The relationship between the gift of Tongues and Prophecy is covered well in 1 Corinthians 14. With love as our highest goal we are encouraged to “desire the special abilities the Spirit gives – especially the ability to prophesy.” Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit with which someone is able to speak forth what God is doing now and is wanting to do. It is also the gift that speaks of future events and things to come as if they have already occurred. In other words “God is not making things up as He goes along” as some are saying! He is omniscient (all knowing), ominipresent (present everywhere) and omnipotent (all powerful)! He has a plan that He has been working out “since the foundations of the world” and even before that. He is “I AM” – He always has been, is present and revealing Himself today, and He will always be!
If we are speaking in tongues (languages that we haven’t learned) we are talking to God and speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit but no one else is benefited unless someone interprets the message. That way all who hear it will be built up because they can understand what is being said. We must pray that we will be able to prophesy and also receive the gift of interpretation so that the entire congregation can be included when a message is given in tongues.
Speaking in tongues is a sign for unbelievers that the Holy Spirit is present among you and prophecy is a sign for believers so that they will know what God is saying and what He wants us to do. However if someone who doesn’t have the gift of tongues comes into our meeting and hears everyone speaking in tongues he will think we are crazy. However, if someone is prophesying, unbelievers in our midst will be convicted of sin. “As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, ‘God is truly here among you’” They will be called to repentance and surrender their lives to Jesus. This is the whole Kingdom purpose of all the gifts – so that Jesus may be revealed as Savior and Lord!
The Apostle Paul says in the closing of Chapter 14: “So my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid to speak in tongues. But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.”
Some insist that these gifts have “passed away”, that they were needed to start the church but that due to our increasing knowledge and understanding, etc. they are no longer necessary. This makes absolutely no practical sense and is indeed in my thinking, somewhat arrogant! The scripture most often used to support this position is taken from I Corinthians 13:
“Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.”
I’m not sure how anyone could conclude from the above scripture that the time of perfection has already come because we are still living in a fallen world, much the same spiritually as when our Lord Jesus walked the earth!
Let’s be clear here and not “fog things up” with dispensational conclusions. The fact is that the Apostle Paul was refering to the “time of perfection” as the time in the Age to Come when Jesus returns and establishes His Kingdom in its fullness on the earth during His Millenial Reign. What we must have when we interpret the Scriptures is a Kingdom mindset and world view.
There have been no instructions in the Scriptures, either from our Lord Jesus or any of the Apostles that would indicate that in “this evil age” in which we live, anything that was given on the day of Pentecost has passed away, with perhaps the exception of the “fire of the Holy Spirit” and its resulting zeal! It is impossible in the Kingdom of God to walk in the power without walking in the fire!
Let us position ourselves under His cleansing flood and His Holy Fire! Let’s open up our hearts, and yes our minds, to the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we might be “equipped for every good work”! Believe it or not He is still baptizing people by faith in the Holy Spirit and giving gifts as He pleases as on the Day of Pentecost! This is not a Pentecostal experience – this is a New Testament experience!
Have a great weekend. Hope to see you tomorrow.
Pastor Dave
