Guided Question
When it comes to spiritual experiences and gifts, are you allowing Scripture—not personal experience, emotion, or cultural expectations—to determine what you believe and how you practice your faith?
Summary
This episode concludes a series on the ministry of the Holy Spirit by focusing on the controversial gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. Dr. Robert Lewis begins by acknowledging the strong emotions and differing experiences surrounding tongues, but emphasizes that experience can never be the final authority for the church; Scripture must be the final court of appeal.
He reviews several biblical observations about tongues: the gift is presented as a supernatural ability to speak unknown human languages, it primarily functions publicly as a sign to unbelievers, it is directed toward God, and it is not a gift given to every believer.
Lewis then explains why tongues may have held such prominence among the Corinthians. Their culture had a long history of mystery religions and ecstatic speech, creating a natural association between ecstatic experiences and spiritual depth. Paul therefore had to help the Corinthians separate their cultural understanding of spirituality from the proper biblical use of the gift.
Turning to 1 Corinthians 14, Lewis highlights Paul's emphasis on edification, clarity, interpretation, and order. Prophecy is presented as the greater gift because it communicates clearly to the church and builds up believers. Tongues, when used publicly, require interpretation so that the entire church can understand and be edified. Without interpretation, the speaker should remain silent in the gathered church.
The episode then follows the historical record of tongues from the New Testament through church history and into the Pentecostal and charismatic movements of the twentieth century. Lewis observes that tongues became far less prominent after the apostolic period, while also cautioning that history alone cannot establish theological conclusions. Scripture, rather than historical patterns, must determine whether God can still give the gift.
Finally, Lewis addresses how Fellowship Bible Church should respond to tongues today. He argues that the church should neither automatically reject the gift nor naively accept every claim of tongues as genuine. Because ecstatic speech can be counterfeited or psychologically induced, spiritual experiences must be tested against Scripture. Any public use of tongues should demonstrate the characteristics Scripture requires, including genuine supernatural ability and interpretation.
The episode closes with three priorities for church leadership: remain faithful to God's Word, protect the flock, and promote individual spiritual maturity.
Outline
- Why Tongues Are Controversial
- Conflicting experiences and opinions
- Scripture as the final authority
- The Biblical Gift of Tongues
- Supernatural human languages
- A sign to unbelievers
- Directed toward God
- Not given to every believer
- The Corinthian Context
- Influence of pagan mystery religions
- Ecstatic speech and perceived spirituality
- Paul's correction of cultural assumptions
- 1 Corinthians 14: Proper Use
- Prophecy prioritizes edification
- Clarity over unintelligible speech
- Interpretation required
- Order in corporate worship
- Tongues Through Church History
- Early New Testament manifestations
- Decline after the apostolic period
- Historical outbreaks
- Pentecostal and charismatic movements
- Evaluating Tongues Today
- Scripture does not explicitly say the gift has permanently ceased
- Ecstatic speech can be counterfeited
- Gifts must be tested
- Fellowship Bible Church's Approach
- Neither forbid nor blindly accept tongues
- Require biblical testing and interpretation
- Protect the church and promote maturity
Key Takeaways
- Scripture is the final authority. Spiritual experiences, emotions, and personal testimony must be evaluated by God's Word rather than treated as proof of truth.
- Tongues are not a universal gift. Paul explicitly teaches that not every believer speaks in tongues; the Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes gifts according to His purposes.
- Edification should govern spiritual gifts. In the gathered church, gifts should benefit the body rather than become opportunities for personal spiritual display.
- Public tongues require interpretation. Without interpretation, the church cannot understand or be edified, so Paul instructs the speaker to remain silent in the gathering.
- God's gifts must be exercised orderly. Paul's final instruction is to pursue prophecy, not forbid tongues, and ensure that everything is done properly and in an orderly way.
- History informs but does not determine doctrine. The historical absence or resurgence of tongues cannot by itself establish whether the gift has ceased. Scripture must make that determination.
- Spiritual experiences must be tested. Not every experience that feels supernatural is necessarily a work of the Holy Spirit. The church is called to test what it encounters and distinguish the genuine from the counterfeit.
- Church leadership has a responsibility to protect the flock. Testing spiritual gifts helps preserve biblical order while protecting both the congregation and those who believe they possess a particular gift.
Scripture References
- 1 Corinthians 12:30 — Not every believer receives the gift of tongues.
- 1 Corinthians 14:1–5 — Prophecy is emphasized because it builds up the church.
- 1 Corinthians 14:6–19 — Spiritual communication should be understandable and edifying.
- 1 Corinthians 14:20–25 — Gifts should serve God's purposes and lead people toward Him.
- 1 Corinthians 14:26–28 — Tongues in the church require order and interpretation.
- 1 Corinthians 14:36–40 — Spiritual gifts must operate according to God's commands and in an orderly manner.
- Acts 2 — Tongues appear as known languages and serve as a sign that draws attention to the gospel.
- Acts 10 — Tongues accompany the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentile believers.
- Acts 19 — Tongues are again associated with the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 13:8–10 — The episode considers whether this passage teaches that tongues have ceased.
- 1 John 4:1 — Spiritual claims should be tested rather than automatically accepted.
Recorded 9.26.82
