Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20010408.htm

1 CORINTHIANS: MINISTERING TO BELIEVERS WITH DEEP PAGAN BACKGROUNDS
Part XXV: Why We Believe As We Do About The Gift Of Tongues
(1 Corinthians 14:1-25 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. Our Church's statement of faith states we do not believe the gift of tongues exists today as what is presented by Charismatics as tongues does not match the New Testament gift. Art. III, Sec. 11.
    2. We need to explain our statement in light of Scripture, and 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 is one such passage:
  2. Why We Believe As We Do About The Gift Of Tongues, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 et al.
    1. God had a Biblical pattern for the true New Testament gift of tongues, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25:
      1. The true gift of tongues was for public church use, not for private use, 1 Cor. 14:1-5, 12-13, 19.
        1. The true gift of tongues was not supposed to edify one's self, but the Church family, 14:1-5, 12-13: (a) Paul noted that speaking in the true gift of tongues when no one else but the speaker knows the meaning leaves him speaking a mystery to others though he speaks to God, 14:1-2. (b) However, that violates the purpose of the gift which is to communicate a message to others, 14:3-5, 12-13.
        2. Hence, the true gift of tongues was not to be done in private, but in a public worship service.
      2. The true gift of tongues communicated a factual message to the mind rather than merely make a sound:
        1. Only by communicating a message to the mind is the true gift of tongues effective, 1 Cor. 14:6.
        2. This fact is illustrated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:7-11: (a) musical instruments must present their sounds in an arrangement that the mind can interpret or they fail to make credible music, 14:7. (b) A military bugle call must produce a message to the mind for soldiers to benefit in battle, 14:8. (c) Speaking in a language foreign is valuable only if the words are translated to the mind, 14:9-11.
        3. Hence, the true gift of tongues is to be used in the church to communicate a message to the mind of the speaker's listeners for true edification to occur with the gift, 1 Corinthians 14:12-19.
      3. The true gift of tongues is supposed to signal the the nation, Israel the need for repentence in accord with the Mosaic Covenant (as follows), 1 Corinthians 14:20-25 with Deuteronomy 28:49:
        1. Paul noted the gift of tongues was a fulfillment of the Isa. 28:11-12 prophecy: there, God promised to preach in despised Gentile languages to the Jews for mocking God's messenger, Isaiah!
        2. This also aligns with the warning in Israel's Mosaic Covenant at Deuteronomy 28:49 that God would cause Israel to be exposed to Gentile languages in captivity for disobedience to Him!
        3. Hence, the gift of tongues was a warning to national Israel with whom the Mosaic Covenant was in force to repent: (a) Peter warned the Jews at Pentecost who had lived under the dispensation of Law under the Mosaic Covenant that their generation of Israel was bound for judgment for rejecting Messiah, Acts 2:36, 38-40 (in light of Deut. 18:18-19 predicting Israel's judgment for rejecting Messiah)! (b) Thus, Peter explained the arrival of the gift of Gentile languages, Acts 2:6-13, 14.
    2. However, the Charismatic Movement's "gift of tongues" significantly errs from this Biblical pattern:
      1. Many in the movement allegedly speak to themselves versus what 1 Cor. 14:1-5, 12-13, 19 teaches.
      2. Many in the movement do not translate their alleged messages opposite what 1 Cor. 14:6-19 reveals.
      3. No one in the movement has ever ministered the true gift in Gentile languages to the unreprentant nation Israel to change its mind about Christ opposite what 1 Cor. 14:20-25 reveals of the true gift.
    3. Since the tongues issue has become a divisive one, and since belief that the Charismatic view of the gift is for today is not Scriptural, we heed Titus 3:10-11 and withdraw fellowship from those asserting tongues!
Lesson: The New Testament gift of speaking in tongues was the abilitity for a believer to communicate God's message through a Gentile language he was not previously humanly capable of knowing, and to do so for the benefit of convincing errant national Israel of Christ's day that it stood poised for national judgment for rejecting Christ as its Messiah. This was to elicit repentence in Israel regarding Christ.

Application: (1) The Charismatic Movement does not exhibit the true gift of speaking in tongues. Thus, we do not accept its belief, and in view of the division caused by this issue, we separate from its error in keeping with Titus 3:10-11. (2) Also, since the gift of tongues today CANNOT apply since Israel is not poised in keeping with the Mosaic Covenant to repent re: Christ, the gift cannot exist now.