ACTS 29 TODAY

coming to the knowledge of the TRUTH

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Do All Speak With Tongues?

Now that you understand the four basic diversities of

tongues, you can better understand what Paul was

talking about in First Corinthians 12:29 and 30 when he

asks several questions. He starts out by asking, Are all a

postles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all

workers of miracles? (v.29). The correct answer to all

these questions is, “Of course not.”

Who are these “workers of miracles” that Paul is

talking about? They are those who operate in the

working of miracles, one of the gifts of the Spirit that

qualifies the five fold offices.

No, not everyone is called to have that gift of the Spirit

operating in their lives to the extent that it qualifies

them for the five fold ministry. But everyone in the

Body of Christ is called to fulfill the commission of the

believer found in Mark 16:16-18: to speak with new

tongues, lay hands on the sick and see them recover,

and cast out devils. And at times, as the Spirit wills, that

does include the working of miracles!

Some examples of five fold ministers who have been

qualified by the Spirit in the working of miracles

include William Branham, George Jeffreys, Maria

Woodworth-Etter, and Kathryn Kuhlman. Each of these

ministers of the Gospel stood in an office ordained of

God that was empowered by a certain blend of the nine

gifts of the Spirit.

So when Paul asks, “Are all workers of miracles?” the

answer is no. Then in verse 30, he goes on to ask, Have

all the gifts of healing? [No, of course not.] do all speak

with tongues? do all interpret?

At one time I wished Paul had left out the question

about tongues. In fact, a lot of people who don’t believe

in speaking in tongues in this day and age use this verse

as an argument for their case.

The last time I encountered someone who did that was

at a wedding. Without meaning to, I locked horns with a

fiery grandma. She got right up in my face and asked,

“What faith are you?” She was concerned because I was

the minister marrying her grandson to his bride.

I mentioned the names of a few well-known preachers

of the time, thinking the grandma would recognize

them. She had not heard of any of them. So I asked her

if she had heard of a certain denomination. She said,

“Oh, yes, the Charismatic people. You’re one of those.

Well, you have your place.”

I asked, “What do you mean, Ma’am?”

She explained what she had learned through her

church background. She had been taught that

according to First Corinthians 12:28 and 29, God placed

some in the Body as apostles, prophets, and teachers,

but that not all are called to each office.

Then she got to First Corinthians 12:30: Have all the

gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all

interpret? I asked her, “Well, do all speak with

tongues?”

She answered, “No, it’s listed right here with all the

other offices. Everyone isn’t supposed to speak with

tongues.” It was her understanding that we are all

called to our special unique place in the part of the

Body in which we feel comfortable.

I said, “No, Ma’am, we are called to the same Body. It is

men who have brought divisions.”

“Well, then,” she replied, “why does it say, ‘Do all speak

with tongues?’ Paul wouldn’t have asked that question

if we were all supposed to speak with tongues!”

I must admit I had no answer for that little grandma at

the time. And as I said, I thought it would have been

better if Paul had left that question out of the verse. But

he didn’t, so eventually I had to deal with it.

I finally noticed the next question Paul asks in verse 30:

“Do all interpret?” and realized that Paul was talking

about the second diversity of tongues, tongues for

interpretation. He was not referring to the gift of

tongues for our own personal edification.

So Paul is asking, “Do all operate in tongues and

interpretation in a public assembly?” The answer is a

definite no. Not everyone is called to operate in that

diversity of tongues. But all are called by God to speak

with tongues for personal edification, which is the

number-one diversity of tongues.

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(LB) WOW AMAZING STUFF BY DAVE, AND CHANGED MY WHOLE WORLD, I SEARCHED FOR THESE THINGS FOR 20 YEARS IN THE BUILDING ON SUNDAY MORNINGS, NEVER FOUND THEM THERE.

BUT THANK GOD I DID FIND THE TRUTH IN THE TRUCK WHEN I WONDERED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I STARTED TO PRAY IN THE SPIRIT INSTEAD OF BEGGING GOD IN ENGLISH.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

AMBASSADOR / SERVANT

LARRY