THE BIBLICAL GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES

INTRODUCTION

What are biblical tongues? What does it mean to speak in tongues? How should this gift be exercised today, if at all? Rather than debating the doctrines or scriptural interpretations used by today’s Charismatic’s[1] it would be more prudent to ask, what the bible says about their manifestations and uses.

To do this, a close examination of 1 Corinthians 12-14, as well as several occurrences out of the book of acts is necessary. By reviewing these scriptures and coming to an understanding of them you will be better equipped to fend off the hype of the media and those around you given over to the deception of the prince of this world.

CHAPTER 12

Paul opens chapter 12 wanting the Corinthian church to be knowledgeable of the operations of spiritual gifts. He reminds the Corinthians that they were formerly unbelievers, given over to idols. He assures them that no one can live by the Holy Spirit and curse Jesus.

He continues by elaborating that there are many gifts but only one giver. The Spirit is dealt to each for the profit of all and the Holy Spirit distributes as He chooses.

Just as there are multiple parts in the human body, it takes many members to form the body of Christ. We were all baptized into one body; Jews, Greeks, slaves and freemen. In the body, if an eye or foot is not an ear or hand that does not take away its importance. All members have a purpose and task. How awful would it be if the body as we know it had four feet with no hands or many ears but no eyes? There are many members yet only one body, many members working for one purpose. If one part suffers all suffer and if one part is honored all parts are honored. If a person breaks a leg, doesn’t the whole body feel it and require other members to take up the slack in order to keep the body in motion? If a craftsmen is honored for his craft it is not just his hands that receive honor but the person as a whole.

Within the body He has appointed:

* First apostles.

* Second prophets.

* Third teachers.

* After that miracles.

* Then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

Right after this ordered listing he asks, in verses 29-30, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” He finished the chapter by telling us to “earnestly desire” the best or greater gifts.

From here Paul goes into chapter 13. What is the greatest gift? Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God and one another (Matt 22:37-40). Paul says in the beginning of chapter 13 that if you have all these gifting but not love you are and have nothing. In chapter 14 Paul says, “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts especially that you may prophesy.”[2] Actually, seek to love and pray or hope[3] for gifts.

Look at 1 Corinthians 14:39, when Paul says, “…desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.” He was not specifically protecting tongues but stating the first and last gifting as prioritized from his listing in chapter 12 by way of a summary.

CHAPTER 13

Though a person may have the least or the greatest of the gifts, if he does not have love then he has nothing. If he sells all to feed the poor or sacrifices his body for Him, but does not have love then it profits him nothing.

From here, Paul goes into an explanation of what love is and is not. It quickly becomes evident that only God Himself is able to completely love.

Love never fails. When that which is perfect has come that which is incomplete or is in part will be done away with.[4] God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). This means that when God comes all else will be done away, there will be no need for these gifts. In 13:11-12, Paul gives several illustrations of youth growing into maturity as contrast between being in the world or “now” verses when Christ comes. He finishes this line of reasoning by telling his readers to abide in faith, hope and love, but the greatest is love.

CHAPTER 14

In 14:1, Paul relates that our main pursuit should be that of love. “To pursue” is defined as a running or putting into flight or even to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing.[5] Then he tells us to desire gifts. The word desire is to covet or envy.[6] We see “to pursue” is active, requiring an effort where as desire is more passive as far as a seeking after. That does not make desire completely void of action. Prayer and ability given are still required while within the realm of desiring or hoping for the gifts especially the greater gifts, such as prophesy. Prophesy is normally thought of as foretelling the future, but it also means to teach, refute, reprove, admonish or comfort others.[7] Putting these together you see that Christians are to desire to teach, use apologetics, correct the body of Christ when necessary, as well as to confront and comfort the lost with the gospel.

Reading through this chapter can become very confusing. However, if you look at the chapter as a whole, you will see that there is a difference between the singular “tongue” and the plural “tongues.” Replacing the singular with “gibberish” and the plural with “foreign language” opens a new realm of understanding.[8] [9]

Using this interpretation and replacing for the singular “tongue” as mentioned earlier, you will read 14:2 as, “For he who speaks in [gibberish] does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” In taking a closer look at this verse, Paul says that tongue speakers are not speaking to men but to God. The reason Paul allows that they may be speaking to God is simply that God knows men’s hearts, He knows what is going on and why, so there are no secrets to Him. In this verse Paul also states that, “in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” “He” being the tongue speaker and the spirit here is the human spirit (cf. Matt 5:3; Acts 17:16 and 2 Cor 2:13). So, the tongue speaker is speaking mysteries (things unknown to him or those around him) to God or according to 14:9 he is speaking to the air, which is to say, he is speaking to no earthly person because, once again nothing is being understood.

It is also shown in chapter 14:14-16 that a lack of understanding is unfruitful and that all (praying and singing) should be done with understanding. So, that which cannot be understood cannot edify.

Some may argue that since 14:4 says, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself,” the speaker must receive some edification, however, look at Romans 14:19, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another (cf. Rom 15:2; Eph 4:12, 16, 29; 1 Cor 8:1, 14:17; 1 Thes 5:11).” You see that Christians should be doing what builds up another not oneself. Also, see that this attempt at self-edification is self-seeking and should not be done according to James 3:14-16. Finally, Christians are encouraged to always be in self-control (1 Cor 7:5; Gal 5:23).

Moving back to 14:3, Prophesy is not a personal self-edifying gift, it is used to edify or buildup others. Tongues with interpretation can edify the body but without interpretation tongues do not edify anyone. Additionally, tongues without interpretation do not belong in the church assembly, at all (14:28).

Paul states continually that prophesy builds-up the whole body. It is simple enough to test a prophet against the scriptures as detailed in Deuteronomy 12 and 13 or 2 John 10. Gibberish talkers merely appear spiritual and simply puff-up themselves.

Paul wishes that all spoke in true tongues. True tongues is the gift of speaking in a tongue not known by the speaker, then interpreted (usually by another person) as will be shown later in the chapter. However, he prefers that they would prophesy because this builds up the whole body. Even when someone comes in speaking in tongues, what good is it without teaching? This is seen in Acts 2 when the apostles and disciples at Pentecost speaking in tongues amazed the crowd. No one would have known what to do if Peter had not instructed them.

Coming back to 1 Corinthians 14:7, even musical instruments must make a known recognizable sound or else how does it please or edify anyone. How would an army know to charge if there were no intelligible ordered notes? Likewise, in 14:9, if you do not speak in a way that others may understand you are speaking into the air, which is to edify no one.[10] There are many languages in the world and not everyone understands each, so we are foreigners to each other that do not understand the others language. Many are zealous for gifts, but let it be zeal to do what edifies the body, not oneself only,

If anyone speaks in a tongue the interpretation should be sought. There is no understanding without the interpretation and therefore it is unfruitful. Paul continues, in 14:15, by saying that he will follow the spirit with understanding. He will pray and sing with understanding (how else would any person know what spirit in which they are following). How would those that do not understand the gibberish or the un-translated foreign language confirm what is said? Therefore, without the understanding no one is built up, especially the body as a whole (14:17).

In 14:18, Paul explains that being an evangelist or church planter, he has occasion to use or be endowed with this gift more than most. However, he would rather speak a few words with his hearer’s understanding (prophesy or even foreign languages), than many words with no understanding (un-translated tongues or gibberish). Paul is being specific to the church setting and is requiring both his own understanding as well as that of his audience.

He was rebuking the Corinthians for being more knowledgeable of the evil (idols and false gods) around them than the understanding of God’s word and His gospel message.

Tongues are for a sign to unbelievers because the unbeliever would hear the wonderful works of God in their own native language from a person that would most obviously not have known the language. This miraculous gift would be evidence of Gods hand on the message.

Prophesy is for believers because it teaches those that already believe and desire the things of God. 1 Corinthians 1:21 “…it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”

Paul saying that disorderly use of the gift of tongues is useless because of the confusion it causes and the unfruitfulness of it now gives a mild rebuke. However, if many prophesy, that is teach, reprove or exhort et-cetera, then there is understanding, through the instruction and the unbeliever will see that God is in the body.

Paul now goes into the proper exhibition of the gifts. With tongues, let no more than two or three speak and none without interpretation. If there is no interpretation then they should be silent or dismissed. When prophets speak let the “others” judge. That is let the assembly, other prophets and the elders test the speaker against the scriptures. Judge, is diakrino, which is to learn by discrimination.[11] This means to use discernment when comparing what is said or taught against God’s Word. At that time they all knew the penalty for being found to be a false prophet, even though they are no longer under the law (2 John 10). The first prophet should be silent (as in respectful) if another needs to confirm, reprove or rebuke what has been said. In turn all may have an opportunity to speak. He then reminds them they are in control of their spirit and God is not the author of confusion but of order.

He continues the thought of maintaining order by addressing other distractions. These next few verses could be rebukes because there were too many distraction from women asking their husbands questions. It could also be a rebuke because of the influence of the false goddesses over the people from the culture around them causing strife in the assembly between married couples. Most likely these verses are addressing issues that had been raised due to cultural changes within the melting pot of people groups in the Corinthian church. Paul was giving a quick synopsis of the order of things continued from chapter 7.

Paul switches to a sarcastic tone, to mock those that believe they have a superior word or those that were causing confusion just to puff up themselves. If anyone believes they are of God, let them confirm what is being said by His disciple (Paul). Do not recognize him who denies these things and let no seat (position over those who are believers/servants of God) be given to the unbeliever (person with false doctrinal beliefs).

He closes by referring back to verse 1, where we are encouraged to pursue love and desire the spiritual gifts, not forbidding even the least of the gifts. Concluding with the declaration that all be done in order not confusion.

TONGUES IN THE BOOK OF ACTS

Acts 2

In verse 3 there are flames referred to as “tongues, as of fire.” These were not literal tongues of fire as some suggest, but they were more likely what we call today a “lick of flame.” Then the disciples, along with the apostles, that were in the upper room (about 120) were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in languages unknown to each individual speaker but was known and understood by those unbelieving Jews around them. As a crowd gathered the people were confused because they were realizing that each group from different regions could understand them speaking the wonderful works of God being said in their own native language and dialect.

Those Jews with open hearts were amazed, yet others with closed minds or lack of understanding mocked and said they were drunk. Then Peter stood with the rest of the apostles and began to instruct them on the meaning of all this, as well as, giving apologetics for Jesus as the Messiah and how to be saved. 3,000 converts were added at that time and there is no implication that any of them spoke in tongues.

Acts 10

The Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius, his family and friends, showing that God wants even the Gentiles. This is the first outpouring on the Gentile nation. There is no record in the New Testament of any other outpouring of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues upon the Gentiles. Peter and those with him knew they had received the Holy Spirit because they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. The languages that those in the house of Cornelius spoke were known languages. How else would they have known them to be magnifying God if they did not understand them?

Acts 19

Paul laid hands on the Old Testament believers and they received the Holy Spirit as evidenced by the least of the gifts, speaking in tongues, but they also prophesied. The prophesying is significant because these were believers in the coming Messiah. First came the instruction from Paul on the baptism of the Holy Spirit then came the teaching through the Holy Spirit prophesying through them of the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies. These were Jews that still needed the confirmation that Jesus was/is the Messiah. They did not have the advantage of things like the scriptures we have today that hold testimonies such as theirs.

Acts 8

In this chapter tongues are not specifically mentioned but it is possible and even likely that this gift is how the apostles knew the Samaritans had received the Holy Spirit. In this chapter, the Samaritans came to believe what Philip was preaching to them about Jesus. When the apostles heard that the Samaritans were receiving the word of God Peter and John went down to them. The apostles laid hands on the people and they received the Holy Spirit. Again, it does not mention that the people spoke in tongues; it could be that they, like the Old Testament believers prophesied. It could be that they performed other miracles or some other sign, but it is likely that they spoke in tongues.

It is also important to point out the reaction of the Simon the Sorcerer. He thought he could buy this power and like so many today are only after the power or experience of the Holy Spirit and the gifts that would follow.

HAS THE GIFT ON TONGUES CEASED

John MacArthur has a three-point argument for why he believes tongues have ceased.

1. Because no miracles were recorded from a.d. 58-96, the last part of the apostolic age.

2. Tongues were a sign to an unbelieving Israel to signify the transition between the old and new covenants.

3. A lack of historical evidence to support its existence since the apostolic age until now.[12]

In an article written by Matt Slick he argues that they have not ceased.

1. Simply because we have the Bible does not mean we have full revelation of God.

2. Tongues are not further revelation and thus are not equal to scripture and would not be adding to or taking away from scripture.

3. Misuse of a gift does not discredit the gift itself.[13]

1 Corinthians 13 Argument

In verses 8-10, we see Paul explaining that these gifts are only a partial revelation. They are used to assist in understanding. When that which is perfect or complete comes, then what is in part will not be necessary and will be done away with.

Although, it is generally accepted that this means the second coming of Christ, Lehman Strauss argues that it does not with the following argument: “The word perfect is in the neuter gender, and therefore refers to the perfect (finished or completed) Word of God. If the word perfect referred to Christ it would be in the masculine gender.”[14]

However, when you move onto the next few verses you will see this can only mean when Jesus comes. Specifically, look at verse 12, when it says, “face to face.” This must mean when we see Jesus face to face (cf. Gen 32:30; Ex 33:11; Num 12:8; Deut 34:10). Who knows us and may reveal us to ourselves but our Lord?

Also, compare this to 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, looking specifically at verse 7, “so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In these verses, you can see that the second coming of Christ is the fulfillment of revelation and that gifts are not to be shorted.

A lack of records does not discredit an action. If a husband and wife are reviewing their balance sheets and the wife sees that there are no gas receipts for two months but she knows her husband was driving his car, does that mean that he did not get fuel for two months? No, it just means that he used cash, got free gas, or maybe he got the gas paid for by his commuting buddy. People should not jump to a conclusion of cessation due to a lack of records.

Not every martyr story is recorded does that mean there are no martyrs? Has every missionary since the apostolic age written a book or kept records of their exploits? No, of course not, so how can researchers determine that there is no gold in China without complete knowledge?

WHERE DO TODAY’S “TONGUES” COME FROM

To know exactly where these Charismatic false tongues come from will not be known until Christians are glorified with Christ.

However, compare these unscriptural instances with the “burning in the bosom” used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints (LDS or Mormon). LDS members claim that this burning in the bosom is confirmation of the truth of their scriptures by God. What happens if you do not receive the burning? “Supreme emphasis is put on the prayer and the subsequent "burning in the bosom". If one prays and does not receive the appropriate "testimony", one is encouraged to pray more sincerely. The absence of an emotional confirmation is seen not as a testimony against Mormonism, but rather against the sincerity of the one praying.”[15] Again, compare this to what is taught in the Charismatic church and its branches. If one does not receive the experience of baptism by the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in tongues then that person is not sincere enough or is not willing to release some sin and is therefore not saved.

Now, obviously, to most Christians, the LDS do not worship the same Jesus. However, that should be all the more testimony to the falsity of the experience of non-biblical tongues.

The fact is that while on this earth there is an adversary that will stop at nothing and use any tactic necessary to distract people away from God.

CONCLUSION

While reading 1 Corinthians 12-14 it is imperative to keep in mind these passages really are one letter, one fluid thought, not separate thoughts arranged into chapters for a book. Why does this matter? It matters because, without the whole picture there is no clarity.

With these tidbits of knowledge you should be able to warn others of the deception of false tongues abroad. Three main facts are vital: all biblical tongues are interpreted, they are only used to edify the whole body of Christ and they are typically used to speak to a new people group.

Now, knowing what true tongues are and their proper order of manifestation, we must confess , as stated by Larry Christenson, “Scripture simply does not support an argument against speaking in tongues- only against its abuse.” He continues (or finishes the thought) with, “The cure for abuse is not disuse but proper use.”[16]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Christenson, Larry, Answering Your Questions About: Speaking in Tongues, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, 2005.

MacArthur, Jr., John F., Charismatic Chaos. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992.

MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Study Bible. United States of America: Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997.

Matt Slick, “Have the Charismatic Gifts Ceased,” Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, http://www.carm.org/questions/about-doctrine/have-charismatic-gifts-ceased [accessed July 15, 2010].

Mormonwiki.org, “Burning in the bosom,” http://www.mormonwiki.org/Burning_in_the_bosom [accessed July 21, 2010]

Lehman Strauss, “Speaking in Tongues,” Bible.org, (1997 Biblical Studies Press), http://bible.org/article/speaking-tongues [accessed July1, 2010].

Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

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[1] For the purpose of this paper the term Charismatic refers to Charismatic, Pentecostal and Apostolic denominations, not necessarily as a whole but in general.

[2] All scripture references are New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

[3] Romans 5:5, 1 Corinthians 13:7

[4] Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G5046). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.

[5] Ibid., G1377.

[6] Ibid., G2206.

[7] Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G4394). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.

[8] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible (United States of America: Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997), 1751.

[9] The reader could also transpose “tongue” with glossolalia and “tongues” with xenoglossy.

[10] Notice, however, that according to Ephesians 2:2, Satan is the prince of the air.

[11] Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G1252). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.

[12] John F. MacAurthur, Jr., Charismatic Chaos (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 282-284.

[13] Matt Slick, “Have the Charismatic Gifts Ceased,” Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, http://www.carm.org/questions/about-doctrine/have-charismatic-gifts-ceased [accessed July 15, 2010].

[14] Lehman Strauss, “Speaking in Tongues,” Bible.org, (1997 Biblical Studies Press), http://bible.org/article/speaking-tongues [accessed July1, 2010].

[15]Mormonwiki.org, “Burning in the bosom,” http://www.mormonwiki.org/Burning_in_the_bosom [accessed July 21, 2010]

[16] Larry Christenson, Answering Your Questions About: Speaking in Tongues (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, 2005), 19.

Pastor you were very blessed in this interview. God surely gave you the words to speak as promised in Matthew 10:19*. The interviewer tried tripping you up several times, yet God gave the words to get the message across.

You and the message of spreading the awareness of radical or fundamental Islam are in my prayers (and many other I am sure).

James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Acts 19:19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all...

*Matthew 10:19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;

How is your heart?

Matthew 15:8

8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

However, the good news is...

Proverbs 4:4

4 He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.

Proverbs 3:5

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Psalm 33:21

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name.

Idol Worship - Challenge

...like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, ^12 for they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” (2 Ki 17:11–12).

And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. (2 Ki 17:15).

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1 Jn 5:21).

Romans 7 - Divided Man

INTRODUCTION
The conflict within the “divided man” of Romans 7 defeats so many frustrated believers and allows Satan the opportunity to deceive many into leaving the faith. This is not necessary. A simple understanding of this chapter and especially the final verses would allow many struggling believers the tools available to fend off the enemy. God gives His people weapons both defensive and offensive. If Christians learn, understand, and apply these weapons and stratagem they could prevent a great deal of heartache. Before the study begins it would be prudent to examine a few statistics.
• 92% of American households owned at least one Bible in 1993.
• In 2000, 59% of Americans claim to read the Bible on occasion compared to 73% in 1980.
• The number of Americans that read at least weekly was 37% in 2000.
Most of these numbers were discouraging a decade ago. Just imagine how far they have dropped since these studies were published. With such a lack of truth in people’s lives it is no wonder they get lost so easily. Leading up to the last five verses of Romans 7 Paul masterfully illustrates the confusing conflict within the mind of many believers.

CHAPTER 1
In verse 21, Paul comes to the conclusion that there is a principle within believers that contends with our desire to do good or rather to be righteousness. But from where does this opposition come? We see in Romans 5:12-21 that the first sin was committed with the transgression of Adam when he accepted and ate the fruit from Eve.
It is commonly thought that the whole of humanity are sinners because they sin; however, it could be that they sin because they are sinners. This leads into a whole debate on “original sin,” which is far beyond the scope of this report. To make the point that all people have sin dwelling in the flesh a person only needs to look at young children. An infant cries because it us hungry with no regard to the parent’s need for sleep or a toddler will reach for your dinner rather than eat its’ own. Did anyone need to teach the infant to be selfish or the toddler to covet? How about these children honoring their parents enough to thrust that they are getting what they need? Sin, whether it is transgression of the law or simply a “motivationally twisted heart,” comes more naturally to the flesh than that of righteousness.3
The Bible explains who has sinned, “for all have sinned…” (Romans 3:23). What is the consequence of this sin? “For the wages of sin is death,…” (Romans 6:23). Don’t all die? Yes, the good and the bad, the righteous and the unrighteous, all die physically. Be that as it may, no-one ever dies spiritually. It can be seen in Hebrews 9:27, that after you die physically, then comes the judgment of God. As most people know, the judgment against an unrighteous person is Hell. Hell is a place of eternal fire and torment.
Romans 7:21 concludes with a desire to do righteousness. So, what gives men such desire if they are so ingrained with evil that they do not need to be taught to do wrong? It could be that if people are shown their own personal depravity, the consequences of this state and then a means of escape, people would be motivated to change. So, not only would men likely desire to change but would also develop a heartfelt gratitude toward the One who provided an alternative to their eternal punishment.
How do people see their sin as sin? The simplest method is to look at what the Creator says in His manual. After all, the Creator of heaven and hell should obviously know the entrance requirements to both. To enter hell, all you really need to do is nothing. Just live your life for yourself and your passions and desires (Gal 5:24; Col 3:5). In contrast, to enter heaven is to seek after righteousness. Righteousness is imputed to man after he admits his depravity and his inability to cleanse himself (Heb 9:14; Rev 1:5). If men accept and trust that God sacrificed Himself for them, he cannot help but be thankful for His salvation plan. When men trust in Him as Lord and Savior, they will desire to crucify the flesh or rather to endure the battle within the flesh and seek righteousness ( Gal 2:20, 5:24, 6:14).

CHAPTER 2
In verse 22 of Romans 7, the theme of desiring God is continued with delighting in the law of God according to the inward man. Once men are redeemed they will put off the old nature and find pleasure in the counsel of the Lord (Psams1:1-2). Not only that but, he should destroy the old gods or idols in his life, for he cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13). Have you ever had two supervisors competing for your time and skills or seen a child attempt to obey conflicting instructions from its parents? It just does not work.
There is a peace that comes from knowing whom to obey or whom to trust. When a person begins a new job, it is likely that he would feel most at ease if he received quality training or a thorough new employee’s handbook. In fact, many sports or businesses have books or manuals they refer to as their “bible,” within their own shop jargon or slang. These uses of the term bible, though somewhat disrespectful, do give at least a cursory acknowledgement to the authority carried by the actual Bible.
Psalm 40:8 says “I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.” Not only should the redeemed delight in the law but store it up in their hearts. This should be the thing cherished and protected most. But is it? According to a Gallup Poll, done in 2000, only 16% of Americans read their Bible every day. Also, only 14% are in a Bible study of any sort. This is compared to 86% of American adults identifying themselves as Christians in 1990 and 76% in 2008. These statistics show a sad state of reverence for God’s law or following His will.
As the heart continues to beat, Christians should also persevere (2 Cor 4:16). As this hidden person (the inner man) of the heart finds and even holds precious the law one must ask, what law is to be held so dear?
The law started out as the Law of Moses which included the Ten Commandments. As most know, it was and is impossible for any man to keep the whole law (Rom 3:20; 1 Tim 1:9). Trying to earn righteousness through the law is works salvation, which cannot save (Eph 2:8-9; Gal 3:10).
In Romans 3:20 you see that the intent of the Law of Moses is actually to give a knowledge of sin. There is no way for man to uphold or fulfill the law. However, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law of the Prophets (Matt 5:17). If the law has been fulfilled, what law are believers currently under? In Romans 13:8-10 one reads, “… he who loves another has fulfilled the law… therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” In Matt. 22:37 Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” If Christians follow His command and love Him to this extent, then it follows to reason that they would also love the thing He loves most. God loves His creation, the thing He breathed life into, specifically mankind. Again, if we love Him then “… the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4).
CHAPTER 3
Here, in Romans 7:23, see that the root of the frustration felt by so many Christians is due to the law of the flesh being at war with the law of the mind, which should be led by the Spirit.
How are Christians to fight spiritual war according to scripture? Evil should be slaughtered completely. No trace of sin should be found in their lives. However, due to weakness in the flesh most choose not to do this. One example is, King Saul, found in 1 Samuel 15. He was told by Samuel the Prophet to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites; all the people, old and young, as well as all the livestock. Saul disobeyed and kept their king, King Agag, as prisoner and kept the best of the Amalekites livestock for himself. The result was Saul losing his position as king and trouble for his whole family.
In Ephesians 4:30 the believer is told not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Verse 31 states, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” Why separate malice? It would be a safe argument to say that Paul is suggesting the malice be directed at the other five attributes listed. As John Piper says, “There is a mean, violent streak to the true Christian life.” He continues by asking, “Violence against whom or what?” Quickly, he answers by emphasizing that it is not against other people, “but on every impulse in our soul to be violent to other people.” Still he adds, “[A] violence of mean streak in Christianity against our own selves and all in us that would make peace with sin.”
2 Cor 10:3-6 says that every thought must be taken captive. Not should but, must be taken captive! The word captive in itself is a strong word, meaning; to be held as prisoner or to be held under the control of another. To take something captive is a conscious and deliberate action, it is not passive, it does not happen without effort being afforded. There are strategies in this physical world that aide believers in this battle with the flesh. One such technique is found in the book Every Man’s Battle called, “Bouncing the Eyes.” This consists of training your eyes to “bounce” immediately off of anything that entices your fleshly nature. This strategy starves your desire and like any battle in war, it is not easy. These verses also emphasize the fact that the weapons for fighting this war are not carnal, which means according to the flesh, but are spiritual weapons given by God.
The whole Armor of God is listed in Eph 6:11-18. The armor looks like this: the Belt of Truth (cf. John 8:31) and the Breastplate of Righteousness (cf. Phil 3:9), the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (cf. Is 52:7), the Shield of Faith (cf. 1 Pet 1:5), the Helmet of Salvation (cf. Psalm 27:1) and the Sword of the Spirit (cf. Heb 4:12). Like all tools these take practice and conscious effort to master their application. This passage in Ephesians ends by reminding us to be watchful with perseverance and supplication (prayer).
In 1 Tim 6:12 Christians are instructed to, “Fight the good fight of faith.” Likewise, in 1 Cor 9:24-27 Christians are taught to, “Run in such a way that you may obtain …the prize.” If believers apply these verses to their daily battles they will see that they are to fight with diligence, to win. Fight in a way that expects and anticipates victory and nothing less. Follow the Lord and beat down the enemy. The advisory will not quit until there is total destruction or until destroyed by the One with the power to do so. ”Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
CHAPTER 4
All this warring in the flesh leads many to a tired and worn down state of body and mind that leaves people asking or even begging for help. Paul describes this state in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Or to be restated, “Oh, pitiable and miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from my sin?”
The first part of this verse is more than a declaration or admission of his present state. It is a cry out to the One with the power and proven ability to save. Many people, even those that do not claim to be Christians, have an intellectual knowledge of the Savior but until a personal fallen state can be realized a person may never come to a saving knowledge of Christ (1 Tim 2:4).
In the second portion of the text, he uses a rhetorical question to emphasize the answer that is immediately given in verse 25. It may also be used to show the reader that there is indeed a cure for their current conflicted condition. The answer is, of course, that there is a savior. Still at this point one needs to ask, who is this savior?
CHAPTER 5
Verse 25 states the answer with an exasperated, thanks! Here Paul not only thanks God but calls Him out by name, Jesus Christ. He also adds, “our Lord” to the description. Thus, revealing that He is not only Savior but also, Lord. If God has the power to forgive and save, does he not deserve your allegiance? “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4).
With, Paul’s summary statement of these conflict verses, “So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin,” he clearly states the two opponents at war within each believer.

CONCLUSION
While Satan cannot send anyone to hell, he does everything within his power to get humanity to choose hell or at minimum to keep Christians from rising above a lukewarm faith, which is a form of complacency (Eph 6:12; Rev 3:16-17).
It has been said that “knowledge is power.” Truly, an understanding of the scriptures at minimum gives an armament of weapons with which to fight. The good news is that in Romans eight Paul moves into describing the victory over the flesh and Satan available through Christ work on the cross (8:3-5). Additionally, if you seek to live by the Spirit of God then you may become an adopted son or daughter and thus an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven (8:12-17).
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arterburn, Stephen, Fred Stoeker and Mike Yorkey, Everyman’s Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temtation One Victory at a Time (Colorado Springs, Colorado: WaterBrook Press, 2000), 125-132.

christopherbennett07 June 19, 2008 “Make War – John Piper.” YouTube.com. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wrY0h33coR4 (accessed June 10, 2010)

Gallup, Alec and Wendy W. Simmons, Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally, Percentage of frequent readers has decreased over last decade,” gallup.com (October 20, 2000), http://www.gallup.com/poll/2416/Six-Ten-Americans-Read-Bible-Least-Occasionally.aspx (accessed June 10, 2010).

Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fousset and David Brown, A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc, 1997.

Kosmin, Barry A., and Ariela Keysar, American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2008, (Hartford, Connecticut: Trinity College; Program on Public Values, 2009), 1.

Packer, J. I., Concise theology: A guide to historic Christian beliefs. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1995, c1993), Original Sin – Depravity Infects Everyone (Section two, topic two).

Torrey, R. (1995, c1897). The new topical text book : A scriptural text book for the use of ministers, teachers, and all Christian workers. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos research Systems, Inc.

Uncertain Original Author and Publisher. http://epicvelocity.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/armor-of-god-poster-web-11.jpg (accessed June 15, 2010).

Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books .

Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Expository Commentary. “An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire ‘BE’ series”—Jkt. Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press; Victor Books, 1996.

Wiersbe, Warren. W. (1993). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the Old Testament. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.


FOOTNOTES
The Barna Group, “The Bible,” barna.org, quoted in Michael J. Vlach, “Americans and the Bible: Bible Ownership, Reading, Study and Knowledge in the United States,” Theologicalstudies.org, http://www.theologicalstudies.org/ page/page/1572910.htm (accessed June 10, 2010).
Alec Gallup and Wendy W. Simmons, Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally, Percentage of frequent readers has decreased over last decade,” gallup.com (October 20, 2000), under “Wellbeing; Religion and Social Trends,” http://www.gallup.com/poll/2416/Six-Ten-Americans-Read-Bible-Least-Occasionally.aspx (accessed June 10, 2010).
J. I. Packer, Concise theology: A guide to historic Christian beliefs. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1995, c1993), Original Sin – Depravity Infects Everyone (Section two, topic two)
All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Alec Gallup and Wendy W. Simmons, Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally, Percentage of frequent readers has decreased over last decade,” gallup.com (October 20, 2000), under “Wellbeing; Religion and Social Trends,” http://www.gallup.com/poll/2416/Six-Ten-Americans-Read-Bible-Least-Occasionally.aspx (accessed June 10, 2010).
Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar, American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2008, (Hartford, Connecticut: Trinity College; Program on Public Values, 2009), 1.
christopherbennett07 June 19, 2008 “Make War – John Piper.” YouTube.com. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wrY0h33coR4 (accessed June 10, 2010)
Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker and Mike Yorkey, Everyman’s Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temtation One Victory at a Time (Colorado Springs, Colorado: WaterBrook Press, 2000), 125-132.
Original Author and Publisher uncertain. http://epicvelocity.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/armor-of-god-poster-web-11.jpg (accessed June 15, 2010)

Papers...

Well, as some know, I recently started college at Tyndale Theological Seminary and Bible Institute. As a result I have been extra busy and have not posted. As a consolation, I have decided to bore everyone by posting my papers. Yeah, please, keep the commotion to a minimum it is embarrassing. :o)

So, the first one was on Acts 1:8, I still need to make the revisions that the instructor recommended but here it is in rough form... Sorry, about the footnotes, they are at the end.





An Understanding of Acts 1:8
By
Jeromy Ashcraft


Reading, Writing, and Research
GEDU1301

Instructor Dr. Charles Ray
 
Is there power in the Christian faith? If so, where does it come from and how should it be applied? In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells us that there indeed is power and He not only tells us where or from whom it comes, but what to do with it. As we will see, this is an everlasting promise and command to all followers of Christ. How, also, should we use this promise in our ministry today?
The book of Acts, perhaps better named as the book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit, starts off with a paraphrase of Jesus proving his resurrection. Therefore, confirming His deity, among His disciples, His apostles and the world. Over forty days, He presented Himself to over 500 people as a witness of His resurrection. In chapter one verse five, the book quickly jumps to Him giving the command to wait in Jerusalem for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Baptism here would be better understood as; an immersion in, leaving a permanent change. He is then asked if He will now set up His kingdom and He replies with Acts 1:8:
“8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” NKJV
After making this statement He ascended into heaven and the approx. 120 disciples that witnessed this went to the upper room to pray.
After reading this passage I am left wondering who would receive what type of power and who exactly was the Holy Spirit to them? This is important to understand because we need to know the responsibilities of our position. If we start a new career we cannot properly fill that position without first knowing our duties and responsibilities. After checking the cross references in my Bible, I came to the second chapter of Joel. In verse 28 Gods tells us, “That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…” But if all flesh can partake of the Holy Spirit how are believers any different? Looking over the whole chapter we can see that God is speaking of “My People.” His people are those with repentant hearts that follow His commands.
He tells them in Acts 1:5, how long should they wait, “but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” This is really something for another study; however this is one of the few times Jesus gave a definitive timeline to His disciples. The significance of a few days had to have been obvious to these scripture warriors, Pentecost being only a short time off. Pentecost was also known as the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks. This was the time when crops were harvested and a time of great celebration. During this harvest there was an offering of firstfruits. This was a time of thanks to God and the firstfriuts of all labors were offered up (Leviticus 23:9-14). The history of this day and the power demonstrated through Jewish history would not easily be missed.
How would this “power” manifest in them? In Luke 24:49, Jesus tells us the power comes from on high. Again, of what significance is this to them? Taking a quick look at the language, let’s see what “power” really means. At first glance one might think; that because the establishment of a new kingdom is asked about and an endowment of power is being offered, that we are looking at a hostile takeover. However, the Greek word here is, dynamis, meaning “ability, to perform an activity.” Even in Hebrew it is "power, might, i.e., the potential to exert force in performing some function [see](Zec 4:6).”
So, what did these disciples know of the Spirit at the time they were given these instructions? They knew the Holy Spirit; as the source of life (Genesis 1:2, Job 33:4 and Psalm 104:30), as a teacher and guide (Nehemiah 9:20, Job 32:8 and Psalm 143:10), and as an empowerment to men (Exodus35:30-36:1, 1 Chronicles 28:12 and Genesis 41:38). In addition, they would have known the prophesies concerning Israel’s future (Isaiah 4:4-6, Ezekiel 11:18-21 and Haggai 2:3-9) not to mention promises to empower the Messiah (Isaiah 11:1-5, Isaiah 42:1, 61:1-3). There is authority when God speaks, as well as, a trust in His promises, which are always fulfilled. We can see that the Holy Spirit was not foreign to them. They knew of the works of the Holy Spirit in prophets and individuals of the past but now it would be poured out on all that believe. Believers are those that trust the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel is the understanding; that He died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day offering forgiveness and remission of sins to all that repent and believe in Him as God (see Acts 2:38, 1 Cor 15:1-8).
How should we understand the simple phrase, “…you shall be witnesses to me...?” Reading through several commentaries there seems to be debate as to whether this is a command or a statement of fact. My simple assertion is that a statement from a timeless all knowing authority is the same as a command. Just because He already knows what will happen does not mean a command becomes a statement of fact. Likewise, if it were delivered as a statement then it is still a command for the simple reason that He does already know the outcome of the statement. In Luke 24, we see that Jesus is addressing a large number of His disciples. We may conclude that this command is going out to all believers. Not only are we His witnesses, but also the Holy Spirit through us. Acts 5:32, “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” NKJV
What does it mean to be a witness? I believe here, the purely legal definition of witness was implied. It was not until after Stephens’s death that the association with eminent death was linked with the term “martyr,” as we think of it today. The terms seem to be reversed in present day vocabulary. Witness as it was used then is actually from the root word, martyreō. This does not appear to be anything more than a person who testifies of things seen. Like the miracles performed by Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Why Jesus mentions these three locations is not totally certain, to me.
I have heard some relate this progression to a regional expansion or regional progression. Regional progression is that which considers in order of priority; city, then state, and on to country as the command of Jesus in this verse. However, the entities listed by Jesus are also not expanding regions; Judea and Samaria have historically been listed as the same territory. The greatest portion of these lands is in the much disputed West Bank. (See map on page 7) Still some imply that this is an expansion progression starting with daily personal influence, then local outreach efforts and onto missions. While these are both great trains of thought and admirable goals, He may simply have been demonstrating that witnessing is a proactive activity. Witnessing can be reactive if we are approached but, this leads many to believe the “doctrine” of lifestyle evangelism. Lifestyle evangelism (if the only effort afforded) is a deception. We must get out and engage the world!
Of greater significance is the last statement of this study verse, “…and to the end of the earth.” In His statement, which is really a response to an earlier question, He does not outright mention a specific time frame but an open ended reference to time. It is generally assumed that the phrase, “end of the earth,” is to reach out to all corners of the globe as witnesses. However, the word, “end,” is in singular form, eschatos. Eschatos means: last, last state, latter end, last in time or in place, or last of a series. We can see eschatos is most likely a reference to time.
The disciples had just asked Him if He would be restoring His kingdom at this time (Acts 1:6). He responded by saying that it is not for them to know the times or seasons. However, this does not mean that He did not leave us without a “parable” like answer. I do not believe that He left them or us for that matter, without a taste of hope or encouragement and a bit of knowledge to discern the desired time table. Jesus is known for two things when asked questions: getting right to the point of a question without directly answering as the questioner would expect and also speaking in parables. He does not change, and I am sure He has not changed His M.O. here. Though not speaking directly in parable here we can see that the phrase when compared to the question does actually answer it. In other words, this is a command that is to last until the moment redemption comes and to reach out to all lands. We can see this lived out in the rest of the book of Acts.
Additionally, if He had intended to mean, to the ends of the globe, then we would have fulfilled this command by now. Every country has been reach with the Gospel of Christ. If He is referring to time, then it is not fulfilled until the time of His choosing. We are obligated to continue to witness either until we take our last breath or until the end of the earth, as we know it. Also, let us look at Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the entire world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” NKJV Here “end” is telos, meaning; termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be (always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time).1 In this verse we see the contrast between the two different words used for “end.” The emphasis is that the gospel should be preached in all places until the end of days.
Charles Spurgeon said, "…If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for." We should never take man’s words over that of scripture; however this quote shows us the passion we should have in spreading the gospel. Jesus tells us the power He gives us to witness and His promises have been proven to never fail. We must share the gospel with the world to our end and enable others to share until their end and so on until the end of the earth.

Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Greek (New Testament): 1539 δύναμις

Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament): 3946 I. כֹּחַ

Deffinbaugh, Bob, “Putting Pentecost in Perspective (Part 1) The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament (Acts 2:1-13),” <> (accessed May 10, 2010)

Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.) (DBLG 3455). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.

Tongue Speaking...

For anyone that has ever had questions on Biblical Tongues, here is a video series I found on YouTube. I stronly recommend you watch these, if you don't have time for all four now at least watch one and come back and watch another later. I watched the whole series and pretty much agree with everything said.

Also, I would encourage everyone to look at the authors YouTube Channel and view the video on his personal testimony.

And of course, don't take my word or the author's word for anything;

Acts 17:11-12 (New American Standard Bible)

11Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Now that you have watched these videos, don't forget that I did not make them, though I wish I had. A man named, Hossein, on YouTube as 1nemind, made them.