The Power and Purpose of Tongues in God’s Plan

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Short Summary

The discourse explains that the gift of speaking in tongues initially served as a sign of God’s disapproval in the Old Testament, symbolizing the division and scattering of humanity due to disobedience, as seen at Babel and among Israel. In contrast, the New Testament presents speaking in tongues as a miraculous sign of God’s approval, enabling early Christians to communicate the gospel across language barriers and unite diverse peoples. Ultimately, this gift was temporary, meant to facilitate the spread of the gospel until God’s perfect word was complete, pointing toward a future restoration of unity with one pure language under God’s kingdom.

Long Summary

Detailed Summary: The Power and Purpose of Tongues in God’s Plan

Introduction to Speaking in Tongues:
– Speaking in tongues is described as the miraculous ability to speak in a foreign language unknown to the speaker.
– It was one of several spiritual gifts given to certain early Christians.
– These gifts were temporary, meant to help spread the Gospel in the early church until the Gospel was established.
– The discourse aims to explore the broader biblical and theological context of foreign languages and tongues in God’s plan for humanity.

Old Testament Foundation (1 Corinthians 14:20-22):
– Apostle Paul addresses proper use and misuse of tongues.
– Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11, explaining that tongues (foreign languages) serve as a sign not to believers but to unbelievers.
– Tongues represent a divine sign of disapproval, linked to the scattering and confusion of languages as a result of human disobedience.

The Origin of Language and God’s Original Plan:
– Initially, humanity was one race with one language, united under God’s direction to fill and rule the earth (Genesis 1:26).
– After the Flood, God reiterated the command to Noah and his sons to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1,7), emphasizing unity and one language.
– The Tower of Babel event (Genesis 11:1-9) illustrates human disobedience:
– People sought to build a city and tower “to make a name for themselves” (Genesis 11:4), defying God’s command to spread out.
– God responded by confusing their language, causing them to no longer understand each other and scattering them over the earth.
– This marked the origin of multiple languages and cultures, a divine judgment to enforce obedience and dispersal.

Languages as Signs of God’s Disapproval:
– The confusion of languages symbolized God’s disapproval of human pride and disobedience.
– This pattern is reinforced in Israel’s history through the Law:
– Deuteronomy 28 outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
– Among curses, Israel would face invasion by foreigners whose language they could not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49,64).
– The foreign language barrier represented separation from God and cultural captivity.

Prophetic Warnings and Promises:
– Isaiah 28:11-13 (quoted by Paul) warns that God would speak “with stammering lips and a foreign tongue” to Israel as a sign of judgment.
– Disobedience leads to being “broken, snared, and taken captive” by foreign peoples.
– Conversely, Isaiah 33:19-20 promises that obedience will restore peace and unity: no longer hearing “a people of unintelligible speech.”
– Jeremiah 5:11-15 laments Israel’s treachery and prophesies captivity by a foreign nation with an unknown language (Babylon).

New Testament Context and Jesus’ Ministry:
– Jesus did not speak in tongues; his mission was to Israel (Matthew 15:24-28).
– The episode with the Syrophoenician woman illustrates the faith required for inclusion but no tongues involved.
– Jesus’ healings and ministry foreshadowed the coming age of the Gospel reaching all peoples.

Speaking in Tongues in the Early Church:
– Tongues were introduced at Pentecost (Acts 2:3-11):
– The Holy Spirit descended as “tongues of fire” and believers spoke in various foreign languages.
– This enabled communication of the Gospel to Jews from many nations who heard “in their own tongues the mighty works of God.”
– Here, tongues symbolize God’s approval and the breaking down of language barriers.
– Two other recorded instances:
1. Conversion of Cornelius and Gentiles (Acts 10:34-47):
– Gentiles received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, confirming inclusion in God’s family.
2. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:6-7):
– Disciples received the Spirit and spoke in tongues and prophesied.
– Common elements: apostolic preaching, Spirit-begotten followers, and audiences eager to receive the Gospel.

Purpose and Proper Use of Tongues:
– The gift of tongues was solely to be a sign and aid in witnessing the Gospel to foreigners.
– Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 shows spiritual gifts are diverse and not everyone receives tongues.
– 1 Corinthians 13:1 stresses that without love, speaking in tongues is meaningless noise.
– Misuse of tongues, especially in congregations where everyone speaks simultaneously without interpretation, is contrary to Scripture.

Temporary Nature of Tongues:
– 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 declares that tongues and other partial gifts will cease “when that which is perfect has come.”
– The “perfect” is suggested to be the completed written Word of God—once Scripture was complete, miraculous gifts were no longer necessary.
– Tongues were a transitional gift to enable the Gospel to spread globally, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy (Matthew 24:14) that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world.”

Healing and Tongues as Signs of God’s Plan:
– Healing was a temporary sign pointing to the future restoration of all things (Isaiah 35:5-6; Revelation 21:4).
– Tongues offered a glimpse of complete, pure communication among all peoples (Habakkuk 2:14; Zephaniah 3:9).
– Ultimately, God’s plan is to restore one united humanity with “one pure language” serving Him in unity.

Conclusion: God’s Redemptive Plan Through Tongues:
– Babel marked division by language as judgment on human pride.
– The Old Testament shows languages as a barrier and sign of disobedience.
– New Testament tongues are a divine bridge, enabling the Gospel to transcend language and cultural barriers.
– The gift of tongues helped establish the global Gospel community, moving humanity toward eventual unity.
– The final hope is a restored, united earth under God’s Kingdom with one language and one worship.

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Key Bible Verses Referenced:

– Genesis 1:26 — God’s original plan for humanity to rule the earth as one people.
– Genesis 9:1,7 — God’s blessing to Noah to fill the earth.
– Genesis 11:1-9 — Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages.
– Deuteronomy 28:1,15,49,64 — Blessings and curses involving language and captivity.
– Isaiah 28:11-13 — Prophecy of foreign tongues as a sign of judgment.
– Isaiah 33:19-20 — Promise of peace and unity with obedience.
– Jeremiah 5:11-15 — Judgment by foreign nation with unknown language.
– Matthew 15:24-28 — Jesus’ mission to Israel and interaction with the Syrophoenician woman.
– Acts 2:3-11 — Pentecost event and speaking in tongues.
– Acts 10:34-47 — Cornelius’ household receiving the Spirit and tongues.
– Acts 19:6-7 — Paul’s ministry and disciples speaking in tongues.
– 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 — Spiritual gifts diversity and order.
– 1 Corinthians 13:1,8-10 — Love’s primacy and cessation of gifts.
– Matthew 24:14 — Gospel preached worldwide before the end.
– Isaiah 35:5-6; Revelation 21:4 — Healing as a sign of restoration.
– Habakkuk 2:14; Zephaniah 3:9 — Future pure language and universal knowledge of God.

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Summary Keywords: 
Speaking in tongues, foreign languages, spiritual gifts, Babel, Tower of Babel, confusion of language, God’s disapproval, New Testament, Pentecost, Holy Spirit, Gospel witness, unity, judgment, obedience, prophecy, healing, cessation of gifts, unity of humanity, biblical signs, apostles, early church, language barrier, cultural division, God’s plan, restoration, one language, global Gospel.

Transcript

The power and purpose of tongues in God’s plan. Yes, we’re going to talk about speaking in tongues and or not speaking in tongues as the case may be. So let’s put this in perspective. We all know that the gift of the spirit of speaking in tongues, being able to miraculously speak in a foreign language, and yes, that’s exactly what it is.

No more, no less. It was one of several short lived gifts bestowed upon certain members of the early church. We know that those gifts were given to begin the spreading of the Gospel and were not needed once the gospel took hold. What we don’t often think about is the bigger picture of where these foreign languages fit into God’s comprehensive plan for humanity. This bigger picture is what we wanted to focus on today.

So to begin with, the Apostle Paul in his dealing with the use and abuse of this particular gift of speaking in tongues, because the Scriptures tell us that it was not used correctly, his dealing with that presents us a very solid foundation to build our reasoning upon, and it’s in because he set the foundation that he set that got my mind to thinking about. Wait, there’s more to this than I thought originally. The apostle actually focuses us on the Old Testament as the foundation for understanding the fundamental purpose for speaking in foreign languages. If we turn to 1 Corinthians 14:2022, we’re going to begin to see that foundation.

1 Corinthians 14:2022 brethren, do not be children. In your thinking yet be, yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. In the law it is written by men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers. I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to me, says the Lord. Then the apostle in verse 22 says, so then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but, but to unbelievers.

Now the Apostle Paul is quoting Isaiah 28:11, focusing Christianity on the fact that God would use the speaking of a foreign language as a sign. That’s an Old Testament statement and the apostle is bringing it forward into the New Testament. So with this thought of speaking in tongues as a sign, before we go into the Isaiah text, let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s go back to where tongues actually started. Go back when there was only one language.

God’s clear and focused purpose for humanity as one united race speaking one language under the direction of their Creator was for them to inhabit the whole earth. That was his original plan. One people were one language, one whole earth all together. In Genesis 1:26 it’s very obvious. Genesis 1:26.

Then God said, let us make man in our image according to our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So now, of course, we know that many generations later, the flood came as a necessary purging of the earth, of a hybrid race that was out of God’s design, the original purpose, man over the whole earth, being a united human family. So we fast forward to the Flood with that thought in mind. Noah, we know, found grace in the sight of God and under God’s direction, faithfully led the way to preserve the human and animal life on this planet Earth. After the flood, God again blesses.

He blesses Noah and his family, and here’s what he says. Genesis, chapter nine. We’re going to read verse one and then verse seven. Genesis nine, one and seven, and God bless Noah and his sons and said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, just like the blessing to Adam.

And verse says, verse seven reiterates part of that, and as for you, be fruitful and multiply, populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it. So the blessing given in the garden is repeated to Noah. Nothing has changed with that. One earth, one nation of humanity, one language.

The command to be fruitful, to multiply and fill the earth, was repeated because it was important. This was what God’s plan was about. God’s clear again, just repeating what we said earlier. God’s clear and focused purpose for humanity as one united race speaking one language under the direction of their Creator was for them to inhabit the whole Earth as one people. Generations later, you know where we’re going with this.

Generations later, we get to the building of the city and Tower of Babel, and we see a wholehearted disobedience to God’s command and his intentions. We see this disobedience unfold. These nine verses in Genesis 11 change everything. We’re going to look at Genesis 11, verses one through four. Then we’re going to pick up with later verses.

Genesis 11, verses 1 through 4, and incidentally, we generally are quoting from the new American Standard Bible. Now, the whole Earth used the same language and the same words. Consistent story, consistent plan, consistent process. It came about as they journeyed east that they found a plane in the land of Shinar and settled there.

They said to one another, come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly, and they used brick for Stone, and they used tar for mortar, and in verse 4 it says, they said. They said, come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name.

Otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. You see what’s happening? Who does it sound like? Let us build for ourselves a name sounds pretty satanic, doesn’t it? So in the minds of men, you have the sense of, let’s control our destiny, our way.

The intentions and ingenuity of man were on display. Let’s make a name for ourselves. So while their message was clear and dramatic, God’s response was pretty powerful as well. Genesis 11. Now we’ll look at verses 5 through 9.

Genesis 11. 5 through 9. The Lord came down to see the city in the tower which the sons of men had built, and the Lord said, okay, remember they said what they said. The Lord said, behold, they are one people, and they shall all have the same language.

And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do. Will it be impossible for them. Come, let us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech. So verse 8.

The Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel. Because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Just like he said in the beginning, the language of humanity was now confused. This basic form of communication could no longer serve its purpose, and of necessity, the people would have to would be scattered for the sake of survival. They couldn’t work together anymore. They found their groups and they scattered so they could survive not as a people, but as many peoples.

Here’s where the beginning of the differing cultures and belief systems would unfold, and generations later, much of the world would have little or no association with the rest of the world, because you’re each in your own environment, in your own culture, speaking your own language, doing your own things.

They were scattered over the whole earth. Why? Because that was the plan originally. God would not have his plan be undone. Just as the Apostle Paul had said, foreign languages were put in place as a sign to those who did not believe.

So when he says, it’s written in the law, you go walk back way before the law, and you see that that was a sign to those who didn’t believe that they were going to have to eventually comply with the will. Of God. So what’s the message here? It’s God’s disapproval of their actions. So this development of languages is God’s disapproval.

Hold that thought. God clearly established this pattern, this very pattern with Israel right from the start of their nationhood with the law. Jump forward now to Deuteronomy and look at the law and a few things that are said there. Deuteronomy, chapter 28, verse 1, and again, we have this as one of many verses.

That is is the Heavenly Father telling his people, if you just will listen and do what I say, you’ll be blessed, and if you don’t, you’ll have trouble. Deuteronomy 28:1. Now it shall be if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments, which I command you today, the Lord God will set you high above all the nations of the earth, high above all of those other cultures, with all of those other languages. I will set you to be different than everyone else.

Just follow my ways. Going down about 15 verses in Deuteronomy 28. There’s always the other side. But if you don’t Deuteronomy 28:15. But it shall come about if you do not obey the Lord your God and observe all of his commandments and his statutes, which I charge you with today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.

Oh, now you’ve got a lengthy chapter with lengthy consequences. We’re not going to touch on all of them. We’re just going to touch on two of the many consequences. Jump down to Deuteronomy 28:49. Now think about this.

Deuteronomy 28:15 says, here’s the beginning of the list, right? Going all the way to verse 49, and he’s not done yet. Okay, so verse 49. The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar from the ends of the earth, as the eagle swoops down a nation whose language you do not understand.

You will have trouble from foreigners, and you won’t even understand them. God’s disapproval. Going down to verse 64, Deuteronomy 28:64. Moreover. Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone which you or your fathers have not known.

So the consequences of disobedience were severe. In the list of consequences is being taken over by a people whose language you don’t understand. You will surely be in deep trouble when you don’t even understand them. God’s Disapproval so what do we know so far? The power, purpose and application of language in the Bible was originally a tool of community and union.

That’s what language was, a tool of community and union. After the Flood, when mankind initiated a path for civilization that fundamentally disagreed with God’s plan, God intervened and confused their languages as a result of his disapproval. Once Israel was established, their unified language and community could fall into the hands of others, into the disobey into they would fall into disobedience and thereby suffer the consequences of subservience to other peoples whose language and culture was foreign. Now let’s go back to Isaiah. So we have established that God put languages in place as a disapproving sign.

Back to Isaiah. This prophecy was spoken to the people as a warning to the 10 northern tribes for their ungodly behavior. So their ultimate consequence would be captivity. Just like it said back in Deuteronomy, notice how Jehovah God describes what will happen. The result was that they would be broken and dispersed.

Isaiah 28:11 13 Isaiah 28:11 13 going back to those verses that the Apostle Paul had quoted from Indeed he will speak to this people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue. He who said to them, here’s rest, give rest to the weary, and here is repose. But they would not listen. So the word of the Lord to them would be Order on order. Order on Order line online here or there, here a little here, a little there, that they may go stumble backward, be broken, snared, and taken captive by what?

The language of people whose language they didn’t understand. So the result of their disobedience was to fall back and be taken captives by foreigners.

Isaiah later also shows us the opposite effect of when the people would obey God. It’s not surprising, brethren, that every time you see negative consequences in Scripture, look before or after and what do you see? The positive of obedience. Because that’s the big lesson. That’s one of the big lessons of this whole speaking in tongues discussion is the the importance of absolute obedience to the heavenly Father.

So Isaiah also shows us the opposite effect when the people would obey God. In Isaiah 33:19 20 after being taken captive and all. Here’s what it says. You will no longer see a fierce people, a people of unintelligible speech, which no one comprehends, of a stammering tongue which no one understands. Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts.

Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation, a tent which will not be folded at stakes, will never be pulled up, nor any of its cords be torn apart. The message, obedience would bring them a promise of peace, protection and prosperity, and in the context of all of that understanding, because you’re no longer listening to a language you don’t know, you don’t understand Jeremiah. Jeremiah brings another judgment upon Israel for their blatant disobedience, and here’s a brief description of their sin and the beginning of their punishment.

And I will say that, you know, whenever you read Jeremiah or you read Lamentations, there is an emotionalism in the description of what’s happening. You can feel it from the heart of Jeremiah when he talks about these things. Jeremiah, chapter 5, verses 11 to 15. Jeremiah 5, 11, 15. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with me, declares the Lord.

They have lied about the Lord. Let me say that again. They have lied about the Lord and said not he. Misfortune will not come on us, and we will not see a sword or famine. The prophets are as wind, and the word is of it, and the word is not in them.

That’s what they’re saying. That’s not good. Here’s God’s response. Thus it will be done to them. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, because you have spoken this word.

Behold, I am making my words in your mouth fire, and this people would, and it will consume them. Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, declares the Lord. It is an enduring nation, is an ancient. It’s an ancient nation.

A nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say. The people will be dispersed amongst the Babylonians, those whose language, culture and worship were foreign, opposite and godless tongues, the foreign languages. It’s the disapproval of God. What do we know so far? The Old Testament message is clear.

Disobedience brings disfavor and separation from God. This separation was demonstrated by dispersion being taken captive by those whose languages, cultures and worship were foreign and far away from God’s favor. Now let’s switch to the New Testament. We’ve established that tongues were put in place to show God’s disapproval in the New Testament. First of all, just a side note, it’s kind of interesting that there’s no record of Jesus speaking in tongues.

Why would that be? Well, his message was to the children of Israel as their messiah. Jesus, in his experience with the Syrophoenician woman, helps us to see that, and we’re just going to glance at that, very quickly, just as a baseline before we go into actually the speaking in tongues events of the New Testament in Matthew 15:24, 28, and this is in the context of that experience with the Syrophoenician woman and her daughter who was sick.

But he answered and said, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

But she came and began to bow down before him, saying, lord, help me, and he answered and said, it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. Harsh, strong. Why? Because he’s drawing out her faith.

But she answered and she said, yes, Lord, you’re right. But even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.

And then Jesus said to her, oh, woman, your faith is great. It shall be done for you as you wish, and her daughter was healed at once. The obedience, the wanting, the following after was rewarded. No speaking in tongues.

But this was a precursor to what was to come. All of Jesus’s healing was a precursor of what was to come in the next age. So let’s talk now about speaking in tongues in the New Testament. So far, everything we’ve seen about it isn’t good at all. Well, now we’re going to change.

We’re going to a new chapter, and let’s see how this works. Tongues were introduced into Christianity at Pentecost through God’s spirit with great intention. Here’s where there’s a paradigm shift. Acts, chapter two, verse three, and we all know the experience of Pentecost.

And they appear to them, tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. So what we’re going to see here unfold is a definite sequence of events, and we’re not going to spend a lot of time on it, but just unfold the sequence. Because this is the first time miraculous speaking in tongues appears as for a very distinct, very important reason. There’s a sequence.

The Spirit came upon them, and then in verse four, they spoke in tongues. Verse four says, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Notice the Holy Spirit fills them first and began to speak with other tongues, that the Spirit was giving them utterance, several things. The Spirit comes, and they are provoked by the Spirit to speak in different languages as the Spirit showed them and directed them to. This wasn’t any fabrication of any human being.

This was as God’s Spirit directed them to do, and it appears that they began speaking in tongues before the whole audience was there, because the crowd was gathering. If you look at verses, Acts, chapter 2, verses 5 through 8. It says now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven, and when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.

So why the power to speak the Gospel in different languages? Verse 7, and they were amazed and astonished, saying, why are not all of these. Why. Why are not all of these speaking Galileans?

Like what is happening here? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? So what was happening? One word. Communication.

Remember what happened to Babel? No communication here. Communication is open. What was communicated? Acts, chapter 2, verses 11.

We heard them in our own tongues, speaking of the mighty deeds of. Of God. This Pentecost experience was unmistakable proof of something supernatural happening, and the use of foreign tongues or foreign languages was now a sign of God’s overwhelming approval. So God put a disapproval in place and then later, at the appropriate time, built a bridge over that disapproval so the Gospel could be spread.

So we look at this, the power, purpose and application of, of biblical speaking in tongues. Here’s what we have so far. Old Testament tongues were obviously foreign languages and always, always showed God’s disapproval of his people’s disregard for his ways. The New Testament tongues were also obviously foreign languages and were a sign of God’s great approval. Now, some of those who were giving God’s spirit would be able to witness to the Gospel in places and to people who were formally unreachable all of a sudden.

The Gospel has a key to open the door to the entire world.

Let’s look very quickly at the New Testament. Speaking in tongues. Just a few facts. There’s three basic facts here. The first fact, the one purpose for the gift of tongues was to be a sign and witness of the Gospel to foreigners.

And for those who are in the churches who may be speaking in tongues, and they sit there in the room all together and they’re all speaking in tongues. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a video of this. It’s frankly disturbing, and it’s a complete, utter, overwhelming misapplication of what the Scriptures describe. The second fact about speaking in tongues in the New Testament, there are only three, count them, three recorded instances of actual speaking in tongues in the New Testament. Only three.

First was the day of Pentecost. We already touched on it. This set the pattern for what speaking in tongues would be. What would it be? The ability to communicate the good news of the Gospel to people.

Of other languages and cultures, building a bridge over the disapproval of the Acts of the world, of mankind. The second experience of speaking in tongues in the New Testament was the conversion of Gentile Christians. The Gentile Cornelius and his house to household to Christianity. It all happened while Peter was showing them what he had learned about the now open door of the Gospel to all. Remember, Peter had the dream of the sheet with the unclean animals.

Rise and eat. Lord, I’ve never done this. Rise and eat. Three times, he was told, rise and eat. So he goes to see Cornelius as he is instructed.

In Acts 10:34, 35, it says, opening his mouth, Peter said, I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation, the man who fears him and does what is right is welcome to him. Peter continues explaining things, and then in Acts 10:44 to 47, it says, while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. Sound familiar? And the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out onto the Gentiles also.

Why? For they were hearing them speak with tongues, and what were they saying? An exalting God, and then Peter answered, surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, for they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did.

I mean, who can refuse that? There’s, there’s, there’s, there’s, there’s, there’s, there’s conclusive evidence that the experience of Pentecost was the introduction, and here is now the beginning of the application of speaking in tongues. Now, very quickly, these Gentiles were potentially, and I don’t know, this is just a Brother Rick thought we were speaking the Hebrew language, and it’s a language they would have had nothing, no reason to speak, but it would have been very understandable to Peter and those that were with him. Their words were just like the words described in Pentecost.

They were praising God, and this would have been proof positive for Peter that Gentile and Jewish Christians would now exactly be equal. There’s a bridge that’s being built here. These followers are now equipped to witness the gospel to others. They were equipped to take it where it could not have previously gone.

God, in his wisdom, would now conquer the language barrier of earth so the gospel could spread. So all of the disapproval of changing things and making man go throughout the earth. Now that Jesus had been on the scene and had been faithful, all of this is now going to fall into place, and now the Gospel will be able to reach every corner. The third experience of speaking in tongues.

In the New Testament, when Paul arrived in Ephesus and found disciples who were not fully informed and had been baptized with John’s baptism, Paul witnessed to them about Jesus and he baptized them again, and in Acts 19, verses 6 to 7, here’s what it says, and when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were, and all about 12 men. Tongues equipped them to witness, to build a bridge over the disapproval of disobedience.

Because Jesus had come and the Gospel call now by definition, had to go out. These three events have specific things in common. Apostolic preaching, spirit begotten followers, and an audience anxious to learn. That’s the context of speaking in tongues. The third fact about speaking in tongues, remember, there’s one purpose.

There are only three recorded instances. The third fact is this gift was sometimes misused and it needed to be kept in its proper spiritual perspective.

That’s important, brethren, because we need to make sure that we keep the precedents that are given to us in Scripture in their proper perspective. Gift of tongues included. Paul in Corinthians clearly lays out a scriptural basis to help with our understanding of what is appropriate and what is not. First Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 28 to 31, and God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets.

And brother Russell talks about prophets, and he. He explains prophets, meaning orators, discerners and expounders of truth, third teachers, then miracles, then the gift of healing, then helps and administrations and various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they?

All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have the gifts of healing, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? You see what he’s doing?

He’s. He’s explaining, these are gifts. They’re here and they’re here and they’re here and they’re there. But they’re not everywhere for everybody, their gifts, they have specific reasons. Then he says in verse 31, earnestly desire the greater gifts, and I will show you a still more excellent way.

As good as those gifts are, I will show you something even better, and he continues with the more excellent way. First Corinthians 13:1, and this is already touched on at the convention here. But if I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, Paul had likely perhaps heard the tongues of angels in one of his visions.

See, 2 Corinthians 12. We’re not getting into that. But if I do not have love, I’ve become a noising gong or a clanging symbol. Translation, if I don’t have love and I use these gifts improperly, I’m just not making noise. Fourth point.

This gift of tongues had a clear purpose. Once fulfilled, the gift would end. Tongues had a place in the early church, but its use ended. We know that because the apostle Paul told us that was what was going to happen. 1 Corinthians 13, 8, 10.

Love never fails. Okay, three words, love never fails. Now, in contrast to that, let’s look at what he says. But if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with. If there are tongues, they will cease.

If there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, the partial will be done away. We’re going to suggest that, and we won’t go into this in detail at this point, but when he talks about when that which is perfect has come, we’re going to suggest that that means that refers to God’s holy word from Genesis to Revelation. Once it was completely put in place, once the written word is in place, you don’t need any of the gifts because everything is right there. God’s favor.

Through tongues began fulfilling, began the fulfilling of Jesus own words regarding his message. Jesus, when he gave his prophecy of his return, he said, this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. The gift of tongues was the beginning of the fulfillment of the ability for that prophecy to be fulfilled. So now the power, purpose and application of biblical speaking in tongues. The New Testament message of the gift of tongues is clear.

Speaking in tongues was always the miraculous ability to speak a human language that was not known to the speaker. The gift was a sign of God’s approval and of the gospel going out throughout the entire world. It was always to be used only for the furtherance of the gospel. It’s all the scriptures teach us. Healing and speaking in tongues were both signs of God’s plan.

Unfolding were both signs of the future. They pointed to what the Bible as a whole pointed to, God’s plan of salvation for all of humanity. Let’s look at healing very quickly. The healing that they did was, we know, temporary. Isaiah 35, verses 5 through 6.

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Waters will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the deserts, and then in Revelation 21:4, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death by their sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. But the former things are passed away.

When healing comes, it never goes away. The gift of healing was to show what was going to happen. The gift of tongues gave a glimpse of the pure and complete communication that God had in store for all of humanity. Habakkuk 2:14 for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. The earth, remember, had to be filled with humanity, and now it be filled with the knowledge and glory of God.

Zephaniah39 I love this, for then I will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him. With one consent they will have a pure language so they can serve him with one consent. The purity of what began is what is in place at the end. In closing, what God did at the building of the Tower of Babel was twofold. He divided the people by confusing their languages as they were acting godlessly, looking to display their own pride and their own ingenuity.

He also used their confused languages to divide them so they would expand throughout the whole earth. Throughout the Old Testament, the barrier of foreign languages served as an enforcement of God’s disapproval of disobedience. For God’s disobedient, chosen people to be dispersed and taken captive by those whose languages and culture were foreign was a powerful reminder of the peace and prosperity lost through idolatrous behavior. Jesus came. Everything changed.

Now, instead of foreign languages and cultures being a wall between God’s people, God arranged for a bridge of miraculously speaking in tongues to join people from all countries, from all cultures, into one new gospel community, which bring the world back to one community. This miracle, or with this miracle and with this gospel, God began dissolving the barriers between peoples. Brethren, he’s not done yet. Coming soon to planet Earth. One people, one united Planet Earth.

One united kingdom that lasts forever. With one pure language, may the Lord add his blessing.

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