Those who believe that the miraculous age continues today seem to make the same mistake that the saints at Corinth made—elevating the gift of tongue speaking over the rest of the gifts.  All charismatic churches may not claim that they have seen the dead raised, but they do all claim to speak in tongues regularly.  In fact, many of them teach that one is not a Christian if he or she has not experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is evidenced by speaking in tongues.  Listen to them:

“The Baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4).  The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12: 4-10, 28), but different in purpose and use” (Our Faith and Fellowship, A study of the Assemblies of God history and beliefs, by g. Raymond Carlson, pg. 127).

“To me, receiving the Holy Ghost means you’ve got Jesus in you–you’ve got the Spirit of God in you, and it’ll talk to you (speaking in tongues).  If a child is born and you hear it cry, you say, ‘Well, that child’s got life in it!’  When a child of God is born again, you can also hear it talk” (Snake Handlers, pg. 73).

Pentecostals believe not only in tongues as a sign of the reception of Holy Spirit Baptism, but also the ongoing miraculous gift given by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10).  While they say that every Christian should speak in tongues once as evidence that they have received the Spirit, they admit that only some Christians have the gift of tongues.  They believe that there are two kinds of tongues.  One consists of a foreign language that has not been learned (Acts 2), and the other is an ecstatic utterance in which one prays to God in a heavenly language (1 Corinthians 14:1-2). 

What does God’s Word say about speaking in tongues?  Can God’s people speak in tongues today?  Should we as Christians expect to speak in tongues?  The answer is no.  Tongue speaking has ceased along with all the other gifts.  Remember, the gifts only came by the laying on of an apostle’s hand (Acts 8:18-19).  Since there are no living apostles today, there are no miraculous gifts, and that includes tongue speaking. 

What is tongue speaking?  Five passages in the New Testament speak of tongue speaking: Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-11; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6 and 1 Corinthians 12-14.  Of all these passages only Acts 2:1-11 gives us a definition of it, revealing to us clearly that it is simply a foreign language spoken by someone who has never been taught it.  Since that is the only definition that we find in all of God’s word, we should conclude that this is what it is every time the Bible refers to it.       

Tongue speaking never was some kind of ecstatic utterance one was moved to speak by the Holy Spirit.  Nevertheless, tongue-speaking has ceased.  This is evident, not only by what the scriptures clearly teach, but also by the fact that those who claim they can speak in tongues will never give us a demonstration of it.  Instead, when challenged to display their gift, they charge the one giving the challenge of having a lack of faith.  What is interesting about that is Paul’s teaching on the purpose of tongues in the first place. 

1 Corinthians 14:22 (ESV)
²² Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

Wait!  Did Paul just say that tongues are a sign for unbelievers?  You would think that those who were given the gift of speaking in tongues would know the purpose of them.  If they do, why would someone who claims to have the gift refuse to demonstrate it for someone they claim is an unbeliever? 

There is something else to consider when it comes to speaking in tongues.  If people today were led by the Spirit to speak in tongues, why do they violate the instructions of the Spirit in their use?  Does the Spirit move people to do something that He forbade them from doing in the first place?  What instructions do so-called tongue speakers violate?  I will look at that with you tomorrow night. 

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.