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"Do All Speak With Tongues?" 1 Corinthians 12:30
Today, in our continuing series, we have under consideration a question which the apostle Paul
asked the church at Corinth. This is one of the great questions of the gospel age. It is a question
which is timely because of the great emphasis being put on the subject in charismatic circles
today. Actually, this question is a pan of a series of questions: "Are all apostles? are all prophets?
are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with
tongues? do all interpret?" (1 Cor. 12:29-30).
In order to understand this question, and the others, we need to have a correct view of the twelfth
chapter of 1 Corinthians. It was written to correct their ignorance on the subject of spiritual gifts.
There is no question that some at Corinth were endowed with special powers, which the apostle
Paul called "spiritual gifts" (1 Cor. 12:1). The bad thing was that those who had the genuine gift of
tongue, for example were showing off its use in the assembly, where it was unnecessary. Others,
who had not the gift, were showing off with a kind of tongue speaking, called ecstatic utterances,
which had nothing to do with the Holy Spirit, but only flattered themselves and caused the
community to scorn the church. In a diplomatic way, Paul did not reflect upon those who really
possessed the gift, but he did give rules which ended the objectionable conduct in 1 Corinthians
14. Before he gave those rules, however, he revealed "a more excellent way," which was the way
of love mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13.
It is certainly true that during the early days of the church, before the New Testament was
completely written down and while the apostles were still living, some Christians had powers which
were necessary to sustain the church.
The apostle Paul said: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant" (1
Cor. 12:1). Ignorance of spiritual gifts is troubling the world today. Ignorance of spiritual gifts leads
to much error and religious confusion. Paul wrote to correct that ignorance. He said that "the
manifestation of the Spirit (in other words, spiritual gifts) is given to every man to profit withal" (1
Cor. 12:7). That is, to profit all, not to build up one person's vanity, to make him rich, or to increase
his popularity.
Paul shows that although there are diversities (different kinds) of gifts, administrations, and
operations, they all come from the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God (1 Cor. 12:4-6).
In other words, they do not work against each other. They work in harmony and complete unison.
They would not, for example, inspire one preacher to say one thing, and another preacher to
contradict him, as is so often done in our world today by those who claim spiritual gifts.
The Nine Spiritual Gifts
Paul enumerates the nine spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:8-10). I want to read the list and comment.
1. "The word of wisdom." This was the gospel, the good news, communicated by inspiration.
2. "The word of knowledge." This was supernatural knowledge, a gift of a superior order of
prophets, such as Barnabas, Stephen, and Paul.
3. "Faith." More than ordinary faith, this was a faith that had special visible results. It enabled
one to exert great influences.
4. "Gifts of healing." This was a power to miraculously heal diseases. Paul healed Publius
and others at Malta, but this power was not used indiscriminately, for he did not heal Timothy (1
Tim. 5:23), or Trophimus (2 Tim. 4:20). This gift even provided restoring the dead to life (Acts
9:40; Acts 20:9).
5. "Working of miracles." Not only healings, but also miracles of judg ment such as was
executed upon Elymas, Ananias and Sapphira.
6. "Prophecy." The ability to tell future events, such as Agabas exercised (Acts 11:28; Acts
21:11).
7. "Discerning of spirits." A gift enabling one to identify and expose false prophets and
apostles (Rev. 2:2).