Q & A WITH A READER ON THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
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1. If
the gift of tongues ceased, how do you interpret 1 Corinthians 14, where
Apostle Paul gives detailed instructions for regulating its use in the church
rather than indicating its imminent cessation?
MY TAKE
My view is that 1 Corinthians 14
addressed the New Testament church context. The gift of tongues was actively in
operation at the time. Under Evangelical theology, we hold that this gift
ceased immediately thereafter. The Early Church writers never mentioned or
reported on its presence. There is no evidence throughout the ages of
church history that this gift was actively available in the church. Pentecostal
scholars have not offered convincing explanations for this historical phenomenon
from their theological standpoint.
2. On
what basis do we conclude that the events in Acts are descriptive but not
normative, especially when similar manifestations of the Spirit appear in
multiple chapters (Acts 2, 10, 19)?
MY TAKE
I believe this question has been
addressed under Q.1 above. The events described in the Acts of the Apostles and
1 Corinthians exclusively relate to the New Testament church period. This the
reason that Paul wrote extensively on the regulation of this gift in the
context of the New Testament Gentile Christian communities.
3. Is
there any explicit New Testament passage that clearly states that the gift of
tongues would cease at the close of the apostolic age?
MY TAKE
Evangelical scholars observe that there
is a hint in 1 Corinthians 13 which has been identified as a telltale sign in
support of the cessation view. Paul writes thus:
“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. 9 For we know in part and we
prophesy in part. 10 But when that which
is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. (1
Corinthians 13:8-10, NKJV, emphasis mine).
i)
In 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, Paul states that
prophecies will cease, tongues will be stilled, and knowledge will pass away,
noting that partial gifts will disappear when the "perfect" comes.
Some Evangelical scholars have related this perfection to the sealing of the
cannon of Scripture under the Council of Carthage in AD 397. The church thereafter
departed from oral tradition and spoke from the authority of the written
Scriptures rather than the prophetic foretelling.
ii)
In 1 Corinthians 14:21-22, Paul
cites Isaiah 28:11-12 to explain that tongues were a "sign to unbelieving
Israel". With the establishment of the church and the gospel effort
extending to the Gentiles, the need for this specific sign is believed to have
ceased. This is consistent with the view that the gift of tongues was meant to
serve a specific purpose during the New Testament church period.
iii)
Scholars consider 2 Corinthians 12:12 and Hebrews
2:3-4 as conveying an affirmation that miraculous gifts, including tongues,
were "signs of an apostle" designed to validate apostolic authority
and new revelation. Once the apostolic age concluded, so did the need for their
unique validation.
iv)
The gift of tongues is not mentioned in
later Pauline Epistles including Romans and Ephesians. It is also missing from
the New Testament Pastoral and General Epistles, suggesting that the gift was
not functioning in the wider church after the period coinciding with 1
Corinthians.
v) Bible scholars have also observed that there is a notable decline in the mention of miracles in Paul’s latter epistles. It is instructive that Paul was unable to heal two of his close coworkers, Epaphroditus and Trophimus, on two separate occasions, indicating that the apostolic gift of miracles had possibly declined at the close of his ministry (Philippians 2:25-30; 2 Timothy 4:20). In one of his final letters, Paul writes, "I left Trophimus sick at Miletus" (2 Timothy 4:20). Scholars often point to this statement as evidence that Paul's ability to heal "on demand" had changed, as he previously would have healed a fellow worker to keep them in active ministry. In a separate incident, Paul describes Trophimus, one of his companions as being "ill and almost died," but notes that "God had mercy on him" rather than attributing the recovery to an apostolic act of healing (Philippians 2:25-30). Paul's deep sorrow over the illness suggests he did not have the immediate power to remove it.
Conclusion
Pentecostal and Charismatic scholars
disagree with the observations advanced by Evangelical scholars on cessation of tongues. They insist
that the gift of tongues continues throughout all church ages. They are however
unable to explain why the gift of tongues was not mentioned in early church
writings right from the Patristic period through the Medieval, Reformation, and
Enlightenment periods, only for it to purportedly reemerge in the 19th
Century during the Asuza Street revival of 1905. Does this incident imply that
the previous generations of believers were not deserving of this gift? Did they
fail to embrace the gift for nearly 2000 years? Did God withdraw the gift
during these periods, and if so, why? How come Pentecostals today are unable to
interpret the gift of tongues or specify which ethnic language it falls into
whenever a believer is purportedly speaking in tongues?
4. If
tongues were solely for authenticating the gospel to unbelievers, how do we
understand Apostle Paul's statement that one who speaks in tongues edifies
himself (1 Corinthians 14:4)?
MY TAKE.
This question is closely related to
No.3 above.
1 Corinthians 14:1-5 says “Pursue
love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you
may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue
does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however,
in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who
prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to
men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself,
but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish
you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who
prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless
indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.”
(NKJV).
Paul was addressing some confusion
among the Corinthian believers where some liberally spoke in tongues in congregational gatherings without the benefit of an interpreter. This is the
reason he adjudged such believers as edifying themselves in v.4. This suggests
that where tongues could not be interpreted, it served no useful purposes in the
Body of Christ. Paul supplies a hint in his statement in v.5, suggesting that
not all believers spoke in tongues. This strongly suggests that the gift of
tongues was not a universal endowment on all New Testament church believers.
5. If
some spiritual gifts (like tongues) ceased after the apostolic era, what
biblical principle helps us determine which gifts continue and which do not?
MY TAKE
1 Corinthians 12:4-10 says “There
are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There
are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And
there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who
works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of
the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for
to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to
another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to
another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of
healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another
the working of miracles, to another prophecy,
to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds
of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But
one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one
individually as He wills.” (NKJV, Emphasis mine)
There are nine gifts listed in the
above passage.
As stated earlier, Evangelical theology
holds that the gift of tongues ceased after the New Testament church age. The
gift of interpreting tongues therefore also ceased. Some scholars believe the
gifts of miracles and healings have been extensively modified by God from their New
Testament period contexts to conform to the post New Testament realities. Accordingly therefore, we do not have miracle workers or faith healers in
the church today. Scripture reveals that God responds to the prayers of His
people in accordance with His divine will. James 5:14-15 says “Is anyone
among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray
over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And
the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him
up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” (NKJV).
Notice that James does not make
reference to a miracle worker or a faith healer in his exhortation. Instead, he
recommends corporate prayers by church elders!
The gift of prophecy was also modified to align with the sealed cannon of Scripture which became available following its compilation under the Council of Carthage in 397 AD. Prophecy is now theologically understood as the act of forth-telling or proclaiming the mind of God for a particular context based on the revelation and authority of Scripture. Evangelical tradition affirms that the future of the church has been sealed in the writings of Scripture and no prophet can speak the mind of God outside the revelation of Scripture. This implies that the office of prophet is no longer available to the church! Jesus is our final prophet through whom God speaks to the church (Hebrews 1:1-2). His voice is indelibly inscribed in the written Scriptures. He is our Saviour, our Prophet, our Healer, our High Priest, and our Teacher.
The gifts of wisdom and knowledge are however
available to the church and so are the gifts of faith and discernment. God
reveals His mind to His servants when they proclaim Christ in truth and in
accordance with the authority of Scripture. Christ is our source of eternal wisdom which He has conveyed to us through His eternal word.
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026
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