The Holy Spirit Part IV Spiritual Gifts cont

Good evening and welcome to Sunday Night Bible Study with Pastor Josiah Shipley at Witton Baptist Church.

Today we continue our series on the Holy Spirit and we've been covering the spiritual gifts which is one of the ministries of the

Holy Spirit. And today we're going to spend a little bit of time and maybe next week too on the gift of tongues. Now, I need to let's set some ground rules.

Our goal today is simply to discover or to study what does that mean?

What is the gift of tongues? Are these human languages? Are these angelic ecstasies?

What are these tongues, this gift that the Spirit gives his church? And what's its purpose?

After we talk about that we'll then talk about exactly what

Paul was allowing and not allowing in 1st Corinthians 14 and after we do that, and this might be next week or the week after, we will discuss two terms known as cessationism or continuationism.

In other words, have all these gifts including miracles, healings, tongues, and the like, have these prophecies, have these continued today or have they ceased with the death of the apostles?

Now we're going to talk about what tongues are, what that gift is, and then we'll talk about whether it has continued to our day or did it cease in the first century with the death of the apostles.

In other words, are they signed gifts for the apostles so that their authority could be credited and believed or are they meant for regular normative practice in the church?

But again, first, let's talk about what are the gifts of tongues. Now to me, this is the most controversial gift it shouldn't be because it's badly misunderstood, it is badly abused and misused, and because people don't like talking about things that either make them feel uncomfortable or that go against what they've always experienced.

Remember guys, experience is a mode of learning.

It is not the be -all end -all of what truth is, okay? Truth is beyond your experience.

We've talked about before there are many sincere atheists, there are many sincere Muslims in the world.

Their sincerity doesn't make it true. By the way, neither does our sincerity. Truth stands on its own.

So, let's start with the first time we see the gift of tongues. Well, let me back up. So the gift of tongues appears in two, you could argue for three, books of the

New Testament. That's it. It appears in the book of Acts several times. It appears in 1st

Corinthians, chapters 12 through 14. And you can make an argument that there's an appearance at the end of Mark, but that's a textual variant.

We can talk about that another day. So, at least two, maybe three, books of the New Testament. There are some misconceptions.

I want to make sure we're clear. You're gonna hear people say that every time someone gets saved in the book of Acts, they speak in tongues.

That is not true. In fact, it only happens three times in the book of Acts. Okay?

Additionally, all the other conversions we see, like the eunuch, we don't see that.

Okay? When we talk about what the gift of tongues is, we start in Acts chapter 2.

This is Pentecost, and I'm gonna read a section. This is verse 1.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place, and suddenly there came from heaven a sound, like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

And divided tongues, as of fire, appeared to them, and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the

Spirit gave them utterance. All right. So, what is that? First off, remember, we've covered this before.

Pentecost. Pente means 50. This is the Feast of Weeks. Or... Yeah, the

Feast of Weeks, sometimes referred to as Firstfruits. I don't think I'm... I'm not mixing that up.

Okay. Yeah. This took place 50 days after the Passover, and the purpose...

the purpose of Pentecost was to offer your first harvest of the year, not knowing what the other harvests would be, as an act of faith, to God, and give your first fruits to Him.

The first harvest you have of the year. Well, this is the creation of the church.

It is the firstfruits of the church, of God's called -out people, that He is saving. Okay, and here, we have the

Apostles and 120 in the upper room, in the Holy Spirit Wrestling, and it says they speak in other tongues.

Not sure what that means yet. Let's keep reading. First off, verse 5, Now dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, this is one of the three festivals where all the men had to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate it, so there were people from all over, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And at this time the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

They were all amazed, and astonished, saying, Are not all these speaking Galileans? How is it that we hear each of us in our own native language?

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the residents of Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, and Pontus, and Asia, excuse me, and Egypt, and Liberia, and visitors from Rome, Jews, and Proselytes, and Cretans, and Arabians, Arabians, I'm sorry, and they were all hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.

They were all amazed and perplexed with one another, saying, What does this mean? But others mocking said,

They're filled with new wine. So Peter and the others are speaking, the

Apostles, and the 120, and everyone is hearing them speak in their own language.

Okay. 15 different languages we have here, and they're all hearing them. He's not speaking all those languages, they're hearing them in their own language.

Verse 14, Peter, standing with the 11, lifted up his voice and addressed them, Men of Judea, and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

For these people are not drunk as you suppose, and it's only 9 a .m. But this is what was uttered through the prophet

Joel. And he goes on, he reads a passage of Joel, where Joel prophesies about Pentecost, and I'll pour out my spirit among them, and they will dream dreams, and have visions, and so on and so forth.

So, what do we know? We know that Peter and the

Apostles are speaking, and everyone is hearing them speak in their own human language.

Now that's amazing. Now, you can go back and forth and have some debate on whether or not Peter and the

Apostles are speaking in those languages, or people are just hearing in their own languages, but either way, these are clearly human languages, and God is giving people the ability to speak and or understand languages not known to them.

That's amazing. That's a miracle. These are people that needed to hear the gospel, and God gave

Peter and the Apostles the ability to preach to them in their own native languages. We see that kind of thing happen a few more times in the book of Acts.

But very little detail is given when it happens. Whenever this happens, all it really says is, and they spoke in tongues.

This happens two or three more times in the book of Acts, like we said. I think Acts chapter 11, it happens a couple, at least once, and then it happens in Acts chapter 18 or 19,

I believe it was. So, with that, with that, that's about all we have.

Okay, so, excuse me, so with that, if that's all the information we have, we would probably assume that speaking in tongues is the ability to speak languages, or have people understand languages unknown to you.

So, like, I go to Saudi Arabia on a mission trip, and God gives me the ability to speak

Arabic so I can witness somebody, even though I can't speak Arabic. Well, then, we go to 1st

Corinthians, and this is where things get a little difficult if we're not paying attention.

In 1st Corinthians chapter 12, remember, 1st Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 are the two biggest lists of the spiritual gifts.

Remember, the Spirit of Sovereign over all the gifts. He gives them out as He wills. He distributes them as He wills.

He activates them as He wills. It's all about Him. There's no one complete list of the spiritual gifts in the

Bible, but Romans 12 and 1st Corinthians 12 lists several of them.

And it says, in verse 4, 1st Corinthians 12, Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same

Spirit, and there are a variety of service, but the same Lord. There are a variety of activities, but it's the same

God who empowers them all and everyone. To each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

For to one is given the Spirit of utterance and wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same

Spirit. To another the faith by the same Spirit. To another the gifts of healing by the one Spirit. To another the working of miracles.

To another the prophecy. To another the ability to distinguish between spirits. To another various types of tongues.

To another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit who apportions to each one individually as He wills.

Now notice here, it's not just tongues. There's also the interpretation of tongues. What does that mean?

We'll find out. He goes on to say that that you're not allowed to say that you're more important because you have one gift than what else has.

Because remember the point of spiritual gifts is God, first off, He's regenerated dead spirits to save them.

But then to be able to serve each other, He gives them grace. He gives them gifts that they can use to serve each other.

And He says, Now you're all the body of Christ, verse 27, and individual members of it.

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various types of tongues.

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess the gifts of healing?

Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts, and I will show you a still more excellent way.

Then we get to chapter 13. It says this, Now this is 1st

Corinthians 13 that everyone calls the love chapter. It's read aloud at all unbelievers weddings.

But notice the context here. Remember, 1st Corinthians is not really 1st

Corinthians. This is the second letter Paul wrote to them. We don't have the first one. And then they wrote a letter back to them.

We know that because 1st Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 says, And chapter 7 through the rest of the book is about Paul responding to their letter, including eating food offered the idols, including marriage.

Paul writes a chapter on food offered the idols. He writes a chapter or so on marriage. He writes three chapters on spiritual gifts.

What does that tell you about the letter they wrote him? That it was a big problem in their church, right?

He says if you can speak in tongues and or even of angels, but you don't have love, you're a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

If you have prophetic powers and understand all mystery and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so I can remove mountains, but I have not love,

I am nothing. If I give away all I have and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but I have not love,

I gain nothing. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy or boast.

It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist in its own way. It's not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with all truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends.

As for prophecies, they will pass away. As for tongues, they will cease. As for knowledge, it will pass away. So in other words,

Paul says you can claim to have all these gifts you want and be you know, professor, doctor, bishop, reverend, whatever.

But if you don't have love, you are noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Okay, so like I said up to this point if you talk about the gifts of tongues, it's clearly human languages.

But now here and in chapter 14 speaks of right here the tongues of angels or in chapter 14 verse 2, for if one speaks with a tongue, he's not speaking to men, but to God.

For no one understands them, for he utters mysteries in the Spirit. So what is that about?

Well, tune in next week. So we're going to continue on our tongues, human or angelic languages right here, and then we're going to talk about how

Paul wanted them used in the church. So again, we're going to continue right here with our tongues, human or angelic languages, and how

Paul wanted them to continue to be used in church service. So actually this week coming up, we will not have a video, but we will the following week.