The Sign Gift of Tongues, Pt. 1 (10/03/1999)

Good morning, everyone Good to see you. I Trust you have a bulletin with you

I'm going to for the most part let you take this home and and Pray over the prayer requests.

There are a couple that I do want to to mention here first of all

Fred Blackman for health and And Deborah just go to the doctor.

Does that mean he's stubborn about that? Okay, and then also pray for June Clark for health she got a kind of a

Frightening doctor's report this past week and she's having some tests run She and she's not feeling well either

So being prayer about that I Don't I'm not gonna go into it because I think

I sense that it is Fear that Satan brings about is what

I sense that it is And of course, that's that's my hope that that's what it is as well but that's what

I sense it is and so pray for her that the tests that come back would be good and Just pray for her that she would get her strength back and and be able to be back with us

And so She well, I've got your curiosity up so much

I'd be unkind not to share with you what it is But the a skin doctor here in town Said that there's a possibility that she might have lupus

Which is most of you know, it's a disease where the your it's an autoimmune system disease where your immune system begins attack your own

Cells especially around your joints and so forth can affect your vital organs as well.

And it's a serious disease that they do not know a lot about and He diagnosed that on the basis of a rash on her face that she got after switching makeup

Which I think was a little bit Well unprofessional is the word

I'm striving for I think on the doctor's part But she's very concerned about it and and rightfully so if I were in her shoes,

I would be too so pray For miss June and ask the Lord just to heal her and to cure this rash on her face

And she she does have a tired feeling Also right now so just pray for her to get her strength back and for her to trust the

Lord and and for And this this just to be some type of attack on her by the enemy.

That's what I believe it is. So Please be in prayer for her about that. Well, I'm going to go to the

Lord in prayer at this time Dear father, we thank you so much for this another day together we know that we will spend eternity together and what a

Blessing it is to know that we're already living eternal life because of Jesus Christ our

Savior and our Lord in Our life and we thank you for that. May you draw our attention to that?

The life that we have today may we revel in that may we rejoice in that may we give you praise

May your Holy Spirit amplify our praise For the very life that you've given us father

We remember a time when all was darkness and you brought us out of that darkness into light and life and so help us rejoice together today as a family of Believers and That you've brought together by your very hand

Help us to think on things that are lovely things that are of good report today things that have virtue help us to put aside any negative thoughts or thoughts of the cares of the world or thoughts of this world and help us to Sense that we are in fact

Seated in the heavenlies in Jesus Christ right now as we're together We do know father that there is work left for us to do on this earth in time

Because we're still here and so use this as a day of equipping us For that work until the

Lord Jesus comes back for us. We pray for Fred Blackman and we ask father that You would strengthen his body and if it's your will for him to go the doctor that you would impress that upon his heart

Where there'd be no doubt in his mind what he should do We pray for June this morning for strength and and courage and for her to just think about you and be and to trust you and to be in the

Word of God today and to sense that we're here loving her and praying for her and we just pray that you would touch her body and heal her and prove the doctor to be a fool and Lord we

We just ask that you would move in our hearts today through the Word of God That you would move mightily so that we would leave here

Ready to go out and serve you all this week, and we ask it in Jesus name. Amen To 656 656

There's a call comes ringing all the restless waves in the line send the light

There are souls to rescue there are souls to save Send the light send the light the blessed gospel light

Let it shine for sure Send the light the blessed gospel light.

Let it shine forever more We have heard the

Macedonian call today Send the light and the golden Offering at the cross we lay send the light

Send the light Send the light the blessed gospel

Light let it shine from shore to shore Send the light the blessed gospel light.

Let it shine forever more Would you stand with me now as we sing the last and the ushers will come for the morning offering

Let us not grow weary in the work of love

Send the light Let us gather

Jews from a crown above send the light

Send the light Send the light the blessed gospel

Light let it shine from shore to shore Send the light the blessed gospel

Light let it shine forever more

Richard would you offer prayer, please? Turn with me this morning to 1st

Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 8 and Then we'll go to 1st

Corinthians chapter 14 Verse 18 we've been speaking on a series lately of The signed gifts in the

Bible and Whether or not certain of these signed gifts have in fact ceased

From the church in the church age. That's been the topic for several weeks. We had a wonderful diversion from it last

Sunday with brother Myron golden and God blessed that message that Sunday morning message so much and many of you that were here would

Testify to that. It was just wonderful for me in particular I Love to hear him preach and I know you do too

He's just has such a gift of the hand of God on his life for teaching and preaching

Love brother Myron well let's review just a little bit as we get back into this because we did skip a week and We also have a few visitors that have not been here for the entire time

We've been talking we spent a little time talking about miracles in the Bible and We pointed out that Miracles in the

Bible happen for a purpose There never has been a time in Bible history when miracles were an everyday event

The closest that it ever came to it was when Jesus during Jesus Christ ministry on this earth

He is after all the King and When the King is here, we had a bit of the kingdom on the earth but as we search the scriptures we find that the the norm for miracles is going to be during the

Kingdom age during the millennial period the thousand year kingdom age of Christ Miracles will be an everyday event during that time.

And when you see miracles that happen In this day and time or in any other dispensation

What you're actually seeing is a little bit of the kingdom of God coming down in to time and coming back out and God is saying

We're moving in that direction Most of the miracles that have happened in the Bible have been clustered around three major events with hundreds of years in between Those three clusters.

The first cluster was Moses as God was bringing in the law and the second was around Elijah and Elijah Elisha and the third was around Jesus and the

Apostles and in between those three times you'll find hundreds of years of Distance where you did not see that miracles were an everyday event

Well when we look at this just by way of review, can you help me remember what the four?

Truths about miracles are the four purposes of a miracle anytime you see one in the Bible it fulfills these four things

Can somebody give me one of them? It's three weeks back

All right That's that's right. It's uh, well, let's put it this way to authenticate the prophet

All right That's right the many times there's a new era being ushered in or we might call it a new dispensation and What God has done is he will send a messenger?

Who will bring this truth to the world or to his world the real world

God's world and He will authenticate that messenger with signs and wonders and miracles

And so the purpose of a miracle the first purpose is to bring in a new era of revelation

That's why you see it clustered around Moses when the law was brought into the world That's why you see it around Elijah and Elisha to authenticate the office of the prophet

And that's why you see it around Jesus and the Apostles and the reason is obvious there to authenticate the coming in of the new

Church age in the New Testament truths the truths of Jesus Christ So we see the first thing is that it brings in a new era

The second thing is it authenticates the messengers of the new era like brother Alfred said the prophets themselves are authenticated by signs and wonders and then thirdly these signs and wonders authenticate the message itself and Point that this is a message from God and then fourthly

Those who are standing around watching always gain instruction. So those are the four purposes for miracles in Bible times and Sometimes we have folks today that just seem to throw around the idea that miracles are just supposed to happen every day now when

I say miracle, let's Redefine what we're talking about. So we're all using the same language

I'm using a strict definition of the word miracle for purposes of this study

And I'm referring to a miracle like the parting of the Red Sea I'm referring to a miracle like Jesus changing the water and into wine.

I'm talking about God Intervening in setting aside natural laws to cause his will to happen directly that type of miracle

Now we've discussed this if your definition of a miracle is just any time God does something then miracles are happening all the time because God's working around us all the time and It's okay with me.

If you define miracle that way that's fine because I use the term that way too But for purposes of this study, we're not talking about that.

We're talking about signs and wonders All right. Now we began then to focus.

Let's look at 1st Corinthians chapter 13 And for a couple of Sundays, we focused here on the specific sign gift of tongue -speaking

So, let's read 1st Corinthians 13 a 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 The Bible does say that tongues shall cease

It's an interesting fact of history that the scholars throughout church history

Have really never focused on this passage 1st Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 8 and 9 and following to prove that the sign gifts ceased

They've used other passages throughout the scriptures and to this day we've studied this now what three or four

Sundays and we still have not considered this passage of scripture because It's really not the most important part or passage that we can look at we will look at it before we're through But we're not gonna look at it today either, but it does mention that tongues will cease

The great debate today is when? When will tongues cease? When will these other sign gifts cease?

Did they cease? Sometime after Jesus Christ went on into heaven or are they still operative today?

Will they start if they're not operative today will they then be operative again at the second coming or before during the tribulation period or What about during the millennial period so a lot of questions about it?

We have probably the largest movement in the world today in quote

Christendom is what we call the charismatic or Pentecostal movement. It's probably the fastest growing segment of Christendom and you have to remember when we say

Christendom that means everyone who professes to be a Christian now it's the fastest growing movement and It's all around us.

And so it's something that we do need to discuss. We don't harp on it or talk about it often, but At least once a year.

I like to talk about these issues because they're they're really Right today probably the most obvious thing that's going on in there in the world of Christendom Well last time we talked about how

Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter Each indicated that these sign gifts would in fact cease

After the apostolic age, which means after all the Apostles were gone on to heaven

Now today I want to look at I don't know exactly how much time we're going to have here to get into all this

Because there's a lot of material but I want us to start looking into first Corinthians chapter 14

And I know where I want to begin and I don't know where I'm gonna end So we'll find that I'm gonna end when you start looking like it's lunchtime so If you don't like the material this morning, just start looking hungry

Okay Drool Well, usually when they bring that chicken in back there it just happens

Okay, let's start with first Corinthians 14 I really you know, I don't ask you to take notes often when we're preaching because that's that's

I Don't care whether you do or not during the sermon now. You should during the Sunday school lesson and you should

Anytime you sense that it's teaching but if like last week when brother Myron was preaching that was for your heart

This one today is for your head Okay Now it's it this deals with truth

If you don't think truth is important, then why did Jesus say a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

So take your pens and pencils out and your paper and Jot some notes down for me

Because we're gonna talk about some issues that I guarantee you you'll run into you'll run into him at the red brother Otis and I Ran into this at the restaurant not too long ago.

Just innocently we're always innocent and we just ran into to we ran into a situation of debate and So let's start with first Corinthians 14 and let's go up to about verse 18

Paul says I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all Yet in the church.

I had rather speak five words with my Understanding than by my voice that by my voice

I might teach others also than 10 ,000 words in an unknown tongue Now if we set aside the debate about what unknown tongues are

Isn't it interesting that the fastest growing movement in the country? Will not point out that verse 19 and other verses in this passage clearly show that Paul was trying to move the church away from tongue speaking

He was saying this is not important. Let's move away from this and get into things that edify the church

You have to also remember that when Paul was writing the church at Corinthian at the

Corinthian Church. He's talking to the baby church the carnal church And you have to understand some of the history surrounding this church in Corinth was the greatest center of Worship of the goddess

Diana anywhere in the world at that time and all kind of other pagan worship That some of these new

Christians had come out of in their old life before they were born again Now Let's look at this

It will come back in a moment and discuss the issue of what tongues is or was in the

Bible and what it really is In a moment, but let's just read through here because I want to point out something Brethren be not children in understanding now.

Why was he having to tell him that? Because he's talking to the baby church You can find that out by going back to chapter 1 and reading 1st and 2nd

Corinthians How be it in malice be children, but in understanding be men Verse 21 is where we're going for a few moments this morning.

Look at it carefully in The law it is written Now I've got to stop there and ask you where's the law?

All right Let's just generalize. Let's just say Old Testament When was it it was prior?

to the time of Pentecost And it was certainly prior to this time around 60 around 80 60 when he's writing this letter to the

Corinthians in The law he's referring to the Old Testament scriptures

It is written with men of other tongues and other lips will

I speak unto this people and Yet for all that will they not hear me saith the

Lord Wherefore tongues are for a sign Now God gives the purpose of the gift of tongues right here you have to always understand that a miracle or a sign or a wonder always has a purpose and Throughout biblical history when that purpose was fulfilled the sign or the wonder ceased and vanished away

They come to fulfill a purpose and then they go away and you go back to the norms of the world the way it is the natural world

The great majority of the time when God works in our lives and even in Bible days

This is what people don't understand But even in Old Testament days the huge huge majority of the time when

God worked in people's lives He did it through Natural phenomenon that he just he had already brought it into works and he just moves that in for instance

He'll use your immune system to heal you now I don't think for a minute that I mean to say that that's nature healing you that's

God healing you he's doing it through your body that he made that wonderful body that he made and God moves according to his sovereign will and purpose and when he chooses to heal you

He can touch you from as far away as the third heaven and Cause that immune system of yours to destroy whatever it is

It's hurting you and ailing you and most of the time that's how he works or he may work through the hand of a surgeon now

Tongues are for a sign now notice this not to them that believe

But to them that believe not I want to pose a question this morning if that's true What is church for When we come together on Sunday morning, are we here to evangelize?

Why are we here? we're here to edify and to grow and to be taught the word and to hear the word and to learn the doctrine and to become strong because of it and to fellowship together and break bread, which we'll do here in a few moments and To pray like we do together more

Lengthy time on Wednesday nights But we don't come together to evangelize and we don't really intend to bring the world in here on Sunday morning

Do we now if we don't intend to bring the world in here on Sunday morning? Then the great majority of the believers in church ought to be believers.

That sounds good, doesn't it? I met people attending church ought to be believers Probably work the other way, too

Now look what it says we're for tongues are for a sign not to them to believe the question

I would pose if if if this is a sign that's not for believers. Why is it done in church? across our country today

You weren't supposed to answer the question For sure, I have a second could we all vote on this?

Well, that's right now there is one other issue that would be brought up at this point though And they would say this is a prayer language and I'm going to discuss that Sometime maybe today it can happen for confusion as well a

Lot of these issues will be covered by the Word of God as we go through this study. I mean specifically handled as God discusses

That these events right here with this particular carnal church because they were having a problem with tongues now there's been a debate through the years or rather the tongues in the book of Acts is the same as the tongues in the book of Corinthians And I'd have to say yes and no

Because that's an easy answer I can't be wrong with that But yes, and no yes

Because true biblical God -given gift of tongues is identical in both places.

It was languages They were known languages in the world and I demonstrate that both in Acts and in Corinthians We will show that however,

I am of the opinion of this. I'm getting an area where this is just my opinion You'll have to study on your own and see if you agree.

It's also the opinion of many scholars That There were some in this carnal baby church

Who were in fact speaking in gibberish? But there's nowhere in the

Bible where it says that is God -given In fact, it is a thing that Paul is rebuking in this very epistle that we're reading

So we may get into a little bit of that too as we go, but let's look first I want to address this point number one in The law it is written.

Did you realize that tongues is mentioned in the Old Testament before it's mentioned in the New Testament? very seldom will you hear that taught in a charismatic or Pentecostal Church because if you go to the first mention of tongues in the

Bible and you know first mention is thought by many scholars to be very important when you Find the first mention of any doctrinal concept you want to go there and it kind of sets the scene

For the teaching of that throughout the entire scripture if you go to the first mention of tongues in the

Bible You will find it in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 28. Very good, brother Richard Turn to Deuteronomy 28 15 if you would had you know, it was exactly

I mean Why didn't you say Leviticus or something or Exodus? He picked the right one it actually includes all of those but But here is where we find the first mention

Now remember in 1st Corinthians chapter 14 that the Apostle Paul says that tongues are for a sign

That's their purpose and they are a sign for the unbeliever There are other places

Well, I'll tell you where it is 1st Corinthians 1 22 Clarifies that even more and it says for the

Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom Now predominantly today the church is a

Greek Church. It's a Gentile Church God says in 1st Corinthians 1 22 that the

Gentiles do not require a sign, but the Jews do So we find out from that that tongues were specifically a sign to the

Jewish people and specifically to unbelieving Jews Now why would that be a sign of what?

Well, we have to go back into the book of Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 15 to get a clue But it shall come to pass if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the

Lord thy God to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes Which I have commanded thee this day that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee the sign of tongues in the

Bible Always is a sign of impending judgment from God We see the first clue right here in verse 15 in verse 45

It says moreover all these curses shall come upon thee and shall pursue thee and overtake thee till thou be destroyed

Because thou hearkenest not unto the voice of the Lord thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes

Which he commanded thee and they shall be upon thee now if you're in Deuteronomy 28 verse 46

I want you to underline or circle this phrase They shall come upon thee for a sign and for a wonder signs and wonders always have a purpose and specifically the sign or the wonder of tongue -speaking had the purpose of warning the unbelieving

Jew and the nation of impending judgment It says these things will be a sign and wonder upon thy seed forever

Because thou served not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things

In chapter 28 verse 49. It says the Lord shall bring a nation against thee from afar from the end of the earth as swift as the eagle flyeth a

Nation whose tongue and you can underline the word tongue because this is the first mention of tongue speaking in the

Bible Notice that it was a language It was a world language the word tongue throughout the scriptures both

Old Testament and you always means language If you would just scratch the word out everywhere you see tongue and put the word language

You you won't have near the problem of understanding this it means language It simply is the

Greek way of saying a language. The word tongue is used to mean languages That's all it's ever meant never did mean gibberish a nation whose tongue

Thou shalt not understand now notice the word shout the phrase thou shalt not understand because when we get back into 1st

Corinthians 14 We're gonna have some very similar phrases where it sounds like that These tongues are things that just cannot be understood which makes the modern

Christian think it means gibberish Abra little Were if you weren't here two months,

I'm sorry that just came upon me If you weren't here two weeks ago, I taught on how to speak in tongues

How many of you were here for that lesson raise your hand? Can anyone do it? Have you practiced?

Who was that talking to me this week? That was showing me they could do that Somebody was doing that No one can do it when he wouldn't like to try

Well, all you have to do is take all of the Japanese motorcycles and and say them as fast as you can over and over Now I can't do it, but there are people in this church that can because I've heard them and they're very good at it

But they think today when they read a passage where it says that man cannot understand it It means it has to be gibberish.

That's not true I guarantee you if I spoke a little French to you, most of you would not understand it, but I would and God would

Some in here today could speak some Spanish Many of us would not understand all of it

But God would understand it and so would the person speaking it Now what if God gave you a miraculous gift though of speaking

Spanish and you never went to school to learn it Some of us would understand it.

You'd be speaking it, but you wouldn't have a clue what you were saying, would you? But that doesn't mean it's gibberish does it?

In fact, it's never gibberish in the Bible. It's also a language So what happens here is the first mention of tongues you have the

Assyrians They're going to come in and they speak with a language that these people have never heard before and to them

It just sounded like something they couldn't understand and it says that in verse 50

It's a nation of a fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young and so the tongue speaking that the

Prophet told them about was a sign to them a Sign of impending judgment in Isaiah chapter 28 verse 10

It says for precept must be upon precept Precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little for with stammering lips and Another tongue in the

New Testament. They would have translated unknown tongue he Speak will he speak to his people now?

Who is the one speaking? God God is speaking through these stammering lips and this unknown tongue now

Wouldn't you agree that the Pentecostal or the charismatic could use this phrase stammering lips to make it sound like that's gibberish

I mean, it's what it sounds like but it's not what it's talking about Because it's obviously speaking about this other tongue or this unknown tongue

Now in the New Testament where it uses unknown tongue. The word unknown is not in the Greek It's added in the

English to make us understand that it's a language that we don't know And so this foreign language that was spoken

With stammering lips and another tongue God will use that to speak to his people Why because it's a sign the

Jew always worked after a sign. He required a sign Therefore thus saith the

Lord God behold. I lay in Zion for a sound foundation a stone a Tridestone a precious cornerstone.

Who is that? The Lord Jesus a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste now.

Don't you find it fascinating that? The Old Testament mention of tongue -speaking is in relation to the coming of the

Lord Jesus Christ and The fact that the nation of Israel was going for the most part to miss him

That's why they received the sign You see he speaks of a stumbling stone a cornerstone, which the nation would reject

And he says I'm gonna bring stammering lips and unknown tongues to you as a sign when this time takes place judgment also will

I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet and The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the water shall overflow the hiding place.

It speaks of judgment So we see then that the Assyrian language could not be understood by the

Jewish people It sounded like stammering lips and it was certainly another tongue But it was

God speaking to them a sign of coming judgment Jeremiah 15 5 says lo

I will bring a nation upon you from far. Oh House of Israel it is a mighty nation

It is an ancient nation a nation whose language underlying the word language thou knowest not that is an unknown tongue

Neither understand us what they say and this is always and ever the true definition of unknown tongue in the

Bible is a foreign Language that you haven't learned before or that God did not Supernaturally allow you to understand cause you to understand

I should say Okay, look at verse 16 their quiver is as an open sepulcher

They are all mighty men. What are we talking about? What are these tongues? predicting

Great and awesome judgment They shall eat up thine harvest and thy bread which thy sons and daughters should eat

They shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds. They shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees

They shall impoverish thy fence cities wherein thou trustest with the sword nevertheless in those days saith the

Lord I will not make a full end with you and It shall come to pass when ye shall say wherefore doth the

Lord our God all these things unto us Then shalt thou answer them like as ye have forsaken me and serve strange gods in your land so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours declare this to the house of Jacob and Publish it in Judah.

So we see in these passages of the Old Testament that stammering lips and unknown tongues were merely a sign just as the

Apostle Paul has said for us and Book of 1st Corinthians a sign to the unbelieving

Jew that God's judgment is coming upon him because of his lack of obedience and love for God Now let's go back into 1st

Corinthians chapter 14 for a moment and look at verse 19 Well, let's go on down to verse 21

In the law it is written now that is a direct reference to this passage in Jew in Deuteronomy as brother

Richard pointed out It's a direct reference to it and the law it is written with men of other tongues and other lips

Will I speak unto this people and yet for all that will they not hear me saith the Lord? Wherefore tongues are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them which believe and now it's interesting when you look at the word for where it says that Tongues are for a sign

Not to them that believe the word for is the word ice which means purpose. It gives the purpose of tongues

It's for unbelieving Jews now man named

Gigi Findlay who Wrote the book the expositors Greek New Testament said this

God spoke to Israel through the strange Assyrian tongue in retribution

Not to confirm their faith, but to consummate their unbelief the logical connection of thought between 1st

Corinthians 14 21 and 22 and the passage in Deuteronomy forbids the thought of a convincing and saving sign

Now there are those today who would tell you that the gift of tongues Was to show that someone had just gotten saved or to convince people that they're now saved because now they can speak in tongues

And yet, mr. Dr. Findlay disagrees with that in his

Greek expositors New Testament in the notes He says it is obvious from the connection of the passages in 1st

Corinthians to the Old Testament law That tongues were not given to confirm faith

But to consummate their unbelief. It's the opposite of what is taught today

Today it's taught that tongues is a gift. God will give you to confirm your faith and let you know, you're really a believer

But the Bible says tongues was given as a sign to show you're an unbeliever Now that gives me fear of what's going on in churches all over this country

Satan is using a sign that God gave to show unbelief and counterfeiting it to make people believe they're believers

Just simply because they're gibberish So therefore now there's a new plan of salvation

Whosoever can stammer with strange lips is saved And that pretty much is what a lot of the churches preach or imply very dangerous for many many reasons

Counterfeits are always important and always dangerous now, let me move away for a moment from the

Bible History that we've been studying we studied what Paul said in the book of Hebrews also in 1st and 2nd

Corinthians We studied what Peter said we studied what Jesus Christ himself said about the fact that these signs would cease and pass away

As soon as their purpose was over And then today we looked in the Old Testament At the first mention of tongues in the

Bible and we saw that the purpose was for unbelieving Jews To warn them as a sign that in that judgment was coming

Now, let's move into some Secular history just for a moment not that I believe this would prove anything

But it is interesting that it correlates very well with biblical history and biblical truth Some charismatic authors have claimed that there have been numerous outbursts of New Testament tongues throughout church history

Charismatic if you speak to them, they may refer you to one of these books You can find all kinds of evil books at the

Christian bookstore. Be very careful You should ask an older more seasoned saint that's been in the word for years if he likes an author before you buy any books

I'm not saying it's got to be someone in this church you ask but I'm just saying you find a seasoned saint that Walked with the

Lord for years and you ask him. Is this a good book for me to read before you buy the thing? Be very careful, but there's a book that's called they speak with other tongues.

It was written in 1965 by a man named John Sherrill and it's quite a famous book among the

Charismatics and they use it as proof that tongues has always existed throughout church history That it never did cease

There are some problems with this argument number one There is no indication that these eruptions of tongues

Were the New Testament gift of speaking in foreign languages for the purposes of judicial sign against Israel Now you understand if we're gonna have the gift it has to be for the purpose that God gave it

Anywhere where Cheryl mentions these events There is no indication that this that the tongues was given at that point in time as a judicial judicial sign for Israel By and large they are simply illustrations of a psychological phenomenon called glossolalia

You almost sound like you're speaking it when you say the word Which are practiced by witches in coven meetings

Hindus Non -christian sects such as Mormons and animists in Africa and South Africa.

We'll get more into that later secondly In these cases where John Cheryl tried to bring out cases of tongue -speaking in modern history

None of the cited cases were examples of any contribution to major movements in church history

The major revivals have either totally neglected tongues of this sort of tongue -speaking

Or have mentioned them insignificantly number three if these are simply illustrations of what is going on today and Claimed to be the

New Testament gift then Cheryl is arguing in a circle now if you've studied logic before you know what arguing in A circle is it means you use the point to try to prove the point you're trying to prove.

That's not fair It's almost like giving a definition of a word by using the same word to define itself in in arguing

You cannot take the thing you're trying to prove and use it to prove that it's so and yet That's what he does.