Hello, I'm Hal Steenson
and I would like to welcome
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you to our program. On
today's Heaven's Point of View
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we are going to explore
some of the major issues
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surrounding tongues.
Some of the foremost questions
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I receive about tongues at 3ABN
are from charismatic Christians
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and usually deal with
two main issues such as:
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"Didn't Paul say he spoke
with the tongues of angels?"
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And "Are you not aware that
there is a difference in the
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gift of tongues and
praying in the spirit?"
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So is there really a
private prayer language that is
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heavenly and out of this world?
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Well, I encourage you to
get your Bible, call a friend,
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and watch today's
program. We are going to answer
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these questions,
and we'll be right back.
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You know, the question
is why do so many Christians
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believe that they can speak
in an out-of-this-world tongue
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without scriptural basis?
There are several possible
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reasons for this to
be accepted as truth
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but it's actually
error. One reason is
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the
misinterpretation of scripture.
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Another reason could be the
failure to look at the history
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and the culture of the era
when Paul wrote his first letter
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to the church at
Corinth. Then there is always
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the possibility of pride and
ego being a contributing factor
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to keep people from admitting
they've been doing something
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unscriptural. This is why
Jesus said in Matthew 11:15
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"He that hath ears
to hear, let him hear. "
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He was not talking about natural
ears, He was talking about
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spiritual ears. One of the key
reasons some Christians embrace
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the error of tongues is because
they incorrectly interpret
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Paul's first letter to Corinth.
Many think it is a perfect
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pattern of how to conduct their
worship service - when in fact
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Paul's letter was
telling the Corinthian church
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the way that they were
conducting their services
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was wrong. The Amplified
Bible clarifies why the
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church services at
Corinth were so out of order.
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says: "However, brethren,
I could not talk to you
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as to spiritual men but as
to non-spiritual men of the
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flesh in whom the
carnal nature predominates.
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As to mere infants in the
new life in Christ, unable to
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talk yet. I fed you with
milk not solid food for you were
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not yet strong enough to
be ready for it. But even
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yet you are not strong
enough to be ready for it.
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For you are still unspiritual,
having the nature of the flesh
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under the control of ordinary
impulses, for as long as there
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are envies and jealousy,
and wranglings and factions
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among you, are you not
unspiritual and of the flesh,
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behaving yourselves
after a human standard
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and like mere unchanged men?"
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The Corinthian church was
divided, carnal, in strife,
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and
demonstrating worldly attitudes
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and ungodly manifestations. For
some reason, people operating
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in the error of tongues are
either blinded to the carnality
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of the church at Corinth
or refuse to accept the truth.
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This is where our present-day
church must demonstrate
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the loving spirit of the apostle
Paul and seek to help as many
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as we can to come
out of this deception.
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Paul never accused the
members of the church at Corinth
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of worshiping the devil
or at any time ever told them
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that their services were
Satanic because they were not.
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He offered no external reasons
or excuses for this error
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but placed the blame on them
by saying they were unspiritual,
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motivated by the
flesh, and unchanged men.
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Paul centered in on their
internal problems and their own
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requirements to
correct this in-house error.
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What Paul did was to instruct
them about how to correct
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the problem and then continued
to love them out of their error
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and into the truth. Remember,
Jesus said in John 8:32:
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"And you shall know
the truth, and the truth
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shall make you free. "
Paul demonstrated his love
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for them and his desire
to bring them out of error
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and into the truth in
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He says: "What will ye?
Shall I come unto you with a rod
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or in love and in
the spirit of meekness?"
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We find one such
loving correction in:
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Paul was not saying that
this was the correct procedure
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for their church services,
he was asking why they were
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conducting their
services in that manner.
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It's almost at the end
of his letter before Paul
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lovingly asks them
to answer that question.
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He asks the question to
help them correct their mistakes
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not to condemn them
for making mistakes.
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Their mentor was instructing
them as a father would teach
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his children; Paul was
explaining that what they were
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doing was wrong and how
they could correct the problem.
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It was only after giving godly
instruction that Paul asks them
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How come you are doing it out
of order? He could have asked
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or said, You bunch of
carnal-minded hypocrites,
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every one of you is so full of
pride that you have to do or say
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something in every service,
and that's why your services
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last so long and
that people fall asleep.
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No, he just said: Hey, here's
what you're doing wrong guys.
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Now correct it. Do it decently
in order. And you know what?
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They did! The real purpose
of tongues was to be a sign
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to the unbeliever, not for
the believers to show people how
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spiritual they were.
There is no indication that
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tongues were unintelligible
anywhere - except at Corinth
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where they were
being used the wrong way
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and for the wrong reasons.
It is commonplace in some
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churches for "prayer tongues"
to be used for deliverance,
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healing, and everything
else but preaching the Gospel.
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There is no scriptural
basis for the gift of tongues
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being used as prayers or
to minister to an individual
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yet this is commonplace.
When these ministers pray for
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people in their public services,
they often pray in what they
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consider to be their
personal prayer language.
00:07:02.75\00:07:06.22
Now most scholars believe that
Paul was able to correct the
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problems noted in his first
letter to the Corinthian church
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because there is no mention of
it - any misuse of the gift - in
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his second letter. The
difference between then and now
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is the Corinthians had ears
to hear what the Spirit of God
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was saying in Paul's
letter. We have the same letter.
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It's here with us today,
but those who practice the
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false gift of tongues are mis-
interpreting Paul's correction
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of the misuse of the spiritual
gifts and do not have spiritual
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ears to hear. Well,
Pastor Hal, what about
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tongues being used as
personal prayer language?
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In addressing the subject of
tongues being used as a personal
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prayer language, those who
believe and practice this are
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quick to tell you "Well you just
don't understand the difference
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between the gift of
tongues and prayer languages. "
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How do I know?
Because I said it so much
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and so many times
myself. You know what now?
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I agree with them. I don't
understand this prayer language
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any longer because I now, I
am looking at it from heaven's
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point of view, and from heaven's
point of view, the Word of God,
00:08:14.85\00:08:18.78
a scriptural prayer language
cannot, CANNOT, cannot, CANNOT
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be found in God's
Word. Please recall that
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someone's personal experience
with tongues or any other gift
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does not have
precedence over the Word of God.
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Two basic scriptures are used
for justifying these phenomenon.
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The most commonly-used
one is Paul's statement in:
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"For he that speaketh in
an unknown tongue speaketh not
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unto men but unto God
for no man understand him
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howbeit in the spirit
he speaks mysteries. "
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Now let me just toss
something out here for you.
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Paul in the 14th chapter
of Corinthians, it was written
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all in capital case Greek
Koine. It had no punctuation.
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If Paul could have, when he
wrote this, punctuated this,
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you would see that the majority
of what is spoken in the
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14th chapter of Corinthians
is Paul asking the Corinthians
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questions. How come
you are doing it this way?
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Why are you doing it this way?
Do I have to do this in order
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to do that? Now, once again,
we reiterate the purpose of the
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12th, 13th, 14th chapters
of I Corinthians was to correct
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an open and
apparent error in the church.
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When you consider this scripture
in it's entirety, the true
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meaning becomes known.
The Contemporary English
00:09:39.22\00:09:42.78
version of the Holy Bible
gives a perfect explanation
00:09:42.88\00:09:46.19
of what Paul is
actually saying in this chapter.
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I Corinthians 14:2-9 says:
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"If you speak in languages
that others don't know,
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God will understand what you
are saying though no one else
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will know what you mean.
You will be talking about
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mysteries that only the
Spirit of God could understand.
00:10:04.92\00:10:08.24
But when you prophesy you
will be understood and others
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will be helped. They will
be encouraged and made to feel
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better. By speaking
languages that others don't know
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you help only yourself. But
by prophesying you help everyone
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in the church. I am
glad for you to speak
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in unknown languages although I
had rather for you to prophesy.
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In fact, prophesying does
much more than speaking in
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unknown tongues. "
Remember, unknown is in italics.
00:10:35.52\00:10:39.36
Unless someone can help
the church by explaining
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what you mean. My
friends, what good would
00:10:42.58\00:10:46.72
it do if I came and
spoke unknown languages to you
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and didn't explain what I meant?
How would I help you unless I
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told you what God had shown
me or gave you some knowledge,
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prophecy, or teaching?
If all musical instruments
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sounded alike, how would you
know the difference between a
00:11:03.19\00:11:06.75
flute and a harp? If a
bugle call isn't clear,
00:11:06.85\00:11:10.35
how will you know to
get ready for the battle?
00:11:10.45\00:11:13.34
That's how it is when
you speak unknown languages.
00:11:13.44\00:11:17.34
If no one can understand
what you are talking about,
00:11:17.44\00:11:20.61
you will only be
talking to the wind.
00:11:20.71\00:11:23.11
When we look at this
letter to the Corinthians,
00:11:24.44\00:11:26.25
we need to be aware
of to whom it was written
00:11:26.36\00:11:30.37
and why it was written to
them. This letter was not,
00:11:30.47\00:11:35.31
WAS NOT, written
to an individual.
00:11:35.41\00:11:38.12
It was written to
an entire congregation.
00:11:38.22\00:11:41.34
When Paul uses the word you,
he is not speaking to or about
00:11:41.44\00:11:45.60
any specific person or
individual in the Corinthian
00:11:45.70\00:11:49.24
congregation. He is referring
to the you as being everyone
00:11:49.34\00:11:54.19
in - that - local -
church. The you is not referring
00:11:54.29\00:11:59.05
to a particular individual
but is addressing a pleural body
00:11:59.15\00:12:02.33
of believers. You see,
Paul is not instructing someone
00:12:02.43\00:12:06.33
who could only speak a
language unfamiliar to others
00:12:06.43\00:12:10.27
to stop talking in that language
and then begin prophesying
00:12:10.37\00:12:14.21
in a language that he didn't
speak or know how to speak.
00:12:14.31\00:12:18.09
Paul is saying: if you speak
in a tongue - remember this is
00:12:18.19\00:12:21.76
not an unknown tongue -
but if you speak in a tongue
00:12:21.86\00:12:24.62
that is not
familiar to the congregation,
00:12:24.72\00:12:26.62
it's only you and God who
could possibly understand it.
00:12:26.72\00:12:29.95
Why are you wasting your
time talking to the wind?
00:12:30.05\00:12:33.17
He is telling them to just
be quiet and let someone else
00:12:33.27\00:12:37.55
preach in a language
the majority, if not all,
00:12:37.65\00:12:40.77
the congregation
could understand.
00:12:40.87\00:12:42.67
He is emphasizing what
they were doing was wrong
00:12:42.77\00:12:45.36
and he wanted to know
why they wouldn't stop.
00:12:45.46\00:12:47.90
Didn't Paul say that
he prayed in the spirit
00:12:49.93\00:12:54.21
and the understanding?
The second scripture that is
00:12:54.31\00:12:58.03
commonly used to try to
validate unknown tongues
00:12:58.13\00:13:00.36
as a prayer language,
and I used it for years,
00:13:00.47\00:13:02.54
I Corinthians 14:14: "For
if I pray in an unknown tongue
00:13:02.64\00:13:06.38
my spirit prayeth and my
understanding is unfruitful
00:13:06.48\00:13:08.76
what is it then? I will pray
with the spirit and I will pray
00:13:08.86\00:13:12.47
also with the understanding.
I will sing psalms in the spirit
00:13:12.58\00:13:16.04
and I will sing psalms
also with the understanding
00:13:16.14\00:13:19.17
since if Thou mayest bless with
the spirit, he who is filling
00:13:19.28\00:13:22.74
the place of the
unlearned, how shall he say amen
00:13:22.84\00:13:25.87
at Thy giving of thanks
since what Thou doth say
00:13:25.97\00:13:29.37
he hath not known?"
The use of unknown tongues
00:13:29.47\00:13:34.02
as a prayer language is
often referred to as praying
00:13:34.12\00:13:36.67
in the spirit, and the source
is taken from the above verse
00:13:36.78\00:13:41.05
of scripture. It is
believed that the apostle Paul
00:13:41.15\00:13:44.23
plainly states that he prays
in the spirit and therefore
00:13:44.33\00:13:48.17
it is scriptural.
That's NOT what Paul said!
00:13:48.20\00:13:53.26
Paul said if, IF, if...
00:13:54.63\00:13:59.41
you are hearing me, right?
00:13:59.44\00:14:02.05
If I pray in the spirit, he did
not say I pray in the spirit.
00:14:02.09\00:14:05.95
This would be like me
saying If I could fly,
00:14:06.05\00:14:09.47
I wouldn't have to walk and then
having someone tell everybody
00:14:09.57\00:14:13.68
that Hal Steenson said he could
fly - when, in fact, that was
00:14:13.79\00:14:16.94
not what I said. Paul said
if I pray, he didn't say I pray
00:14:17.04\00:14:21.53
or that he had
ever prayed this way.
00:14:21.63\00:14:24.80
Paul did not say he prayed
in a spiritual prayer language.
00:14:24.91\00:14:28.49
There is no scriptural
foundation for anyone to believe
00:14:28.59\00:14:31.67
this error. There is no basis
for this false prayer language
00:14:31.77\00:14:36.02
because of Paul's next
question - get ready for this -
00:14:36.12\00:14:39.06
his next question to the church.
Paul is bringing correction
00:14:39.16\00:14:42.96
to the church, so we
must examine what the apostle
00:14:43.06\00:14:46.22
is saying. He is saying
when you speak in a language
00:14:46.32\00:14:49.32
that the rest do not understand,
it is of no use to anyone.
00:14:49.42\00:14:54.72
Paul is asking why he should
have to pray two different ways
00:14:54.82\00:14:59.97
to try to understand what
he had prayed the first time.
00:15:00.07\00:15:03.83
In the phrase, hold
on to this, stay with me,
00:15:03.94\00:15:07.94
in the phrase "What is
it then" Paul is NOT saying
00:15:08.04\00:15:13.07
that this is how
it should be done.
00:15:13.17\00:15:15.51
He is asking them the question
"Why are you doing it this way?"
00:15:15.61\00:15:20.39
Paul is saying if
someone prays aloud in church
00:15:20.49\00:15:23.56
he should either pray so others
can understand what he is saying
00:15:23.66\00:15:27.03
or else... be quiet.
Paul writes in Romans 8:26:
00:15:27.13\00:15:32.23
Oh, and this is a scripture
that so many times has been used
00:15:32.33\00:15:37.33
by the
charismatic Pentecostals...
00:15:37.43\00:15:39.74
The Holy Spirit is the one that
makes these groanings for us.
00:15:52.18\00:15:55.46
We are not doing the groaning!
00:15:55.56\00:15:57.94
Humans, according to this
scripture, are incapable of
00:15:58.04\00:16:01.51
praying in this manner.
How can they utter something
00:16:01.61\00:16:04.26
the Bible says
plainly cannot be uttered?
00:16:04.36\00:16:07.39
The Amplified Bible
states it perfectly:
00:16:07.49\00:16:11.16
Wow! This scripture plainly
says it's the Holy Spirit that
00:16:39.48\00:16:45.42
does the pleading, not us.
00:16:45.72\00:16:48.19
Well, what about unknown
tongues at Cornelius's house?
00:16:49.36\00:16:52.93
The question is asked
"Didn't Cornelius's household
00:16:53.03\00:16:56.03
speak in unknown tongues?"
Once again the answer is very
00:16:56.13\00:16:59.15
emphatically NO.
Reason number one
00:16:59.25\00:17:02.18
is because there is no
such thing as unknown tongues.
00:17:02.28\00:17:04.76
Reason number two is the Bible
plainly tell us what actually
00:17:04.86\00:17:08.10
happened there.
Acts 10:43-47 states:
00:17:08.21\00:17:12.06
"To give all the prophets
witness that through His name
00:17:12.16\00:17:15.71
whosoever believeth in Him
shall receive remission of sins.
00:17:15.81\00:17:18.73
While Peter yet spake these
words" - he was preaching the
00:17:18.83\00:17:22.00
gospel - "the Holy
Ghost fell on all of them
00:17:22.10\00:17:24.64
which heard the word and they of
the circumcision which believed
00:17:24.74\00:17:29.66
were astonished. As
many as came with Peter
00:17:29.76\00:17:33.22
because that on the Gentiles
also was poured out the gift
00:17:33.32\00:17:37.05
of the Holy Ghost for they
heard them speak with tongues
00:17:37.15\00:17:40.62
and magnify God. Then answered
Peter, can any man forbid water
00:17:40.72\00:17:45.18
that these should not be
baptized which have received
00:17:45.28\00:17:48.09
the Holy Ghost as well as we?"
Now that's a key right there.
00:17:48.19\00:17:51.82
"As well as we?" The
Message Bible clarifies the term
00:17:51.92\00:17:54.65
"as well as we" by
translating it as "they received
00:17:54.75\00:17:59.85
the Holy Spirit
exactly as we did. "
00:17:59.96\00:18:04.25
Peter proclaimed
Cornelius's household received
00:18:04.35\00:18:07.09
the Holy Spirit the same
way the disciples received Him.
00:18:07.19\00:18:10.64
We have established that the
disciples did not speak in an
00:18:10.74\00:18:13.45
out-of-this-world language
on the Day of Pentecost.
00:18:13.55\00:18:15.89
and all who spoke at Cornelius's
household received the identical
00:18:16.00\00:18:21.07
gift the disciples did.
Cornelius and his household
00:18:21.17\00:18:24.89
received the same gift, and
they received it the same way.
00:18:24.99\00:18:28.16
This shows they could not have
spoken in an out-of-this-world
00:18:28.26\00:18:32.93
incoherent, babbling language.
00:18:33.03\00:18:36.50
Peter and the others heard
these Gentiles speak with the
00:18:36.60\00:18:40.62
gift of tongues, and they
understood what they said.
00:18:40.72\00:18:45.09
They did not need an interpreter
to translate for them
00:18:45.19\00:18:49.60
because they were all speaking
in Peter's and the accompanying
00:18:49.70\00:18:53.85
brothers' native language.
The native language of that band
00:18:53.95\00:18:58.95
of Italians would have
been completely different
00:18:59.05\00:19:01.76
from Peter's. There is no
reason to believe that the
00:19:01.86\00:19:04.75
Italians could have previously
spoken Peter's language.
00:19:04.86\00:19:07.62
What the disciples heard
was Cornelius and his household
00:19:07.73\00:19:11.15
declaring the
wonderful works of God
00:19:11.25\00:19:15.65
in the disciples' own language.
00:19:15.75\00:19:19.13
You know, it's hard for us
to comprehend because in America
00:19:20.36\00:19:23.79
people can go
from sea to shining sea
00:19:23.89\00:19:25.56
and still speak one
prominent language; however,
00:19:25.67\00:19:28.69
in Peter's setting, they
couldn't expect to hear the
00:19:28.79\00:19:31.01
same language from town to
town even if the towns were only
00:19:31.11\00:19:34.01
a few miles apart.
There is also the possibility
00:19:34.11\00:19:37.17
that Peter did not previously
speak Cornelius's language.
00:19:37.27\00:19:39.82
God may have given him
the gift of tongues to preach
00:19:39.92\00:19:43.25
the Gospel to
Cornelius's household.
00:19:43.35\00:19:45.30
Peter may have preached
to them in their language
00:19:45.40\00:19:48.42
by the gift of tongues,
and when the Holy Spirit
00:19:48.53\00:19:50.70
fell on them, Cornelius's
household began to declare
00:19:50.81\00:19:53.39
the wonderful works of
God in Peter's language by
00:19:53.49\00:19:56.64
using the gift of tongues also.
00:19:56.74\00:19:58.61
There was no need for an
interpreter because they clearly
00:19:58.71\00:20:03.00
understood what
each other was saying.
00:20:03.10\00:20:06.04
Paul instructs the
disciples of John at Ephesus:
00:20:06.15\00:20:09.91
"When they heard this, they
were baptized in the name of
00:20:11.99\00:20:15.24
the Lord Jesus and when Paul
had laid his hands upon them,
00:20:15.34\00:20:18.42
the Holy Ghost came on
them and they spake with tongues
00:20:18.52\00:20:21.68
and prophesied. And all
the men were about twelve. "
00:20:21.78\00:20:25.88
These disciples spoke
with tongues and prophesied
00:20:25.98\00:20:29.04
just like the apostles and
the first Gentile converts did
00:20:29.14\00:20:33.67
at Cornelius's household.
Those converts simply prophesied
00:20:33.77\00:20:37.99
in new languages. The
disciples at Ephesus received
00:20:38.09\00:20:41.96
the Holy Spirit exactly
as the apostles did on the
00:20:42.06\00:20:44.78
Day of Pentecost. On the
Day of Pentecost, they first
00:20:44.88\00:20:47.90
spoke in tongues then they
took their tongues into the
00:20:48.00\00:20:50.65
streets of Jerusalem and
used them to prophesy or preach
00:20:50.75\00:20:54.59
the Gospel to the Jews.
The disciples at Ephesus
00:20:54.69\00:20:59.48
did the exact same
thing. They spoke in tongues
00:20:59.58\00:21:02.38
and then used their
tongues and prophesied.
00:21:02.48\00:21:04.86
This word means to
preach, to proclaim, or to share
00:21:04.96\00:21:10.25
God's message of the Gospel.
00:21:10.35\00:21:13.42
Now, this is how it
happened on Pentecost.
00:21:14.20\00:21:16.60
This is what took place
at Cornelius's household.
00:21:16.70\00:21:19.68
And this is exactly
how it happened at Ephesus.
00:21:19.78\00:21:22.58
The only way the gift of tongues
is to be used is to preach
00:21:22.68\00:21:26.36
and prophesy and Gospel.
There is no other example
00:21:26.47\00:21:29.67
of the use of the gift
of tongues in the Bible
00:21:29.77\00:21:31.55
besides being used
to present the Gospel.
00:21:31.66\00:21:35.26
Now, let's begin to summarize
some of what we've heard
00:21:36.25\00:21:40.45
here today. The error
of the gift of tongues
00:21:40.55\00:21:45.21
or angelic language is simply
this: the apostle Paul did not
00:21:45.31\00:21:50.10
say he spoke in
an angelic language.
00:21:50.20\00:21:52.05
He said even if I
could, he didn't say I do.
00:21:52.15\00:21:55.20
This is a hyperbole,
simile, an exaggeration.
00:21:55.30\00:22:00.05
The disciples did not
speak in an unknown tongue,
00:22:00.15\00:22:03.48
they spoke in the present-day,
native, cultural language
00:22:03.58\00:22:07.51
of the Jews
assembled at Jerusalem.
00:22:07.61\00:22:09.47
The Jews present on
the Day of Pentecost
00:22:09.57\00:22:12.20
heard all the disciples
speaking in their own individual
00:22:12.30\00:22:16.22
cultural language. The gift
was not in the hearing because
00:22:16.32\00:22:20.47
the Jews knew this common
language. It was their language.
00:22:20.57\00:22:23.78
The gift was in the speaking
because the disciples had never
00:22:23.88\00:22:27.51
spoken it before. The Jews
had heard the language before.
00:22:27.62\00:22:30.80
One reason so many
people believe this error
00:22:30.90\00:22:35.58
is that they are blinded to
the truth of the 12th, 13th,
00:22:35.68\00:22:38.76
and 14th
chapters of I Corinthians.
00:22:38.87\00:22:40.60
Those chapters were written
to lovingly rebuke and correct
00:22:40.70\00:22:44.48
the error in the
Corinthians' worship services.
00:22:44.58\00:22:47.20
However, many believe Paul
gave these scriptures to them
00:22:47.31\00:22:50.50
to use as a proper
order for Spirit-led worship.
00:22:50.60\00:22:56.31
We are going to be
back right after this break
00:22:56.61\00:22:59.35
and we are going to
finish our summary here
00:22:59.45\00:23:02.12
and just share some
practical applications with you.
00:23:02.22\00:23:05.19
Don't go away. We'll be
right back in just a moment.
00:23:05.29\00:23:08.24
If you've been confused about
what the Bible says about the
00:23:09.90\00:23:12.76
Holy Spirit's
amazing gifts for the church,
00:23:12.86\00:23:14.77
you'll want to order your very
own copy of this 13-part series.
00:23:14.87\00:23:18.41
It's available on DVD
or video cassette from 3ABN
00:23:18.51\00:23:22.47
at a very special
price. This 13-part series
00:23:22.57\00:23:25.78
with Pastor Hal
Steenson makes a wonderful gift
00:23:25.88\00:23:28.38
for a friend or a
family member. Just call us at:
00:23:28.49\00:23:30.52
You may also order it online at:
00:23:36.14\00:23:37.98
You know, there is no scriptural
evidence of the need for an
00:23:55.63\00:23:58.20
interpretation when the
gift of tongues is given.
00:23:58.30\00:24:00.88
However, when the false
gift of tongues is brought forth
00:24:00.98\00:24:03.64
in many services in this
day and age, there is always a
00:24:03.74\00:24:06.84
false interpretation.
This is unscriptural.
00:24:06.93\00:24:09.59
In correcting the church
at Corinth about tongues and
00:24:09.69\00:24:12.32
interpretation, Paul is not
addressing the gift of tongues
00:24:12.42\00:24:15.35
because the gift of tongues
never needed interpretation.
00:24:15.45\00:24:18.57
Paul would not have been
referring false tongues because
00:24:18.67\00:24:23.26
he would never instruct
the church to interpret an
00:24:23.36\00:24:25.77
unscriptural tongue. The only
tongue left for him to correct
00:24:25.87\00:24:30.03
was the
natural, cultural tongue.
00:24:30.13\00:24:33.51
On the Day of Pentecost,
the Jews heard the disciples
00:24:34.36\00:24:36.85
declare the wondrous works of
God by using the gift of tongues
00:24:36.95\00:24:39.76
but in modern-day settings,
the interpretation is always
00:24:39.86\00:24:42.58
directed to the congregation
in order to boost self-esteem
00:24:42.68\00:24:45.88
or self-importance.
The Bible plainly tells us
00:24:45.98\00:24:48.87
that it is
prophesying, not tongues,
00:24:48.97\00:24:51.06
that will boost,
edify, and encourage us.
00:24:51.16\00:24:53.68
I Corinthians 14:3
says: "But he that prophesieth
00:24:53.79\00:24:57.73
speaketh unto men edification,
exhortation, and comfort. "
00:24:57.83\00:25:00.71
That's prophecy. There is no
scriptural basis for a personal
00:25:00.81\00:25:03.86
angelic prayer language.
Every time angels appeared to
00:25:03.96\00:25:07.09
patriarchs of old, they always
spoke in that person's common
00:25:07.19\00:25:09.97
language. We do not have
one single example of an unknown
00:25:10.07\00:25:14.22
angelic language in the Bible.
00:25:14.32\00:25:16.12
The apostle Paul did not say
that he prayed in the spirit.
00:25:16.22\00:25:19.44
He said "if I pray in the
spirit. " This is like me saying
00:25:19.54\00:25:22.68
once again, "If I could
fly, I wouldn't have to walk. "
00:25:22.78\00:25:25.02
Cornelius and his household
did not speak in an unknown
00:25:25.12\00:25:27.84
tongue according to Peter.
They spoke just as the disciples
00:25:27.94\00:25:31.30
did on the Day of Pentecost, and
it was in the hearer's language.
00:25:31.40\00:25:34.40
They spoke with the gift of
tongues and it was in Peter's
00:25:34.50\00:25:37.36
own language. Cornelius was
Italian, and we do not have any
00:25:37.46\00:25:41.01
evidence that he knew Peter's
language before this meeting.
00:25:41.11\00:25:43.80
The truth about the gift of
tongues is that it is a real
00:25:43.90\00:25:46.93
gift, given by God
through the Holy Spirit,
00:25:47.03\00:25:49.66
and is still valid
in this present age.
00:25:49.76\00:25:52.03
The error concerning the
gift of tongues is that the
00:25:52.13\00:25:55.13
modern-day tongue
phenomenon is so far off base
00:25:55.29\00:25:59.13
from scripture it cannot even
be considered a counterfeit.
00:25:59.23\00:26:03.51
Did you hear that?
Can't even be considered a
00:26:03.61\00:26:05.20
counterfeit. The present-day
false gift of tongues
00:26:05.30\00:26:07.34
is not even close to what
the Bible teaches as truth.
00:26:07.44\00:26:11.73
Now hear this. If I went
to Wal-Mart and tried to pay
00:26:12.92\00:26:17.29
for something with Monopoly
money, I doubt anyone would call
00:26:17.39\00:26:21.11
the police and tell them I was
passing out counterfeit money.
00:26:21.22\00:26:24.06
They'd probably just give me
a pathetic look and advise me
00:26:24.17\00:26:27.94
to seek professional help.
Again, it's doubtful anyone
00:26:28.04\00:26:32.00
would ever consider a
$100 bill in Monopoly money
00:26:32.10\00:26:36.17
to be a counterfeit bill
00:26:36.27\00:26:38.02
of $100 U.S. currency.
00:26:38.05\00:26:42.37
They aren't even close
to being the same thing.
00:26:42.74\00:26:45.34
They aren't alike in
size, color, or texture.
00:26:45.44\00:26:48.28
The true gift of tongues
from heaven's point of view
00:26:48.38\00:26:51.45
compared to what I have
experienced in my charismatic
00:26:51.55\00:26:55.35
church and
others, has no similarity.
00:26:55.46\00:26:58.07
The true gift of tongues
and what I have often heard
00:26:58.17\00:27:01.80
is so different that I don't
even consider them comparable.
00:27:01.90\00:27:07.26
They have nothing in common.
00:27:07.36\00:27:10.11
For those 18 years that I served
God as a charismatic pastor,
00:27:12.06\00:27:16.43
I believed and taught
what I now recognize as error.
00:27:16.53\00:27:19.00
I never worshiped Satan or
even considered that I was doing
00:27:19.10\00:27:22.57
anything that may be wrong.
In fact, I often prayed for God
00:27:22.67\00:27:24.79
to show me any error in my
life and lead me into His truth.
00:27:24.89\00:27:28.81
Likewise, there many
wonderful men and women of God
00:27:28.92\00:27:32.07
in all churches who would
never knowingly give place
00:27:32.17\00:27:35.48
to the enemy. They love
God just as I do and they want
00:27:35.58\00:27:38.59
more of God just as I
do. My heart's desire is to
00:27:38.69\00:27:42.19
encourage each and every
one of you to pray and ask God
00:27:42.29\00:27:44.43
to show you if there is
any error that you may be
00:27:44.53\00:27:47.68
unintentionally
operating in your life.
00:27:47.78\00:27:51.50
Psalm 119:130 says:
"The entrance of Thy Word
00:27:51.61\00:27:54.34
brings light and gives
understanding to the simple. "
00:27:54.44\00:27:58.40
Only His Word can
dispel the dark areas we may be
00:27:58.50\00:28:02.44
embracing
unwittingly. Turn to God.
00:28:02.54\00:28:06.23
Ask Him to show you,
reveal to you, His truth.
00:28:06.26\00:28:10.47
On our next Heaven's Point
of View, we'll take a look at
00:28:31.06\00:28:33.31
what we've learned so
far and then summarize
00:28:33.41\00:28:35.57
the gift to speak,
start on the gift to know,
00:28:35.67\00:28:37.64
which are the word of
wisdom, the word of knowledge,
00:28:37.74\00:28:39.82
and the discerning of spirits.
So check your 3ABN World
00:28:39.92\00:28:42.15
for the dates and
times, and we'll see you there.
00:28:42.25\00:28:44.47