Objection #3: Tongues have ceased

There are number of posts of this important subject. This series covers the 4 main objections.

Extracted and Adapted from Kenneth Hagin book “Tongues after the Upper Room”

Objection #3: ‘Tongues have ceased’

One time a person came to me and said, “Why, don’t you know that the Bible said tongues have ceased?”

I answered, “No, I don’t know that, and you don’t either!” “Oh, yes, I read it in the Bible!”

“All right,” I replied, “if you can give me chapter and verse, I’ll give you a thousand-dollar reward!” Now, I didn’t have the thousand dollars, but I wasn’t afraid. I knew I wouldn’t have to pay the money,

 because I knew that person couldn’t find any scripture in the Bible saying tongues have ceased!

The man looked and looked and looked, trying to find a verse that proved his point. Finally, he gave up searching, and I decided to help him out. I said, “The verse you’re hunting for is First Corinthians 13:8.”

“Oh, so I’m right that the Bible really does say tongues have ceased!”

I said, “Oh, no. Let’s read it, and I’ll show you what this verse really says.”

1 CORINTHIANS 13:8

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

“When you read the whole verse,” I told this man, “it gives a different understanding to it. You see, it says that tongues shall cease, not that they have ceased. It also says that prophecies shall fail and that knowledge shall vanish away. All of these things are future tense. So tongues haven’t ceased yet anymore than knowledge has vanished away!”

Then I showed the man the next few verses so he could learn more about what Paul is actually saying about tongues in this passage.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:9-10

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Some people use verse 10 to try to forbid tongues. In error they claim, “When Paul said, ‘when that which is perfect is come,’ he was talking about the Bible. So now that we have the Bible in its complete form, we no longer need the supernatural gift of tongues!”

But that interpretation of verse 10 doesn’t hold water when you combine it with verse 12.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know i n part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

It is obvious that we do not yet see face to face and that we still do see “through a glass, darkly.” It is therefore also evident that prophecies have not failed, that knowledge has not vanished away, and that tongues have not ceased!

The people who try to forbid tongues based on this passage of Scripture would do well to also read First Corinthians 14:39: “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and FORBID NOT TO SPEAK WITH TONGUES.” The Apostle Paul and the Early Church certainly didn’t forbid people to speak in tongues. In fact, Paul gave a number of reasons in this chapter to encourage people to speak with tongues, which is the subject of a later discussion.