Did Deion Sanders Speak in Tongues?

speaker-1: Faith Baptist Church in Taylor presents This Week in the Word. Welcome back to This Week in the Word at Faith Baptist and Taylors. Again, you can find us anywhere you look for our podcast your podcasts. We are you look us up at ⁓ This Week in the Word at FBC Taylors and you'll find us. And every time we come together, we we'd like to focus on something that is relevant to our church or in this case today, something that may even be relevant to what's going on in the world today. And I'm thankful this week to have Pastor Starr with us. So thanks again. Yeah. And ⁓ sporting the polos that we all just got. Yeah. Thanks. Yeah, shout out Pastor Mark for the nice new faith gear that we can have on these things. ⁓ today though, we w we wanted to talk in terms of two different things. One that's going on r relative to our congregation. We're going through the book of First Corinthians, and so we're about to run into a important topic that we're gonna introduce here in a second. The other and the reason for this topic today is college football. College football fan?

speaker-0: I am Georgia Bulldogs. And we won. We did pretty well.

speaker-1: Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. Yeah. Ohio State. Not as good. Ohio State fan over here. Yeah. Not having a great weekend, but you know, whatever. And ⁓ such is the life of college football fans and fandom. As is the case now, for those of our listeners that don't know what football is, by the way, brown, oblong shaped ball. ⁓ you s you win by scoring more points than the other team. I think I got pretty much everything. Yeah.

speaker-0: Yeah.

speaker-1: Also part of it, yeah. And as is the case often, there are things that kind of go more more or less viral. And one such thing happened in the college football world that collides with our first Corinthians conversation. In fact, way back in First Corinthians chapter two, if you want to turn there here in a second, I'm gonna have you read i even in verse ten, we have a conversation where Paul begins to talk about the Holy Spirit. And you can read, just pick up reading verse 10 there and read down to verse 13.

speaker-0: But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

speaker-1: So here we have a Holy Spirit conversation. And Paul will come back to that in chapter 12, when he says in chapter 12, verse 3, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. And so there's this very important conversation relative to the Holy Spirit. Yeah. And particularly the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And I want to go to 1 Corinthians 12, verse 1. And if you have your copies of God's word, you can bring this up. Because the Bible talks about 1 Corinthians 12, verse 1, concerning spiritual gifts. And yes, in a moment, we're going to get to college football. So stay with us here in a second. And that word, spiritual gifts, by the way, ⁓ just put some things on the screen here. ⁓ in chapter one, if you have a King James Bible, you're helped by this. It's in italics. Yours, you just read from the King James, it's in italics. ⁓ I've got the critical text and the TR both here in the Greek behind us, both. Texts do not include gifts. When it says first ⁓ now concerning spiritual gifts, you you could actually have that to read. Now concerning spiritual ⁓ things, actually, you could have that say. ⁓ However, the text does say gifts in italics, and that was a choice they made, because in verse 4, and I'll put this on the screen here, here's the Greek, you can see the use of this word charismaton. From which we get our word charismatic. Charismatic. And this charismatic movement, which is including something that went viral over the weekend, where a college football coach introduced at his press conference what he believed to be an impression of the Holy Spirit on his life, gifting him to speak angelic tongues, languages.

1 Corinthians 12:1 1 Corinthians 12:1

speaker-0: Cares no.

speaker-1: And in praise to the victory his college football team just did. Did you see that?

speaker-0: I did. I did. It's pretty remarkable.

speaker-1: It is pretty remarkable. And ⁓ it's not a nobody either. Right. So in a moment I'm gonna show you the clip and that's why we're having the podcast today. This is Dion Sanders. Now before I show you the clip, you might need to know who that is.

speaker-0: Yeah, Deion Sanders, ⁓ obviously known for playing in the NFL, played for ⁓ both the Atlanta Falcons and the Dallas Cowboys, also played some baseball as forty niners. Very very gifted athlete and now ⁓ coach in in college and now has a son also in the NFL. Right.

speaker-1: And played for the forty niners at one point. And coaches at the University of Colorado. They won their first two games. And ⁓ he kind of was actually before the season kind of on the hot seat about whether or not he's gonna even make it another game. So it's a big deal that they won their first two games. And so he is going to come into his press conference and he's rejoicing that his team's won, and he's going to use his idea of charismaton gifts to introduce his press conference. So here we go. This is Deion Sanders. Head football coach of the University of Colorado, here's what he has to say. Ready?

speaker-0: Let's go. ⁓

speaker-1: That's that's a lie. And by the way, we don't want to take Dion out of his out of context here. He genuinely believes that what you just heard is God's working through him.

speaker-0: I'm pumped. He does, 'cause we have another clip. This is ⁓ several years ago, where he does the exact same thing and he explains it.

speaker-1: Yeah, so let's watch it. I'm I want to take him out of context. This is his genuine belief concerning how the Holy Spirit works. Here's what Dion said ⁓ several years ago.

speaker-0: Name of Jesus. I began to pray in tongues. It's a language between me and God, where he knows.

speaker-1: So this is what he's seeking to do. And and this is a common thing, maybe uncommonly discussed as much as we should, ⁓ because it's so common in our culture, of this idea that somehow speaking in tongues, quote unquote, is how we can we can see the Holy Spirit at work. You've seen that, experienced that before?

speaker-0: Yeah I haven't experienced it but I have seen it for sure. Yeah. It i it is it is ⁓ whether you like to believe it or not, it is something that we see in our country. We do and around the world.

speaker-1: Well you just saw it on the TV. We do. And and I really want to ask that question in today's podcast. So what what is biblical, what is biblical tongues? And the reason we're having this is over the weekend we had this more or less viral press conference with Deion Sanders speaking in tongues. Now we're not there yet, but we're going to get to First Corinthians twelve, thirteen, and fourteen. And ⁓ these are going to talk about and and really the fact is if we took those three chapters. Chapter twelve, thirteen, and fourteen out your Bibles, and we're not going to, but if we did, the charismatics would have what in their own argument, no scriptural foundation at all upon which they base or form their worship or practice of emotionalism. And this is true even when considering other passages, like Acts chapter two. You you mentioned that, right, before we hit record.

speaker-0: Yeah. Acts chapter two, the beginning of the the church, Peter, and ⁓ it gives his first sermon, but right before that, the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Holy Spirit, ⁓ comes upon those that are there, and the there's there's an ⁓ attack, or really really the people there are saying, We can't explain this. We're just gonna say they're drunk. Right. And obviously there was some things going on as far as the Spirit's presence there.

speaker-1: It's fascinating. If we read the verse, here's Acts 2, verse 4. Okay, and we're gonna get to First Corinthians again. But we're talking about biblical tongues. And this is the first use of that. This is Peter preaching on the Pentecost. Acts 2, verse 4. They were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. That's very important. It is. It does not say unknown tongues. Right. It says other tongues. And you notice the next verses in Acts 2, verse 5. There were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard in his own language. What was the gift of tongues in Acts two?

Acts 2:4 Acts 2:4 Acts 2:5

speaker-0: Right. It it seemed that it was to get the message to people that were there and you have a very diverse group of people there that spoke in multiple different languages. They all heard it in their tongue.

speaker-1: And they all heard it. Every man heard these men speak the gospel and they understood it in their own language.

speaker-0: I think there's even when you go to the council, which is in ⁓ chapter four, it talks about the the religious rulers were hearing this and seeing this. Right. And what it says is they looked at Peter and the other apostles that were there and something wasn't matching because these were unlearned and ignorant men, literally illiterate and ⁓ and not able to speak educated because they didn't have an education. Yeah. And then ignorant, which we get our word It's idiotes, which is idiot, you know. They look at these apostles and what they're doing, they marvel. Right. Because these men didn't have this education.

speaker-1: And they're speaking in in languages they didn't have the education to be

speaker-0: Gibberish would have never made them marvel. No. It would have went along with their thought process that these are unlearned and ignorant men. Right. But yet they were conversing with people in other languages coming from people that didn't have that type of education. They marveled, where did this come from?

speaker-1: Even in the Acts 2 passage, Acts 2, 7, it says that those who were hearing were amazed and marveled, using your word, right? Saying one another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? Right. And how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born. They couldn't believe it. So I want you to notice, by the way, that the word tongue. Is a synonym for language in Acts chapter 2. The word tongue is a synonym for language. And sometimes, like Deion Sanders, we get people picking up this mystical idea that every time we hear the word tongue in the New Testament, it's a heavenly or angelic language. Well, that simply wasn't so in Acts chapter 2. They had a dramatic, sudden ability to speak. another man's language without as you already noted having studied that language. Yeah.

Acts 2 · chapter mention Acts 2 · chapter mention

speaker-0: Which is remarkable. If you meet somebody even in today's world ⁓ that is bilingual or trilingual, we even amaze at that. That you're able to speak two or three different languages. Imagine being there when the apostles begin to speak in every known language that is there represented. Right. That would have been mind blowing. We would have marveled too.

speaker-1: Right. And to continue the Acts two dialogue, here's Acts two eleven. Cretus and Arabeeans say we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. Our tongues is not some strange tongue. This was earthly language.

speaker-0: Which matches the heart of our God, isn't it? That God wants the message of the gospel to go all around the world. Right. So it makes sense that the the apostles would be able to start sharing the gospel right there in their own area and seeing people that have different languages now being able to, through the Spirit's help, be able to share the gospel with those people in their language.

speaker-1: So how does a guy like Deion Sanders, ⁓ for again, for our listeners who don't know who Deion Sanders is, which I imagine there may be a small portion of people that don't know who it is, he's even if you're not familiar with the sporting world, the guy is everywhere. Yeah. His nickname is literally Primetime. Yeah. That's literally his nickname. ⁓ I think he gave himself that nickname. I think so. But he also lived up to that nickname in rather fanciful ways. And he gets on a press conference. It's not the first time he's done this tongue thing, although this is the first time I can remember it going viral like this, perhaps because I'm more tuned into the college football world, but r nonetheless, gets on the press conference and he's got this babble. Where does that idea come from? And the answer is that they're taking passages we will eventually get to in 1 Corinthians, particularly 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14, and they're using those passages to bolster up their idea of charisma. You you can't use Acts two is the point I wanted to start that way to make that argument. Right. Acts two is pretty evidently so talking about languages, but they're going to try to make that work for them in First Corinthians. But as we look at those three chapters, we have to say that it's quite a shaky foundation to build an entire religious experience or movement or church upon. And first Corinthians twelve, thirteen, fourteen are actually rather fearful chapters.

speaker-0: Yeah.

speaker-1: These are not chapters Paul encourages the Corinthians in what they're doing. In fact, that's majority of the book. He's not saying, Good job, everybody. Right? Keep doing it. You guys are doing great. These are chapters, much like the rest of the book of First Corinthians, where Paul rebukes the Corinthians for what they're doing.

speaker-0: Yeah. ⁓ chapter two verse one. Right. He tells him, I would not have you ignorant. Right. I mean he starts right off. Let's let's fix some things here.

speaker-1: Right. So we're going to fix when we get to chapter twelve, even the ideas that are still lingering with the pope folks like Deion Sanders, who are not encouraging but corrective. And these are Paul's final words on how they are to behave in the house of God. And these three chapters correct a church that is in confusion. This is why Paul would say, let me pull this up on the screen so we can see this. First Corinthians 14, verse 40, what is his principle for the church? Let all things Be done decently and in order. Did you understand what Dion was saying? I did not either.

1 Corinthians 14:40

speaker-0: I did not. But he said that God did. Did. Yeah.

speaker-1: God is that orderly and decent in the church?

speaker-0: It's confusion in my book, which we're reminded too in scripture that we serve a God that is not the author of confusion. That I believe that a clip like that kind of goes against that, right? That God God does things decently in order. He wants the church to do things decently and in order, and he's not a God of

speaker-1: He is not a good God of confusion. And 1 Corinthians 12, 31, making it very clear when it comes to these gifts, if you might say, Well, I wish I had that spirit experiential experience like Deion Sanders, excuse me, covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. So what we have here is Paul saying, What are you, what you are doing, Corinthians, is out of place. There is a better way. Now, Notice if you're looking at your copies of God's word, notice 1 Corinthians 14, verse 4. There's another word that's in italics. Did you see that there? Right? He that speaketh in an. And that word, that word unknown is in italics. It is supplied by the translators for our age, for our aid, right? These were words speaking in italics.

1 Corinthians 14:4

speaker-0: Do, yeah. Unknown.

speaker-1: An unknown. They've added that. You could literally say speaking in a tongue. Now, what is the idea of unknown? Well, it goes back to the Acts II understanding. Tongue, remember Acts two? Language, synonymous. So if in what sense was it unknown, if we were going to add that italicized word? In what sense would that be unknown? What benefit was there?

speaker-0: Well he's speaking here and saying if you're speaking an unknown, you're edifying yourself. Right.

speaker-1: So if you get up and you speak a language no one else speaks but you, who else is benefiting? That's pretty self-evident. Yeah. And yet, that is where a bulk of this question of biblical tongues comes from. Well, it's an unknown tongue. There's no benefit if a guy spoke in a language no one else in the church understands.

speaker-0: I think so. I think so. And I think that's where things have just ⁓ taken a a different path. Even Dion would say, this this is something between me and God. Yeah. And God understands it. Well, what was the purpose of tongues or language to begin with? Was it just something for the apostles to have with the Lord by themselves? A secret type of code language? Or was it used to spread the gospel? Right. So a lot of the gibberish that we We see even today is that it edifieth self. I'm having this experience with God.

speaker-1: Yeah. Many evangelicals, and I think many charismatics, ⁓ think that miracles litter almost every page of church history or or ⁓ and almost every page of biblical history. And before we go any further, I think it's important for us to clarify in reality there are only three primary periods in which God worked miracles through uniquely gifted. Before we further, I'm I'm letting you know, I believe the gift of biblical tongues was actual human languages. It wasn't anything else, and it was given to authenticate the messengers that were delivering it. Acts 2 being the chiefest of these examples. But there are only three periods in which God worked in miracles. And they are as follows: the the period of Moses and Joshua. That period lasted from Exodus to about 1445 BC through the career of Joshua, ended in about 1380 BC. In other words, the first period of miracles in the biblical history lasted for about 65 years. And then we have the period of Elijah and Elisha. And putting the biblical chronological study together, we know they ministered from about 860 BC until 795 BC. Again, a period of about 65 years. And then, as we've already been mentioning, we've been talking about this period. It's the period of Christ and his apostles, this obviously beginning with Christ's public ministry and lasting until the death of the Apostle John, or about 70 years. And throughout history, God has occasionally, biblical history, God occasionally intervened with direct miracles. But in the thousands of years of human history, there are only about 200 years. In which God empowers men to work miracles. And even when miracles they were there and accomplished in that day, why were they accomplished? And that is the question you need to ask. Why why did the gift of tongues exist in Acts two to be more pointed to our conversation? What is the primary purpose?

speaker-0: Well, to to authenticate the message of the gospel. Right. So if we look at today's tongues that we ask the same question, why then, Dion, is this possible for you and why are you doing it?

speaker-1: Yeah, what is God's clarifying work that He's seeking to do through your presser on Saturday? Right. Your press conference on Saturday. Right.

speaker-0: Which he would tell you in the in the the last clip that we watched that this is just a language that I speak to God, he understands it, he knows. Right. So really, even if that is the answer to that question, it doesn't go back to really why the Lord used miracles in those three different periods.

speaker-1: Right. Right. And by the way, let's go all the way back to the first one. All right? Because th this pattern exists. God enabled Moses to begin performing miracles for only one purpose. Remember when Moses performed miracles? Yep. What was the purpose? Well, it was to validate Moses as God's prophet, and Moses' message was God's own words.

speaker-0: 'Cause he asked that question, who am I? Like why why would they listen to me? Right. I I can't speak right and then there's given to him this authority through these miracles.

speaker-1: And that's what they authenticated at Deuteronomy 18:15. The Lord your God will raise you up, a prophet like me from among you, from your own countrymen, you shall listen to him. That continue to be the purpose. Even Moses' message of God's word. And you'll notice in verse 21 and 22 of Deuteronomy 18, he says that the true prophet, his predictions always come true, which is also something that that it may be a different conversation on that. But that continues to be the validating conversation. For each epoch of these primary periods of God's working in the miracles. They are to authenticate God's revelation through God's messenger. So what new revelation was given to Dion Sanders?

Deuteronomy 18:15

speaker-0: I couldn't understand it.

speaker-1: Couldn't understand either. So I couldn't even tell you. ⁓ no. And what it comes down to really for most of them, it for most of them, charismatic moving, is is an experiential, an experientially based. They are the charismatic teaching, broadly speaking, elevates spiritual status above biblical truth. That's what they're seeking to do. The gifts were being used by a few men to exalt themselves.

speaker-0: I don't think anybody can. Yeah. And that's what it sounds like when you go to First Corinthians chapter four, edifying yourself.

speaker-1: comes down to yeah. Now there are those that teach on this. I want to show you this clip. We've seen it beforehand, that's why I'm already chuckling a little bit. But this is Sid Roth. He teaches on how to do tongues. So you you heard D Dion's little escapades, and he may do it again. ⁓ knowing Dion, by the way.

speaker-0: It probably feeds off of this.

speaker-1: he does. Yeah. Yeah. He he got a lot of clicks and likes, so I'm sure he'll do it again. Here's what Sid Roth you teaches teaching on how to do it if on how to do speaking in tongues as far as they're concerned.

speaker-0: And if you've never prayed in tongues, if you follow my instructions, the anointing is here to do the rest. I can't do it for you, but I can tell you how to pray in supernatural languages. So you start speaking like little baby words and say them as fast as you humanly can when I begin to pray. And when the supernatural will become natural as you take a step, Peter, of faith. Raise your hands to the holy God and begin to pray in a language you've never been instructed. If you don't move your accountants be, no one else will do it. ⁓ ⁓ I I know you don't know what to say. Make little nonsense syllables up there, not nonsense. But if the first words coming out of your spirit, Do it faster. I said faster. I said fashion. You can do it faster than that. If I had a gun in your ribs and do it faster, it can no maha. ⁓

speaker-1: It just keeps going. This is insane.

speaker-0: Dead ears are being opened right now in Jesus' name. Compacts are being healed. Rich in the name of tunnel, you're healed. In Jesus' name, right now. In the name of Jesus. This is normal. Let the whole world be normal.

speaker-1: First of all, that's not normal. That's not. All right. And I I I know it went long. I wanted to keep it going because here's the connection. You you may say, we're talking about tongues, and Pastor Caleb, you introduced epochs of miracles. Why did you introduce that? They they almost always go together in people's thinking. And and including in this clip, he's saying, Look, look, we're all speaking in tongues as he interprets it. Right. And now people are being healed in this very room as we're listening. That is not scripture. I've given you a principle. Number one, charismatic teaching elevates spiritual status above biblical truth. I could prove it to from 1 Corinthians and already did. You could also prove it in the book of 2nd Corinthians. For example, look at 2 Corinthians 11, verse 5. For I suppose, 2 Corinthians 11, 5, Paul says, I was not at wit behind the very chiefest apostles. You'll notice in verse 13 of chapter 11 of 2nd Corinthians, for such are false aprop prophets apostles. Deceitful works, workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Paul paints them as enemies. But what they were is they were elevating this status through this idea. And this all ties to 1 Corinthians. Now, notice 1 Corinthians 12 and Paul's warning, 1 Corinthians 12, verse 3. I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God called Jesus accursed. Interesting. And the same chapter that deals with

2 Corinthians 11:5 1 Corinthians 12:3

speaker-0: Yeah.

speaker-1: Gifts, spiritual charisma, you have this immediate warning. Be warned about men coming in who do not have the Spirit. Is it possible, Pastor Andrew, that there are people who claim to be filled with the Spirit of God and speaking for the Spirit of God who are not actually speaking for God? Is that possible?

speaker-0: Yeah. And even in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, it it brings out and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Don't you think that Satan is having a heyday through this? There's a lot of confusion. Satan is not the author of confusion. Who is? Satan would love to have confusion in the church.

2 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

speaker-1: Are you Absolutely. Total confusion. There are some, though, listening to this and go, Well, I wish I had that kind of experience. Like, wow, that's amazing. That's what they're doing. They're seeking to elevate this status above biblical truth. Number two, I'll give you another principle. Charismatic teaching elevates personal experience above church unity. Personal experience. Again, this is Paul's whole argument in 1 Corinthians 12. There was some in the church saying they had a gift and were looking down their noses at those who did not have.

speaker-0: Yeah.

speaker-1: You're not a Christian like me. You don't have the baptism of the Spirit like I do. And so there's disunity in this church. And Paul writes and says, 1 Corinthians 12, verse 4, there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different administrations, but the same Lord. There are different diversities of operations, but it's the same God. The great trouble of charismatic churches today is that men who claim to have a special gift are elevated in their movement. While others feel inferior because they don't have such a gift. But here we read every gift, verse 7 of chapter 12, is given to every man to profit withal. And Paul uses the analogy of the body. But the challenge is the Pentecostal movement has latched on to what you just saw. This second experience, Christianity. ⁓ wow. I look what I just felt. Look how I felt it. Dion's clip earlier. I I had I I had this new revelation. The Bible does not teach instantaneous sanctification. It teaches progressive sanctification. And that is an experience thing.

1 Corinthians 12:4

speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. And even in Paul's day, Peter's day, they would talk about ⁓ those that wanted special knowledge, gnosis versus epignosis, where you could be part of this elite club if you have this type of knowledge. Right. It's the same idea, is that it vaunteth itself. It's it's prideful. It's not the unity of what Christ wanted in the church. It's a it's a experience that brings me to another level of someone else.

speaker-1: So, what was the gift of tongues? What was the purpose? It was for the gospel, all the way back. This is this is Acts chapter 2, referencing Acts chapter 2. Martin Luther puts it this way: that the visit, this is Martin Luther, the visible outpouring of the Holy Spirit was necessary to the establishment of the early church, as were also the miracles that accompanied the gift of the Holy Ghost. That's wonderful. Praise the Lord. I can read Acts 2 and see God at work. He continues and says, once

Acts 2 · chapter mention Acts 2 · chapter mention

speaker-0: That was for the gospel.

speaker-1: The outp once the church had been established and properly advertised by these miracles, the visible appearance of the Holy Ghost ceased. Did these miracles actually stop? A lot of guys. It does depend on you you ask. Right? I mean let's ask three important questions related to that. Here's some questions. Number one, what were the spiritual gifts in the early New Testament church that were in operation?

speaker-0: Well you had healing. You had speaking in tongues. And what was the what was the other prophecy?

speaker-1: Okay. Okay. Prophecy. All right. So you got these what what were these? And and let let's not take a contemporary experience and what we see going on in the name of those gifts. Let's go back to the Bible and say, What were those? Okay. Number two, why did God give these gifts?

speaker-0: Well, Jesus has just left the earth. Right. So he ascends to heaven and now gives the disciples the job to spread the news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and his return. Yeah. And so now you've got guys that are running around with this message. It could be like any other person that has a message. ⁓ why should I listen to you? Right. Well, these these sign gifts were given to give authority to the message that was given. Right.

speaker-1: So if we say, this is my third question, that they ceased, when did they cease? That's an important question. I'm gonna read, I'm gonna let BB Warfield answer first, and then we can answer. Okay. I don't mind letting him go ahead. Here, here, here's BB Warfield. It's I've broken up the quote a little bit. He he he he puts it this way: Miracles do not appear. On the pages of scrib scripture, vagrantly here and there, elsewhere and indifferently, without any assignable reason. So we've already given that. He's answering one of those questions. He continues and says, Miracles belong to the revelation periods and appear only when God is speaking to his people through accredited messengers declaring his gracious purposes. That's what we talked about, right? He continues and says, Miracles, abundant display in the Apostolic Church. is the mark of the richness of the apostolic age in, this is a big word, Revelation. Now that's not just talking about the last book in your New Testament. When he talks about Revelation, he's talking about what?

speaker-0: ⁓ message from a Lord. Yeah.

speaker-1: Like God's revealed word, right? So he concludes and says, and when this revelation period closed, the period of miracle working had passed by also as a mere matter of course.

speaker-0: Yeah. There was no reason for him anymore. Yeah.

speaker-1: What are the miracles for? They authenticate God's message. Why are there three periods of revelation in the New Testament? Sometimes people read and think, well, miracles were all throughout the Bible. Not case, not the case. Why did they come? New revelation? New revelation? Apostolic era. Was there new revelation during the time of the apostles?

speaker-0: Well just confirming what had just happened. Sure. Yeah.

speaker-1: What else? How about the New Testament? Like these guys are writing scripture. Of course there would be.

speaker-0: Yeah. It's not like they could pull out their New Testament and go through the books. No. They'd have ⁓ They'd have ⁓ in the process of writing ⁓

speaker-1: So they're authenticating. So as an aside, the contemporary charismatic phenomena simply does not match the biblical phenomena. Miracles. The purpose of miracles was to authenticate the human tongue in the Bible. Or human agent in the Bible. Tongues. Biblical tongues was what? What was unlearned foreign languages. It wasn't Babel. And prophecy, well. We didn't get here, but we could say biblical prophecy has to be infallible. So did they stop? Well, let's go to First Corinthians, shall we? I told you there's three chapters, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen. First Corinthians thirteen, Paul clearly states something's going to stop. Can you read verse eight there? ⁓ you got it in front of you? Yeah.

speaker-0: Yeah. Charity never faileth, but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

speaker-1: ⁓

speaker-0: Didn't think about that one, do you?

speaker-1: Now we gotta ask, what is that which is perfect? Hmm. Mm.

speaker-0: What did they not have? Because obviously in verse nine there's a we know in part, we prophesy in part, there's there's not a completion of something.

speaker-1: Right. Obviously, sign gifts, and particularly in revelation to tongues, were closely attested to newly revealed truth in a limited time span. And these gifts were meant to authenticate both God's messenger and God's message. When that which is perfect is come, that which was in which is complete will be passed away. Go go down to verse nine. Read that one, because that's where it is.

speaker-0: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. Then verse ten, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part, verse nine, shall be done away.

speaker-1: Perfect could mean it is a word that means total. Complete. So when that which is total, when that which is complete is finished, that which is part will be done away with. What is complete?

speaker-0: Yeah, complete.

speaker-1: What do we have? For the listeners, he just held up the Bible, right? That this is what's complete. I I love the expression. I don't think it's original. I don't know who's original too, but you can't have your sola scriptura cake and eat it too. Sola scriptura meaning God's word. The Bible tells us we have all that we need for life and godliness. And the last time I checked, all is pretty easy to find. All means all.

speaker-0: Yeah. Got there. Yeah.

speaker-1: If I was talking to Deion Sanders, I'd say, Hey, don't you tell your players like give your all on the field. Yeah. Right? Absolutely.

speaker-0: Can you imagine? Just just humor me. Dion goes out there, he's got his playbook. Right. He's like, All right guys, here's the complete playbook. Right. But feel free to go outside of that if you want something else. How do you think that would go? I think we'd have a different press conference.

speaker-1: I think my favorite quote related to this is John Owen. He's an old Puritan. He's talking about all of these kind of ideas of revelation and speaking in tongues and miracles. He says, if private revelations agree with Scripture, they are needless. And if they disagree with Scripture, they are false. I love that. It's pretty teaching.

speaker-0: Yeah. Pointed.

speaker-1: A form of continuationism that includes these tongues undermines scripture's sufficiency. It opens the door to continued revelation. Even if you're gonna say, well, only me and the angels understand it. But to what end and for what purpose?

speaker-0: We were just talking about this at lunch too. Those that think they know when the return of Christ is. That would fit into that category too of the prophecy of the Lord's gonna come back and here's the date. Well that's funny. What did Christ say about the date? Only the Father.

speaker-1: I don't want to confuse the work of the Holy Spirit, because there there's still maybe some coming to this and going, I wish I had, like, look how courageous. And it is. Dion is vocal in his faith. Others of these folks are vocal in their faith. There's ⁓ you saw the clip of Sid Roth. Look at all these people having a good time. And you go, Well, I want that. There's something to be desired, I guess, in that regard to that. And so I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit is the conclusion. How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? How do I listen to the Holy Spirit?

speaker-0: Well, Martin Luther would say, feelings come, feelings go, feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the word of God. None else is worth believing. It sounded like he said, I'm I'm cool with just the complete word of God. It's really all I need. It's all I need. And we're promised at the moment of salvation the the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Do I have to utter some gibberish in order for him to become evident in my life? Or is he already there? And do I need to listen to him? And do I need to be filled with or walk in the Spirit?

speaker-1: But I want to hear his audible voice in my life. You can't you wanna if you want to hear God speak audibly to you, go home and read the Bible out loud. That would be God speaking audibly. You you just quoted one of Luther's hymns. Here's Luther Psalm 119. Great text on the Bible. And he says this let the man who would hear God speak read the Holy Scripture.

speaker-0: You can. Yeah.

speaker-1: Pretty pretty on the nose when it comes to that.

speaker-0: Yeah. And I wonder how many that are wrapped up in this tongue speaking are actually sitting down and genuinely reading God's word to listen to him. I I don't know. I'm just I'm wondering. Right. It seems like they're looking for something else. Right. That the Bible isn't good enough. Right. That that which is perfect does not come. I gotta find this somewhere else.

speaker-1: ⁓ Dion's just flaming flames that are w putting wind on flames that have been there for a while. Yeah. This is continuing to pick up. It it will continue to pick up in particularly in a culture where where we're continually biblically illiterate. Right. And so there's a desire for something more and fresh and new and and fanciful. You don't need that. No.

speaker-0: And there may be some that are watching today and you think, well, that no one can really believe that. No one can watch Dion and say, Wow, I want to do that. Just go look at the comments. Yeah. You'll see those that ⁓ disagree and you'll see those that are wanting that type of experience. And this is the confusion that Satan loves. He would much rather have people wrapped up and trying to figure out an unknown language, speaking in tongues and getting the Holy Spirit that way than to Drive to the word of God and to see Jesus Christ.

speaker-1: I want to give some takeaways as a as a convicted cessationist. We didn't start using fancy words. Meaning these things ceased. I'll give you five takeaways. Okay. Number one, don't overreact and downplay the role of the Holy Spirit. Don't do that. Don't allow the Holy Spirit to be hijacked by those who abuse his name. Don't do that. God still works through his Holy Spirit. So don't overreact. And downplay the role of the spirit. Number two, firmly hold your confidence in the all-sufficient word of God. We may soon be, you and me and those who agree with us, may soon be in the minority. But we stand in a historic position of the church in light of scripture. And I'm gonna hold fast and say, this is what I believe. Just what the Bible says. Number three, know what you believe and why you believe it. ⁓ it I I haven't looked at all the comments. You did. There's some Is there some back and forth?

speaker-0: Some good ones. Yeah. There are some that are pretty level headed. And then there are comments to those questions and and responses and people attacking and saying, No, you're crazy. Like this is real. Yeah. And there is in this world, we have to know, right? based off of the hope that lieth within. We got to be able to give a reason. Right. We have to know these things. Right.

speaker-1: Number four, reject, I'm gonna say reject all forms of continuing revelation. This includes your favorite evangelical form. This includes subjective impressions from God. Don't ever talk about feeling something from God.

speaker-0: So you you tell me that I can't tell you that I had a message from God? Like he spoke to me?

speaker-1: Exactly right. Once you go down that path, you're opening the door to new revelations. If you, Andrew, had a new revelation from God during lunch today, how come we didn't get a record of this? I have 66 books and in that book those books it tells me you have everything you need for life and godliness. I didn't need your new revelation at all.

speaker-0: Right. Nor is there any confirmation from me that that is true. Right. And that was through the periods of scripture that you talked about. There was confirmation this is from the Lord. In fact, the Lord would talk and say, if there's prophets, validate the message. Sure. Did it come true? Okay, cool. Did it not? Yeah, false prophet. Right.

speaker-1: Right, in those particular times. And number five, respond wisely to different kinds of continuationists. And there are different kinds. To the false teacher who, along with the charismatic practices, denies the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, don't be afraid to use the language of Jude and Second Peter, because there are such things. But to the charismatic who professes faith in the biblical Jesus and the true gospel. Graciously clarify biblical gifts by making a biblical argument for cessationism. And there are two different spectrums. I'm not here today, neither are you. I don't know Deion Sanders. I've never met Deion Sanders. Maybe he's saved. I pray that he is. If he is saved, I want to say to Deion Sanders, ⁓ you know, let let me talk through like we've already been doing. If he is not saved and and somehow

speaker-0: Truth and love.

speaker-1: There are quotations out there where he is denying cardinal doctrines of the faith. There may be, I don't know. I again I don't know him very well. Then I would use the language of Jude and Second Peter and say, Y you are not at all even a Christian.

speaker-0: I would I would also encourage him if he if he is saved to say, man, you have a platform. And the apostles were trying to get the word out of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Why not use your language that everyone watching the clip can understand that Jesus Christ came to save you? That should be the heart of somebody that wants to share the gospel. Right. And not keep it from them in Gibraltar.

speaker-1: Virgin makes it very clear, speaking in biblical tongues, those earlier miraculous gifts have departed from us. Or he could just read Paul. We're gonna get there. I just thought it was a unique topic to cover today because it's a collision of college football season and our study of 1 Corinthians. ⁓ Fair warning to anybody out there who decides to go to 1 Corinthians. There's a lot. And we're gonna get there, and here we are.

speaker-0: Okay.

speaker-1: But this is an important part in practice. And here's where I want to end. There is no practical Christianity apart from doctrinal Christianity. So don't be afraid. I'm not afraid of doctrinal conversations. I love these kind of things. And ⁓ I think it's important for us to continue to do it. Thank you again for joining us on This Week in the Word. And ⁓ as we've noted before, you can find us anywhere ⁓ you look for your podcasts, and ⁓ I hope this one is encouragement to you. If anything, it makes you think. And ⁓ we do want you to think through these issues. You can ⁓ email us your questions at info at faith ⁓ or f info at fbctailors.org, info at fbctailors.org, and we'll get your questions. We'd love to answer them. We answered a few last week. No new ones this week. No, but that's all right. Maybe we'll get some hairy ones next time. If Dion Sanders responds to this podcast, I assure you that we will give you a recorded answer to Dion's question. I imagine he

speaker-0: Just beyond we'll respond. Yeah, probably not.

speaker-1: Yeah. If we told him well, especially since you started by saying you're a Georgia Bulldog.

speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. That's real football though.

speaker-1: Yeah, ⁓ right. No, Big Ten is real football. That's where it's at. No, a and we're so glad that this will be helped to you. Feel free to share it and ⁓ if it's encouragement to you, pass that along to someone else. Thank you again. Thank you for joining us today. For more information about Faith Baptist Church, visit us at www.fbctailors.org.