles, and healing, ended in the first century with the completion of the word of God. I believe that the gift of tongues have ceased in operation as they were in the first century, but that God may be pleased to give someone that gift sporadically to reach a person or group of people from a nation with the gospel, and you do not know that language.
Anyway, this is why I hold to the view I do regarding these two teachings.
II Tongues
A) Were there two types of Tongues? It is clear that the Tongues that began on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:5-11 were human languages. Miraculous because they were unknown to the speakers, but the people that heard them, heard them speaking the language from their lands that are listed in that passage of Scripture.
B) One of the rules of interpretation of Scripture is that we always compare clear passages with those that are not as clear and “appear” to have more than one interpretation. It is also wise to compare such Scriptures that “appear” to have more than one interpretation and happened later in the church with the ones that happened earlier in the church. In this case, the Tongues at Pentecost happened before the issue in Corinth. So unless it clearly says otherwise, 1Cor. 14 should be interpreted in light of Acts 2 regarding the nature of the gift of Tongues.
C) Reasons why I believe Tongues was only an intelligible human language:
1. Acts 2:5-11 says so.
2. Both Greek words (Dialektos and Glossa) are used for “language” and “tongue” in Acts 2:5-11.
3. Is. 28:11-12 says that God would speak to His people through foreign tongues. This is quoted in 1Cor.14:21, and was fulfilled in Acts 2.
4. 1Cor.14:2 is often used as a proof text to support non human language unintelligible tongues. Yet this verse and the rest of chapter 14 still makes sense if it is a human intelligible language and there is no one there to understand it and there is no interpreter.
5. Unintelligible non human language tongues were spoken in pagan cultures.
6. Two different kinds of tongues (human language and non human language) doesn’t seem to make sense.
7. God created languages. He is the one that confused them at Babel. Unintelligible languages do not serve any purpose except “maybe” to edify self. Yet 1Cor.14 seems to put the emphasis on prophesying, edifying the church, and reaching unbelievers from other nations/lands with the gift of human languages/tongues.
8. The fruit of the unintelligible tongues so called in Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Word-Faith Churches.
III Have the Sign, Revelatory Gifts Ceased?
A) We know that the word of God speak of numerous gifts of the Spirit. Have all the gifts been in operation since the beginning of the church until today. For those gifts that are still in operation today, or all of them in operation the same way today that they were in the first century church? What was the purpose of those gifts?
B) Reasons Why I Believe The Gift of Tongues Have Ceased as They Were Done in the 1st Century.
1. Because 1Cor.13:8-10 says: “Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
a) The Greek word for “cease” means “to come to an end on its own.”
b) It is a different Greek word than for the one used for “done away.”
c) “Done Away” means to be put to a stop by something.
d) “Knowing” and “Prophesying” is in part, and the partial shall be done away when the perfect comes.
e) Notice that the “tongues that will cease” is not in the same category as that which is in part which
shall be done away when the perfect comes.
2. Because the Tongues appeared to cease according to church history.
a) In all the writings we have by the early church fathers, theologians, puritans, reformers, etc., the few
times Tongues is mentioned, they were associated with cultic and fringe groups.
b) They didn’t show again in more of the so called mainstream until the turn into the 20th Century at the
alleged Asuzu Street Phenomenon, and that was of the non human, unintelligible language kind.
c) Because of the abuse of the so called gift that we have seen among the Pentecostals & Charismatics.
3. Because they were Apostolic Gifts and we’ve had no more Apostles.
C) Objections:
1. But Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever:” Character, not in the way He deals with people.
2. “It’s in the bible, and all in the bible applies for us today:” Are you sure you want to go down that road?
a) Everything in the Old Testament?
b) Have there been Apostles since the 1st century?
c) Do Christians have the gift of healing like they did in the 1st century?
d) Word of knowledge? Word of Wisdom?
e) Still raising people from the dead?
3. What about the “praying in tongues” mentioned in 1Cor.14:14? Intelligible or unintelligible?
4. What about the “tongues of angels” mentioned in 1Cor.13:1? Hyperbole?
5. What about the “groanings too deep for words” in Rom.8:26? Who does this? The Spirit!
IV Conclusion
1. More reformed pastors and churches are embracing the “non cessation” position. Is that because more are starting to see that as the truth, or is it because of the influence of charismatic and Pentecostal churches?
2. I’m more concerned about the unintelligible so called tongues and the abuses that abound than I am the non cessation position.
3. The church doesn’t take a firm position on the cessation vs. non cessation issue, but will not tolerate the speaking of unintelligible tongues here.
4. Let’s keep studying, but one day when we are with the Lord in Heaven, we will know.
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