The Gift Of Tongues: A Doctrinal Review

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The Gift of Tongues: A Doctrinal Review The gift of tongues was a divinely imparted supernatural gift that granted the recipient the ability to speak an earthly language that they could not speak beforehand. Contrary to the espousing of some circles the gift of tongues was not given to serve as some form of private prayer language between the recipient and God, rather like all spiritual gifts, its purpose was to edify the body of Christ; the church. Many modern charismatic circles hold and teach the belief that the gift of tongues has continued to this day and age; this paper will examine, primarily, the biblical support for the reality that the gift of tongues, among other gifts, ceased after the apostolic age.
Philosophical Foundations …show more content…

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 explain that all of these things will be done away with the arrival of the “perfect”. The perfect refers to “the eternal state”. The Greek verb translated to “will cease”, in reference to the gift of tongues in verse 8 uses a middle voice, as compared to the passive voice used for “done away” in reference to prophecy and knowledge. In this Paul separates the gift of tongues from the other two, and implies that the gift of tongues will in itself cease prior to the coming of the perfect, the eternal …show more content…

This “prosperity” gospel, espoused largely by the modern Pentecostal and charismatic movements, has nothing to do with the God of the bible and the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet at its heart lies the promise of all sorts of material wealth and happiness, ushered in by visions, prophecy and speaking in tongues. If one visits Bethel Church in Redding, California, one would see the gross heresies that are thrown from the pulpit; from the tunnel of fire in which members are thrown into hectic barking, convulsing and babbling, to the dominionist theologies. It is very evident then that a proper understanding of the place and purpose of the gift of tongues would be practical knowledge to have when faced with a fast-growing heretical movement we see in “churches” today. Equipped with sound doctrine followers of Christ can lovingly inform those in error and perhaps save those lost in a false

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