Speaking on Spiritual gifts there were Permanent Gifts and Temporary Gifts
Permanent gifts linked to growth:
Speaking gifts as WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, TEACHING, EXHORTATION, PROPHECY (DEC).
Refers to pastors, teachers, elders and the purpose was to Edifying the Saints
Serving gifts as, FAITH, HELPS, MINISTRY, GOVERNMENTS, GIVING, RULING, MERCY, DISCERNMENT.
Refers to office of Deacon, Elders and the purpose was to Edifying the Saints
Temporary Gifts linked to Scripture:
Sign Gifts as EXORCISM, TONGUES & INTERPRETATION, MIRACLES, HEALING, PROPHECY (REV).
Refers to Apostle & Prophet, and the purpose was to Confirm the Word
Prophecy (Dec) refers to declaring as preacher is a prophet in that he speaks the message from God. The gift of prophecy included receiving a message directly from God through special revelation, being guided in declaring it to the people with authenticate by God .
Prophecy (Rev) refers to revelation. The content of that message was to foretell the future as this was needed in apostolic age during writing of Scripture and ceased when books were completed.
Reference passages on gift of Prophecy, Rom 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:1-40, Ephesians 4:11
Toungue and Toungues
In 1 Corinthians, Paul was weeding out the mis-use of tongues used by corinthians. Gift of tongues were given as a sign to unbelievers and particularly to unbelieving Jews (v21) and sign ceased at the end of Apostolic age (which was temporary gift).
According to Scripture Christlikeness never require speaking of tongues, for Christ never did.
1 Corinthians 14:2 The word known does not exists in original text, which was completely misunderstood by Pentecostal’s & charismatic’s in result of it they concluding it as heavenly language. The word unknown is used by translator to make difference between tongue and tongues to the readers, so every singular word tongue is used with word unknown. Paul talk about the legitimate gift of tongues when he used plural word. And singular word tongue was referring to non-legitimate gift.
(KJV Greek-English Interlinear)
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.
Ὁ-g3588 γὰρForg1063 λαλῶνhke that speakethg2980 γλώσσῃ tongueg1100 οὐκnotg3756 ἀνθρώποιςunto meng0444 λαλεῖ,speakethg2980 ἀλλὰbutg0235 τῷ-g3588 θεῷ·unto Godg2316 οὐδεὶςno mang3762 γὰρforg1063 ἀκούει,understandethg0191 πνεύματιin the spiritg4151 δὲhowbeitg1161 λαλεῖhe speakethg2980 μυστήρια.mysteriesg3466
Question:
If you are someone who speaks in Tongues? and puzzled why does it persist into the present day?
And, if the sign gifts are to confirm the Word, why doesn’t the Word still need confirming today?
Answer:
Tongues were real earthly Languages (Acts 2:1–10) spoke by Jews (only) on Pentecostal day and remained as sign till apostolic age. So called tongues spoke in this Church Age are “gibberish” not an gods authenticated language but that from mans deceitful heart, which came to existence in recent centuries. Toungues were ceased from establishment of canon till cult religion invented (Chrasmatic & penticostal Movements).
Scripture clearly defines signs & miracles were for non belivers not for one who belived in Him.
Never worship God in UNHOLY way nor in own ways, Leviticus 10 “Nadab and Abihu” also worshipped God but they died of wrong method that displeased God, they didnt had wrong motives at worship but Scripture records as they used some strange fire which was not acceptable to God. And in Leviticus 26 God commands to “reverence my sanctuary” which means pay highest respect to one Who is above all, even if we go to meet Prime Minister we dont go in shorts and T-shirts and nor use loose words in speech, so how then we disrespect God (by gibberish languages) and discrespectful apperance in Churches.
There are no tongues gift as all are man made psycho feel to build there own religion for own benifit and emotions are big influences (records in all cult development leaders history). Scripture never teaches God is emotional God, but He is of Facts and Truth who is real.
Scripture says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
Prophecy today?
There are no divine prophecy of future given in this day, revelation ends saying,
Revelation 22:18,
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Which not only applies to Revelation book but also applies to Whole Scripture. Looking in to today’s prophecy, non were proven as Gods proclamed words as all fell short to show His appearance ( ex. Mormons, Jehovah Witness, even Prophecy Gospel, etc.. and more). Nothing since Revelation till today is added to Scripture, which tempted man to developed his own varitions in Bible’s “Scripture” referes to original autograph of GOD and “Bible” refere’s to translation of those Scriptures in local languages.
Man should belive from heart and live in inspired Gods word (wisdom) with full heartedly.
Scripture says, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men,”
Question:
Some Christians express “Let every fact be established by two or three witnesses.” Upon what evidence do you declare speaking in Tongues to be some soulish gibberish language and not an authentic manifestation of the Holy Spirit? And try to look for Scripture reference that states clearly that the Holy Spirit stopped moving and manifesting in the Church.
Answer:
Lets dig words, Did Scripture says directly as God Head consists of 3 person? but it is a study of Scripture understanding in context with references. And so the understanding of particular subject lies in reference to scripture only, and let history, Archaeology and other evidences support the facts.
Tongues will cease
“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.” I Corinthians 13:8
“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” II Corinthians 11:4
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” II Corinthians 11:13–15
In 1 Corinthians 13:8 The Greek word translated “fails” means “to decay” or “to be abolished.”Tongues “will cease.” The Greek verb used in 1 Corinthians 13:8 means “to cease permanently,” and implies that when tongues ceased, that confirms they would never start up again. Further 1 Corinthians 13:9–10 teaches that prophecy and knowledge will cease when the “perfect” (i.e., the eternal state) comes. The voice of the Greek verb translated “will cease” — puts tongues in a category apart from these gifts. Scriptures were not written in English language so its very important to understand greek and hebrew language flow for clear understanding.
Tongues ceased.
The last recorded miracles in the New Testament occurred around A.D. 58, with the healings on the island of Malta Acts 28:7–10. From A.D. 58 to 96, when John finished the book of Revelation, no miracle is recorded. Miracle gifts like tongues and healing are mentioned only in 1 Corinthians, an early epistle. Two later epistles, Ephesians and Romans, both discuss gifts of the Spirit at length, but no mention is made of the miraculous gifts. By that time miracles were already looked on as something in the past Hebrews 2:3–4.Apostolic authority and the apostolic message needed no further confirmation. Before the first century ended, the entire New Testament had been written and was circulating through the churches.
The revelatory gifts had ceased when its purpose accomplished. And when the apostolic age ended with the death of the Apostle John, the signs that identified the apostles had already become subject to debate. 2 Corinthians 12:12.
Tongues were sign to unbelieving Israel 1 Corinthians 14:21–22; 2 Corinthians 28:11–12. They signified that God had begun a new work that includes or surrounds the Gentiles, and Lord would speak to all nations in all languages and so the gift of languages symbolized not only the curse of God on a disobedient nation, but also the blessing of God on the whole world.
Tongues were a sign of transition between the Old and New Covenants. With the establishment of the church. God would speak in all languages. But once the period of transition was past, the sign was no longer necessary.
Gift of tongues was inferior to other gifts. It was given primarily as a sign 1 Corinthians 14:22 and was also easily misused to edify self 1 Corinthians 14:4. The church meets for the edification of the body, not self-gratification or personal experience-seeking. Therefore, tongues had limited usefulness in the church, and so it was never intended to be a permanent gift. Paul wrote at least twelve epistles after 1 Corinthians and never mentioned tongues again. Peter never mentioned tongues; James never mentioned tongues; John never mentioned tongues; neither did Jude. Tongues appeared only briefly in Acts and 1 Corinthians as the new message of the gospel was being spread. But once the church was established, tongues were gone. They stopped. The later books of the New Testament do not mention tongues again, and neither did anyone in the post-apostolic age.
To conclude, that from the end of the apostolic era to the beginning of the twentieth century there were no genuine occurrences of the New Testament gift of tongues. They had ceased, as the Holy Spirit said they would 1 Corinthians 13:8. The gift of tongues is not for today.
Question:
With respect to the specific passage of Scripture from 1 Corinthians 13 cited, it isn’t right to take any passage out of context. 1 Corinthians 13:8–13 teaches us about the importance of ‘charity’ or love as it is more commonly translated now a days. Within this context, Paul contrasts a future time called “the perfect” characterised by seeing “face to face” and “knowing fully” and “being known fully” with the present time characterised as “seeing in a mirror dimly” and only “knowing in part”. The completion of the canon of Scripture does not fulfil either of these requirements to qualify as the perfect. From this we can conclude that the doing away with knowledge, the cessation of tongues, and the doing away with prophecy cannot have happened yet because the perfect has not yet come.
You put forward no other Scriptures in support of the truth claim that the Holy Spirit ceased to operate in the Church today as He has since His advent on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Therefore there does not seem to exist a Scriptural argument for cessation of spiritual gifts. Why would the work of the Spirit (John 16:8–15) and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) continue in the present day and only the gifts of the Spirit cease?
Answer:
Speaking in context from 1 Cor 13:8 – 10, Paul has been talking about divine revelation and the various gifts of the Holy Spirit. He had plainly announced the cessation of these gifts. Evidently “that which is perfect,” which was to come, has to be explained in the light of the immediate context in particular and the argument of the overall passage in general. The context and general argument has nothing whatever to do with the second coming of Christ. It has everything to do with the completion of the New Testament.
Question:
In looking through Strong’s Concordance with respect to 1 Corinthians 13:8, there does not appear to be a sufficient distinction in meaning between the Greek words καταργέω and παύω for any claim that Paul’s use of “whether there be tongues, they shall cease” is somehow to be treated differently than “whether there be prophecies, they shall fail”. Given that these are parallel constructs with the same context, it isn’t appropriate to claim that Paul’s subjunctive somehow declares that the tongues is no longer a gift available to believers today.
If you read the Book of Acts carefully, you will note that there were multiple instances of Christians who were born again but who never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Whenever this situation was encountered, the early church fathers did their best to fix this deficiency in their spiritual life. This is the problem in the modern church – most believers simply have not received the “power from on high” as the original 120 did on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2).
Answer:
The word “katargeō”, which literally means “to reduce to inactivity.” There would come a time, he said, when prophecies would be put out of business which means they cease to function and abolished.
In the Greek language there are three basic voices which govern verbs – active, passive, and middle. The active voice is used when the subject is doing the acting. The passive voice is used when the subject is being acted upon by another party. The middle voice is used when the subject is doing the action upon itself. For instance, if we say “The mother washes the child,” that would be the active voice of the verb to wash. If we say, “The child is washed by his mother,” that would be the passive voice because the child is getting washed by someone other than himself. If we say, “The child washes himself,” that would be the middle voice of the verb to wash because he performs the action on himself.
That clarifies that Somebody is acting upon “prophecies” to cause them to cease and be abolished. That Somebody, of course, is God Himself.
In Reference to Tongues, Paul says they would “cease.” He uses a different verb “pavō”. It means “to stop,” or “to come to an end.” This time the middle voice is used. Literally that means that tongues will make themselves to cease. They will come to an automatic end. God will not have to bring any force to bear upon them to cause them to stop.
Above article’s were referred from following Authors and links:
- John Macarthur, Grace Ministry,
- David Cloud, Way of life Literature,
- Thesis “Systematic Theology, Charles Ryrie,
- KJV 1611, Greek Interlinear translation,
- Charismatic Chaos (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992).
- By Greek translator John Phillips and his commentaries.