- Mar 28, 2005
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It is one thing to have doubts about how some groups involve themselves in the gifts of the Spirit, and the way they speak in tongues and guarantee healing for sick people. There are honest doubters who are spooked and put off by the lunatic fringe of the Charismatic movement. I understand where they are coming from and I firmly believe that they do want the best that Christ can give them, and as they honestly seek the Lord, I am sure that the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to them in due time.
But there is a group of what I call "extreme" Cessationists who are so brainwashed against Pentecostalsim and the Charismatic movement, that they are prepared to insert additions into Paul's teaching that aren't there, such as Paul using tongues to preach the Gospel, which is totally missing from Acts and Paul's teaching. It is because of their extreme prejudice against tongues, drummed into them by their mentors, that they read 1 Corinthians 14, but comprehend it in a way that normal people would never do. They are prepared to change the meanings of words to suit their prejudice, and depart from standard exegesis practice to make Paul say things that he never said. They are also prepared to define Paul's teaching of tongues from one verse in the chapter, yet ignore all the others. They try to make out that tongues is evil and contains blasphemy, when Paul never taught that. They say that tongues is not for personal prayer, when anyone with normal comprehension skills can quite easily see that Paul spoke in tongues extensively, yet in the church he didn't, but gave intelligible teaching instead, showing that Paul used tongues extensively in personal prayer when he wasn't in church. They refuse to believe 1 Corinthians 14:2 when Paul says that the person who prays in tongues speaks to God, which is prayer, and only God is able to understand him. They say that self-edification is selfish and deficient, in spite of Jude saying to build ourselves up in our most holy faith, praying in the Spirit. The fact is that every time we pray and study the Scriptures, we are edifying ourselves.
These "extreme" Cessationists are those who deliberately deceive and lie to unsuspecting Pentecostal groups by invading meetings, giving tongues messages in Latin or Hebrew, and then when someone gives an interpretation, pours ridicule at him. In this, they are prepared to blatantly misrepresent the Holy Spirit in their lie. I don't believe that such people are genuinely saved. It is the same of liars who tell seekers of tongues not to speak it because they will be speaking blasphemy, and will give false examples of people who spoke in tongues which were understood as such. The Scripture says that liars, deceivers and hypocrites like these Cessationists will not enter heaven.
I have no respect for such evil people. They are how Stephen described: "Uncircumcised in heart and ears; as their fathers (or mentors) resisted the Holy Spirit, so do you!" These religious hypocrites are still in the bonds of iniquity and show that they have no knowledge of who Jesus really is or who the Holy Spirit is.
The truth about tongues is:
A gift of the Holy Spirit
Speaking to God
Understood and appreciated by Him
Mysteries in the Spirit
Used in the church along with interpretation
Faith is the key for speaking and interpreting tongues
An important enhancement for private prayer
Is key to the activation of the other gifts of the Spirit
Is a key way to build up ones holy faith
Makes a believer sensitive to the leading of the Spirit
Is an expressive and articulate language, not learned
Is a world language that could be understood when God has a purpose for it to be understood.
There have been instances in church history where a foreign language has been miraculously bestowed on a preacher of the Gospel so he can be understood, but these were special miracles and not part of the normal use of tongues. St Francis of Assisi was given the French language to share the Gospel with a group of French people. There is the testimony of a woman being miraculously given the Italian language to share the Gospel to Italian immigrants to America who could not speak English. She retained that language for the rest of her life. There are other testimonies where the Holy Spirit has spoken directly to foreign people in church services through believers speaking in tongues in order to draw them to Christ. In one service a person gave a tongues message which was understood by a native speaker of the language, and someone else gave an interpretation which was exactly what was spoken in tongues, and the native speaker of the language acknowledged it. These are special miracles that God has performed through His grace, and because some people have had this happen, it doesn't mean that other speakers in tongues should think they can automatically do the same.
But there is a group of what I call "extreme" Cessationists who are so brainwashed against Pentecostalsim and the Charismatic movement, that they are prepared to insert additions into Paul's teaching that aren't there, such as Paul using tongues to preach the Gospel, which is totally missing from Acts and Paul's teaching. It is because of their extreme prejudice against tongues, drummed into them by their mentors, that they read 1 Corinthians 14, but comprehend it in a way that normal people would never do. They are prepared to change the meanings of words to suit their prejudice, and depart from standard exegesis practice to make Paul say things that he never said. They are also prepared to define Paul's teaching of tongues from one verse in the chapter, yet ignore all the others. They try to make out that tongues is evil and contains blasphemy, when Paul never taught that. They say that tongues is not for personal prayer, when anyone with normal comprehension skills can quite easily see that Paul spoke in tongues extensively, yet in the church he didn't, but gave intelligible teaching instead, showing that Paul used tongues extensively in personal prayer when he wasn't in church. They refuse to believe 1 Corinthians 14:2 when Paul says that the person who prays in tongues speaks to God, which is prayer, and only God is able to understand him. They say that self-edification is selfish and deficient, in spite of Jude saying to build ourselves up in our most holy faith, praying in the Spirit. The fact is that every time we pray and study the Scriptures, we are edifying ourselves.
These "extreme" Cessationists are those who deliberately deceive and lie to unsuspecting Pentecostal groups by invading meetings, giving tongues messages in Latin or Hebrew, and then when someone gives an interpretation, pours ridicule at him. In this, they are prepared to blatantly misrepresent the Holy Spirit in their lie. I don't believe that such people are genuinely saved. It is the same of liars who tell seekers of tongues not to speak it because they will be speaking blasphemy, and will give false examples of people who spoke in tongues which were understood as such. The Scripture says that liars, deceivers and hypocrites like these Cessationists will not enter heaven.
I have no respect for such evil people. They are how Stephen described: "Uncircumcised in heart and ears; as their fathers (or mentors) resisted the Holy Spirit, so do you!" These religious hypocrites are still in the bonds of iniquity and show that they have no knowledge of who Jesus really is or who the Holy Spirit is.
The truth about tongues is:
A gift of the Holy Spirit
Speaking to God
Understood and appreciated by Him
Mysteries in the Spirit
Used in the church along with interpretation
Faith is the key for speaking and interpreting tongues
An important enhancement for private prayer
Is key to the activation of the other gifts of the Spirit
Is a key way to build up ones holy faith
Makes a believer sensitive to the leading of the Spirit
Is an expressive and articulate language, not learned
Is a world language that could be understood when God has a purpose for it to be understood.
There have been instances in church history where a foreign language has been miraculously bestowed on a preacher of the Gospel so he can be understood, but these were special miracles and not part of the normal use of tongues. St Francis of Assisi was given the French language to share the Gospel with a group of French people. There is the testimony of a woman being miraculously given the Italian language to share the Gospel to Italian immigrants to America who could not speak English. She retained that language for the rest of her life. There are other testimonies where the Holy Spirit has spoken directly to foreign people in church services through believers speaking in tongues in order to draw them to Christ. In one service a person gave a tongues message which was understood by a native speaker of the language, and someone else gave an interpretation which was exactly what was spoken in tongues, and the native speaker of the language acknowledged it. These are special miracles that God has performed through His grace, and because some people have had this happen, it doesn't mean that other speakers in tongues should think they can automatically do the same.
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