The Sermon On The Mount

I read through the Sermon on the Mount the other day and just found it refreshing to my soul. Thought I'd post it here and encourage you to take the time to read it all the way through and reflect on the greatest sermon ever given.

Matthew 5-7 (English Standard Version)

Matthew 5


1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.


27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.


31 "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.


33"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' 34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.


38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.


43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


Matthew 6


1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.


5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.


7"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.


14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.


16"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.


19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!


24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.


25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.


34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.


Matthew 7


1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.


6"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.



7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!


12"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.


13"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.


15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.



21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'


24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
The Authority of Jesus 28And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Over at the Founders blog

Here is a link to an article about Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill church in Seattle WA. This article is on the Founders blog by Tom Ascol who is the president of Founders Ministries which you can check out at www.founders.org.

For those who don't know, the Founders Ministries is a Southern Baptist ministry that adheres to the doctrines of grace and represents the Southern Baptist churches who are faithful to the doctrine that the founding Southern Baptist "fathers", so to speak, who were reformed in their perspective of the gospel and baptist in their adherence to believers baptism, laid out in the beginning of the SBC.

A cool ministry that I appreciate very much. Anyway, now that I'm off subject, here is the link I was telling you about in regard to Mark Driscoll. Driscoll reminds me a bit of Martin Luther. A bit of a bad boy, with a sometimes foul mouth, quick to repent, and solid in doctrine. If you've never heard him, you should listen to his preaching sometime. I don't always agree with him, but I respect what he is doing there in Seattle and the influence that he has in that culture.

http://www.founders.org/blog/2007/09/ct-on-mark-driscoll.html

-Jacob

Rough Draft of My Book Is Finally Finished!

It's been what seems like forever but I finally have my rough draft finished for my book. I've gone through several different names for the book. First I was calling it "It's Not My Fault I'm A Christian" then I changed it slightly to "It's Not Your Fault That You're A Christian." However after some reflection, I decided to drop the cute title and play on words and go with (at least for now) "Calling Protestants Back to Protestant theology."

The rough draft is 23,989 words, which will equal about a 100 page book I believe. I may very well continue to ponder the title and change it once again, but this title at least captures the purpose of me writing the book. My desire is to challenge protestant Christians to return to the theology (reformed theology) that made them protestants to begin with.

No matter what denomination people are a part of, their roots take them back the reformation and the theology of the reformers. It is this theology that is the most consistent and biblical view of the gospel as summed up by the doctrines of grace.

I'm going to see if I can get a couple of different people to read it and help me revise and edit it, and then I'll hopefully have it ready to submit to publishers very soon thereafter. If nothing else I've learned of some pretty affordable self publishing options that I might go with if I can't get my book picked up by by publishing house (a difficult thing to do for an unpublished author the first time).

I'll keep you informed as things develop!

In Him -Jacob

The Perfect Bible for the Average American "Christian"!

I wonder if Rick Warren and Joel Osteen teamed up with Apple for this one?




-Jacob

Idolatry...Alive and Well!

Kathy Griffen while accepting her Emmy for her show "Life on the D List."

As compassionate as we are to be towards sinners and share the gospel of Christ with all who don't deserve grace, just as we ourselves do not deserve grace, there is still something that I think we should look forward to about God's justice.

One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

I would sincerely hate to be Kathy Griffen or one of the other millions of people like her who mock Jesus and give their worship to the idol of self appreciation or any other idol for that matter.

I think it's fair for Christians to feel two polar extremes when it comes to sinners.

1. We should feel love and compassion for them because we too are sinners just as worthy of destruction whom God has shown love and grace to.

2. We should also look forward to God's triumphant victory over sin and evil (that which He has already won on the cross, but we look to the total fulfillment of in the last days) when Christ returns and everything is put in subjection to Him and everyone will know that He is God.

As much as I long for Kathy Griffin's salvation, I too long for God's hand silencing the arrogant, boastful fools who have replaced the immortal God, the Creator of all things, and worshiped the creature, namely themselves, in His place.

Grace and Mercy are wonderful things... but so is God's justice. Is this not what Romans 9 speaks of? Is not God equally glorified by showing his mercy on His people as He is glorified by making an example out of Pharaoh?

It may seem a dichotomy to some, but I think Christians should love God's justice towards sinners as much as His grace towards sinners. I believe it is biblical to do so.

So may God save and show mercy on Kathy Griffen or may He justly condemn her for her hardened heart, regardless, to God be the Glory forever and ever AMEN!

-Jacob

Christian Yoga? John MacArthur Says No...I agree.

Saw this video at Reformed Geek, had to put it here. Amen Dr, MacArthur... Amen.

By the way, if you haven't ever checked out Reformed Geek, you should. It's one of my favorite blogs that I read on a regular basis.

-Jacob

"Free Will": The Ultimate Christian Myth?

Ask almost anyone, especially in America, whether or not mans will is free and most likely they will tell you "yes, of course." This is no less true, and perhaps even more true, when it comes to the majority of Christian "evangelicals." Let me pause a moment to ask you this same question. Is the human will "free?" Some Christians seem to think that this belief in human "free will" is crucial to the gospel message. The reformed position (that which I hold to) would argue quite the opposite.

Good questions to ask at the beginning of this discussion might be, "Where does the belief in human free will come from?" And "Is it in accordance with Biblical teaching?"

To answer these questions up front I would say:

1.) This belief stems from apparent truth rather than actual truth.

and,

2.) Depending on what you mean by "free will" it may or may not be Biblical.

Let me start with question one and give a little more depth to my simplistic answer. People tend to believe in free will because it appears to be true. For instance, if you are hungry, you decide whether or not you are going to go to Applebees or Pizza Hut. It's your decision... right! It certainly seems so. If you are faced with a decision between doing what is moral and what is sinful, it's up to you, right?

In some sense, this is absolutely true. I think we are Scripturally safe in saying that we as human beings are not forced to do anything against our will. We do that which we most want to do. However, does this necessarily mean that our will is truly free?

As Christians we must submit to the teaching of Scripture. So what does the Bible have to say about the issue of mans will?

While we do not have a specific discourse, persay, on the issue of human will in the Bible, that is not to say that the Bible doesn't reveal the state of the human will.

Consider with me if you will Pharaoh, king of Egypt in the exodus account. I've been reading this account recently once again and something I find interesting is the "hardening" of Pharaoh's heart. Sometimes it very clearly says that "God hardened Pharaoh's heart" and other times it says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. How should we understand this?

I suggest that we should understand this to mean that Pharaoh, a sinful man who did not fear God, did that which he most wanted to do. He hardened his heart. We could, as many theologians foolishly try and do, simply leave it at that. But what then does it mean when it says that God hardened Pharaohs heart? It's nonsense to say that God hardened Pharaoh's heart because Pharaoh chose to have a hardened heart. This is especially nonsense in light of the following passage:

Exodus 9:16-17

"But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go."

God says that He raised Pharaoh up for the purpose of showing His power, so that His name would be proclaimed in all the earth, and yet God says that Pharaoh is exalting himself against God's people. So we see that God made Pharaoh for the purpose of making an example of him and yet He doesn't have to force Pharaoh to do evil, He does it of his own desire. But clearly it is the will of God that Pharaoh's heart be hardened, and it is God who initiates this hardening, not the other way around.

Romans 9:18 adds to this discussion "So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." It is God's choice to harden hearts and to show mercy.

So though Pharaoh did that which he most desired to do, could he have done anything else? No, he couldn't have because he was doing what the LORD willed him to do, although God did not have to force Pharaoh. Interesting, is it not? And lest we think this is an isolated case, here is another prime example: Judas Iscariot.

Have you ever thought to yourself, "What if Judas hadn't betrayed Jesus?" What a thought. If he had not done so Christ would not have died on our behalf becoming sin for us on the cross and propitiating our sins. We'd be in some trouble to say the least. But could Judas have not betrayed Jesus? No, he had to.

As Jesus said in John 17:12 in His high priestly prayer for his disciples "While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled."

Judas had to do what he did for the Scriptures to be fulfilled. Consider Acts 2:23 in Peters sermon at Pentecost when he says "this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." Clearly the plan of God was for Jesus to be crucified, but it was done by the hands of lawless men doing lawless deeds. They were not compulsed by God, they did as they desired to do, yet according to God's "definite plan", according to the will of God.

Some will surely say, "Perhaps God does this with certain people, but not all." Can this be true? Look at Ephesians 1:11.

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will."

It seems that the Scripture teaches that God "works all things according to the counsel of His will." This is pretty inclusive I would say. When you put this together with verses like Daniel 4:35,

"all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"

And Proverbs 16:33

"The lot is cast into the lap,but its every decision is from the LORD."

There are many more verses we could look at that carry similar idea's about God's total sovereignty over all creation and yes even the will of man. It is clear that mans will is subject to God's will, and yet in practice we see only what we desire to do, giving the appearance of "free will."

There is more to consider on this subject as well concerning issues such as being enslaved to sin. When Romans 3:10-12 says "10as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; 11no one understands; no one seeks for God.12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Can we really say that our will is free when we are so in bondage to sin that we cannot even "seek for God" or do "good" in the sight of God?

Then the other side of the coin is that even when we become Christians, we become slaves to Christ. The Spirit of God comes into our life and influences (to say the least) what we do. And as Paul speaks of, even then we struggle between our old nature that we have died to in Christ and our new nature that we have received by the Spirit of God through faith in Christ.

Romans 7:15-20,

"15For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me."

So it seems that our will is not so free after all. In fact it seems that our will is subject ultimately to God's will, and below that it is subject to the effects of sin for both non Christians and Christians fighting their old nature.

Clearly if God allowed true "free will" and allowed us always to do that which we would do on our own, no one would ever choose Christ and be saved because all have sinned (Rom 3:23) and due to that sin "no one seeks for God" (Rom 3:10-12).

It would seem that the belief in human free will is indeed a great Christian myth based on a faulty understanding of the things we perceive and the decisions we make appearing to be freely made. There is much more that could be said on this subject, but it is clear that the human will is not free, at least not in the sense that most people mean when they use such terminology.

Serving Christ,

Jacob Allee

Calvinism...heresy?

A follow up to the last video.... even funnier.

Ergun Caner, Tom Acol, James White.... funny

Someone edited this video together. It made me laugh.



Romans 9... the terror of Arminian's.

James White Cross Examinating George Bryson

No doubt about it. James White is the best apologist around. I love how he forces people to show that they don't know what they are talking about. George Bryson clearly shows here, he does not know what he is talking about.

Answer the question that is asked George!

This is the cross examination portion of a debate over the issues of Calvinism. Specifically Dr. White holds Bryson to the question ragarding John 6:37 and 44. There is no way to answer that question accurately unless you give the Calivinist answer.

-Jacob

John Piper: The Gospel With Little to No Contextualization

I saw this clip over at www.irishcalvinist.com and I had to put it here. I love Dr. Piper.... hand motions and all.

-Jacob

Some Good Thoughts on the Issue of Sin's Origin

The following article is by Steve Cornell on the topic of the origin and nature of sin.

http://thinkpoint.wordpress.com/2007/09/06/where-did-sin-come-from-what-should-we-think-about-sin/


-Jacob

A Simple Reminder

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withers, the flower fades,but the word of our God will stand forever."

A while back my wife and I were driving through the countryside of Kansas, something there is plenty of around here. As we were driving down the country road we both saw the same thing and had the same thought.

There on the side of the road was an abandoned house. Run down to say the least. There was a whole in the roof, most of the paint had pealed off and the house was surely structurally unsound.

The thought that seemed to smack Susan and I both was that this house may have at one time been someones dream house. You could imagine what the house looked like when it was built. You could imagine perhaps a young couple with dreams and aspirations about their life together perhaps having children one day.

I know my wife and I have often thought how nice it would be to own a nice home, a new car perhaps. But what seeing this house did for us was put life into perspective. What lasts forever? Nothing in this world lasts forever. God, His word, Salvation by His grace, these things last forever. Houses do not, cars do not.

I'm reminded of James 4:13-17

"13Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— 14yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." 16As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

We make our plans, we have our dreams and we set out to achieve them. This in itself is not bad, but we can be arrogant in our attitude about it. So many times I know that I make plans and don't consult God. I do things all the time that I think are for God, but I don't ask Him if it's ok.

I suppose my main point is simply this: Be careful how you build. I'm speaking to myself as much as I am you. Dreams and aspirations are great, and often God given. But let us always have the attitude of "if the Lord wills" and everything for His glory.

There are very few things that we do in this life that hold eternal impact. The things that we tend to focus on as important (the material things) they all fade, vanish, and crumble.

Let us remember as Christians that our kingdom is not of this world. We are not home here. This earth and all of creation will one day be destroyed by fire (2 Peter 3:7). So let us be ambitious and have dreams and aspirations, but let us always say "if the Lord wills."

Most importantly, let our dreams and aspirations be focused on those things that are eternal. Growing close to God through His word and prayer, sharing Christ with the lost. Let us focus not on the perishable but the imperishable. What a good and simple reminder an old abandoned house is. There are things that matter during this life and there are things that don't.

Let's focus on what matter's.

1 Peter 1:3-5

3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

-Jacob

Does Jesus Teach Pacifism?

I found this article to be interesting, and answered some questions that I've pondered on in the past. Perhaps it will be informative and helpful to you as well.

http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/2463/John_Piper

-Jacob

Paul Washer on "Decisional Regeneration"

This link will take you to a post over at the Reformed Geek blog. It's worth the few minutes to go there and listen to what Paul Washer has to say on the issue.

http://www.reformedgeek.com/2007/08/28/washer-on-decisional-regeneration/#comment-557


-Jacob

YOU CAN'T TELL ME MY EXPERIENCE WAS WRONG!!!

One of the most common objections I receive from Charismatic Christians when speaking about what tongues is and isn't according to the Bible, is that they have "experienced" a private prayer language, so I cannot tell them that it is wrong and unbiblical because they have "experienced it."

This brings us to the question of ultimate authority. What is the Christians ultimate authority? Is my ultimate authority God and His word, or is my ultimate authority my personal experience? I would think that any real Christian would be ashamed to say "my personal experience is my ultimate authority."

However, even though you'd be hard pressed to find someone willing to admit this, many people act as thought their experience was their final authority. They judge and interpret the Scripture based off of what they've experienced rather than let Scripture judge whether or not their experience is valid.

Such presuppositions lead to false conclusions about what Scripture is or isn't teaching. This is not simply a charismatic issue actually. Many Christians are guilty of doing this regardless of their ecclesiastical background. I'll use the example of Alcohol.

Many Christians consider drinking alcohol a sin, period. Therefore whenever Jesus is said to drink wine, they conclude that it is merely grape juice. This may sound ridiculous to some people, but I know people do it. Their personal convictions regarding alcohol are so strong that they allow their own experience or view point to be the final authority. The truth is that Scripture condemns drunkenness, but not drinking alcohol altogether.

We could list many examples of how Christians can be guilty of letting their own experiences and convictions be their final authority, the point is clear however, we cannot allow this to be so.

Charismatic Christianity has placed such a heavy emphasis on the "experiential" side of things, that the objective word of God is often shuffled to the back. The Bible is very clear about what the gift of tongues is and isn't. But even if you want to contend for a private prayer language, you must do so on the basis of Scripture, if you cannot then you do not have a leg on which to stand.

I've no doubt whatsoever that people have "experienced" powerful, emotional things in their prayer life and worship services. Nonetheless, all experiences should still be subjected to God's word. Should an angel appear to you and tell you to follow another gospel, it may be a real experience, but it stands condemned by God's word according to Galatians 1.

That is an extreme example of course, but should not things like being "slain in the Spirit" and "speaking in a private prayer language" undergo the same Biblical test, regardless of the fact that one may have experienced something. There are many experiences in life that are real but not of God.

So which do you choose to rely on when deciding if something is true and valid to practice as a Christian? Your subjective experience, or God's objective truth?

-Jacob

Where'd All The Calvinists Come From?

The following is a link to a 10 part series by Mark Dever called "Where'd All The Calvinists Come From". I've only read the first two articles so far myself, but I've found them interesting and will be reading the remaining eight. Let me know what you think.

http://blog.togetherforthegospel.org/2007/08/monday-morning-.html#comments


-Jacob

The Church Has No Business Judging Unbelievers

1 Corinthians 5:12

"For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

Yesterday I ran into a situation that broke my heart. As I am going back to school, I have picked up a job working part time at Radio Shack here in Hillsboro. I see lot's of people throughout the day and rarely (to be honest) do I give much serious thought to the condition of their souls. But I met someone yesterday that I believe God used to shake me up in that regard.

A young woman came into the store to take care of some business and as she was paying for the item she purchased she handed me a large sum of $1 bills. She commented that she "gets a lot of those where she works." Thinking little of the comment I casually said "Oh, are you a waitress?" Her response caught me off guard. She said that "you could call it something like that."

Long story short, she was a stripper at a bar in a nearby town. She immediately asked me if I was going to judge her for what she did. About that time I seemed to have a lot of things running through my mind. How do you respond to that?

I told her that I myself am a Christian, and I do disagree with such things, however I didn't judge her as a person. She seemed shocked. I think that above all she expected a "Christian" to pronounce judgement on her. I told her that I too am a sinner, as we all are. I intended to go into sharing the gospel with her, however, about that time a flood of customers came through the door and it didn't seem like I could do that right then, perhaps I should have regardless.

She thanked me for not judging her. She told me that she knew what she was doing was wrong, but it paid for school and her kids. By this time though I could tell she was convicted. She said "I do believe in God and all that, I know He'll forgive me."

I thanked her for coming in, but I was screaming on the inside "don't leave, I need to tell you about Jesus Christ", but I had customers asking me questions. She left the store and I helped the other customers.

After the store cleared out, I was very upset. I prayed to God that He would bring her the gospel and grant her faith and repentance in Christ. I was just so struck by the fact that all she expected from me as a Christian was to pour out judgement on her, condemn her as a sinner and write her off. But the truth is, I was heartbroken for her. She was so lost in her sin. Worse still, she held out hope that God would simply forgive her because she believed He was real.

The church is often times guilty of two extremes. One extreme was that which she expected from me, to react in a condemning fashion and call her a wretched sinner. So many churches are caught up in being self righteous that they have no love or compassion for people such as this girl. They would rather condemn her, judge her as if they were God, and send her away.

The second extreme that the church tends to be guilty of is looking past her sins and simply accepting her because she "believes in God" yet shows no sign of repentance. These kinds of churches equally condemn people to Hell by their lack of concern for genuine righteousness through genuine faith in Christ.

The truth is, the church needs to be busy not judging "outsiders" or unbelievers, and yet not busy overlooking their need for genuine repentance either. The church must be able to look a lost person in the eye and tell them, "I don't judge you. I'm no better than you. I myself am a wretched sinner. However I want to warn you, because I care about you, that you are in danger of judgement. Not from me or any human being, but from a perfect and holy God."

We must find the ability to love sinners, no matter how despicable their sin. We must be willing to share the truth about the need for repentance and faith in Christ regardless of whether it might offend them. The church has no business judging unbelievers, but it is the business of the church to warn unbelievers of God's wrath towards sin and the forgiveness that rests in Christ alone.

I am still anguished that I didn't get to share the truth with this woman about the danger she was in, but I can only entrust her to God now. I do thank God however for this incident. It was reminder for me that I need to be more conscious of the state of people's souls. I am around people who need Christ every day, and everyday I let those people leave my presence without sharing Christ. I realize that there are time where it is not conducive to share the gospel, I'd be a liar if I said to you that I would never let this happen again and that I would share the gospel with every person I meet from now on that I think might need the Lord. I know I will continue to fail time and again. But I thank God for a wake up call. I need to be more broken for the lost, compassionate toward sinful people.

We as the church must always remember that saying "but for the grace of God, there go I." I'm no less sinful than that woman, I've just been granted God's grace. I pray that she will one day know Jesus too. I pray that God will continue to make me more concerned for the lost that are around me. Though I may not always share the gospel when I ought, I pray that I will fail to do so less and less.

-Jacob

What the heck is a "private prayer language?"

The following article should not be considered a personal attack upon Christians of the Charismatic persuasion. Rather it should be viewed as a challenge to my brother's and sister's in Christ to make certain that their theology is in line with God's perfect and infallible word. Whenever belief contradicts Scripture, it is our Christian responsibility to yield to Scripture and adapt our beliefs to it's truth.


If you know anything of the Charismatic movement you've probably heard the term "private prayer language" before. The question that you might have is, what the heck is a "private prayer language?" Well, that's a good question, and it makes sense that you would be confused by such phraseology. After all the Bible doesn't use that language, nor does it even describe something that we could refer to as a "private prayer language." So what is the deal with this issue? Where did it come from? And what should be our response as Christians who believe that the Bible is the only infallible source of truth for guiding our lives in Spiritual matters?

To start off, let's discuss what in the world this is even supposed to mean. I know from personal experience, as a former charismatic myself, what people mean when they say "God has given me a private prayer language." From the charismatic viewpoint this means that God has given them the spiritual gift of tongues that is spoken of throughout the New Testament, with a particular emphasis in 1 Corinthians chapters 12;13 and 14. I would like to note here that the word that is translated "tongues(s)" is the Greek word "glossa." The word glossa could equally be translated as "language(s)" and I wish that it would be in more translations so that the mysteriousness of the word "tongues" would perhaps fade a bit. But none the less, either way it is translated, it refers to the same thing, a language. The question that we run into here is this: "what kind of language is referred to by the Greek word glossa?"

Going back yet once again to the Charismatic viewpoint and their understanding of the gift known as tongues, there is a notable amount of disagreement even within the ranks of the Charismatic movement as to how the gift functions today and what it is for.

Some Charismatics believe it only to be in the form of a private prayer language. By this they mean that it is some sort of God given language that only God Himself understands. Often times it is believed that everyone who receives such a "prayer language" it is indeed there own and no one else has one like it. The purpose of this "gift" has varying explanations depending on whom you might ask in the Charismatic movement.

1. Some say that it is a language that is meant to hide your prayers from the devil that God alone can understand so Satan does not try and hinder your prayers.

2. Some refer to Romans 8:26 where it says "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." They then say that the gift of tongues that God has given them is the Spirit of God speaking through them in ways that they do not themselves understand, and this is what happens when they do not best know how to pray.

3. Other's say that it is to "build up your Spirit" or I've even heard "build up your spirit man." Generally referring to some sort of self edification, a spiritual Pick-me-up. I've heard 1 Corinthians 14:4 used as a defense for this view where it says "4The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church."

And then there are those that have other variations on those 3 things or mix and match.

There are even some within the Charismatic realm (though certainly not all) who claim that if you do not have the gift of tongues then you are not truly a believer because they see the gift of tongues as synonymous with having God's Spirit and being saved.

Finally, most charismatics that I have talked to believe in a secondary "filling of the Holy Spirit." These charismatics are those who do not believe that you must speak in tongues to be saved, rather they often just believe that those who do not speak in tongues "are lacking the fullness of God's Spirit." Generally this is what they refer to as being baptized in the Holy Spirit.

(At Reformation In Progress we deny that there is a secondary experience after salvation where "more" of the power of God's Spirit is received. We will deal with this in a different article.)

Sticking to the issue of "private prayer languages" however, is there actually Biblical support for such a doctrine or practice? I believe the answer is a firm "no."

I think it will be helpful for us to examine what the Bible clearly says about the gift of glossa, otherwise known as "tongues" or "languages." To start, let's look at the first mention of this gift in the Bible.

Acts 2:1-21

"1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine."

Things to notice about this passage.

1. It was Pentecost, a Jewish festival where every devout Jew that had any way of getting to Jerusalem would be there. (1 Cor. 2:1,5)

2. There were men from "every nation under heaven" and therefore many different languages represented at the festival. When the gift of "tongues was given to the Christians they began to speak in languages that, as Galileans, they would not usually know. (1 Cor. 2:5-11)


3. Although the languages were foreign to those speaking them, they were known languages and understood by the people from foreign countries. (1 Cor. 2:8)


If we were to read on in chapter 2, we would find that Peter goes on to tell the people about gaining salvation in Jesus Christ. The miraculous gift of tongues (languages) validated that God was behind what the apostle Peter had to say, and it was because the people recognized that the power of God was on the Peter and the other followers of Christ that they repented of their sins and believed.


Now mind you, this is the very first example of this miraculous gift recorded in Scripture. It is very clear here what this gift given at Pentecost was for. The followers of Christ were telling the people from every nation "the mighty works of God" in their own languages (1 Cor. 2:11). This as Peter explains is an outpouring of God's Spirit (1 Cor. 2:17-21) and it validated the gospel message that Peter preached, as a result unbelieving Jews placed their trust in Christ.


In fact interestingly enough, every time the gift of glossa (tongues/languages) is used in the book of acts it is used to validate the gospel message in some way. As we have just seen, originally the gift was used to communicate the "mighty works of God" in the languages of those who had come from foreign countries, as a result the gospel message was validated by this sign and people believed the message was of God.


In Acts 10:44-48 we see that the gift on tongues is given to gentiles who receive the Spirit of God when they believe the gospel, validating the gospel message as for both Jews and gentiles alike.


Now as we move to 1 Corinthians we see in chapters 12, 13 and 14 a discussion on spiritual gifts. Let's start at the beginning and move our way forward.


1 Corinthians 12:1-11


"1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.


4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."


As Paul start the discussion of Spiritual gifts, I think there are several important things to note.


1. Paul is dealing with the Corinthian church which is not a healthy nor spiritually mature church. The church was seriously divided into factions and were not focused in Christ (1 Cor. 1:10-17). Paul refers to Christians in Corinth as acting like "people of the flesh, as infants in Christ" (1 C0r. 3:1).


2. The very reason that Paul is writing this letter to the church in Corinth is to deal with their spiritual immaturity and sinfulness. the church at Corinth was all to accepting of the practices of the world that were not meant to be mingled with Christ's church. The tone of the letter is disciplinary and corrective all the way through, this does not change when Paul enters the topic of Spiritual gifts. The Corinthians were practicing some things in regard to spiritual gifts, particularly that of glossa (tongues) that were wrong.


Now as we address the above Scripture in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, I believe that the purpose statement or thesis perhaps for the usage of any God given gift is found in verse 7.


"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."


If more people would just take this simple, straightforward verse into consideration perhaps this would help settle the matter of whether "private prayer languages" were supported by Scripture or not. I ask you this, can speaking in a supposed language that no human being on earth can make any sense of possibly be "for the common good?" No indeed it cannot.


In the same chapter, just preceding verses 1-11 we see that Paul continues this "purpose statement" and gives some depth to the idea of Spiritual gifts being for the common good of the church.


1 Corinthians 12:12-26


"12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.


14For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."


In the above passage Paul uses a brilliant God breathed illustration of the church being likened to a human body. Each Christian is compared to a different part of the body, each are given a different but complimentary function. Just as a human body would not function at 100% of it's capacity if it were missing an eye, or foot, or fingers. Likewise each member of the body of Christ is given a spiritual gift and all of the different gifts are needed to operate in harmony for the church to bring the most glory to God. Regardless if one gift by human estimation seems more prominent or important, every gift that God gives is complimentary and depends upon the others. The gifts given by the spirit are meant to edify and encourage the rest of the church. A gift that is not functioning in such a way that it is supporting and harmonizing with other gifts is no gift of God at all because it breaks away from the purpose of spiritual gifts.


Hopefully at this point we are beginning to see the problem with the very idea of a "private prayer language." The problem is that the very nature of such a practice is counter to what Scripture says a Spiritual gift is and how it should function.


In regard to anyone who would hold the extreme position that only those who speak in tongues are believers, the next passage in chapter 12 clearly denies such a view to Be God's truth.


1 Corinthians 12:27-31


"27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way."


Clearly the Spirit gifts His people in different ways and the language of this passage implies an emphatic "No" after every open ended question. "Do all speak in tongues?" No. Nor were all believers ever meant to have any one gift.


Now as we reach chapter 13 we start to reach the place where people who hold to the charismatic practice and view of "private prayer languages" often draw their theology. Let's take a look at the next passage that follows immediately after the last.


1 Corinthians 13:1-13


"1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."


The apostle Paul begins here to engage in some hyperbole. The point that the apostle is making is that regardless of what one is capable of doing, if the motivation is not love, it is of no spiritual benefit to them. To emphasize His point, Paul uses exaggerated language. If he Paul speaks in the tongues/languages of men (an actual gift of the Spirit) or even if He was so incredibly gifted as to speak in the tongues/languages of angels (something we see no example of in Scripture) if he does not do these in love for the church, it is nothing, worhtless.


Likewise if Paul has prophetic powers (which he does as this very letter is recognized as "theopneustos" or "God breathed" Scripture) or if Paul knew everything that there was to know (Paul of course is not omniscient) or if he had a faith that could literally uproot mountains (which of course is an exaggeration) regardless if the motivation behind such things is not love of others then it is of no benefit. The purpose of Spiritual gifts is the encouragement and edification of the church for "the common good."


When Paul speak of the tongues of angels, He does not say that this is something that could actually happen, he merely points out that even if He were so gifted if it were not used in a way that would be selfless love, benefiting the church, then it is no good. I remind you here that this is a corrective letter, the Corinthians were full of pride and loved to boast in their own spirituality, this is the attitude that Paul deals with in the first 3 chapters of this letter. It's likely that the Corinthians were boasting in their gifts and not using them in love for the encouragement of the body of Christ. It is, furthermore, likely that the immature Christians were even boasting that God had endowed them with abilities beyond what was a reality.


Regardless of what was going on, Paul reminds them that all gifts are to be used in love and for the common good of the body of Christ. Something that the Corinthians were surely guilty of not doing as those who were acting as "people of the flesh. as infants in Christ" (1 Cor. 3:1).


Let's move on to the next passage 1 Cor. 13:8-13


"8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."


I don't want to spend much time upon this issue now, but it is reasonable to at least mention here that there is a good argument for the gift of glossa as a gift among several that is no longer given. It is amongst what are commonly referred to as the sign gifts such as tongues, prophecy, miracles, healing, etc. The argument centers on this passage where it says that "prophecies they will pass away; as for tongues they will cease..." I think that this is a credible argument, however this is not the issue at hand. We are trying to ascertain what the gift of tongues truly is Biblically speaking, and what it is not. Whether it is a gift for today is for another conversation. But the point is made yet once again that love never ends and is the greatest importance of all.

Let's venture on to the next passage, 1 Corinthians 14:1-5.

"1Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up."

Now, once again, this is a place where a lot of Charismatics grasp their theology about tongues. They will say to me "You see, it says that they are speaking to God and men cannot understand. Private prayer language, right there!" However, let's put this in context. We see that Paul goes on to say that "the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation." Now this fits the purpose statement of Spiritual gifts, being used for the common good. Paul then counters that thought with what the Corinthians were doing with this gift of glossa, or at least what they were supposedly doing. Paul says that the one who speaks in a tongue "builds up Himself" rather than building up the church. This is counter to the purpose of Spiritual gifts.

This being the case, what the Corinthians were practicing and calling the gift of tongues, was either not the genuine gift, (claiming to speak an unknown, perhaps, angelic language), or it was genuine that they were speaking in real, human languages, but with no one around who knew the language (which is why they were speaking "not to men but to God" because God knows all languages). Regardless, this was really just one more way to boast in themselves as they have been doing with other things like claiming superiority to others based on whom they calimed to follow (1 Cor. 1:11-17). Paul is not commending the Corinthians on their practice of tongues in the way that they are practicing it, in fact He is condemning it because their motivation is selfish, prideful and boasing in themselves. They were in effect, showing off, saying "Look what I can do!" Spiritual gifts are for the upbuilding and encouragement of the Church, they should never be used for ones own self alone.

Let's continue in chapter 14:6-12.

"6Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. 10There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church."

This needs little commentary, but, does it sound like to you that Paul thinks people should speak in unknown mysterious languages? Will it build up the church? No. Gifts are to be used for "the common good." A private prayer language cannot do that.

1 Corinthians 14:13-19

"13Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue."

Paul thanks God that He speaks in tongues more than any of them. No one is denying that tongues is, or at the very least was a real gift of the Spirit, but Paul used it in the proper method. As a missionary Paul traveled all over the world and God enabled him to speak in languages he would not otherwise know as sign that gave creedence to his message of the gospel of Christ as being from God. But in a setting where Paul was with brothers in Christ, it would be foolish to speak in a tongue that they did not know. If you do not know what a person is saying, you cannot be encouraged in the Lord, and vice-versa.

1 Corinthians 14:20-25

"20Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." 22Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you."

This once again indicates the purpose of the genuine gift of glossa (tongues/languages). The gift was meant to be a sign for unbelievers, just like in Acts 2. God used Galileans who spoke one language to speak to people who were foreign to them in their languages, some believed some didn't. But the purpose of the gift was clear there in Acts 2 and now it is reemphasized here. The gift is not for personal upbuilding, rather it is evangelistic in nature, a sign for unbelievers.

This passage also speaks against the usage of tongues in a worship gathering where all are speaking at once and no one understands. Paul says that people will think the Corinthians "are out of your minds." But prophecy, speaking intelligible words about Christ and His gospel, this causes people to worship God and recognize His presence in the church.

1 Corinthians 14:26-32

"26What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets."

Her Paul discusses having order and reverence in worship Once again it is stressed that whatever is done, should be done for the building up of others, for the common good. In regard to tongues there are several things made clear.

1. There should only be 1 or 2 or 3 people at most speaking in tongues in the service.

2. Each should take a turn, it should not be done all at the same time.

3. There should be an interpreter, if there is not they should keep it to themselves and the Lord.

4. The very fact that an interpreter is mentioned points to the fact that tongues should be an intelligible language that someone on earth should know.

This certainly chastizes the practice of many charismatic churches when the multitude speaks in "tongues" all at once. There is nothing but confusion in such a practice and as the Scripture says "God is not a God of confusion but of peace."

Now to deal with that "stray" verse in Romans 8:26-27 that is often used as a justification for tongues as a "private prayer language."

The Scripture says:

"26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

Let's consider what the Scripture actually teaches here.

1. The Spirit of God helps us in our weakness.

2. We don't always know how we should pray, or what best to pray for.

3. Because God knows us better thatn we know ourselves and all the details of our lives, He actually intercedes on our behalf "with groanings to deep for words."

4. The Spirit intercedes for us as Christians according to the will of God.

Here is the question. Is the gift of tongues referred to? No. Does it say that the Spirit interceding for His people makes sounds through those people? No. It is a leap and an illogical assumption to tie the gift of tongues to this passage. Indeed it comes from the presupposition that a "private prayer language" exists and then looks through the Bible to try and find Scripture that supports the presupposition. This is a fallacy of Bible interpretation. Context is everything and the gift of tongues is not mentioned.

We have now systematically looked at the issue of tongues. Let's summarize out findings.

1. The gift of tongues (as is true with all gifts of the Spirit) is meant for the building up of others, for the common good of God's church.

2. The gift of tongues is a sign that validates the gospel message.

3. It is evangelistic in nature.

4. It is actual known, human languages.

5. It should only be used when there is someone to interpret it.

6. Not all believers are meant to speak in tongues.

It is my conviction based off of this kind of study that the gift of tongues was meant as a way of communicating the gospel of Christ and validating the gospel message as from God and proving that the gospel was for all people including the gentiles.

If tongues were for today, it would not be as a "private prayer language." There is no Scriptural support for such a practice. It would be for the communicating of the gospel message in a foreign language one did not typically speak in.


Upcoming Posts:

You Can't Tell Me My Experience Was Wrong

Is the Gift of Glossa for Today?


Serving Christ,

Jacob Allee