RUSSELL SANDERS
11-19-2021
PRAYING IN TONGUES – LESSON 5
FALSE TEACHINGS AND BELIEFS
The last 140 years has seen much misunderstanding and false teachings that criticized speaking in tongues. I will go over some of them so that you are not caught unaware if confronted with them. I will list five particular ones.
1. There are some entire churches whose members are called “cessationists.” A cessation of something means it has ceased, ended, or no longer exists. They believe that the only work of the Holy Spirit or of Jesus that survived the first century was salvation. They believe all other works ceased when the last of the twelve apostles (John) died. They believe there are no more gifts of the Spirit such as healings, miracles, etc. They believe everything stopped with the death of John.
This goes against Hebrews 13:8 which says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” It also goes against Acts 2:38-39 which says, “and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Spirit). For (this) promise is unto you, and to your children, and to ALL that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall (ever) call.”
2. “It is not for today.” They acknowledge it was for the early church, even to the second or third century, but it then ceased after the New Testament was canonized.
They base this on I Corinthians 13:8-12 (NKJV) where it says, “Love never fails. But whether prophecies, they will fail. Whether tongues, they will cease. Whether knowledge, it will vanish away. For we (presently) know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away… for now we see in a mirror dimly (limited understanding), but then face to face (we shall see the perfect one). (For) Now I know in part, but then I shall know as I also am known (by Him).”
Their argument is that the canonized written Bible is the “perfect” that has come. But the context clearly is speaking of Jesus when He comes to rule the earth. He is the Perfect whom we shall see face to face. We cannot see the bible (v. 12) “face to face.”
When Jesus, the perfect, has set up His Kingdom, it is only then that we will no longer need the gifts because we are then living in the perfect fulfillment of His coming kingdom.
Until then, we will still have knowledge (which has not been done away with) and prophecy (much of which is yet to be fulfilled) and tongues (for heavenly communication) and all the gifts of the Spirit and His gifts to the church.
This is the first two of five heresies. We will pick up tomorrow starting with a third one.
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