IV. ABUSING SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Subject:
Spiritual gifts.Theme: Abusing those spiritual gifts from God, especially tongues.
Objective: To prove that those spiritual gifts were done away with after completion of the N. T.
Text: 1Cor. 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
I. INTRODUCTION
A.
1. Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 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.
2. What is a "sign?"
(a). semeion {Gk. say-mi'-on} (1) a sign, mark, token (1.a) that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known (1.b) a sign, prodigy, portent, i.e. an unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature (1.b.1) of signs portending remarkable events soon to happen (1.b.2) of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God's KJV: sign 50, miracle 23, wonder 3, token 1 For further details, (b). These signs were given to the Apostles as a badge of identification.
(c). Jesus told them to "Go into all the world," He also said, "these signs shall follow them that believe."
3. God authenticated Moses---
Exo. 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. 6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. 8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.(a). These signs were given to Moses (just as they were the Apostles) for no other reason than to prove that they were men sent of God for a particular mission.
(b). Signs were proof that these men were who they claimed to be.
(c). Signs did not follow all believers and the believers that did, did not have the same signs following them.
B. Tongues.
1. The Day of Pentecost--- Acts 2:1 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?
(a). Including the Galilaeans, there were some 17 nationalities represented here; each speaking a different language.
(b).
Glossa {Gk. gloce-sah'} (1) the tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech. (2) a tongue. (1.a) the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations.(c). These are not unknown heavenly tongues, but merely other languages.
(d). These Apostles were given the gift of speaking in tongues on this occasion as a sign, proving who they were and that they were of God.
2. What happened on the day of Pentecost was repeated when the door of salvation was opened to the Gentiles at the saving of Cornelius and his household.
(a). Acts 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
(b). The gifts of tongues were given on this occasion so that there would be no doubt whatsoever that God had opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles.
(c). Peter recognized that the Gentiles should be brought into the fellowship of the church, so he commanded that Cornelius and his family be baptized.
II. THE CHURCH OF CORINTH ABUSING SPIRITUAL GIFTS
A. Speaking In Tongues.
1. 1Cor. 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
(a). These are bonafide spiritual gifts.
(b). Paul deals mostly with speaking in tongues because it was the one being abused.
(c). This was the gift that was the lest understood and the most perverted of all the gifts present in the church.
(d). Here, Paul is trying to correct these errors.
(e). The word, "ignorant," is the key; Paul is trying to correct their ignorant use of this gift.
(f). They had misinterpreted the use of this gift and had pushed it to unscriptual extremes.
(g). Instead of using this gift for its spiritual purpose, they were using it for pride and self-exaltation, and even a test of salvation.
2. 1Cor. 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
(a). These people are Gentiles, they don't have the back ground of studying the Old Testament that the Jews did.
(b). They are having to start at the beginning.
3. 1Cor. 12:8 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:
(a). Tongues was the lest of the gifts and Paul mentioned it last, but the Corinthians had made it first.
(b). Between human nature and the devil, we tend to try and do things backwards.
B. Love Is Greater.
1. 1Cor. 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. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
2.
1Cor. 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Love is more important than all gifts.3.
1Cor. 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;...(a). "Faileth" - [Gk. ekpipto] drop away (love is permanent).
(b). "Fail" - [Gk. katargeo] to render entirely unnecessary.
(c). The gift of prophecy was presented so new revelation could be given until the Bible was completed.
(d). Prophecy was rendered entirely unnecessary upon the completion of the Scriptures.
(e). Since the last chapter of the Book of Revelation was written, there has been no additional revelation necessary.
(f). The Holy Spirit now gives illumination to believers to discover in the Bible new truths not seen by the particular individual before, but they were there all along.
(g). We can claim illumination of the Spirit of God, but no one can claim revelation of a new truth not contained in the Word of God since the Bible was completed. (h). Everything God wants us to know is in this Book. (i). There is no need for additional revelation, as a matter of fact it is forbidden---
Rev. 22:18-19 says "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19 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."4.
1Cor. 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease;...(a). cease- [Gk. pauo] come to a complete stop.
(b). "Love never drops away, But whether there be prophecies, they shall be rendered unnecessary, whether there be tongues, they shall come to a complete stop; whether there be the spiritual gift of knowledge, it shall vanish away."
5. 1Cor. 13:9 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.
(a). "That" is a neuter pronoun, it is an object that has no gender; Jesus is not a "that".
(b). This tells us that the completed Bible is finished, it would mark the end of special signs given during the infancy of the Church.
(c). The imperfect (incomplete) must give way to the perfect (complete).
(d). In part: (Old testament) ; perfect: (completed Bible, Old and New Testament)
6. Paul tells them to "grow up" and stop glorying in these childish things--- 1Cor. 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.
C. How They Were To Have Used Tongues Scripturally.
1. We have already shown you that speaking in "tongues" is no longer valid today; and even "IF" they were, the ones doing it are doing it totally contrary to Scripture.
2. 1Cor. 14:2 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. NOTE: The word "unknown" is italicized, which means that it was not in the original language.
3. 1Cor. 14:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth (builds up) himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
4.
1Cor. 14:6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? 7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 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.(a). Whatever message conveyed either in tongues or in prophecy, must first of all be simple and easy to understand.
(b). It must also be profitable and contain doctrine.
5. 1Cor. 14:10 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.
6. 1Cor. 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 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. Paul certainly did not make tongues a test salvation or even give it a place of prominence for that matter.
7. Paul tells them again to grow up, be spiritually mature--- 1Cor. 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
8.
1Cor. 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.(a). Again he is saying "Grow up, be spiritually mature." (b). To those with a mature faith, signs become completely unnecessary.
(c).
9.
1Cor. 14:27 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. 28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.10.
1Cor. 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.11. 1Cor. 14:34 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.
III. CONCLUSION
1.
2. THE GIFT OF TONGUES WAS NOT GIVEN TO EVERY ONE.
3. IT WAS NOT TO BE USED UNLESS IT COULD BE INTERPRETED.
4. IT WAS THE LEST IMPORTANT OF ALL THE GIFTS.
5. NO MORE THAN TWO OR THREE WERE ALLOWED TO SPEAK AT ANY ONE SERVICE.
6. IT WAS TO BE DONE WITHOUT DISORDER AND CONFUSION.
7. IT WAS FOR MEN ONLY.
8. IT WAS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY AND CEASED SOME TIME AFTER THE CHURCH HAD THE COMPLETE BIBLE.