Daily Devotional for Friday, August 15

The Reason for the Gift of Tongues

“Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad,” 1 Corinthians 14:22, 23?

I have some friends that were traveling and did not know of a good church to go to where they were on Sunday. They decided to go to a church whose name sounded like it might be a safe church to go. When they came inside and the services started, they started speaking in tongues. The sounds that were coming out of their mouths and how so many people were walking around speaking gibberish just made them completely uncomfortable. They told me that it was more than just strange, but that they honestly felt like there was evil in there. They said they did not stay but got up and left because it was that scary.

Paul addressed this problem of tongues being used inappropriately in Corinth. He reminded them that tongues were for a sign to those who did not speak the same language and were unbelievers (verse 22). It was to be used to tell others about Jesus Christ in their own language. The sign was that people who did not speak the language of others were able to speak with them and they were amazed, “And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born” (Acts 2:8)? The sad thing is that there are people out there today trying to deceive you into believing that they have this same spiritual gift but do not use it for what it was intended for.

REFLECTION

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

Tim Chambers