Detailed theological refutation of 20th century tongues that proves tongues ceased sometime around 100 AD.

Sometimes Truth makes Love hurt
"You are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth" Jn 8:40

1. 1 Cor 13:8-13: Gifts ceased upon the completion of the canon
1. Setting the context:
1. In 1 Cor 13 Paul discussed spiritual gifts from two angles.

	V1-7 He singled out tongues, prophecy, inspired knowledge and supernatural faith (as representative of all spiritual gifts) and contrasted them with love as their superior (vs. 1-7).	This contrast has to do with the value of spiritual gifts.
	V8-13 Then Paul referred to the three gifts of prophecies, tongues, and knowledge (again obviously representing all spiritual gifts) and contrasted them with the Christian virtues of faith, hope and love (vs. 8-13).	This contrast has to do with the duration of spiritual gifts. As long as earthly life shall last, faith, hope and love will abide (v. 13), whereas spiritual gifts were going to "cease" or be "be done away" (v. 8). The termination of the gifts would be "when that which is perfect is come" (v. 10).

2. The nouns "prophecy" and "knowledge" (vs. 2, 8) are feminine in the Greek. But in verses 9 and 10 we have verbs, not nouns, thus requiring neuter modifiers. In verse 9 the verbs "know" and "prophesy" are both modified by the adverbial expression ek merous ("in part"). But in verse 10 those verbs and their modifiers are brought together and replaced by the single substantive expression to ek merous ("that which is in part"). Whatever is partial in verse 9 is "that" which is partial in verse 10. And since to teleion ("the perfect") is the counterpart to to ek rmerous ("that which is in part"), it is absolutely clear that the "perfect" also refers to those same verbs. Therefore, the word "perfect" describes the completion of inspired preaching and points to the consequent cessation of the spiritual gifts which enabled and confirmed that preaching.

	Contrasts in 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
	Between the "now" 56 AD	And then "then" 96 AD
	Between that which fails	And that which never fails
	Between that which ceases	And that which does not cease
	Between the part	And the whole
	Between the incomplete	And the complete
	Between the childhood state	And the state of mature manhood
	Between knowing only part	And knowing fully
	Between seeing things darkly	And seeing them clearly (face to face)

2. Think of 1 Cor 13:8-13 as Paul's sermon outline entitled "Partial Vs Complete Knowledge" It has an introduction that states the main point, two illustrations of this main point, and a conclusion that restates the point!

1. We now draw your attention to three parallel passages:

1 Cor 12-14	Ephesians 4	Romans 12
To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit 12:7	To each one grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift v7	We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us v6
The Spirit distributes to each one individually just as He wills v11	When He ascended on High He gave gifts to men v8	God has allotted to each a measure of faith v3
To one is given wisdom, knowledge, faith healings, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues 12:8-10	-	Prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading mercy v6-8
God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues 12:28	He gave some apostles, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers v11	-
For the common good, seek to abound for the edification of the church 12:7 14:12	for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body v12	-
love never fails 12:1-8	building up of body in love v15	each devoted in love v 9-10
Gifts will cease ... now we know in part, then we will know fully 13:10,12	until we attain to the knowledge of the son of man v13	-
When I was a child...When I became a man 13:11	To a mature man, not child tossed about by winds of doctrine but to grow up v13-15	that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. v2
Now you are Christ's body and individually members of it 12:27	The whole body fitted according to the working of each individual part v16	we are one body in Christ and individually members of one another v4-5

 

2. Summary of three parallel passages:

1. 1 Cor 13:8-13: Definition of perfect (teleion)
1. Greek Definition of perfect: "teleion"
1. VINE: "Signifies having reached its end, finished, complete, perfect"
2. THAYER: "brought to its end, wanting nothing necessary to completeness; when used of men it means full-grown, adult, of full age, mature."
3. BAGSTER: "brought to completion, complete, entire, as opposed to what is partial or limited"
4. ARNDT & GINGRICH: "having attained the end or purpose, complete, perfect"
2. The Greek word "perfect" does not denote the idea of blamelessness, perfection or complete holiness as our English word "perfect" does today.
3. The Greek adjective translated "perfect" (teleios) means "having attained the end or purpose, complete."' It may be applied to people with the meaning of "full-grown, mature, adult" being "perfect and entire, lacking in nothing' Jas. 1:4. Or it may refer to the finality of anything, something which has been "brought to its end, finished." In contrast to the often-heard statement that "nothing in this world is perfect," let us notice how the New Testament uses this Greek word in some of its twenty occurrences.
1. Christians are expected to be "perfect" (in the sense of being full-grown or mature)
2. in loving both friends and enemies (Matt. 5:44-47; cf. Luke 6:36)
3. in commitment to Christ (Matt. 19:21)
4. in spiritual discernment (1 Cor 2:6, 14)
5. in attitude (1 Cor 14:20)
6. in knowledge of the way of salvation (Phil. 3:15)
7. in union with Christ (Col. 1:28)
8. in remaining true to God's will (Col. 4:12), and in being able to distinguish between good and evil (Heb. 5:14).
9. One does not have to reach heaven before having this kind of perfection.
10. Paul and others were already "perfect" (Phil. 3:15), though not sinless.
11. Likewise, God's system of salvation has perfection (wholeness, completeness) in its earthly processes. For example, his gifts to us are complete Jas. 1:17; patience or stead-fastness has its "perfect" (complete) work in our lives Jas. 1:4; and faith is perfected or completed (the verb form here) by our works (Jas. 2:22).
12. Therefore, some things in this world are "perfect" in the biblical meaning of the word.
2. What does perfect refer to in 1 Cor 13:8-13?
1. The different views of what perfect refers to:

1. Refers to the completion of the revelation of the Gospel. (canon)

• What is the perfect? Whatever is contrasted "in part". "Perfect" is a generic verb that could refer to 1000's of things. In order to know what noun perfect modifies, we must use the context to determine this.

1. Gifts cease when church reaches corporate maturity
1. Paul employs the first of two illustrations to the main point, where he contrasts being a child, (with spiritual gifts) were being a man (knowledge compete no spiritual gifts needed)

1 Cor 13:11 Corporate maturity illustration
Child 33-100AD	During the age of spiritual gifts when revelation of incomplete and the Bible was not fully written.
Man 100 AD - present	Revelation complete, Bible finished in 96 AD. Gifts ceasing is equated directly with a man doing away with childish things.

2. Two parallel passages that teach the identical thing:

1 Cor 13:11	Eph 4:13
"When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things."	"until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."
Notice that both 1 Cor 13 and Eph 4 equate attaining fullness of knowledge with becoming a mature man.

3. Refers to the completion of the Bible which will bring about maturity of the corporate church.
4. Think about spiritual gifts as a scaffolding.
5. Gregory the Great, 600 AD, viewed spiritual gifts as a temporary scaffolding while commented on Mark 16:17; "Is it so, my brethren, that because ye do not these signs, ye do not believe? On the contrary, they were necessary , in the beginning of the church; for, that faith might grow, it required miracles to cherish it withal; just as when we plant shrubs, we water them until we see them thrive in the ground, and as soon as they are well rooted we cease our irrigation.''

1. Notice that he used the idea of a shrub being cared for until self sustaining then the care ceases.

6. In the picture below we have three stages of building a highway over pass (bridge).

1. False Pentecostal position: This corporate maturing process is the correct interpretation of the passage, but it is an ongoing process that only finishes at the second coming, not sometime around 96 AD when the Bible was completed.

• the facts of history show there was only one church in the first century that was unified on doctrine and there are thousands of churches today!
• that a falling away was prophesied in 1 Tim 4:1-4.
• That such a falling away has occurred with the result that there are thousands of denominations today, each teaching differing doctrine. Even though Pentecostal churches represent a tiny fraction of denominations today, even they are highly divided over doctrine and fellowship disputes.
• On what basis would Pentecostals suggest that the church has grown into manhood gradually over time? We welcome their suggestions!
• Such vague concepts are eagerly swallowed whole by Pentecostals desperate to escape the truth of these passages, but when investigated and examined, are simply false teaching unable to bear even the lightest cross examination!

1. Gifts will cease before the second coming:
1. The very context of 1 Co 13:8-13 proves that gifts must cease prior to the second coming!!!
2. "The purpose of miracles was to dispense God's revelation to man and to confirm it as genuine (Heb 2:3-4). Faith looks forward to fulfillment. It is "the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1, ASV). While we live in this world, "we walk by faith, not by sight" (I1 Cor 5:7). Faith is a characteristic of this age. It is "unto the saving of the soul" (Heb 10:39). Likewise, hope is limited to earthly existence. It involves steadfastness (Rom. 15:4), waiting (Gal. 5:5), expectation (Phil. 1:20), looking (Tit. 2:13) and laying hold (Heb. 6:18) "unto the end" (Heb. 3:6; 6:11). But it will not exist in heaven because," hope that is seen is not hope" (Rom. 8:24). So now "we hope for that which see not" (v. 25).
3. Faith Heb 11:1: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
4. Hope Rom 8:24: "For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."
5. Conclusion: Faith and hope will cease at the second coming. Only by employing a non-biblical definition of faith and hope can they be projected into all eternity.
6. The contrast has to do with the temporary and the permanent during the Christian age. Spiritual gifts were to be abolished whereas faith, hope and love continue to the end. Finally, love alone of the three qualities goes on into eternity, "God is love" (I John 4:16) and "love never fails" (1 Cor 13:8). Nothing, including death, "shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39).

Something ceases	"Tongues will cease" 1 Cor 13:8
Something abides for a time after that which ceases.	"Faith & hope abide" 1 Cor 13:13 till second coming Heb 11:1; Rom 8:24
Something never ceases	Love never fails 1 Cor 13:8, the greatest of these is love because it never ceases!

7. In our chart below we see the following:

1. Summary:
0. No longer any need for gifts:
1. Apostles have been led into all truth: Jn 16:13 + Jude 3
2. The Bible has been written and confirmed to be inspired
1. Gifts ceased with apostolic age being transmitted by an apostle's hands
2. Gifts were a temporary; "scaffolding" till the church fully established.
2. Rom 10:1-3 Pentecostals are zealous but not according to knowledge or truth.

1. 2 Ti 2:25,26 May they come to their senses and escape the Devils snare

1. Jn 14:11,12 preaching the word to the lost is greater than miracles: Rom 1:16 achieved. There was only one church in the 1st century.

Go to 20th Century tongues refuted section
Go to Start