Q&A: Spiritual Gift of Speaking in Tongues - DJ Dickerson

This evening, we are visiting our series of lessons that we have from, well, every month.

Again, it's usually the third Sunday or next to the last Sunday of the month,

in which we are looking at the Q&A Asking for a Friend series.

And as we, of course, get those questions in, I try to go through them and try

to get these lessons at least once a month, as much as I can.

And since this one kind of goes hand in hand with questions that come up Recently in our Bible class,

I figured, well, I'll use this opportunity To use this one for the Q&A And that

is from a question regarding our recent study In that of Acts chapter 2 In Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2 · chapter mention Acts 2 · chapter mention

it's talking about specifically The question about the spiritual gift of speaking

in tongues Friends, there are few Bible subjects that create more confusion.

Disagreement, and emotion than the subject of speaking in tongues. I'm telling you.

For some, the word tongues immediately brings to mind ecstatic utterances,

private prayer languages, or unintelligible speech.

Others will avoid the topic altogether because of the controversy that surrounds it.

Well, but as God's people, our responsibility is not to define truth by modern

experience or experiences,

popular religious practice, or emotional response.

That's not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to simply ask the crucial question.

What does the New Testament say on the topic?

So I always appreciate the questions that I receive.

And if we allow the Bible to simply speak for itself without adding to it or

taking from it, the answer becomes quite clear,

consistent, and I would also say faith-strengthening.

And as we think about these Q&As and these questions that we go through any

lesson for that matter but a lot of times these topics that we're looking at

are questions that other people have on their minds they just well they just

haven't asked it yet it's usually how that works.

But when we go and we look at this these texts and all of the context that we're

going to consider this evening in this lesson it equips us to be able to,

answer these questions when they come up to us I mean it's one of those ones we take this,

and we learn it, and we take it to others, because I promise you,

if you haven't already had a conversation with somebody about this topic of

the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, you will have it at some point or another, okay?

So, let's talk about the meaning of tongues in the New Testament.

Of course, the first place that we need to start is we need to also look at definitions, right?

The New Testament word translated tongues comes from a Greek word,

Glossa, G-L-O-S-S-A, which literally means a language.

That's what it means. It means a language. It is the same word that's used to

describe known spoken languages throughout Scripture.

Now, our text, again, where this derived, this question came from,

is that of Acts chapter 2, and we're going to look at verses 4 through 13.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 2 and verses 4 through 13.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

If you're able to see that on the wall, you have better eyes than I do.

But I try to fit all those passages up there. But Acts chapter 2, verses 4 through 13.

Acts 2:4–13

Again, make sure to prove all things according to God's word, not DJs.

Beginning in verse 4 of Acts chapter 2, And they were all filled with the Holy

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under

heaven. And when the sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused

because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another,

Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?

And how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born?

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia,

Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya

Adjoining Tyrene Visitors from Rome Both Jews and proselytes Cretans and Arabs

We hear them speaking in our own tongues The wonderful works of God So they

were all amazed and perplexed Saying to one another Whatever could this mean

Others mocking saying They are full of new wine,

Now, I believe that when we look at the word, and as I mentioned just a moment

ago, the language being translated, that glossal word, that Greek word,

it means language, tongues.

It's unmistakably clear what it's talking about in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

When the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost,

the text says that they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now, context is important, right? We see all these clues that are all in just

these few verses, and I'm going to highlight them as I go through them, okay?

Because immediately Luke is explaining exactly what that means,

that the tongues, speaking with other tongues, began to speak with other tongues

as the Spirit gave them others. He goes on to explain that. Look at verse 6.

Everyone heard them speak in his own blood.

Language verse 8 let's highlight that one and how is it that we hear each in our own language,

verse 11 okay we have all we have that list of people that have gathered there

and what's it say verse 11 we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of god.

There was no confusion about what was happening, right?

The crowd did not ask, what kind of sounds are these?

See, that's the key thing. What kind of sounds are these?

They asked a question, how are these Galileans speaking language they had never heard?

You remember in Bible class, what I mentioned, I said, they didn't have Rosetta

Stone and stuff like that, like we do today, right? because we have to learn

other languages, right?

What do we deduce from this? Speaking in tongues in the New Testament always

referred to real, known human languages spoken miraculously without prior study.

They say, well, what's the point of this? What is the point?

I think when we look to the purpose of speaking in tongues, and obviously first,

once we understand what tongues meant, what tongues were, we must understand,

why did God do this? Why did God give them?

Miracles were never known, and they were never given for entertainment purposes.

Miracles were never given for personal excitement nor emotional display.

That's not what the miracles were for.

But yet, here you have God, again, always having a purpose.

So let's talk about what tongues were doing, they're speaking in tongues in

the New Testament, what was the point of it?

Well, I believe the first thing that we can certainly note here is that tongues

confirmed divine revelation.

A few other passages that I'd like for us to consider as we go through this

is like Mark 16 and verse 20.

You might remember when you think about miracles and such, you consider how.

Word was confirmed. You know, the word, and they went out and preached everywhere,

the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.

I want you to keep that in mind in Mark 16 and verse 20, or even consider Hebrews

Hebrews 2:3

2 verses 3 and 4 for that matter, because it says, how shall we escape if we

neglect so great a salvation,

which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders with various miracles and

gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will.

So what you find from those verses is how does tongues fall into this,

the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues?

It's because the Lord is confirming his divine revelation by these signs and

these wonders, these various miracles, and just as Hebrews 2 says,

that God bore witness with these signs, wonders, and miracles.

Tongues were a sign gift, evidence that the message being preached,

that it came from a divine origin. It came from God.

In a time before the New Testament was written and completed,

God confirmed his word through those miracles.

How many times we've heard that miracles are proving the divine origin of the

message that was being proclaimed.

And once the message was confirmed, the signs are no longer needed.

And there's a whole nother part of lesson we could get on that from first Corinthians, right?

So what does these tongues do? I mean, obviously we see this confirming divine

revelation, but also we think about how they were assigned to unbelievers, right?

Wait a second. Why did you say unbelievers? Well, look at what the scripture

says in 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 22.

There's a lot that goes on when you go back to chapter 13 and actually 12, 13, 14.

You know, there's a lot that's spoken of about the tongues in tongues in that portion.

And of course, chapter 13 has a lot to do with what that topic called love.

Remember that series? All right. So Paul plainly states this about tongues.

He says, therefore, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers.

But prophesying is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe.

Let's understand, going back to Acts chapter 2 On Pentecost,

Acts 2 · chapter mention

those gathered were convinced Something

divine was happening When they heard God's message Spoken fluently in their

own languages Tongues were never designed to impress believers They were meant

to convict unbelievers news.

And these tongues associated here assisted in spreading the gospel.

In the early church, think about this for a moment. Missionaries traveled without translators, okay?

They have the dictionaries or language training programs I mentioned earlier, right?

Tongues allowed the gospel to cross language barriers instantaneously. Isn't that beautiful?

It's like God had a perfect plan here, didn't he?

And so this shows us, again, that tongues were practical, intelligible,

and purposeful, never chaotic or meaningless.

This morning, of course, kids, a lot of times that's the question.

It's either the day before or sometimes throughout the week.

One of the kids will ask me, say, hey, Dad, what you preaching on Sunday?

And if I have them doing tasks like stapling the handouts and those types of

things, they kind of get a heads up on it.

Well, I did all that this time. So I said, you know, I said on the way,

I said, what are you preaching tonight?

And I told them, you know, about the gift of speaking in tongues.

So I gave him an example, and I just kind of started rattling off some,

you know, unintelligible words. And I said, what did I just say?

And I even said nothings.

And he's right. I didn't say nothing. I didn't know what I was saying,

right? That's the difference here when we're thinking about tongues.

Tongues here in the New Testament, it was, again, practical,

practical, intelligible, and purposeful. It's not chaotic.

It's not meaningless. It doesn't bring confusion to what's going on,

right? That's not what it is.

Because tongues were always understandable or interpreted every time.

And that's a point that Paul makes in 1 Corinthians chapter 14.

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

That really one of the strongest rebukes Paul gives regarding tongues is found

in 1 Corinthians 14. Y'all know that?

Because what Paul is hitting home here is God is not glorified by confusion.

He's not glorified by confusion.

Decent and in order, God will be glorified in accordance with his will.

Look at 1 Corinthians 14.

1 Corinthians 14 and verse 9 So likewise you Unless you utter by the tongue

words Look at this Easy to understand How will it be known What is spoken For

you will be speaking Into the air Hmm.

Fast forward to verse 27 and 28. If anyone speaks in a tongue,

let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.

But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church and let him speak to himself and to God.

Look at verse 33. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace,

as in all the churches of the saints.

What is paul saying if no

interpreter were present the speaker is

commanded to keep silent if i start speaking spanish might be one here right

i think got one yeah somebody else might know spanish right the rest you're

gonna go what what is he talking about what is he doing That would lead to confusion,

So think about this That alone What Paul is saying Just these two verses Tells

us something critical Critical,

Unintelligible speech That no one understands Is not biblical tongues,

Biblical worship was orderly, it was decent, it was understandable,

because it was all about edification and glory to God.

Now, a lot of what you see in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 speaks volumes on this,

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

and I again encourage you to go and read all of those, several chapters,

because the speaking in tongues was the big one.

A lot of people, they were envious over the others that were speaking in tongues, okay?

Now, tongues were temporary and they would cease.

The New Testament clearly teaches that miraculous gifts, and there are several

that we know we see in the scriptures.

We're focused here on this one, obviously, right now. But the point is,

the miraculous gifts were not permanent. They were temporary.

Look back to 1 Corinthians 13, in verses 8 through 10.

This is that. Remember, 1 Corinthians 13 has a lot. It talks about love,

doesn't it? And it's a great point that Paul is making here.

But he goes on in verse 8 through 10, he says, Love never fails,

but whether there are tongues, they will fail.

Whether there are prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease.

Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we

prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is

in part will be done away. Amen.

I think that says it all right there, that speaking in tongues,

that spiritual gift itself was partially, it was temporary, a tool used while

God's revelation was still being delivered.

Now, when that which is perfect came, that revelation completed of God's will,

those gifts would pass away.

They would, again, as he makes it very clear there, would cease. would vanish away.

James describes that even as the perfect law.

Today, we possess the fully revealed

Word of God, and we no longer need miraculous signs to confirm it.

But here's what we even get to on this, because when I start talking about confusion,

I've talked to a lot of people on this subject over the years,

and it's always, it's very interesting conversation, and I I was enjoying people.

They sincerely want to know about this topic and something that from,

they'll come to me and they're concerned.

I had one come to me and said, in the secular work that I was doing,

they came to me and they said, you're a preacher, right? I said, yes, sir, I am.

And they said, well, you know, I haven't received the gift of speaking in tongues

yet, which means I'm not saved.

I said, well, let's talk about that for just a second. Maybe a minute,

we might need more than a bit.

What I was trying to impress from Scripture is tongues were never a sign of salvation.

That's one of the things that you'll find when you talk to folks about speaking in tongues.

He said, my wife is able to speak in tongues, which means she saved and I'm not.

He was truly concerned about what was going on there.

So I told him, this is what we're about to go through here. and just these few

points here that some teach that speaking in tongues is evidence of salvation or Holy Spirit baptism.

The New Testament directly contradicts that idea.

You go to 1 Corinthians 12. We're kind of working our way back.

14, 13, you'll see. I'm not going to go to chapter 1, so don't worry.

1 Corinthians 12, verses 29 and 30.

1 Corinthians 12:29

Are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, are all workers of miracles?

Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

Now, with all of those questions, what's the implied answer here?

No, that's the implied answer to every one of those questions.

The point that Paul is emphasizing, we're talking about all the members of the

body, but here's what he's talking about here, is that not every Christian had miraculous gifts.

The point even further is salvation, again, has never been based on gifts.

It's always been based on obedience to the gospel.

Salvation is about obedience to the gospel. I mean, we know these verses, right?

Acts 2 and verse 38. Peter said, and repent and let every one of you be baptized

in the name of Jesus Christ from the mission of sins, and you shall receive

the gift of the Holy Spirit. Y'all see that?

Romans 6, 3 and 4. Or do you not know that as many of us who were baptized in

Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him through baptism death, that just as Christ

was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Galatians 3 and verse 27, 26 and 27. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

You will not find anywheres in the New Testament of any apostles ever telling

someone to seek tongues as evidence or proof of salvation won't find it because

that's not what it was designed for.

That's not the purpose of it.

And again, it goes to the huge misconceptions that has, I mean,

been taught for a long time that has confused a lot of people.

When we look at what these scriptures simply say, we ask the question in conclusion,

what does speaking in tongues mean in the New Testament?

Well, basically what we have looked at briefly, speaking real human languages

given as a temporary sign to confirm divine truth.

They were used in an orderly, understandable fashion or manner.

It was never emotional, a babbling or private prayer language,

and it ceased when God's revelation was complete.

How does God speak to us? Well, I believe you go to Hebrews 1, verses 1 and 2.

Hebrews 1:1

I think you see that very clearly from the passages here.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers

by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son,

whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.

He speaks to us through his holy and divine word.

How does he equip us? How does he instruct us? How does he direct us, guide us?

Well, the answer to that is 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17.

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God as profitable doctrine for proof

for creation for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete,

thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Friends, what I want us to take away in this, the greatest evidence of the Holy

Spirit in our lives is not miraculous speech.

It's a transformed life. That's what that is.

That means faithful obedience. That means love for truth. That means Christ-like character.

How do I know this? Because the Bible says that the fruit of the Spirit are

these things, Galatians 5, 20, 22, and 23.

It's love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law. We are called by the gospel.

Simple, profound, the word of God. We're not called through miracles.

We're called by the gospel message. All the misconceptions out there and saying

whatever revelation that, you know, a lot of times, you know,

people have asked me, how do you get your sermons, DJ?

Do you get it as soon as you step in the pulpit?

That would be dangerous. Okay. No.

You read and you study the word of God And I'm able to prove everything According to book,

chapter, and verse And you're able to look and to prove Whether those

things are so Just like the Bereans You're able to do that You search the truth

to prove Whether what I'm saying Is in accordance with God's word I don't get

up here and say all kinds of Different things Or unintelligible language Words or whatever,

It's the gospel I don't put the Bible on my chest so hopefully osmosis will

take effect in my heart or in my head.

It doesn't work that way. I tried it in college.

It don't work. Naming physiology does not work that way. I promise you.

Because I felt simple in my book. That's basically what happened.

But we have to look at this and understand.

We can understand what this means. And it's very simple.

If you believe Jesus is the son of the living God, we have to ask ourselves questions.

Am I willing to repent, confess his name, and obey him? That's where salvation is.

Obey him in baptism and rise to walkness of life.

That's what we saw in all those passages from Acts 2, 38, Romans 6,

3 and 4, Galatians 3, 26 and 27. We saw that.

If you're willing in April, you want to do that. You want to do that.

We will make all things stand ready.

As Christians, we have to keep in mind the goal that Paul emphasized to the Corinthian brethren.

Again, I only got several of those verses for time's sake this evening, but you go read.

And even in the first 25 verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 14,

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

do you know what he was emphasizing to those brethren?

It's the same thing that's been emphasized this evening. is that all are built

up or edified through the words that are understood by all.

If you don't understand what's coming out of my mouth, are you going to be built up or edified?

No, you will not.

Otherwise, it's just unintelligible noise that is profitless.

Isn't that what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13?

Clanging cymbal. That's all we are.

There's nothing, there's no fruit to it. And our goal is what Paul says in 1

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 14 And what we have looked at briefly this evening Our goal

today should be the same As what Paul was making mention there That when we

assemble together It is for edification,

exhortation, and consolation That's verse 3 of 1 Corinthians chapter 14.

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

And we must be certain to use words in our prayers, in our Bible classes,

in our lessons and sermons, in our songs, in partaking of the Lord's Supper

that are understandable, which will result in edification,

that which will increase our faith and, as verse 24 says in 1 Corinthians 14,

convince and convict those who are uninformed and unbelievers.

Because God is not the author of what? He's not the author of confusion.

And that's the lesson I certainly do appreciate you Appreciate

the questions that are submitted And the understanding we

have from the Holy and Divine Word How thankful we are that we have

Of His Word to look And to prove all these things

according to His Word And to spend this time On this Lord's Day evening To study

another portion of God's Word And to encourage and be edified One another as

we worship Our great God in spirit and in truth This evening the lesson is yours

the song of invitation is being given.

If you're subject to the invitation call, whatever your spiritual need,

won't you come as we stand and we sing the song that's been selected.