Recording: It's time now for Bible Talk. Join our host Gary Gibson and John Bradshaw speakers for the Amazing Facts Ministry as they now open the bible and discussed themes that affect you life today. Stay tuned because the next 15 minutes will deepened your understanding of God's word.
John Bradshaw: Hi friends, welcome again to Bible Talk where we talk about what the Bible has to say to us today. I'm John Bradshaw. and with me is Gary Gibbs. Hi Gary!
Gary Gibbs: Hi John it's good to see you today. I wanted to say Hi in another language because we are talking about tongues and what the Bible has to say about tongues.
John: I got to say that I know that for many people this is a motive topic. This is even an emotional subject because for a lot of people the gift of tongues or claiming the gift of tongues represents for them proof that they are saved. For some without this special sign, without this special gift they can kiss salvation goodbye.
Gary: Well, John I think that's really true. I've met a lot of people who feel like this. And I had people who asked me, "Are you saved? and I'll say Yes, I have the assurance of salvation in Christ and they'll follow it up immediately with, "Well, do you have the gift of tongues?".
John: Meaning they are indicating here that with or without these gift, salvation does or does not?
Gary: Well, if I say, No you know I have not been blessed with that gift yet, they've counting it's false and it's like they need to work on me to help me to get into the Kingdom because I'm really not saved.
John: I was holding a Bible Study seminar at one time and we had a lovely lady attending who had told me she was 38 years old. She's been in church all her life. Now i didn't know her heart. But she appeared to live a pretty good life and she sure appeared to love the Lord. And we spoke together about salvation and she said, "Well, John I know that I am not saved". Now, she's almost 40 years old. Being in church all her life, believes she's not saved. I said, "Why?" She said, "because I don't have this gift of tongues". I said, "Have you given your heart to Jesus?". "Yes". "You love the Lord?". "Yes". "You repented?". "Yes". But still she couldn't believe she was saved.
Gary: So John let me ask you a question that when the Bible presents people being saved in the New testament church, especially in Book of Acts for instance you find every time that they're saved, every time that they are baptized and they give their lives to the Lord. It looks like every time that they are immediately given the gift of tongues. Now, isn't that evidence that they are saved?
John: No, that is an overstatement on the part of many. We could know that the disciples were saved people while they were in the upper room even though the Holy Spirit have not even poured out on there. To suggest that a person is only saved once the spirit falls and once the they speak in tongues that is, that's biblically incorrect. There were multitude of people in the Book of Acts who was saved but we had no record of them speaking in tongues at all, ever in any way shape or form. So to over reached and say everyone saves spoken tongues is a statement that just isn't correct.
Gary: But John that is what I'm hearing in many churches and a lot of people are teaching that and surely these pastors can't be wrong.
John: Hahaha, surely my past it couldn't be wrong.
Gary: You know not at all, it's almost gone.
John: How many times that we heard that listen I say surely the Bible can't be wrong. There are so many different variations and versions we know that not everybody out there is right. But in the Bible Talk we talk about the bible and find out what the bible say.
Gary: So John, if saved I received the Spirit of God, that is super clear in the scriptures.
John: That is absolutely true.
Gary: Why don't I speak in tongues? I need some evidence that I am saved by the Spirit. What's that evidence?
John: Well listen, there's two things I want to get to hear. And one of them is that sure God gives you the Holy Spirit but He may manifest that in a variety of ways. Don't forget that. We'll come back to that.
Gary: OK.
John: The Bible says there is real evidence that you been saved and that the Holy Spirit is at work in your life. Do you want to find out what that is?
Gary: I would because if that's not the gift of tongues a lot of people are wondering what is it then.
John: The bible says when the Holy Spirit comes into your life, you will manifest and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. You will received gifts no doubt about it. But it could be one of many gifts.
Gary: So the gifts are different than the fruits?
John: You better believe it. Well we hear about the fruit of Spirit in the Galatians 5. It says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, love, suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness temperance against such there's no law.
Gary: So the fruit everybody sounds like to me they need a hug. Is that everybody means like love, joy, peace and all that.
John: Got to have the fruit of the Spirit. These are your evidence right there.
Gary: Have you ever met an angry Christian?
John: I have to confess that too many times I've been an angry Christian.
Gary: I've met Christians that you wonder that if they were really Christians because they don't have the fruit of the Spirit .
John: You know and that's right when these things manifest in your life you got to say, "Wow, where is my connection with God? Do I...Did I remember to include them in my life today?".
Gary: But that would be different than the gifts cause you might not always exercise all the gifts or even any one gift twenty-four hours a day but twenty-four hours a day we should have the fruit of the Spirit.
John: Jesus said by the fruits you will know. He did not say by the gifts, by the fruits. Just because someone does this or that or appears to manifest gifts. Listen some people can't be Jesus, and said, "Lord, didn't we do great things? Cast out demons." These are acts that can only be done by the Holy Spirit in the genuine form.
Gary: I hope John that our listeners as they hear you explain this. I hope that somebody is getting peace. I remember a lady that I visited with similar to the lady that you just mentioned. She didn't have any peace because she didn't have the gift of tongue. So when I showed her the difference between fruits and gifts. You could just see a visible change of her countenance. Peace came over her. And she said, "That gave me so much peace". Because she did have the fruits of Spirit.
John: Absolutely. The Bible says as many as are lead by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Gary: So John let me ask you a question then because there seems to be implied in a lot of teaching that I've heard. Doesn't everyone who saved get the gift of tongues?
John: OK. Everyone who saved has to got the fruit but as for the gifts that might differ.
Gary: Well let that show that to me. I mean we all has gifts. Because I've read that in Acts 2. It says, "You'll received...be baptized and you'll received the gift of the Holy Spirit." So everybody gets gifts. Don't they all get the gifts of tongues as well as the fruit of the Spirit?
John: The Bible answers that very very very clearly. Let me say if you want to know about gifted tongues. Take your bible and read.....there are two key chapters. 1 Corinthians 14, we covered that last time on Bible Talk. And 1 Corinthians twelve. And if you read this the Bible talks too specifically for you to be confused about. Are you ready here?
Gary: Where are we going today.
John: 1 Corinthians 12 and we'll pick it up in verse 4. Why don't you read that?
Gary: OK. It says 'Now there are diversities of gifts, different types of gifts, but the same Spirit'.
John: Verse 5.
Gary: And there are differences of administrations but the same Lord.
John: OK how about verse 6?
Gary: And there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all and in all.
John: OK. Now verse seven says the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man, every woman, every person to profit withal. That means you get the gifts of the Spirit so that everybody might profit.
Gary: So we are not cookie cutter Christians here.
John: No.
Gary: Not everybody is going to look alike because it says there are differences of gifts, administrations and operations. But it is the same God working behind.
John: Now I say thank God that he allows us to be individuals, he allows us to be unique and he gives us gifts that are tailored to us. And we don't all have to have the same gift.
Gary: OK. I understand that.
John: You see, we see in verse 8, how about you read verse eight and just go through this very clearly because this makes it so clear that no one gift is the proof that you are saved.
Gary: For to one is give by the Spirit the word of wisdom.
John: So one has wisdom.
Gary: OK. To another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.
John: Same Spirit, different gift.
Gary: To another faith by the same Spirit.
John: All right.
Gary: To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
John: Sure.
Gary: To another the working of miracles.
John: So here is a bunch of different gifts. In fact it goes on to list, I want you to work through this list for a purpose.
Gary: To another prophesy, to another discerning of spirit, to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
John: OK, so you see these different gifts to different people. And you'll notice that the gift of tongues that some people believe is the 'be all and end all' comes way down near the bottom of the list. I don't think it means that it's less important but it sure doesn't mean it's preeminent.
Gary: Well, later on it does talk about the gift of tongues and the orders. Isn't there a hierarchy of gifts? Aren't some gifts more important than others, because Paul makes a point in chapters 13 and 14 of I Corinthians, desire love. You should follow after love number one, and then prophecy. So it sounds like prophecy is more important than some of the other gifts.
John: Well that may be so, you know. Perhaps in this thing Paul really is just saying, there is one gift that under your circumstances it would be more beneficial than this other thing. I want to read verse 11 of chapter 12.
Gary: OK.
John: He says all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit. Read the rest of the verse, would you mind?
Gary: Dividing or giving to every man severally as he wills.
John: As who will?
Gary: As the Spirit chooses.
John: Means the Spirit decides what gift you should have. Right?
Gary: That's obvious there.
John: So when the preacher comes to you and says you've got to have the gift of tongues. Is that Biblical? NO the Holy Spirit comes and decides. Right?
Gary: That's very clear.
John: Sure. So let God decide and should God choose to give you that gift, praise His name and if He doesn't, praise Him anyhow. Further in the chapter, we come down to verse 28.
Gary: It says this, and God has set some. So God is doing this. That your point you have been making.
John: Absolutely. God decides what gift you get and be happy with whatever you get.
Gary: God has set some in the church, first apostles.
John: First apostles.
Gary: Secondarily prophets.
John: All right.
Gary: Thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
John: At the bottom of the stack. Again I wouldn't say that means it is insignificant. But if it was the gift of all gifts, it'd be way out in front wouldn't it be.
Gary: You know John, I think that's a really important point. Because when I first became a Christian I was told if you are going to be a bonafide certified Christian, you have to speak in tongues. And yet when I read this, I discovered it wasn't the certification, love is, according to the context here.
John: Absolutely.
Gary: And tongues is actually one of the least gifts and Paul says that in fact in 1 Corinthians 14.
John: You are exactly right. Verse 29 makes this very clear that no one gift is the hallmark of salvation. It says are all apostles?
Gary: No they are not.
John: OK. Are all prophets?
Gary: Obviously not.
John: Right, I am not a prophet, and as far as I know you are not a prophet. Are all teachers?
Gary: Definitely not.
John: Not everyone is given that gift of teaching.
Gary: I have heard some people who felt they were teachers and they were not.
John: Ought to be somewhere doing something else, right. OK. Are all workers of miracles?
Gary: No they are not.
John: Clearly not. OK. Have all the gifts of healing? Verse 30.
Gary: No.
John: No. all right. Then it says 'do all speak with tongues?'
Gary: And here is where some people would say 'yes they should'.
John: Right. That would be way out of step with the flow of scripture. And then it says, do all interpret? No, the answer is no. Covet earnestly the best gifts. Yet show I unto you a more excellent way and then as you said, he goes on to recommend love for absolutely everybody.
Gary: So this emphasis on tongues that some people place is really an overemphasis and we could even say in many cases, it may be an unbiblical emphasis.
John: Unbiblical and unhealthy. Listen, people have been led to believed they are not saved because they don't have this gift, but friend you can know you are saved if you know and love and have fallen in love with Jesus Christ.
Gary: That really is the true evidence of salvation. A love experience that leads us to trust and obey him.
John: God wants you to have that relationship with his dear son. And we recommend that to you today also. I wish we had more time but we are out. Be sure to join Gary and me next time for more here on Bible Talk.
Recording: If you'd like more information on what we've been studying today, we have a comprehensive Bible study guide we'd love to share with you that's absolutely free. This study includes many of the texts we've just discussed and expands on the subject including information you want to know. To receive this free informative Bible study guide, simply call, write or email and ask for BT 128 Speaking in Tongues. The toll free number is 866-BIBLESAYS. That's 866-242-5372.
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