to everybody. You can turn in your Bibles with me again, if you were here this morning, to Acts chapter 2. If you weren't here this morning, you can also turn to Acts chapter 2. I noted this morning, only very briefly, that we're going to have a look this evening at the cessation of the revelatory gifts.
In particular, it may be primarily focusing on tongues, as we see that in this passage, but also prophecy and words of knowledge. I'm going to read two texts this evening. One is Acts 2, 1-21, and then 1 Corinthians 13, 8-13. So this is, once again, the word of God.
First, the reading from Acts 2, beginning at verse 1. When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in their own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
And how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene. Visitors from Rome, both Jews We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful words of God. So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, whatever could this mean?
Others mocking said, they are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words. For these are not drunk as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.
And on my men servants and on my maid servants I will pour out my spirit. And they shall prophesy, I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
And now if you'll turn with me to 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 13, beginning in verse 8, this wonderful chapter, speaking with respect to love, continues and contains a portion dealing with the cessation, that is, the end of, the ceasing of, and so the temporary nature of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge. never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease. Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child.
I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love. Amen. Let us pray. God, we rejoice again in this opportunity a second time in your Lord's Day to gather for worship.
We pray that you will once again bless us in worship. We pray for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, as was prayed earlier, mentioned earlier, not only for the preacher, but also for the hearer, that we might, Lord God, honor you and glorify you in this act of worship. We do pray for your help from on high, that we might glory in your truth, that we might rejoice in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. and rest upon the glories of Jesus Christ and His perfect Word. We pray in His name.
Amen.
Introduction
Well, we have in Acts chapter 2 much going on. We noted this morning some things with regards to the blessings brings forth the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, the proclamation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then we have a narrative of those things that obtained by virtue of the preaching of Christ and the Spirit of the Living God. We back up now to the portion that led up to the text that we read this morning. Here we see the pouring out of the Spirit that the blessing of the Spirit or the ministry of the Spirit in the giving of other tongues to speak to particular men gathered at Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost.
And as this particular instance has its confinement within a particular place in redemptive history, it's a good place to come and to examine what the Bible says with regards to the temporary nature, and now then, the ceasing of the revelatory gifts, those being summed up in 1 Corinthians 13 as tongues, prophecy, and words of knowledge. And we want to focus perhaps primarily on tongues, but as I say those things, you can also attach to that prophecy and knowledge. And what we're talking about is revelatory gifts. So we're talking about God, who at a time in history, a time in history, blessed particular recipients of the Holy Spirit with that spirit, with direct revelation that they might convey the truth concerning Christ to particular audiences, and that before the completion of the New Testament canon, which supplants the revelatory gifts previously given.
So we're gonna do two things this evening. First, look at tongues in the Bible, and then secondly, the biblical witness to the or the end or the ceasing of tongues.
Tongues in the Bible
So first off, tongues in the Bible, we want to note first off, under this head, that
Tongues as Real Languages
tongues were actual discernible languages understood by those to whom the words were spoken. And we say that because in our modern Christian landscape, there are those that define tongues than what I just said. That is, they believe it to be a particular unrecognizable Holy Spirit language known only to the person who is speaking those particular tongues. And we want to know that they are actual discernible languages understood by those to whom the words were spoken.
Notice the language that we have beginning at verse 6 in Acts chapter 2. And when this the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the speaking of tongues, when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And now we're speaking in our own particular language.
And then later on, we see in a little bit of a preview of what is coming, notice the purpose of the giving of tongues. and we hear them speaking in our own tongues, the wonderful works of God. So tongues in the Bible, temporary as they were, were given, and given in such a manner that those who were receiving the tongues, those who were speaking the tongues were given this revelatory power from on high to speak in another language, the wonderful works of God, and those who were receiving this particular proclamation were able to understand. Simply, it's given, these tongues were given in this context because we have at the celebration of Pentecost in Jerusalem, as the text says, all of these people coming from different areas of Asia Minor and the surrounding area. They're coming by pilgrimage for this celebration in Jerusalem for the recognition and celebration of the day of Pentecost.
And so they not speaking the native language. They come in for this celebration in Jerusalem. The apostles were empowered from on high to speak to them in their languages, because what an opportune time for the glory of the gospel to go forth in a punctuated manner at this particular time in history. Again, 50 days after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, 50 days after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, all of these hundreds of people are gathered together in Jerusalem isn't divine providence or is.
That at this time it's not only Jerusalemites that are gathered together, but it is people from every nation under heaven gathered together in Jerusalem. So these apostles are empowered from on high to speak in other languages the wonderful works of God that is simply the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, actual discernible languages spoken for a particular divine purpose. Gentry notes, tongues were foreign human languages spoken under a miraculous movement of the Holy Spirit.
So they were actual spoken languages, and as well, there is an obvious coherency to the languages being spoken. You can turn with me to 1 Corinthians 14. 1 Corinthians 14, it is not unrecognizable Holy Ghost language. It is not some sort of angelic or heavenly language, unrecognizable, or rather recognizable tongues, and it is not a moment of ecstasy on the part of the recipient of the revelatory gift, but a point and a moment of sobriety as a recipient of divine revelation is clearly receiving and then communicating things. with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ. So in 1 Corinthians 14, notice at verse 10.
There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. Even so, you, since you are zealous for the spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. So we have the fact that they are actual languages and that they are coherent in their And again, I don't want to lump everyone together.
We need to navigate the landscape of this topic with a gracefulness, with a meekness, and a fear, because we have our, you know, brothers and sisters according to grace, and also perhaps some of our brothers and sisters according to the flesh. in certain contexts where they believe in the abiding validity and reality of tongues prophecy and knowledge. So we don't want to beat them up with the truth, but it's good to know the truth that we might encourage our brothers and sisters to adhere to that biblical and abiding protestant reality of sola scriptura, that the completion of the scriptures We have all that is needed for revelation. There is no ongoing need or abiding need for revelation from on high because we have it given to us in the Holy Scriptures. And so we want to know then the contrast between much of what we see in modern Christianity where tongue speaking is ecstatic and it's marked by frenzied response amongst the congregation.
There is a remarkable similarity to Baalism and to paganism on the part of those, much of what goes on in those circles in modern Christianity with regards to ecstatic or frenzied tongue speaking things that are not recognizable to anyone in the congregation. In fact, just a few examples from history from a particular study. Winamon, a worshiper of the Egyptian god Amon, reported to have been overcome by the god in a frenzy of religious emotion and spoke in some ecstatic language. Plato records religious ecstatics rapturous delight, overwhelming emotion, under the control of gods who spoke in an unknown language.
Apollo, a Dionysus worshipper, the oracle at Delphi, perhaps you've heard of that before, a Pythoness, as Chrysostom calls her, this same Pythoness said, being a female, to sit at times upon the tripod of Apollo Astride, And thus the evil spirit, ascending from beneath and entering the lower part of her body, fills the woman with madness. And she, with disheveled hair, begins to foam at the mouth, and thus begin a frenzy to utter the words of her madness. And then, lastly, dance and delirium in pagan and neopagan religion, where they conjure the presence of a deity to enter them and to so speak in unrecognizable languages. The biblical approach or the biblical declaration and revelation concerning tongues are that they are actual discerning and discernible languages spoken by those marked by sobriety and common sense. to those in need.
Secondly, under tongues in the Bible,
Divine Purpose of Tongues
we want to know the divine purpose for the giving of tongues. So what was the divine purpose for the temporary giving of tongues? First off, they were proclamational. That was a word that we used this morning.
The giving of tongues, the divine purpose, firstly, was that tongues were proclamational. That's what we see here in Acts 2.11. We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. So tongues are, in the first place, proclamational.
Tongues are, secondly, validational. At the end of the Gospel of Mark, notice what we have there with regards to the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Mark Chapter 16, at the end of Mark Chapter 16, Notice what we read in the great commission given there. Later he appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
And he said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe in my name. They will cast out demons.
They will speak with new tongues. They will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. So these revelational gifts, or spiritual gifts, or gifts of the Holy Spirit at that time, tongues, prophecy, knowledge, signs, and wonders were given in a validational nature.
Thirdly, they were juridical.
Tongues as Juridical Sign
That simply means that they were marked by the dispensation In fact, you can turn with me to Deuteronomy 28. There's a link between Deuteronomy 28 and 1 Corinthians 14 on the subject of tongues. So, Deuteronomy chapter 28. reality that tongues, temporary in their nature, were juridical. They signaled the promised covenant curse.
Notice in Deuteronomy 28 at verse 29. Excuse me, 28, 49. The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand. Now, turn with me to 1 Corinthians 14, keeping in mind that in Acts chapter two, the citizens or the men of Israel say, mocking, they are full of new wine, not understanding the language that is given.
So in 1 Corinthians 14, notice the language there that we have at verse 21. 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 21. In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people, and yet for all that they will not hear me. There is a connection in the context between tongues as a sign to unbelievers, mind you, which we'll note shortly, but as a connection between the covenant curse and in this first century context. Beal notes, the tongues of foreigners, i.e. the Assyrians, being heard in Israel would indicate that judgment on the nation was commencing, as the foreigners were invaded to desolate the nation.
Likewise, the same judgment appears with the tongues at Pentecost, though this time in the with her temple. The voices Israel hears are not those of the Assyrian soldiers preparing to destroy their land, but Galileans proclaiming that the establishment of a new temple had begun. So you see the connection between the covenant curses and finally this last time where the Roman armies would come and destroy the temple, marking in a punctuated manner the advent of the new covenant and the end of the Mosaic institutions, we have tongues given at that particular time temporarily to mark the reality of that juridical and promised covenant curse. Fourthly, we have the reality that
Tongues and Redemptive History
the divine purpose of the giving of tongues are redemptive historical. You've often perhaps heard that we see in this, in this Pentecostal, in this Pentecostal narrative, a reversal of the curse of the Tower of Baal. Remember at that time, all of those nations were cast out and dispersed, and they were given different languages as a curse They're temerity to try to mount up to the mount of God, to the position of God. And so they're cast out and they're dispersed and they're given other languages.
Here we have a reversal of the curse of battle. Men from every nation under heaven being brought together now, a reversal of dispersion. but rather now a gathering where they're all given the gospel of God from those speaking in their own particular language, united around the truth of Jesus Christ, the one who reverses the curse. Gil notes, these cloven tongues cannot but bring to mind the division and confusion of the tongues or languages at battle, which gave rise to different nations and different religions, but these divided tongues give rise to the spreading of the gospel and setting the true religion among the nations of the world. And you see, isn't that a blessed thing that we have in Christianity, is the uniting of every tribe, every tongue, every people, and every nation under the banner of the King of of these cloven tongues.
Stott notes on this particular point very briefly, at battle, earth proudly tried to ascend to heaven, whereas in Jerusalem, heaven humbly descended to earth. What a beautiful reversal and that that is what we have in the giving of the Lord Jesus Christ in the advent of the gospel heaven humbly descending to birth Also early under tongues in the Bible we want to move along here. They were out of stall. I
Tongues as Apostolic Gifts
They were apostolic in their nature. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 12, 12. And as you're turning there, simply note that since they are apostolic, and since the apostolic ministry, the office of the Apostle ends, so then too ends the revelatory gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge. They were apostolic.
Notice 2 Corinthians 12 at verse 12. Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. And connected to that is, again, the great commission given by Jesus Christ to the apostles would accompany their particular ministry. Calvin notes in commenting on Mark 16, 17, and connected to 2 Corinthians 12, 12, though Christ does not expressly state whether he intends this gift to be temporary or to remain perpetually in his church, yet it is more probable that miracles were promised only for a time in order to give luster to the gospel. while it was new and in a state of obscurity.
It is possible, no doubt, that the world may have been deprived of this honor through the guilt of its own ingratitude, but I think that the true design for which miracles were appointed was that nothing which was necessary for proving the doctrine of the gospel should be wanted at its commencement. And certainly we see that the use of them ceased not long afterwards, for at least, that instances of them were so rare as to conclude that they could not be equally common in all ages. And so they were apostolic. With the cessation of the apostolic office, so too comes the cessation of the revelatory gifts.
Tongues Given for Unbelievers
Fifthly, that is fourthly in fact, they were for unbelievers. One of the things that we see in the modern landscape with regards to the so-called speaking of tongues is that they are for the tongue speaker or they are for the church. And oftentimes you'll see a preacher saying, give me that Holy Ghost language, and someone stands up and starts babbling, and then the congregation just starts to act in a frenzy and dance around. And it's such that these tongues are, in essence, given for the so-called edification of believers.
But tongues are specifically stated as being given for unbelievers. Not only do we see that in Acts chapter 2, with unbelievers having come from all nations under heaven, but we see that explicitly stated in 1 Corinthians 14. You can turn there with me, 1 Corinthians 14, the reality that tongues are not for the tongue speaker, they are not for believers, but they are specifically given temporarily to apostles in the first century and for unbelievers. Notice in, excuse me, 1 Corinthians 14, verse 21.
Again, the language there, in the law it is written, with men of angels and other lips I will speak to this people, and yet for all that they will not hear me. Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers. But prophesying is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe. So we see that tongue speaking, again, is given for unbelievers at that particular time prior to the completion of the canon so that those outside and believe by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And
Tongues Were Temporary
lastly, under tongues in the Bible, we want to observe here that they were temporary. And we're going to, we're going to postpone some of the opening up of that until the end of the last point, but notice affirmations were, because the text Is first Corinthians 13 8 to 13 and that's the text we're going to close with when we close this evening But athanasius on the temporary nature of tom's prophecy and knowledge When did prophet and vision cease from israel? Was it not when christ came the holy one of holies? It is, in fact, a sign and notable proof of the coming of the Word that Jerusalem no longer stands, neither is prophet raised up, nor vision revealed among them.
And it is natural that it should be so. For when He that was signified had come, what need was there any longer of any to signify Him? And when the truth had come, what further need was there of the shadow? On his account, only they prophesied continually, until such time as essential righteousness had come, who was made the ransom for the sins of all.
And so
Biblical Witness to Cessation
we move now then to the biblical witness to the cessation of tongues. And just as we launch into this, just to open us up and to frame our minds, what our confession of faith says with regards to that. Because our confession of faith, summarizing, theologically concluding from the Holy Scriptures, argues for and states the cessation of tongues as the Scripture sets it forth. professionalists wrote, is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. Although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God as to leave men inexcusable, yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and his will which is necessary unto salvation.
Therefore, it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in diverse manners to reveal himself and to declare his will unto his church. And afterward, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, the malice of Satan, and of the world, to commit the same holy unto writing. Now notice, which makes the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased. And 1.6, the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressed in a set-down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture, unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit or the traditions of men.
So where then would we find this in the Bible? The biblical witness? to the cessation of tongues. We're going to spend most of the time in the New Testament, but
Daniel 9 and the Sealing of Prophecy
back up with me to the Old Testament for a moment, to the book of Daniel. In the book of Daniel, there is a particular prophecy given that ties together the cessation of revelatory gifts with the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. That advent essentially culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70. But notice in Daniel chapter nine beginning at verse 24, 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for inequity, to bring in to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
The text goes on to speak more pointedly with regards to judgment by this Christ, but notice this language that with the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ comes the sealing up of vision and prophecy. So when we get to the New Testament, we ought to then anticipate The end, the sealing up of vision and prophecy, the cessation of revelatory gifts given. for a time, and we see that in the New Testament already in Acts chapter 2, 1-21 that we read this morning, the historical fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. Some set Joel's prophecy in our future, because he uses the language of the last times, or the latter days. The language being spoken, as Peter clearly brings forth though, is touching upon the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, because Peter says, 16 this is that this is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel this is what was what is was that was spoken by the Prophet Joel it is the giving of the tongues of Speaking in other languages to others gathered in Jerusalem the wonderful works of God Peter says this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel So what you now see in here what now is being poured out is what the prophet Joel was speaking about When he said and it shall come to pass in the last days Says God that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh your sons and daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions So there is a historical fulfillment to Joel's prophecy testifying to the cessation of tongues, that the particular prophetic fulfillment is attached to the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Apostolic Foundation in Ephesians
Secondly, in the New Testament, the foundational utility of the gifts of the Spirit connected again to the Apostles in Ephesians chapter 2 we notice some key things there with respect to the apostolic ministry so in Ephesians chapter 2 at verse 20 we read this Having been built, while backing up to 19, now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. And then verse 11 of chapter 4, and he himself gave some to the apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This is often, that language is often applied to the perfection of the church at the eschatological consummation, at the end of days, when the church is brought into glory by Christ at his second coming.
But the language is really speaking to the maturity of the church, the perfect man, one who is complete, one who is mature. So at the point of the maturity of the church or the completion or the perfection of the church, there is an end to the apostolic ministry and those things that accrue by virtue of their foundational role.
Hebrews and the Apostolic Era
Thirdly, in the New Testament, we see the coordination of the gifts with the first advent of Christ and the apostolic era. Once again, if you could turn with me to Hebrews 1, or not once again. Once again, that reality that they're connected to, the first coming of Christ and the apostolic era. Notice Hebrews 1, verse 1 to verse 4.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son. But you see, it continues Connected to the speaking of the Sun with the ministry of the Apostles in verse 1 of chapter 2 Therefore we must give them more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest we drift away For if the word spoken through angels grew steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will. So we see that connection to the first advent of Christ and then the apostolic era that followed, but then no further.
Pastoral Epistles and Silence on Gifts
We also want to note, fourthly under the New Testament, the pastoral epistle exhortations. The exhortations given in Paul's pastoral epistle, so you can turn with me to 1 Timothy. And as you're turning there, what do we mean by this when we say that the biblical witness to the cessation of tongues is seen in the pastoral epistle exhortations? Well, if tongue speaking was vital to the spirit and the character of the church, If tongue-speaking prophecy and knowledge, the seeking after them, the engendering of them, the culturing of these particular revelatory gifts were vital for the Church, and in some circles even vital for salvation, then we ought to see in Paul's exhortation we ought to see something with regards to the importance of these things, but we don't see that.
In 1 Timothy 2 and verse 1, notice what we see, We see in verse 8, I desire, therefore, that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting, in like manner also that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, etc. There are particular exhortations given, notice, in the same book at chapter 3 in verse 1. This is a faithful saying, if a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. And then Paul goes on to speak with respect to the qualifications of a bishop, and then following that, the qualifications of deacons, with no word specifically on revelatory gifts and the importance or possession of them, but rather with respect to character and other things related to teaching the word of God.
We notice as well in Notice at verse 15. But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And then he goes on to set forth what is important, what is primary, what is the key point of all revelation, that is the gospel of Jesus Christ, his incarnate condescension. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.
Notice that foreword. Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from foods which God created, to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. Now notice verse 7, but reject profane, reject profane and old wise fables and exercise yourself toward godliness for bodily exercise Godliness is profitable for all things. Notice at verse 10, for to this end, we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
These things command and teach. There are other passages in 2 Timothy 1.13, 2.1-2, and 3.60, the point being that as Paul, before his dying breath, writes to Timothy in order to order the church, in order for Timothy to go about the mission of the church in this lower world, they were about to die away with the end of the apostolic era and punctuated by the destruction of the city and the Temple of Jerusalem. Notice, fifthly, we have 1 Corinthians 13, 8-13, and we'll close with this because here we have, I believe, the most clear, the most perspicuous, the most obvious Biblical declaration to the end of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge. So 1 Corinthians 13, beginning at verse 8.
And we'll close with this. Well, we'll close after this with the recognition and the application of the abiding ministry of the Holy Spirit. Because we're not saying, we want to note that there is a difference between the cessation of the Spirit's activity. When we say we believe in the cessation of tongues and prophecy and knowledge, we are not saying that we reject the abiding mission of the Holy Spirit, the abiding power of the Holy Spirit, the abiding work of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, we lift up and uphold the most glorious miracles, the most glorious things that the Holy Spirit does, and those things touch upon bringing a dead sinner to life in Christ. The most glorious miracle that the Holy Spirit ever does is making a dead sinner believe on the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of victorious and amazing grace. We see, as Gentry says, this points to the providential completion of the NT canon as that which renders tongues and other revelatory gifts inoperative. So I just want to read the passage again, make four particular notes, and then we'll close very briefly.
1 Corinthians 13:8–13 Examined
Notice 1 Corinthians 13, beginning at verse 8. Love never fails. This is going to be important as we look at this passage. Love never fails.
But whether there are prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease. Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. and now abide faithful love, these three, but the greatest of these is love. So you see the language of cessation given here, and it's perhaps a common understanding or a common approach that what the Apostle Paul is talking about here is the cessation of revelatory gifts at the end of days, at the consummation, when Christ comes to judge the living and the dead, and the church is brought into glory. Well, we want to know four things, and as we observe that Paul is speaking with regards to the near end, the near cessation of these revelatory gifts. And the first thing we want to know is, these three gifts, tongues, prophecy, and knowledge, have a design and determined end in view, and love doesn't.
Notice that the emphasis here isn't really on the cessation of Tom's prophecy and knowledge, but it's on the importance of Christian love in the congregation. You see, perhaps what was going on was, you know, there's this obsession with regards, well not perhaps, what's going on if we read verses one to seven, we see that Paul is wanting to emphasize the vanity of revelatory gifts if love does not prevail and abide. And then he says, love never fails, but goes on to say that tongues, prophecy, and knowledge will fade away, but love never fails. Love abides.
It abides forever. The greatest of these is love. Love never fails. And so Paul wants them to cultivate to be encouraged in, to engender, and to cultivate love, and not focus on tongues, prophecy, and knowledge, because those are going to come to a near end.
But love never fails, and it always remains. So these three gifts have a designed and determined end of being. Love never fails, but prophecies will fail. That doesn't mean a prophecy given will not come to fulfillment.
It's just to the piecemeal nature of prophecy, not bringing the fullness of revelation captured later by the perfect. It carries the same weight as will cease or will vanish away. So love never fails, but prophecies will fail, tongues will cease, and knowledge will vanish away. Not the simple fact of knowing things, but God immediately, by revelation, giving to an apostle particular knowledge that he might communicate to the church for the good of the church and the glory of God.
A revelatory gift from God to communicate the works of God, not simply knowing by the Spirit the propositions of the word of God, which of course, abides to our own day. But all of that, to come back to this, Prophecy, tongues, knowledge, these three gifts have a designed and determined end and view and the text is clear on that. Secondly, these three gifts have a designed and determined piecemeal nature. That is, they are incomplete and they are partial.
Notice the language here, for we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. You see, the giving, the temporary giving of tongues and prophesying and knowledge were not the full breadth and weight of revelation that would come after, but until that time, they served that divine revelational purpose to proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Once the perfect has come, that is, the New Testament canon, the fullness of divine revelation captured and inscripturated, then those partial things, those piecemeal things, are done away with. In fact, that's the third point.
These three piecemeal, yes, tongues, prophecy, prophesying, and knowledge give way to something complete or perfect, and that being the New Testament canon. And why would we say that? Because these gifts are clearly revelational. Tongues, prophesying, and words of knowledge are clearly divine and revelational, and they're being compared with something by contrast, that is also then divine and revelational.
They wouldn't be comparing, or Paul wouldn't compare these things to other things that we'll supplant or supersede if it wasn't something of the same category, but rather he's speaking with regards to revelational things and then that which is perfect in the inscripture-rated New Testament. This is gentry on this particular note, though Christ does not expressly state whether he intends this gift to be temporary or to remain perpetually in his church. Did I copy the quote from that? Let's see here, bear with me.
Okay. Yet it is more probable that miracles were promised only for a time in order to give luster to the gospel. That's the Calvin quote. It is possible, no doubt, that the world may have been deprived of this honor through the guilt of its own ingratitude.
Here you hear it over Peter Kellman again. Okay, well, I'll have to email you the quote. But suffice it to say, suffice it to say that what the Apostle Paul is doing here is comparing revelational categories And so tongues prophesying and knowledge, those things that are partial and piecemeal, are being compared to that which is perfect and whole. And fourthly then, notice the analogies used.
A child and man, something temporary until maturity arrives, and then the mirror, dim viewing, giving way to clear viewing. Notice the language beginning at verse 11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. And so what Paul is doing by this analogy, he is comparing the childish things, or the child reality of tongues prophesying and knowledge, with the perfect reality of a fully grown man.
So these piecemeal aspects of revelation, and then this whole given revelation in the scriptures of the New Testament. And so then he goes on to use another analogy. For now, we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face, that is when the perfect comes. but then face-to-face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also know.
Now this language has often by great men been used to speak with regards to the end of times in heaven when we see Christ. This language of for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face-to-face. Something that Something that, with regards to this language of healing, or this language of seeing, is used to argue that first, what is being seen is something other than Christ, and then later, Christ is being seen, with regards to this language of the perfect that comes. But what do we see when we look in a mirror?
We see ourselves. So now we see in a mirror dimly, that is with this partial, with this piecemeal, with this incomplete revelation in tongues prophesying the knowledge, we don't yet see with perfect clarity because the entire capturing of the will of God and the word of God in the 27 books of the New Testament, that has not yet been given. But then, that is when the perfect comes, the text says, face to face. So then we're seeing, not Christ in the mirror.
Hopefully when you look in the mirror, you don't see Christ. That would be a glorious thing, but that isn't what happens. When we see in a mirror, we see ourselves. So dimly with the piecemeal revelation, but then face to face, that is with perfect clarity, when the fullness of revelation comes in the New Testament scriptures.
So Tom's prophesying knowledge Fade away, they cease, and then the perfect comes, that is, the revelation that we have given to us by the grace and condescension of God in the books of the New Testament and, of course, the Old Testament as well. And so hopefully we see in a very short time what tongues were in the Bible, and then the biblical witness to the cessation of tongues. If you have more questions on this particular text, this particular passage, you can ask me. But hopefully we can observe and appreciate the measure of clarity it brings with regards to cessation and the glory.
We can close with a couple of things pertaining to this.
Application: Glory in Completed Scripture
The glory that we have in the completed revelation of the word of God. You see, when we remark negatively, that is negatively, like with regards to a denial of something, when we say the cessation of tongues and prophesying and knowledge, we're conversely and positively exalting the completed Word of God to the perfection that it is from God to communicate the will of God in the Gospel of Christ. And so the negative assertion of the cessation of piecemeal and temporary gifts is to then which page after page, chapter after chapter disclosed the price to whom those piecemeal gifts pointed prior to this perfect that we have. And we ought never to take it for granted that we have a completed work of God.
Never to take it for granted. In the Western world, we take everything for granted. I think we can sort of, we look at ourselves in America clearly. We can see ourselves as those who take a lot for granted.
And as Christians, we should be instructed by spirit and word to not take anything for granted because it is God who gives us these things and certainly not his word. Certainly not the word that men and women have died for. Certainly not this completed word that God brought forth progressively to the point of completion that we might know 2,000 years after the advent of his precious son that his son came into the world's centers to save. What a glorious thing we have.
And as reformed Christians who observe the cessation of tongues and prophesying and knowledge, we certainly observe at the same time, though, the abiding power and ministry of the Holy Spirit. What a blessed thing we have in our triune God, Father, Son, and Spirit, and appropriated to the Spirit the reality that he comes with power and with great conviction to dead sinners to bring them forth to life in Christ. There is no greater miracle. There is no greater work of the Spirit.
It's connected to the very power of divine creation. in the Bible. I think also Paul as well in his next letter that the salvation that God brings us by the power of the Holy Spirit is that same power that God brought forth all things from nothing in the space of six days and all very good. And we should glory and rejoice in the fact that not only is the Holy Spirit active in bringing forth dead sinners to life, but he's also active in continually Communicating to us grace that is active in community that continually communicating to us illumination Opening our eyes continually as we grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ What a blessed thing that we have in the enlightened ministry of the Holy Spirit is To open our weary and our cold and our languorous eyes as we go about this lower world and our remaining corruption, we should pray for ourselves and the ministry of the Spirit that He would lift us up from our off laziness and open up the word that we might avail of the completion, the perfection, and the revelation that God has given us. So, as we go about our Christian walk, we are to glory in the Holy Spirit, not seeking after those things that had a temporary and divine purpose but have ceased, but glorying in those abiding things that declare to us the power of God in the salvation of sinners. the edifying of the saints, the empowering of preachers, and the rousing of those who hear the preaching to behold their triune God and the Christ of our blessed salvation.
Well, let's pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your truth. We thank you for your word. We rejoice in the completion and the perfection of it. We thank you that it declares to us the whole counsel of God, that it declares to us Jesus Christ, incrucified, resurrected, and ascended, and the giver of multitudinous blessings.
We do pray that you help us in this lower world to reflect with great joy upon the abiding power and ministry of the Holy Spirit, that we would pray for the Spirit's ministry in the church, that we would rejoice in the fact that our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit works without a helper, bringing dead sinners to life, that they may behold the Son of Gloria. We pray that you'd go with us into this week, that you'd help us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, and that we would honor you here in this poor world. We pray in Christ's name, amen. Well, we'll have a brief time of meditation.