Pastor, it's wonderful to be able to discuss this vital topic with you. I know in our modern, often rationalistic world, the idea of speaking in tongues can sometimes be met with skepticism, even within the church. But I want to share with you, from my heart and from the Word, why I believe this precious gift, so evident in the Corinthian church, is still very much alive and active today, a true gift from our loving God.
Look back at the early church, particularly the believers in Corinth. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14, dedicates significant space to addressing spiritual gifts, and tongues is a prominent part of that discussion. He doesn't say, "Oh, that was just for Pentecost, or just for the apostles." No, he's correcting their misuse of the gift, not its existence or validity. In fact, he explicitly states in 1 Corinthians 14:5, "I would like every one of you to speak in tongues." That's a strong desire from the Apostle Paul, indicating it wasn't a rare or passing phenomenon.
The gift of tongues, Pastor, is a beautiful, supernatural enablement by the Holy Spirit to speak in a language unknown to the speaker. It's a direct connection with the divine, a form of spiritual communication that bypasses our natural intellect. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:2, "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit."
Think about what that means for us today. In a world full of noise, distraction, and often intellectual struggle, this gift allows us to directly edify our own spirit, to pray mysteries known only to God, to worship Him in ways that transcend our limited vocabulary and understanding. It's a deep well of spiritual refreshment for the believer.
Some argue that tongues ceased with the completion of the New Testament or the apostolic age, citing 1 Corinthians 13:8 where it says "tongues will cease." But let's read the full context: "But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears."
Pastor, "completeness" refers to the full manifestation of God's Kingdom, when Christ returns, and we see Him face to face. It's then that our partial knowledge, our need for signs, and even the need for prophecy in its current form will no longer be necessary, because we will have the full revelation of God. Until then, we are still "in part," and thus, the gifts that help us navigate this partial understanding and connect with God supernaturally are still very much relevant and needed.
The Holy Spirit is not limited by time or modernity. He is the same Spirit who empowered the early church, and He continues to distribute His gifts as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). To say tongues have ceased is, I believe, to put a limitation on the sovereign work of God in His church today.
I've seen countless lives transformed through the gift of tongues – individuals strengthened in their faith, experiencing a deeper intimacy with God in prayer, and finding an outlet for intercession they never thought possible. It's not about being loud or disorderly, as Paul also gave clear instructions for its proper use in the church (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). It's about a dynamic, Spirit-filled walk with God that embraces all the spiritual tools He has given us for edification, evangelism, and empowerment.
Pastor, I encourage you to consider this not as a theological debate, but as an invitation to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit's work in your life and in your congregation. This gift is for us, for today, to build up the body of Christ and bring glory to our amazing God. It's a divine language, a secret weapon in prayer, and a powerful sign to a world that desperately needs to see the supernatural reality of God.
2 comments:
Have graduated in BCEA Nairobi Advance Diploma
I want to ask according to this article. Does FEBC agree to this article or not?
Why is not possible that verse 8 of 1 Corinthians 13 be not translated as completions of NT and apostolic ages? Why
Interpreting 1 Corinthians 13:8 as marking the completion of the New Testament canon faces significant exegetical obstacles that make this reading difficult to sustain.
Paul states that partial knowledge and prophecy will cease when “the complete” (to teleion) arrives[1], but the text’s internal logic resists a canonical completion reading. The passage contrasts the present condition—knowing “in part”—with a future state of direct encounter: “when completeness comes, what is in part disappears,” moving from seeing “only a reflection as in a mirror” to seeing “face to face” and knowing “fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Cor 12:28–14:5) This progression describes an eschatological transformation in human perception and relationship with God, not the production of a written document.
The childhood-to-adulthood metaphor in verses 11-12 compounds this problem. Paul writes, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” (1 Cor 12:28–14:5) This illustrates a fundamental shift in consciousness and maturity, not the availability of new information. A completed canon would provide additional knowledge but wouldn’t transform the *mode* of knowing from partial to complete, or from indirect to face-to-face encounter.
Additionally, scholars generally agree that spiritual gifts serve a temporary function among believers until the eschaton[1], suggesting Paul’s framework is fundamentally eschatological rather than historical. If the coming of the perfect is associated with something yet future, it becomes difficult to argue that the gifts of knowledge and prophecy have ceased.[2] The canonical view requires reading “the perfect” as already accomplished—a conclusion that strains the passage’s temporal language and its emphasis on future transformation.
While Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and John Calvin historically interpreted “the complete” as the close of the NT canon, few modern scholars support this view.[1] Contemporary exegesis increasingly recognizes that the passage’s imagery—face-to-face encounter, complete knowledge, the end of partial revelation—points toward Christ’s return rather than textual completion.
[1] Derek R. Brown and E. Tod Twist, 1 Corinthians, ed. John D. Barry and Douglas Mangum, Logos Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2026).
[2] Andy M. Woods, “The Meaning of the Perfect in 1 Corinthians 13:8–13,” Chafer Theological Seminary Journal Volume 10 (2004), 10:1:106.
Post a Comment