Have gifts ceased?
What a False Doctrine... There were numerous people who had miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit besides the Apostles, and this fact alone disproves the theory. Look...
70 who were commissioned in Luke 10:9,19-20. Stephen, (Acts 6-7). Philip, (Acts 8). Ananias, (Acts 9). Prophets in Antioch, (Acts 13). Even in the Old Testament we see miracles such as all that Moses did, (Exodus 7-17) and many other patriarchs such as Elijah, Elisha and all of The Prophets who had the gift of prophesy. Miracles are a manifestation of God's glory, (John 2:11).
1 Corinthians 12:7-10 ~ "7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:"
Does it sound as if Paul is saying that only Apostles will be the ones to receive these gifts? No. Gifts of healing, tongues, prophesy, miracles, etc. are given by the Holy Spirit to ordinary everyday Christians in the church at Corinth... And churches today as well...
It's interesting when it comes to submission or anything commanded to obey in an epistle that a lukewarm believer doesn't want to obey, they will use the cop out and say, "That was commanded for Corinth, not for us today." Many narrow road Cessationists would rebuke such a lukewarm believer, and I personally find that hypocritical because they themselves believe that, "Miracles were just for Corinth, the early church, the apostles, not for us today." Sound familiar? All of God's Word is infallible and timeless; applicable to us today. Most commonly Baptists are Cessationists and it is nonsense when we dive into Scripture.
Mark 16:17-18 ~ "17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
They shall... It's a promise. It will happen.
Acts 2:38 ~ "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Shall receive... It's a promise. It will happen. Every believer is a miracle in of themselves. We are brought to belief by grace and sanctification by grace. John the Baptist did no miracle and he was filled with the Holy Ghost... Desire spiritual gifts, but remember to love and prophesy is the most important, (1 Corinthians 14:1)
1 Corinthians 13:8-10 ~ "8 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. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
This Scripture is often taken out of context to fit Cessationist's doctrine. The chapter is talking about how love is the greatest gift and it never fails. God is love, (1 John 4:8) and He never fails. He has the victory! When that which is perfect has come, (Jesus) then that which is in part shall be done away with.
1 Corinthians 13:11-13 ~ "11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
Putting away vanity because temporal things don't matter, eternal things matter. We understand partially, but then face to face... With God. When our perfection is complete. Heaven, we don't really know what it is like.
Philippians 3:11-14 ~ "11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
When Jesus comes there will be no need for miracles... Miracles are for unbelievers... As I already mentioned John 2:11.
1 Corinthians 14:22 ~ "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."
Once again though, we are to desire charity and to prophesy... The majority of churches fail to desire this. They don't preach bringing the church to the streets, they don't love their neighbor. It's no wonder we don't see miracles being done because we are living in apostasy... That is why there are miracles rarely seen! Not because miracles have ceased, but because people do not have genuine faith. True spirituality. True love. (Leviticus 19:17-18).
Charismatic Movement Exposed...
With all this said, I agree that we have to be careful that we are NOT involved in a charismatic church. As I exposed Pete Cabrera here as he goes around healing people in his video, "The Kingdom Carnival" but not once gives those who he healed the full Gospel message.
Be wary of Sects that do Revivals, that they do not just want money. There have been many miraculous healings... I have seen God's healing hand in two brother's life's and a sister's life. As well as a little girl from Toronto Sick Kids who was hit by a car, couldn't walk, but then was miraculously healed and not one fracture was found.
Then there are testimonies of people I don't know, but sure are amazing to hear such as Deloris Winder or Don Piper. God allows others to do miracles and God Himself still does miracles. As I said, don't be fooled by people performing miracles for money and not for God and don't be fooled by those who think you must be filled with the Holy Ghost to be saved as many Apostolic's and Pentecostal's do...
1 Corinthians 12:3 ~ Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Romans 10:9 ~ "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
These denominations are the most guilty of getting caught up in speaking in tongues and are pressured and coaxed to do so. They fake their gift or fool themselves they have received the Holy Ghost and do miracles such as speaking in tongues. There are many Gifts of the Spirit but as it says, we are to covet earnestly the best gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:27-31 ~ "27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
1 Corinthians 13 proceeds to explain that charity (love) is the best gift. As well as leading into 1 Corinthians 14 that is a continuation we will be studying today. Love leads us to prophesy... Preach the Gospel. Evangelize.
1 Corinthians 13:13 ~ "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
1 Corinthians 14:1 ~ "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy."
Leviticus 19:17-18 ~ "17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost and he did no miracle...
John 10:41 ~ "And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true."
Matthew 11:11 ~ "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
Find a church that has a balance of evangelism, prayer/worship, and Bible study. If your church doesn't do these things regularly, I suggest you find a new church. A greedy church is not a good church. You want a church that practices charity. Anytime you see your church focused on un-Godly things such as money, fame, idolatry, worldliness, games, new age practices, sexual immorality... Get out! Be wary of heretics such as Benny Hinn, Todd White, Todd Bentley, Heidi Baker, T.B. Joshua, Rick Joyner. etc. Television Evangelists which do not preach the full Gospel, yet become famous and filthy rich by teaching half truths. If your church supports such people... Get out.
I know it may seem that I am giving mix feelings to you here... On one hand I am against the Lukewarm Charismatic Prosperity Movement, but on the other hand I still believe that God does miracles and uses people to do miracles. Let's dive into the topic of speaking in tongues as this is the main focus when pertaining to miracles...
Does everyone speak in tongues?
The answer is: No. Going back to what was already mentioned about this gift being coaxed in many charismatic churches that believe you have to speak in tongues as evidence of the Holy Ghost infilling as evidence of your salvation. Paul makes it very clear that not all speak in tongues, have the same role and gifts.
1 Corinthians 14:5 ~ "I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying."
To also mention in destroying this false doctrine that the infilling of the Holy Ghost automatically is to receive the gift of tongues is destroyed with...
Acts 4:31 ~ "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness."
In other words, prophesying. Speaking the word of God with boldness, preaching. This is the gift Paul prefers over tongues that believers receive. If Paul wishes that all believers would speak in tongues, that entails that not all believers spoke with tongues. Not everyone will speak in tongues. Genuine tongues will follow with an edification for the church as said at the end of Verse 5 of 1 Corinthians 13.
1 Corinthians 14:12 ~ "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church."
Romans 10:2-3 ~ "2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."
Galatians 3:5 ~ "He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
This is religiosity and self-righteousness, we are supposed to deny ourself, our ego. "Look at me! I can speak in tongues! I'm righteous!" now it will not be this blatant, but it's the heart of the matter that I'm trying to portray. I will never forget the time that a brother-in-Christ I knew was having coffee at a coffee shop with my husband and I. Suddenly in the midst of our conversation with him, he blurted out Hebrew-gibberish of speaking in tongues. He then oh-so-innocently put his hand over his mouth to sheepishly apologize that he randomly speaks in tongues sometimes.
My husband went onto admonish him that tongues was a controlled thing to be done in church order. This brother had already been caught back-sliding into sin and yet, you want me to believe he is filled with the Holy Ghost and saved just because he speaks in tongues? I'm sorry, but I need to see fruit meet for repentance, (Matthew 3:8). You will not generate the Holy Ghost or gifts as it's of God's choosing, so more importantly you need to practice fruits of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22-23). Giving into ego and faking (lying) about tongues shows you have rotten fruit.
Unknown Tongue or Different Languages?
Six times in 1 Corinthians 14, "Unknown tongue" is mentioned...
2 ~ For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
4 ~ He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
13 ~ Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 ~ For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
19 ~ 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.
27 ~ If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
Now let's go back and look at...
1 Corinthians 14:9-11 ~ "9 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. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the WORLD, and none of them is without SIGNIFICATION. 11 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."
So what we have here is talking about voices in the world, different languages that have signification or meaning even though they may sound like a barbarian. So is it a Heavenly tongue/unknown language or a worldly/known language?
1 Corinthians 13:1 ~ "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
Tongues of men AND of angels. This is a major verse that get's me thinking, so let me break it down to better explain so we can arrive at the right answer. We either have...
A.) Languages of this world are different from the heavenly languages of angels with speaking in tongues being unknown to all of the world.
or
B.) Languages of angels is the ability to supernaturally speak in another language unknown to you, but known in this world... French, Russian, Chinese, etc. etc.
Acts 2:1-18 ~ "1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:"
It is without a doubt that when The Disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost that they being Galilaeans supernaturally spoke in other languages of the Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamia, Judaea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, Rome, Jews, Cretes and Arabians.
1.) Parthian is an extinct ancient North Western Iranian language.
2.) Median was the language of the Medes subfamily of North Western Iran.
3.) Elamite was the language of the Elamites of South Western Iran.
4.) Mesopotamia's principal languages were Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Amorite, and Aramaic.
5.) Judaeans spoke Semitic Aramaic, but referencing to the Judean dialect while those in Galilee spoke Semitic Palestinian Aramaic, (Matthew 26:73).
6.) Cappadocian is a Greek-Turkish mixed language.
7.) Pontus or Pontic Greek or Pontus in reference to the area this language is spoken by the coast of the Black Sea.
8.) Asia most likely reference to the languages of Anatolia or better known as Asia Minor.
9.) Phrygian was the Indo-European language of the Phrygians.
10.) Pamphylian is an Ancient Greek dialect from Pamphylia.
11.) Egypt in obvious reference to the Egyptian language.
12.) Cyrene, Libya was an Ancient Greek and Roman city so this gives reference to their language.
13.) Rome in reference to the Roman language which would have been Latin.
14.) Jews in reference to the Jewish language of Hebrew.
15.) Cretes in reference to Cretan Greek.
16.) Arabian in reference to the Arabic language.
So why would the infilling of the Holy Ghost in Acts 2 be speaking in unknown tongues to them, other languages, but in 1 Corinthians 13 and 14 it is languages unknown to all of the world? Seems contradictory to me. As remember, tongues are to convict the non-believer, (1 Corinthians 14:22) as we see that here in Acts 2:12-13 that they thought the Apostles were drunk.
Isaiah 28:11-12 ~ "11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."
An interesting side point to mention is that it was God who created the division of languages because of people's wickedness in Babel or commonly known as Babylon. Babel means, "Confusion" in Hebrew; Strong's H894. Interestingly enough in english we use "Babble" as a word to describe talking fast, foolishly or what we don't understand such as baby babble. Gibberish. We know it wasn't just gibberish though as God separated these people by new diverse languages and then new languages come out of those languages and then there is different dialects and accents. Linguistics is quite interesting and you will see many word connections between many languages as "Babel" and "Babble" is only one of them. We all shared one language thousands of years ago...
Genesis 11:6-8 ~ "6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth."
Conclusion...
1 Corinthians 14:28 ~ "But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."
In short, if you cannot speak tongues with order and an interruption is able to be given for the edification of the church than it is better that you not speak. Stay quiet, pray in your mind and keep it orderly. Love and to prophesy is the gift you should desire first and foremost, (1 Corinthians 14:1)
Romans 12:6-8 ~ "6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
That's all it's about... Simplicity. Diligence. Order. Look how carefully women's conduct is commanded at the end of 1 Corinthians 14. The same chapter that we have studied about tongues, the whole chapter is about tongues and at the end goes into women's conduct. It's about order in the church, perfect placing if you understand the point of the chapter in context, to not have chaos as we have in many churches today, sadly. Let all things be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14:34-40 ~ "34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order."
Please for your own strength go read Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14 in complete context as we studied major highlights here today. Until text time...
Be blessed & stay sanctified,
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