The great questions keep on coming. Check out this question:
Hello, my friend Bob. I just read this blog, and I was wondering about the last part where you say that you don’t believe the prophetic gift is in operation today. So does that go for speaking in tongues too? I would like to know why you believe this. For I have been searching for answers about the sign gifts for so long if they are for today or not. I would appreciate it if you could please tell me why you arrived at this conclusion. I appreciate you, Bob, and all your articles!
I have seven reasons why I believe the sign gifts are not operative today:
- Paul, who as an Apostle, evidently had all the gifts, certainly including the gift of healing. He healed many people (Acts 14:9-11; 28:8-9), one involving raising a young man from the dead (Acts 20:7-12). However, in his last epistle he says, “Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick” (2 Tim 4:20). By the mid-sixties, Paul failed to heal a beloved believer. This suggests that the gift of healing has ceased to function.
- What we see today in terms of tongues, prophecy, faith healers, and so forth does not at all match what we see in the NT. A friend of mine, Dr. Garry Friesen, routinely sends his students to healing services, and he asks them to record and report on everything they see and hear. The reported healings are not organic healings. That is, we do not see someone with a shriveled hand growing a new hand. We do not see dead people raised (though this has been claimed occasionally). We do not see paralyzed people rising and walking. What we see is people who walked in under their own power who are told to sit in wheelchairs and wait until the healer asks them to stand. Many studies have been done of glossolalia, tongues speaking. They all show that what is being done is not a language at all, but gibberish. Yet in the NT, tongues speaking is the speaking of an actual language (Acts 2:11, “we hear them speaking in our own tongues, the wonderful works of God”).
- Paul said, “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge [i.e., words of knowledge], it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (1 Cor 13:8-10). It is crystal clear that tongues and prophecy will end. What is not clear is when. I think that the words that which is perfect in 1 Cor 13:10 most likely refer to the Second Coming of Christ. However, it could refer to the close of the canon, that is, the completion of the NT. In my study of Church history, it is clear that the gifts of prophecy and tongues and healings did not operate from the time the Apostles died until at least the start of the twentieth century. However, what I see in the claims of the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Third Wave movements do not convince me that any of the sign gifts have operated since the Apostles. (Yes, God heals today. But He does so without faith healers. Our prayers result in healing when it is God’s will to heal.) I do believe, based on what I read about the Tribulation, that the sign gifts will be operating again then. Certainly the two witnesses of Revelation will be doing many signs. I think it likely that the 144,000 Jewish evangelists will have the gift of tongues, enabling them to evangelize people whose languages they have not learned.
- Miracles have never been normative, either before Israel, during Israel’s history, or in the Church Age. There are three main times when lots of miracles happened: the time of Moses, the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, and the ministry of Jesus and His Apostles. There will be a fourth such time in the future, the Tribulation. We do not live in any of those time periods.
- The gift of apostleship has ceased. The Apostles were part of the foundation of the Church (Eph 2:20-22), not the superstructure.
- The gift of prophecy, like the gift of apostleship, was also part of the foundation of the Church, not the superstructure (Eph 2:20-22). Thus the gift of prophecy, like the gift of apostleship, has not functioned in the Church Age since the time of the Apostles.
- While there are many who claim to speak in tongues (including people from cults and non-Christian religions, by the way), there are extremely few people who claim to have the gift of interpretation of tongues. Since the NT says that no one should speak in tongues in church unless there is someone to interpret (1 Cor 14:28), that puts a halt to tongues speaking in church. One charismatic preacher stopped having people speak in tongues in his church for that very reason. See Neil Babcox, My Search for Charismatic Reality: One Man’s Pilgrimage. A friend of mine left the Charismatic movement because he was being taught how to “interpret” tongues. He was told to just say something Biblical. If someone gave a 10-second tongues message, he might give a one minute “interpretation.” Or a minute-long tongues message might produce a 10-second “interpretation.” My friend did not see the work of the Holy Spirit in such a practice.
When, as a senior in college, I came to faith in Christ, I immediately let an R.N. know with whom I had worked the previous summer. She came with her husband, and she and her husband told me that I was now a minor-league Christian. To become a major-league Christian, I had to ask the Holy Spirit to baptize me. So we prayed. They then asked me to start speaking in tongues. Nothing was coming, so they said, “Just try opening your mouth and letting sounds come out.” I said the word “Abba,” and they were happy. “That’s a start. That’s the Biblical word for Daddy. Keep practicing, and you will be speaking in tongues in no time.”
I then spoke with Warren Wilke, the man who led me to faith in Christ. He showed me what I wrote above. I stopped trying to speak in tongues. I saw no evidence that we had to practice to learn to speak in tongues.
I am not opposed to the sign gifts. I think it would be great if they were functioning today. But the evidence is overwhelming in my opinion that they are not.
Brady Scott Mayo
Very sound arguments. When I was attending a charasmatic church near Austin, TX we attended a class on speaking prophetic words. I asked them what it means if those prophetic words do not come to pass. The lady who led the class told me not to worry about it. She said it is OK if they do not come true and to keep saying what God puts in your head. I left that church.
David Simeone
While your points are logical, it is still difficult for me to agree with your conclusion. The bottom line for me is that I am not convinced from Scripture that these gifts are no longer in operation. The reference to “that which is perfect” in 1 Cor 13:10 most likely refers to the Second Coming of Christ. In many cases, discussions concluding that these gifts are no longer present today include weak Biblical support combined with assumptions and references to history that may or may not be accurate depending on who is making the claim. It is not an easy topic for me because there have been so many different displays of these gifts it is hard to say dogmatically what is biblical. But again, in the end, I am open to them – mainly because the biblical arguments against them I find not convincing.
Ray Mitchell
If one reads 1 Corinthians 14 it is clear and plain the God and Paul want people to speak in languages that are clear and plain and easy for all in the church to understand. God wants us to use our minds to think and talk, not talk in some gibberish nonsense (which is what Paul writes in ch. 14). Paul tells the believers there to stop thinking like little children (babies) and quit being selfish jerks by showing off some stupid silly sounding unknown language that benefits no one at all and no one understands. In Acts 2 the apostles used the “Gift of Languages” (which is really how the word “tongue” should be translated- the gift of speaking in human languages without studying) to preach the gospel. It was used to care about other people. Today, modern tongues nonsense is used as a narcotic drug to make people feel good even though they live in severe sins without repenting or do not believe what God says. Just like taking cocaine. Feel good without obeying or believing God.
I also believe much of the modern tongues movement is designed to get people demon possessed since demons promote tongues as a feel good drug without repentance or faith in God because people are willingly throwing away trust in God and logic and appealing to satanic teachings of the spirit. Many devil occult religions followers speak in the same tongues as they worship Satan.
Bradford Eilts Jr.
Thanks trillions Bob for answering my questions!! I am going to order a copy of the book you recommend by Neil Babcox..I appreciate you!!
Leo Z
Pastor Bob, I agree, sign gifts wouldn’t be an issue if they exist today as long as they are biblically practiced. However, I too believe that they were foundational gifts for the early church and no longer normative today.
I was once invited by an acquaintance to a charismatic assembly that he attended which placed a high emphasis on sign gifts. After being introduced as a visitor to some people in that church, the first thing I was asked m, was if I had already experienced the “second blessing” (baptism of the Holy Spirit) in my salvation which should be outwardly manifested in the gift of speaking in tongues or utterances of the Spirit. They went on to explain that true regeneration (salvation) is evidenced by such manifestation. Now, that is when it became problematic and unbiblical. Needless to say, we had a good dialogue about it that evening. Not all charismatics see it the way this people did, however there are some that do.
Thanks for the clear presentation of your viewpoint on this subject. Continuing to pray for you and GES!
Alvin
You know the majority of these ones speaking in tongues don’t even believe the gospel. They believe they can lose their salvation and go to hell. Their caught up in there experience, if they stopped speaking in tongues they would lose their assurance because they must feel God’s presence.
My best friend spoke in tongues, he was raised up in a Charismatic church. But he never spoke in tongues until after he met me. I was evangelizing him at work, and he was coming to my bible study. He wanted to speak in tongues and was praying for that gift. He first started to speak in tongues happened in the shower. He was so excited that he had to tell me. He waited till we went on a run, and after we ran a couple miles he started speaking in his tongues. At this time he believed that he could lose his salvation and go to hell. It wasn’t until later that he finally believed. So, what you had was a lost man speaking in tongues.
Dr. Terry L. Puett
1 Cor. 13:8–Specifically says that tongues, along with other miraculous gifts, would cease, Vs. 8 “if there are tongues, they will cease.” Fut.pass.ind. Pau,o,pauo. The future tense is in connection with the coming of “the perfect which is the completed New Testament Cannon (compare “the perfect law which in context is the Word; cp. Jam. 1:22,23. Furthermore cp. 1 For. 13:12 and Jam. 1:23 where “mirror” is used as a figure for the Word of God).
Anon
That’s a wonderful message for a born again believer who is physically blind. Take away their hope. Don’t dare publish this response. No wonder the church, including the free grace churches are powerless and will remain powerless until the pre-trib harpazo. Then you’ll be healed.
20Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. John 17:20,21
11Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves. 12Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14: 11 – 13
2019 …… ? powerless ‘Christianity’ …. not God’s/Jesus’ fault.
No real faith.
Nevertheless, healing is in the atonement (Isaiah 53).
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
paper tiger ‘Christianity’ ……… versus the real thing.
Anon
No different than John Macarthur who doesn’t believe in the Blood of Christ and says one can take the Mark of the Beast and still be saved. Cessationism.
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8
Faith without works IS dead whether it is giving charitably, or laying hands on the sick. Healing doesn’t operate today? Why lay hands on a sick person? Talk the talk but just cannot walk the walk.
Maranatha
Sam
One thing that bothers me about Charasmatics is that they seem to ignore how easy it was for Jesus and his apostles to heal. One simple command and limbs would regrow. And they all did this for free. But my mom wants to pay a lady $200 for a session that’s probably an hour long to heal my fiancée’s HIV. I tried teller her it’s an obvious scam and that’s not how divine healing works. But she’s so convinced. I really worry for her.
Flo
Great article Bob. Andy Woods does a great study on 1 Cor. 13:8-13
his series on Ecclesiology: Spiritual Gifts. It is well done. It most likely will not convince those caught up in there experience. But I think it will help those looking for solid Biblical answers.
One can print it out if one wants a copy.