Note: Recently a friend at church came to me with a request for help. He had struck up a conversation with a fellow laborer on the assembly line and discovered the man attended a "charismatic church." I supplied him with my outline on tongues. This article contains the comments of this charismatic and the author's response.
Did Christ speak in tongues? Yes, he did. On the cross: Mark 15:34, 5:41; and Matthew 27:46. And (sic) no one was able to understand what he said.
While on the cross, Jesus did not speak in an "unknown tongue" or "heavenly language." The Bible was not originally written in King James English as many mistakenly believe. The King James Version of the Bible was made in 1611. However, the original language of the New Testament was Greek. Greek was the universal language of Jesus' day. Greek was common in speech and writing throughout the Roman Empire and thus was a natural choice for the writings of the apostles and other inspired men who desired to reach the broadest possible audience. The native language of Jesus was Aramaic Hebrew. Growing up in a Jewish family, naturally He would speak Hebrew! The Gospel writers, in passages cited, have simply recorded the anguished outburst of Jesus spoken in His own native language. To assert that no one could understand what He said is silly. In each Scripture listed above where Jesus is quoted, the Jewish writers of the Gospels translate His Hebrew words into Greek. In fact, Mark specifically uses the phrase "which is translated" or "being translated" in 5:41, 7:34 and 15:34. Those reading the Gospels in Greek would not ordinarily know Aramaic Hebrew so they would need these words translated. Roman soldiers and citizens would commonly have spoken Latin and would understand little Aramaic. The Jews present would have recognized that Jesus was simply quoting Psalm 22:1. My assertion is still valid, "Jesus never spoke in unknown tongues" such as the charismatic movement produces today.
In 1 Corinthians 8:3-8 things that will fail or be superseded: prophecies, tongues and
knowledge. Here it literally means that when the completeness of communication and
knowledge comes, tongues will be no barrier and partial knowledge will be superseded by the
perfect or complete. 1 Corinthians 13:10 — that which has reached an end — prophecies
that have been fulfilled have reached an end. Tongues and knowledge will be superseded by
a more complete knowledge and means of communication.
This empty rhetoric completely ignores what the Bible plainly states:
"prophecy will be done away"
"tongues will cease"
"knowledge will be done away"
1) "done away" in Greek is "katapyew" and means "to abolish." This same word is used in Ephesians 2:15 of Christ having abolished the Old Testament law.
2) "cease" in Greek is "mavow" and means "to stop." This word is used in Luke 5:4 where Jesus stopped speaking and also in Luke 8:24 where the storm stopped at the command of Jesus.
If one of these three has ended, then they all have ended since similar terms are used about each one. This passage makes clear that miraculous abilities were only temporary in nature. Scaffolding is used in the early stages of building construction, but when the building is completed the scaffolding is taken down. The miraculous gifts were necessary to establish the credentials of the apostles, produce the written word of God, and begin the church. We have no more need of a fragmented revelation because we have the completed Bible to guide us. The Word of God is what meets man's spiritual requirements. The Word makes us clean (John 15:3); gives light to our lives (Psalm 119:13); is our source of reproof, correction and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16); brings the new birth (1 Peter 1:23); sanctifies (John 17:17); produces faith (Romans 10:17); and is our offensive weapon (Ephesians 6:17). We would not even know of the existence of miraculous gifts without the Bible's revelations concerning the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is power (Romans 1:16); and the way for Christians to be powerful and effective servants of God is to know, practice and apply the Word! The miraculous gifts served the infant church and validated or confirmed the message of the Apostles. The charismatic church seeks to retain the scaffolding of construction rather than the completed, functional building. The charismatic church needs to grow up!
Some, while not personally believing tongues exist today, refuse to rule out the possibility that tongues could occur for fear of, in their words, "limiting God." The question is not one of what God can do, but rather what does He do today? Clearly tongues have ceased because God created them for a temporary purpose. The adherents to this position maintain that tongues, prophecy and knowledge will not cease until the Second Coming. There is however a serious deficiency in such doctrine. If any of these miraculous gifts exist today, then God's revelation to mankind is still incomplete! There are new revelations of Truth and doctrine that are still hidden. We are no better off than those under the Old Covenant, still floundering and searching for the as yet unknown will of God. This conclusion flatly contradicts the Scriptures for Jude wrote of ". . . the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." This is the greatest problem presented by the "charismatic movement" today. The false assurances assumed by charismatics is a problem; the conflicting doctrines of various "tongues-speaking" groups are a problem. But none of these difficulties loom as large as the issue of a New Testament that is only partially completed. The "knowledge" of 1 Corinthians 13:8 is not ordinary knowledge but miraculous knowledge (read 1 Corinthians 12:8; 13:2; 14:6). Ordinary knowledge will not cease at the Second Coming! If ordinary knowledge ends at the Second Coming, how will anyone recognize Jesus? How will we even know that we are in Heaven if knowledge ceases? Who will care about eternal life if we become know-nothing zombies at the Second Coming? So the "knowledge" of 1 Corinthians 13:8 must involve a revelation from God of new Truth. To retain "tongues" while rejecting the other miraculous gifts is inconsistent and intellectually dishonest.
We believe that all 9 spiritual gifts are for the church today; which is the body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:7-14. We believe that they are to work in church for the edification of the church, 1 Corinthians 14.
This statement sounds plausible on the surface but simply is not true in actual practice! Charismatic churches conveniently ignore the gifts listed in Mark 16:17-18. Charismatic church members cannot and do not raise the dead. If you do indeed have the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit as you claim, then raise the dead as did Jesus (John 11:14-44), Peter (Acts 9:37-40), and Paul (Acts 20:9- 12). Give an orphan back his dead mother; give a widow back her son killed in war; empty a cemetery if you can! Not only are charismatics incapable of raising the dead, but they cannot really heal sick people either. They cannot and do not restore severed limbs, correct hideous birth defects, or heal broken bones. My sons personally witnessed the attempt of a lady preacher to heal her grandson's broken arm — what a joke! His broken arm needed a doctor's cast and six weeks to heal just like any other broken arm. Claims of removing shadows from x-rays, easing unseen internal aches and pains, and cures of self-diagnosed ailments are fraudulent and deceptive. Charismatics retreat behind the psycho-babble they call tongues which are not the same as New Testament tongues nor are they used according to New Testament directions (1 Corinthians 14:22).
If miraculous gifts have not ended today we posses a partial and incomplete revelation from God. The Bible is incomplete and our instructions about morality, doctrine and the organization of the church are inadequate and deficient. At least one of the miraculous gifts listed in the passage you cite is revelation of the Word of God (word of knowledge, v. 8; revelation, 14:26). If all miraculous spiritual gifts are still in effect for the church today, then God's revelation to man is not yet complete. This flatly contradicts the Scriptures already cited that lay claim to the all sufficiency of the Word of God.
Be careful what you say about people who have experienced this Gift in their lives. In Matthew 12:31-32 — Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: 32– An whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Our opposition to the contradictions of the modern day charismatic movement are motivated by a relentless hunger for truth and accuracy in faith, doctrine and practice. There is no desire to denigrate the power of the Holy Spirit, but we must honor His Holy Word! The charismatic movement is counterproductive and downplays knowledge and study of the Bible. More than one charismatic has told the author, "I don't care what the Bible says, I know what I felt!" The elevation of a human emotional outburst to the level of a manifestation of deity certainly puts one on a precarious footing. One of the charges leveled by the Pharisees against Jesus was that of impersonating deity, John 10:36. Jesus challenged the Pharisees to examine what He was doing: "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father." The claims of the charismatic movement are rejected because they do not demonstrate the same miraculous abilities of the Holy Spirit that are described in the Word of God.
For the conclusion of this article see: Conversation With A Charismatic - Part 2
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