The miraculous gift of tongues was a sign that confirmed the word to unbelievers. God gave the apostles and other disciples the ability to miraculously speak foreign languages so they could take the gospel to the world. This miracle would convince unbelievers to believe the gospel as it did in Acts 2.
Tongues were not always understood by others, so they did not edify others. Without a translator, they edified the speaker of the tongue only. The gift of prophecy always edified because it was spoken in a language everyone understood. So, if speech edifies (whether it is a foreign tongue or a prophecy), then it is a language heard and understood. Tongues edified the speaker, so tongues were always understood by the person speaking them. That’s not true of people speaking tongues today. They often claim not to know what they said. So, they are not really “speaking in tongues.”
The miracle of speaking in tongues was not utterances only understood by God, but languages that people could understand—what we call foreign languages. Acts 2:4 says, "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Those who heard the apostles speaking in tongues were amazed. They evaluated what they heard. They said to each other, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" (Acts 2:7-8).
Today we can look back on these two brothers, Tychicus and Onesimus, and learn from their good example of cooperation. Not everyone in the brotherhood is an Apostle Paul! We need plenty of Tychicus-types and Onesimus-types who will engage with our local congregations to do the Lord’s work. These men serve as a great example that the gospel is to be lived daily.
Paul described Tychicus as a “beloved brother,” “faithful minister,” “fellow servant,” and said that he would “comfort their hearts” (Ephesians 6:21-22, Colossians 4:7-8). The expression “beloved brother” shows Paul’s affection for Tychicus and communicated to the churches Paul’s relationship with him. “Faithful minister” was in reference to Tychicus ability to carry out the tasks that Paul assigned to him.
Having fellow laborers creates comradery and provides a source of encouragement and help. The apostle Paul had many fellow workers who aided his ministry. We see two of them in Colossians 4:7-9, Tychicus and Onesimus.
In the final analysis, all speech that is proud in its origins, that is, that does not acknowledge God as Lord over one’s speech, is sinful. This is the attitude of many in our country today. They claim that their tongue belongs to them, and they may use it however they see fit. They have forgotten that everything belongs to God, including our tongues. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.” The last part of that verse says, “and those who dwell therein.” That includes human beings.
The combination of evil and deceitful is important. It is not just the words that are wrong, but the intentions also. One may speak good, sweet, and pleasing words to others, but if those words have an evil intent behind them, God considers them deceitful and evil. Proverbs 26:24-26 says, “He who hates, disguises it with his lips, And lays up deceit within himself; When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart; Though his hatred is covered by deceit, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.”
These words indulge the flesh and not to elevate the spirit. They are not gracious, edifying, or fruitful. We must avoid using these words. This prohibition covers any words that may be used for this purpose, whatever they might be. Words that refer to bodily waste would be included in this. Words that discuss the condemnation of another person are included—any word that refers to that which is corrupt, rotten, or putrid being used against another person or thing. This makes it a general prohibition that covers any are that we have not yet covered in this series of articles.
God did not want the children of Israel using His name for vows or oaths that they did not intend to keep. Numbers 30:2 says, “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” Using God’s name in association with an oath was a way of emphasizing that a person intended to complete his promise.
The common element in these three activities is talking about others behind their back. Psalm 15:3 makes it clear that the person who backbites does not dwell with God. Paul lists “backbiters” in Romans 1:30 among those who have rejected God. “Backbitings” is a sin that causes divisions (2 Corinthians 12:20). God will destroy the one who slanders his neighbor (Psalm 101:5), and Proverbs 26:20 says that where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.
Another area of forbidden speech is filthiness, foolish talking, and course jesting. Ephesians 5:3-4 says, “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” We used to call this telling “dirty jokes.” The context makes this clear. Discussing sexual matters in an inappropriate way is behavior not fitting for saints. It is sinful.
When we murmur, we create the false impression that we are doing something about the problem, but it does nothing to help. Murmuring is complaining with no intention of getting personally involved in the remediation; it is passive aggressive. What does that mean? It does not deal with things directly, but slinks around behind other peoples’ backs to create circumstances where someone else will do (for the murmurer) that for which he is murmuring. This is manipulative and sinful! In 1 Corinthians 10:10, the apostle Paul wrote, “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”
Murmuring is something that God forbids us to do, but we often do it anyway. Why? It’s a way to gratify the flesh. When we murmur, we create the false impression that we are doing something about the problem, but it does nothing to help. Murmuring is complaining with no intention of getting personally involved in the remediation; it is passive aggressive.
It’s a sin to lie. The Bible doesn’t whitewash it. Colossians 3:9 says, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.” The Bible does not permit lying, whether the occasional lie of convenience, or the so-called “white” lie. God does not want us avoiding dealing with the truth. Ephesians 4:25 says, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.”
We have used the word “cuss” as a euphemism for “curse,” since “curse” carries such a negative connotation with it. I doubt anyone really thinks of themselves as uttering curses, though, whether we use the word “cuss” or “curse” it is really the same thing: one is cursing an object, person, or action with one’s language. Such cursing is sinful.
God also foresaw that Christians would need a regular time to meet with other Christians. So, he had Jesus establish the Lord’s Supper to be observed every first day of the week. Acts 20:7 tells us that the church met on this day for this very purpose. In Hebrews 10:24-25, the Holy Spirit said, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
When we find ourselves not doing anything, it is easy for the mind to wander back to darker times. Staying busy doing the Lord’s work keeps our mind focused on the present. The Christian has plenty of work to do. The only question is whether he will get busy doing it, but what if he does not feel like doing it? Do it anyway. We should not subject our work for the Lord to our negative feelings. Rather, our feelings should be subject to the work we do.
What got him beyond the mental paralysis of past failure? It was God’s grace in his Savior, Jesus Christ. He said: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him…” (Philippians 3:7-10). In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.”
For many, the problem is that we do not want to let go. We want to control and “fix” things. This attitude is deceptive. It does not eliminate the past but reinforces our failures by getting us to dwell on them. If we think we can “fix” or “control” things, we will not let the past go, and it will continue to haunt us. We do not need to be a “fixer” or have “control.” If we want peace, we will give it to God and let it go from our thoughts entirely.