We are in the middle of a series on spiritual gifts. I have now discussed the major noncharismatic gifts the Bible mentions. But before I discuss the charismatic gifts individually, I want to talk about my approach to them generally. Since in Scripture, tongues gets most of the press, it will get most of the press here as well, but I do intend this discussion to apply more broadly than just to tongues.
When I was a young believer, I attended a charismatic church for a time. I did not myself speak in tongues, so one day two men, concerned that I did not speak in tongues, visited me in my apartment for the purpose of getting me to speak in tongues. To them, this was a vital spiritual issue, for they believed that the fulness of the Spirit (the baptism of the Spirit) involved speaking in tongues, and if I did not speak in tongues, I must not be filled with the Spirit. They then coached me through the process.
“Just start verbalizing syllables,” they said. “The Spirit will work with you.”
So I did, and they were amazed that the Spirit had fallen on me.
“That was not the Spirit,” I said. “That was just me mouthing nonsense.” I could tell that the Spirit had not come in any special way. I had known the Spirit’s special presence, and that afternoon was not His presence.
Nonetheless, they insisted I was wrong and that the Spirit had fallen on me that afternoon. The evidence? I had spoken mumbo jumbo syllables, so it must be the Spirit.
Suffice it to say that I did not stay long at that church.
Now you would think that after such an experience, I would be quite skeptical about the charismatic gifts, that I would consider modern manifestations of tongues to be phony.
To be sure, the manifestation of tongues I experienced that afternoon was phony. To be sure, many manifestations of tongues and many theologies surrounding the charismatic gifts today are phony. But the presence of false tongues does not negate the reality of true tongues, and the presence of an unBiblical theology and emphasis on charismatic gifts does not negate the reality of a Biblical one.
I have not personally spoken in tongues, but I honor Scripture, and because I honor Scripture, I believe in the reality of the charismatic gifts for today.
But because I believe in the reality of the charismatic gifts for today does not mean I endorse every theology of such gifts. There is a lot of whacked out theology surrounding the charismatic gifts today. This fact should not surprise us, for there was a lot of whacked out theology surrounding charismatic gifts in Paul’s day. In fact, the only discussion in the New Testament of how such gifts should operate is in I Corinthians and consists of a correction of wrong practice.[1]
Therefore, the charismatic gifts are valid for today but not all theologies and practices of those gifts are valid.
Let me discuss both sides of that coin. First, the charismatic gifts are valid for today.
Some people, called cessationists, argue that the charismatic gifts were valid in Paul’s day but that they have ceased. They appeal to I Cor 13:8-10, which says,
As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as
for knowledge it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in
part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
They then claim that the perfect that was to come is the New Testament, and that now that we have the New Testament, we no longer need prophecies, tongues, and miracles.
I shall not spend much time on this idea, but I find it highly strained. First, to say that Paul had in mind a coming New Testament canon when he wrote I Corinthians is unlikely. Second, one of the gifts that Paul says passes away is knowledge, and cessationists don’t usually include that in their list of gifts that ceased. Third, the cessationists stop their quote too soon. If you read on, you find that when the perfect comes, we shall see face to face and we shall know fully (v. 12). We do not today see face to face or know fully. Those events lie in the future. Therefore, the perfect that Paul refers to is not the New Testament. The perfect fits better with the return of Christ and/or Millenial reign, or perhaps even the final glorious state. Those events make sense of the entire passage and not just one verse. When that future time comes, prophecies will pass away and tongues will cease.
Thus, I find that the most natural way to read I Corinthians has the charismatic gifts still around today.
But that doesn’t mean that all theologies surrounding such gifts are Biblical. Here are some examples. These are all false doctrines.
1. Some people tie salvation and tongues together and say you are not saved unless you speak in tongues. This is heresy. Fortunately, it is not as common as it used to be. Tongues are not the sign of salvation. If you ever encounter a church that teaches this idea, leave. Now. Don’t even wait for the end of the message. Get up and walk out.
2. Some people admit that you can be saved and not have tongues but insist that you cannot have the fulness or baptism of the Spirit unless you have tongues. This was the theology of the church I attended for a short time many years ago, and this theology is garbage. Paul, in I Corinthians is crystal clear that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to believers and that not all receive the gift of tongues (12:27-31). He is also clear that some gifts are higher and more desirable than tongues (12:31; 14:1-25). If the fulness of the Spirit comes only with tongues, then it must be the most important gift by far. But it is not. You can have the fulness of the Spirit without tongues.
3. Some admit that you can have the fulness of the Spirit without tongues but that tongues still represent a higher level of spirituality or closeness with God. This is nonsense. In Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts, the people whom Paul corrects the most for their immaturity are the people who speak in tongues or consider tongues to be higher. In fact, you could make a strong case that one of Paul’s themes in his discussion is that all the gifts are valid and none of the gifts indicates special spirituality. Paul says that true spiritual maturity is measured by love, not by the gifts (I Cor 13). People who speak in tongues do not have a higher level of spirituality.
I will talk about the proper practice of these charismatic gifts (and especially tongues) when I get to those individual gifts, but for now, I felt it necessary to at least address some macro issues surrounding the charismatic gifts in general.
Such gifts are still valid today, but they can be misused. But isn’t that true of all the gifts?
[1] I am not convinced that Acts speaks of the same phenomenon as I Corinthians, and even if it does, I do not see the Acts descriptions as discussions of how the gifts should operate.
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