1. Introduction
To Spiritual
Gifts

2. DEFINITION:
A spiritual gift is
a supernatural ability,
given to a believer
at the time of salvation,
enabling him to minister
to the Body of Christ
in the area of that gift.

3. What about the
“Temporary Gifts”…
especially
‘Speaking in Tongues’?

4. CESSATIONIST:
This is the view that the
miraculous sign gifts of the
apostolic age “ceased”
with the passing of the
first generation of
Christians.

5. SPEAKING IN TONGUES:
The God-given ability to speak in
an existing, foreign language,
which the speaker has not
previously known or learned,
as a sign of God’s confirmation
on the speaker,
and God’s judgment
on the nation of Israel.

6. SPEAKING IN TONGUES:
• Existing, foreign languages
γλῶσσα = “glōssa,” vv. 3, 4, 11; later
in Acts; and I Corinthians.
διάλεκτος = “dialektos,” vv. 6, 8

7. SPEAKING IN TONGUES:
Confirmation on the speaker...
•The Eleven Apostles, Acts 2:1-14
•Samaritans, Acts 8:14-17
(implied)
•Gentiles, Acts 10:44-46; Cf. also
11:15-17 and 15:6-11.

8. SPEAKING IN TONGUES:
Tongues are for a sign to
unbelievers, I Cor. 14:20-22!
Compare Isaiah 28:9-13

9. SPEAKING IN TONGUES:
I Corinthians 13:8-12 says that
tongues will cease:
• Prophecy will be done away
• Tongues will cease
• Knowledge will be done away

10. When will “Prophecy” and
“Knowledge” be “done away”?
What is “the perfect,” of v. 10?

11. “Prophecy”
and
“the Word of Knowledge”
have to do with
God giving revelation
to man!

12. “We know “out of a part”
and we prophesy “out of a part.”
But when
that which is complete
(“the perfect”) comes,
then that which is
“out of a part”
will be done away.

13. “That which is complete”
is Scripture...
the completed
“canon” of Scripture… God’s
completed revelation to man!
∴ When the Scriptures were
completed, “Prophecy” and
“the word of knowledge”
were done away.

14. Tongues ceased…
as a sign to unbelieving Israel,
when God finally stopped
“dealing with Israel,”
in ~70 A. D.,
when the temple in Jerusalem
was destroyed, and
the offer of the kingdom
was withdrawn.

15. Therefore,
by the end of the 1 Century,
st
prophecy and the word of
knowledge had been done away,
because the Scriptures
were completed,
and “tongues” ceased, because
God was working in the Church,
not with Israel.

16. Further teaching on Tongues
in I Corinthians 14
• It is better to edify others than to
speak in tongues, 1-19.
• One who speaks in tongues
“edifies” himself, 4.
• If all are speaking in tongues, a
visitor will think they are “mad,” 23

17. Note how Paul DE-values “tongues”:
• No one understands, 2
• Edifies himself, 4
• Greater is the one who
prophesies, 4.
• What will it profit you?, 6
• How will it be known what is
spoken?, 9
• You will be speaking into the air,

18. Note how Paul DE-values “tongues”:
• I will be a barbarian to the one
who speaks, 11.
• My mind is unfruitful, 14.
• He does not know what you are
saying, 16.
• The other person is not edified,
17.

19. Note how Paul DE-values “tongues”:
• I desire to speak 5 words with
my mind, so that I may instruct
others, rather than 10,000 words
in a tongue, 19.
• Will they not say that you are
mad?

20. Rules on the use of Tongues in a
church service, 14:26-34
1. All things must be done for
edification, 26.
2. If anyone speaks in tongues, it
should be only 2 or at the most, 3,
27.
3. Each one must speak in turn
(one at a time, not all at once!),

21. Rules on the use of Tongues in a
church service, 14:26-34
4. One person must interpret for all
tongue-speaking, 27.
5. If there is no interpreter present,
then there must be no tongue-
speaking, 28.
6.There should be no un-interpreted
tongue-speaking, 26-28.

22. Rules on the use of Tongues in a
church service, 14:26-34
7. There must be no confusion, 33.
8. NO women are to speak in
tongues in the service, 33-34.
9. All things must be done properly
and in an orderly manner, 40.

23. Rules on the use of Tongues in a
church service, 14:26-34
I know of no charismatic or
pentecostal churches that follow
these clear, Biblical rules!

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