It is crucial we as Christians have a correct Biblical view of Spiritual Gifts, so that we are not led astray and deceived. We must be vigilant as our adversary the Devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). The need for being vigilant and sober is evermore present these days, especially when the NAR and Word - Faith Charismatic movements are pushing many counter Biblical teachings en masse.

Movies like “American Gospel” from AGTV however brought about a revival of true Biblical repentance among many Christians to the Biblical view of the Gospel and many such things like Spiritual Gifts. Satan then, like the snake that he is, saw a way to slither into movie theaters by using his own people to put out an opposing movie called “Come Out In Jesus Name” which we will cover fully in its own article on another date. 

American Gospel Films or AG.TV is a resource I can highly recommend to you. Many of their series have great theological wealth and can certainly help you understand the scriptures more. We cannot give them a blanket approval as there are things they do not support that we do such as Why Use Only The KJV. That being said they are one of the best Christian resources out there besides our articles.

While we are not dedicating this entire article to the heretical “Come Out In Jesus Name” movie airing in theatres, we certainly will be covering the main lies and heresies they put forth in that film throughout this entire article. This should provide you an apologetic resource for dealing with these heresies. Now it is important to keep in mind that these heresies are not new, they have been around for at least 150 years or more. The major difference is there has never been a time in history where we have seen this type of heresy explode into prominence like it has. 

Many people have been swept into the NAR Word - Faith Movement out of what will be described later as not a Love of God and his word, but a love for an experience in the flesh. In all cases of what they deem the Spirit of God “Moving” is actually just mass hysteria, mental illness, and the power of suggestion at play with a good amount of demonic ritualistic behaviors. What you see happening in “church” gatherings today of the NAR and Word - Faith type, is nothing short of demonic, as not an ounce of its practice is Biblical. What it really is, is lunacy and nothing but pure evil to its core.

Much like their father the Devil who appears as an angel of light, so do those who teach the things you see in the Word - Faith and NAR movements appear as ministers of righteousness like it says in 2 Corinthians 11:14. The film is aptly named “Come Out In Jesus Name” which is what we should do, and come out from amongst them (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) in the name of our Lord who died on the cross for our sins and provided for us His word through the true Biblical Prophets and Apostles and by His very own mouth.

In previous times these heresies were fringe movements. However, now that we are nearer to the last days, these demonic movements have become mainstream and are influencing Christianity at large. They were largely kept at bay by God working in conjunction through the Holy Spirit with the majority of faithful men and women of God who read their Bibles daily and had the Truth. But now as the curtains close, Apostasy is running rampant as men love pleasure more then they love God (2 Timothy 3:4). This is of course being allowed by God but not approved of by him. In much the same way other nations turned evil, or like the Hebrews at the foot of Mount Sinai when Moses was receiving the 10 commandments, who danced and reveled in sin, so is modern man falling away from the truth. There was a time where men and women of God would not stand for this in any sense. It is not the fault of true Bible adhering Christians who like us are fighting this good fight, but rather a sign we are in the end days and a great apostasy is upon us (Not to be confused with the actual End Times Great Apostasy to the Mark of The Beast). 

Where The Word of Faith Movements all started.

Along comes Satan, who crept his way into churches who had long since renounced that faithful doctrine we have received (Romans 16:17-19) and just like that, these movements began.

All of these heretical movements started small like you might guess, such as in the case of E.W. Kenyon (1867-1948) the father of the word of faith movement, which now is more prominent than ever. Kenyon taught all the modern heresies we see today.

Demonic events like the “Toronto Blessing” Stem from Kenyon and figures like Rodney Howard-Browne a wicked demon possessed man who rubs shoulders with all the elite NAR folks like Kenneth Copeland.

What really kick started it into the majority of Christendom was the advent of the internet and social media, to the point that the majority of “Christian” media is in support of what can only be described as doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1), where they play music, sing to music, endorse churches or pastors, who all blaspheme God and are workers of Satan. The corruption we see today is like nothing from the past as the affliction always came from without, and not from within. 

Come Out In Jesus Name Movie Trailer

In the trailer for the movie “Come Out In Jesus Name” the false heretical Pastor Writer/Producer for the film quotes 1 Timothy 4:1, whilst simultaneously doing that which he proclaims others are doing. Which is of course giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Demons. The obvious irony of it is, this is exactly what he is doing! Unlike Greg Locke and others like Isaiah Saldivar and Vladimir Savchuk, the doctrine we teach as faithful Bible believing Christians is based solely on the very words of God himself in his book written and preserved to us in the KJV Bible. 

The theology of these men who serve their own bellies (Romans 16:17-18) is not based on a single historically accurate and contextual Bible passage. But is instead, based on only the anecdotal mania they facilitate by the power of Satan himself. Namely the instances of manic laughing, being drunk in the “spirit”, false healings, false lying prophecies, and heretical teachings, all of it in opposition to everything the Bible details about a Spirit filled Christian (Galatians 5:22-24). To reiterate this, these men are servants of Satan who serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies, Just like Romans 16:18 says:

“For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

Like an arsonist blaming a lightning strike for burning down a house while still holding the gas canister and the matches, so is Greg Locke when he ironically uses scriptures that really describe him whilst simultaneously trying to shuck the blame on others. The movie trailer for “Come Out In Jesus Name'' Featuring Greg Locke and others is chalked full of so much heresy and delusion it will have to be addressed in a separate article when we address the entire movie, however suffice it to say brothers and sisters, we are looking at the single most demonically powered movement (I refer to the movement which the movie is a byproduct of) since that of the Catholic Churches evil deeds described in the Foxe's Book of Martyrs. 

Except, instead of people being killed for not renouncing sound doctrine like with the tyrant murderous Catholics of old, people are being held in a mental and spiritual prison of delusion and heresy, by their own choice. Corrupting and being corrupted, deluding and being deluded, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13-14). It is my prayer that if you are among one of them lost in this movement, that this article will begin your deep search for truth, that you may be set free from the lies and heresies put forth by those who do not serve our Lord, but their own bellies (Romans 16:18). 

We begin our look into the History of Spiritual Gifts in the Bible with the strongest foundation we can. God himself through his Word which is a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105). With it we do battle as Hebrews 4:12 and Ephesians 6:17 tell us. The way we do spiritual battle is by fighting for the truth as depsite what these heretics teach, we are not wizards with magic powers, we are servants of Christ who use God's word to cast down imaginations (ideas and thoughts) as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:5. We Fight the good fight of Faith as it says in 1 Timothy 6:12, and upon that Rock we shall stand (Matthew 7:24).

Now to understand the Spiritual gifts through out the Bible, we need to take a wholistic view of the entire Bible. Throughout history, there was no Bible app, or even a book you could purchase from the store that had the collection of God’s words. This did not even become available to everyday Christians until 1611 when the KJV Bible was made available to all, despite the tyrant Catholic oppression to have it stopped.

Prior to this God's word was stored upon over 5000 manuscripts and was meticulously passed down throughout the ages by men who studied the word of God with such clarity that when the dead sea scrolls were found, which are dated to be 1000 years older then the previous oldest manuscripts available at the time, they found that there was no measurable variation in the text. This shows us God preserved his word despite the claims of people saying the Bible had been changed in the past by things like the council of Nicea.

Additionally we find from Atheists that another way to argue the Bible cannot be trusted, is due to something called “the telephone game argument”. If you are unfamiliar this is a game where people stand back to back, and they quickly whisper into another person's ear some statement. 

The original statement starts off with something mundane like “I like coffee with cream.” and ends up in “White coffee with cream.” or sometimes something even more bizarre by the time it reaches the last person such as “I Liked Offering of Cheese”. The issue here is comparing something mundane such as copying a random statement from person to person quickly where no one is concerned with accuracy to that of what the Jews did with God’s word. It is not really a good comparison at all. 

The scribes were a people of God that knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were handling the word of God and they treated it with extreme care. Their religious practices concerning God were so meticulous and strict that there is virtually nothing like it today. For example, when it came time to write out the name of God, scribes would then get new ink, a new pen, and change their clothes, then proceed to write out his name. This is a people who in order to become a Rabbi, they had to memorize the entire Masoretic text. They certainly were more precise than any other group of people in existence when it came to copying things. To the point that if you messed up a single word while copying the entire manuscript into another scroll you had to throw out the entire scroll. Potentially months of work was discarded and the process would start over again. Copying things became people's lives, not something you do for laughs and giggles. Now the reason the Hebrews did this, should be obvious, but in case it's not: It is because they knew like we do now, that God is real (Romans 1:20) and that the words they were reading were Gods own words, which were holy and true. This is why the fight for the correct most accurate translation is so important today.

Why Prophets with Signs and Wonders Even Existed

Even so, no one had ready access to the word of God back then in the way we do now, especially in the times of the Old Testament. People in the Old Testament times, such as those who lived during the same time as David, Daniel, Joseph, Elijah, and Moses, did not have the word of God to access. In fact, it is safe to say pretty much no one had access to God's word, until the Masoretic Text was written by Moses. Thus prophets were needed in a way they are not today since we do have God's word available to us. God chose specific men and women to be his prophets with the vast majority being men in the past to communicate his will in a time where his word was not readily available. This is why prophets existed in the first place, to communicate the will of God to the people.

Now one of the ways these men and women were proven to be prophets of God was through signs and wonders, and through the telling of what would come to pass which is why they were also called Seers because they could seemingly see into the future. The litmus test of a prophet really was their ability to tell of the future and of God's coming judgment, it was never for mundane things like whether or not someone has cancer or what socks to buy someone for Christmas, but instead to communicate the will of God. In some cases like with Jonah, God used him to warn the city of Nineveh to repent as if they did not they would be destroyed. They then repented, and Jonah who hated them needed to do some repenting of his own when he let his anger consume him that God did not destroy them, as though Jonah believed God’s mercy should only apply to him and not whoever God wills. Now If someone claimed to be a prophet and what they spoke of failed to come to pass, they were to be considered a false prophet and death would come their way. Look at what Deuteronomy 18:20-22 says:

“But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

Likewise in the New Testament it says in 1 John 4:1 and 2 Peter 2:1-3 that false prophets existed at their time and times past, which means they exist today the same.

If you take the time to read through all of 2 Peter 2, it gives the most mind blowing description of these false prophets like Kenneth Copeland, Greg Locke, Bethel Church, and the whole host of the NAR and Word of Faith world.

The Purpose of Prophets and Prophecy

Now as time progressed up until the time of Jesus and the Apostles, we see a consistency of where Spiritual Gifts like Moses had, or like the Apostles had, met the same criteria of the old testament prophets who performed signs and wonders. That criteria list is as follows:

• The signs and wonders always followed a message of repentance to God and away from sin.

• Prophecy was given where the word of God was not available and complete like it is today.

• Signs, Wonders and Miracles took place to confirm the authority of the message that was given.

• The ability to perform signs and wonders was not of a person's own accord but by the guiding of God’s sovereign will. 

• The goal was always to bring people into a right relationship with God and His Word and way.

Now compare this list with the starkly contrasting list below of how the NAR and Word of Faith movements teach their congregants:

• The signs and wonders are about “glory” and experiencing a singular physical “moment” with God, with no mention of repentance from worldly and sinful ways to living according to God's word.

• Prophecy is continually wrong, and suggests that the word of God is not sufficient since we need new revelation.

• The Signs, Wonders, and Miracles are either not present or are clearly faked like the “leg lengthening” with Todd White or “gold dust” sprinkled into the AC ducts at Bethel Church to whip people into manic depravity, where there is no message given, or the one that is, is in disagreement with God's word.

• The ability to perform signs and wonders is taught that it is by a person's own will, by their own perception, and they must command God. There is no submitting to God’s sufficient word and sovereign will. They command like they are God himself bringing to mind 2 Timothy 3.

• The goal is to have an “experience” or “cast out a demon” and nothing to do with God’s word and way and coming into a repentant truth filled relationship with God, but rather a manic emotional frenzy that leaves people twice the son of Hell then before (Matthew 23:15).

Looking at the two theological comparisons like this, should make it painfully obvious that one is a work of God, and the other is that of the flesh by the power of Satan, our adversary. 

We as Christians need to base our beliefs upon God and his word alone, not based on experience, results or anything outside of the word of God. We need to be faithfully following 2 Timothy 2:15, studying to show ourselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of Truth. 

The God we worship and adore who is Truth and the Word (John 1:1-14; John 14:6) is the same God that changes not (Malachi 3:6) and is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) who has provided His scripture which is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). 

I pray that anyone reading this article will grasp the Biblical Truth of this topic and be brought into a right relationship with God and his word. The Battle we are currently engaged in by me teaching this and you reading this, is what true spiritual warfare is. Where it is a battle for Truth, not territory (See Jim Osmans Book Truth or Territory) casting down all imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Now the common rebuttal you will hear from the Word of Faith and NAR teachers, is using Mark 16:17-18 to say that the “they” referred to in verses 17 and 18 is every Christian that has ever lived, including you. Which logically if this were true, then 99.9% of faithful Bible believing repentant Christians, are going to Hell or are already there. Why? Because according to them Mark 16:17-18 claims that those who believe will:

• Cast out devils.

• Speak with new tongues.

• Take up serpents and not be hurt.

• Drink any deadly thing and not be hurt.

• Lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Now since 99.99% of Christians have not done any of these things, by the logic of the Word- Faith movement teachers that means that 99.99% of Christians must not truly believe! According to them, the majority of Christians are not actually Christians at all because somehow “they” just didn't believe hard enough as to show “signs” that followed them that believe!

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:17-19

These “signs” according to the NAR Word - Faith teachers include the speaking of “tongues” upon receiving the Holy Spirit, being able to heal any injury or sickness on command “in Jesus name”, casting out any demon at will, resurrecting the dead, and drinking any deadly poison and not being harmed!

Surely there are copious amounts of footage of Greg Locke and all like him drinking deadly poison correct? How about resurrecting dead people? Wait… There isn’t? Must be a work of the devil who burned all the tapes!

You see, Greg Locke, Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Rodney Howard Brown, Paul and Jan Crouch, Fred Price, Isaiah Saldivar, Vladimir Savchuk, Heidi Baker, Todd White, Todd Bentley, Bill Johnson, Francis Chan, Sid Roth, Dr. Michael Brown, and the countless list of false teachers all are true believers. Even though none of them has ever proven drinking deadly poison and living, or resurrecting the dead, they still just know better! Or… Maybe they are just liars, manipulator and wicked servants of Satan? The evidence points to the latter. (2 Timothy 3:13)

Now that you hopefully received my point through sarcasm, I want you to soberly look at all our brothers and sisters from the past 2000 years who had no report of the things mentioned in Mark 16:17-18 . Yet these same men and women we shall see in heaven, died at the hands of wicked tyrants who slew them for their belief! Imagine the level of complete delusion you need to possess to look at the millions of Christians who have died in the past for their faith, that produced no signs and wonders, and still think your theology is correct. For a second, imagine not believing hard enough that because of your unbelief you still go to Hell, but somehow, you believed hard enough to be willing to go to your death proclaiming the name of Christ. How does that make any sense to these Word - Faith nut jobs? Clearly the theology needs to be adjusted to meet reality and biblical context instead of promoting this heresy.

The thing is brothers and sisters, the reason why these false teachers will never repent is not only due to what 2 Peter 2 says, but because their real God is the God of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) who brings them all the wealth and momentary happiness they want so long as they abandon their conscience and corrupt as many people as possible through doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1)

These false teachers claim those faithful Christians who gave their lives “just didn't have enough belief”, and that's why these so called “signs”, did not appear for them. Again, it is a very strange concept, that our brothers and sisters had enough belief to sacrifice all their finances, their lives, and to be tortured non-stop until death for the name of Christ… but according to these false teachers, they still just didn't have enough faith! something is not adding up here.

Even to this day in China and other parts of the world, Christians are dying by the hands of wicked tyrants. But I guess because they aren’t driving in fancy cars, and being absurdly wealthy, as a result of their “true belief”, these “unbelieving” Christians dying for their faith, still just don't have enough faith. It is utter folly.

None of these foolish false teachers in terms of the amount of belief they have could even hold a candle, let alone a match to our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, who died for their belief at the stake, or being burned alive. In fact those who have given their life for Christ have demonstrated the greatest possible belief as the amount of faith to give up your own life for Christ, is the maximum amount of faith you can display!

But still, these tricksy schemers and outright charlatans, will attempt to use Mark 16:15-20 to twist their poisonous false doctrine into people's minds. Instead, let's examine and exegete this scripture correctly, using proper hermeneutics and biblical context. When these false teachers quote this passage of scripture, they are careful to leave out the part that proves them wrong, which is the last verse. Much like how their father Satan will use scripture as the AntiChrist to persuade people worldwide to worship him by leaving out that which proves him wrong (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Lets read the scripture in context

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

Did you catch all that? He mentions all the signs we covered before, then what does the very next verse say, So then after the Lord has spoken unto them. Them. The Apostles. He is speaking to the Apostles here specifically about what they will do, giving them instruction before he leaves. Not telling everyone in the world what should follow true belief.

Then it says The Lord working with them, confirming the word with signs following. What word is being confirmed here? The words he just said, and the Gospel they preached! It quite literally is telling you the Apostles went forth and did that which Jesus said, and fulfilled that prophecy. To make matters even more succinct, the passage is finished with amen, or in other words, it is agreed, or it is complete. You cannot twist this scripture the way the NAR Word - Faith teachers do. It is not possible when you simply just read the text. This was prophecy pertaining to the first church, not every Christian that ever lived, otherwise logically you have to admit that none of us are true Christians. Also the teaching that we need to perform signs, adds to Salvation where Christ’s work on the cross isn't good enough (Ephesians 2:8-9). They teach you need to also be a wizard too and do Harry Potter stuff to prove your faith.

The “they” spoken of here in Mark 16, is not every Christian that has ever lived, but just the Apostles Jesus was speaking to when he said this. The Apostles were directly sent by Christ, and went and performed those signs and wonders DIRECTLY by working WITH Christ himself, to what? To their own ends and purposes? To do what they wanted? NO! To confirm the Gospel and the Word of God as it clearly says in verse 20. They were given these abilities to confirm the new covenant as God was establishing it here on earth. Later in Acts we read of these very deeds performed by the Apostles.

The Spiritual Gifts Were Largely Given To Apostles

Note throughout all of Acts and the Epistles, it was primarily these things being done by the Apostles, and nowhere after the lives of the Apostles in Church History do we see the same thing being done by regular Christians. Sure throughout the time of the first establishing of the Church the gifts were prevalent everywhere and many participated in them to some degree. But this was during and under the care of the Apostles. Shortly after this and the events of Pentecost, tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Christians existed. The word of God was being completed as the Epistles, Revelation, and the Gospels were written down and copied thousands of times over. However, not long after the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost and Paul being saved, did the miraculous powers of God begin to cease as gifts we saw in the church. Much like Moses who glowed for a while after being with God, but then eventually stopped glowing, so did Paul demonstrate in 1 Timothy 5:23 that his ability to heal had diminished as he had long been confirmed already as an Apostle. He writes to Timothy:

“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.”

If Paul could simply heal by “commanding in Jesus’s Name'' why would he let his beloved Timothy suffer with sickness? If Timothy was of God , couldn't he just command his own sickness away and then go and speak in gibberish to heal himself? 

Timothy’s and Paul’s names are in the Bible and are honored forever with a word that will never pass away (Matthew 24:35), yet all these NAR Word Faith Teachers, whose names are not in the Bible, who have not performed any miracles and are liars, blasphemers, and wicked false teachers somehow can magically heal others and themselves? But Paul, the writer of 2/3rds of the new testament, could not heal people on many occasions? Sorry, but I'm not buying the snake oil from the snake himself. 

The Apostles who walked and talked with Jesus in the flesh, were sent by Jesus and had healed many. These Godly men who have the honor of having their names being recorded for all eternity in God’s Word still lost the ability to perform these miracle healings after time. There came a point where they could no longer heal each other, or themselves as we see from Paul. So what do we say? Did the Apostles themselves lack faith when clearly they had done wonders none of us will ever know? Assuredly not brothers and sisters! Ridiculous theology leads to ridiculous conclusions such as with these false prophets who are headed to Hell with no recourse a 2 Peter 2 lays out. 

Lets ask some very basic logical questions on healing. If Christians had these claimed abilities of healing and resurrection then:

• Why are there any dead Christians?

• Why didn’t every Christian martyr simply have his brothers and sisters in Christ resurrect them?

• Why didn’t they simply just keep healing themselves and put off aging and death? 

• Why do any of these false teachers continue to age and die? 

• Why are the founders of these movements dead?

• Why did/does God say “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” if the ability to die was not part of life?

• Why do these teachers go to the doctors?

None of these questions make sense if we are all supposed to have magical powers. Additionally It does not make any sense in context with the Bible and the end goal of our eternal state. Verse like Hebrews 9:27-28 make it clear that we are to die, and that like it says in verse 28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” we are to look for our salvation not our earthly state. The teaching that healing the flesh for the sake of a better life is worldly, fleshly, and evil.

The Original Purpose of the Gifts

The purpose stated in Mark 16:20 for the signs and wonders that followed the Apostles, was to confirm the message of God and in Paul's case, whether or not Paul was truly an Apostle as there was some doubt amongst some Christians, as he was not one of Christ’s original Disciples as the other Apostles were. Clearly he was though as this was made evident by Christ’s demonstration through him. Unlike the false teachers of today who wear glasses, have broken fingers, and suffer from heart conditions they somehow can't heal, these Apostles truly did have the gift of healing among many other gifts.

Now in this next paragraph, I am not trying to be cruel, but instead I am proving a point. I want to show you how despite tens of thousands of Christians praying for Bill Johnson’s wife to be cured of her Cancer, and attempting to command her healing in Jesus’s name, she died anyway. While it’s awful and sad, clearly God chose not to heal her almost to show by his sovereign might that he is just that. Sovereign, and no amount of commanding or false theology will get God to do something against his will.

He chose not to answer those prayers, or more aptly, listen to those “commands” as who are we to command the Living God? This could be seen as a sign of God’s righteous judgment. Now contrast that to a Pastor named Duane Miller who was legitimately healed while teaching properly the correct doctrine of healing:

The story goes that he had a voice, and 3 years prior to this teaching that was scheduled years in advance at his church, he got sick and completely lost his voice, which permanently scarred his vocal chords. He could not talk for over 3 years with any ease. The night before he preached this sermon, he was found by his wife with a shotgun pointed at his head, in a close call with murdering himself. Long story short he didn't do it, went to Church the next morning and faithfully obeyed God after not being in the pulpit for 3 years. As he was teaching the theologically correct view on healing, which is that God heals only by God’s authority and by his will, the Lord then confirmed the correct theology by healing him during his service.

It is all caught live on tape and is another example of God being consistent with his word, where it is not just for healing's sake that we are healed, but to confirm His word, and correct theology. This is exactly why Beni Johnson died riddled with cancer despite people trying to control God with commands and frenzied manic sessions to rhythmic “worship” music. It is also why this man Duane Miller was healed unexpectedly. It was to show us what is correct theology.

It is incredibly important to remember this one thing: “It is as the Spirit Wills.” You cannot in any sense transaction the Lord most High. I mean this in the sense of the word that a transaction is you spending money at the store. You put something of value in such as currency, and get something of value out such as a candy bar. With God you cannot do this. You cannot manipulate or otherwise “do the right things” in order to get something out of God whether it's healing or even Salvation, as that brothers and sister is a free gift. He is sovereign and does as he sees fit. If he heals, he heals, if he does not heal, he does not. It’s just as simple as that.

The “Greater” Works Heresy

Now let's go to John 14:12 which these false prophets have used to try and say we can do more miraculous things than that which the Apostles and Jesus did. Not only is this totally inaccurate, but not even the Apostles came close to accomplishing any miracle greater than that of Christ. Only Christ commanded the waves to calm in a word (Mark 4:39), walked on water, duplicated bread and fish, and rose from the dead of his own accord. There is no comparison to Christ, as Christ is God.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

False teachers twist this verse by trying to say the “works” here in this passage refers to Christ’s miracles of wonder, not the works of calling people to repentance and returning to God which is something Christ also did (Luke 13:3, Mark 1:15). This is again fully noting that none of the Apostles even came close to the amount and wonder of works that Christ did.

False teachers will also try to say that the “greater” word used here, is a reference to doing things Christ himself did not do, some even go so far to say he “could” not do, which is heresy and blasphemy. Sadly, these false teachers are dead wrong and it is proven by simply looking at the definition of the word used in this passage, which is “megas”. This word means greater in the sense of:

• Mass

• Weight

• Extent

• Space

• Measure

• Height

• Length

• Number or Quantity

This word is used in many passages such as in Matthew 2:10, Matthew 7:27, Luke 2:10, where the context of these verses is not greater in the sense of it being in comparison to something else as more exciting or powerful, but rather it will extend out further. The word “Megas'' is literally the exact same word we get our word “Mega” from. If i asked you to grab me a regular coffee from the coffee shop, verse asking you to get me mega coffee from 7-11 its clear i am talking about size and quantity, not quality. It's not about how good the coffee is, it's about how much coffee you have in your cup. So the verse then logically could be rendered like this:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me (all of us), the works that I do shall he (all of us) do also; and greater (a larger quantity) works than these (which Jesus did) shall he (Us again) do; because I go unto my Father.”

The last part of the verse is crucial. Why is it because Christ goes unto his father as the reason given to why we shall do a larger quantity of works? The answer is because in order for us to receive the Holy Spirit Christ had to leave to the Father (John 16:7). And thus we as Christians, for the last 2000 years, have done “greater” works than Christ, not in the sense of competing with his wonder and might, which is impossible, but rather in the sense that we have in essence have done more (larger in quantity) works. 

If every person did 10 works in their life of calling people to repentance and sharing the Gospel, and let’s say 10 Billion people have been Christians since Christ left earth, then naturally that's 100 Billion works that have been done. Christ on earth did many, many works, to the point of which in John 21:25 it says :

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

But as many works as Christ did, it is physically impossible for him to do 100 Billion works as fully God fully man on earth. Doing some simple Math, If Jesus did 1 Miracle on earth every second he lived from literal birth to death, he would have 1,043,539,200 seconds to do so or 1,043,539,200 miracles. That's about 1 Billion miracles. However he only started his ministry at 30 and died (in the flesh, temporarily) at 33 which would have given him 94,867,200 miracles if he never slept, ate, used the restroom, or otherwise did nothing but portal hopping each second to heal people. This of course is ridiculous, Christ did many miracles, thousands I imagine, but not 100 Billion.

In contrast, we, through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, have done “greater” miracles with God by the sheer number of us and the amount of miracles in our lifetimes then Christ would have done if he stayed. Keep in mind this is purely being measured by quantity, not in measure of quality of miracles. As stated before commanding waves and walking on water and duplicating actual food takes the cake.

So the take away from this is, false teachers lie and twist scripture for their own benefit and now when you read this passage below, it should make more sense the what and who the passages are talking about.

Rom 16:17-18

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

Cessationism is the correct Biblical doctrine that teaches that the Gifts we saw in the extremely early church have largely ceased. This is demonstrated by Biblical History through Acts and in further Epistles that the original gifts which were meant to confirm the Apostles as actual messengers of God, and in part were accessed by other believers, had ceased their prevalent function. The Apostles jobs were completed, and as a result there is no more from God to be given to us as new revelation as the Bible is already written. There is no more need for prophets to tell us the will of God for we have his will written out in the King James Bible. There is no more need for Apostles to guide the Church, because doctrine has been provided already for us. The Apostolic Gifts have ceased because Apostles are by definition ones who are sent directly from Christ himself. To confirm this they had legitimate powers and abilities through the Holy Spirit. Therefore because all the purposes of the gifts have ceased, the gift’s themselves are no longer needed. The ones who claim they need them, are only seeking them for worldly things (James 4:3) and not for the Glory of God. Inherently by seeking these gifts that have ceased you are outright stating the word of God is not sufficient for all things (2 Timothy 3:16).

Have you also noticed how anyone who claims to be an Apostle, does the exact opposite of a Biblical Apostle? Meaning they have no miraculous powers, they are not sent directly by Christ, they say and do things directly against sound doctrine that the actual Apostles lay out. Yet they claim to speak for God and have authority yet possess nothing like it (Galatians 6:3-8).

God Still is a God Who Moves According To His Will

The Apostles much like the prophets lost their gifts of healing as demonstrated by Paul on numerous occasions. The same can be found for the Old Testament Prophets who had special gifts and powers meant for the proclamation of God's word and will, such as in the case with Samson or Moses. They all only had them for a time to confirm the message and will of God, which is exactly what it says in Mark 16:20.

The gifts are not ours, they do not belong to us, we are not wizards and God gives them as he sees fit to accomplish his will for the duration of his will. In other words we cannot command a thing, for all things are in subjection to God ultimately and we are to submit to God. This submission to God is not by demanding things and trying to boss around God by using his name as some sort of magic spell. 

Think about it this way for a second, there are millions of so-called “Christians” blaspheming the name of God (not giving due honor to his name and person) by running around commanding the Spirit of God “In Jesus Name” like they have the authority to implement their own will over God’s sovereignty.

To command things in the name of Christ at your own will without knowing the will of God and submitting to it, is to blaspheme the name of God by not giving God or his name due honor. Willingly trying to command the God of the universe to do your bidding without any consideration of his will or way is incredibly foolish and dangerous. All of this nonsense of commanding and proclaiming is based completely on a misunderstanding of scripture. Such as we covered above. It brings to mind 2 Peter 3:14-16 which talks about how those who are unlearned and unstable are brought to their own destruction. 

These people who do such things are simple (Romans 16:17-18), unlearned (lazy and not studying), and unstable (weak and not founded in the word). Keep in mind brothers and sisters, this is a personal choice they make. I have known intelligent people who can be described as simple, unlearned and unstable, and very unintelligent people that are incredibly complex, learned, and stable. It has nothing to do with intelligence or lack thereof, it has everything to do with a personal choice of laziness. Like the Bible warns, these people bring about their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16).

Video Game Gospels Position on Hard vs Soft Cessationism

Now we here at Video game Gospel are “soft cessationists”, meaning where we depart from hardcore cessationism is they tend to believe the gifts have ceased completely, and they will never be seen again or could never be used again, thereby limiting God. 

What we say is they have ceased in correlation to God's will at the time. It is possible they might return during perhaps the trials of the great tribulation, but not in the same way. Also we caveat this by saying we do not expect them to return either. It is more that we believe God is sovereign, and we do not presume to know the entirety of God’s will, nor can anyone (Romans 11:34, Job 15:8, Job 21:22, Isaiah 40:13, 1 Corinthians 2:16).

We believe the Apostolic Gifts have ceased, but also believe God does as God sees fit. The hardcore cessationist fails in that he attempts to corral God into a box forgetting God is sovereign and does as God sees fit. The purpose for the gifts has been accomplished fully so there is no reason to see a resurgence, however, God is God and he is sovereign and can do as he sees fit.

Quoting from a section of an article from Got Question we can see all the relevant scriptures that show us how the gifts have primarily ceased.

“The Apostle Paul, who raised Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:9-12), did not heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27), Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20), Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23), or even himself (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). The reasons for Paul’s “failures to heal” are 1. The gift was never intended to make every Christian well, but to authenticate apostleship (2 Corinthians 2:12; Hebrews 2:4); and 2. The authority of the apostles had been sufficiently demonstrated.”

In correlation to their brief article, 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 suggests that tongues would cease. 1 Corinthians 13:8 is the nail in the coffin of the tongues teaching of the modern Word - Faith NAR tele-e’blab’agists. 

Gifts That Will Return.

Now separate from the Apostolic gifts, there are other Signs and wonders such as those performed by God through Moses and Elijah, which we will see a returning of. There is no question about that as the Bible speaks of the two witnesses who will perform signs and wonders. Now as an interesting side note, notice how these witnesses are confirmed to be the two witnesses of God by their ability to perform these signs and wonders at will (Revelation 11:3-6).

The Bible shows time and time again, as confirmed by Jesus in Mark 16:20, that those who are the messenger of God are confirmed through signs and wonders that communicate his word and way whenever there is new revelation or doctrine. In the case of the two witnesses the revelation of them is already given, and there purpose is clear, to prophecy. The witnesses also come to shoot fire out of their mouths for those who hurt them, but the message will be the same as all of the Prophets and Apostles of the New and Old Testament to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now aside from our own ministries position on this, God can still heal, he can still do whatever he pleases, he is again… Sovereign. However the gifts we have now, such as Wisdom, Knowledge, Teaching, are just as useful if not more useful than the gifts these Word - Faith NAR foolish people search after (Matthew 7:26-27).

Lets now dive into the meat of this teaching which is tongues, healing, prophecy and their true purpose. As mentioned previously, the purpose of all the miraculous or Apostolic gifts were to confirm God's word as it says in Mark 16:20.

Whether it was Healing, Tongues, or Prophecy it was primarily given to confirm the Gospel that Christ has died for our sins, to now repent and turn to him, trusting in him for salvation as the propitiation of our sins. The focus was the Gospel of Christ as a sign to the unbelieving. It was not meant to alleviate pain or increase life satisfaction, or even to simply have “Your best life now”. It was meant to proclaim and spread the Gospel of Christ like wildfire amongst the Jews and the Gentiles, and it did just that. (1 Corinthians 14:22)

What exactly were Biblical Tongues

The word “tongues” in the New Testament is “glōssa” which means essentially “Language”. In the book of Revelation, the word is used 7 times to mean a language (Revelation 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15;). It is also used in Mark 7:33, Romans 3:13; 14:11, 1 Corinthians 14:9, Philipians 2:11, James 1:26; 3:5, 6, 8, 1 Peter 3:10, 1 John 3:1, Revelation 16:10, as the organ in our mouths known as the actual tongue. 

Lastly in Acts it uses both the word “glōssa” and the word “dialektos'” which sounds awfully familiar to Glossary and Dialect don't they? It's because they are the same words we use but in Greek. So likewise when we read all of the accounts in the New Testament speaking of tongues, it is always about languages people knew. See these verses here for proof: Acts 2:6; Acts 2:8. At the event of Pentecost, people did not hear a heavenly language or gibberish but their own language as it shows in Acts 2:8

The gift of tongues Biblically speaking is not speaking in gibberish. It is speaking in a known language you do not know, for the direct benefit of the listener as it describes in Acts 2. The main purpose of which was to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and to reveal Gods will for a Bibleless church as the Bible was being written at the time and was not readily available to people until 1611. Later when the issue came up in the Corinthian Church, Paul addressed it by telling them there has to be an interpreter and only 1-3 people active in speaking and translating at a time was ideal.

How Tongues Operated

A person would be moved to speak in let's say Indonesian, to an Indonesian family who showed up who did not speak Greek or Hebrew. It is likely the person isn't fully aware of the fact that what they were speaking was not their own language. Following this someone was immediately given the gift of interpreting tongues, to then proclaim to those who spoke in Greek or Hebrew what was being said so they could test the spirits to see if they are of God (1 John 4:1). All of this is covered by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:27-33

“If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all Churches of the saints.”

There is much more i can say about this but suffice it to say, the teaching that tongues is a gibberish language or a holy language only God knows, is quite literally untrue. God speaks all languages as he is the author of thought and speech. However the Word - Faith NAR teachers say there is a special God language you can speak which is just untrue and founded by doctrines of demons as you will find no scripture supporting it. Only those who commune with demons tell you this is the way it works. Biblically however the gift of tongues is speaking in someone's language to communicate the will of God and the Gospel. This has largely ceased due to:

1. The Bible being available to everyone now and thus in its sufficiency it provides everything we need to know (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

2. The Gospel being spread abroad to almost every single nation on earth and the ability to hear the Gospel and respond in your own language reading this has been made more abundantly available then almost anything besides air.

3. The early churches had Church Copies of the New Testament even though household bibles were still not a thing until 1611.

Examining 1 Corinthians 12

I have heard and seen many rebuttals come from those of this movement that honestly do not hold water. But still, they need to be addressed in order for this to be a complete teaching. So lets go through some of them as we explore the 3 chapters on tongues.

”It Is evidence that we are saved when we speak in Tongues as it is Manifesting the Holy Spirit!”

First, evidence of salvation is by your fruits (Matthew 7:16-23), not flapping your gums about in some outward expression of delusion. It is true however, that there is a manifestation of the Spirit of God that is evidence of our salvation as 1 Corinthians 12:7 points out. However this needs to be taken into context with the rest of the Bible.

Furthermore in the very next 4 verses the Bible makes it clear that not everyone receives the same gifts. In verses 8-14 it tells us the many gifts that manifest themselves in believers and gives them a priority. I want you to notice the priority of these gifts, as this will also become more relevant later on.  Verse 11 tells “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” which means not everyone gets the same gift. God decides who gets what for what duration and purpose.

1. Wisdom. The first gift and clearly the most important. You need wisdom to ascertain all else. (Proverbs 9:10)

2. Knowledge. Where do we get our knowledge of God? From His word! (Proverbs 1:7)

3. Faith. The gift of deep conviction of all things God and his word and a life lived out of those deep convictions. (Romans 10:17)

4. Healing. In context it means both supernatural and being a doctor who heals people. This can be through many means such as even helping people resolve trauma.

5. Miracles. The word used here implies moral excellence and virtue and the ability through financial or other means cause things to come to pass. In other words strong leadership, and combined with this meaning is also a person that through that leadership, is involved in the supernatural godly happenings of a worldly inexplicable nature that is wrought by God.

6. Prophecy. This means both speaking the word of God in preaching and sermons, and being inspired to speak profound truth through the Spirit of God while exegeting his word. It also is in reference to speaking of events to come during the times this was and will be present.

7. Discerning of spirits. This is not talking about new age spirit divination, but rather the ability to detect false and true doctrine based on the spirit of it, such as knowing what is coming from God and not, in the modern sense it's really knowing the word of God and exegeting truth. As anything outside of the Bible is not God speaking but Satan. The ability to discern the truth of things is in fact a gift that everyone thinks they have, but evidently they do not, thus heresies which ultimately stem from pride.

8. Diverse tongues. Real languages you can speak without knowing them prior. It also can be the ability to readily pick up languages.

9. Interpretation of tongues. The supernatural ability to interpret tongues of a language you do not speak in order to communicate it. The difference between this and modern practises is for those who spoke or interpreted tongues, it was not a guess or a feeling, but they heard the speaker speaking in their own language. For example if in the Church a man began to speak some other dialect no one there spoke, you with this gift, would hear it in your own language even if your own language was the same as everyone else's there who could not understand him. It was a supernatural gift of being able to hear what others could not hear due to it being an actual other language, but to you it was as though it was your own language. We see this taking place in Acts 2:8. This gift could also be the ability to hear your language when someone was speaking another to you.

“We should all be able to heal people and prophesy as well as speaking in tongues!”

1 Corinthians 12:28-30 covers some interesting facts that completely disproves this premise. Verse 28 begins to list what God has set in the church. Notice how the words used here are “set” and “some”. Set is a position of a temporary nature. If I set my glass down, it means it was only there for a time, such as we see with some of these offices God has set. The Bible makes it clear here that it is some people he set, not all. Which again flies in the face of what is claimed above. He does as the Spirit Wills, and so God gave the following description of things he sets for a time for whomever he wills:

1. Apostles. Men sent directly by the living Christ.

2. Prophets. Men given power to speak the word of God during a time the Bible was not complete.

3. Teachers. Still an office in the church that is men teaching doctrine such as this article.

4. Miracles. People who again are great leaders bringing about many things by the direction and power of God who also naturally partake in divine moments of God’s orchestration.

5. Gifts of healing. Notice how it is plural. Because it refers to the many ways a person can heal another, whether by the supernatural or by the practical in the physical and emotional parts of people.

6. Helps. Hospitality! Those who serve with love, prepare meals, help others in various ways!.

7. Governments. This is both a reference to leadership and to wise counsel such as in the case of a governing board of members who may not have an extreme outward role but help govern the Church. This can also be a reference to business owners who help with the church inside and out.

8. Diversity of tongues. Notice how this is also plural and more on that later. Refers to tongues and interpretation which again notice its order is at the very bottom. We know these are lists from Paul because the words he uses are such. He starts off by saying in verse 28 “...first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers…”.

Paul Delivers the Coup de grâce to this modern heresy when he rhetorically asks the reader in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 where the obvious answer to his questions are no. He is making it clear, not all have every gift. Paul then finishes by saying in verse 31  to covet the best gifts, and do you remember the priority of them? Wisdom, Knowledge and Faith were the first 3 or the best gifts. Now in verse 32 which leads into the next chapter Paul says there is something even better then coveting these 3 best gifts.

“Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

Examining 1 Corinthians 13 

Paul after saying to covet the best gifts such as wisdom and knowledge tells us there is something even better to do then to covet these gifts when he says “...and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way”. He starts the next section with exaggerated contrast of juxtaposition that acts as an ad absurdum argument. In layman's terms he says something normal and compares it to something outlandish to prove a point. This is where the Word - Faith NAR false teachers take this verse and twist it to mean:

The Word - Faith NAR teachers will take this and say:

“See Paul says we can speak in angelic tongues! This means we pray in an angelic language to God that only God knows which side steps Satan!”

However, this is not what it means, and to prove it lets just exegete the scripture for you here:

1. The “tongues of Angels” portion refers to a known language as demonstrated before that the word glōssa simply means an actual language.

2. Satan was an angel, there is no reason to believe he could not hear it if you were actually speaking a heavenly language as he is from heaven.

3. The concept that if Satan hears our prayers, he will somehow use it against us is a complete misunderstanding of prayer and its purpose.

4. If you are going to take this verse literally, then logically you need to believe if you fail to have Charity, you will turn into an actual tinkling cymbal or a sounding brass. How many times have we failed to be as loving as possible? I don't see any people magically turning into cymbals, have you?

5. Studying the culture and context will show you that this was Paul referencing how the Corinthians used tinkling cymbals and sounding brass in their pagan rituals to try and invoke thier dead gods to do something. Paul is using ad absurdum here, by comparing the regular with the fantastical.

Paul then after telling us of the gifts, and the offices of the church, tells us to covet those best spiritual gifts which are wisdom, knowledge and faith. Then immediately tells us there is a more excellent way, or a better way. What is that “more excellent way”?

Well, Love, Brothers and Sisters. Paul concludes the teaching with love. Saying all these things are great, covet them yes, but here is something better. Act in love or as the KJV rightly translates it into an action word instead of a feeling: Charity.

“Everything you are saying is wrong. We are supposed to be just like Jesus and be just like the apostles!”

This is where things get super interesting. Paul tells us love will never fail, yet clearly and boldly tell us prophecies, tongues and knowledge, will all either fail, cease, or vanish away in 1 Corinthians 13:8. He then says something mind blowing when you understand what he was actually talking about. He makes a comparison to essentially growing up. He tells us when the perfect is come, that which is part will be done away with, and tells us when he was a child he spoke as a child, and now that he is a man, he has put those things away. And the entire later half of the chapter is quite literally telling us that all these gifts will cease as the church grows and as we grow, for they will no longer be needed. Like a child going from milk to meat, so will the church, and indeed it has!

He tells us prophecy will be done away with and that the greatest of faith, hope, and charity is charity. The conclusion naturally is this: “Covet those spiritual gifts, but there is something greater as those gifts cease and that is charity.”

The focus the Word - Faith NAR false teachers have is on all the wrong things. Our focus should be on Love and more accurately charity as it is the only thing Paul mentions will not fade away. In the case of knowledge fading away, one might ask why has this not happened then? Well take a look at the sequence of events.

1. First prophecy went away, and this happened when John wrote Revelation and when all the books of the Bible were completed because prophecy is the word of the Lord, the word of the Lord is complete. 

2. Shortly after, Tongues ceased. And now we are approaching a time of the return of Christ where all the knowledge humans have amassed, will all be gone and vanish away. Amazing right?

Addressing 1 Corinthians 14

This portion of scripture took us hours to decipher. It is a passage of scripture almost every single cessationist avoids. This is to their detriment as the theological implications are profound, although clearly in opposition to that of what some cessationists teach which is why they probably skip it. Lets not do that.

To completely understand tongues in the proper theological light we need to examine this scripture, so so it does not give room to justify or otherwise abuse this passage of scripture. Before revealing it, I am going to first briefly reiterate what we have learnt.

• Tongues was a supernatural gift to speak/hear languages you did not know for the purpose of communicating God's word and way in a time where this was absent since it was not all written yet. 

• Tongues was the least of all the gifts.

• Tongues was prophesied to cease.

• Tongues was never gibberish in any sense but always an actual language.

Now that we got that out of the way lets reveal the doctrine of tongues as according to 1 Corinthians 14 which peaks of a number of things:

• Verse 2: Tongues is a unknown language not gibberish. The greek words “ho gar laleō glōssa” means He that speaks in a language unknown. Implying that it is an actual language known somewhere, but not to the hearers. It tells us if we speak in tongues with no interpreter then only God understand what we are saying, not men, and its useless.

• Verse 3-5: Prophesying/Preaching is better than tongues.

• Verse 6: Additional purposes of tongues in the church where to bring revelation, knowledge, prophesying, or doctrine. Later text describes as being edifying to you

• Verse 7-19: Tongues is again not to be desired over preaching, it is much better to speak truth and edify the church then it is have this gift, which is precisely why it is the least of all gifts. Paul says in verse 19 “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.”

•  Verse 22: Tongues are a sign for the unbelieving, which was its first purpose in Acts at Pentecost, It was a sign to draw people unto God by hearing his word in their own language.

• Verse 23-24: Tongues in the Church can act as a deterrent to the Gospel. Instead prophesying/preaching which is much more effective.

• Verse 27: As the least of all the gifts, only a few where allowed to speak, always with a mandatory interpreter.

• Verse 28-32: If there is no interpreter you must remain silent. Prophecy/Preaching is still better. What is said must also align with the word of God as verse 32 implies.

• Verse 33: God is not the author of confusion. What you see happening in modern churches is not tongues, it is confusion.

• Verse 37: If you think you know things about tongues, and are spiritual, you must acknowledge the things Paul wrote as they are commandments of God. In other words if you truly are spiritual you would agree with the implications of 1 Corinthians 14.

• Verse 40: The church should be decent, and ordered. Certainly not the manic wild frenzy demon-fests we see today in the modern “church”.

Understanding 1 Corinthians 12-14 In Context

So now that we have taken a look at what tongues were back then. How do we understand everything in context to today? As mentioned many times now, tongues is not a gibberish language that you see on Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural, or other False Teachers clown shows. It is an actual language. The purpose of which is to be a sign to the unbelieving and adamantly not not for the believing (1 Corinthians 14:22-25). Tongues was a least of all gifts given during the time where the Bible was not fully written to give revelation, give knowledge, proclaim prophecy, proclaim doctrine, or edify yourself before God. So then is the gift of  tongues something we should expect in the church today? 

The answer is no, because tongues were present in a time where the new testament was not written and the old testament was not readily available. So in order to receive revelation, knowledge, prophecy, doctrine, or edification, people relied on these miraculous gifts. This is why the church fathers never reported or commented about any of these gifts taking place anymore. Namely due to the fact that they were not needed as they had a church copy of the Epistles and the Old Testament they could study. Revelation, knowledge, prophecy, doctrine, and edification was available to them in the sufficient word of God and no longer through a temporary moment in time with any of the gifts. 

Because we no longer have the need for why the gifts were given, we will not see gifts like tongues return in the way it was in the early church. Tongues like any other move of the Holy Spirit can happen at God's will at any time in as much as healing can. However unlike healing, both tongues and prophecy were given for specific purposes, to cover gaps that were present. Since those gaps or holes have been filled by the completed work of God, the only remaining instance is tongues given to an individual while being alone for his or her own edification. Keep in mind, this doesn't mean going into a room and speaking gibberish of your own accord as if you are doing this, you need to stop. This is demonic and not at all what Biblical Tongues looked like.

I will now share with you a story that may help you understand how God may use tongues today in some very strange and unlikely circumstances.

One unlikely circumstance is being in some foreign jungle as the result of unfortunate happenstance. Lets say your boat, plane, or train crashes and you survive to find yourself at the mercy of a group on jungle people. It is very possible during this time, that the Gift of tongues is given to you so that you may speak and hear their language and communicate the Gospel. Anyone who says otherwise is unnecessarily attempting to limit God. Remember, we will see some of these Gifts return such as prophecy by the two witnesses. So the idea that they are gone forever is not the correct theological view. The correct view is understanding that they have ceased because the purpose of them has ceased. It is unlikely they will return like it was in the church, but incredibly likely God still does as God wills. To show how i think this is true i will share a true story with you, of which you can take of it what you please.

A Real Story Of Modern Day Tongues.

I know of a man, who when he was a young boy around the age of 13, had an experience with God that changed his life forever. This young boy who grew up in challenging circumstances, decided at age 13 that God was no longer real as he had once believed. Even though he was raised as a Christian by a Christian Mother, he still demanded that God would show up to him to prove that he was real. He attended a Church service, and in this service he learnt about tongues and witnessed many things, many of which he was unsure of. He went home, and read the small pamphlet he was about tongues. He sat on the edge of his bed, and decided he would try it, so he opened his mouth and prayed to God and said “Lord, if you are real, would you give me the words.” 

When this little boy had said this, he felt an overwhelming presence enter into the room, and what could only be described as a feeling of a torrent of water rushing through him powered by a a quadrillion volts of harmless electricity. He had the sensation of being hit him in the stomach with this mighty torrent of water which flowed from his belly to his mouth (John 7:38). This boy began to speak in an unknown tongue, a language he did not know did he speak for a duration unknown. During this event the boy remembered feeling great and overwhelming feelings of Joy (Nehemiah 8:10, Matthew 25:21), happiness, pleasure, pure delight, and peace. He remembers that the feeling he felt were not his own, but as though what he felt was being superimposed upon him by another source. During this time, his mind raced, and was trying to question what was happening to him, yet doubt alluded him. For wherever he looked for doubt in his mind, it was unable to be found.

Following this moment this boy fell on his face repented (1 Corinthians 14:25), and was sorry for ever doubting God as he said in tears on his face on the floor. This boy grew up and as he did he read his Bible nonstop, he soaked it up like a sponge, and thought about God day and night. He began to write songs on his guitar praising God. He wrote many songs during this time of new found purpose and heart. But then life took a turn, things got dark, and life got worse and worse, and trails upon trials were dropped on this unprepared boy.

Eventually this boy got lost in sin, and lost his way. He loved God with all his heart, but without any knowledge he was powerless with the onslaught of the world, temptations, and sins. Resist he did, but fail in every single avenue of sin he did.

It so happened as it does with every boy, that this particular found himself to be a man, and through a long series of events he came to realize he had developed a love for sin in his heart. Try as he might, void of the Gospel being preached to him by any man, he could not overcome sin. Time went on, and the battle with sin was ever raging, and though this man found tools such as Ray Comforts teachings, and various others such as Justin Peters who kept him from falling further in his sin, it was not until an even more significant divine moment that this man came into a right reltionship with God.

You see the last remaining overt sin in this mans life, was the battle with pornography. He had been a drinker, a smoker, and a vile swearing sinner but had turned from those ways. He had lived a rough life around rough people and this had always made it difficult for him, especially without a father on earth, and an earthly teacher to help guide him.

As the years passed, and many events occured he found himself with his best friend he met online half way across the globe. This friend had been led to Christ by this man efforts who still was but a babe some 17 years after his moment with God. In a rough moment this man decided that we was either going to take his life, or he was going to turn to God as this friend of his was gone. The friendship had ended and for him, it was the only relationship he had where he felt truly loved and cared for. There were no gimmicks, no games, no narcissism, just a loving friend who bore the brunt of a lifetime of pain and suffering as this friend will attest.

When his friend was gone due to strife, he in his lowest point yet was at a cross roads. Either take your own life, or give your life you so desperately been holding onto, over to God. You will be happy to know this man at the age of 30 gave his life fully over to God, renouncing truly all sins in his heart, and had a true moment of repentance. He turned to God instead of taking his life, and now i say this with tears in my eyes, this man repented of his sins, and turned his life over to God.

This man befriended his old pal once more as both had grown in Christ since this moment, and the two of them started a ministry called Video Game Gospel. Not long after another brother joined in and thus the journey God had planned all along had begun. This man, who went from an experience with God, to a life of living on the edge of sin unto death, to be restored into a wright relationship with God, was led to this very moment to write this very teaching unto you now. So that you may know the truth that God is a God who saves and does as he wills. If you cannot tell, that boy, and that man, is me.

What happened to me all those years ago, one might dismiss as a delusional fantasy, or something made up by a derranged child. This might be so, but it does not account for the fruit of moment. It immediately translated into singing new songs unto the Lord, reading my Bible day and night, and thinking about God all the time. I couldn’t wait to get home after school to read more of the Bible.

Those fruits only come about by a true genuine conversion. One might say how can you be saved without the Gospel being fully preached through the Law? The same way the thief was saved, not by great theological understanding, but by trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Even so, if it was all fake and meant nothing, whereby did the fruits come? Whereby did the continuance come until true repentance? Never did i give up on God and return to sin, instead sin happened as it does all young people, and i got lost for a time. The Lord was faithful is still performing the work he began in me! (Philippians 1:6)

Yes as life went on, without a teacher, and by not reading my word i fell as far as you can far before God ends your life. But I never stopped trying to overcome sin and tried to live for God. God allowed me to bend and buckle so that one day I could speak on the variant issues Christians face with full clarity of being there myself and having removed the massive beam from my own eye to see clearly to remove yours (Matthew 7:5).

God took me from saved, to troubled, to fully redeemed and sanctified. I am not perfect in any sense to this day, but suffice it to say, it was for a purpose. Lest you doubt that God will use your evil for good too?

Is Tongues Something We Should Seek?

The answer to this question is no. What happened to me was extremely rare, i was 13, my brain was nowhere near developed enough to make it up, God knew the rest of my life until true full repentance was going to be rough. Perhaps whatever edification i needed like 1 Corinthians 14:4 says was for the duration i would endure. Perhaps even so i could teach this with clarity. Tongues is something that happened to me, it is not something i sought out knowing full well the gifts have ceased. Again God is able to do anything he wills as he wills. Is what I experienced anything like what the modern churches teach? Not even in the slightest… They teach you to start speaking gibberish, i said “God give me the words” and then something happened to me, i did not make it happen. Is it still possible that all of what i experienced was just a farse? That my young mind made it all up, and that my life demonstrating immediate fruits, and continuation of those fruits throughout my entire life of seeking God first without understanding repentance? Sure i guess… But then i would question anyones moment of repentance. Is it not the same thing? Is it not a moment where one turns to God? How is that any less anecdotal? As the fruits are the same are they not? My issue was i did not understand repentance and giving everything over to God for not a single human on earth taught me or cared about me enough to teach it to me. Yet i found it nonetheless after 17 years. Can someone truly be unsaved and continue in their pursuit of God for 17 years? I do not think so. But i reserve the assurance of my salvation now, even if everything i experienced was false. It could also be possible that God allowed it to happen, so that i would continue to pursue him.

The result of that experience left me not just in belief of God, but utterly terrified of him. To this day, if what i experienced was real, which i believe it was. It gave me some indication of the might of God. Something that is too terrifying to contend with. In the moment i had, doubt was impossible to feel, and afterwards the fear of the Lord was ever present in me. It was a terrifying experience.

All of this being said, should you, or I let our experiences inform our theology. Never… The Bible does not expressly say God will never give someone the gift of tongues again, but it does show that certain gifts have ceased. Again, this does not mean God cannot bestow this gift temporarily upon anyone he chooses. When he confounded Nebuchadnezzar to roam as a beast, did not God act upon a man the way he saw fit? Are you of the position that God still cannot do as he sees fit?

Brothers and sisters, God can do as he sees fit.

The Proverbial Can Of Worms Has Been Opened.

The immediate abuse from the theologically indisposed Word - Faith Charismatic NAR types of people, will be to say somethign along the lines of “See, well if God did something with you what is to say he is not doing it with others?”

The answers is of course he is. But the issue here is not God doing as he sees fit, but that what is happening, and what is being taught in the modern church is anti biblical. It is not biblical tongues, healing, or prophecy. Can God still heal someone, give someone tongues, give someone prophecy? YES! Is it something we should seek? NO!

Paul tells us to seek the three best gifts, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Faith, and to seek that more excellent way! To seek that way of love/charity. The question is, can God in some stringent circumstances cause a believer to speak in a language they do not know to someone who needs the Gospel or to carry out his will? Or in my situation grant a one time occurrence that never happened again for a greater purpose? The answer is, Yes He can as He is God. The difference here is this is a rare scenario and not the norm nor something we are commanded to seek out. We are actually commanded to do the opposite like it says 2 Timothy 2:15 to Study to show ourselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of Truth. Which can mean preparing adequately before going to a place where we would be required to speak another language. 

After that moment though i tried to speak in tongues, it never was the same in any sense As what i was doing was not Biblical. There is hardly a case where this will happen, and is not likely to happen to anyone but an exceedingly small number of people. Certainly not a normative practice or something we should expect. In fact  what is more likely is you heading to Malaysia to preach the Gospel after learning their language, instead of falling out of a plane and suddenly having the ability to speak their language. Which is also how the gift of Tongues might be used today, an ability to easily and quickly pick up languages!

What about the Gibberish Spoken In “Churches” Today?

Well it is none other than gibberish at best, and demonic tongues at worst they are actually “speaking”. The issue arises when you realize, if it is not Biblical tongues, then what exactly is it they are speaking? And what exactly are they participating in? I can tell you right now, if you look into this you are going to see the truth of the matter, and it might shock you to think there are a large portion of professing Christians who are doing this. 

I strongly suggest that you educate yourself and perhaps watch videos (with great caution and perhaps not even at all) of people who are witches and demon worshippers speaking in tongues, and tell me if you can detect any differences from what so-called “Christians” are doing in their “Churches” and what these pagan satanist are doing? 

There is virtually no difference in mannerism and in speech style. Even the odd jolting and manic laughing is seen in Kundalini rituals of demonic practice in the Eastern Religions. The only discernible difference is these witches and Satanists here in North America, know they are speaking demonic tongues, but you as a reader who perhaps has done this unknowingly or knows people who do it regularly, do not know they are speaking in demonic languages.

At best they're just speaking gibberish and being a complete fool, at worst they’re actually participating in demonic rituals. I would say unto them to Repent of this, and turn away from those wicked false teachers who are going to Hell (2 Peter 2) and trying to bring everyone there with them. Ask yourself then, who is the head of that “church” who allows such demonism in his congregation? Nothing other than a slithering wicked snake of a false teacher and false prophet in sheep's clothing.

In this second to last section we are going to look at the root of why people seek out these sorts of experiences over studying the word of God. Primarily the issue is true and false conversion, Many people say they are saved but live in stark contrast to the Word of God (Matthew 7:22-24). I genuinely believe the people seeking this out and purposely ignoring sound Biblical doctrine are doing so because they are not saved. Out of them that possibly are, but are just being mislead, there should be some signs of the Holy Spirit moving them away from this stuff.

Growing up in the Charismatic Word of Faith Church that self identified as Spirit Contemporary, i can tell you many like myself were there because they did not know better. Even so, there were many teachers i was exposed to such as Joeseph Prince, and Bill Johnson from Bethel, and Francis Chan, I knew I shouldnt listen to. I did not know why ,I had no reason theological or otherwise not to listen to these teachers other then something within me that moved me away from them. Upon listening to their teaching, it was as though they were speaking air, and there was something about them that i could not tell was wrong. It wasnt until years later i find out what.

The point is, if this is not present in you, which is the Holy spirit leading you into all truth (John 16:13), you simply are not saved as evidence of the lack of any discernment despite not having the theological ground to stand on. These people lost in this, are showing themselves that they are not approved (1 Corinthians 11:19). If you are curious what the word “approved” there is referring to you can simply look at 2 Timothy 2:15 which is speaking of the same thing. Those who profound in heresies are completely lost as it says in Romans 16:17-18 and Titus 3:10-11

Those who sit in the crowd, nod, yell out things to seem more spiritual and go along with all this are deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13).

The Folly Of Following That Which Is Evil

One night about 8 years ago I got it into my mind that I was gonna stay up on Halloween and pray against witches and demons like the good Christian I was. I was praying, and saying Praise God! Praise God! and attempting to speak in tongues, and somehow the words “Praise Satan” came out of my mouth…

I was taken aback. I couldn't understand how I said that, and for years I did not tell anyone out of shame. I am telling you now, because that was who I was truly praising in that situation. I was a complete and utter blasphemous fool. Yet God in his mercy and grace saw fit to grant me the gift of repentance years later when I finally and truly submitted to him with all my heart. This happened when I was about 24 and that's when I stopped trying to speak in this demonic language, and began researching.

I came across Justin Peters' “Clouds Without Water” at some point and learned a lot of what was true regarding the Word of Faith and NAR movements. Still it took until I was 30 before I truly repented and put my trust in Christ in a true moment of contrition. The last 3 years of my walk have shown immense growth in doctrine and truth in a way that not even 17 years of being lost managed to produce in me. 

Brothers and sisters, when I speak on this subject, I speak on it from experience. I do not say these things from a place of hatred for what I do not understand, but from a love of the Truth from what I intimately do understand.

I was the bad guy! I was the evil i speak of, and so I now vigorously contend against this with the word of God as my weapon of warfare. I was deceived and was acting like many of you who may perhaps be reading this. So when I speak, it is not without having removed the log from my own eye first to see clearly to help remove the speck from yours. (Matthew 7:5)

The reason people who are lost in this are seeking it, is because it brings about a form of godliness while denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5-7) which is the power over sin and death. It brings an ecstasy, a pleasure, and a sense of “being close” with God, but it provides none of that. I can truly tell you from experience it feels the exact opposite instead, which is why you always need more and more emotional highs from it because nothing you are doing brings you into sanctification like the Word of God does (John 17:17). They seek out waving flags, speaking in demonic gibberish, and healing crystals, because they are utterly devoid of any semblance of the word. The practices they do blasphemes God, makes them look like fools, and in the end corrupts them further. As the Bible warns us, there is no better advice of what to do with these lack of doctrines other than to FLEE! 

Flee from the traps of Satan and be made whole, as now more than ever do I feel a connection with God that is tangible, that no hours and hours of speaking in demonic tongues, or praising and worshiping, or commanding spirits to go in Jesus name ever brought me as close to God and in alignment with His will, His way and His Word. The reason why you may feel so “far” from God, and try to fix it with your mouths, as is what I was once doing, is described in these following verses which shall condemn you as it did me:

Matthew 15:8 and Isaiah 29:13

Notes from Brother Steven.

Trying to command things in Jesus' name is to assume we know the will of God. It may not be God’s will to physically heal someone. The healing we are promised in scripture has to do with our eternal state and being saved and made righteous by the works and blood of Christ. The healing being promised is not physical, unless that is referring to our physical bodies being exchanged with our promised glorified bodies. One verse that is often quoted and used incorrectly as a proof text is “by his stripes we are healed!” The false teacher and those in the NAR and Word - Faith movement use this scripture to try and say we are promised physical healing to our bodies because of Jesus’s sacrifice. In context, this verse is speaking of the physical torture, sacrifice and death Jesus took on in order to make payment for our sins and heal us of our eternal state of damnation brought on by our selves which we could not atone for alone. The passage in scripture is adamantly not speaking of temporal healing, but eternal healing through his stripes. To go further, the word used for healed in Isaiah 53:5 is rāp̄ā' which means to be restored to full health. From a logical point of view, this can only be done in the eternal sense since a temporal healing is temporal, and does not restore us to full health like the bodies Adam and Eve had before the fall. Where death could never cease them, much like how it could never cease Christ. 

To say this verse is talking about our physical bodies being healed is a great misuse of scripture, it is deceitful and is very disingenuous. This is an affront to the gospel and to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. A major folly of the NAR and Word of Faith movement is a hyper focus on our physical lives now. This is why it is sometimes referred to as the “prosperity gospel”. Jesus did not promise superpowers, riches, and comfortable living on this earth for those who chose to follow him. He actually promised quite the opposite. Telling His followers to expect persecution and to be hated for His namesake (Matthew 10:21-22). 

Many of Christ’s teachings and rebukes are about not storing up treasures on earth, but in heaven, and to forgo worldly riches and comforts to follow Him. Our focus is not on the things of this world, physical comfort or physical healing, riches or demonstration of signs and wonders. Our focus should be on the ultimate miracle that occurs every single day by the power of God and Him alone. 

Brothers and sisters, this is the power of salvation. When a sinner has a true heart of contrition, repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and is forever transformed, given a new heart and the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). That is the ultimate miracle! But this is often overlooked and undervalued as others seek the temporal, physical and emotional things of this world trying to relate it to God. Those false teachers have a focus on the here and now, and not in sharing the true gospel, but in spreading a false gospel of focusing on self. Our focus should always remain on Christ, and in sharing the true gospel, which isn’t a promise of a better life now (whether that be defined with health and wealth or comfort…), but is a promise of an eternal life in the loving presence of our God, and not an eternity abiding under His holy, righteous and just wrath we have stored up for ourselves. 

When it comes to Tongues many new Christians fell prey to the Word - Faith NAR teachings as I too have had an experience with all of this nonsense. It came immediately after my salvation and again after a major period of Christian growth. Each time it was almost like a test to come out of it which only happened through study and reading God’s Word. I was challenged in these verses, which were presented to me as paraphrases to “stand on” when in reality the context totally destroyed any argument for their use in that manner. But I wasn’t really seeking doctrinal truth. I was literally being lazy and my thought process was. “Wow I haven’t read all of the Bible yet, I’m just going to look around and see what these people who already read it are saying it means.” Then before I know it I am swallowed up in nonsense. AND the whole time it felt VERY confusing. I didn’t know if I was supposed to be doing it or not, I was uncertain if I wasn’t doing it, I would be missing out on something even though I had no idea what I was saying or doing? Or even what it is I would be missing out on. Seemed to me that it was some sort of a test of faith. I would say “Yeah that's it, God is just seeing how far I would go by making myself look stupid and just having faith that it’s working.” I thought I needed to pray for all the things I didn’t know about. Turns out it was a completely incorrect view on what tongues is and its actual purpose. To be clear, The Holy Spirit is the one who prays the things I cannot, not me! (Romans 8:26) Who does the Bible say the ONLY intercessor is?! (Romans 8:34, 1 Timothy 2:5)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I implore you now to seek out the very thing that saved me, it was not my many hours of worshiping, or church going, or speaking in what I now know is either gibberish or demonic tongues, but instead my heart of pure contrition, and a broken spirit (Psalm 51:17), coming to the Lord in complete humility to surrender fully unto him, dying completely unto the flesh and living for him (Galatians 5:24). It was Christ that had mercy on me and saved me from myself.

I was dead, I was weak, I was nothing while thinking myself to be something (Galatians 6:3). But God redeemed me in my lost ways, and he can do this for you too, if you repent (Luke 13:3) and turn to Him. (Matthew 21:44). 

Brothers and sisters, it is the word of God that is sufficient for us, not the blabbing of men, not the long hours doing works, acts and deeds for the Lord in some strange sense of trying to get closer to him. It is studying and knowing his word deep in your heart and having a life filled full of fruits meet for repentance (Matthew 3:8). 

Surrender yourself to God in His Word, submit, obey, and meditate upon it day and night (Joshua 1:8).

You do not need extravagant church services, or participating in what are more than likely pagan rituals. You need one thing and that is God who has revealed Himself through His Word. So read! Read, read, read life your life depends upon it, because truly it does (2 Peter 3:14-16).

I will finish this section in harmony with God's word:

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.