Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Questions To Ask Charismatics That Prove Tongues To Be Unbiblical
Q1. Did you speak in tongues because someone asked you to, or did tongues come to you without you seeking it, and without anyone suggesting you do it, as in the New Testament?
Q2. When you were asked to speak in tongues, did you say "No, wait until I have thoroughly and completely studied and understood every verse on the subject?"
Q3. Do you use your tongue as a warning to Jews to repent?
Q4. Do you always have your tongue correctly interpreted?
"Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret". 1 Corinthians 14:13
Q5. Do you speak in tongues to edify yourself or to edify the church?
"Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church" 1 Corinthians 14:12
Q6. Do women speak in tongues aloud in your church?
"Let your women keep silent in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak ... for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." 1 Corinthians 14:34,35.
Q7. Do two or at the most three speak in "tongues" at your meetings? 1 Corinthians 14:27.
Q8. Do your "tongues" speakers speak in turn after being interpreted, or do they all speak at the same time?
Q9. Which spirit gave you your tongue?
If you think it is the Holy Spirit, can you prove it? How?
Q10. Did you receive your tongue when someone told you to relax, be passive, blank out your mind, and let anything come out? or
Q11. Were you strongly refusing anything which Satan might send you? Did you constantly pray for God to keep you from everything not of Him when people challenged you to speak in tongues?
Q12. Does your tongue ever get out of control, or does it take over your prayer time?
Q13. What do you learn more about God through your tongue?
Q14. Do people in your church suppress their tongues if there is no genuine interpreter present?
"But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church..." 1 Corinthians 14:28.
Q15. Can you find one Biblical example of a woman speaking in tongues? (Keith Piper)
Q2. When you were asked to speak in tongues, did you say "No, wait until I have thoroughly and completely studied and understood every verse on the subject?"
Q3. Do you use your tongue as a warning to Jews to repent?
Q4. Do you always have your tongue correctly interpreted?
"Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret". 1 Corinthians 14:13
Q5. Do you speak in tongues to edify yourself or to edify the church?
"Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church" 1 Corinthians 14:12
Q6. Do women speak in tongues aloud in your church?
"Let your women keep silent in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak ... for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." 1 Corinthians 14:34,35.
Q7. Do two or at the most three speak in "tongues" at your meetings? 1 Corinthians 14:27.
Q8. Do your "tongues" speakers speak in turn after being interpreted, or do they all speak at the same time?
Q9. Which spirit gave you your tongue?
If you think it is the Holy Spirit, can you prove it? How?
Q10. Did you receive your tongue when someone told you to relax, be passive, blank out your mind, and let anything come out? or
Q11. Were you strongly refusing anything which Satan might send you? Did you constantly pray for God to keep you from everything not of Him when people challenged you to speak in tongues?
Q12. Does your tongue ever get out of control, or does it take over your prayer time?
Q13. What do you learn more about God through your tongue?
Q14. Do people in your church suppress their tongues if there is no genuine interpreter present?
"But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church..." 1 Corinthians 14:28.
Q15. Can you find one Biblical example of a woman speaking in tongues? (Keith Piper)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
"Only The Apostles" - 8 More Reasons
Reason #12: Ephesians 4, 5, 6 describe thoroughly the Walk and Service of a Spirit-filled believer.
Nowhere in this key passage is speaking in tongues mentioned.
Conclusion: "Walking worthy" does not include tongues.
Reason #13 - Phonetics Test Every language must have hundreds of different syllables to express the wide range of ideas in a society. Charismatic tongues only have less than 12 syllables repeated, constantly. This is typical of gibberish that comes from a mind that is not expressing thoughts, but from a tongue out of control from the mind.
Note. 4 syllables are, for example, seen in "Cha/ris/ma/tic". This shows that tongues are not real languages, but are just sounds made up on the spot at random.
Reason #14 - Order of importance is reversed. Majoring on tongues REVERSES the order of importance of spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:28, God lists tongues as the least important of eight gifts.
In 1 Corinthians 12:31, God tells the church to seek the "best" gifts.
God gives gifts to believers "as HE will" (12:11), not as we insist.
Charismatics tell people to pray long and hard for the gift of tongues.
We are not to deliberately choose and insist on having the least gift and exalt it above the others. Why not place greater emphasis on the gifts of pastor-teacher, evangelists, helps, government, giving, etc.? It is because these gifts involve hard work, but tongues is easy.
Reason #15 - Rebuking Errors - The context of 1 Corinthians is rebuking 13 errors, such as tongues, and it is not recommending tongues. The Corinthian church was filled with problems that Paul corrects in this book, such as:
Reason #16 - They fail the "Easy to be entreated" test.
It is amazing how tongue-speakers often become very angry, intolerant, irritable, impatient, nervous, very dogmatic, and extremely touchy when anything is said which disapproves of or corrects their idea of speaking in tongues.
"The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated"...James 3:17
"The works of the flesh...are wrath, strife..." Galations 5:19, 20.
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God." Hebrews 12:15.
Reason #17 - The First Mentioned Principle of Tongues is in the Context of Judgment.
This is a well-established principle for correctly interpreting Scripture.
It states that:
When any subject, word, expression or idea is first mentioned in the Bible, this shows how God thinks on that subject, and is a guide to how we should understand this subject in the rest of the Bible. For example:
Reason #18 - PRAYING IN TONGUES is WRONG because UNDERSTANDING is ABSENT.
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the UNDERSTANDING ALSO" 1 Corinthians 14:14,15.
Paul is saying here that if you pray in tongues, your spirit might be trying to express something, but your MIND (or understanding) has no idea what is being said. This is wrong, Paul says. For prayer to be genuine, we must pray with our spirit and with our understanding.
Praying in tongues fails the test of understanding. The mind and voice are disconnected. Many Charismatics will try to justify praying in tongues by quoting Romans 8:26.
"...the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which CANNOT BE UTTERED".
This verse is not talking about praying in tongues because tongues are uttered vocal sounds. The Holy Spirit speaks our thoughts to the Father with groanings which cannot be uttered by us, yet prayer tongues are uttered by people.
Reason #19 - The Process of Elimination shows tongues to be not for believers of today.
Tongues primary purpose was to warn unbelieving Jews to repent, or God would judge them.
They refused to repent, so God judged them in 70 AD, thus making tongues as a warning to the Jews no longer necessary.
"Tongues are a sign, NOT TO THEM THAT BELIEVE, but to them that BELIEVE NOT..." 1 Corinthans 14:22.
Tongues are a sign for one of three types of people. Which one?
a) NOT FOR BELIEVERS. 14:22. This means that tongues have no purpose for believers. For Christians to speak in tongues is not valid.
b) NOT FOR GENTILE UNBELIEVERS. 14:23. Those unlearned to the Old Testament meaning of tongues, or unbelievers, "will they not say that ye are mad?" This describes unsaved Gentiles.
Tongues are not for this group because the history of Assyrian and Babylonian tongues as a warning of a judgment to Israel meant nothing to them.
c) JEWISH UNBELIEVERS, 14:21. "In the law (Isaiah 28:11, Jeremiah 5:15 and Deuteronomy 28:49) it is written, with men of other tongues (Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman) and other lips will I speak unto this people (Jews); and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord".
Nowhere in this key passage is speaking in tongues mentioned.
Conclusion: "Walking worthy" does not include tongues.
Reason #13 - Phonetics Test Every language must have hundreds of different syllables to express the wide range of ideas in a society. Charismatic tongues only have less than 12 syllables repeated, constantly. This is typical of gibberish that comes from a mind that is not expressing thoughts, but from a tongue out of control from the mind.
Note. 4 syllables are, for example, seen in "Cha/ris/ma/tic". This shows that tongues are not real languages, but are just sounds made up on the spot at random.
Reason #14 - Order of importance is reversed. Majoring on tongues REVERSES the order of importance of spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:28, God lists tongues as the least important of eight gifts.
In 1 Corinthians 12:31, God tells the church to seek the "best" gifts.
God gives gifts to believers "as HE will" (12:11), not as we insist.
Charismatics tell people to pray long and hard for the gift of tongues.
We are not to deliberately choose and insist on having the least gift and exalt it above the others. Why not place greater emphasis on the gifts of pastor-teacher, evangelists, helps, government, giving, etc.? It is because these gifts involve hard work, but tongues is easy.
Reason #15 - Rebuking Errors - The context of 1 Corinthians is rebuking 13 errors, such as tongues, and it is not recommending tongues. The Corinthian church was filled with problems that Paul corrects in this book, such as:
- They were following their favourite human leaders causing divisions. 1:11-14
- " " favouring human wisdom. 1:18-2:13
- " " carnal, living for self, not controlled by the Spirit. 2:14-3:7
- " " forgetting the future Judgment Seat of Christ. 3:8-23
- " " proud, thinking of themselves more highly than they ought. 4:1-21
- " " failing to discipline, by tolerating a fornicator. 5:1-13
- " " taking fellow believers to court. 6:1-20
- " " confused about marriage. 7:1-40
- " " confused about liberty thinking it meant license to do as they please, even stumbling others. 8,9.10
- " " confused about clothing, long hair on men and Lord's Supper. 11
- " " confused about spiritual gifts, especially tongues. 12-14
- " " confused about the resurrection. 15
- " " confused about the collection. 16
Reason #16 - They fail the "Easy to be entreated" test.
It is amazing how tongue-speakers often become very angry, intolerant, irritable, impatient, nervous, very dogmatic, and extremely touchy when anything is said which disapproves of or corrects their idea of speaking in tongues.
"The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated"...James 3:17
"The works of the flesh...are wrath, strife..." Galations 5:19, 20.
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God." Hebrews 12:15.
Reason #17 - The First Mentioned Principle of Tongues is in the Context of Judgment.
This is a well-established principle for correctly interpreting Scripture.
It states that:
When any subject, word, expression or idea is first mentioned in the Bible, this shows how God thinks on that subject, and is a guide to how we should understand this subject in the rest of the Bible. For example:
- The first mention of Babylon, Babel, and languages is in Genesis 11:1-9 where God confused man's languages so that they did not understand one another's speech. "The Lord scattered mankind abroad upon the face of all the earth." Man has remained divided by different languages ever since. Hence tongues are associated with division and confusion (the meaning of Babel), ever since the Tower of Babel; not with the blessing of God, but with the judgment of God.
Reason #18 - PRAYING IN TONGUES is WRONG because UNDERSTANDING is ABSENT.
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the UNDERSTANDING ALSO" 1 Corinthians 14:14,15.
Paul is saying here that if you pray in tongues, your spirit might be trying to express something, but your MIND (or understanding) has no idea what is being said. This is wrong, Paul says. For prayer to be genuine, we must pray with our spirit and with our understanding.
Praying in tongues fails the test of understanding. The mind and voice are disconnected. Many Charismatics will try to justify praying in tongues by quoting Romans 8:26.
"...the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which CANNOT BE UTTERED".
This verse is not talking about praying in tongues because tongues are uttered vocal sounds. The Holy Spirit speaks our thoughts to the Father with groanings which cannot be uttered by us, yet prayer tongues are uttered by people.
Reason #19 - The Process of Elimination shows tongues to be not for believers of today.
Tongues primary purpose was to warn unbelieving Jews to repent, or God would judge them.
They refused to repent, so God judged them in 70 AD, thus making tongues as a warning to the Jews no longer necessary.
"Tongues are a sign, NOT TO THEM THAT BELIEVE, but to them that BELIEVE NOT..." 1 Corinthans 14:22.
Tongues are a sign for one of three types of people. Which one?
a) NOT FOR BELIEVERS. 14:22. This means that tongues have no purpose for believers. For Christians to speak in tongues is not valid.
b) NOT FOR GENTILE UNBELIEVERS. 14:23. Those unlearned to the Old Testament meaning of tongues, or unbelievers, "will they not say that ye are mad?" This describes unsaved Gentiles.
Tongues are not for this group because the history of Assyrian and Babylonian tongues as a warning of a judgment to Israel meant nothing to them.
c) JEWISH UNBELIEVERS, 14:21. "In the law (Isaiah 28:11, Jeremiah 5:15 and Deuteronomy 28:49) it is written, with men of other tongues (Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman) and other lips will I speak unto this people (Jews); and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord".
Friday, February 11, 2011
Reason 11: Tape Recorder Test Disproves Interpretation of Tongues
If no one passes the Interpretation test, then neither does anyone possess the genuine gift of tongues.
This scientific test will disprove anyone's claim to have the gift of "Interpretation of tongues".
Assemble, one person who claims to have the gift of tongues, and another two people who claim to have the gift of interpreting tongues, keeping both groups separate.
Let the first person speak in tongues, while you tape record him speaking.
Then bring the first interpreter into the room to hear the taped tongue replayed.
Tape record his interpretation of the tongue.
Then bring the second interpreter into the room to hear the same tongue replayed.
Tape record his interpretation of the same tongue. You will find that the second interpretation will disagree with the first person's interpretation.
Why is this? It is because no one today has the first century supernatural gift of interpretation of tongues, this gift having passed away by 70 AD.
It follows therefore, that if the interpretation gift is found to be NON-GENUINE, then the tongues gift is also NON-GENUINE.
Notice please that when someone speaks gibberish, claiming that he is speaking in an unknown tongue, he is, by deception, taking advantage of the fact that the hearer does not know every language in the Universe. The hearer, who is caught off guard, finds it hard to state that this gibberish is not a language.
So let us turn the tables and ask if his two interpreter friends can interpret any tongue consistently.
Note: A variation on this test is to get up in a Charismatic meeting, speak something in a foreign language that you know the meaning of, and then ask for it to be correctly interpreted, e.g. quote the Lords prayer in Latvian. You will find that the interpretation given, will be nothing like the true meaning of what you said. You may then expose them publicly as deceivers and as being deceived.
This scientific test will disprove anyone's claim to have the gift of "Interpretation of tongues".
Assemble, one person who claims to have the gift of tongues, and another two people who claim to have the gift of interpreting tongues, keeping both groups separate.
Let the first person speak in tongues, while you tape record him speaking.
Then bring the first interpreter into the room to hear the taped tongue replayed.
Tape record his interpretation of the tongue.
Then bring the second interpreter into the room to hear the same tongue replayed.
Tape record his interpretation of the same tongue. You will find that the second interpretation will disagree with the first person's interpretation.
Why is this? It is because no one today has the first century supernatural gift of interpretation of tongues, this gift having passed away by 70 AD.
It follows therefore, that if the interpretation gift is found to be NON-GENUINE, then the tongues gift is also NON-GENUINE.
Notice please that when someone speaks gibberish, claiming that he is speaking in an unknown tongue, he is, by deception, taking advantage of the fact that the hearer does not know every language in the Universe. The hearer, who is caught off guard, finds it hard to state that this gibberish is not a language.
So let us turn the tables and ask if his two interpreter friends can interpret any tongue consistently.
Note: A variation on this test is to get up in a Charismatic meeting, speak something in a foreign language that you know the meaning of, and then ask for it to be correctly interpreted, e.g. quote the Lords prayer in Latvian. You will find that the interpretation given, will be nothing like the true meaning of what you said. You may then expose them publicly as deceivers and as being deceived.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
"THEM THAT BELIEVE" refers to ONLY the APOSTLES.
Reason 1: Context is the Apostles' Unbelief in Christ's resurrection.
In Mark 16:14, Jesus rebukes the apostles for their unbelief in His resurrection.
In v. 11-14, four times the apostles' unbelief is mentioned as Jesus addressed the apostles:
v.11 "They (apostles), when they had heard that he was alive ......believed not".
v.13 "...neither believed they them".
v.14 "He...upbraided them (apostles) with their unbelief and hardness of heart".
v.14 "...because they (apostles) believed not them which had seen him after he was risen".
After this rebuke Jesus gives the apostles the Great Commission in v.15,16. Once the commission is given, Jesus returns to his immediate audience of the eleven apostles when He says in v.17,18 "These signs shall follow them that believe" (ie. those of you eleven apostles who believe in my resurrection).
In my name:
1. they shall cast out devils.
2. they shall speak with new tongues.
3. they shall take up serpents.
4. if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.
5. they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.
Reason 2: Practical Experience shows that promises 3, 4, 5, are not true for every believer today. In spite of continued failure to heal Charismatics still think that these 5 promises are for every believer today.
The obvious problem with this interpretation is that it does not deal with everything mentioned in the text.
a) No Charismatic can always fulfill the 5th promise. It says that they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. This means 100% recovery all the time. No one can do this today, as the apostles could in Acts 5:12-16.
"By the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people...they (believers) brought forth the sick into the streets... and they were healed every one". v. 16.
John Wimber, a famous Charismatic, laid hands on 250 Down's Syndrome children and none were healed.
Reinhard Boncke tried to heal over 200 Kenyans and none were healed at a meeting at Kisumu.
b) "If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them".
"If" means accidentally. The problem is that many good Christians have become sick or died by poisoning. Have you as a believer ever vomited?
c) "They shall take up serpents".
We ask a Charismatic to take up a deadly snake. He replies by saying: "No, that would be tempting God." Yet in the first century this was a sign that the apostles did (shall do) to prove the Word of God and their authority. Some believers today have died in trying this. Hence showing that this is not for today.
Reason 3: AORIST tense of "believe" in Mark 16:17 refers to those who did believe in the past, not who will believe in the future.
"These signs shall follow them that believe." The Greek word for believe here "pisteusasin" which is in aorist participle referring to those who did believe in the past".
[S. Zodhiates, "Complete New Testament Word Study Dictionary" p. 1107]
"not those who would believe in the future".
[S. Zodhiates, "Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible" p.1223]
The aorist tense refers to a past action at a point in time, not an event that recurs again into the future, as it would be if it was true of all believers.
Reason 4: Belief (pisteusasin in Mark 16:17) does not refer to saving belief. In John 3:16 and 5:24 saving belief is "pisteuwn", a different word ending. Hence, "belief" in Mark 16:17 refers not to all future believers, but to the apostles believing in Christ's resurrection at a point in time, once for all time.
Reason 5: "Do all speak with tongues?" 1 Corinthians 12:30, requires the answer "No, not all believers have the gift of speaking with tongues".
Reason 6: The Purpose of these signs was to confirm the Word of God spoken and written by the apostles as Mark 16:20 says.
"And they (apostles) went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them (apostles), and confirming the Word with signs (eg. tongues) following".
Once the Word of God (the New Testament) had been confirmed by the apostles' signs, then further signs were not needed. The signs had done their job of proving the New Testament as being from God. When the Word of God was completed, then miraculous Apostolic confirmatory signs were no longer needed.
Reason 7: Mark 16:20 continues the context to mean apostles.
This describes what happened to the apostles after they changed from unbelief in Christ's resurrection to believing it and preaching it everywhere with signs following.
Hence in v.20, the context is still only the apostles doing signs, not every believer doing signs.
Conclusion. Either all 5 signs are valid for today or none are valid today. They only refer to first century apostles.
Reason 8: Tongues had ceased by 70 AD because their use is only mentioned in the earlier New Testament books, such as Mark 16 (57 AD), Acts (54 AD), 1 Corinthians (57 AD).
In all the latter books, tongues are never mentioned.
Why? Because they never happened after 70 AD and were of no relevance to any churches thereafter. Tongues are never commanded in any New Testament book for believers to practice.
1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14 rebukes the Corinthians wrong use of tongues. It is not endorsing tongues to be practiced. Charismatics think that the key to spirituality is tongues, a phenomena that is not mentioned in 24 out of 27 New Testament books.
Why are tongues ABSENT from 2 Corinthians to Revelation? If tongues were so necessary, you would definitely see them in the rest of the New Testament.
The book of Romans, which is well-known as the most complete summary of Christian doctrine and practice in the Bible, does not once mention tongues. Why not? Because tongues, by the time Romans was written (60 AD) was almost finished as a gift and would be of no relevance in the Church age after 70 AD when God judged Jerusalem.
Think about it, if tongues were important, God would have mentioned them at least once in Romans, or 2 Corinthians, or Galatians, or at least in one letter to a church in a positive context.
Reason 9: The gift of tongues was never endorsed or practiced by early church leaders.
Clement of Rome in 95 AD wrote a letter to the Corinthian church rebuking every problem that Paul rebuked except tongues. Why did he not mention tongues or miracles?
Justin Martyr (160 AD) visited many churches but never once mentions tongues, not even in his lists of spiritual gifts.
Origen (250 AD) in his voluminous writings never mentions tongues, but argues against Celsus that the sign gifts of the apostles' age were temporary and were not exercised by Christians in the 3rd Century.
Chrysostom (347-407 AD) commented on the 1 Corinthian passage: "This whole place 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." [Homilies, XXIX, 1]
Augustine (354-430 AD) said in speaking of Acts 2:4, "In the earliest times, the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spake with tongues...these were signs adapted to the time. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Holy Spirit...that thing was done for a betokening and it passed away."
Reason 10: "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three..." 1 Corinthians 13:13.
Now (57AD) abides (continues) faith, hope, charity, these three" (not "these six prophecy, tongues, knowledge").
Since faith and hope finish at Christ's return, then prophecy, tongues and knowledge had to have finished by 96 AD because they were not abiding, but declining in 57 AD.
In Mark 16:14, Jesus rebukes the apostles for their unbelief in His resurrection.
In v. 11-14, four times the apostles' unbelief is mentioned as Jesus addressed the apostles:
v.11 "They (apostles), when they had heard that he was alive ......believed not".
v.13 "...neither believed they them".
v.14 "He...upbraided them (apostles) with their unbelief and hardness of heart".
v.14 "...because they (apostles) believed not them which had seen him after he was risen".
After this rebuke Jesus gives the apostles the Great Commission in v.15,16. Once the commission is given, Jesus returns to his immediate audience of the eleven apostles when He says in v.17,18 "These signs shall follow them that believe" (ie. those of you eleven apostles who believe in my resurrection).
In my name:
1. they shall cast out devils.
2. they shall speak with new tongues.
3. they shall take up serpents.
4. if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.
5. they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.
Reason 2: Practical Experience shows that promises 3, 4, 5, are not true for every believer today. In spite of continued failure to heal Charismatics still think that these 5 promises are for every believer today.
The obvious problem with this interpretation is that it does not deal with everything mentioned in the text.
a) No Charismatic can always fulfill the 5th promise. It says that they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. This means 100% recovery all the time. No one can do this today, as the apostles could in Acts 5:12-16.
"By the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people...they (believers) brought forth the sick into the streets... and they were healed every one". v. 16.
John Wimber, a famous Charismatic, laid hands on 250 Down's Syndrome children and none were healed.
Reinhard Boncke tried to heal over 200 Kenyans and none were healed at a meeting at Kisumu.
b) "If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them".
"If" means accidentally. The problem is that many good Christians have become sick or died by poisoning. Have you as a believer ever vomited?
c) "They shall take up serpents".
We ask a Charismatic to take up a deadly snake. He replies by saying: "No, that would be tempting God." Yet in the first century this was a sign that the apostles did (shall do) to prove the Word of God and their authority. Some believers today have died in trying this. Hence showing that this is not for today.
Reason 3: AORIST tense of "believe" in Mark 16:17 refers to those who did believe in the past, not who will believe in the future.
"These signs shall follow them that believe." The Greek word for believe here "pisteusasin" which is in aorist participle referring to those who did believe in the past".
[S. Zodhiates, "Complete New Testament Word Study Dictionary" p. 1107]
"not those who would believe in the future".
[S. Zodhiates, "Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible" p.1223]
The aorist tense refers to a past action at a point in time, not an event that recurs again into the future, as it would be if it was true of all believers.
Reason 4: Belief (pisteusasin in Mark 16:17) does not refer to saving belief. In John 3:16 and 5:24 saving belief is "pisteuwn", a different word ending. Hence, "belief" in Mark 16:17 refers not to all future believers, but to the apostles believing in Christ's resurrection at a point in time, once for all time.
Reason 5: "Do all speak with tongues?" 1 Corinthians 12:30, requires the answer "No, not all believers have the gift of speaking with tongues".
Reason 6: The Purpose of these signs was to confirm the Word of God spoken and written by the apostles as Mark 16:20 says.
"And they (apostles) went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them (apostles), and confirming the Word with signs (eg. tongues) following".
Once the Word of God (the New Testament) had been confirmed by the apostles' signs, then further signs were not needed. The signs had done their job of proving the New Testament as being from God. When the Word of God was completed, then miraculous Apostolic confirmatory signs were no longer needed.
Reason 7: Mark 16:20 continues the context to mean apostles.
This describes what happened to the apostles after they changed from unbelief in Christ's resurrection to believing it and preaching it everywhere with signs following.
Hence in v.20, the context is still only the apostles doing signs, not every believer doing signs.
Conclusion. Either all 5 signs are valid for today or none are valid today. They only refer to first century apostles.
Reason 8: Tongues had ceased by 70 AD because their use is only mentioned in the earlier New Testament books, such as Mark 16 (57 AD), Acts (54 AD), 1 Corinthians (57 AD).
In all the latter books, tongues are never mentioned.
Why? Because they never happened after 70 AD and were of no relevance to any churches thereafter. Tongues are never commanded in any New Testament book for believers to practice.
1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14 rebukes the Corinthians wrong use of tongues. It is not endorsing tongues to be practiced. Charismatics think that the key to spirituality is tongues, a phenomena that is not mentioned in 24 out of 27 New Testament books.
Why are tongues ABSENT from 2 Corinthians to Revelation? If tongues were so necessary, you would definitely see them in the rest of the New Testament.
The book of Romans, which is well-known as the most complete summary of Christian doctrine and practice in the Bible, does not once mention tongues. Why not? Because tongues, by the time Romans was written (60 AD) was almost finished as a gift and would be of no relevance in the Church age after 70 AD when God judged Jerusalem.
Think about it, if tongues were important, God would have mentioned them at least once in Romans, or 2 Corinthians, or Galatians, or at least in one letter to a church in a positive context.
Reason 9: The gift of tongues was never endorsed or practiced by early church leaders.
Clement of Rome in 95 AD wrote a letter to the Corinthian church rebuking every problem that Paul rebuked except tongues. Why did he not mention tongues or miracles?
Justin Martyr (160 AD) visited many churches but never once mentions tongues, not even in his lists of spiritual gifts.
Origen (250 AD) in his voluminous writings never mentions tongues, but argues against Celsus that the sign gifts of the apostles' age were temporary and were not exercised by Christians in the 3rd Century.
Chrysostom (347-407 AD) commented on the 1 Corinthian passage: "This whole place 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." [Homilies, XXIX, 1]
Augustine (354-430 AD) said in speaking of Acts 2:4, "In the earliest times, the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spake with tongues...these were signs adapted to the time. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Holy Spirit...that thing was done for a betokening and it passed away."
Reason 10: "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three..." 1 Corinthians 13:13.
Now (57AD) abides (continues) faith, hope, charity, these three" (not "these six prophecy, tongues, knowledge").
Since faith and hope finish at Christ's return, then prophecy, tongues and knowledge had to have finished by 96 AD because they were not abiding, but declining in 57 AD.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Reasons That Tongues Ceased in the First Century
1. Tongues were a sign of judgment against Jewish unbelief as a nation
With the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., God's judgment on Israel had been executed and the tongues gift as a sign of coming judgment on Israel was no longer relevant.
"Wherefore, tongues are for a sign NOT to them that believe, but to them that believe not"... 1 Corinthians 14:22.
"In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people (Jews); and yet for all that (all the tongues) will they (Jews) not hear me (warning ignored), sayeth the Lord". 1 Corinthians 14:21.
Tongues here clearly are a warning to the Jews that they ignore.
1 Corinthians 14:21 is quoting from:
i) Deuteronomy 28:49 where God warns of judgment coming from "a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand".
ii) Jeremiah 5:15. "Lo I will bring a nation upon you from afar...a nation whose language thou knowest not..." (612 BC) Hence, Babylonian tongues warned Jews of coming judgment.
iii) Isaiah 28:11,12. "With another tongue will he speak to his people." (712 BC). Here, Assyrian tongues warned the Jews of coming judgment.
iv) Isaiah 33:19. "Thou shall not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive: of a stammering tongue that thou canst not understand".
Here the absence of foreign tongues will be a sign that Israel is under God's blessing. Paul applies the Jewish unbelief of Isaiah 28:11, 12 from 712 BC to the first century Jewish unbelief. "This people", "they", "them that believe not" all refers to Jews. There were many Jews at Corinth who did not believe (Acts 18). Hence, tongues were a sign of future judgment to the Jews.
2. There are three major outbreaks of miracles in Scripture:
i) Moses and Joshua (1441-1370 BC) of about 71 years duration.
ii) Elijah and Elisha (870-785 BC) of about 85 years duration.
iii) Christ and the Apostles (28-70 AD) of about 42 years duration.
Continuous miracles in the Bible are the exception, and do not occur always but in three periods.
The miraculous gift of tongues occurred from 30-70 AD.
3. Tongues belonged to the infant days of the church.
"But when I became a man, I put away childish things" 1 Corinthians 13:11.
Tongues (along with prophesy and knowledge) would cease when the church became mature. The childhood days of the church ended, when Israel as a nation was judged. Then there was no longer any need for a sign to authenticate the apostles' message (Mark 16:17-20) which started the church. Nor was there need for a sign against the extinct Jewish nation.
The gifts of tongues, miracles, healing, etc. had stopped by 70 AD, but of course God still performs miracles and heals as He chooses today in answer to prayer. Since some foundational gifts were temporary, tongues, a lesser miraculous gift, was temporary also.
4. Tongues authenticates the apostles' message as from God.
"And they (apostles) went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs (tongues, healing, exorcism, etc.) following. Amen. "Mark 16:20"'
Today the need for tongues has ceased. God has authenticated the apostles and the New Testament that they penned. This proves the temporary nature of tongues.
5. Hebrews 6:5 shows that the only other age of miracles will be the Millennium described as "the powers of the age to come".
Q. What are the powers?
A. The word rendered "powers" is "dynameis" in Greek, which is the usual New Testament word for miracles. These people had tasted, experienced, or witnessed the apostles' miracles.
Q. What is the "age to come"?
A. A common Hebrew expression for the millennium where the Messiah will rule as King on earth.
Q. Why therefore are miracles referred to as "powers of the age to come"?
A. Because they would not characterize the church age (which Hebrews 6:5 was quoted in), but the millennial Kingdom age to come.
6. Hebrews 2:3, 4 shows miracles (such as tongues) to be in the past tense, and not continuously being experienced by the Hebrew Christians of 64 AD.
"How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which:
1) At the first began to be spoken by the Lord (Jesus' 3 year ministry) and
2) Was (past tense) confirmed (same as Mark 16:20) unto us (second generation Christians) by them (apostles and first generation Christians) that heard him (Jesus Christ),
3) God also bearing them (the apostles, not us or every generation of Christians) witness, both with signs (eg. tongues, miracles, healings, etc.) and wonders, and with divers miracles (miracles belonged to the apostles, not to every Christian. II Corinthians 12:12), and gifts of the Holy Ghost (eg. the temporary miraculous gifts), according to His own will".
a) Notice the phrase "at the first". This gives the time element which governs all these signs, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost.
b) All Greek verbs in Hebrews 2:3, 4 are in the aorist tense indicating a past completed act which can never be repeated.
7. This is also seen in Acts 11:15, where Peter describes tongues at Cornelius household, not as a regular occurrence weekly in every church, but only something that happened last time at Pentecost (Acts 2) "as on us at the beginning".
and described in that way in v. 19, 20.
"And these signs shall follow...them (apostles because the context of v. 11, 14 shows unbelieving apostles four times) that believe; ...they shall speak with new tongues. v. 17.
"This refutes the Charismatic idea that everybody who believes all through the Church age should speak in tongues, lay hands on the sick and they shall recover, etc., because this belief only refers to the unbelieving apostles in v. 11-14 who refused to believe in Christ's resurrection (v.11). This continues as part of Christ's rebuke to the apostles' for "their unbelief and hardness of heart" v.14.
If we fail to read the entire context of Mark 16:9-20 we may get the impression that the v. 17, 18 sign gifts apply to all believers. There is good evidence that "them that believe" refers to only the apostles. Why?
With the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., God's judgment on Israel had been executed and the tongues gift as a sign of coming judgment on Israel was no longer relevant.
"Wherefore, tongues are for a sign NOT to them that believe, but to them that believe not"... 1 Corinthians 14:22.
"In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people (Jews); and yet for all that (all the tongues) will they (Jews) not hear me (warning ignored), sayeth the Lord". 1 Corinthians 14:21.
Tongues here clearly are a warning to the Jews that they ignore.
1 Corinthians 14:21 is quoting from:
i) Deuteronomy 28:49 where God warns of judgment coming from "a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand".
ii) Jeremiah 5:15. "Lo I will bring a nation upon you from afar...a nation whose language thou knowest not..." (612 BC) Hence, Babylonian tongues warned Jews of coming judgment.
iii) Isaiah 28:11,12. "With another tongue will he speak to his people." (712 BC). Here, Assyrian tongues warned the Jews of coming judgment.
iv) Isaiah 33:19. "Thou shall not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive: of a stammering tongue that thou canst not understand".
Here the absence of foreign tongues will be a sign that Israel is under God's blessing. Paul applies the Jewish unbelief of Isaiah 28:11, 12 from 712 BC to the first century Jewish unbelief. "This people", "they", "them that believe not" all refers to Jews. There were many Jews at Corinth who did not believe (Acts 18). Hence, tongues were a sign of future judgment to the Jews.
2. There are three major outbreaks of miracles in Scripture:
i) Moses and Joshua (1441-1370 BC) of about 71 years duration.
ii) Elijah and Elisha (870-785 BC) of about 85 years duration.
iii) Christ and the Apostles (28-70 AD) of about 42 years duration.
Continuous miracles in the Bible are the exception, and do not occur always but in three periods.
The miraculous gift of tongues occurred from 30-70 AD.
3. Tongues belonged to the infant days of the church.
"But when I became a man, I put away childish things" 1 Corinthians 13:11.
Tongues (along with prophesy and knowledge) would cease when the church became mature. The childhood days of the church ended, when Israel as a nation was judged. Then there was no longer any need for a sign to authenticate the apostles' message (Mark 16:17-20) which started the church. Nor was there need for a sign against the extinct Jewish nation.
The gifts of tongues, miracles, healing, etc. had stopped by 70 AD, but of course God still performs miracles and heals as He chooses today in answer to prayer. Since some foundational gifts were temporary, tongues, a lesser miraculous gift, was temporary also.
4. Tongues authenticates the apostles' message as from God.
"And they (apostles) went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs (tongues, healing, exorcism, etc.) following. Amen. "Mark 16:20"'
Today the need for tongues has ceased. God has authenticated the apostles and the New Testament that they penned. This proves the temporary nature of tongues.
5. Hebrews 6:5 shows that the only other age of miracles will be the Millennium described as "the powers of the age to come".
Q. What are the powers?
A. The word rendered "powers" is "dynameis" in Greek, which is the usual New Testament word for miracles. These people had tasted, experienced, or witnessed the apostles' miracles.
Q. What is the "age to come"?
A. A common Hebrew expression for the millennium where the Messiah will rule as King on earth.
Q. Why therefore are miracles referred to as "powers of the age to come"?
A. Because they would not characterize the church age (which Hebrews 6:5 was quoted in), but the millennial Kingdom age to come.
6. Hebrews 2:3, 4 shows miracles (such as tongues) to be in the past tense, and not continuously being experienced by the Hebrew Christians of 64 AD.
"How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which:
1) At the first began to be spoken by the Lord (Jesus' 3 year ministry) and
2) Was (past tense) confirmed (same as Mark 16:20) unto us (second generation Christians) by them (apostles and first generation Christians) that heard him (Jesus Christ),
3) God also bearing them (the apostles, not us or every generation of Christians) witness, both with signs (eg. tongues, miracles, healings, etc.) and wonders, and with divers miracles (miracles belonged to the apostles, not to every Christian. II Corinthians 12:12), and gifts of the Holy Ghost (eg. the temporary miraculous gifts), according to His own will".
a) Notice the phrase "at the first". This gives the time element which governs all these signs, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost.
b) All Greek verbs in Hebrews 2:3, 4 are in the aorist tense indicating a past completed act which can never be repeated.
7. This is also seen in Acts 11:15, where Peter describes tongues at Cornelius household, not as a regular occurrence weekly in every church, but only something that happened last time at Pentecost (Acts 2) "as on us at the beginning".
and described in that way in v. 19, 20.
"And these signs shall follow...them (apostles because the context of v. 11, 14 shows unbelieving apostles four times) that believe; ...they shall speak with new tongues. v. 17.
"This refutes the Charismatic idea that everybody who believes all through the Church age should speak in tongues, lay hands on the sick and they shall recover, etc., because this belief only refers to the unbelieving apostles in v. 11-14 who refused to believe in Christ's resurrection (v.11). This continues as part of Christ's rebuke to the apostles' for "their unbelief and hardness of heart" v.14.
If we fail to read the entire context of Mark 16:9-20 we may get the impression that the v. 17, 18 sign gifts apply to all believers. There is good evidence that "them that believe" refers to only the apostles. Why?
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