The Work and Person of the Holy Spirit Pt. 18 Tongues Conclusion

Psalm 99:9   Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy. 

The Psalmist shows us that we should exalt Jehovah Elohim and worship at His holy hill which is in Jerusalem.  He shows us the reason for worshiping Jehovah Elohim is the beauty of His holiness. 

I do not see any reason why we cannot engage in this lovely activity of praise every day.  Jehovah Elohim is giving us life and breath and we can praise Him while we work, while we do chores and while we are with our families.  May we all seek to honor Him this day. 

Paul explores the misuse of tongues at Corinth using music analogies

In the next paragraph of his discussion on the misuse of tongues Paul asks a question that helps the Corinthians see that speaking to them in tongues will not profit them.  However, if he speaks for God in their language either by revelation, knowledge or prophesying that comes from the Spirit of God, they will benefit because they will understand what is being communicated. 

The apostle then compares tongues with musical instruments that cannot be understood if they are all playing with random notes and no musical notation.  He asks the Corinthians how the people in the audience would know what song was being played under these circumstances.  The answer is that they will not know. 

He makes a similar analogy about a trumpet being used to give signals to an army in battle.  If the trumpet sound is "uncertain" then the troops will not be able to know what they are supposed to do.

Speaking in tongues improperly is like musical instruments playing without written notation to follow. 

Paul then tells us that it is far better to speak words with our tongue that are easy to be understood.  The idea is that they speak in their common language the gospel truth and every hearer can comprehend it.  

1 Corinthians 14:6-11 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? 
And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 
For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 
So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. 
There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 
Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

The Corinthians seemed obsessed with speaking in foreign languages among themselves. 

Paul summarizes what he wanted the Corinthians to focus on doing.  He points out that they are too preoccupied with spiritual gifts almost obsessively so.  No other epistles of Paul to other churches ever dealt with these issues.  Only Corinth. 

The apostolic instruction was that the Corinthians should seek to excel at edifying the church because there was so much to learn about New Testament Christianity that was being revealed bit by bit until all the inspired New Testament books were written. 

Praying in tongues leads to unfruitful understanding especially if there is no interpreter.    

1 Corinthians 14:12-14 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. 

Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Paul continues this same vein of thought for a few more verses and then he gives more instruction.  He makes a statement about his own Spirit guided experiences in speaking foreign languages to people of other nationalities and he expressed thanks that he was able to do this so the gospel of Christ could be understood by the Gentiles. 

Paul pivots and forcefully declares that in the church, on the Lord's day he would rather speak 5 words in his own language that people could hear and understand rather than 10,000 words in a foreign language.  That is quite a statement from Paul but it shows the importance of communicating the truth of God so that people understand it. 

1 Corinthians 14:18-19 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 

Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Tongues, prophecy, and knowledge were temporary signs that would pass away. 

Tongues and the other word oriented gifts would fade away.  They were temporary.  In the chapter describing the true Godly love that the Corinthians should pursue, Paul makes some startling declarations. 

First, he tells us prophecies shall "fail."  The word translated fail means to become inoperative, inactive or idle.  It means to destroy or put an end to it or to make it useless. 

Second, Paul tells us that tongues shall cease.  The word translated "cease" means to bring to an end, to stop.  The gift of speaking in a foreign language would come to an end.  The Spirit of God would determine when that moment would arrive. 

Thirdly, Paul tells us the word of knowledge will vanish away.  That is the same word translated "fail" and it carries the same meaning here. 

Next, Paul tells us why.  We know in part and we prophesy in part. This is connected to the fact that they had the Old Testament Scriptures in hand but they did not have the New Testament yet. As the New Testament was written and completed, all of the word oriented sign gifts would stop. 

He concludes this section by telling us that when that which is perfect comes, that which is done in part (tongues, prophecy, knowledge, etc) shall be done away.  When people had an apostolic letter in their hands they no longer needed someone to prophesy or someone with a word of wisdom or to speak in a foreign language. 

Temporary sign gifts gave way to the completion of the New Testament. 

The word translated "done away" is the same Greek word translated "fail" and "vanish" and it is used twice in this text for emphasis.  The phrase "that which is perfect" refers to the complete inspired New Testament text being finished and finalized. When John wrote the book of Revelation, the New Testament was completed and finished.  It reached its full and mature shape under the guidance of God's Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 

Points to Ponder....

• Speaking in tongues in the church led to confusion and a lack of understanding.

• Speaking in your native language in the church edifies those who are hearing it. 

• The word oriented sign gifts were given temporarily by the Spirit of God until the New Testament scriptures were inspired and completed.

• These gifts were no longer needed when they had the complete New Testament available.

I hope that these posts have cleared up some of the confusion regarding the sign gifts mentioned by Paul.  We can reasonably conclude that the sign gifts might have lasted close to the time that John wrote Revelation.  Certainly at that point they were no longer needed but they fulfilled the function for which they were given, namely to spread the Gospel into foreign lands. 

Bob