 We receive words that are not our own. Whenever you talk about tongues, you always elicit some emotional reaction. I don't care who it is, oftentimes you're going to find people, particularly on the charismatic or Pentecostal side who are defensive because of an experience that they've had. It'll boil down to going back and forth and them telling those who don't believe what they believe that you just don't have faith, you're just not filled with the spirit. But is it that simple? What has happened is that we just have not read the Bible correctly. And when I say we, I mean those who hold to this view of this speaking in tongues that sounds more ecstatic, more babbling, more gibberish-like. So what I wanted to do was I wanted to look at some of the people, some of the proponents who have given some teachings on tongues and let's just see where they're wrong and make no mistake about it. They are wrong. They go against the Bible. It is literally the Bible versus them. Before we get going, I want to kind of give a little bit of background on how and why we even have tongues or the actual proper terminology would be language. The word that's used in the Greek for the word tongues is the Greek word glosai, which means either one languages or it can mean the actual member in your mouth, the actual tongue. But for us and this conversation, we're obviously speaking about these languages. Are these some special spiritual language? Is it a known language like English or Spanish or German, some angelic language? What is it? So let's recall how God first introduces these diverse languages. God tells the people to be fruitful to multiply all over the earth and so what do they do? They disobeyed. They stayed in one place and built this great city. God has to come down and confound the languages. And so when God confounds the languages, what do they do? They scatter. So it's the use of these languages to get people to move about the world. However, what they did not do as they were supposed to, as they should have, was to take the glory of God with them. And so as the world feels with evil, God shows particular interest in the nation of Israel, the children of Israel. And he gives them, as he says in Romans, as Paul says in Romans, the oracles of God, the revelation of God. We find out that it's always been God's mission that God's plan to involve the entire earth, not just the children of Israel. Paul lets us know that in Galatians and Ephesians and we're going to read it also again and we're going to also read about this mystery in Acts. But before we go there, it's important to understand, obviously, that most of you know that these languages, this gift is a spiritual gift. But we need to understand what is the purpose of these spiritual gifts. Because what we're seeing is we're seeing a lot of this. And none of that is how God ever intended it. Spiritual gifts are given for, as Jesus says, so that we would testify of him. Call what he says in John. In chapter 15, verse 26, So they're going to testify of who? A generic God of the Holy Spirit? No, they're going to testify of Jesus. They're not going to testify of the goodness of God in their life that God has blessed me. God is going to do this in my life. God has done that. No, they are going to testify of Jesus. The whole point of every spiritual gift, and we're going to see this, is so that the church can be built, can be grown. And there's a reason why we need this particular gift, this one that we're talking about now, this gift of languages, because remember when Jesus meets the apostles, these disciples in Acts 1-8, what does he say? He says that you shall be my witnesses after you receive the Holy Spirit and come upon you, you shall receive power and then what? You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea. Well, that's fine. They're used to Jerusalem and Judea. In that region, there are Jews, people who speak the same language. So not a problem. Then he says not only Jerusalem and Judea, but also into Samaria. These are these Samaritan cousins who also speak the same language. Here's where the part gets a little iffy, a little dicey, a little complicated. We've got a problem, Houston, because when we go to the uttermost parts of the world, they don't all speak the same language. So what are we going to do? How am I going to testify about you, Lord, to someone who doesn't know what I'm saying? Enter in the spiritual gift of languages. Remember, God is trying to build up his church for every spiritual gift he's given. He's not giving these gifts for you to shower upon yourself the love of God. It's not that God has given you a gift so that you can love yourself. I have the gift of healing, so I want to heal myself. I have the gift of giving, so I want to give to myself. That is not what God has gifted us for. The purpose of each gift is for the benefit of others. And we're going to see that later on. And so does what Jesus says is going to happen? Does it actually happen? Well, sure it does. In Acts 2, we know the story. The Holy Spirit comes upon them and they begin speaking these languages. Well, now it's real important to understand why he's doing what he's doing, the way he's doing it. There are only a few times in the Bible where we see these languages actually being spoken. One, in Acts 2, Acts 8, it doesn't specifically say so, but we are pretty sure we all agree that these people down in Samaria, that they speak in these languages. We know so because Simon the sorcerer sees it and he wants to pay for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then we see it at Cornelius's house. Then we see it with John's disciples, John the Baptist who was running around the country. So we see that with him. Well, why did it happen this way? Well, remember, Jesus says, you're going to be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea. So on the day of Pentecost, what happens? In this region, the first region, this is where they see the Holy Spirit poured out and they begin speaking these languages and who receives it first? These Jewish apostles. Then we see these other Jews from other lands who speak differently. So he's going to deal with Jews first. Then after Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria. So the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit. But what's interesting is they did not receive the Holy Spirit under the hand of anyone who is not a Jew, specifically anyone who is not a Jewish apostle. Philip is down there and they believe but they did not receive the Holy Spirit. So who shows up? Peter and John. Why? Well, because they are the ones who are going to give validity to what these Samaritans do, which is receive the Holy Spirit. What God doesn't want is a divided church. There are prejudices and favoritisms and even racism. Like it is in some cases today, certainly at that point, the Jews did not get along with a lot of people who were not Jewish. As a matter of fact, other nationalities and other ethnicities were the same way. But God is trying to build a church, a body and he didn't want these frictions and schisms. So if the apostles, these Jewish apostles, who God said he is going to build his church on, Jesus Christ obviously being the chief cornerstone but upon these apostles, their hands give authority and validation to what happened. They did so on the day of Pentecost. It's under their hands that people receive the Holy Spirit. In Samaria, it's under their hands. So Jews could not say that these Samaritans, though they're believers, they don't have the same power that we have. They don't have the same Holy Spirit because who testifies they do? The very same people who witness and gave authority for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Then we go to Cornelius's house. The Bible talks about that and we're going to read this passage and we're going to see what's happening here. And I want to address something that Dr. Michael Brown brings up because he makes an error in this and obviously because it is his inclination to believe that these sort of tongues that we see today are real. He is charismatic and so he believes in this. But do the scriptures bear this out? I don't think so. What makes what Michael Brown says important is that he is the go-to guy for many Pentecostal and charismatic. One because he's a Dr. Brown and he does speak in a scholarly way but that doesn't mean that he's not incorrect. I mean obviously there are doctors who believe opposite of what he believes. And so let's listen to what he says and see if we can notice the error in what he's saying. We see something happens when the Holy Spirit comes and the believer is in Acts 8 when they're baptized in the spirit but doesn't say they spoke in new languages. But in Acts 10 and in Acts 19 they speak in languages or they speak in tongues and in Acts 19 they also prophesied. What kind of tongues were those? Were they other languages? We don't know. It certainly wasn't to reach anyone because there weren't people to reach in these other languages like they were in Acts the 2nd chapter so who was it actually for? Who was it actually speaking about? So one thing that he makes note of is that this use of tongues this use of languages was not to reach anyone. Well, we're not in a position to say so because we know that people came to the Lord as a result of this. Now, it doesn't let us know if only the people who spoke in these languages were the only ones to be saved or if others as a result of it. But there is something that we do know. Jesus said that when this happens they will testify of me. Well, was Jesus testified to here? Yes, he was. There was a witness of Jesus and there's another thing that we need to take into account why there was a need for these languages. I just said that one of the purposes obviously is to testify of Jesus but another purpose is to let the others, Jews also have some sort of validation that others who are not Jewish are also part of the body. Paul tells that all believers have been baptized into this one body. So all believers have the Holy Spirit. But what's happening in Acts is something that is not going to happen ever again. God is unfolding salvation for the masses for a reason. When he starts first with the Jews and the Samaritans as he says and then the Gentiles. And so there needs to be some sort of validation so the Holy Spirit serves as a marker some way that we can all know that we have this commonality that we are all part of this same body. And so it serves as evidence. Let's read this chapter in Acts and see if we can kind of see this. Verse 25 in chapter 10 As Peter was coming in Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up saying stand up I myself a man also and he talked with him and he went in and found many who had come together. Listen to verse 28 Then he said to them You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or to go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. What's Peter getting at here? Hey we've got this issue. We've got these issues but God doesn't want that. Whatever God is clean we are not to be separated. Peter hears this and recalls Peter's dream. And so Peter is talking about this division the schism that he has but wait a second we've got to fix this. And so Peter tells him about the dream that he had about the unclean food and so forth. Verse 34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality but in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him. So he's making it clear that Jews thought that they were God's people and only they were God's people. Peter is letting us know no it's not that's not the case even though it hadn't been fully shown in the past now it is. Recall there's a passage that gets tossed out the quoting of Joel where he says that he shall pour out his spirit on all flesh. Well the word that's used the same word that's used in Hebrew the same word in Greek it's colon in Hebrew but it's pasropon in Greek it means all each or every. How do you know which one it is? Well context oftentimes tells us does God pour out his spirit on all flesh? No. Everyone is not going to have the Holy Spirit everyone is not going to have God's spirit poured out on him but what God does mean is that he's going to pour his spirit out on each flesh on each kind of flesh so there won't be just that he's pouring out his spirit on just the Jews the nation of Israel but also on the Samaritans also on Gentiles. Paul is going to let us know that that was this mystery that was revealed to him that it was always God's intended purpose to bring in everyone. So back to the scriptures the word which God sent to the children of Israel preaching peace through Jesus Christ he is Lord of all. That word you know which was proclaimed throughout Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism of John preached how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with him. Verse 40 him God raised up on the third day and showed him openly not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before by God even to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead so he's letting us know that he wasn't revealed to everyone just these chosen people who happened to be these these Jewish apostles it's important to know that because Jesus is saying that these are the ones that he's building his church off of. Verse 42 and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify remember what he says in John about when they received the Holy Spirit also an ax to preach to the people and to testify that he who was ordained by God was the judge of the living and the dead let's drop down to verse 44 while Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who had heard the word and those of the circumcision who believed were astonished as many as came with Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also for they heard them speak with tongues or languages and magnifying God so the Jews were astonished why because wow this Spirit has been poured out on not just the Jews not just Israel but the Samaritans okay we can see that those are our cousins but even on these Gentiles which goes to the point so far I think everything that I've said so far how I'm lining this up so far it seems to fit it seems to connect right so we've seen the Spirit poured out on the Jews starting with the apostles they are the foundation then other Jews then the Samaritans then the Gentiles again you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the other most parts of the world that means the Gentiles it's happening just like that and there is now no division no one can say it's just us it's all about us Jews you guys are believers that's fine but you're not quite at the same level as we are the authority of the New Testament is written by who? by Paul and Paul is an apostle to who? not to Israel but to the Gentiles then there's one last group who we see speaking these gifts, these tongues, these languages that is the followers of John the Baptist remember they're still running around the countryside preaching repent for the human that happens at hand they're preaching what John was having them to preach but they never had a chance to see or to experience what Jesus was doing and now they come to them and then they receive the Holy Spirit so to kind of answer and to correct what Dr. Brown is saying you cannot say that they weren't speaking in a language to grow the church because we just know that people got saved we just don't know who all it was was it only Cornelius's household? no it doesn't say that it says the Gentiles so which Gentiles it didn't just say just Cornelius's household in 1 Corinthians the 14th chapter Paul says some very interesting things he says that whoever speaks in a tongue doesn't speak to man but to God and whoever speaks in a tongue edifies himself that's not a negative but it's saying that's for private use not for public use and if it's to be spoken in public there needs to be someone who is gifted with interpretation not someone who knows the language but someone who's gifted with interpretation and interpreters someone who has the gift of interpretation that he spoke about in the 12th chapter so what's the point? the point is it's not normative to think that it is an earthly language if it was an earthly language others could understand it now I want to kind of stop there he is off and there is no question that he is off when Paul is writing to the church at Corinth 1 Paul is writing to cover some things that he has talked about before there have been some questions that were asked by them of Paul and Paul is writing back to cover some issues that he has there's been these divisions and obviously again Paul understands and recognizes that God does not want a divided church for any reason whether it be ethnicities or what have you and so the whole point of the book of course Corinthians is that there be no disunity and so Paul starts off the book by speaking about these divisions that are there he deals with these divisions as it pertains to the body as it pertains to these different what we would call the dominational differences as it pertains to marriage but then in chapter 12 he says now concerning spiritual things the word that she was there is the Greek word which means spiritual things but you can take the spiritual gifts that's fine so now concerning these things meaning that we got some issues regarding spiritual gifts and so he says brothers I don't want you to be ignorant regarding these things meaning what you have been acting and exercising things in a way that was ignorantly done unknowingly well what is he says well therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the spirit of God Paul's Jesus occurs and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit well what do you mean that seems to be a little bit confusing right well what he means is this you all have the Holy Spirit the way that you say Jesus is Lord is because of that but you cannot have that same Holy Spirit and then say Jesus is a curse well Paul who's saying Jesus is a curse you are that's why I'm telling you I don't want you to be ignorant concerning these things you are this is my take and see if it flows you are unknowingly saying things that you should not one of those things you're saying is that Jesus is a curse well how do you do that well if you're speaking in this battle in this ecstatic language to some it's going to sound like you are saying Jesus is a curse you don't know what you're saying you're just speaking let's see if what I say holds true going forward but Paul says something very important about spiritual gifts especially tongues in verse 7 look what he says but the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the profit of all for the benefit of all the purpose of these spiritual gifts is for the benefit of all for others it's not for you it's for others you've got this particular gift but you exercise the gift on yourself no it is for the benefit of others he's going to relay this or repeat this thing again in chapter 14 and so it's important if we know that the purpose of these spiritual gifts are to testify of Jesus that's the purpose to grow and build the body to purify the body and Paul just says that these gifts are not for you but for all for everyone else so keep that in mind and so Paul is trying to let them know that you should not favor any one particular gift over the other because what happens if you see a gift that you think is that's the good gift that's the gift that everyone is talking about that everyone seems to go crazy over well I want that because I want to have that same sort of of connection with God it's kind of like when God sits and watches a football game or a basketball game or a baseball game I want to be that guy I want to be that quarterback I want to be that man or someone is singing I wish I could sing like that person same thing with these spiritual gifts and Paul says don't desire these particular gifts first of all it's the Holy Spirit that gives you the gifts anyway but don't desire and compete these one why because you're going to exercise them or try to exercise in these gifts in a way that's inappropriate and it's not you we've got a hand, we've got a foot we've got an eye, we've got an ear and neither one of our body parts can act or try to be the other part neither body part is useless or not as important, stub your toes stub your little toe and see what happens to the rest of your body have a little small headache a little small nerve in your brain can knock you out just set you back right a cold or sniffle so every part of the body is important and Paul relays that as it pertains to this church body but before we get to chapter 14 there's chapter 13 we call the great love chapter right well why is that there because Paul is saying this is the attitude that all these spiritual things ought to be coupled under out of love I've got this gifting and I'm going to use it on the other believers of the body to grow the body because of love, why the love of God I love him so much and because I love my fellow man I want to see them come to an understanding that I have about Jesus Christ and so I want to tell them but here's where we get off verse 1 Paul says and so some are going to say that this is this angelic language the difference between chapter the difference between acts and 1 Corinthians is acts was about an actual language but 1 Corinthians is about this angelic language well Paul is going to is going to kind of debunk that in just a little bit here but just in verse 13 we know he's not speaking seriously about some angelic language but when he's speaking hypothetically well let's read the next verse and though I have the gifts of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains but have not love, I am nothing Paul's point is that love is the mechanism that causes us to do what we do if I do whatever I do if I don't have love, I'm nothing how do we know he's speaking hypothetically well does Paul have all knowledge does he understand all mysteries do we know that has Paul ever removed a mountain no, Paul is speaking hypothetically if I can do all that stuff no matter how great you think I am if I don't have love, I'm nothing same with you guys, you all are fighting for a particular gift for love of others, no but for love of self, you're trying to edify yourself and I made that, I said that purposefully because the question keep coming up or the answer keep coming up as to the purpose of speaking in tongues was to edify self that's not what Paul is saying at all, I won't get into this issue of cessation if certain gifts cease or not, at least right here I'm going to cover something in just a little bit and then I'll let you draw your conclusions after that when Michael Brown says that these tongues are to edify yourself well now we got a contradiction don't we you just told us the purpose well Jesus told us the purpose of spiritual gifts are to testify of him which in doing so builds the body up Paul says he just told us that the purpose of these spiritual gifts and tongues are to edify the body it's for everyone else but now we're saying that it's for edifying yourself, well no in every language the word but is a word of contrast even in Hebrew even in Greek it's a word of contrast if I say hey to a friend, this person really likes you they think you're a great person they're a great person as well they have great parents come from a good background nice job well mannered loves the Lord but well I just nullified or just kind of ran over everything I said that was nice before I said but because now you're worried about what's happening after the but it won't be at the same level or good like the first portion is it's a contrast and the contrast is not that they're both going in the same direction if they were on the same levels talking about the same thing we would use the word and so Paul is going to use this word but to contrast something so he says pursue love and desire spiritual gifts but especially that you desire that you may prophesy so wait a minute why should someone desire that they prophesy especially considering that spiritual gifts are not something that we can desire or get well he doesn't what he is speaking about is and I'll show you this in the Greek the word prophesy has two meanings the word prophesy really just means a revelation and so to give a revelation of God there's two types of revelations that there can be one a foretelling meaning this is going to happen in a few days or in a year or what God is going to do in the land and then there's a forth telling telling what God has said what God is revealing primarily through his word now we have to remember also in these days there was no written word for everyone to see and so part of what people were doing this gift that they were getting was the ability to also just reveal God's plan of salvation what God has done what Jesus Christ has done just testifying of him that fits and there are numerous examples especially in antiquity that shows us how this word in just your regular old course of business that this word is used generically not of God's revelation but just as a revelation in general just of what's happening of just telling something that someone has said and in this case telling what God has said and so God says that we should decide to do that I want to show you something in just a second to how we know that's exactly what he's talking about the Greek makes that clear verse 2 these two are contrasted why? it's not because they are both on the same level that one is a benefit and the other one is also a benefit no there's a contrast if I say to you hey what did that guy say and the guy says to me only God knows that's where the phrase comes from only God knows he is speaking mysteries to God only God knows what he's talking about what he's talking about but the person who is giving these revelation he does what? he speaks edification exhortation and comfort to men isn't that what we're supposed to be doing isn't that the whole purpose of the body one if the way you take these tongues are to build up yourself you're not doing what God said to do you're not following the purpose of these spiritual gifts you're not putting yourself up is that a good thing? where in the scriptures it says that the spiritual gifts are ever used to build up yourself you won't find a passage where the spiritual gifts are used to edify yourself what about when this person prayed for themselves no praying for yourself is not a spiritual gift what spiritual gift is used to this guy has a gift of healing so he healed himself Paul had the gift of healing did he heal himself I recall God saying basically I'm paraphrasing shut up my grace is sufficient so let's stay consistent with the scriptures verse 4 he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself but he who prophesies edifies the church but he who prophesies edifies the church I wish you all spoke with languages but even more that you prophesied for he who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in these languages unless indeed he interprets that the church may receive edification so there needs to be some edification of the body for this to be good two things one in English notice there's a contrast there's a difference between the singular word tongue and the plural word tongues why? because the person speaks in a tongue there's only one type of ecstatic babbling right? the person does this whatever you're saying all you're doing is edifying yourself you're making yourself feel good you're building yourself up now the person who speaks in these plural languages those are different languages how would you refer to those languages you wouldn't refer to two, three, four or five different languages in a singular sense you would refer to them in a plural sense that's what Paul is doing he's going to contrast the singular versus the plural the Greek lets us know what the purpose of speaking in these languages is he says something in verse one and in verse five in the Greek that makes it a little clearer he says that I desire but desire the spiritual things then he says our English says that you may especially that you may prophesy well especially that you may prophesy is not actually the word it's which is rather in order that you prophesy that you give this revelation he says the same thing again in verse five where verse five says now I want you all to speak in languages your English says but even more to prophesy the word that's used there there's this henna that's used there which it means in order he says rather but in order you prophesy or in order but in order that you prophesy that you preach remember I'm saying this is what the word the context for this word means in this context that you preach that you give a revelation and so I want you if you're going to speak in these languages that you do so in order to preach the gospel is that kind of making sense remember he's saying that I want you Jesus I want you to preach me I'm the gospel preach me when you have the Holy Spirit you're going to do that and we keep seeing it every instant so far that we've seen of someone speaking in these languages the gospel was spoken Jesus was testified to and the church was added to in every case so that's the reason for the speaking in these languages and whoever speaks in a tongue that's not a negative that's for private use not for public use and if it's to be spoken in public there needs to be someone who is gifted with interpretation not someone who knows the language now he says that these languages are for that there's a way to do it in a private use and as a public use somebody quick show me the verse show me the example of anyone ever in scripture speaking in these languages in a private use in a private setting we talk about someone going into their prayer closet and speaking or praying in tongues by themselves is there ever an example of that ever in scripture? No there's not now I'm going to address Romans 10 in a little bit but we don't have that issue we don't have that brought out in scripture anywhere so when you say this is happening you're saying so without any scriptural evidence that's not a good thing it's best for someone of his stature someone who is a doctor who would say something without having any biblical evidence to back that up to think that it is an earthly language if it was an earthly language others could understand it and Paul could simply say don't speak it unless you have someone else who understands that language to make the statement that it is not an earthly language again give me the proof because we're going to read in just a second where Paul basically lets us know that this gift like every other gift there is some knowledge to it there is some understanding to it like other languages and again every time we've heard it there is someone who spoke a different language coming to know Christ and again the point is there are no examples ever in scripture of anyone speaking some angelic language so let me just stop there in Romans 10 we bring out this passage about the Holy Spirit having these or causing these groanings that are too deep for utterances but here he clearly says in the word we don't know what we should pray for but the spirit itself make it intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered the word that is used there is the word stenogmos which means it's an inward sighing and this inward sighing it says that these are groanings that cannot be uttered verbalized if it cannot be verbalized why would you then turn around and say that we're verbalizing it so he's not speaking about some sort of angelic prayer language some groanings that are verbalized they cannot be verbalized stop saying this passage has to do with tongues you are making a mockery of the scriptures you simply don't understand the scriptures or you're trying not to even in English it says these are groanings that cannot be uttered and then you turn around and say that they have been uttered verse 6 paul says now brothers if I come to you speaking in languages how will I benefit you unless I bring some sort of revelation or knowledge or prophecy unless you don't understand what I'm talking about how will it benefit you even if lifeless instruments such as a flute or harp do not give distinct notes how will anyone know what it's played and if the bugle gives a distinct sound who will get ready for battle look what he says verse 9 so with yourself if with your tongue he's speaking in this case about the actual member you utter speech that is not intelligible how will anyone know what is said for you will just be speaking into the air let me stop paul has given two insults so far we didn't catch him if a person says you what did he say only God knows as he says earlier those are not compliments don't take them as such he is intentionally saying as a way of putting you down as a way of saying you're doing it the wrong way you're just speaking into the air what context would I ever say to you that he's just or she's just or they're just speaking into the air and you would take that as a positive as an acceptable practice no or only God knows what he's saying you're speaking to God maybe God knows what he's talking about that's where that comes from in that day for greeks for greeks speaking people in that day he's just speaking to God he's speaking mysteries in the air that's not a compliment guys that's not what that means there are doubtless many different languages in the world and none is without meaning but if I do not know the meaning of the language I will be affording to the speaker and the speaker will be affording to you that's not good I don't want to speak and then you don't understand what I'm saying because every time we see languages being spoken who are they speaking ever is there every example of anyone speaking languages these tongues to God no they're always speaking to other people and the people hear it and other people respond when they hear these languages being spoken so yourself since you are eager for the manifestation of the spirit strive to excel in building up the church uh oh two things one he says I get why you guys are doing this you're just zealous and eager for the spiritual encounter but if you want these spiritual gifts desire to do what does he say in building up the church or edifying the church does he say to desire to edify or build yourself no well that's in keeping with what I've been saying also you speak the mysteries it's like a coded language Satan does not understand man does not understand so when you pray in the spirit in an unknown tongue in my first tongue when you're praying in the spirit you're praying a mystery not known to man but known by the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is praying through you man I'm not really going to address Paul white too much and I don't want to be mean but in terms of being able to exude the passage in terms of understanding scriptures I seriously doubt she understands anything happened to with Hebrew or Greek but even the English to even delve deeply into because they're not deep themselves just to notice that she makes a mockery of it even when you listen to her praying or speaking in English and forgetting what to say and just going to so when this guy Ruslan makes a statement that he's spoken in tongues he's experienced something happen people say that often something happened I know what I felt I speak in tongues I'm not quite sure on like the baptism the second baptism something definitely happened to me post salvation where I fell out and it was a wild experience I couldn't move and then someone put their hand on my face and said speak child and I spoke in tongues and it was real and I've done it since and it's well here's a response I don't care what you felt don't care what you think you experienced some folks felt like they went to heaven back went to heaven and back no you didn't I don't care what you felt what you thought some people many you can testify to this felt like they were in love and what happened well this is nothing was it was heartburn who knows our feelings do not ever supplant the word of God ever I don't or nor do our experiences trump what the word says and we can all agree on that but one of the funny things is we think that if we pray a certain way and I think Paula White said the same thing we pray a certain way that the devil won't understand it well first of all the devil doesn't speak English and how he interacts with us is with our heart and our mind the devil doesn't have the ability to interrupt what God is doing and if it's this coded language this secret prayer language I got a question you that think I'm wrong in speaking these tongues when you speak in tongues what happens what changes how come you seem to be getting the same level of attack as you were previously how come you suffer the same things at the same rate that the rest of us who don't speak these tongues why is that happening because if nothing is changing with you spiritually then what's the point I've demonstrated and said what the point is if you do it what I say is the correct way speaking these languages to testify of Christ what happens to church's attitude but what happens when you do it if you believe you shall you will speak in tongues the Bible does not lie so if you haven't received it yet it's something to do with your faith and a lot of people they get mad you're going to see people arguing in the comments but that's really what it is and so when he says it there that it demonstrates a lack of faith well I'm going to disagree you show me what you've done with your faith and I'll show you what I've done with my faith you show me if we want to get to the point we don't want to do this but when you start attacking people's faith and their love and their sincerity and whether they're safe then let's start counting fruit how about that since Jesus said that if we're in him we want to bear fruit let's start counting scouts how many people have been led to Christ well we don't want to do that nor should we attempt to belittle someone else who differs with what we believe theologically by attacking or imputing their faith so check it out, Acts 238 then Peter said to them repent one action and be baptized two actions every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost that's three separate actions well you don't have to be baptized it says clearly that if you're not baptized you will be damned in the Bible and marked and it's not talking about being baptized in the Holy Spirit you see here it's three separate actions you repent you were baptized and then you receive the Holy Ghost then you receive the Holy Spirit and so I need to cover these things where he speaks in Acts 238 okay so he relates that as being three different actions that seems like he might have a point well not so in Greek which again I don't know what his level understanding of Greek is but in Greek this was called this ep exegetical chi it's where we use the word chi which means an as a way to say the same thing in multiple different ways often times in scriptures you're going to see where God would say the same thing many different ways how does a person become a believer is it by repenting by being baptized we start going down the list of all the things that have said regarding salvation we might come up with a list of you have to do this, this, this and this right well no it's just the same way of saying it's the way of saying the same thing different ways like he refers to John 3 where he says to Nicodemus be born of water and spirit well they'll take it that you're born of water and spirit you guys know it's what's called the exegetical chi and of course if you read further down in John 3 those two elements water and spirit end up becoming one element and he's referring to what happened what God is speaking of in Ezekiel about how he's going to pour his spirit into man and wash them and so he uses the word spirit and water interchangeably speaking about what he's going to do with his spirit in man's heart Mark 16, 17 and these signs this is the important one and these signs will accompany those who believe these signs will some versions say these signs shall accompany those who believe in my name they will drive out demons they will speak in new tongues they will speak if you believe you will speak in new tongues and then he focuses on Mark chapter 16 the latter part well to rebut that two things one either and I take it this way the latter half I'm one who believes that the latter half of Mark is not in the originals it was added but let's say I'm incorrect and it does belong fine it doesn't change anything because if you're going to say that those people who are saved by the way a case can be made probably not the strongest case but a case can be made that he's speaking of those those disciples I don't think that's a strong point but let's say these are the signs that shall follow them and he's clear that if you don't speak in tongues it's because you're not saved because these are the signs that shall follow them so my brother Marcus or anyone else who believes that have you Marcus or anyone else have you cast out any demons have you laid hands on the sick and caused them to recover maybe I don't know if you've even gone so far as to raise the dead have you maybe drank some poison have you played around with some serpents have you done all these things because it's not just these tongues that you say that believers who feel this way shall do is other things have you done those things and I'm pretty sure you're going to say well not all of these things right and so you can impugn folks for not doing this that you say you do the tongues part but not the other part and so I know some people are going to have issues with what I'm saying that's fine the question is this if we don't have a biblical example of what you're saying why would you say it why would you follow that if God has given you what you need in the scriptures there's a couple things you need to remember every time that we see tongues what's there, what's present one testimony of Christ two an apostle one of the apostles not one of these modern day apostles but one of the apostles are there they lay hands on it secondly it's always a known language we don't have any examples of this angelic language the reason why thirdly that some people believe that these gifts have ceased one reason is after first Corinthians we don't see this issue of tongues being brought up so was it just for the growing of the church at that time now when someone asks me hey do you believe that these gifts of tongues are still around that they've ceased again I don't mind saying I don't know and so I'll say I don't know because Paul did say don't forbid tongues and somebody will say well that was for that time well I don't know I'll leave it like this if a person says that they have that gift as long as if I see it done just the way Paul was saying it just the way that the scriptures have been evidence for that it's an actual language then amen because there are still some people on the planet who don't speak any known language that we have and who have not heard the gospel how does God reach them I don't know so I'm not going to foreclose it I'll just say this I've never seen it I've seen what people say it is but if you think you have the ability then fine do it the correct way there needs to be an actual language and somebody needs to be hearing the testimony of Jesus Christ so are these people who have this understanding of this ecstatic gibberish babbling that no one can understand where they're just edifying themselves they do it in their own prayer cause of their own prayer time for the benefit of them and not others is that the correct way no that is absolutely the incorrect way that is the unbiblical way that is the ungodly way that is the selfish way of doing it I don't want to rush about it but it's the truth regardless of what and it was a time when I was at the Pentecostal church where I believed that I spoke in tongues and I go back and look at it yeah did I really I mean what happened we were just sitting around and got kind of caught up because I asked this question how come we never see people who speak in these languages do so in the grocery store or at school or at work guy has a court date for a traffic ticket speaking tongues there speaking tongues at the job interview you're on the train or the bus or in an Uber you're on the airplane speaking speaking tongues on the airplane watch what happens so I just say be consistent stop letting your Holy Spirit stop outside the church door it's only in a church meeting or at the church or in private or around some other Christian settings but this is what I do now with a sincere heart if you are praying in English or you're talking to someone about Jesus in English or whatever language it is in it's going to be to magnify God and to grow the body either in numbers or spiritually speaking so I hope this has been helpful if anyone has a disagreement that's fine please leave a comment I'll try to address it and then we'll keep it classic keep it clean we'll keep it moving and if we need to do another video okay