THE HOLY SPIRIT    (#8)

     A very pleasant good morning to each one in our radio
audience. How good it is to have you study with us. This program is
presented to you by the congregation of people who make up the
White Park church of Christ. Our building is located just one block
south of Interstate 10 at the Hankamer exit, that's highway 61. You
have a cordial invitation to be our guest at any or all of our
services. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised to see the
simplicity of New Testament worship.
     For the past few weeks we have been studying on the subject of
the Holy Spirit. In our study last week we discussed the
diversities of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit as listed by the
apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. Time did not permit us
to go into a detail study of the last two of these gifts: tongues
and the interpretation of tongues. Thus, let us inquire in our
study today as to what was practiced in the first century when the
Bible speaks of the speaking in tongues.
     The word "tongue" as used in the New Testament is taken from
the Greek word, "Glossa."  It is sometimes used simply to identify
the organ of the physical body called the tongue. In Mark 7:33, we
find that Jesus touched the tongue of a man who had an impediment
in his speech and the man was instantly healed and he spoke plain.
In Luke 16:24, we read of the rich man in torment who requested
that Lazarus would dip his finger in water and cool his "tongue."
In both of these cases the word tongue simply means the organ of
the body contained within our mouth which we call the tongue.
     We have in our English language a figure of speech called
Metonymy. Metonymy is defined as "use of one word for another that
is suggests, as the effect for the cause, the cause for the effect,
the sign for the thing signified, the container for the thing
contained." (Webster's Dictionary).  And illustration of metonymy
would be when one might say, "That is my favorite dish." Is the
person talking about the plate or about what is on the plate. Jesus
told his disciples to "drink the cup." Was He telling them to drink
the container, or the contents of the container? We have no
difficulty in understand these two illustrations. In like manner,
the word tongue is used to refer to the language spoken by the
tongue. In Acts 2:8, we read, "And how hear we, every man in our
own tongue, wherein we were born?" What is meant? The word tongue
is used matonymously, it simply means the "language." Those who
heard the apostles speak heard them speaking in the language of the
country wherein they were born. Had we been there we would say, "We
hear them speaking in English." In Romans 14:11, "For it is
written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And
every tongue shall confess to God." This passage is simply saying
the tongue speaks. The tongue confesses to God. The tongue utters
words. The tongue speaks in a language. The same thing is found in
Philippians 2:1, "and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Thus, the usage of
the word "tongue" in these passages has reference to the words or
the speech that is spoken by the tongue.
     The word "tongue" is also used to identify a particular
language. Note John 5:2, "Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep
market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesada,
having five porches."  Acts 22:2, reads, "And when they heard that
he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence."
In Acts 26:14, "And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a
voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul,
why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the
pricks."  In these three passages, as well as others, the word
tongue is used to identify a particular language. The Hebrew tongue
or the Hebrew language.
     Sometimes the word "tongue" is used to identify a certain
tribe, nation or people. Note Isaiah 66:18, "For I know their works
and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations
and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory." In Revelation
7:9, "After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude,
which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes
and peoples and tongues; standing before the throne and before the
Lamb..." In these passages the word "tongue" simply means a group
or nation of people who speak one language.
     Sometimes the word "tongue" is used to denote that which is
shaped or has the appearance of a tongue. In Acts 2:5, "And there
appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it
sat upon each one of them." Here there was that which resembled a
tongue, specifically tongues which were like as of fire.  This sign
was evidently given to identify those who had received the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as given to the twelve apostles
there in Jerusalem, as Christ had promised them in Acts 1:5, when
He said to His apostles, "for John indeed baptized with water; but
ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence." Look
back to verse four of Acts 1 and you will see that this promise was
made to His apostles, and not to the 120 later mentioned in the
chapter.
     There are three points which I wish to emphasize just here and
hope that you in our listening audience will keep in mind. First,
the American Standard translation, as well as many later
translations, translates the word "tongue" with the word
"language." The King James uses the word "tongue." Second, the word
"Unknown" as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4, 13, 14, and other
places in the King James Version is not in the original language.
The word "unknown" was supplied by the translators, it is not in
the Greek text as it was written by those inspired men almost two
thousand years ago. The insertion of the word "unknown" has lead to
much misunderstanding and confusion. I know one thing for a
certainty, when the apostles spoke in tongues in Acts 2, the
listeners understood what was said. They heard them speaking in the
tongue (language) in which they were born; that is, their national
language or tongue. Thirdly, the apostles were promised to be able
to speak in "new" tongues. Reading Mark 16:17, "And these signs
shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out
demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up
serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise
hurt them; and they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover."  Indeed, the apostles did speak in "new" tongues. It was
tongues which they had not spoken before, tongues which they had
not learned, languages which they had never studied, languages
which were new to them. If this gift were present today, a teacher
going into another country, for instance Germany, would be able to
speak in the language of that country without having studied or
learned the language. And if one from Germany came to the U.S. and
spoke in the Germany language, the gift of interpretation of
tongues would give that one the ability to understand the German
language without studying or learning it.  A study of 1 Corinthians
14 would show these points. Perhaps we may spend some time in that
chapter in the very near future.
     If you were with us in the previous few studies, you will
remember that we noted from 1 Corinthians 13 that Paul said these
miraculous gifts would cease, or be done away with. They would
cease when the perfect law of liberty was completed. The gifts were
partial, the finished revelation would be complete. These gifts
were for the purpose of confirming the message from Heaven, the
Word of God. When God's Word was thus confirmed there would be no
longer any need for these miraculous gifts.
     Note just here: The gift of speaking in a tongue or foreign
language was not used very much in the first century. There are
only four times that the gift of tongues is mentioned. The first
time was in Acts 2 in the city of Jerusalem. The second time
speaking in tongues is mentioned is in Acts 10, in the City of
Caesarea when the Gentiles in Cornelius household spoke in tongues.
The third time was in Acts 19, in the city of Ephesus when the 12
converts upon whom Paul laid his hands spoke in tongues. The fourth
time was in the city of Corinth where Paul rebukes the brethren
there for their abuse of speaking in tongues.
     Another point of interest is the statement made in Acts 11:15,
when Peter was recalling the conversion of Cornelius and his
household comprised of Gentiles. He said, "And as I began to speak,
the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning."
What Peter is saying is that there was something that happened
similar or like that which happened to the apostles in Acts 2. If
it were a common occurrence for converts to speak in tongues, why
did not Peter say, "The Holy Spirit fell on them as it did upon the
Samaritans (Acts 8), or upon the Ethiopian Nobleman (Acts 8), or in
Damascus (Acts 9), or in Lydda or in Sharon (Acts 9). Why did Peter
say it fell on them as it did upon us in the beginning?? Because it
was not a common occurrence. It had not happened between Acts 2 and
Acts 10.  At least as far as the Divine Record states.  To say that
it was a common occurrence is to speak without divine testimony.
And also it is interesting to note that only ONE epistle speaks of
it.  This is not to say that just because something is not
mentioned often it did not occur; we are just saying that it was
not a common occurrence. At least as far as the Bible tells us.
     Our final point before we close today. Let us compare what we
see in the first century as those early converts spoke in tongues
with what is seen today by those who claim to speak in tongues. In
the first century when tongues were used the audience understood
what was being said (Acts 2:8). The practice of tongue speaking
today is not understood, it is not a language. In the first
century the speaking in tongues was controlled by the speaker (1
Corinthians 14:32). Today it seems to be spontaneous, uncontrolled.
In the first century, tongues were to convince the unbeliever (1
Corinthians 14:22). The practice today is to convince those who
believe. In the first century, if an interpreter were not present,
the speaker of tongues was to keep silent (1 Corinthians 14:28).
Today, the practice is present even though not interpreted. Thus,
we see a vast difference between what is taught in the Word of God
as to what happened in the first century and what is observed in
the religious world today. Could it not be that what we see today
is not the same thing that was being done in the first century. I
leave it to each listener to examine these facts and then to reach
your own conclusions. Be sure that you compare what you see today
with what the Bible talks about in the first century.
     If you have any question as to what I have said over these
broadcasts, please let us hear from you. My soul, as well as your
soul, hangs in the balance as to how we handle God's precious Word.
It is so vital that we "speak where the Bible speaks, and remain
silent where the Bible is silent." Until next week we bid you a
most pleasant good morning.

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