Speaking in tongues for today - Charles Stanley
The Lord Jesus Christ had come and gone. The church—newly birthed—was in a transition time. The new covenant was seen as a threat to the Jewish leaders; therefore, there was persecution for those who had chosen to follow Christ. The new religion, in its infant stages, had no Bible, few leaders, and absolutely no support from the government.
Astounding that it survived, isn’t it? How in the world did it survive with so little going for it? Power. Not just a force, but mighty, visible power.
This new church had speakers—apostles—but how were followers of Christ to know the speakers were authentic? How did the believers know that the men weren’t making up things? If you were being persecuted for your belief, wouldn’t you want to make sure the data you were risking your life for was accurate?
The Bible tells us, “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Heb. 2:3—4 NASB).
God authenticated His message and the messenger through signs, wonders, and miracles. Anyone could have claimed to be a teacher or an apostle in the newly established church. The believers were rather naive and childlike and probably could have been easily misled. To validate His spokesperson, God sent power and accompanying miracles. God not only authenticated His message, but He also authenticated His messengers.
I personally believe there were sign gifts in this infant church as well as ministry gifts. They had different functions. The sign gifts, as previously stated, were to validate the message and messenger. The ministry gifts, listed in Romans 12:6—8, were for the members of the body to build one another up.
The gift of tongues was a legitimate sign gift and a genuine work of the Holy Spirit. I believe it validated the message and the messenger.
