| Are Tongues For Everyone? |
Some people in the faith today, claim that a person may function in all five offices, or even that the gifts of tongues is for everyone. I've even heard some say that the only reason anyone doesn't have the gift of tongues is because they don't have enough faith. This is a false statement straight from the Word of Faith movement which claim that the reason people don't get healed or wealth is because of a lack of faith. Many have been shipwrecked from the faith because of it. I know many victims (unfortunately). The main object of this article is to look at the spiritual gifts of God, especially the gift of tongues, to clear up and set straight that tongues are not for everyone.
1 Corinthians 12:1-31
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. (KJV)
In verses 4-7 we see that there are differences of gifts, administrations, and operations; and that they are given by God to believers for the benefit of His Body.
In verses 8-11 were see the different gifts which are distributed among believers by the Spirit. It is important to note the key words "to another," which are used to discribe the distribution of the gifts. It says "to another" and not "to all," even in reference to the gift of tongues. Verse 11 informs us that the Spirit distributes these gifts to each person as the Spirit pleases for the benefit of the Body.
In the verses which follow (vs 12-27) Paul goes on to say that we are all part of the Body of Christ and that Body has many members, like hands, feet, eyes, mouth, ears, etc. Even as with our own body each member plays a different and important role, so to with the Body of Christ. Even those parts of the body which we can't see like the liver, stomach, lungs and heart all play an important part in our body daily. With the Body of Christ it is no different. Some people like to focus on a particular gift like tongues, and some may belittle some of the gifts because they aren't as dramatic as others, but Paul teaches us that this should not be, that all the gifts are important and have their place in the Body of Christ.
In verses 28-30 Paul continues again explaining how not everyone has all the gifts, simply because the Spirit gives them out to different people as it pleases Him. Note the key words "are all, which Paul uses to build upon what he's already shown in the previous verse. The questions in these verses are rhetorical questions which demand a "no" answer. Not everyone in any church has the same gift or falls into one of these categories. We must understand that God has done this for a reason. We as the Body need eachother, that's why the gifts are dispersed among that Body for the profit of all.
In verse 31 what Paul was saying is that we should desire the gifts which best help the Body to function well. Too often this verse is only applied individually when the emphasis should be on the Body of Christ. To take Paul's words "covet earnestly the best gifts" to mean "covet or seek out the gifts that you'd like to have from the list above" would be interpreting Paul's words incorrectly. Also, when people have this thought in mind it is normally towards the gifts of healings and tongues, that all people should have. Why don't we hear preachers preaching that we should all be apostles and prophets then? It is in line with what they teach, though it is wrong and not taught by Paul and therefore shouldn't be practised.
Like many in the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches today, the Corinthians had to get their focus off of the gift of tongues and see the value of all the gifts, and to the fact that not everyone has been given the gift of tongues. We need to desire the gifts of God, not because we are told everyone has it, like in the case of tongues where people think that God hasn't accepted them because they have not received the gift, though they have sought it with tears and faith for years. I hope that this article is an encouragement for those people, and instruction for those who teach that everyone must have the gift of tongues if they are baptized in the Spirit, so that they may stop shipwrecking the faith of some and start encouraging the Body to covet the gifts which are best to strengthen them and build them up.
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