The Gift of Tongues - SAMPLE CHAPTER

The Gift of Tongues

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Excerpts from Part I, Chapter 1

Part I - The Corinthian Commentary on Tongues

Chapter 1: Biblical Gifts of the Spirit

This book investigates the biblical gifts of the Spirit, and more specifically the gift of tongues. As the reader, you most likely fall into one of four groups - those who reject the current day operation of tongues, those who accept tongues as long as they are spoken in private, those who believe tongues are valid for both public and private expression, and those who are uninformed about the gift of tongues. Opinions differ as to whether more Spirit-given gifts exist than are expressly stated in scripture.

In recent years holy barking and holy laughing have been promoted as genuine operations of the Spirit. The Bible says nothing about such phenomena; neither for, nor against. Many teachers of the twentieth century would classify biblical tongues in the same group with all other illogical and absurd behavior. Please concede, however, that the activities designated by God's Word as “gifts of the Spirit” are indeed of holy origin. And tongues are well documented and encouraged in the Acts and the letters of the Apostles.

The only thorough discussion of tongues found in the Bible is given by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul confronted the Church at Corinth for its over-abundant expression of tongues (among other excesses and improprieties). First Corinthians contains guidance to the Church on divisiveness, church discipline, partaking of Eucharist, avoiding idolatry, and on the operation of several gifts of the Spirit. 

Paul did not conceal his personal preference about the gift of tongues. As we study 1st Corinthians Chapters 12, 13, and 14 we will find that Paul took several opportunities to encourage Christians to speak and pray in tongues. Paul made such statements as; “I wish that you all spoke in tongues,” and, “I am glad that I speak in tongues more that you all.” Furthermore, just to make sure the Corinthian church didn’t leave their charismania for the opposite extreme, he ends the discourse with the words, “and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”

Chapters 12 through 14 of 1st Corinthians lend guidance to tongues and prophecy in the same way that 1st Corinthians Chapter 11 addresses the partaking of holy communion. In Chapter 11, Paul severely rebuked the Corinthians for the manner in which they were celebrating the Eucharist; but he never intended for them to stop partaking of communion altogether. For the reader who has been taught that certain gifts ceased once the New Testament was completed, consider how peculiar it would have been for God to devote three chapters of His eternal Word to gifts that would be obsolete the moment the finished Bible was circulated. And why would Paul encourage the Corinthians to speak in tongues if the practice would only cause problems for future generations?

Certain gifts are listed in Romans Chapter 12, 1st Corinthians Chapter 12, Ephesians Chapter Four, and 1st Peter Four. These rosters of gifts help us identify which gift(s) God has given to us. Recognizing our own spiritual gift is important because Peter instructed, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” The Spirit has distributed to each Christian one or more of His multifaceted gifts. The admonition to be good stewards means that we would be neglectful if we should fail to seek to identify, and to use, the gifts that God has graciously bestowed on us.

Please take a moment to observe the gifts recorded in Romans and Ephesians. It should be noted that the gifts mentioned in Ephesians refer to the title of the person who has been given the gift. Most denominations hold that these “offices” should be by appointment, or at least be confirmed by the church. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon for ministers as well as congregants to be gifted in several areas. (Emphasis has been added by underlining the gifts.)

 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. - Romans 12:4-8

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. - Ephesians 4:11-16

Notice in the verses above that Paul relates the individual gifts to the overall body of Christ, using the words; members, joints, and parts. 

As we have already noted, most of the Bible’s instruction on tongues is found in 1st Corinthians. But before we dive into this text, remember that passages about the gift of tongues are also contained in the Acts of the Apostles. In rightly dividing the Word of God we must balance scripture with scripture. In Acts we will look at a more spontaneous (but just as biblical) working of tongues outside of the formal church service.

Paul approached the Corinthians’ overuse of the gifts with great tact. He desired to direct the operation of the gifts without stifling the gifts. He openly encouraged the gifts while avoiding offending those who hadn’t received this particular gift. He also made a clear distinction between the operation of tongues in public, and the operation of tongues in private prayer. Paul managed this complex discussion by moving back and forth between the right and wrong expressions of the gift. A little reminiscent of someone solving a Rubik’s Cube, Paul promoted one thought for a moment and then changed direction and discussed the other potential excess. Then he returned to the original subject from a different angle.

The reader who is polarized in their endearment, or rejection, of the gift of tongues can feel they are being tossed from one side of a ship to the other - while Paul’s heart was to give direction and encouragement without causing offense to the weaker brother. We must not lose sight of Paul’s opening statement; “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.” These verses were written to inform the uninformed, not to quench the Spirit of the Corinthian Church. 

Chapter 13 (“the Love Chapter”) is the oasis between Chapters 12 and 14 where Christians having opinions on both sides of the emotionally charged question of tongues can sit together and soothe their souls. But as we will learn in our chapter on 1st Corinthians Chapter 13, this popular wedding passage is, in its context, even more pertinent to the gift of tongues than it is to a marriage. - End excerpt, The Gift of Tongues. https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Tongues-C-W-Steinle-ebook/dp/B07C9R79LY

The Gift of Tongues Reprinted in Paperback

One of the highest rated BOOKS ON TONGUES has now been updated and reprinted through Amazon's KDP department.

The Gift of Tongues

Readers' reviews of this little book by Christians who are open to the present day operation of the Spiritual gifts speak for themselves! 

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More than a Bible study, The Gift of Tongues gives practical and personal guidance - answering questions that too often go unasked. 

The author covers various views on the gift of tongues and briefly addresses the Cessation Theory. Topics include: the purposes of tongues, use of tongues in church and in private, the nature and value of tongues to the church and to the individual, and how to revive a church in which the gifts have dwindled.

Quotes:“Is it any wonder that the principalities of darkness are rising up and overpowering the floundering church of North America? Our mighty weapons in Christ have been cast aside for the rocks and clubs of mere human ability - natural instead of supernatural, but predictable and logical, and conveniently taught in seminary.”

“Christianity is nothing more than religion when it ceases to be supernatural!”

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Back from Babylon: A Guide to Recovery from End Time Obsession

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The God given spirit of life that causes people to thrive is not at odds with the mind of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, there must be a healthy way to eagerly wait for the Lord. Furthermore, God doesn’t want people wasting their lives, distracted and robbed of their productivity. This little guide doesn’t have all the answers. But it does offer some suggested resources where the reader can progress toward a peaceful understanding of end time prophecy.

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Two-in-One Byzantine Alexandrian Greek New Testament

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The Two-in-One Byzantine Alexandrian Greek New Testament is a merged text of the Alexandrian and Byzantine textual classics: Stephanus 1550, and, Nestle 1904. Over 4,000 textual variants between the two text-types are clearly documented, providing a one-source solution for identifying the Greek variants behind the translation of most classic and modern English New Testaments.The Alexandrian and Byzantine texts, represented by Stephanus 1550 and Nestle 1904, where in agreement, form a common base-text for the Two-in-One Byzantine Alexandrian Greek New Testament.

Variants between the Alexandrian and Byzantine texts are presented in-line without bias using square brackets [Alexandrian] and parentheses (Byzantine). Thus, both text-types are honored without prejudice, allowing the reader equal and objective access to two of the most respected ancient Greek New Testament base-texts in one convenient document. The variants among most modern English Bible translations are addressed in the Two-in-One Byzantine Alexandrian Greek New Testament so the Greek reader can quickly identify and follow the source texts during live teachings or while listening to prerecorded audio.

Stephanus 1550 and Nestle 1904 represent two of the most respected and broad-based Greek source-texts for the English New Testament. The modern version of the Authorized King James Bible draws its New Testament portions primarily from Stephanus 1550. Stephanus standardized the chapter-and-verse numbering system used today and Stephanus IV was the chief base-text of the Geneva Bible, making the Stephanus texts the official New Testament Greek source of the Protestant Movement for more than 300 years. The Alexandrian text-type is represented by Eberhard Nestle's, The New Testament: d104 with Critical Apparatus, published by The British And Foreign Bible Society.

Images of ancient papyri and parchments are displayed on the first page of each New Testament book. The digital images of these priceless treasures have been graphically enhanced to make the Greek text more legible.

The 2012 edition of the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon by John Jeffrey Dodson is included in the appendix to provide concise English definitions for most of the words found in this compilation.

Press Release, 4/15/2019: https://www.prlog.org/12764853-new-release-two-in-one-byzantine-alexandrian-greek-new-testament.html

The Gift of Tongues audio book is now available at Audible!

The Gift of Tongues audio book is now available at Audible!

click image for details at Audible

Narrated by author

The Gift of Tongues by C.W. Steinle has been produced by Memorial Crown Press and is available today: https://www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Spirituality/The-Gift-of-Tongues-Audiobook/B07CMLRJHX

The Kindle edition has over 80 reviews at 4.5 stars. Audio fans can now enjoy hearing this study in the author's own voice.

The author receives additional support through Audible sharing when anyone signs up for Audible and makes "The Gift of Tongues" their first audio book selection.

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From the author:

"I just completed my fist audio book! It took longer to produce than I thought it was going to but it is so satisfying to know that listeners will hear the book with the proper inflection. Strong points and emotional subjects are boosted exponentially by the spoken word. This will be up at Amazon and iTunes withing the next few days and then we will see it receives the same appreciation as the written editions that are running 4.5 stars."

The Gift of Tongues by C.W. Steinle audiobook

The Gift of Tongues by C.W. Steinle will soon be available in audio format.

The Gift of Tongues audiobook image

Questions about the gift of tongues too often go unasked and unanswered. This book represents over ten years of teaching on the subject as well as real life experience inside and outside the church setting. Check out some of the reviews at the Amazon link. https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Tongues-C-W-Steinle-ebook/dp/B07C9R79LY

This little book on the gift of tongues that has now sold over 15,000 copies. The 2018 Kindle version has been revised for readability. The audio recording and editing process have been completed and, hopefully, it will be available at Audible, Amazon, and iTunes in the next few days.

The paperback and Kindle edition are available at Amazon: 

Click image for details at Amazon

Newly revised in 2018. The Gift of Tongues is a concise reference to one of the most mysterious practices of the Christian faith. The definition, description, and uses of tongues are each explained, giving biblical references. The author covers various views on the gift of tongues and briefly discusses the Cessation Theory. Topics include: the purposes of tongues, use of tongues in church and in private, the nature and value of tongues to the church and to the individual, and how to revive a church in which the gifts have dwindled.

More than a Bible study- The Gift of Tongues gives practical and personal guidance, answering many of the questions that frequently go unasked.

Quotes:
“Is it any wonder that the principalities of darkness are rising up and overpowering the floundering church of North America? Our mighty weapons in Christ have been cast aside for the rocks and clubs of mere human ability - natural instead of supernatural, but predictable and logical, and conveniently taught in seminary.”

“Christianity is nothing more than religion when it ceases to be supernatural!”

Excerpt:
[Author's Note: Teaching a class on the gifts of the Spirit for the last eleven years has convinced me that the gift of tongues is one of the most emotionally charged subjects in the Bible. My classes on the gifts are always robust with questions and comments - and occasional funny looks - and blank stares. But I am nonetheless persuaded that the spiritual gifts mentioned by name in the Bible belong to the body of foundational truths. Truths that every Christian needs to understand.

One of my favorite ice breakers at the beginning of a new session is to ask a series of “Would it be biblical?” questions. Seldom do the students get these questions right. Usually, it becomes obvious right away that most of students in the class haven't studied the Bible's full counsel on tongues for themselves. Many of the students do however already have some bias as to whether tongues are truly holy or not.

Now that I have assembled more observations about the gift of tongues than I can teach during a one hour course, it seems appropriate to write this little book. Our goal will be to discover what the Bible says regarding this gift; encouraging what God commends, while acknowledging the New Testament guidelines to ensure decency and order. I must confess from the onset that I am biased by my understanding of the Scriptures and by my own personal experience. I will, admittedly, add my own take, and a few extra-biblical examples to convey my personal conclusions.

I hope you will find this study to be fresh and informative as we take a closer look at this mysterious gift.] end excerpt

https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Tongues-C-W-Steinle-ebook/dp/B07C9R79LY

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End-times Bible prophecy is like a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle partially done. Many godly people have come before us and have spent a great deal of effort establishing the borders of the puzzle. Parts of the faces and the landscape are taking form, yet without the box cover showing the finished product, no one really knows how it ought to look entirely assembled. The timing of the rapture is a puzzle-piece incorrectly placed. Many times, teachers will begin with the assumption that the timing of the rapture is fixed and non-negotiable. They then demand that the rest of the end times scenario fit that assumption.

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