Critiquing Spiritual Language (Tongues) – A response (Part 6 and final)

I have mentioned in the previous 5 posts that after 46 years of vocational ministry of which 36 years were that of a pastor of several local churches and almost 20 years of orthodox, interdenominational ministry encompassing the spectrum of evangelical thought, that I have a host of friends on either side of the theological divide on a number of issues. It can be a tricky road to articulate your personal views without alienating those with whom you may have disagreement. For me, I can fellowship with those of legitimate Christian faith and experience without having to land in the exact same theological square at every turn. I can respect a valid biblical position other than my own opinion. That said, I have biblical opinions too. So as I post and seek to encourage and strengthen the ranks of my continuationist friends (of which I am obviously one), I have no intention of disparaging my cessationist friends. 

I remember one instance meeting with a pastoral colleague for coffee who had just returned from a great cessationist conference and was excited about the things discussed at that event. He posted on social media regularly and somewhat voluminously (as well as others) as to “why” Charismatics were basically heretics. I responded to those points and this meeting between the two of us was the opportunity to “iron out” some differences. Delightfully, we found that we agreed on much. In fact, much of our disagreement was over the fanatical representations in both of our camps. It is indeed easy to paint people with a broad brush. Some of the disagreement also surrounded vocabulary (such as the definition and usage of the word “revelation” and what authority prophetic words or subjective experiences actually have in the believer’s life). It was civil and fruitful. And while there were some points to which we may never agree, we were able to maintain our fellowship and cooperate city-wide as the opportunity presented itself. 

I so wish that could be the relationship standard and not the exception. 

So with that in mind, I post the last critique from this cessationist minister: 

Critique #6: Tongues were a sign for the inauguration of the church (age) and have since ceased.

I will endeavor to help any who may feel lost in the debate by hopefully (and accurately) synopsizing these two perspectives:

The view that tongues were a sign for the inauguration of the church and have since ceased is known as cessationism. This position is in contrast to continuationism, the belief held by Pentecostal and charismatic Christians that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, including tongues, are still active today.

The Cessationist argument

Cessationists generally assert that the sign gifts, which include healing, prophecy, and tongues, served a temporary purpose in the New Testament. They offer their interpretation of several biblical and historical arguments to support this view.

1. The authentication of the apostles and the gospel as being authoritative.

• The gifts authenticated the message of Jesus and his apostles to unbelievers, particularly Jews.
• In Acts 2, the disciples spoke in foreign languages they had not learned, allowing people from different nations to hear the gospel in their own languages. This was a sign to the Jewish people that the gospel was for all nations.
• As the apostolic age ended at some point, and the message was established in the New Testament, these confirming signs were no longer needed and vanished.

2. Transitional nature in the book of Acts

• The three instances of tongues in Acts—at Pentecost (Acts 2), with Cornelius (Acts 10), and the Ephesians (Acts 19)—all marked a key transition in God’s plan.
• They served as signs to Jewish believers that the gospel was extending to Gentiles, showing the shift from a focus on Israel to the global church.
• After the book of Acts, tongues are mentioned only in Paul’s early letters, such as 1 Corinthians, and are not mentioned in his later epistles, Hebrews, and other New Testament books.

 3. “When the perfect comes”

• Cessationists interpret 1 Corinthians 13:8–10, “tongues will cease,” to mean that tongues and other revelatory gifts stopped when the “perfect” came.
• Most cessationists believe the “perfect” refers to the completion of the New Testament canon. Since we now have the full revelation of God in Scripture, the need for temporary, partial revelatory gifts has ended.

The Continuationist argument

Continuationists, including Pentecostals and charismatics, believe that all spiritual gifts, including sign gifts, mentioned in the New Testament are still operative in the church today.

1. “When the perfect comes”

• Continuationists interpret “when the perfect comes” in 1 Corinthians 13:8–10 as a reference to the eternal state or the return of Christ, not the completion of the New Testament. There is no indicator in the text or context that Paul is referring to the Bible.
• Therefore, they believe that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, including tongues, will only cease at Christ’s second coming.

2. Purpose beyond authentication

• Continuationists believe tongues have purposes beyond authentication, such as edification of the church when interpreted and personal prayer. Corinth was not an anomaly, but rather a case study in appropriate order.
• Some continuationists teach that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit; others do not.

3. The book of Acts as doctrinal application

• Paul said that all scripture is profitable for doctrine and the book of Acts qualifies. While undoubted being an historical record of the early church, there is no indication that the manifestations of the inauguration of the church was by any means a one-time expectation. 
• The transitional nature of Acts may indeed be dramatic from an old covenant to new covenant reality, however, the dramatic itself is not transitory. Church history has ample evidence of a continuation of all the sign gifts. 

Core points of disagreement

• Duration of gifts: The central disagreement is whether certain gifts were temporary and for a specific purpose or are meant for the entire church age.
• Nature of tongues: Cessationists see New Testament tongues as the miraculous ability to speak foreign languages with limited application in our present era, as in Acts 2, while continuationists will include ecstatic, unintelligible speech defined as “spiritual language”.
• Purpose of tongues: Cessationists see the primary purpose of tongues as a sign for unbelievers, particularly unbelieving Israel. Continuationists believe tongues also have a purpose for personal edification and as one of the evidences of Spirit baptism.

How you doing?

Eyes glazed yet?

Well, that ends this 6-part series. Hope it helps some stay the course in your walk with God and for others, perhaps made you think. Remember, we are all in the work of the Kingdom. Till next time….