session 8

speaking in tongues

the people translate the King James Version at 1611
the way of language is really different then nowadays
for example: Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (last time, they speak like this)

NIV : speaking in tongues (it means language)

first mention of Speaking in tongues in NT
Acts 2 speaking in other languages

the Jews go to Jerusalem to worship God

Acts 2:6 --- speaking in his own language (Greek is slahektos which means native language)
the apostles can speaks Jew's native language just like they were born there. it is a miracle!

Acts 2:9-11 (1st time)
the apostle can speak lots of (15) other language (native language)

speaking in tongues:
1. a miracle
2. can't learn
3. audience will understand
4. content was clear

Why the apostle can speaking in tongues?
God wants to tell the people that the church has started at that time. So God gave the apostles the power to speak different kind of language at that time

after that Pentecost incident, 8-10 years later:
Acts 10: 44-46 (2nd time)
God wants all the people know that the grace has reach to the gentiles, so Peter and the other apostles speak with tongues

Acts 11:5
"...... at the beginning" this beginning means Pentecost
which means it is the second time for them to speak in tongues
The apostle do not speak in tongues since the first incident (Pentecost)
in between 8-10 years, nobody speak in tongues except the beginning.

Acts 19:1-6 (3rd time)
the people there just baptized by John the Baptist
Paul baptized them in the name of Jesus
When Paul placed hands on them, they spoke in tongues

1 Cor 12:28 was written in AD 56
the church -----
first, apostle
second, prophets
third, teachers
forth, workers of miracles
fifth, healing

they have prophets, it's because revelation haven closed
now have no prophets, it's because revelation already closed

1 Co12:29
Paul asked,
are all apostles?  NO
are all prophets? NO
are all teachers? NO
are all workers of miracles? NO
are all healing? NO
are all speaks in tongues? NO
are all interpreter? NO

at that time, there's many christian already, but very few apostles, prophets and teachers.
example: Antioch Church (big church) only has 5 prophets & teachers only!!!

history record of speaking in tongues
1. Cleon Rogers ---- "the gift of Tongues in the Post-Apostolic Church (1965) --- no speaking in tongues mentioned

2. Chrysostom ---- Eastern Churches (347 - 407): tongues had ceased

3. Augustine ---- that things passed away, no more speaking in tongues (354 - 430)

4. Thomas Edger (1983) ---- no more speaking in tongues


nowadays that kind of speaking in tongues which we saw in the churches called

Counterfeit Tongue 假方言

Charles Hunter (1989) teach people how to speak = speak sounds rapidly so that you don't speak your natural language

in the bible
1 Co 12:10-11 ----- Spirit gives the gift to each one just as He determines (which means God determines whether you will have that gift or not, not as you want it as a gift then you can practice it)

Mormon Church
1832 - Brigham Young speaking in tongues
1832 - Joseph Smith speaking in tongues and sing in tongues also
Mormon Church members speak in tongues because of the confirmation of the authenticity of the Books of Mormon that came from Joseph Smith

1 Cor 14
Paul compare 2 gifts (prophecy & speaking in tongues). Both gifts also made use of language.

1 Cor 14:19-20
one should rather speak 5 intelligible words than 10000 words in a tongue
stop think like a child, but think like an adult!

1 Cor 14:2
speaks in a tongue not speak to men but to God

this verse actually Paul is reprimanding the corinthians that they speak in tongues that is not speaking to men but to God... it is wrong because from the first speaking in tongues by the apostle till the third speaking in tongues in the bible... all speaking in tongues is speaking to men, not God!!! Paul is telling to the Corinthians what they are doing is wrong!

the purpose of speaking of tongues is to speak to men, not speak to God

Common sense:
God gives the gift of speaking other language to man so that he can speak to men that they can understand
how come God gives the gift of speaking other language to man so that he can speak back to God by using the language that God gives them???!!!!

those who speaking in tongues said that the language they are speaking is heavenly language which only God understand... it is false teaching!!!

when God speak to Abraham, God uses Abraham's language
when God speak to Moses, God uses Moses's language
God never gives Moses or Abraham His language to communicate with Him!!!