What is a Reformed Baptist..

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com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. This evening we gather once again and we are still in our series, as you're all aware, that we started many, many weeks ago, probably. It's got to be four months ago now that we started the series, and we said that the whole idea or the objective of what we're doing and the studies that we're doing for at least probably the first six months of our gatherings is that we would know who we are as Reformed Baptists.

What is a Reformed Baptist Church? What is the distinctives of a Reformed Baptist Church? And if you remember, to help us understand or remember, we said it's like a pyramid, four levels of a pyramid. The first level is an evangelical church, and we said that at the very minimum in an evangelical church, we need to at least believe in what? The five solas.

And then we looked at the Calvinistic church, a church that holds to the doctrines of grace. And then one level further up, and what's happening is we're finding there's more and more distinctives as we go up this pyramid. And so now we're in the category, in the third level, what is a Reformed Baptist, sorry, my apologies, what is a Reformed church? I'm ahead of myself. And next time we'll look at what is a Reformed Baptist Church.

So what is a Reformed Church? And we've gone through already and we've looked at three things. Our brother showed us that a Reformed Church needs to hold to the regulative principle. We looked at what is Reformed preaching. And then we looked at a Reformed Church.

Historic has always been a church that's held to creeds and confessions. So it's a confessional church. And then we opened up a small sub-category, and that sub-category is, what do Reformed people, Reformed churches believe the function of the Holy Spirit is in the New Testament Church? So what is the function of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church? And it's a big, wide topic we know, but we've sort of looked at particular areas.

And the first one, our brother Nelson, a few weeks ago, he brought out to us that the the church, the apostles, had a time and there was a specific function for them in history in the first century. But when the last apostle died, he wasn't replaced. And they had a preeminent function of what? Providing revelation of the church. And that revelation was a revelation of what was once concealed or hidden, now made known.

And so we have the writings of the apostle, the apostolic teachings in the Word of God. And the prophets, similar. The prophets were also revelatory in nature. And the conclusion we came to last week, or was it last week, brother, when we did prophets here last week, was that revelation has come to an end. Revelation has come to an end.

And if we hold to that category, that revelation has come to an end, and that was actually one point that I forgot to say, that the canon of Scripture is closed. That was before the the last two categories. So if revelation has come to an end, then any revelatory gifts need to have ceased also. So any gifts that we read about in the Word of God that are definitely revelatory by nature, then those gifts need to have come to an end also, if we hold to the closing of the canon as well as holding to God has spoken His special revelation through his son and his son through the apostles and the prophets in the first century church. And if we think or believe that revelation is no longer spoken by God, a special revelation, then we have to hold that any gifts that we read about in the Bible that is revelatory by nature, they by definition need to have come to an end.

So this is what we're up to this evening. This evening, our fourth topic in this small sub-category is the topic of tongues. So it's the gift of tongues. What is the gift of tongues? That's what we want to come to today.

What is the gift of tongues? What does the New Testament speak to the gift of tongues? Is it something that was only specific for the first century church? Is it specific for a time or a place? Is it meant to continue throughout the church of Jesus Christ?

What is it? And we know when we look around in other churches, we know that the gift of tongues, or supposedly the gift of tongues, what's deemed by them is the gift of tongues, is being still practiced within many churches around the place. Our Pentecostal brothers and sisters or charismatic churches, they still hold to the gift of tongues being practiced. So what do we think about that? Does it matter what we think?

No. It doesn't matter what we think, it matters what the Word of God says. Our thoughts, our experiences, our opinions, we've got to set those aside. We need to go to God's Word and we need to open God's Word and allow God to be the supreme authority over what we believe in this matter. So, what we want to do this evening is we just want to open up God's Word and we want to have a look at what God says about the gift of tongues and in particular, the gift of tongues in the New Testament church.

We're gonna have a look at what it was, what its function was, and then we wanna look around and see whether, is it still, for now, what we see around the place, is that really the gift of tongues that's described for us in the New Testament church, or is it not? Okay, so there's three points I wanna make this evening. There's a lot we can say about this particular topic. The Bible speaks in 1 Corinthians 12 through 14. Paul in three chapters speaks about tongues quite extensively.

And the book of Acts, we know that throughout the growth of the early first century church, we see this gift sort of pop up two or three times, in particular in Acts chapter two at the Day of Pentecost. We'll look at that this evening. So I want to really just look at three main areas this evening. And the first is, or three main points, and the first is this. I want to be able to argue that the New Testament gift of tongues was known foreign languages.

So it was known foreign languages, actual languages that could be understood by people native who understand that language, native to that area. The second point I want to look at this evening is the New Testament gift of tongues were a sign from God and therefore temporary. in nature. We'll look at that. Assigned from God and therefore temporary in nature.

And the third thing I want to look at, or the third point, and this is really the big one, and this is that the New Testament gift of tongues was a revelational gift. In other words, it's revelatory. In other words, it is the inerrant, when the early first century believers spoke in tongues, they were speaking revelation directly from God. So the first two points are strong and valid, but if the third point, if we can prove that point exegetically, if that's what the Word of God says, then we need to be prepared to take those consequences as well. And if what we look around us, if it doesn't meet our brothers and sisters who practice, who believe, and I'm being respectful to them, you know, these are still our brothers and sisters and we love them dearly, But if it isn't practiced as the New Testament, the Bible teaches, then it's another thing altogether.

And we can't attribute to the Holy Spirit something that's not supported or grounded in Scripture. Okay, so let's open up our Bibles and go to the first text. The first text I want to open is Acts, the book of Acts, and we're going to go straight through to Acts chapter 2. if you can open that up for us. And we'll be reading from verses one through 13.

Now just for some context. After his death and resurrection, Jesus continued to make appearances on the earth, teaching and fellowshipping with the disciples and the believers for about 40 days. Then in Acts chapter 1 we're told that Jesus ascended to the Father's right hand in glory. But before he did, he commanded the disciples and other believers, about 120, not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit was given from above. They were not to depart until they had received power from on high.

So these Christians obeyed the Lord. And they gathered in the upper room in one accord, and Luke tells us they devoted themselves to prayer and waiting in faith for the Holy Spirit to be poured out as promised by the Savior. And now we catch on and we read from verse 1 in chapter 2. You've got your Bibles open. Verse 1 in chapter 2.

Now when the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation, under the heaven.

And at the sound of the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear each of us in his own native language Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongue the mighty works of God. and all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, what does this mean? But others mocking said, they are filled with new wine.

Amen. So what do we have here? The Christians waiting in the upper room experience a supernatural outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit and they flood into the streets speaking in what Luke describes in verse 4, other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And they were heard by a multitude of people. Why so many in Jerusalem?

Well, we're told in the first verse, it was the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. It's a celebration seven weeks after the Passover, and that's why it's called Pentecost, 50 days, 50 days after, to thank God for the harvest that he blessed them with in the summer. This was one of the three main festivals that the Jewish men, if they could afford, were to come from all over to Jerusalem and celebrate with their fellow Jews the goodness of God. And this explains why Luke would describe them, in verse 5, as devout Jews. They were concerned to come back and do what is right.

So Jerusalem would be busting at the seams at this point in time with people who travel from all over the world crowding the streets. It's among this huge crowd that Luke writes in verse 6. And at the sound, the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, Are not all these who are speaking Galilean? Now first of all, the verse dispels, this verse dispels the wrong view that the miracle was only in the hearing and not the speaking.

Luke is clear. It's in the speaking because they spoke, he said, they spoke in their own languages. And what was heard was not ecstatic speech. or unintelligible repetitive babble, but are real human languages that were clearly recognized by those who are native to the 15 or so listed regions in verse 9 through 11. And that's why the crowds were completely, completely bewildered or astonished, Luke tells us.

Simple Galilean men speaking languages that they'd never ever heard, sorry, my apologies, never ever learnt. Furthermore, the Greek word that Luke uses here is glossa, translated to tongues in our passage. It's used many times in the New Testament. In particular, the book of Acts and 1 Corinthians 12-14. It's the root word that we get our English word, glossary.

As you know, the word glossary simply means a compendium or a dictionary that makes up a dialect or a language. So every single time glossa is used in the New Testament, it means one of two things. Either the tongue as an organ in the body, in our mouth, that utters words, or a known human language. Of course, the context will tell us which one's which, but it always means one or the other. Sometimes, Glossa is even translated language, like in Revelation 5 verse 90, it says, And they sang a new song, saying, speaking of Christ, Worthy are you to take the scroll, and to open its seals.

For you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe, and Glossa, language, and people, and nation. Okay, so most Christians would agree that what we have at Pentecost cannot be anything other than the utterance of human languages, and most people agree to this. But then they go on to suggest that what is experienced by the Christians after Pentecost is, or in later times, could be a different thing altogether. But look Luke gives absolutely no warrant for this type of thinking. In fact, in Acts 10.

47, if you open your Bibles, let's open our Bibles to Acts 10.47, and this is, by the way, this is about eight to ten years after Pentecost, and Peter witnesses the amazing salvation of the centurion Cornelius and his whole household in Caesarea. where we're told that they all spoke in tongues. But listen to what Peter says next to the brothers who are with him. This is Acts chapter 10 verse 47.

Peter wants to baptize these newly converted Gentiles, Cornelius and his household, and he asks the question, is there any reason why we shouldn't baptize these people who have evidently received the Holy Spirit as we have? In chapter 15, when Peter speaks to the apostles and the brothers back in Jerusalem explaining what had happened, he there also says, "...and the Holy Spirit fell on them just as it did on us at the beginning." the Holy Spirit's gift of tongues as Peter experienced with the 120 at Pentecost was evidently the same gift of tongues that the Gentile household also experienced. So we could assume rightly, I believe, that also in Acts 19, when the 12 disciples of John the Baptist spoke in tongues after believing the gospel that Paul had just shared with them in Ephesus on his third missionary journey.

And by the way, that's about the time Paul writes the letter to the first Corinthians or the first letter to the Corinthian Christians. What word does Luke write to describe it? Glossa. The exact same word to describe all occurrences of this phenomena throughout the book of Acts. And Luke would know.

He was for a large portion Paul's missionary journey companion. He was with him on a large portion of Paul's journeys through the Asia Minor and through the world. But the same could be said of Paul's writing also to the church at Corinth. In fact, 1 Corinthians 14, a passage predominantly on prophecy, and tongues, Paul also uses the word glossa. Just like Luke describes the gift of tongues, Paul uses the same word.

But what's telling, I think, is Paul's reference to the Old Testament in this passage. He references Isaiah 29 or 28, and it reads this way. He says, people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue, that's the same root word, the Lord will speak to his people. This is a reference of the judgment of God. upon sending the Assyrians to the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC.

But the point is not that. The point is the Assyrians, when they came in and invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel, when they came in, they were speaking not ecstatic languages, not babble. They were speaking a foreign language that the Jews just did not understand. And God said to them, when you hear men of foreign languages or foreign tongue that you don't understand, judgment has come upon you. And so Paul is referencing that Old Testament passage so that he can build his point in 1 Corinthians 14 in the New Testament, speaking about New Testament tongues.

The ecstatic repetitive private prayer language phenomenon experienced in the Pentecostal and some charismatic churches today is not the same. It's not the same in description of what we've seen in Scripture. In any case, if you hear someone boasting of a spiritual gift that's confined to himself or herself for her or his own edification, then we must treat that as a little bit dubious. Paul is clear in 1 Corinthians 12, 7, to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit, that is, the gifts of the Spirit. Why?

For the common good. It's for the edification of the Church. The gifts the Spirit gives are for others. It's not a selfish gift. And actually, that's Paul's main point in the chapter, that there are many members, but one body.

and the body and one head which is Jesus Christ. And we as the believers, as the Christians, ought to be considering others above ourselves. And he rebukes the Corinthians for wanting the showy gifts like tongues because they desired the gift for the wrong reasons. They were desiring the gift for selfish reasons. But Paul's whole point in his exhortation in the book of Corinthians in particular, in chapter 12, is to consider the body of Christ above all else.

To consider the body of Christ above all else. So that is to say that tongues, being a private prayer language, is only for self-edification, would go against what Paul is striving so hard to teach the believers in Corinth. So now Paul is clear in verse 4. He actually says, in verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 14, if there's no interpreter, the tongue speaker edifies himself. So he does say that, but that's not to be taken as a justification, but rather a reproof for not considering and loving your brother's and sisters, because that's Paul's point.

Even still, every gift of the Spirit primarily is for the good of the church, but it also edifies us as well. We can't say it doesn't. In fact, if your gift is one of teaching, nurturing that gift is edifying. If your gift is one of helps, when you pour yourself out to the body, you pour yourself out to the believers and serve the believers in the church, that's incredibly edifying. So yes, The gifts of the Spirit can be both, primarily given for the edification of the church or the body of Christ, but of course it's edifying for us as well.

But how, I ask you, how is a private prayer language, how can that be edifying for both? How's that edifying for the church? It's interesting to note that the Pentecostal definition of tongues has not always allowed for a private prayer language. In fact, a little over 100 years ago, and this is about the time of the start of the movement, tongues was deemed to be actually foreign languages. Missionaries were even sent to foreign lands from United States of America without training in languages to the natives of their destinations because they believed if they stepped out in faith, then God would provide the gift of tongues and enable them to preach the gospel in that indigenous language.

They were well-meaning people, no doubt, but they were misled in their understanding. It's needless to say that, and I say this respectfully, that those missionaries all came back very disappointed. So since then, the official definition of tongues has changed amongst our charismatic friends. They would now argue that tongues could be either a real language or a private prayer language. So you could say they've made accommodation for both.

Beloved, I believe that the Bible speaks clearly. The gift of tongues as described in the scripture was only ever a real, intelligible, earthly language that is given to a believer who has never learned the language. It is miraculous. But that's not what we see when we see the gift practiced today. Therefore, we must conclude respectfully that whatever experience occurs under the label of tongues today is not consistent with the New Testament teaching of this gift.

But beyond this, tongues also has another purpose. That's our second point. The second point is it has a purpose to be a sign of something big to come. God is consistently gracious with his people all throughout history. Although he's free and he's sovereign to do as he pleases, when he pleases, he's always been forthright in providing his people with types, shadows, institutions pointing forward and prophecies to allow people to anticipate major events or shifts in redemptive history.

Paul helps us understand this point if we open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 14 and we'll be reading from verses 20 to 25. Reading from verse 20 to 25, 1 Corinthians 14. Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In the law, it is written, by people of strange tongues and by lips of foreigners will I speak to these people.

And even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord. Thus tongues are a sign not for believers, but for unbelievers. While prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers, but for believers. If therefore the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he's convicted by all, he's called to an account by all, the secrets of his hearts are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Here Paul is appealing to the Christians at Corinth who had been acting childish in their treatment of the spiritual gifts. No doubt there was a genuine spirit-wrought gifts among them. But as I said before, they were treating the gifts like children treat toys. Not much regard for their fellow brothers and sisters. Instead of considering how they could serve their church, their brothers and sisters with their gifts, it seemed their main ambition was selfish.

So Paul quotes a passage in Isaiah 28, which we referenced before, and it reads like this. For by people of strange lips, and with a foreign tongue, the Lord will speak to this people, to whom he said, this is rest. Give rest to the weary, and this is repose. Yet they would not hear. And the word of the Lord will be to them at precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, hear a little, very little, that they may go and fall backwards and be broken and snared and taken."

These are heavy words of judgment. It's a passage that Yahweh is speaking to Israel and He says to them, that he's treating them and speaking to them because they lack understanding. It's a rebuke of the people of Israel for her childish immaturity. But the passage ends in Yahweh's judgment on this infantile people, predicting the demise of the northern kingdom of Israel. You see, God had spoken to them like children in their own tongue, but they did not listen.

And they did not repent. God was being merciful to Israel. but they weren't interested. They even mocked the prophet that predicted their doom. So God sent a foreign nation, speaking a foreign language to invade them.

When the people of Israel hear the voices of the enemy army speaking a language they do not understand, in this case it's Assyria, so it's the Assyrian language in 722 BC, then that's a sign for them to remember the words in Isaiah's prophecy and recognize that God is judging their nation. The sound of foreign tongues was to them a sign of judgment upon the unbelieving Jew. This was true for them, but this judgment was fulfilled also with the New Testament outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. You remember our reading earlier on in Acts chapter 2 We're told that in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, when the city is bustling with people and Jews in particular from all nations, God pours out his Holy Spirit and they speak in tongues. But what do they utter?

Luke tells us they uttered the mighty works of God. But what language do they speak in? The text tells us in verse eight, Each one heard them speaking in his own language. Then in verse 9 through 11, we have 15 different speaking regions listed for us. What's missing in those names?

Hebrew's not there. There's no Hebrew. They're in Jerusalem, but they're speaking foreign languages, just like the prophecy in Isaiah. The sound of foreign languages on the lips of people meant judgment 750 years earlier. So too was the case in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost.

Probably why we're told in verse 13, some mocked them saying they're filled with wine. Probably Jews who didn't understand a single word that was spoken. God was bringing a covenant curse upon Israel and judging the Jews. For so long God had spoken through one nation in one language, but they did not listen. So now the gospel is being preached, but the Jews do not understand, and they deny the long-awaited Messiah.

The parable of attendance that Jesus speaks really brings light to this. He says, The kingdom of God will be taken away from you, speaking to the Jews, and given to a people producing fruit. This great mystery previously concealed is being revealed with a great sign. A big change is happening. Judgment upon Israel and the Gentiles are being grafted into the Jewish vine to enjoy the covenant blessings promised to Abraham's seed.

But the Jews, they don't have ears to hear, and it seems that they've been left out for now. And this is Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 14, 22 through 25. If the Christians gather and speak in tongues, because being a language unbelievers don't understand because there's no interpreter, then the unbelievers, just like the Jews at Pentecost, and just like the Jews back in Isaiah's day, they won't understand. And therefore, if the believers that Paul is speaking to in the church at Corinth don't understand what's being said, how, I tell you, how can they be saved? As with any sign, once it serves its purpose, it's no longer needed.

If a sign on the road signifies you to turn, and there's a turn in the road, once you've made that turn, you no longer need that sign. It's a warning. It's an indicator to something bigger. But once you've entered the reality, the sign is left behind. Beloved, the whole world knows that the Jewish flag has been brought down, and now the Jewish Gentile flag.

has been raised up in its place. God doesn't exclude any nation, any people, or any tongue. Salvation is open for all people through the one Messiah, Jesus Christ. Tongues have served their purpose. The sign is no longer needed.

But I believe the main reason we can be confident that the gift of tongues has actually ceased is because it was revelatory in nature. As our brother Nelson has told us over the last couple of weeks, the apostles and the prophets had a primary role to play in a specific time in history. Their role was revelatory in nature. They were revealing the mystery that was concealed in the old, but now has been made known in Jesus Christ. That God has opened up the doors of salvation to the Jews and Gentiles alike.

But now that the revelation has been preserved by God's grace in the complete canon of scripture, then we believe that revelatory gifts and the offices are therefore ceased. God has revealed all he wishes to reveal to his church until the end of this age in the 66 books of the Bible that we have before us. We believe this and must not be willing to allow anyone to add or subtract to the canon of scripture. So now we need to prove that the gift of tongues is revelatory by nature. And if it is proven to be by the word of God, then we must conclude also, as I stated earlier, that unless you're prepared to accept further special revelation, then one must agree that the gift of tongues has ceased.

So let's go back to 1 Corinthians 14 and let's read from verses 1 now through 5. So 1 Corinthians 14 and let's read from verses 1 through 5. Paul says, Pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God." Now, it's important that we look at this passage and we understand when Paul speaks about tongue, he's speaking about an uninterpreted tongue.

He'll go on to explain this, but we're only going to read the first verses. So Paul is speaking, keep that in mind, when Paul says, when someone speaks in tongue, he's saying, he's basically, he's referring to a tongue that's uninterpreted, and it will make sense as we get to the verse five. Verse two, for one who speaks in the tongue speaks not to men, but to God, for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for thereof building an encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. Hear this, the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless, unless someone interprets so that the church may be built up, unless someone interprets. There's a few points that I want to make out of this passage. The first is an insight that was given by a theologian by the name of O. Palmer Robertson, who I've really benefited a lot from reading his material on this subject in particular.

He makes a strong point about verse 2 in this passage for for one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God for no one understands him but he utters mysteries in the spirit mysteries in the spirit in the new testament that word mysteries or mysterion has an intrinsic meaning. It almost always connotes the idea of divine revelation, once concealed, but now revealed. Listen to some other, a few other New Testament passages, and how they speak about this word, or how they use this word. Paul writes in Ephesians, chapter one, verse nine, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to His purpose which He has set forth in Christ. God makes known the mystery of His will.

His will is uncovered for His people. Ephesians 2.3.6 The mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Again, Paul is explaining exactly what the mystery is.

It's no longer a mystery. It's not a secret. It was concealed. It was hidden. Now it's been made known.

The Gentiles are now partakers, Paul says. In Colossians 1.26, the mystery hidden for all ages, or for ages and generations, but now revealed to the saints. It's a revelation that's been revealed, once hidden, now revealed. 1 Timothy 3.

9, speaking of deacons, Paul says, they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And again, in 1 Timothy 3.16, great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. Okay, it's a mystery of godliness.

And then Paul says, He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in the glory. No longer a mystery. Paul is revealing what the mystery is. Once hidden, now revealed. We could go on and on, but I think the point is made.

Out of the 28 occurrences of this word Mysterion, In the New Testament, at least 26 speak to the revelation of God, something now revealed that was concealed. 26 out of 28, and would be 27 if we agree 1 Corinthians 14 is that. And the last passage, or the last use of that word is it speaks about the mystery of lawlessness, or the lawless one. The point is, if Mysterion in 1 Corinthians 14, two, is revelation, then without a doubt, the gift of tongues was also revelatory in nature. It means that when Paul is recognizing and saying that the gift of tongues is revelation, and if so, it's inerrant, infallible revelation of God.

Prophecy, just like prophecy, just like the apostolic writings. As our brother reminded us last week, revelation is not determined by the speaker himself or herself. True revelation is determined by the origin or the source. And if it comes from the being of God, it's either true revelation or it's not. It cannot be mixed.

When God speaks, he wants to be heard. And when he's heard, he makes sure he communicates what he wants to say clearly and perfectly. So when Paul says in verse two, the tongue speaker speaks to God and no one understands the mystery he utters, he's not talking about secret things that are unknown to men. It's to be understood as revelation spoken in another language without an interpreter. Therefore, only God can understand what he says.

So he speaks to God. But the key in this passage is also found in verse 5. So 1 Corinthians 14 verse 5. Now, I want you all to speak in tongues, Paul is saying. And you have to consider that we know that not all spoke in tongues, right?

In 1 Corinthians 12 towards the end it says, do all speak in tongues? I got rhetorical questions because not everyone spoke in tongues and uses the same language in 1 Corinthians 7 when he says, I wish you were all single like me. Now, not everyone, not all Christians are single like Paul. But then he goes on to say, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless, there's your word, unless someone interprets so that the church may be built up.

You hear that? Prophecy is greater than tongues, unless tongues is interpreted. And when tongues is interpreted, they are on equal footing for the edification of the church. Prophecy is inerrant, infallible, God-breathed. And if tongues is interpreted, Paul is saying, it's equal with prophecy, as long as there's an interpreter.

And the interpreter is not someone who knows the language. Because Paul earlier on says, it's a gift also. As the gift of tongues is given by the Holy Spirit and the person, the Christian, speaks by the Spirit, Paul says. Because remember, God makes sure he conveys and communicates exactly. There's no corruption.

If God wants to say something, there's no corruption. Human beings, the prophets and the means he uses will not corrupt his words. So if the person is speaking in tongues, and you have an interpreter, and he just knows the language, then he may corrupt. Therefore, someone needs to have the Holy Spirit gift of interpreting. And therefore, he will be given the words by the Holy Spirit to interpret what the tongue is, and there is no corruption.

This is what Paul is saying. So, just like the prophecy as our brother concluded last week, special revelation has come to an end. God has closed that book, and we have it right here. The means that he's used to reveal his words and his revelation, we have right now with the 66 books of the Bible and as a reformed church, we believe that the canon has been closed and we believe that God no longer speaks revelation. in any ways.

We believe in this because of Hebrews chapter 1. In times past God spoke by the prophets in diverse ways but now he spoke in son, in the language of the son. And the son has then given the apostles to write what we have in our own scripture and we have that in our hands and there's no further revelation. Now one final thing, this is the last thing I'll say tonight. Back to Pentecost.

In Acts chapter 2, straight after hearing the Christians proclaim the mighty works of God in their own language, Peter interprets the prophecy of Joel from verse 17 through 18 to at least be partially fulfilled on that day. Let's go there. Acts chapter 2 and let's read from verse 17 and 18. I'm going to actually take you a little earlier. I'm going to go to 14.

Let's go to verse 14. We'll start from 14 and we'll end in 18. Acts chapter 2 verse 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. Now Peter's just stood up because of the commotion of all the 120 in the upper room who were speaking in tongues. In all these tongues, 15 different nations would hear them in their own native language.

And Peter stands up and addresses the crowd. And in verse 15, For these people are not drunk, as you supposed, since it's only the third hour of the day, 9 a.m. But this is what was uttered through the Prophet Joel. So now he's saying the Prophet Joel has spoken and it's being fulfilled.

And in the last days it shall be. God declares that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams Even on my male servants and female servants in those days, I will pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy." Pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy. Peter's proclaiming to the crowd of thousands before him. We know that 3,000 on one day were saved.

So there's thousands before him. And what he's saying to the people is what you see before your very eyes. is what was foretold in the prophet Joel. 120 spirit-filled Christians, men and women, enjoying the blessings of the same Holy Spirit that empowered Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and all the prophets. The spiritual utterance coming out of their mouth is according to Peter, Prophecy.

Prophecy. It's special revelation. It's uncovering what we heard just a few moments ago, the mighty works of God. Beloved, there's so much more, so much more that can be said on this subject, but I'm convinced that the New Testament gift of tongues is a genuine unlearned earthly language, not ecstatic speech, not repetitive babble as we see in our day. It was given as a sign and had a specific purpose in time and a specific purpose in history.

And finally, the New Testament gift of tongues was revelatory in nature. And if we hold to the principle that all special revelation, as I said a few moments earlier, that God has given has now ceased in the closing of the canon of scripture, then we must also conclude definitively that the genuine gift of tongues has also definitively ceased. If we're holding those presuppositions that the canon is closed and God is no longer speaking, then we have to say, if the gift of tongues according to the New Testament is revelatory, then we have to say it must have ceased. The only revelation that we need, beloved, is the infallible, inerrant, God-breathed word that he has preserved for us in the sacred text of Scripture. And beloved, that's all we need.

It's sufficient. Amen.