The Corinthian Catastrophe

On the plane ride home from Philadelphia Thursday, I re-read a book from my father's library that I had read when I first became a Christian some 25 years ago. It's called The Corinthian Catastrophe, by George E. Gardiner. I guess I wanted to read it again because I've encountered a number of people in recent years who are very sincere Christians, but who also are very vocal about possessing a "prayer language" or having spoken in tongues. My experience over the years has almost always borne out the fact that those who are involved in speaking in tongues are less mature in their faith and generally less consistent in their Christian walk than Christians who are more grounded in the Word. This has not always been the case, though, so I don't want to appear to be making too broad a generalization. I've seen a drunk woman speaking in tongues, I've heard of non-Christians speaking in tongues. I've been told by a tongues-speaking church member that she doesn't consider herself to be spiritual. A tongues-speaking pastor friend recently resigned his church because he had a problem with pornography. And then there are others who insist that speaking in tongues is the evidence of being filled with the Spirit. I just don't see it. Not in experience. Not in Scripture. But I don't ever want to (1) miss something God has for me, (2) knock something just because I haven't experienced it, or (3) be in error about how I interpret Scripture. So, I decided to re-visit this book, not quite remembering what it said but maintaining a distinct impression that this book had been significant to me in my early years as a Christian (and young pastor).

Here are some interesting tidbits from the book (published by Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, 1974):

• The baptism of the Spirit happens at the time of conversion (which I have always maintained), and there is no place in Scripture where we are taught to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In fact, no amount of praying, tarrying, or seeking results in the outpouring of the Spirit. Pentecost had to take place 50 days after the resurrection regardless of how much praying the disciples did. It happened in God's timing.
• Speaking in tongues was not the usual occurrence when people were filled with the Spirit. If it had been, then when the Spirit came upon those in Cornelius' house 8 years after Pentecost, Paul would not have reported, "The Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning" (Acts 11:15). Instead, he would have stated that the Holy Spirit came on them "as he had on all the believers." He had to point back to an event 8 years earlier.
• There are only 3 occurrences in the book of Acts of speaking in tongues: at Pentecost (Jews), at Caesarea (Gentiles) and at Ephesus (Old Testament Believers). And each time there were Jews (and at least one apostle) present. The author indicates that the gift of tongues was a sign to the Jews that judgment was coming upon them (see Isaiah 28:11-12). Once Jerusalem was ransacked and the temple destroyed in 70 AD, according to the author, the gift of tongues was no longer necessary. In 1 Corinthians 13:8, Paul says, "But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." Although prophecy, tongues and knowledge appear in the English translation to be linked together, in the original language there is a clear distinction made. Concerning prophecy, Paul uses a transitive verb in the passive voice. The same with knowledge. But concerning the ceasing of tongues, he uses an intransitive verb in the middle voice. You wouldn't miss it in the Greek. Both prophecy and knowledge will require an outside source to make them cease, but tongues will "cease in and of themselves." Paul goes on in 1 Corinthians 13 to discuss prophecy and knowledge (verses 9-12), showing they will not cease until we see Christ face to face. But no further mention is made of speaking in tongues. They will cease when they are no longer needed (which the author assumes is following the judgment on the Jews in 70 AD). "Tongues were a sign-gift (14:22) for the infancy of the church when Israel was still in her land. A sign of God's impending judgment upon the nation" (compare 1 Cor. 13:11 with 1 Cor. 14:20-22).
• The Corinthian church, which had no shortage of people speaking in tongues, was characterized by immaturity, immorality and heresy. They were spiritual babies. Some of the symptoms of their immaturity were selfishness, division, criticism and toleration of evil. Read 1 Corinthians and you'll see all these characteristics very clearly and plainly.
• "...any movement, teacher or teaching which exalts the Holy Spirit is not of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit always exalts Christ." I've always said this one! See John 16:7, 13-14
• When Paul says he prayed with both the Spirit and with understanding ((14:15), he is not separating the two, but joining them, indicating he prayed with both the Spirit and understanding at the same time. Paul isn't saying he had some sort of prayer language (where he didn't understand what he was saying). There is NO substantiation for that in Scripture! The word glossolalia is always indicative of known languages. And the mention of speaking in the tongues of men and of angels (13:1) -- any time angels speak in Scripture, they always speak in a language understood by men.
• The author believes our modern-day emphasis on tongues comes predominantly from those who are tired of a stale, ritualistic religion. They want an experience. Although it's been said that "a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument," if our experiences are not in harmony with God's Word then we should abandon the experience. The author writes, "The desire for experience coupled with instruction, motivation, and the approval of a peer group produces ecstatic speech.... It is a psychological phenomena." He firmly believes what we see today is not the biblical gift of tongues at all. He writes, "The desire for experience has subverted sincere people into involvement with a psychological phenomena which they mistakenly think is 'speaking in tongues.' In the process, because the inhibitions are lowered, many emotional experiences are realized -- euphoria, excitement, release, etc." But just because it feels good doesn't mean it's right.

So, I write all this at the risk of offending some very sincere people whom I love very much. But I want to make sure, more than anything else, that we are a people of the Word of God. Dan and I have always maintained that the greatest evidence of being filled with the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit, not the gifts of the Spirit. (And Scripture is very clear that not everyone has the same gift.) I think some people are lulled into a false sense of spirituality because they can point to an experience of speaking in tongues. The Corinthian church provides ample evidence that spirituality and speaking in tongues do not necessarily go hand in hand. What I hate to see is people settling for an emotional experience and neglecting to grow up in their Christian walk. Let's be in the Word. Let's be people of prayer and faith. Let's be obedient. Let's be content to experience the sweet presence of God without requiring "proof" or desiring recognition from others. Let's truly seek to be filled with the Spirit.

What do you think?

Farewell to My Gram

On Monday I flew to Philadelphia to spend a few short days with my beloved grandmother. I last saw her a year ago, not long after she had had surgery for colon cancer. She came through that surgery so well and looked so healthy, I naturally assumed she'd be around a long, long time. Well, Gram turned 88 in April, and her strength had been waning over the months. A prolonged case of laryngitis turned out to be a plum-sized tumor in her esophagus. Further tests revealed cancer throughout her chest cavity.

When I arrived on Monday, Gram was still Gram. She couldn't talk for very long, but she was coherent and thoughtful. When the television commercials came on touting John Kerry's record, I could clearly hear her say, "I hate that guy," and then something about those "darn democrats." And you should have seen the look on her face. Yup. That was Gram. She was sure to tell me she loved me, too, which I already knew.

My grandmother has always been there for me. I remember countless times as a child when I ran away to her house. I guess that was one of benefits of only living a few short blocks away. Most summers I practically lived there, swimming in her and Pop Pop's pool until I shriveled up like a prune. I remember always sitting down to do the cryptogram with her while drinking a cup of hot tea, even in the summertime. She always re-wrote the day's puzzle on a piece of paper towel and was ready to give me a hint if I needed it. She never seemed to mind having me around. I think it was at the beginning of 8th grade when I came down with infectious mononucleosis (which I caught from my twin sister, who had it at the end of 7th grade). My parents couldn't afford to miss work, so I moved into the upstairs bedroom at Gram's and she took care of me until I was better. She slept with me every night, even though I coughed and tossed and turned all night long. I know she couldn't have slept much. I still remember the comfort I felt just knowing she was there beside me. And I remember the moment I was finally well -- my appetite came back and I told her I'd like to have one of those ginger snaps she always had in the cupboard. Well, I ate the entire box, and we both rejoiced. There were other times when I was sick and Gram rocked me in that overstuffed swivel rocker until I fell asleep. All I can think is how fortunate and blessed I am to have been able to have a relationship with my Gram for so long.

My grandmother is a very stubborn and independent woman. But not in a bad way, most of the time. She never holds a grudge. She always looks at the positive in every situation. I've never heard her say a mean word about anyone. And she never seemed to be afraid, even when life threw its worst at her.

At around 83 years of age Gram learned to do email. Up until a couple months ago I received email from her regularly. Mostly forwards, but occasionally a few words about how she was feeling and how much she missed me.

Anyway, I was surprised to see how frail my grandmother had become. Getting in and out of the car was a real struggle, and she was walking with a walker -- something I had never seen her do before. On Wednesday afternoon it took my mom and I 10 minutes to get her from her living room chair to the bathroom connected to her bedroom. It was a short distance, but the walk seemed almost unbearable. By evening, it took 9 minutes for her to walk from her bed to the bathroom (only 3-4 steps for the rest of us). She was so weak. Mom and I put her in bed, and she has been there ever since. Later that night she became very agitated and medication (even morphine) didn't seem to help. We called family members who were nearby together to see her one last time, sure she wouldn't make it through the night. She did, but she grows weaker by the hour. She hasn't eaten anything since Wednesday and hasn't had any liquids since Thursday. Gram's time here on earth is short.

On Tuesday night I had some precious time alone with my grandmother. I had been praying for an opportunity to talk to her by myself, which was quite a feat considering the number of people in and out all day long. But I had a good-night prayer with her and snuggled beside her on the bed to chat for a little bit. I wanted to talk to her honestly about heaven and how to get there, and how she didn't need to be afraid if she had given her heart to Christ. Up to this point, whenever anyone tried to talk to her about death, she just turned her head and wouldn't respond. But I knew she had to face it. I told her none of us knows when we're going to meet the Lord. But she had to be ready. And I wanted her to know that she didn't have to earn God's love, any more than she ever had to earn mine. God loves her not because of all the good things she's done, but because she belongs to Him. I wanted her to find some kind of assurance. Of course, she wasn't saying anything, and I thought maybe she wasn't listening. So I asked, "Are you mad at me?" (I thought she might be upset with my talking about such things.) Her eyes got real big and she piped right up, "No, I'm not mad at you." I prayed that God would prepare her heart and give her peace. I encouraged her to give her whole heart over to Him and ask Him to show her if there was anything else she needed to do. I am convinced that these past couple days, even though it seems like she's not responding, God is speaking to her heart and she is responding to Him. I trust that God is preparing her to take her home. I know for a fact that He loves her and wants her to be with Him forever, and I'm trusting she is learning in these final hours what it really means to be part of His family.

I'm not sure why I'm writing all this, other than maybe to thank all of you who have been praying so faithfully for my grandmother. I arrived home here in Zephyrhills Thursday afternoon, physically tired, but spiritually at peace. And I know it's because of your prayers. I'm also writing this because I want these thoughts recorded. I want someone to know how much I love my gram and how grateful I am for the blessedness of family. I also came to realize what a journey this is we're on, and how the final journey to heaven is so often a difficult one. And yet I know it's one I will face one day. I pray for the grace to die well.

But for today, I pray that God's grace will be sufficient for Gram during her final hours. And I pray for God's strength for my mom and for my aunts and uncle as they lose their mom (even if only temporarily). And I thank Him in advance for all He is going to do. To God be the glory.

8/1 UPDATE: I received a phone call around 6:40 this morning letting me know that my grandmother had died within the previous hour. Praise the Lord her battle is over! Interestingly, today also would have been my grandmother's mother's birthday (my great-grandmother died when I was in the first grade; she also lived in our same small town and I remember kissing her goodbye many times as she lay in a hospital bed in their living room). Life is difficult sometimes, but it's all part of the journey, isn't it?

The Cows Are in the Corn

Dr. David Holdren, one of the three General Superintendents of The Wesleyan Church, read the following story as part of his message to General Conference on June 20. I thought you would all enjoy it as you think about some of the current debate on music styles in churches.

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. “Well,” said the farmer, “it was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of regular songs, you know, hymns.”

“Praise choruses,” said his wife. “What are those?”

“Oh they’re okay,” said the farmer, “they’re kind of like hymns, only different.”

“What’s the difference?” asked his wife.”

“Well,” the farmer said, “it’s like this. If I were to say to you, ‘Martha , the cows are in the corn,’ well, that would be a hymn. If on the other hand, I were to say to you,: ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, Martha, Martha, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the cows, cows, cows are in the corn, in the corn, in the corn, in the corn, the corn, corn, corn.’ Then if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well, that would be praise chorus.”

As luck would have it, the exact same Sunday, a young, new Christian from the city church attended the small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the young man, “it was pretty cool. They did something different, though. They sang hymns instead of regular songs.”

“Hymns,” said his wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like regular songs, only different,” said the young man. “Well, what’s the difference?” asked his wife.
“Well,” the young man said, ”it’s like this. If I were to say to you: ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well, that would be a regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

‘Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry.
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by to the righteous inimitable, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain,
there in their heads is no shadow of sense,
hearkenest they in God’s sun or his rain unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight
have torn free from their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night, they all my mild sweet corn have chewed.

So look to that bright shining day by and by.
Where no foul corruptions of earth are reborn,
where no vicious animal make my soul cry, and I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.’

Then, if I do only verse one, three and four and do a key change on the last verse, well, that would be a hymn.”

Would God raise a squirrel from the dead?

I'm putting my neck on the line to share these thoughts with you. Please read this entire post before you jump to any conclusions.

A week ago while we were on vacation, Dan and I took a little walk out in the countryside of Wisconsin. As we were walking and talking, we passed by a squirrel that lay dead on the side of the road. I didn't even notice it when we passed the first time, but the second time really caught my attention. I can't really tell you if this was just my imagination or if it was God talking to me. But I certainly "heard" the words in my head -- to go over and lay my hand on the squirrel and God would raise it back to life. Of course, the first thing I said (in my mind of course) was "You've got to be kidding!" I started a whole range of arguments in my mind of why I shouldn't do it. First, Dan would think I had gone crazy. It could be diseased. There would be no purpose to God raising a squirrel to life. My mind was just playing tricks on me. Didn't God also say in the Old Testament that we shouldn't touch anything dead? I can't tell you how weird the experience was. I didn't say anything out loud and Dan didn't seem to notice I wasn't saying anything.

I finally told God that I didn't have enough faith for something like that. I just couldn't do it. I told Him if He really was talking to me about this then He would have to shout a whole lot louder and that I would do my best to obey. I asked Him to increase my faith so I could.

I guess this isn't really the first time this has happened. Several times in the past year or so when I've been praying for someone, I really felt as though God wanted me to take authority over whatever disease or sickness the person had and take it from them. But there was always that nagging doubt in my mind. I guess I don't want to look foolish. I don't want to presume on God. I don't want to claim something if it's just my over-active imagination and not God speaking to me.

I know God still works miracles. I believe that with all my heart. Often in the Bible God's servants would lay their hands on people and they would get well, or evil spirits would be cast out. Was that just for then, or is that same power available to us now? Shouldn't we be seeing a whole lot more miracles in our churches than we do now? After all, Jesus' primary ministry among people when He was here was healing. And He said we'd do greater things than He did.

So, I'm tossing out these thoughts to you hoping maybe you'll have some wisdom to share with me. How do know for sure when it's the Lord speaking to you? Would God have really asked me to do something that seemed so silly? What should I do now -- or the next time these kinds of thoughts flood into my mind? Please help me sort all this out!