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Why I believe the gifts of Tongues, Knowledge and Prophesy are not valid today: 9. for we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10. but when that which is perfect, is come, then that which is in part shall be abolished. (Geneva Bible (1560/1599) - Not to be confused with "The 1599 Geneva Study Bible") The following teachings by John Farr and Bryce Hartin (also a brief summary by Mick Alexander) were the final chapters in my Christian walk regarding these three gifts. Back in the late 70’s I had “received” the gift of tongues and for the next 20+ years I had first hand experience with folks being “slain in the Sprit” and with a “word of knowledge” or “prophesy” being spoken in a church followed by the “interpretation.” However, every time I had experienced one of these manifestations I felt that something was not right but I couldn’t put my finger on it; moreover, even when all of my Pastors/Teachers tried to explain why we had them in the Church today, I still felt something was not right, but like most Christians of today, I was too lazy to study and show myself approved with the written Word of God. However, txs be to God, after all these yrs. I’ve come to realize that they are not for today’s Christians (including being slain in the Sprit.) With this said, I hope the following letters/teachings will also help you understand the real truths behind these three gifts: “When that which is perfect is come...” Is it the Coming or the Canon? John Farr Question: In 1Cor.13:10, we read that knowledge and prophecy are done away when “that which is perfect is come”. Is this the coming of the Saviour or the completion of the Canon of Scripture? Answer: Biblically, the apostolic sign-gifts of prophecies, tongues, and knowledge have ceased as 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 indicates they would. These are contrasted with love which endures. Love never fails, it never fades out or becomes obsolete (Amp. NT). It is an attribute of God. Prophecies will fail - be done away. The verb used, katargethesontai, means “to make idle”, “inoperative”, “to be superseded”. The gift of prophecy was to be seen as passing and temporary. Tongues would cease. The verb is pausontai and means, they would “make themselves cease automatically”. Knowledge would vanish away - be done away. It will be “made idle”, “inoperative”, and “superseded”. It is the same verb as is used for prophecies. Prophecies, tongues, and knowledge are each and all temporary and passing gifts. They were all present when Paul wrote, but they were incomplete and “in part”. “For we know IN PART, and we prophesy IN PART” (1Cor.13:9). Knowledge and prophecy are superseded when “the perfect” is come (1Cor.13:10). It is clear that the things that are “in part” will not continue. “When that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away” (1Cor.13:10). They are not enduring gifts, but temporary. Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge, are each and all passing gifts. The expression, “in part”, is “ek merous” as opposed to “the whole”. Paul uses the same words in 1Cor.12:27 regarding members of the body of Christ. He states: “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (ek merous). The Corinthian believers were only a part of the body of Christ. When Paul wrote his epistles to the Corinthians (about AD55-57) the Church had very little of the New Testament. Possibly the Gospel of Mark, two epistles to the Thessalonians, Galatians and Romans. All of the twenty remaining books followed later. In the early Church it was necessary that New Testament truth should be communicated by prophets and apostles who were the foundation upon which the Church was built (Eph.2:20). However, when “that which is perfect is come”, that which is “in part” would be “done away”. That which was partial (incomplete) when Paul wrote, would be superseded when the perfect (complete) came. No more would prophets need to receive direct communication from God, for the “perfect” (complete) revelation would be available to all. The expression, “that which is perfect is come”, is commonly interpreted to mean, “when the Lord shall come”. However, where in the context, is the return of the Lord even alluded to? The context is dealing specifically with the imperfection of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge, which will all pass away. The verse, 1Cor.13:10 could be translated as follows, “but when the complete comes, the partial will be superseded”. The Corinthians possessed partial knowledge at that time, but when the whole, complete revelation had come, the partial would be replaced by the complete wholeness of Divine knowledge. Paul illustrates from his personal experience in 1Cor.13:11: “When I was a child” (nepios, an infant), in contrast with an adult (teleios). Paul said he spoke as a child, thought as a child, reasoned as a child, but when he became a man he put away childish things. If we really believe that “that which is perfect” refers to the Lord’s return, then we are saying that no matter what God does in our lives now, or how the Holy Spirit illuminates and transforms us (2Cor.3:17-18), we can be nothing more than spiritual children. This interpretation flies in the face of the clear statements of Scripture that we are to be “no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind and slight of doctrine...” (Eph.4:14). Those who declare that the word “perfect” refers to Christ’s second coming do so without a single Biblical reference to support it. Paul, in this epistle charges the carnal Corinthian Christians with being babes in Christ when they should have been spiritual adults. He could only give them milk and not solid food for they were not able to receive it (1Cor.3:1-2). What a rebuke that was! In his later epistle to the Hebrews, he stated: “When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: FOR HE IS A BABE (nepios). But strong meat belongeth to them that are OF FULL AGE (teleion, “perfect”), even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb.5:12-14). It would be wrong to teach that we are to remain spiritual babes until the Lord returns! However, that is the implication if “that which is perfect” refers to the coming of the Lord. Could it be possible that God would want us to remain spiritual babes in this present life, however devoted, committed and obedient we may seek to be? Even though we yield to the instruction of the Holy Spirit, are we to remain like handicapped children until the Lord returns and we see Him “face to face”? No such doctrine can be found in the Word of God. Paul uses the word “perfect” to describe “maturity” or “coming of full age” in his address to the Ephesians: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto A PERFECT (teleion) MAN, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph.4:11-13). “Perfection”, in Ephesians chapter 4, has nothing to do with the Lord’s return but describes spiritual maturity, Christ-likeness, and the “stature of the fullness of Christ” which God wants us to enjoy right here and now. What then does the Scripture mean when it states: “Now we see through a glass darkly (obscurely); but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1Cor.13:12)? The glass referred to is a mirror. James wrote that some were “like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For HE BEHOLDETH HIMSELF, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect (teleion, complete) law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:23-25). “Face to face” means that we see the true nature of ourselves when we look into the mirror of Divine revelation. We see our own face. The Corinthians could only partly see the picture because they did not have the complete (perfect) Word of God. The sign-gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge were given to be the means by which the early Church received New Testament truth. However, when the whole Scriptures became available in AD96 with the completion of the canon, then they would see clearly the complete picture in the mirror of God’s Word. Thereafter the three gifts would cease, fade away and be superseded. They no longer served any purpose. They became redundant. The ancient mirrors did not give back a perfect reflection, but with a perfect (complete) Scripture we see face to face exactly as God sees us. However, not only do we look into the perfect law and see all our wrinkles and blemishes exactly as God sees, but we also see God’s perfect plan for ourselves and His Church. With these “exceeding great and precious promises” we even partake of the Divine nature and are able to “escape the corruption that is in the world through lust” (1Peter1:4). With such Scriptures available to us, “let patience have her perfect (teleion) work, that ye may be perfect (teleioi) and entire, wanting nothing” (James1:4). The conclusion of the matter therefore is that prophecy, tongues and knowledge were special gifts given to the early Church to edify the Church until the complete (perfect) revelation became available. Prophecy and knowledge needed the gift of languages to communicate that truth as the early disciples took the Gospel to the far-flung parts of the Gentile world. When unbelieving Jews saw the Gospel preached to Gentiles in Gentile languages, they saw it as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that God would speak to them “with men of other tongues and other lips” (1Cor.14:22). The clear teaching of Scripture is supported by the evidence from Church history, which testifies that all of the miraculous sign-gifts ceased to be given at the end of the Apostolic age (AD100) and they faded away during the second century till by the mid second century they ceased to exist. Claims by the Montanist sect that the Paraclete returned about AD150, were an attempt by Satan to bring demonic activity and sorcery into the Church under the guise of “spiritual gifts”. Tertullian was the foremost spokesman for Montanism which lasted for only 100 years and disappeared in the second half of the third century. See John Ecob’s book entitled, “Tongues Shall Cease”, available free from the Herald of Hope. The Charismatic tongues revival which began about 1900 bears no resemblance to the New Testament gift of tongues. Biblical tongues and other sign gifts fulfill no function at all after the completion of the canon of Scripture. There are no addenda to a perfect revelation. Peter wrote his second epistle just before his death about AD64-65. Paul was martyred about the same time. Only John remained, and his Gospel and Epistles were written about AD90. Revelation was complete by AD96. Now, “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book” (Rev.22:18). Any claim to have prophetic gifts after “that which is perfect is come” has serious and eternal consequences.
TODAY'S TONGUES SPIRITUAL RENEWAL OR SPIRITISM MADE RESPECTABLE? By Bryce Hartin Free to download from: http://www.christianissues.biz/tongues.html ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bryce Hartin is an ordained Minister of the Gospel accredited with the Baptist Union of Queensland. He has undertaken studies at the Sydney Bible Training Institute, Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, U.S.A. And Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto, Canada. He has traveled extensively, conducting crusades and speaking at conventions throughout Canada, U.S.A., India, South East Asia and the Middle East and has ministered in some of the largest churches in these countries. © Bryce Hartin Unless otherwise identified, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible: Authorized Version. Downloaded from: http://www.christianissues.biz/tongues.html © Bryce Hartin - Available here by his kind permission. PREFACE In recent years, I have spent a great deal of time researching the disturbing phenomena now being observed everywhere in the modern day tongues movement. The subject itself is of course of great interest to every thoughtful Christian, whatever his or her convictions may be. The main purpose of my inquiry has been to understand the true character of the movement and to identify the supernatural forces that are at work within it. What I have discovered in my search for truth has given me cause for deep concern, and it is this: ever-increasing numbers of the Lord's people are being emotionally and spiritually devastated. Among the great delusions that are spreading today, there is none more subtle or more dangerous than modern-day tongues. It has been my experience over many years to observe that out of the masses of people coming under the influence of the tongues phenomena, very few escape without serious emotional and spiritual damage to themselves and their families. The reason for this is that in reality, they are imperceptibly led into a state of supernatural bondage and their release cannot be affected by anything less than supernatural power. If the supernatural power of our risen Lord were not freely available today, there would be no point in writing this booklet. However, after having on numerous occasions witnessed the Lord of Hosts rising up and scattering His enemies and also observing His mercy in setting the captives free, we have every reason to believe that He will continue His gracious ministry until He returns for His saints. In writing this booklet, I have endeavored to avoid a contentious spirit which attacks individuals, but the movement under consideration now poses such a serious threat to the whole Body of Christ, have found it necessary to be direct in what I have to say. What I have found from my research is sent forth with a two-fold aim: (1) That it will be used by our Lord to bring deliverance to many who have fallen into bondage. (2) That it will provide Biblical instruction which will help to prevent others from becoming similarly ensnared. Had I more time, I would have exercised greater care in the arrangement of contents. But this subject is of such vital importance, I felt the need to make the material available to the Christian public as speedily as possible. It is my prayer that all who read it will not only profit themselves, but they will then be better equipped to help others. Chapter One HAVE BIBLICAL TONGUES CEASED? Large numbers of believers around the world have been observing with interest some of the significant movements in contemporary church life. It is now apparent that many Christians have been led into a deeper spiritual experience. Large numbers worldwide have been engaging in evangelism with varying degrees of success and missionary work has been given a much-needed boost. All of this is commendable, but if we study the great spiritual movements in past centuries, we will discover that with few exceptions, Satan has succeeded in introducing some element that was foreign to the true workings of the Holy Spirit. The work then either grinds to a halt, or else becomes contaminated and its effectiveness declines. Many commendable things can be said about contemporary evangelism and missionary endeavor. However, one highly dangerous element has been introduced that warrants closer examination. I refer to what is known as “speaking in tongues.” ALL THE GIFTS LISTED In his Epistles, Paul on three occasions catalogued the spiritual gifts. These lists are found in:
All such gifts were distributed by the Holy Spirit for the glory of our risen Lord Jesus Christ and the propagation of the Gospel. However, Paul indicated that while some of these gifts were to remain throughout the entire Church Age, others were only temporary gifts and would be withdrawn as soon as they had fulfilled their purpose. It is not my intention here to define all the gifts, or to explain their function. I simply propose to draw attention to the fact that Paul is very careful to list separately those gifts which were of a temporary nature. They were in use during the transition period that began with Pentecost and ended with the completion of the Canon of Scripture. These gifts, after having served the purpose for which they were given, were then withdrawn by the Holy Spirit who had given them. THE TEMPORARY GIFTS The temporary gifts referred to are listed together in 1 Cor 13:8 – Prophecy, Tongues and Knowledge. We shall take them one at a time, define them, show their function and finally give the reason why they were then withdrawn. 1) PROPHECY Prophecy may have more that one meaning, but what we are concerned with here is its meaning in the context of 1 Cor 13:8. First let me say that it is NOT “telling forth the truth of the written Word” because very little of the New Testament was available in written form at this stage. In other words, there was no New Testament as such. Prophecy in this verse (1 Cor 13:8) means the God-given ability to interpret God's plans after they have been supernaturally revealed by the Holy Spirit AND TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE THOSE PLANS TO THE PEOPLE. It was essential for the Lord's people to have in their possession, knowledge of God's plans for the Church Age and beyond, but how were they to acquire that knowledge when it was unavailable in written form? In the light of this fact, it can readily be seen why it was essential for at least some of the leaders in the Early Church to possess this supernatural gift. It can also be easily understood that after the New Testament was completed in written form, this special gift would no longer be necessary, because all they needed to know was then available to them in written form. This is why Paul lists prophecy among the temporary gifts in 1 Cor 13:8 and says “where there are prophecies, they shall fail” which when paraphrased would read “the supernatural gift of being able to prophesy will pass away.” As to WHEN this gift was withdrawn, this would have coincided with the completion of the Canon of Scripture because when the Body of Truth was complete and available to the Church in written form, this God-given, but temporary gift, would obviously not be needed any longer. By then, it had served the purpose for which it had been give. BIBLICAL WARNINGS To add further weight to the evidence already give, I would remind readers of the clear warnings given in Scripture to people who claim to have this gift today. For instance, in Rev 22:18-19 we are told that God communicated with man for the last time. He has said all He intends to say. These verses contain very solemn warnings to anyone who would add anything (by way of further prophecy) or take anything away. A similar warning is given in Matt 7:22-23 and is couched in the strongest possible terms. 2) KNOWLEDGE The word 'knowledge' in this instance is not to be understood in the general usage of the term. It was not acquired knowledge. It was supernatural knowledge imparted directly and on the spot by the Holy Spirit in exactly the same way as the writers of the New Testament received it – direct revelation by the Holy Spirit of the living God. It was essential for believers in this transitional period to have in their possession knowledge of such things as the plan of redemption, their position in Christ and their eternal destiny. But where were they to acquire such knowledge when it was absent in written form? The answer is, it was given to their leaders supernaturally and directly by the Holy Spirit. Now of course, when the New Testament was completed in written form, it contained a perfect system of truth. God did not forget anything that should have been included! He never has had to add anything. Everything of a spiritual nature that man needs to know is there. But when the Canon of Scripture was completed in written form, knowledge supernaturally given, like prophecy, was no longer needed and was therefore withdrawn. 3) TONGUES Biblical tongues were the God-given ability to speak another language that the speaker had not learnt. It was not an acquired language, but a language supernaturally given by the Holy Spirit. The reason why this God-given ability was bestowed upon some of the early Christians is clearly stated in 1 Cor 14:22 “Where tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.” THE PURPOSE OF TONGUES Paul could not have made plainer the purpose of tongues. A careful study of the passages in Acts Chs 2, 10 and 19 clearly shows that the gift of tongues was an actual language and was used to bridge a barrier and thus speed up the spread of the Gospel, but the main purpose of tongues was to be a “sign.” It was not a sign to other Christians that the speaker was “filled with the Holy Spirit” as is taught in charismatic circles today. Nor was it used as a supposed “prayer language.” We are distinctly told that is was a sign (1 Cor 14:22). Then for whom was this sign meant? This is also clearly stated. “Not to them that believe” but “to those who do not believe.” This clear definitive statement is a fatal blow to the credibility of today's tongues movement. “Tongues” in apostolic times was a sign to Israel as a nation. It was a sign of impending judgment (Isa 28:11) if they did not accept Christ as their Messiah. God had faithfully taught them throughout history that their Messiah would come, and even gave them a supernatural sign to confirm to them that Christ was the Messiah. SOME RECOGNIZED THE SIGN; a small percentage of Jews did recognize the sign and turned to the Lord, but the nation as a whole did not recognize the sign and rejected the Messiah and in AD 70 Judgment fell. The Roman Army under General Titus overran Jerusalem. Much of their city was leveled, their Temple was destroyed and their economy was in ruins. So to recap what I have said here: Biblical tongues were not an unintelligible gabble such as is being spread throughout the Church today. It was a supernatural gift given by God to speak in another language. This God-given ability was given as a special sign to Israel as a nation. Having achieved the purpose for which it was given, it too was then withdrawn. AN IMPORTANT QUESTION When was this gift withdrawn? The answer is “When that which is perfect is come' (1 Cor 13:10). I find many sincere Christians are deceived concerning the correct interpretation of this statement. They have been taught to equate “that which is perfect” with the Coming of the Lord, but I would like to point out that the Greek New Testament completely quashes this interpretation. If Paul had been referring to the Lord when he said “when that which is perfect,” he would have said “when HE who is perfect” or even more plainly “when the Lord comes.” He would also have used the masculine gender to make clear his meaning, but he did not do this. He distinctly said 'when that which is perfect” and, in the Greek, the neuter gender is used to show clearly that he was referring to some thing and not to some person. The nouns Lord, Christ and Jesus are all masculine nouns both in English and in the Greek. “That which is perfect” is neuter. So if we abide by the simple rules of grammar “that which is perfect” cannot refer to our Lord, but refers to something which is neutral and non-personal. Furthermore, the word 'perfect' is better translated as 'complete.' A PARAPHRASE If taken from the Greek and paraphrased vv 9-10 could read, “For the Knowledge that we now possess is fragmentary (meaning incomplete and imperfect) and our Prophecy (teaching) is also fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect) but when the complete and perfect Word of God is come, these temporary gifts which are in part will then disappear because they will have been superseded.” Readers should also take careful note of the comparison between “that which is perfect” and “that which is in part.” In both instances, the translation is “that which.” So in both cases, reference is being made to something which is both neutral and non-personal. What Paul is saying here is simply this: During this period of transition, when we do not as yet have the complete body of truth in written form, we use the supernatural, but temporary, gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge, but when the total body of truth is completed and comes in written form, then the fragmentary knowledge and prophecy which we now possess will no longer be needed and will then pass away. So these three temporary gifts, prophecy, knowledge and tongues ceased or passed off the scene when the canon of Scripture was finally completed. This does not mean to say that if the Lord wanted to enable one of his servants to converse fluently with someone in another language which they had not learnt, He couldn't freely do so. We must always bear in mind the fact that our Lord is Sovereign and He can do anything that He sees to be right and proper. But one point I would like to make here is this: I and others have been testing tongues in Australia for some years. In fact, there are men personally known to me who have been testing them for over 20 years and none of us has ever yet found a genuine gift of Biblical Tongues. When the spirit using the tongue is commanded to identify itself, in 95% of cases, a demon answers. However, even if on some rare occasion the Lord did give someone this supernatural ability, it still would not negate the fact that in Apostolic times, tongues were a sign to them which believe not (Israel as a Nation) nor would it negate the fact that Biblical tongues ceased, exactly as Paul said they would, as soon as they had served their purpose. FURTHER PROOF If additional proof is needed to verify that what I have said is correct, it should be noted that after Paul's first letter to the Corinthian Church, tongues are never mentioned again! 1. This gift is not listed among the spiritual gifts given in Rom 12 or Eph 4 . 2. It is never mentioned at all in any of the other Epistles written later by Paul, Peter, John and James. 3. Romans, which is regarded as the great doctrinal Epistle of the New Testament, covers the whole gamut of Truth for this Church Age, but tongues is NEVER mentioned, NOT EVEN ONCE! Why? Because they had served the purpose for which they had been given and either had already ceased or would soon do so. So there was no need for any further mention of them. NOW WHAT? Now if Biblical tongues ceased back in the Apostolic age, what explanation is there for the tongues phenomenon that is spreading like a grass fire through almost all denominations today? Are they supernatural? Are they of God, or are they satanic? These are vital questions and we will examine them scripturally in the next chapter. Chapter Two AN ANALYSIS OF TODAY'S TONGUES Some of my readers will know that for many years now I have been examining the present day tongues movement and some of the strange phenomenon that accompany it. This chapter is an attempt to set forth my main findings and to bring them to the attention of Evangelical Christians. I have felt that an enquiry of this nature was essential because the shock waves from the tongues movement are now affecting the Church worldwide. The thing that has given me most cause for concern is the fact that whole sections of the Church have taken on some very disturbing characteristics and are now heading off in a different direction. If I am correct in the conclusions I have drawn, the Church is heading for a crisis of great magnitude. People with more thoughtful minds will want to know the nature of this crisis and what they and their families are likely to face in the future. In examining this subject, we should as far as possible, shut out our own preconceptions, and attempt to analyze the phenomena appearing on the religious scene today. SPIRITISM IN OUR MIDST When I embarked on this present enquiry, there was just no way that I would have suspected any connection between Evangelical Christianity and Spiritism. On the contrary, there appeared to be irreconcilable antagonism between the two. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that Satan was embarking on an extremely clever take-over bid. He is super-imposing Spiritism over Evangelical Christianity, or, to put it another way, he is bringing about a merger between the two. This will no doubt come as a surprise to many readers, because Evangelical Christianity and Spiritism seem so diverse in appearance. However, if my readers cast their eyes about them, they must surely observe the fact that mysterious forces have arisen and have made inroads into all Denominations, even the most conservative. Large numbers of people seem to be shaking off their spiritual lethargy, getting into gear and heading off in some direction, but the all important questions is what direction?? It is now my personal conviction that what we are now witnessing on both the religious and political scenes is what can be expected to characterize this period of time. A great period of apostasy has been clearly foreshadowed in Scripture (2 Thess 2:3) and all with a high degree of spiritual discernment will not only see that this is well under way, but rapidly gaining momentum. I state these things not just to stimulate the interest of readers but to underline the magnitude of what I am saying. I will endeavor not to press my own conclusions, but rather leave the readers to draw their own conclusions after giving due consideration to the facts I lay before them. I strongly urge all readers to earnestly seek the Lord in prayer that He will enable us to understand the significance of the strange phenomena we are now witnessing. To my mind, it is wholly unprecedented in the history of the church, and is leading us all toward a great climax and the Second Coming of the Lord. “SLOPPY” EXEGESIS When analyzing the present-day tongues movement, it is very enlightening to listen carefully to what many of its heralds are prescribing. Among other things, there are material prosperity, exhilarating experiences, total exemption from all illness and hyper-faith. It is now my considered opinion that all of these doctrines have not only been taken out of their Biblical context, but have been subjected to an extremely subtle twist in the process. This I believe is part of a NEW and very sloppy system of interpretation that is in vogue in these last days and will most certainly lead astray all who do not take the time to examine what the Bible really teaches on these important matters. POISON INJECTED I feel that it is incumbent upon me to at all times be charitable and to give credit where it is due and I therefore concede that many of the high-profile men in the tongues movement do set forth such doctrines as:
These doctrines are set before the unsuspecting adherents like a delectable fruit salad, but sadly Satan has successfully added a sprinkling of arsenic. The arsenic is not only in the form of the things previously mentioned such as the prosperity gospel, scintillating experiences and unrestricted healings, but in the more frightening form of religious Spiritism. By religious Spiritism, I mean today's gibberish know as 'speaking in tongues.' All who are capable of making a penetrating analysis of this phenomenon will see that it is one of the most gigantic deceptions ever foisted upon the Church. In fact, it is such a stupendous fraud that nothing short of supernatural power could give it acceptance among men. I often wonder just how great is the power of deception exercised by “that old serpent called the devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world.” Not only has he foisted this deception onto the Church, but has caused it to become immensely popular. DON'T BE FOOLED! The subject of Spiritism is of course too large for anything like a thorough consideration here. Our present object is to point out how Satan has successfully merged it with Evangelical Christianity through the tongues movement and is now using it to shape the thinking of Evangelicals. At first glance, there would appear to be no relation whatever between Spiritism and Evangelical Christianity. Because Spiritism actually discredits all the major doctrines of the Christian faith. However, let it be remembered that both Spiritism and Christianity have supernatural elements. It is when these supernatural elements become merged into one that the deception takes on such gigantic proportions. It seems that when the masses witness some of these supernatural elements in Christianity, they conclude that it is all of God. If they do draw this conclusion, it is certain that they will come under the influence of ever increasing degrees of Spiritism from that point in time. Now the most striking present day development on the religious scene, is the fact that some church leaders, including some men of high profile, are not only giving their assent to the tongues movement, but are vouching for the genuineness of all its phenomena. The average man, of course, does by nature firmly believe in supernatural things. So Satan has been very careful to include some of the supernatural elements in the tongues movement, in order to “get in” Mr. and Mrs Average. These elements though, when carefully analyzed, will be found to be cleverly disguised Spiritism. We must never lose sight of the fact that Satan is himself a spirit. (Eph 2:2, 1 Cor 2:12 and 1 John 4:6). His various religions will therefore all have a supernatural element. END-TIME PROPHECY We should also bear in mind the fact that end-time prophecies place great stress upon the supernatural demonstrations which are to accompany the establishment of the last great religiocommercial system. We read in 1 Tim 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” Scripture would seem to indicate that not only will supernatural demonstrations take place, but false doctrines will be supernaturally taught. In other words, these doctrines will be taught by men who are themselves under the influence of deceiving spirits. These same men will also have the ability to prophesy, cast out demons and perform wonderful works “in thy name” (Matt 7:22-23). I would urge readers to have a good long look at these verses and ask the Lord to give them light on their meaning. Paul pinpoints the time when that prophecy will be fulfilled. This will be in the “latter times.” The departure from the faith, about which he gives warning, seems to be well under way. This end-time apostasy is, I believe, being brought about by deceiving spirits who are putting forth “doctrines of demons” or doctrines originated by demons. In prophecies such as this, we have unveiled for us the fact that powerful teaching spirits are setting forth doctrines that are specifically designed to cause a departure from the faith, and, let it be stressed again, that this will be done supernaturally and therefore will be undetected by the average Christian. The Christian Church at this point in time has 3 major problems with which to contend: 1. The one we have just mentioned, namely, false doctrine, being taught supernaturally. 2. Witches infiltrating the churches and parachurch organizations. These also will go undetected until enormous damage has been done. 3. The unprecedented spread of occult practices among Christians Is it any wonder that many thoughtful observers can foresee the total eclipse of Evangelical? Christianity? What we are now witnessing is the disintegration of the Church as an effective organization. If my understanding of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation is correct, this disintegration must of necessity take place to pave the way for the coming World Church.
SATAN'S TAKE-OVER BID To put this another way: Satan has launched a powerful take-over bid aimed at bringing the church under his control. Now in order to keep the whole picture in perspective, we must bear in mind the fact that our Lord said “I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” I take this statement to mean that the church is the Lord's Building, being built by the Lord Himself. He is the chief Corner-stone and each believer is put in place by the Lord. Each believer becomes a “living stone” and part of “a holy temple.” So Satan cannot destroy the Church as such! It is a supernatural structure, being built by the Lord Himself, and is eternal but these facts do not negate Satan's power to destroy the church as an effective organization and that is where the emphasis needs to be placed. Satan cannot destroy the Church, but he has the power to render it virtually ineffective and this is exactly what he is in the process of doing right at this point in time. Now to return to the merger of Spiritism and Christianity: SPIRITISM MADE RESPECTABLE Until recent times, Spiritism was generally discredited. Its alleged phenomena were ridiculed and its mediums denounced as imposters. All this has now changed. The practice of Spiritism in some form or other has now become acceptable in society, but even more, its emergence in the tongues speaking section of the Church has actually made it respectable. The way is thus being prepared for new ever-widening spheres of demonic activity and for the supply of new and more efficient human channels through whom these deceiving spirits may operate. Someone has well said that the partition between the natural and the supernatural is wearing thin in places. Such is indeed the case. With the emergence this century of the tongues movement with its powerful emotional hype and its psychic healings, Satan has now created for himself a new source of authority and these teachings, having now gained respectability, open the door very wide for other “doctrines of demons.” I feel that it is highly important that readers should fully understand the strange alliance that has been formed between Christianity and Spiritism. Any offspring resulting from this union will of course be a hybrid and a demonic one at that, and as I mentioned earlier, Satan would have to be the mastermind behind such massive deception as this. THE EMOTIONAL HYPE Another point that I find of interest in this: after some years of counseling in this field, I have observed that for some mysterious reason, women are more susceptible than men to spiritistic influence. In view of this fact, I would warn all Christian women to be exceedingly careful and to regard with suspicion every religious movement that is accompanied by an overpowering emotional hype. Some people, no doubt, will be offended because I have labeled present-day speaking in tongues as Spiritism. I owe it to such people to give good reasons for doing so. People who have this supposed “gift of tongues” claim that this is the Holy Spirit speaking through them. After counseling large numbers of tongues-speaking people, I have observed that in about 95% of cases, it is a spirit speaking through them, but it is definitely NOT the Holy Spirit. The other 5% have proven to be psychosomatic. Both Scripture and research show that the Holy Spirit does not work in the manner claimed by Charismatic’s. Because this is the crucial point on which everything stands or falls, I will endeavor to state it in terms which I hope will be understood by all. In the spirit realm, there are TWO LAWS by which spirits operate and when working through human channels: 1. The Holy Spirit always requires the active co-operation of the mind. 2. Evil spirits require passive submission of the mind. To put this in another way, evil spirits encourage the person to temporarily relinquish control of their mind in order that they can take it over! It should be pointed out here that we are specifically commanded in Scripture to “gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Pet 1:13) never to 'let them go blank' or leave them unguarded, as is encouraged by those who promote speaking in tongues. Many of us when testing tongues have heard blasphemy and filth. This is to be expected because the spirit speaking through people in today's so-called 'tongues' is a blasphemous spirit. Evil spirits are of course very careful to conceal their true identity from Charismatic people. If uncovered, their whole diabolical plan would be doomed to failure. I am aware that some people are going to think “surely this cannot be so, because many tongues speaking people are most sincere and they seem so loving and caring” - “surely they couldn't be demon controlled!” It should be pointed out that demon possession is vastly different in Australia from what is in, say India or Africa. In those countries, it is more obvious, but in countries like Australia is far more sophisticated. Unless a counselor is highly experienced, he will not detect it. It should be borne in mind that demons do not necessarily reside in a person all the time. After having gained access to a person, they can then come and go if they so desire. This is clearly shown in Matt 12:43-45. We see in this passage that the demon was resident in the man, then left of its own accord, but later returned and brought seven others back with him. This is precisely what happens with tongues-speaking people. In their case, relinquishing control of the mind is the door that gives the demons entrance. However, after having entered, they are then free to come and go as they please. They are, of course, resident when the person is engaged in tongues speaking, but they may then flit off to another deluded soul and utter their filth and blasphemies through him. Counselors call these 'shared' demons because they are shared between a number of persons. In a bikie gang, the demons are more likely to be resident all the time. DUAL PERSONALITY The Lord has also graciously shown us in our research that in many cases of supposed Schizophrenia, it is not a case of split personality, but dual personality. In other words, there are two personalities in the one body, that of the person and also that of one or more resident demons. There are times when the person is in control and exercises his will, but at other times, he is overpowered by a demon who then takes control and exercises his will. Non-Christian psychologists who do not believe in the existence of demons and therefore do not understand their workings, often mistakenly conclude that the problem is all in the personality of the person. They sum up most cases of this nature as schizophrenia or split personality, but the correct diagnosis in a very high percentage of cases would be dual personality or demon possession. It naturally follows from this that there are many people in our mental institutions who should not be there. Their problem has not been correctly diagnosed and, because of this fact, they are administered mind-bending drugs which only create more misery for the person. SUBSTITUTED PERSONALITY Philip Mauro in his book “The Number of Man” (Morgan & Scott Ltd, 1910) when speaking of Spiritism describes it as substituted personality. In the case of tongues-speaking people, we would I think, understand the problem better if I used this term. What is meant by this is that the true personality of the person is temporarily set aside and replaced by that of a spirit. Displaced or substituted personality is the essential characteristic of Spiritism. Now this is exactly what is happening in the tongues movement. The personality of the man or woman who is the subject of this tongues-speaking experience is temporarily set aside and is replaced by an evil spirit or invisible intelligence which can then exercise varying degrees of control over the mind and the body of the person concerned. Philip Mauro also observed that, closely allied to this experience of substituted personality, is another phenomenon – namely, hypnotism. A COMPARISON In hypnotism, the subject's personality is set aside and replaced by the personality of another human being, but in the modern-day tongues movement, the personality of the subject is set aside and replaced by that of an evil spirit. Both are clearly cases of substituted or displaced personality. In both cases, the person is constrained by the will of another being to think, say and do things he would not otherwise think, say or do. Many should be able to see from this what terrible danger Christians put themselves in when they let their minds “go blank” in an effort to get the Holy Spirit to speak through them in tongues. We have learned in deliverance ministry that evil spirits have no scruples whatever in speaking of sacred things. In fact, they will go to almost any length to gain the coveted “control” over an individual. ANOTHER COMPARISON Some Christians have described various tongues-speaking meeting as “just like being in a séance” as people “fell under the power” or were “slain in the spirit.” The present-day results of these new inroads of demonism are nowhere near as bad as they will be in the future. The events we now see are simply paving the way for even greater forms of demonic activity. Satan is now getting people accustomed to spiritistic manifestations as a means of establishing his credentials. Having done this, I believe we can expect a last great general assault on the human race, accompanied by “great signs and wonders.” Now, as we have already mentioned, the spirit speaking through people in today's speaking in tongues is definitely not the Holy Spirit of God, because He simply does not operate in this manner. The spirit speaking through them is one of the “deceiving spirits” referred to earlier. The unsuspecting recipient of this supposed “gift of tongues” sincerely believes he has been singled out by a loving God and given a special gift. The truth is, he is having “fellowship with demons,” something strictly forbidden in 1 Cor 10:20. Many who give careful attention to what I am saying here will, I am sure, immediately see why I have chosen the subtitle “Spiritism Made Respectable?” because that's exactly what it is. The modern-day form of tongues that is spreading so rapidly within the Christian Church seems pure, unadulterated Spiritism! The spirit uttering this unintelligible gabble is an evil spirit and the person through whom the utterance is made in allowing his body and tongue to be used by this spirit, has, in actual fact, become a “spirit medium.” When given serious thought, the conclusions are obvious. If the spirit speaking in tongues through a person are not the Holy Spirit, then obviously it must be an evil spirit. If it is an evil spirit, then the person concerned is engaged in Spiritism and as I have just stated, has himself become a “medium.” It can be readily seen from this, what gigantic deception tongues-speaking people are under. They have embraced what in reality is an alliance between Christianity and Spiritism. It would be impossible to exaggerate just how serious a threat this is to the whole body of Christ. The machinery is now in full operation for the greatest deception of all time, and as this form of deception continues to spread, multiplied millions of people are going to be spiritually and emotionally devastated. THE BUILDING BLOCKS If I am correct in my conclusions, we have here the components that will make up the religion of the coming World Church. These components are Religious Humanism, Spiritism and Apostate Christianity. These, I believe, will form the building blocks of which the “coming world church” will be built. SUPERNATURAL ELEMENT The more spiritually discerning readers should be able to see that in order to gain acceptance with the masses, the World Church must of necessity have a supernatural element. Since the God of Heaven would never give His blessing to such a “witch-doctor's brew” as this, then the supernatural element will have to be supplied by Satan – and it has been. The supernatural element in this poisonous mixture is Spiritism. Yes! The once despised, but now respectable cult of Spiritism will, I believe, be the deadliest element in Satan's brew of abominations to seduce Evangelical Christians. Those of us who have been counseling in the area of the Occult have observed that evil spirits have been progressively extending their influence in the sphere of professing Christianity. The extension of influence on the part of evil spirits is in exact proportion to the diminishing emphasis on the absolute Authority of the Bible. THE SNARE Most tongues speaking people will of course readily agree that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, yet many claim to have new and timelier revelations direct from the Spirit of God. But I would like to point out here, that it has been our experience that any revelations apart from the written Word can very easily be given by evil spirits, and herein lies the snare, because once we depart from the written Word, we are immediately launched on to the sea of uncertainty and are open to the influence of “deceiving spirits.” A SOLEMN WARNING Now all thoughtful readers are going to realize that the material which has been set forth here has extremely serious ramifications. Because of this and knowing what I have observed through counseling tongues-speaking people, I urge all people now in churches where “speaking in tongues” is practiced, to get out, because you are in danger! Find another fellowship somewhere that is free of spiritistic phenomena. Even if you have to travel a long distance to attend, it will be well worth both the effort and expense. To those NOT in tongues-speaking churches, I issue this word of warning. Because of the rapid spread of this phenomenon, there will eventually come a time when you will be confronted with this matter. You will be urged to seek this supposed “gift of tongues.” Well-meaning but deceived people will pressure you to “let your mind go blank” so the Holy Spirit can speak through you. If you yield to this impulse and relinquish control of your mind, you will eventually discover as thousand are now finding, that it will not be the Holy Spirit that you come in contact with, but an evil spirit, impersonating Him and the end results can be devastating. It is my prayer that the Lord will give you much wisdom and enables you to avoid the deception that I have outlined here. THE END RESULTS After many years of counseling people who have been “slain in the spirit” or “spoken in tongues” or who have been “prayed over in tongues” or “laid hands upon,” we have been forced to the conclusion that almost all have problems. These problems vary greatly. They include emotional, physical, mental, psychological, moral, social and of course spiritual problems. These problems have been directly caused by the people concerned coming into contact with demons. In a large proportion of cases, they have actually come under demonic control. What begins as a casual contact with demons through speaking in tongues, often progresses to regular “fellowship with demons.” The end result is, as could be expected, most of these people are, in the long term, devastated. They are lured into a supernatural bondage that can only be broken by supernatural means. A very high percentage wants nothing more to do with Christianity or the Bible. The human wreckage resulting from this diabolical deception can now be found scattered all across the grey landscape of our society. Some, after having been hurt so badly, try to pick up the pieces and immerse themselves in worldly pleasure. Others crack under the pressure and are institutionalized. Many who come to us seeking help are so tormented by demons that they openly declare that if release cannot be found, then suicide is the only course of action left to them. My prayer is that godly Pastors and Bible Teachers everywhere will not only “feed the flock of God” but faithfully warn the sheep not to go seeking ecstatic experiences outside what is clearly taught in Scripture. If we wander from the path of clearly revealed truth, God will not save us from delusion. * DECLARATION OF VICTORY I claim for myself the full Victory that the Lord Jesus Christ has won over Satan and all his forces. I give myself to the Lord Jesus Christ today, as one who is alive from the dead. All ground that I have given to Satan in the past, I have already reclaimed and I have given that ground to our Lord Jesus Christ. As an act of my will, I have chosen to be fully dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ in spirit, soul, mind and body. I again present my members as instruments of righteousness to God to use as He sees fit. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I resist Satan and all evil spirits and command them to leave me and go to where the Lord Jesus Christ would have them go. I again renounce all of Satan's works in my life and declare myself to be the full and complete person that the Lord Jesus Christ intended me to be. I am bought with the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and I declare myself free of all spiritual bondage that may have been passed on to me from my parents, my family or my ancestors or any other source. From now on until the Lord calls me home, I intend to serve Him in any way He chooses to use me. I offer this prayer to God in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
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Thought Control How the Pentecostals 'created' the Charismatic Catholics. (Mick Alexander) The following is a summary of the various perspectives of the cessation of tongues. TONGUES HAVE CEASED – A BRIEF SUMMARY Many people who speak in tongues say that their experience confirms that it is the Holy Spirit guiding them. A careful study of the following will show that the gift of tongues has actually ceased. What is meant by 'that which is perfect' in 1 Cor 13:10? 1. 1 Cor 13:8 says that tongues, prophecy and knowledge will cease. When will they cease? 2. 1 Cor 13.10 says that prophecy and knowledge will cease when 'that which is perfect has come'. 3. In Greek, the words 'that which' and the word 'perfect' are in the neuter form, that is, not masculine or feminine. So, 'that which is perfect' cannot be referring to Jesus as the words are not masculine. 4. The Bible, the perfect Word of God, was yet to come and when it came, tongues, prophecy and knowledge ceased. ('perfect' can also be translated 'complete' or 'finished', so alternative translations could be 'that which is complete' or 'that which is finished'. Both terms fit with it being the Bible). [Strong's Greek Dictionary shows that prophecy can be foretelling or forth telling (expounding the Bible) and the prophecy to cease are foretelling, such as the prophecy in Rev, 1 & 2 Tim etc. Those who wrote Scripture had these special gifts of prophecy and knowledge and these are the gifts that have ceased. If they were still around then people could add to the Bible today and how could we argue? How would we know who had the real gifts? However, we know that Scripture is complete and cannot be added to (Pro 30:5-6). Regarding knowledge, we are encouraged to gain Biblical knowledge as stated in Col 1:9, Phil 1:9-11 etc.] What was the purpose of tongues? 1. 1 Cor 14:22 says “Tongues then ... are a sign for unbelievers.” The word “then” (“Wherefore” in the KJV) means that this verse is referring back to the previous verses). 2. 1 Cor 14:21 says that God will speak to “this people”. In the New Testament, “this people” always refers to the Jews. Therefore, the unbelievers being referred to in 1 Cor 14:22 are Jews. 3. In Acts, whenever tongues were used Jews were present. 4. So, the purpose of tongues was to be a sign to unbelieving Jews. One sign was to show that salvation was for the Gentiles also (hence the foreign languages). Clearly, the sign is no longer needed. 5. Tongues were also a sign of judgment against the Jews. The quote in 1 Cor 14:21-22 comes from Isaiah 28:11-13 where judgment is pronounced against Israel. Their Temple was destroyed in 70AD. Tongues is nowhere said to be a sign of a Christian being saved through receiving the Holy Spirit, nor is it said to be either a Prayer Language, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or Tongues of Angels. These things can only be read into the text. The Bible only says that tongues were a sign to unbelieving Jews, nothing more. The first church in Jerusalem was entirely Jewish and they badly needed convincing that Gentiles were part of God's salvation plan as they were fiercely, often violently, opposed to it. One example, in Acts 11, shows this opposition and how tongues were used as a sign to verify that the Gentiles were in God's plan. Today, the Gentiles are the majority in the church so tongues are no longer needed to convince the Jews. Is 'that which is perfect' the Second Coming or a believer's eventual state of perfection? Sometimes 'that which is perfect' is interpreted to be the Second Coming or the state of perfection which believers eventually reach when they see Jesus. This has serious short-comings as: 1. It is pointless to say that tongues will cease when we are made perfect because all of the gifts will cease then. If it was the case, then this detailed Biblical explanation of ceasing and fading is a waste of words as there is absolutely no need to explain the obvious. 2. Another point is why are only two gifts, prophecy and knowledge, singled out in v.9? As just said, all gifts disappear when we are made perfect. However, prophecy and knowledge were both required to write Scripture and with the completion of the Bible they were no longer needed. 3. Regarding v.12: This verse certainly fits well with the believer's perfect state. However, it also fits well with the fact that before the Bible was complete, things would have been dimmer but now we can come face to face with Jesus through His Word. God's complete revelation to man brings us face to face with the full plan and purpose of His creation and creature. 4. Even if 'that which is perfect' was the eventual state of the believer, it wouldn't change the fact that tongues were simply a sign to unbelieving Jews. That is as clear as a bell. The Jews demanded signs (1 Cor 1:22) and this sign was given and is no longer needed. Love is the emphasis of 1 Cor 13. 1 Cor 13:1-3 uses exaggerated language (hyperbole or superlative expression) to emphasis that love is more important than any gift. Paul says that even if he could speak in an angelic tongue, fathom all mysteries, had all knowledge or had faith to move mountains but didn't have love, then he had nothing. He didn't say that he could do these things (in v.9 he said that knowledge and prophecy were in part): 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect, is come, then that which is in part shall be abolished. But that if he could, yet didn't have love then he had nothing. Paul goes on in v.8 to say that tongues, prophecy and knowledge will cease anyway; vs.9-10 tell us when and vs.11-12 give us the result of having the full revelation of God. Verse 13 which starts with “and now” (the Amplified Bible says “and so”) is a summation of vs.1-12. It sums it all up by saying, “And so [although some gifts will eventually pass away] the greater gifts of faith, hope and love will remain.” All other gifts must still be with us also as there is no mention of them ceasing. Regarding the various rules, such as interpretation, not forbidding tongues and one person speaking at a time etc, these rules applied to the church before tongues had ceased. However, the rules can still be used to verify the error of today’s tongues. An unemotional study of the Bible will reveal that tongues have indeed ceased and should be renounced and cut off in the Lord's Name. It's very unwise to place a personal experience ahead of God's Word for we know from 2 Cor 11:14 that the devil, the master counterfeiter, can appear like an angel of light.
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