Quenching the Spirit
True story: very recently, a woman felt led to sit in a different
seat from where she usually sat. And then, during the service, she felt
tongues welling up at specific times during the sermon. According to
Scriptural guidelines, she kept the tongues in a very low tone. But it
was loud enough for those around her to hear.
After the service, a visitor who had been sitting in front of her turned and asked, "Where did you learn such perfect Medieval French? I'm a French professor, and have never heard it spoken so perfectly."
Her response? "I know no French, sir! Nothing more than, 'parlais vous"!
He replied, "How then did you speak it? Not only did you speak it perfectly, but you gave a perfect translation of every Scripture the minister read, BEFORE he gave the reference and read it!"
This lady was being used by the Lord to give this man the same kind of sign and wonder that happened on the Day of Pentecost!
If she had been strapped down with rigid rules of "Don't even whisper tongues in church! Not unless you have the gift of interpretation!" ...she would have not been able to have been used by God that day.
....
Here's a misunderstanding common among Pentecostals, especially old-fashioned Pentecostals. They think that when they speak in tongues, it's the Holy Spirit speaking.
No. It's not. The Word says, "if I pray in the spirit, MY spirit prayeth..." That's not the Holy Ghost praying in tongues. That's your own spirit. God gives you the ability to pray in tongues, but it's you doing the praying. God gives your spirit the ability to speak; "utterance."
Many Pentecostals have been taught that if they feel the urge to speak in tongues, they must do it, or else they're "quenching the Spirit."
But that's not what the Word says. The Word says to control it. The human is supposed to turn it off at certain times.
1Cor 14:28 "But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."
This is not quenching the Spirit. This is being decent and in order.
However, this is talking about the public-address form of tongues, that is supposed to "keep silence" in the assembly if there's no interpreter.
This is not talking about the quiet, barely-heard "prayer tongues."
Paul says if a person giving a message in tongues finds out there is no interpreter present, he is to stop giving out those messages in that setting, BUT continue to "utter" to himself, and to God.
(Greek: laleo; meaning "to utter.")
It is possible to pray in tongues very quietly, so it is barely heard, and doesn't disturb other people at all. This is proper in an assembly. It does not grab for attention. It does not distract from the sermon.
And it can be used powerfully, by the Lord.
"Quenching" is putting out a fire.
It's not "quenching the Spirit" to control loud outbursts.
But it IS "quenching the Spirit" to completely "forbid to speak in tongues."
That's throwing a wet blanket over the Holy Spirit. It totally kills the power of Pentecost.
In the Old Testament, fire fell from heaven on the altar of the tabernacle... and again on the altar of Solomon's temple. And that fire was never to be allowed to go out. If anyone else approached with fire from another source, that was called "strange fire" and was very offensive to the Lord!
In the New Testament, fire fell upon the church, in the form of cloven tongues.
("Cloven" was always a sign of cleanness.)
This pure fire of Pentecost was never to go out! Any other offering is unacceptable to the Lord!
God expects us to keep that Pentecost fire burning in our hearts, and in the church.
We are charged with great urgency, "Quench not the Spirit!"
Sadly, far too many churches prefer to offer the strange fires of tradition and men's wisdom to God.
He finds this repulsive.
God sent the fire from heaven that He wanted to be kept burning in the church.
It's our responsibility to tend that fire.
To "stir up the gift" that God has given us.
And to keep the flame burning hot.
If we let it die out... we start offering strange fire.
What happens to those who offer strange fire?
Judgment will first begin at the house of God.
After the service, a visitor who had been sitting in front of her turned and asked, "Where did you learn such perfect Medieval French? I'm a French professor, and have never heard it spoken so perfectly."
Her response? "I know no French, sir! Nothing more than, 'parlais vous"!
He replied, "How then did you speak it? Not only did you speak it perfectly, but you gave a perfect translation of every Scripture the minister read, BEFORE he gave the reference and read it!"
This lady was being used by the Lord to give this man the same kind of sign and wonder that happened on the Day of Pentecost!
If she had been strapped down with rigid rules of "Don't even whisper tongues in church! Not unless you have the gift of interpretation!" ...she would have not been able to have been used by God that day.
....
Here's a misunderstanding common among Pentecostals, especially old-fashioned Pentecostals. They think that when they speak in tongues, it's the Holy Spirit speaking.
No. It's not. The Word says, "if I pray in the spirit, MY spirit prayeth..." That's not the Holy Ghost praying in tongues. That's your own spirit. God gives you the ability to pray in tongues, but it's you doing the praying. God gives your spirit the ability to speak; "utterance."
Many Pentecostals have been taught that if they feel the urge to speak in tongues, they must do it, or else they're "quenching the Spirit."
But that's not what the Word says. The Word says to control it. The human is supposed to turn it off at certain times.
1Cor 14:28 "But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."
This is not quenching the Spirit. This is being decent and in order.
However, this is talking about the public-address form of tongues, that is supposed to "keep silence" in the assembly if there's no interpreter.
This is not talking about the quiet, barely-heard "prayer tongues."
Paul says if a person giving a message in tongues finds out there is no interpreter present, he is to stop giving out those messages in that setting, BUT continue to "utter" to himself, and to God.
(Greek: laleo; meaning "to utter.")
It is possible to pray in tongues very quietly, so it is barely heard, and doesn't disturb other people at all. This is proper in an assembly. It does not grab for attention. It does not distract from the sermon.
And it can be used powerfully, by the Lord.
"Quenching" is putting out a fire.
It's not "quenching the Spirit" to control loud outbursts.
But it IS "quenching the Spirit" to completely "forbid to speak in tongues."
That's throwing a wet blanket over the Holy Spirit. It totally kills the power of Pentecost.
In the Old Testament, fire fell from heaven on the altar of the tabernacle... and again on the altar of Solomon's temple. And that fire was never to be allowed to go out. If anyone else approached with fire from another source, that was called "strange fire" and was very offensive to the Lord!
In the New Testament, fire fell upon the church, in the form of cloven tongues.
("Cloven" was always a sign of cleanness.)
This pure fire of Pentecost was never to go out! Any other offering is unacceptable to the Lord!
God expects us to keep that Pentecost fire burning in our hearts, and in the church.
We are charged with great urgency, "Quench not the Spirit!"
Sadly, far too many churches prefer to offer the strange fires of tradition and men's wisdom to God.
He finds this repulsive.
God sent the fire from heaven that He wanted to be kept burning in the church.
It's our responsibility to tend that fire.
To "stir up the gift" that God has given us.
And to keep the flame burning hot.
If we let it die out... we start offering strange fire.
What happens to those who offer strange fire?
Judgment will first begin at the house of God.
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