| November 11, 2019 |
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I also think fear is a huge factor. People are afraid of being lumped in with those who are extreme and manipulative and perhaps have abused tongues. Tongues and other gifts are also unfairly associated with certain expressions of charismatic belief, such as the Word of Faith and Prosperity gospel movements. And people don’t want to be identified with the latter. And then of course there are a few texts (such as 1 Cor. 13:8-12) that they still believe teach that tongues would simply “die out” soon after the close of the biblical canon.
I would also say that people are afraid of what they don’t understand, and they don’t understand what they’ve never experienced. To this I would add the unfounded fear that if they yielded to the Spirit and his impartation of certain gifts, they will lose control. The desire to maintain their public image as sophisticated and self-controlled exerts a huge influence on what they will or won’t do.
PR
Read John Lathrop’s review of Sam Storms, The Language of Heaven: Crucial Questions About Speaking in Tongues (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2019).
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Category: Fall 2019, Spirit
About the Author: Samuel Storms is Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is also the founder and president of Enjoying God Ministries (www.samstorms.com) and serves on the Council of the Gospel Coalition. Dr. Storms earned his B. A. in History from the University of Oklahoma in 1973, a Th.M. in Historical Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1977, and a Ph.D. in Intellectual History from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1984. Before coming to Bridgeway Church, Sam served as visiting associate professor of theology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and is a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society. Sam is the author or editor of 27 books, among which are Practicing the Power: Welcoming the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life (Zondervan), Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative (Christian Focus), The Singing God: Feel the Passion God Has for You ... Just the Way You Are (Passio), and The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts (Bethany House). Sam is also the General Editor of the ESV Men’s Devotional Bible (Crossway). For more about Sam, including the full list of published writings, see www.samstorms.com/about-dr-storms.
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