The Subject of Tongues

This is part of an email I got from Staff Chaplain/Instructor Timothy K. Bedsole SR.

I approach the subject of tongues based on the following principles:

1. Lordship Principle. It is the Giver of Gifts we are to seek above all; after that, the gifts a byproduct, or after-affect, of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Historical Principle. In the text you mentioned, 1 Corinthians 14:39-40, Paul is dealing with a church that was having problems with leadership, worship, and a sense of direction. They were experiencing the challenge of living as a minority faith in a pagan society. I think it is good to understand the historical context of the scripture to better understand its application in today's world. It is comforting to me to know that what we face in today's society has been dealt with before and we can find wisdom in the Word of God for our life today. If that is true we need to look at how this scripture applies to today's Church. My interpretation is that if someone is speaking in tongues in a public setting there should be an order, or precedent, for the action. Mainly, is there an interpreter present to interpret what is being said? Paul gives guidance on this that I don't see followed in many worship services. We need to consider this when dealing with the gift of tongues.

3. Theological Principle. This is where it gets cloudy. I try to approach Christian Theology from a "systematic" study. Meaning I want to not look at just one scripture to form a belief but look through the Bible as a whole to gain a greater understanding of what God is trying to relate to us. In the ideas of Paul on tongues, you have to consider the book of Acts; and outside of the book of Acts and Corinthians there is not much mentioned on the gift of tongues -- be sure there are some who would differ with me on this -- and this means looking at what God was/is trying to do overall. With Acts, the speaking in tongues follows the outline given by Jesus in Acts 1:8 of the spread of the Gospel. Each time the event happens it parallels the words of Jesus to spread the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the utter most parts of the earth. Go back and see if that parallel is there. To me the systematic approach asks, "How does this relate with the event in Corinthians, and how does it relate to the study of the Holy Spirit, the Believer's Sanctification, and of Spiritual Gifts?" Theologically, the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer upon salvation and the speaking of tongues is not a required "sign" of this event. Rather the fruits of the Spirit are more evidential signs of one being baptized in the Spirit. Of course you can tell I believe in one baptism and many fillings of the Holy Spirit. I don't believe that the speaking in tongues is evidence of a baptism of the Holy Spirit. I believe it is a language gift. In the case of Acts, it was used to spread the Gospel in the language of the hearer. In the case of Corinthians, I believe it is a language, or utterance, meant to edify the Church if there is a translator present. If it is practiced privately then it should be done privately and should be between you and God. I know this view is contested by many Baptists. My Criswell Study Bible notes tell me that Dr. Criswell believed, as do many Baptists, that the gift of tongues and prophecy ended with the CAnonization of the Bible. They interpret this from 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul mentioned, "Where there are tongues . . . they shall cease." I'm not ready to totally agree on that issue. I say this because there is too much other scriptural evidence to consider. However, I believe because of the "abuse" of the gift that thtere is some precedence for what they say.

4. Denominational Principle. Having gone through the Southern Baptist Educational system, I appreciate the training and understand some of the workings of our institutions of learning. I also know that the deeper things of God are a lifetime study. We do not always agree, and we do not always stay the same. The Baptist Faith and Message is a document meant to give a guideline, or basis, for Baptist belief. We are a complex denomination with many degrees of variations. The workings of a denomination are valuable over time. As Church history goes, there are many denominations that have "gone by the wayside" due to a weakening of their theology, which eventually weakened their congregations. This is the motivating factor in the Southern Baptist Denomination now. Understanding this helps you to know why you are hearing the things you do. Also, understand the IMB is only one part of the Southern Baptist Denomination. It only governs the missionaries overseas. This means that one Southern Baptist church may vary from another on its view of tongues. Understand we are a "bottom-up" group and we support the belief in the autonomy of the local church. That being said, I have attended Southern Baptist Churches in which I heard tongues in the worship service. We don't all agree on everything, but we try to get the basics together. That is the purpose of the Faith and Message. It is not a perfect document, but it is an attempt to keep us in agreement. It is an attempt to keep us from straying from God's word. I understand that this is not too popular in today's culture of individualism, but I still see the wisdom of a denomination - and the strength - as something we need to hold. Though there are many great non-denominational groups doing great ministry around the world, I see trouble ahead as the leadership and vision of these groups grow dim. They need something more to survive history, and this is where doctrine and denominations take hold. Having said this, I understand it is all in God's control and accept that He does not need any denomination to carry out his plan of redemtpion. He is Lord.

5. Personal Principle. This one I will save for another day. Just suffice it to say, Jesus is Lord and we are to seek Him as the Gift above the gifts.

I am not sure my words and thoughts are seamless - my wife tells me they are not - but I hope the thoughts do begin to add a measure of understanding to your interpretations. Don't worry about wasting my time. God called me to be a Pastor, and what you ask is what I am about. A saying I have read applies to your dilemma: "Science gives us big answers for small questions . . . while religion seeks to answer big questions with small answers." Keep seeking the answers in the Lord Jesus Christ. He will give you the answers that you need.

This was just enormously helpful for me. By posting it here, for one thing, I won't lose it.