1 Corinthians 13:8-13
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. NAS
“Love never fails” but
if. We know that the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge existed when Paul wrote to the Corinthians. We also know from Scripture that “tongues” is a sign for the unsaved.
1 Corinthians 14:22
22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers, but to those who believe. NAS
Prophecy has two meanings; to foretell the future and to forth tell God’s truth. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul is very specific in his teaching regarding tongues. I have attended many charismatic churches over the last 20 years and have seldom seen the gift of tongues used Biblically.
I have heard many who claim to have the gift of “tongues” as a prayer language refer to:
Romans 8:26
26 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; NAS
The KJV uses “that cannot be uttered”. The word translated “uttered” is:
NT:215
alaleetos, alaleeton
not to be uttered, not to be expressed in words:
(from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Biblesoft)
NT:215
alaletos (al-al'-ay-tos); from NT:1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of NT:2980; unspeakable:
KJV - unutterable, which cannot be uttered.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
The English word “uttered” means cannot be expressed verbally or with a spoken sound. I understand this to mean the Holy Spirit intercedes without our making a sound, which precludes any unknown language that results in “babbling”.
Irish_John, you will hear many teachings on “tongues” that contradict each other. So what you need to do is study the Bible and let the Holy Spirit teach you the truth, after all that is part of the Holy Spirit’s job description and He will not contradict God’s truth.
I believe all the gifts are available to the Church today and none of the gifts will cease until Christ comes again.
1 Corinthians 13:9-10
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. NAS
The only
perfect is Jesus the Christ. The Holy Spirit gives gifts as He pleases and we cannot force Him to give us a gift.