Do All Speak in Tongues? - Study 10/6/11
Do All Speak in Tongues?
Last week we got introduced to our study of 1 Corinthians 12 on Spiritual gifts. We established that as long as we have received the Holy Spirit who now lives in the believers of Christ, then we have some gifts of the Holy Spirit. In addition, since we now serve a living God as opposed to a “dumb god” who cannot speak, we definitely have the Holy Spirit who relates and speaks to us.
We should note that 1 Corinthians 12 through 14 go together and should be read in a continuous manner to grasp exactly what Paul is saying about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 12 outlines the gifts for the common benefit of the body of Christ. Chapter 13 shows the best way to exercise the gift in love and chapter 14 corrects the exalted and elevated position the Corinthians had placed on speaking in tongues.
Paul answered the Corinthian’s questions in chapter 12 but then he had his own questions to ask them. He had observed some inappropriate ways in which the Corinthian Church expressed and exercised the gifts of the Spirit. The underlying root of the problem was the divisions that existed in the Corinthian Church. The body of Christ is one unit and not divided. Paul has been addressing this ugly division and now concludes chapter 12 as follows: 27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts” 1 Corinthian 12:27-31.
You can see that Paul asked a series of rhetorical questions. The obvious answer to all the rhetorical questions is No. I chose “Do all speak in tongues” as the title of this study because apparently it was the big deal among the Corinthian Church. In truth, it is still a big deal in today’s Church. In fact Apostle Paul devoted the whole of chapter 14 on the appropriate use of the gift of tongues.
Why is it that we all want to show off in the Church as if our gift is more important than those of others? We think whatever gift God has given us is so important that everybody should just be like us and function in that same gift in which we excel? We tend to consider someone who is not functioning in our gifts less spiritual. The old enemy, pride is always trying to mess us up. Everybody does not have to do what we do? Everybody cannot be an apostle, a prophet, a teacher and etc. Every believer in Christ does not have to speak in tongues but some do. I know my Pentecostal and Charismatic friends would now think Apostle Paul and I are heretics. But let us re- read the scripture especially chapters 12-14. Whatever gifts you got use it for the glory of God. We all got the gift to encouragement. Encourage someone today by God’s word and yours.
1 Corinthians 12
1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Let’s try to understand the meaning and differences among the gifts. Message of wisdom and knowledge. These gifts meet the need of the Christian community when knowledge or wisdom is required to make decisions or to choose proper courses of action. Gift of faith not the saving faith that brought us all to believe in Christ. This faith to meet specific need within the body of Christ. Gifts of healing for various kinds of diseases and various ways God heals the diseases. Miraculous power is an act of God through a believer intended as evidence of God’s power and purpose. Prophecy- a communication of the mind of God imparted to a believer by the Holy Spirit and it may be predictive or foretelling e.g. Agabus Acts 11:28; could also be an indication of the will of God in a given situation 14:29-30 and Acts 13:1-3.
2. Distinguishing of Spirits – for the fact there will be false spirits, there is the need to distinguish the true from the false (1 John 4:1-6). Gifts of tongues – in Greek the word translated “tongues” can mean languages or dialects; it may include the speaking of unlearned human languages like the one on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4, 6, 11). Or could refer to both earthly and heavenly languages (1 Corinthians 13:1). Interpretation of tongues – communication of the message spoken in tongues so others can understand and be edified (1 Corinthians 14:5).
3. In reality the gifts are not ours but the Holy Spirit exercising the gift or choosing one of us to manifest God’s presence at any given time. 7 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” vs.7. The Holy Spirit who now lives in us works with us to glorify God. Paul has already said to the Corinthians, 19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). A gift by definition is initiated by the giver otherwise it is no longer a gift but a ransom. Paul says it differently in Romans, 6” We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” (Romans 12:6). Everything we have and do is by God’s grace. So why brag.
4. Everybody therefore does not have to speak in tongues but some in the body of Christ even today including myself do speak in tongues. I was thought in the wrong way in my early Christian life that everyone had to speak in tongues and that it was the sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is a half truth because it is not “the” sign but a sign just like any of the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. I labored and worried so much in order to speak in tongues within the cycle where I was. No believer in Christ should feel any more or less of a Christian simply because he or she speaks or does not speak in tongues. Guzik comments on this verse as follows “Do all speak with tongues? Paul’s plain meaning is that the gift of tongues is not for every believer, just as the gifting of apostles, prophets, teachers, working of miracles or healings and so forth are not for every believer. Great damage has been done in the church by promoting tongues as necessary to really live as a Christian, or as the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence. This has caused many to seek the gift of tongues, or to “fake” the gift of tongues, often only to assure one’s self or others that they are indeed filled with the Holy Spirit” – David Guzik.
What is it that you and I have that we have not received from God? Answer nothing. All we have comes by grace to us. God gives to whom he wills and for the benefit of the body of Christ and for the glorification of His name. In the physical body every part cannot be the mouth that speaks. Likewise all cannot be apostles, prophets, teachers etc. In addition, all do not speak in tongues. If you do not speak in tongues, rejoice in the other things God does through you. But do not think that those who do speak in tongues are “weird”. If you do speak in tongue thank God that you do and let us not look down on those who do not. If you do speak in tongues, then re-read chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians on the proper use and the place of tongues in the body of Christ.
Regardless of whatever gift we have, Apostle Paul calls us to the best and most excellent way, the way of loving one another. Please read the great love chapter 13 for next week.
Lord, help me to love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ even in the expression and use of all your gifts to me and through me. Amen
Last week we got introduced to our study of 1 Corinthians 12 on Spiritual gifts. We established that as long as we have received the Holy Spirit who now lives in the believers of Christ, then we have some gifts of the Holy Spirit. In addition, since we now serve a living God as opposed to a “dumb god” who cannot speak, we definitely have the Holy Spirit who relates and speaks to us.
We should note that 1 Corinthians 12 through 14 go together and should be read in a continuous manner to grasp exactly what Paul is saying about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 12 outlines the gifts for the common benefit of the body of Christ. Chapter 13 shows the best way to exercise the gift in love and chapter 14 corrects the exalted and elevated position the Corinthians had placed on speaking in tongues.
Paul answered the Corinthian’s questions in chapter 12 but then he had his own questions to ask them. He had observed some inappropriate ways in which the Corinthian Church expressed and exercised the gifts of the Spirit. The underlying root of the problem was the divisions that existed in the Corinthian Church. The body of Christ is one unit and not divided. Paul has been addressing this ugly division and now concludes chapter 12 as follows: 27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts” 1 Corinthian 12:27-31.
You can see that Paul asked a series of rhetorical questions. The obvious answer to all the rhetorical questions is No. I chose “Do all speak in tongues” as the title of this study because apparently it was the big deal among the Corinthian Church. In truth, it is still a big deal in today’s Church. In fact Apostle Paul devoted the whole of chapter 14 on the appropriate use of the gift of tongues.
Why is it that we all want to show off in the Church as if our gift is more important than those of others? We think whatever gift God has given us is so important that everybody should just be like us and function in that same gift in which we excel? We tend to consider someone who is not functioning in our gifts less spiritual. The old enemy, pride is always trying to mess us up. Everybody does not have to do what we do? Everybody cannot be an apostle, a prophet, a teacher and etc. Every believer in Christ does not have to speak in tongues but some do. I know my Pentecostal and Charismatic friends would now think Apostle Paul and I are heretics. But let us re- read the scripture especially chapters 12-14. Whatever gifts you got use it for the glory of God. We all got the gift to encouragement. Encourage someone today by God’s word and yours.
1 Corinthians 12
1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Let’s try to understand the meaning and differences among the gifts. Message of wisdom and knowledge. These gifts meet the need of the Christian community when knowledge or wisdom is required to make decisions or to choose proper courses of action. Gift of faith not the saving faith that brought us all to believe in Christ. This faith to meet specific need within the body of Christ. Gifts of healing for various kinds of diseases and various ways God heals the diseases. Miraculous power is an act of God through a believer intended as evidence of God’s power and purpose. Prophecy- a communication of the mind of God imparted to a believer by the Holy Spirit and it may be predictive or foretelling e.g. Agabus Acts 11:28; could also be an indication of the will of God in a given situation 14:29-30 and Acts 13:1-3.
2. Distinguishing of Spirits – for the fact there will be false spirits, there is the need to distinguish the true from the false (1 John 4:1-6). Gifts of tongues – in Greek the word translated “tongues” can mean languages or dialects; it may include the speaking of unlearned human languages like the one on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4, 6, 11). Or could refer to both earthly and heavenly languages (1 Corinthians 13:1). Interpretation of tongues – communication of the message spoken in tongues so others can understand and be edified (1 Corinthians 14:5).
3. In reality the gifts are not ours but the Holy Spirit exercising the gift or choosing one of us to manifest God’s presence at any given time. 7 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” vs.7. The Holy Spirit who now lives in us works with us to glorify God. Paul has already said to the Corinthians, 19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). A gift by definition is initiated by the giver otherwise it is no longer a gift but a ransom. Paul says it differently in Romans, 6” We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” (Romans 12:6). Everything we have and do is by God’s grace. So why brag.
4. Everybody therefore does not have to speak in tongues but some in the body of Christ even today including myself do speak in tongues. I was thought in the wrong way in my early Christian life that everyone had to speak in tongues and that it was the sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is a half truth because it is not “the” sign but a sign just like any of the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. I labored and worried so much in order to speak in tongues within the cycle where I was. No believer in Christ should feel any more or less of a Christian simply because he or she speaks or does not speak in tongues. Guzik comments on this verse as follows “Do all speak with tongues? Paul’s plain meaning is that the gift of tongues is not for every believer, just as the gifting of apostles, prophets, teachers, working of miracles or healings and so forth are not for every believer. Great damage has been done in the church by promoting tongues as necessary to really live as a Christian, or as the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence. This has caused many to seek the gift of tongues, or to “fake” the gift of tongues, often only to assure one’s self or others that they are indeed filled with the Holy Spirit” – David Guzik.
What is it that you and I have that we have not received from God? Answer nothing. All we have comes by grace to us. God gives to whom he wills and for the benefit of the body of Christ and for the glorification of His name. In the physical body every part cannot be the mouth that speaks. Likewise all cannot be apostles, prophets, teachers etc. In addition, all do not speak in tongues. If you do not speak in tongues, rejoice in the other things God does through you. But do not think that those who do speak in tongues are “weird”. If you do speak in tongue thank God that you do and let us not look down on those who do not. If you do speak in tongues, then re-read chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians on the proper use and the place of tongues in the body of Christ.
Regardless of whatever gift we have, Apostle Paul calls us to the best and most excellent way, the way of loving one another. Please read the great love chapter 13 for next week.
Lord, help me to love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ even in the expression and use of all your gifts to me and through me. Amen
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