Tongues

Speaking Various Languages

Paul continues his discussion of the subject of irregularities in the worship of the Corinthian church. There was a self-indulgent spirit around spiritual gifts that produced selfishness, disunity, and apparent chaos in the assembly (12:7,25). Unfortunately, the members were grieving the Holy …

Preoccupation with Tongues

From the various gifts mentioned in chapter 12, the apostle selects three for discussion in this chapter. These are (1) prophecy, (2) speaking in tongues, (3) and interpretation of tongues. Paul compares the Corinthians’ preoccupation with tongues and their apparent disinterest in prophecy …

A Special Sign for the Early Church

There were three great Jewish festivals to which every male Jew living within twenty miles of Jerusalem was legally bound to come—the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Pentecost was so called because it fell on the fiftieth day, a week of weeks, after the Passover. At …

IllustrationThe gift of tongues is speak a language without study

In every case I am aware of in the Bible when it speaks of speaking in tongues it is in reference to a known language and not some gibberish. Most people who promote and propagate speaking in tongues today are of the charismatic movement and it is always in gibberish and not a kn …

IllustrationThe language spoken by the most people

Northern Chinese or Mandarin is the language spoken by most people on earth. An estimated 68% …

IllustrationPray for power but don’t try to manufacture it

In his sermon, “A Dangerous Pentecost,” Halford Luccock tells of Lorenzo de’Medici, the great Florentine patron of the arts who was very proud of the spectacles he staged for the citizenry. Among his productions were several amazingly realistic religious pageant …