LORD’S DAY, NOVEMBER 19
1 Corinthians 14:13-19
Acts 2:12-24

“…Let us go into
the house of the LORD.”

TONGUES THEN AND NOW (II)

Are today’s Charismatic tongues the same as those spoken by the Corinthian Church? The modern tongues speakers insist that they are. This is to claim biblical support and credibility for their “ecstatic utterances.” But this is contrary to the teaching of 1 Corinthians 14. “Tongues” in 1 Corinthians 14 refer to real languages. Victor Budgen, in his book “The Charismatics and the Word of God,” gives three reasons for this statement. We quote:

(a) Exactly the same word (Greek: glossa) is used here in the Greek as in the Pentecost account, where the hearers from different regions indisputably heard a variety of genuine languages spoken.

(b) In verses 10 and 11, Paul refers to the multitude of different languages, each of which has clear meaning.

(c) Most conclusively of all, the quotation from Isaiah in 1 Corinthians 14:21 takes us to the time when the people of God heard what seemed to them the gibberish of the Assyrian language, but which was nevertheless authentic speech.

Budgen’s argument further states: the manifestation of the gift at Corinth was essentially the same as on the Day of Pentecost. From evidence adduced, we also conclude that the tongues speakers at Corinth understood what they were saying.

In the light of the above evidence, the present day tongues stand out as unbiblical, unintelligible “gibberish” or verbal nonsense, understood by nobody – neither speaker nor hearer. Such utterance cannot edify the hearers, neither can it glorify God. How then can it be of the Holy Spirit? We must conclude, therefore, that modern tongues are of another spirit – a counterfeit.

THOUGHT: Why are modern tongues getting to be so popular?
PRAYER: Lord, may I study Thy Word diligently, that I may know what Thy truth is.