I hope he wasn't saying that. Yikes! Did Cornelius become an apostle??? No, so that would be crazy to say such a thing.
With unmistakable clarity Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:22..........
“Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not . . . ”.
The word “sign” (Gr. semeion) in the New Testament means that with the conveying of a Divinely-given message to unbelievers. This is the emphasis in John 20:30, 31 where we read..........
“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.”
The signs (miracles) were never performed without purpose, but because of the message they communicated.
What then does that mean? It means that the true function of the gift of tongues is
“
for a sign . . . to them that believe not.”
To exercise the gift when unbelievers were not present would be exercising the gift above the purpose for which it was given------and that is what is seen in todays churches!!!!!
The gifts were never given for the self-satisfaction or self-glory of the recipients. The one upon whom the gift was bestowed was merely an instrument through whom God wanted to communicate His message.
Speaking in tongues was no mark of spirituality, because the Corinthian church was unspiritual, un-Biblical having manifested carnality (3:1-3) and even gross sin (5:1). And so Paul points them to a Scripture they should have known, saying in 12:21..........
“In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord”.
This purpose of the gift of tongues, namely to communicate God’s message to Israel, is verified in the three passages in Acts where speaking in tongues is mentioned.
FIRST.......In Acts 2 tongues-speaking was used as a missionary or evangelistic tool in fulfillment of Isaiah 28:11. There was no need for the disciples to learn other languages before they could communicate the Gospel. God overcame the language barrier through the miracle-gift of tongue.
Jews speaking to Jews about the Jew, Jesus.
SECOND....Acts 10:46 the second mention of speaking in tongues occurs. The occasion again was to communicate the Gospel, this time for the purpose of effecting the conversion of Cornelius and his house. This event cannot be totally disassociated from Pentecost because Peter, when relating this experience, said, “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). At the house of Cornelius tongues-speaking was a sign to Jews at a time when the Gospel was being communicated with Jews speaking to Gentiles about the Jew, Jesus. (Acts 10:44-46).
THIRD.......Acts 19:6 there appears the third passage in Acts in which speaking in tongues is recorded. Again its purpose was missionary and evangelistic. Again the purpose for speaking in tongues is obvious, namely, to communicate the Gospel message.
These are the only instances of tongues-speaking recorded in the Bible, except the passage in First Corinthians. None of the later Epistles mention speaking in tongues. The gift was used only in the transitional period between Law and Grace. The sign gifts continued through the period of the Apostles while the New Testament was in the process of being written.
I know you guys do not want to hear this but none of the later Epistles mention speaking in tongues. It is clear that the gift was used only in the transitional period between Law and Grace. The sign gifts continued through the period of the Apostles while the New Testament was in the process of being written.
If one could find an Apostle living today who saw the bodily-resurrected Lord Jesus, he would not be exercising the sign gifts because he would have what you and I have, and what Peter, Paul and John did not have, the completed written Word of God. Now that we have the Scriptures we do not need miracles to confirm God’s message.