Christians, how do you understand...?

Question

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How do you understand this verse, especially when it said, tongues shall cease. Please interpret in the light from 1 Cor ch11 to 15.

1) 1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

2) 1Co 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.


(NOTE: Tongues is a sign to the UNBELIEVERS! ! ! )


Please interpret, TQ.


Balaam's A S S asked

SOURCE:

Authorized Version


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Answer 1

Ah, I Corinthians chapter 13 is one of favorite chapters in the Bible. The greatest gift is LOVE. All else can pass away and mean nothing if we do not have LOVE in our hearts.
Beautiful chapter.

As for tongues, I don't think it serves a need in this day and age, as we have lots of language translation software and gadgets now. If I can talk into my blackberry and mandarin Chinese comes out, speaking in tongues just isn't that impressive anymore.

Answer 2

Two things. First, the verse does say that tongues is a sign to unbelievers. But the verse stating that it will cease is comparing the present age with the future age (after the apocalypse). It doesn't explicitly state that tongues will cease in the near future.

The problem is that "tongues" just meant "foreign languages." John Chrysostom spoke the same Greek language that the New Testament was written in, and he could recite the entire New Testament from memory. When you read his commentaries, it never once occured to him that speaking in tongues was anything more than the skill of being able to speak in a foreign language. It was not considered a mystical, supernatural language.

Paul was writing to churches than represented many different languages, and many people thought they should recite the liturgy in their own language. The result was chaos, with the entire congregation praying and singing in several conflicting languages at the same time. Paul addressed the issue, and explained that everyone should pick a language and stick to it.

Answer 3

aaah another seeker wondering about tongues....I have had this discussion many times with other believers. Tongues, in my opinion is questionable. I as well as many others believe the ability has ended. I do question what the ones who are speaking in tongues are speaking. However, this verse does indicate it can be possible to speak in tongues for benefit of the unbelievers.
But was that for benefit of the unbelievers during the time that Paul was preaching or does that mean now also?

I agree with Cheir and Gary M.

Answer 4

1Cor 13:8- The gift of tongues and prophecy was a temporary gift given to establish the Christian congregation during its fledglin years after Jesus death. This is simply stating that these things would eventually cease after Christianity was established

1Cor 14:22 Originally, the gift of tongues was one of many gifts that the early disciples used to demonstrate that they were true followers of Jesus. Additionally, the gift of tongues was a gift of foreign language, not jibberish, that had a purpose- to preach Christianity to the unbelievers of the nations (non-Christians) or Jews from other nations that didn't speak the language.

A prophecy is a divine expression of something to come. God used these to warn his people or the nations, if they believed, of calamity. If the hearer of the prophecy does not believe than it does not serve a purpose to him -he will face the punishment that the prophecy would state.

Answer 5

1) The scripture quoted is incomplete. In full: 1 Cor.13:8-10; ' ... love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect (or complete) comes, the partial will be done away'. (NASV)
It has been argued that the perfect or complete has come with the establishment of the Scriptural canon. However, the perfect (or complete) does not refer to the Scriptural canon. It can be seen from the following verse 12 (For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known) that the only way the perfect (or complete) comes is when we know fully - which will only happen when face to face -in heaven with Christ.

Answer 6

When Jesus spoke the Sermon on the Mount, there were many different people there who spoke different languages. When Jesus spoke, every man heard in their own language. This, my friend is tongues. What you hear today is jibberish, that serves no purpose. Also we are not to speak in an unfamiliar language in the church unless there be an interpreter.The gift of tongues was given in the early church for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. This would be the equivilent of you not knowing one word of Spanish, yet you find yourself in Mexico with an opportunity to share the Gospel, you begin to speak in what you believe will be English and miraculously Spanish comes out of your mouth to the observer. You will not realize this because you will hear yourself in English.

Answer 7

These were sings given to establish the true followers of Jesus in the beginning of the Christian Faith. They are not needed now, we have the Bible and 2,000 years of experience. The 2,000 years have shown that Christianity is the only Religious belief system that has been the target of annihilation and no matter what the world did to destroy it, it still is the largest belief system in the world.

Answer 8

I am thinking that we think ourselves to be knowledgable but are not according to His wisdom are not in wise in ourselves. The tongues are given as a sign to those who do not believe, and prophecy is for those who do believe. Hints that are evident and not hidden.

Answer 9

it is a sign to the unbeliever's because if you are the one speaking in tongues you already have enough faith to believe.

Answer 10

It also says that knowledge will cease but as far as I know knowledge has not ceased so why should have tongues ceased?