GOD’S GIFT THAT TERRORIZES THE CHURCH Part 3 - Faith, Logic, And The Gift Of Tongues

Faith and logic are as alien to each other as two electrical poles–negative and positive–but, by God’s design, exist in believers in this opposing way. Both are needed that we may operate in the full benefit of faith-directed intelligence. I meet Christians who claim to be guided wholly by faith and the Holy Spirit; to them, logic is not needed. Obviously, non-Christians choose to operate wholly by intellect and disdain the need of faith. God intends that we use both and has provided a bridge that brings these two opponents into perfect oneness. This may surprise you but that bridge–in part–is achieved by the gift of tongues. Hear me carefully:

The Gift of Tongues brings the natural use of the human tongue and the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit together into a single experience. That union transcends both dimensions of faith and logic. Tongues releases the "mysteries of God" into the natural realm. The result is an effect which is superior to faith or logic alone. "Faith without works is dead" but when this union occurs, much like the "arching" of electrical-fire from one pole to the other, there is an exponential increase of spiritual wisdom. When this happens, it is impossible to distinguish one from the other. Nor is it possible to limit their achievement. Interestingly, faith, as a spiritual power, is dependent on an inferior, physical agent to achieve its work.

Faith is a spiritual force; it is not native to our planet but is projected into our cosmos from the Great-Other-Realm. True faith "pierces through", comes from the "other side", the "beyond," the "farther," the "over," the "across." Faith is not merely an attitude or mental effort on our part. Nor is it a religious concept or ideology. Faith is a trans-earthly power. True faith comes by our spiritually "hearing the word of God", Romans 10:17, and God then imparting "a measure of faith," Romans 12:3. Scripture makes it very plain that faith is a gift.

Logic is a function of the brain, an astounding ability of the human mind to rationalize, invent, contrive, construct, mentally conceive, and to foresee an anticipated conclusion. Wonderful as logic is, it can also work in direct opposition to faith. Our English dictionary acknowledges this failure in logic and admits it can "substitute a natural explanation for a supernatural claim," and/or "create an excuse or more attractive explanation" for something it does not understand. In other words, logic is fallible and cannot recognize its own limitation. As such, it wrongly assumes it can explain everything according to human rationale; this includes its denying the reality of faith. To the "logical" mind, all miracles, mysteries, phenomenons, must be identified in purely human terms. Technically, we call this Aristotelean Philosophy; that is, a doctrine that makes mental-power the source and judge of all truth. On the reverse side, nothing is so dangerous as someone who insists that his blind-assumption is real faith. This can produce synthetic spirituality and godless religion.

The speech-center dominates the brain and the Bible confirms the power words have to control us either for evil or for good. Words are powerful. Jesus said, "Out of your own mouth will I judge you." If we allow it, words are capable of destroying faith. But why do Spirit-led, faith-filled believers who experience the miraculous leadership of the Holy Spirit need logic and reason? God designed us in His image–and He is a Being of intellect and rationality. Further, He spoke creation into existence with words and has designed our minds to think in terms of words. The larger our vocabulary, the greater our capacity to construct thoughts. Words are like steps in a ladder; the greater our command of language, the higher we can mentally climb. Basic intelligence may be present regardless of vocabulary, but ultimately, words are the wings with which we fly.

A native from the Amazon-basin may have an I.Q. equal to a Harvard Professor but he cannot become an aeronautical engineer, computer annalist, etc., without enlarging his vocabulary. It isn’t possible. This same principle is true of the gift of tongues: Simply said, God has provided spiritual beings with a spiritual vocabulary. The choice is our’s whether or not we use it. Paul explained this factor when he said, "If I pray in a tongue my spirit prays", 1 Corinthians 14:13-19. The gift provided Paul with a vocabulary of spiritual words which moved him into a new realm of communication with God. Without question, people who pray in tongues experience more visions, greater prophetic insight, deeper revelation-knowledge, angelic communication, etc., than do others.

In speaking to each other, we humans use words horizontally; in "tongues of angels", words are spoken vertically. In other words, the gift moves us into a totally new dimension of communication. Try as the Church may, it can never succeed in substituting one for the other. While we thank God for our mental capacity, we must remember that the mind has access to information only by what the body sees, hears, tastes, touches, and smells. While these are wonderful senses and necessary for the operation of logic and rationale, all are capable of being deceived and making wrong analysis. Modern Christianity has not done well in this struggle and much liberal preaching today "substitutes a natural explanation for a supernatural claim". This has never been more true than in the battle surrounding the gift of tongues. There is a desperate–even frantic–attempt to destroy the legitimacy of this gift.

Looking back on nearly 30 years of ridiculing the gift, I now realize there was an identifiable reason for my contempt: The gift of tongues began its mission in me by first insulting my intellect. It deliberately defied my logic and reasoning. Speaking in tongues was abnormal, undignified, offensive, and plowed across my rationale like a chainsaw. Belatedly, I learned that in my case as with others, it usually begins its work of edifying us only after it has attacked our ego and pride, I Corinthians 14:4."God has chosen the foolish things ...weak things ...base things ... despised things ...and the things which are not ...that no flesh should glory in His presence. I Corinthians 1:27-29.

With many people, when this negative/positive polar-contact is made the effect is historic, awesome, life-changing. It was for me. In my case, religious conflict, confusion, doubt, disappeared in a moment’s time. Old barriers to faith were gone. Faith ceased being a doctrinal statement and became a powerful life-force in me. "Signs and wonders" immediately appeared in my ministry without effort of my own. I was a new person, had a new relationship with God, and found myself entrusted with a new ministry. To my amazement, I no longer had to ignore vital parts of the New Testament–which I had done for nearly 30 years, 1949-1977.

The day I finally received the baptism in the Spirit I experienced the most awesome God-encounter imaginable—but it was not until two years later that the gift of tongues suddenly emerged in a flood of incredible revelation. Unexpectedly, I heard myself speak in seven different languages. What happened to me was real. Looking back I realize my experiencing tongues was delayed because I needed deeper, more intense repentance from my years of derision and mockery. But when it came, the Holy Spirit’s power manifested in astonishing ways. At times people could not get near me without falling to the floor under the presence of God. This happened in hotel lobbies, restaurants, parking lots, malls, hundreds of churches, and wherever I happened to be. During the previous 30 years of ministry I never saw one alcoholic, drug addict, suicidal, or other demonically-oppressed person, be miraculously delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit. There were no healings. No such transformations took place. Today, thank God!, I now see those wonderful manifestations in every service.

Like me, Karen Comas, who is now a wonderful pastor’s wife, did not believe in the gift. Tragically, her church taught that tongues was demonic and she believed that untruth. Finally, when she consented to receive prayer and hands-on ministry from Perry (her future-husband) nothing visibly happened. The failure only confirmed her suspicions. Several nights later, however, just before midnight and without effort on her own, tongues suddenly–miraculously–burst out of Karen’s mouth in a non-stop flow that lasted nearly five hours. It was almost daybreak before the gift subsided. What happened?! Polar-contact was made between the Spirit and the body, creating the bridge. Today, Karen (a woman with high I.Q.) is a strong defender of the gift and experiences other miraculous manifestations of the Spirit. She is not alone: Scientists, PhD’s, M.D’s, other technical minds, can attest to the miracle of tongues and how it enabled them to reconcile faith and logic.

My friend, Mario G., was Catholic, his wife, Russian Orthodox, they fought over every issue and he tried to keep his baptism in the Spirit secret from her. But, in God’s wonderful sense of humor, at breakfast the morning after his baptism, his wife read about it in the New York Times. Without realizing who the person was, Mario spoke to a news reporter that night at the meeting. The testimony with his name was published in the next edition of the New York Times. God does not always keep our secrets. The first time Mario spoke in tongues he was in bed and after waking up past midnight, in the dark, a spark came out of his mouth with tongues following. Can "logic" believe that?! No. Of course not. But, if you knew Mario as I knew him your faith would have no difficulty believing it. Formerly, a nominal Catholic, after the transformation Mario became a Scripture-loving, evangelical man of prayer. Polar-contact was made and the "bridge" suddenly appeared.

Paul explains why we need this bridge for our prayer-life: "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." The Apostle further explains, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." (Paul’s logic was by-passed.) "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also." I Corinthians 14:14,15. If the greatest writer of the New Testament needed both tools of prayer can you and I get by with less? Tongues opens our minds to dimensions far beyond human reach.

For example, a word of knowledge once revealed that a "spirit of rebellion" was working within several in the congregation. Four people came forward acknowledging the problem and wanting deliverance. The Holy Spirit visibly touched three of them. The fourth, to whom nothing discernibly occurred, was a woman named Ellen who suffered from constant spinal pain and wore a chin-to-hip back brace. At the time of the Nazi occupation of Holland she had been captured and put in a concentration camp. An injury had resulted from her imprisonment that caused constant pain and for which there was no medical remedy. The next night after receiving prayer she was suddenly awakened from sleep by the glory of the Holy Spirit surging like electricity through her body. She was not only filled with the power of God–and delivered from the rebellious spirit–but was instantly healed. Her brace was discarded. The word of knowledge that revealed her rebellion and led to her physical healing did not come from mental ability; it was the direct result of an "arching" between the human and spiritual realms.

In encouraging believers to embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit–especially the gift of tongues–am I departing from historic New Testament Christianity and misrepresenting the early Church? Not at all. Instead, I am simply asking those who wish to be complete-disciples to examine their theology in the light of Scripture.

1. 1 Corinthians 12:28. "And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues." God has appointed, ordained, commanded, tongues to be exercised in the church, with or without denominational approval. There is no such thing as an "apostolic-Church" and a "post-apostolic-Church". Jesus established one Church for all time. Period!

2. Mark 16:17. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues." In this passage, tongues is wholly a matter of one’s relationship with Christ through personal believing; the gift has nothing to do with the death of Apostles or canonizing of Scripture. Observe that in this case, believing is the same requirement as given to the Philippian jailor, Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." And Romans 10:9, "If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart." In each case, belief is the foundation of relationship with God. It is dangerous to predicate such relationships upon historical events or chronological dates.

3. Acts 2:3,4. "Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. The Holy Spirit has never surrendered His sovereignty to man; it was He, not the disciples who spoke in other tongues. Here, the human and Divine poles were joined and tongues resulted.

4. 1 Corinthians 14:1-5. Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit ... He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues ..."

5. 1 Corinthians 14:13-19. For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue , my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind... I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you ..." Paul said that his "spirit prayed". Does the spirit of modern Christians no longer need to pray as Paul’s did? Not only so, Paul worshiped God in a more profound way by singing in tongues. Where does the New Testament teach that our worship of Jesus has changed from the first century?

6. 1 Corinthians 14:22. "Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe." If God provided tongues as a miraculous sign for unbelievers anciently, did He remove the gift because we have no unbelievers today who need the "sign"?

7. 1 Corinthians 14:39. "Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues." None of Paul’s writings is more explicit than this.

Scripture is our final authority! What I am saying is this: The Bible identifies both faith and logic as essential for the mature Christian. Though these two come from opposite realms they need not be combatants. Miraculous gifts should not be sacrificed because logic doesn’t like them. Neither should Christians be so foolish as to reject logic.

For reconciliation to take place, we must allow the Holy Spirit to bridge the gap between these poles. The gift employs both the natural use of your tongue and the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. When done, the connection will bring you into a realm of reconciliation and peace you have not experienced before. Faith and logic will lay down their weapons. In describing the transition, I like the words in Isaac Watt’s old hymn:

"There shall I bathe my weary soul in seas of heavenly rest;
And not a wave of trouble roll across my peaceful breast." Amen!