Dear Student: An ostrich gulps down
whatever looks interesting: an apple, a tennis ball, a pocket-knifeopen or
closed. The ostrich may survive, but the gullible mind may not. The gullible
Christian uses a strange brand of reasoning. He knows that God works miracles,
so he reasons that all miracles must be from God. God has spoken to prophets;
so if a person has heard a strange voice from "somewhere," he must be
a prophet.
This is dangerous logic. The fact that
miracles are supernatural does not mean that all of them are from God. And the
fact that miracles are worked in the name of Christ does not necessarily mean
that Christ is connected with them. This restless generation is spending more
and more time playing around with the psychic and the supernatural. Sending
messages to see if one comes back. Holding pencils to see if some power will
make them write.
Tossing balls over the wall to see if
they return. There is an explosion of interest in the supernatural today.
According to The Wall Street Journal, ouija boards outsold the
32-yearchampion-Monopoly- in a very recent year. Movies and books also reflect
the great popular swing to supernatural themes. Rosemary's Baby is a best
seller; "The Exorcist" and "The Omen" drew record crowds,
and there are promises of more to come. On TV, witches and seances are common
items of diet, to say nothing of scores of faith healers that one may watch.
Today a businessman stands in line to board a modern jet. And then he steps
aside. The plane goes without him.
Someone has looked into a crystal ball
and told him the plane would crash. Prophets claiming to have messages from God
are headlined in the news media that cater to the sensational. And throughout
the land the sounds of strange tongues are breaking out in churches of all
faiths. What does it all mean? Is there anything to these supernatural phenomena?
If we ignore them are we missing out on special spiritual blessings? How can we
know if a miracle is from God or is plain trickery? Does the Bible offer some
help? Indeed it does, and this will be our study today. God's precious Word is
the only safe guide. In the fast-moving world of today, even our senses may
play strange tricks on us, but His Word will never fail.
Very sincerely yours,
Your Bible Instructor
LESSON 22 SPEAKING IN TONGUES
AND OTHER MIRACLES
SCRIPTURE READING: ACTS 2:1-24; 1
CORINTHIANS 12 Since faith healing, speaking in tongues, and prophetic messages
all involve the supernatural, and are considered to be miracles, let us give
our first attention to some basic Bible principles about miracles.
1. Are miracles a safe test of
what is true? Deuteronomy 13:1 - 4
_________________________________________________________
2. Why should we be on guard against
counterfeit miracles? Matthew 24:24 _________________________________________________________________
Thought question: Why won't the "elect" be deceived by counterfeit
miracles?
______________________________________________________________________
3. Why are miracles not a test of what
is genuine? Revelation 16: 14______________ can work miracles. Revelation 19:20
The____________and the_________________are
able to perform miracles. (See also Revelation 13:13,1 2 Corinthians 11: 14
______________________________________________________________
From these scriptures we get a glimpse
of the power behind some miracles. The Bible does not call these fake miracles,
trickery or fraud (although, doubtless, much of it is). Apparently Satan and
his angels have power to perform actual miracles. Read how Pharoah's magicians
duplicated most of the miracles that God performed through Moses (Exodus 7, 8,
9). All that appears to be miraculous or supernatural is not necessarily from
God. Once that fact is fully established in our thinking, we are safeguarded
from many a deception.
4. Why is it difficult to distinguish
the true from the false by appearance? Matthew 7:15
_____________________________________________
Part 1-- FAITH HEALING
Divine healing is definitely taught in
the Scriptures. Jesus spent more time healing than He did preaching. Sometimes
He only spoke the word and the sick were healed. On other occasions He touched
the diseased one. Once He anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay, directing
him to wash it off in the pool of Siloam. In another instance, a woman touched
the hem of his garment and was healed. Jesus was not confined to any one method
of healing, but used both miraculous and natural means in His healing ministry.
When God preserved the life of the prophet Elijah, He sent him food by ravens--a
miracle, but his water came from the brook Cherith--in a very natural way .
1. If faith healing is done in
Christ's name, does that make it genuine? Matthew 7:22, 23
___________________________________ Why? (verse 21)__________________________
Miracles performed in Christ's name by individuals who do not obey the Word,
are not genuine, however sincere the miracle worker may appear to be. Jesus
said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I
say?" (Luke 6:46). The heart that truly loves will want to obey. "If
ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Without obedience there
can be no genuine relationship with Jesus.
2. What should we do if we are sick?
James 5:13
________________________________
Jesus said, "If ye shall ask any
thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14). This certainly includes
healing. Christians should pray for themselves when they are sick.
3. What else is proper to do for the
sick? (verses 14,15) __________________
4. Does God always heal the faithful?
2 Kings 13:14
______________________________
Even though Elisha was God's faithful servant
and prophet, the Lord did not see fit to heal him. On one occasion Paul wrote
to Timothy that they had to leave Trophimus, a fellow-worker, at Miletum
because he was sick (2 Timothy 4:20).
Why did not Paul heal him? When Paul
prayed three times for deliverance from a "thorn in the flesh," which
many believe was poor eyesight, God did not grant his request, but promised
grace sufficient to bear his affliction (2 Corinthians 12:8, 9).
No, God does not always heal in answer
to prayer. In His infinite wisdom He knows what is best for us. Although Christ
Himself "took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matthew
8:17), only in the resurrection morning shall we have the full and complete
redemption for which we long-"the redemption of our body "(Romans
8:23).
One man of prayer has expressed it
this way: "Every child of God who remains a child of God will be
healed-either now, or later on in the resurrection of the righteous." And
that is a beautiful way to look at it.
5. What goes hand in hand with
healing? Mark 2:3-11 _________________________________________
God does not heal that we may continue
in known sin. This would neither bring glory to Him, nor spiritual benefit to
the recipient of His healing.
6. What attitude of submission did
Jesus give us? Matthew 26:39
________________________________________________________ As we examine the
healing ministry of Christ and familiarize ourselves with His methods and
attitudes, we may learn better how to distinguish true healing from the false.
a. Christ healed when and where the need arose. There is no evidence that He
ever staged a healing session, or that He ever advertised, "Healing will
take place here tonight." b. Jesus avoided building a personality cult
around Himself. Quite the contrary, He often told people not to advertise what
He had done for them, because He knew it would ultimately interfere with His
real ministry-the spiritual healing He had come to give. c. Jesus never charged
any fees for His acts of mercy. d. Jesus never demanded God to do something. He
commanded unclean spirits, but He never commanded God. His relationship to His
Father was always, "Thy will be done." This is not a denial of faith.
Our faith should stem from the knowledge that God can heal, that He wants to
heal, and that if He can do the most loving thing by healing, He will. (Adapted
from Marvin Moore, "Is Faith Healing for Real," Insight, September 9,
1975.)
Part 2-- SPEAKING IN TONGUES
(Glossolalia)
Our only safeguard against the
last-day deceptions of Satan is to be so firmly established in the teachings of
the Word of God that we will be able to recognize any counterfeit, no matter
how much like the genuine it may appear. Since Satan has distorted every truth
that God has revealed in the Word, we may be sure the gift of tongues is no
exception. By being able to recognize the true gift, we may fortify ourselves
against deception.
1. What special gifts will the Holy
Spirit give to the church? 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 28-30?
_____________________________________
2. Do all members of the church
receive the same gift? (verses 11,29,30) ________________________
3. Who determines who receives what
gift? (verse 1 1 ) __________________________ The Holy Spirit not the believer,
determines who is given what gift, but all His precious gifts are for the
benefit of the church; none are bestowed merely to elevate an individual Paul
compares the church to the human body (verses 12-17). Just as each part of the
body has a specific function, so each member of the body of Christ will serve
in a specific capacity. The gift and abilities that God gives me will
complement those He gives my brothers and sisters. We are not all heads! We are
not all tongues! We are not all fingers! Yet the unique gift of each member
enables the church as a body to function efficiently. Thought question: In view
of this, how would you react if someone claims you do not have the Holy Spirit
because you don't speak in tongues? ___________________
4. For what purpose was the Holy
Spirit promised? Acts 1:8 ____________________________________________________
"All gifts of the Holy Spirit,
tongues included, are bestowed for practical use in witnessing for Christ
successfully. . . . They are not given to gratify ambition, to build a
stratified elitist spiritual society, or to race one's emotional motors"
(As the Spirit Speaks, p. 52).
5. To whom only will the Holy Spirit
draw attention? John 16:13,14 ____________________________________________________________
Do we read anywhere of Peter telling what a wonderful sensation flowed through
him when the Spirit fell upon him? Is any mention made of ecstatic feelings or
peculiar ting-lings? None whatsoever! The Holy Spirit is Christ's personal
representative; to Him alone the Spirit directs attention. To divert attention
from Christ to the earthly vessel containing the gift is a sure sign of a
counterfeit. Compare the simple accounts in Acts 2, 10, and 19 with this from
the Christian Herald, September, 1972: "All the joys of my life were
blended together in one ecstatic moment-all the fun of childhood, my first
date, the moment when the man I wanted asked me to share life with him, the
exultation of the finished sex longing. ... I had the sensation I was almost
floating instead of walking."
6. What happened when the Holy
Spirit fell upon the waiting church on the Day of Pentecost? Acts 2:1-4
"They were all filled with_____________,and began to speak with
________________, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
7. What shows that they were
speaking real languages? (verses 5-8)
____________________________________________________________ This gift enabled
the disciples to speak fluently languages they had never previously spoken,
which greatly aided them in spreading the gospel. Says Dr. Howard M. Ervin,
Dean of the Graduate School of Theology, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa,
Oklahoma: "If tongues are merely 'ecstatic babbling,' they are totally
irrelevant to Christian worship " (Christianity Today, April 1 1 , 1969,
p. 10).
8. When the apostles spoke in
tongues, of whom did they speak? Acts 2:11
_________________________________________________________________
Thought question: Was the gift of
tongues an instantaneous unpremeditated reception, or did the recipients go
through special steps in order to receive it?
_________________________________________________
While there are variations, the
"gift" of tongues prevalent today is often received by instruction. A
"Praise Sheet" put out by one group instructs tongues seekers:
"The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is usually received while praising the
Lord. . . . Re-peat the words of praise in the first space [of a chart] over
and over for two or three minutes, then repeat the words in the second space .
. . , allowing. . . two or three minutes for each space. .
. . Speak about two or three times
faster than you ordinarily talk" (Plunket Rainbow Revival, quoted in
Rattling the Gates, by Roland R. Hegstad, p. 88). A group of tongues seekers at
Yale were instructed as follows: "(1) To think visually and concretely,
rather than abstractedly: for example, to try to visualize Jesus as a person;
(2) consciously to yield their voices and organs of speech to the Holy Spirit;
(3) to repeat certain elementary sounds which he told them, such as
'bah-bah-bah,' or something similar. He then laid his hands on the head of each
seeker, prayed for them, and the seeker did actually speak in tongues"
(Ibid., p. 89). Christ said, "When ye pray, use not vain repetitions"
(Matthew 6:7, NT 7 [4]).
9. How did Paul feel about
unintelligible tongues? 1 Corinthians 14:18,19 __________________________
10. What guidelines did Paul give in
the use of tongues? (verses 12-40) (verse 12) "Seek that ye may
excel______________________________" (verse 22) "Tongues are for a
sign ... to them that
_________________________" (verse 27)
"Not more than ______ or_______ should speak in one service, and even that
should be by______________, and there should be an ______________________"
(verse 28) "If there be no interpreter, let him
________________________________." (verse 33) "God is not
the_____________________________________." (verse 40) "Let all things
be done ___________ and ______________________________."
11. What gift did Paul consider more
important than tongues? (verses 1, 39)_________________________ Prophecy is the
power to speak authoritatively for God. The whole Bible has come to men through
this gift. The Scriptures testify of Jesus, and the gift of prophecy is appropriately
called the "testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 19:10; 1 Peter 1:10-12).
We shall touch more on this gift in the next lesson.
12. To whom will God give His Holy
Spirit?
Acts 5:32_______________________________ Jesus
"became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him"
(Hebrews 5:8, 9). Whatever the name of the movement, if it excuses disobedience
to God's law, beware of it! "To the law and to the testimony: if they
speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them"
(Isaiah 8:20).
13. When did Christ receive the Holy
Spirit? Luke 3:21, 22
__________________________
14. What must all Christians have?
Romans 8:9
_____________________________ There are no
Spiritless Christians. If a person hasn't the Holy Spirit, he is not a
Christian at all! The Holy Spirit communicates Christ to us. To have the Spirit
is to have Christ.
15. What is the real evidence that one
has been baptized by the Spirit? Galations 5:22, 23
________________________________________________________________________________
What a reassurance to anyone who may be wondering whether God has accepted him
since he does not speak in tongues or perform miracles! A spectacular spiritual
experience is not the mark of the Holy Spirit. The real evidence of Spirit
baptism is the fruit of the Spirit in one's life. In fact, Paul says,
"Though I speak with tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity
[love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" (1
Corinthians 13:1). Holiness does not consist of feelings; holiness is
surrendering self entirely to God, doing His will in all things, and trusting
Him completely. In the last days, God's people are to be empowered to witness
to the world and prepare a people for Christ's soon return. The enemy of our Lord
is not ignorant of this, and it is not surprising that he will try to so cloud
the issue that the true manifestation of God's Spirit will not be recognized.
Part 3-- FOUR FOOLPROOF TESTS
TO APPLY TO MIRACLES AND TONGUES
1. Deuteronomy 13:1-4 :____________are
not a test of the true.
2. 1 John 4:1-3 Must confess that
Jesus, the divine Son of God, came______________________________
3. Matthew 7:16 Examine their
__________________________.
4. Isaiah 8:20 (OT 557 [433]) If they
are not in harmony with the __________ and the ________________ (Scriptures),
"there is no light [truth] in them." Let us evaluate miracles by the
Word of God, not the Word of God by miracles. Let us judge all religious groups
by what they teach, not by the miracles they can display. It the teaching is
not in harmony with the Word, a thousand miracles cannot make it right. It is
for us to search for truth and follow it, irrespective of miracles, including
tongues.
SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL READING:
Charisma in the Spirit, by Rene Noorbergen.
