Pastor Leaves Pentecostal Error

Ex-Pentecostal Pastor addresses: what is “speaking in tongues” according to the Bible?

Our FOUNDATION must be the Bible - the sure Word of God, not subjective experience. That which is Perfect is come. The Word regulates a proper use of tongues – always to be interpreted, only one person at a time, and no women were to speak. The modern tongues movement disobeys all this.

Pentecostals teach a FILLING – that to be “baptised with the Spirit” we must “speak with tongues”. The BIBLE teaches that " by one Spirit are we ALL baptised into one Body". Clearly all DO NOT speak with tongues - 1 Cor. 12:30. Of the 16 Bible references to "Spirit filling" tongues is mentioned only once.

What is our FOCUS? It is easy to focus on Experience, Extra-Biblical Revelation, or Signs and Wonders and Manifestations. Yet the Spirit’s work is to glorify Christ. Charismatics place an UNbiblical priority on tongues. Tongues are only mentioned in Mark, Acts, and 1 Corinthians. Acts only gives 3 instances of tongues.

Tongues are FOREIGN LANGUAGES. Acts 2 records that they are known languages and dialects. It wasn’t gibberish, like the babble of today’s “tongues”.

Tongues have a God given purpose – and a FULFILMENT. In Acts 2:4 tongues were unlearned, known languages which could be understood by Jews present. In Acts 10 they were a confirming sign of the Gospel message, showing the equality of Gentile believers with Jews, by faith. In Acts 19 tongues confirmed the truth of the message and that believers of every background are equal by faith.

Tongues was a SIGN - that God had brought the Spirit, and the Church was born: Gentiles and Jews together would be one body in Christ. The Spirit confirms this - to four distinct groups: Jewish believers (Acts 2), Samaritan believers (8:17), Gentile believers (10:45-46), and the disciples of John the Baptist (19: 1-6).

Tongues was specifically a sign to UNbelievers… As per 1 Corinthians 1:22, the Jews require a sign. It was a rebuke against unbelieving Jews. Tongues is symbolic of JUDGMENT - as at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:7).

Isaiah 28:11--"For with stammering lips and another TONGUE will he speak to this people." God’s sign was FULFILLED. In 1 Corinthians 14:21-22--"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. Wherefore TONGUES are for a SIGN, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not..."

God rebuked unbelieving Israel. The foreign tongues of Pentecost was God's sign to Israel that they were rejected and the Gospel was now to go to the Gentiles in their tongues. God had set Israel aside because of their unbelief and had begun a new work with the Gentiles. The Sign was FULFILLED - in 70 AD - judgment came. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and the nation dispersed. There is no Biblical record of any sign manifested after this date. When the sign was fulfilled, the sign ceased.

The gift of tongues is no longer necessary today. It serves no useful purpose. Tongues were given as a sign to unbelieving Israel. This purpose has been fulfilled.

It is a historical FACT that tongues HAVE CEASED. At the end of the apostolic age the canon of scripture was completed. As per 1 Corinthians 13:8, "tongues shall cease" - literally, "cease permanently." It has ceased - it has passed away - ceased permanently!

The last recorded New Testament miracles (Acts 28:3-9) occurred around AD 58. The gift of tongues disappears from Scripture after Paul's discussion of their misuse in 1 Corinthians 14. Miracle gifts, like tongues and healings, are mentioned only in 1 Corinthians - a very early letter.

In 1 Corinthians Paul said tongues would cease, and according to history they did! Tongues begins to cease after 1 Corinthians. Peter, James, John, and Jude never mention tongues. There is no mention of tongues by early church writers. Early Christians viewed tongues as “absolutely obsolete and non-existent.”

The Bible foretells a FALLING AWAY. Christ doesn’t promise an end time outpouring of His Spirit. He tells of latter day deception (Mark 13:22). Paul’s last writings also warn of end time apostasy (1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 3:1,5, 13-17, and 2 Tim. 4:1-5). Those heralded as modern day apostles and prophets are definitely NOT alike Biblical apostles or prophets. There is no comparison.

Truly, it is a FOLLY. Charismatics advocate a "private prayer language" to converse with God. Our Lord said, When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans… Tongues is NOT a “Prayer Language”. 1 Cor. 14:14-17. Paul teaches that we pray with both our spirit AND our minds. We pray with a language understandable to our minds and to others who may hear us. Of the three instances of tongues in Acts none of these occurred in private, nor were they prayers.

Consider the FRUITS. Today's "tongues" are tied to false teaching and ecumenism.. Matthew 7:20 “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”