MODERN PENTECOSTALISM: COUNTERFEIT SPIRITUALITY (Voodoo Christianity)

By Jeffrey D. Dean Sep 06, 2011 The time has come for me to expose the counterfeit Spirituality of the modern Pentecostal movement because I have MUCH personal experience in this area and because it was my time among the Pentecostals during the 20th Century which was instrumental in my journey to where I am at this current time. This booklet is probably going to be extremely painful for a Pentecostal to read (most will probably not get through it), yet it is IMPERATIVE that I ALERT my readers to the fundamental errors of this movement (and it's roots in Voodoo Spiritism). I will also address some of the ERROR I uncovered on the part of the DETRACTORS of Pentecostalism, none more vocal of course than the Southern Baptist Convention. This I will do because if what Pentecostals do to the ministry of the Holy Spirit is bad, what their detractors, specifically cessationists, dispensationalists and MOST Baptists do to the Holy Spirit in RESPONSE is WORSE BY FAR than any damage the Pentecostals are doing! When you are done reading this, hopefully, you will see just what a mess of things the branches of the BEAST RELIGION have made of things. I was raised on the Bible and I was baptized at 8 years old in a Baptist Church We had moved to Detroit by the time I was 12 and I chose to continue going to Church. I rode to Church with neighbors (The Gardners were their name). We attended a Baptist Church somewhere between 9 mile and 12 mile on Lahser Road in Southfield Michigan. When I was 17, as I began to read, the HOLY SPIRIT FELL ON ME in a HUGE WAY. Scriptures I had known my entire life jumped out at me like never before. The epiphany came when I read Isaiah 29:11- 16. (I had at the time the practice of praying before I read for a "word" from God and then just FLIPPING the Bible open to a random page and letting my eyes fall where they may on that page).

Isaiah 29: 11- 24 "11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by precept of men: 14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. 15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, who sees us? and who knows us? 16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing frmed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? 17 Is it not yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? 18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. 19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20 for the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: 21 That make a man an offender for a word and lay a snare for him that reproves at the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought. 22 Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now waxe pale. 23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

24 They also that erred in the spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine."
This chapter of Isaiah says a lot! The book here mention is of course the Holy Scriptures. Men rely on those who are "learned" to tell them what it says and those who are "learned" cannot for the book is SEALED by the HOLY SPIRIT!

Matthew 13: 10- 15 "10 And the disciples came, and said to him (Jesus), Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: bout whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that which he has. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which saiys, by hearing you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive:"
You can imagine how excited I got later on during that chapter of my life when I stumbled on the above verses in Matthew? I had already continued to read Isaiah based on what I understood about Isaiah 29! I read and read and read Isaiah after that because I understood that the Scriptures are SEALED and require HOLY SPIRIT DISCERNMENT to understand them. (Christ said always "he who has ears to hear let him hear"). Back in Isaiah 29 God says "they draw near me with their lips and with their mouths" and "their hearts are far from me" and worse yet, "their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men!" The first time I read this I understood that the failing of Israel (and later of those who claim to follow Christ in the Beast Religion) is that they rely on the WISDOM of MEN rather than the HOLY SPIRIT! As I read this section of the Bible, it was as if the Holy Spirit was falling from Heaven and giving me the BASIC UNDERSTANDING I NEEDED to get me through this life without being DECEIVED. Isaiah gives a prediction that "the wisdom of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." That is the state of ALL who rely on

the wisdom of MEN rather than the SPIRIT of God! Isaiah also touched on those who say God DOES NOT SEE THEIR SINS because of the BLOOD OF CHRIST COVERING THEM!

"Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their councel from the Lord and their works are in the dark and they say 'who sees us and who knows us?"
When I read that, being raised a Baptist I recognized that ERROR immediately. I had NEVER understood how they could say God, who sees all and knows all, CANNOT SEE OUR SIN! What they really are saying is that God LOOKS AWAY and turns a BLIND EYE to our sin. Yet, if that is so, why teach repentance, confessions of sins, and asking for forgiveness? I would be asking to be forgiven for something that God has already dismissed and ignored! None of it EVER made sense to me until I began this current chapter of my life. Here was a clear cut scripture pronouncing WOE on those who teach that God does not SEE their sins! Later, during that same period I stumbled across scriptures such as THIS one:

1 Corinthians 1: 17 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect."
AND

1 Corinthians 2: 1- 12 "1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness,a nd in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of a man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. 10 But God has revealed them to us BY HIS SPIRIT: for the spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely give to us of God."
Scriptures such as these jumped out at me when I discovered them because they served as DIRECT CONFIRMATION that I had been reading Isaiah correctly from the start! Those who rely on TEACHINGS OF MEN rather than from the Holy Spirit fall into a snare, and fall backward and are "taken" in lies! The scriptures are SEALED by the Holy Spirit and to all others (devoid of that spirit or not relying on the same) will only understand in parables and will not SEE their meaning! Those who rely on WISDOM OF MEN nullify the PURPOSE of the VERY CROSS OF CHRIST! I had been shown the FUNDAMENTAL ERROR of ALL CHRISTIAN RELIGION I just didn't realize it fully at the time! (And I had no idea the implications of it, nor did I understand the ORIGINS of this error, not until MANY YEARS later). When I came across THIS scripture I was stunned to the core! For here was Christ directly quoting the VERY CHAPTER I had flipped to the day the Holy Spirit fell upon me!

Matthew 15: 7- 9

"7 You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you saying, 8 This people draw near me with their moth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
I began my life long love affair with the Holy Spirit teachings as opposed to teachings of "the wise men and scholars" of this world! It was God, through the Holy Spirit leading and guiding me into ALL truth. I had the AUDACITY to BELIEVE that I could learn from God directly from the Holy Spirit, and because I believed it, and prayed for it continually, I was granted it! My study of Isaiah continued on after that. I read into chapter 30 and found this:

Isaiah 30: 1 "woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but NOT OF ME; and that COVER WITH A COVERING, but NOT OF MY SPIRIT, that they may ADD SIN TO SIN."
The Holy Spirit was laying the foundation within me of the very purpose of the cross as well as revealing the ERROR of the antichrist teachings to me. The Spirit was saying "you have been taught by those who say that the Blood of Christ "COVERS" their sin and God does not see them, and that rely on the COUNSEL OF MEN rather than the HOLY SPIRIT, and they do this for ONE PURPOSE, that they may CONTINUE in their SINS! Later in Chapter 30 Isaiah makes these astounding pronouncements about the "book that was sealed" of which he spoke in the previous chapter, showing that he was STILL talking about the SAME THING:

Isaiah 30: 8- 14 "8 Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: 9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will NOT HEAR THE LAW OF GOD. 10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. 12 wherefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: 13 therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly at an instant. 14 And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit."
These verses echo Isaiah's early prounouncements about the "book that is sealed" and also "surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay." Isaiah was predicting the final end of all those teachers and all those who follow the wisdom of men into sin after sin after sin, all the while claiming to have a COVERING for those sins and claiming that GOD DOES NOT SEE THOSE SINS. You can imagine how I was reeling from reading and understanding all of this, coming from my Baptist upbringing! I knew immediately that I could NEVER fit in with the Baptists after what I knew and understood about their OBVIOUS spiritual condition! For, right in the Baptist CREED they claim to believe in the HOLY SPIRIT, yet everything they taught was in direct OPPOSITION to the teachings of Christ and the Holy Spirit (when it comes to overcoming and defeating sin in your life). They honored the Holy Spirit with their mouths, but their HEARTS were far from it. The most amazing thing about the verses in Chapter 30 were that they speak, not just to the Baptist who say "prophecy is a finished work and there is no prophecy" (CAUSE THE HOLY ONE TO CEASE FROM BEFORE US) but these verses all speak to the group of people I would encounter SOON in my journey, the Pentecostals who say "prophesy not unto us right things, prophesy smooth things, prophesy deceits." (I will get to all that in a moment) I'm kind of jumping ahead in the story because clearly the Holy Spirit knew my next course of action would be to seek out those who were vocally claiming to follow the HOLY SPIRIT and emphasizing the Spirit in their teachings. I had to go back to the beginning of Isaiah and read it all, until I came to these verses:

Isaiah 28: 9- 13 "9 whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to

understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 for precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little; 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to his people. 12 To shom he said, this is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared and taken."
The first time I read this I recognized the "stammering lips and another tongue," for I had heard of the Pentecostal Movement while growing up (and heard all the pronouncements against them) from my elders and older family members! I had already begun to understand that the Scriptures were making a distinction between following MEN'S teachings and following the Holy Spirit. Here I found Isaiah talking again about "precepts upon precept" (their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men). Then, when Isaiah talks of the Holy Spirit in 28 he mentions "stammering lips" and "another tongue." I found a Pentecostal style non denomination church. When I first entered into the Church they were in mid worship. Their hands were raised and most of them were shouting out in strange languages (all at once), some were falling on the floor. This was your typical what my elders would have called "Holy Roller" church. My first reaction was, "perhaps these people are nuts." I have to be honest. There was so much pandemonium and so little order there what else could I think? Yet, I liked the sermon, and I felt it was spot on (at least verbally) with how I was reading the scriptures, so I continued to go there. This was a Pentecostal church not affiliated with Assemblies of God (which I would explore later). They had all the basic teachings that you find in a Pentecostal church, including the foundation, which is that you HAVE to speak in tongues and that is the "evidence" of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I took exception to that teaching IMMEDIATELY because I had already done my homework and it has already been revealed to me that the ONE AND ONLY EVIDENCE of a Spirit Filled life was our LOVE WALK. If we walked even as Christ walked, in the Love of the Father, we had the evidence of the "infilling" of the Holy Spirit and no amount of yammering in another tongue could REPLACE that evidence. You could stammer all day and all night and FAKE that, it was NO PROOF at ALL that you were "FILLED"

with the Holy Spirit. (Especially if there was SIN in your everyday life). I had enough Spiritual presence of mind to see right through this, so my time in that Church was rather short lived. I moved on to find the Assemblies of God (who, as I learned, were the FIRST Pentecostal major denomination and basically the HEADS of the movement). By the age of 22 I was in the Air Force. I began attending an Assembly of God church. I became a regular there. Yet, sticking in my craw all along was their mishandling of tongues whereby you would have a Congregation FULL of people all speaking in tongues at the same time. (Contrary to the clear word of scripture which says "let it be by twos and the most by threes and let one interpret). I also had a big problem with their dispensational leanings and with the fact that the PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE TEACHING was incorporated right into their Statement of Faith, with a warning that anyone who doesn't believe it is "lost." (The pretribulation rapture doctrine is one of the biggest lies ever to crop up in the Beast Religion, I have covered that elsewhere in another book). Yet, my biggest problem of all continued to be their insistance that speaking in tongues is the "only evidence" of the "infilling of the Holy Ghost." This is so clearly NOT true that it astonishes me anyone can still believe it! What proof is speaking in tongues? Again, the REAL proof is in your LOVE WALK, how you live your life! By the Assemblies of God teaching it didn't matter how you LIVED as long as you were speaking in tongues. If you lived righteous and holy but didn't speak in tongues you weren't "filled with the Spirit." Thus, we see that they put the "gift" of tongues (which is a minor gift according to the scriptures) above RIGHTEOUSNESS as evidence of a Holy Life! All a person has to do in the Assemblies of God in order to be accepted as a "spirit filled Christian" is to master the stammering lips and another tongue (something ANYONE can do really). The Pentecostal movement set themselves up from the start to be a target for EVERY FALSE CHRISTIAN to come in and, once mastering the "speaking in tongues" could find their way into leadership without ever really committing to a Walk with Christ at all! The Pastor of that Assemblies of God church invited guest speakers and faith healers from the Assemblies of God movement into his church. On one fateful day Charles and Frances Hunter (the acclaimed Assembly of God faith healers and notorious "name it claim" preachers) came to town! There was much excitement about their visit and in a tiny town like Marquette they filled a gymnasium to capacity. Our Pastor played many of their videos during evening services in preparation for the big "healing conference" coming up. I was struck IMMEDIATELY by the fact that Frances Hunter was obese and wore

glasses! I'm not one on appearances, I'm not shallow. However, this was a woman that was teaching that NO CHRISTIAN should have ANY PHYSICAL AILMENT if they believe. The Hunters taught this as the foundation of their ministry. That disease had been HUNG on the CROSS with Christ, even going so far as saying EVERY DISEASE KNOWN TO MAN had been placed on Christ as he hung on the cross (and that's why he was unrecognizable). I had to wonder. If Frances Hunter REALLY believed this why was she still wearing GLASSES? Her husband could heal any disease IF YOU BELIEVE she claimed. Why hadn't they got together and healed her stigmatism in her eyes? Why did she have an obesity problem (every physician will tell you this is a serious physical ailment). PHOTO OF CHARLES AND FRANCES HUNTER

Why am I being so hard on Charles and Frances hunter? In our Church we had a woman in her early thirties who was twisted and stunted from arthritis since the day she was born. She had been carried around on a gurney her whole life. She was about the size of a seven year old child. I knew her and she was the most faithful and annointed Christian I had met thus far! She was the closest to Christ in her walk I have seen (and have yet to see). She got all excited about the conference because she became convinced by the videos and the encouragment of her family and of the Church that the time of her healing had come and she was going to be made WHOLE at the conference. They took her to this conference every NIGHT! Every night Charles and Frances hunter and large groups of people prayed over this lovely spiritual woman for her to be made whole! On the last night, at the end, when the healing did not come, Charles and Frances Hunter told this beautiful sister in Christ something that I'll never forget. They told her that the failing was not THEIRS but HERS! She just didn't have enough FAITH IN

CHRIST! She cried harder than I ever saw any person cry before in my entire life up to that point! I was LIVID! I was ANGRY (as Paul wrote) but I sinned not! I wanted to confront these charlatans openly but the Spirit prevented me. The Spirit said "they won't listen to me, they are NOT going to listen to you." I quit going to that Church from that day forward. The worse part about Charles and Frances Hunter, however is their teaching of physical prosperity in the "name it claim it" fashion. This is basically that you only have to "name" what it is you want from the Father, and then "claim it" and it will be yours, and focus of this name it claim it is on physical prosperity (healing of sickness, financial problems etc.) Charles and Frances Hunter preached that whatever you ask in the Father's name he will give it to you. (Which is a sound principle) HOWEVER, they DENIED that ANYONE could Walk in Christlike PERFECTION. How can this be? If "name it and claim it" is true why can't I name a HOLY and PERFECT LIFE, and then CLAIM IT? Especially when Christ said "seek ye first the Kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS" and then all these other physical things shall be added to you. If you don't believe they denied we could walk in perfection in this life, here's a page
TAKEN FROM ASSEMBLIES OF GOD WEB SITE http://www.ag.org/top/beliefs/topics/gendoct_05_sanctification.cfm

Sanctification & Holiness

This document reflects commonly held beliefs based on scripture which have been endorsed by the church's Commission on Doctrinal Purity and the Executive Presbytery.

What is the Assemblies of God belief about sanctification, and how does it differ from other churches?

The basic idea of sanctification is that of separation or setting apart. In the Bible the words sanctification and holiness are interchangeable. At the time a person receives Christ, he is sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11), which means he has been separated from his past life of sin and is now dedicated to God. From Scripture we find that the Holy Spirit is the One who sanctifies (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Peter 1:2). We believe the Bible is clear in teaching that Christians should continue living a life separated from sin and dedicated to God because, as the apostle Paul tells us, this is His will for them (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). We call this the progressive aspect of sanctification. The Scriptures speak of it in a variety of ways, such as growing in grace

(2 Peter 3:14) and being gradually transformed spiritually (2 Corinthians 3:18). The purpose of the sanctification process is that believers might become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though Christians may not attain absolute perfection in this life, they are expected to make every effort to live a holy life, because "without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Some churches teach that sanctification is a one-time experience that takes place after a person has become a Christian, at which time he is made perfect. The Assemblies of God teaches that sanctification takes place at the moment of salvation and then progresses as the believer continues to submit to the control of the Holy Spirit. The above statement is based upon our common understanding of scriptural teaching. The official delineation of this position is found in Statement of Fundamental Truths, Section 9. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise specified.

The Assemblies of God (and Charles and Frances Hunter) do NOT believe it is possible to attain to christlike perfection in this life because of the Adamic Curse and because of our being born "in the flesh" and they make no secret of this. You are only supposed to "STRIVE" for it. Of course, they also teach that ONLY CHRIST was Holy and this was because he was "God Incarnate" (which forever bars US from repeating his obedient lifestyle). Incidentally Assemblies of God claim to not be Trinitarian and they only baptize in "Jesus" name because of it. Why? Because there's no Trinity, Jesus is GOD, according to them and when you baptize in Jesus' name you are being baptized in the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit! It's Trinity, but it's not. They believe in the deity of Christ, just not three Gods in one person. Figure that one out. I can't. They CLAIM to believe that ANYTHING WE NAME AND CLAIM shall be granted, but DISCLUDE CHRISTLIKE PERFECTION in the deal, the ONE THING THE FATHER WANTS MOST FOR US. They then focus on the "other things that shall be added unto us" as the PRIORITY. In short, their God is their belly and "gain is godliness." So why did I go into all this lengthy detail, practically telling you my life's story (well to be fair it is only HALF the story). I could have said much more, but the only reason I did this was to demonstrate that I did not just fall off a truck somewhere, bump my head, and come away with these ideas I'm writing here. They were given to me over time and experience and through the school of "Hard Knocks," from which I have a Graduate Degree. Pentecostalism, as it was created and as it stands now is CLEARLY a false Spirituality because:

1. They deny the basic Spiritual principle that LOVE is the greatest of all gifts (while at the same time ironically teaching it). They put the lesser gift of "tongues" on a higher scale than Love, making it the "only evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit." 2. They preach "name it claim it" for things like new cars, homes, jewelry, whatever you want but DENY that we can name and claim Christlike perfection in this life. (One young fellow from an Assembly of God Church stood and shouted at me "that's a dangerous doctrine" when I told him that we can attain to perfection in this life). 3. They do not adhere to the scriptures (which of course means they don't adhere to the Spirit) when it comes to moving within the gift of tongues. 4. If you examine the practices of VOODOO (yes, I'm serious, Voodoo) you will realize that modern Pentecostalism is CLEARLY Voodoo religion dressed up as Christianity. Remember my story about reading through Isaiah and discovering how the Spirit works cross grain against human wisdom and precepts (doctrines) of men? Well, nothing demonstrates this more than the Pentecostal DOGMA concerning tongues. I can hear the Pentecostals now, "well, you already quoted Isaiah 28 where it clearly says 'with stammering lips and another tongue I will speak to my people." To them, that's the only proof they need that the gift of tongues is IMPERATIVE. They do not comprehend that it is NOT the stammering lips and other tongues insomuch as it is WHERE the tongues come from that matters (The Holy Spirit). Tongues were a SIGN to believers that the promised Comforter had come. This is SO CLEARLY written in scripture it cannot be refuted whatsoever.

1 Corinthians Chapter 14: 1 (This is the landmark scripture on tongues, we will have to go over it in its entirety to get it all). "1 Follow after LOVE and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy."
Dispensationalists and cessationists dismiss the "prophesy" part because they teach prophesy is a "finished gift" and now that we have the bible "we don't need no stinking prophets." How they explain two prophets preaching to the world in the FUTURE (the two witnesseses of Revelation) is beyond me. (We'll get to that in a bit). Yet, Paul tells us to desire to prophesy and in a moment he'll tell us why, while at the same time showing why prophecy is "more desirable" than speaking in tongues. (Yet, to hear Pentecostals teach it, that statement is impossible being that tongues are the ONLY proof of the infilling of the Holy Spirit and SOME branches of Pentecostals teach that you aren't even SAVED without the manifestation of tongues, so to them Paul was

completely out of his mind saying that prophecy is more desirable than tongues).

1 Corinthians Chapter 14: 2 - 3 2 For he that speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak to men, but to God; for no man understands him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries 3 But he that prophesieth speaks unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort."
In his first comparison of the two gifts, prophecy and tongues, Paul tells us that tongues is for "self edification" while prophecy edifies OTHERS! He's hinting (and he comes right out later and says it) that someone who gives tongues the preeminance is "selfish" and is interested more in his or her OWN edification than the edification of others.

1 Corinthians 14: 4- 5 "4 He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself; but he that prophesies edifies the Church. 5 I would that you all spoke in tongues, but rather that you prophesied: for greater is he that prophesies than that speaks with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying."
Pentecostals miss the most important part of the above passages (especially those who say that tongues are essential to being saved). If tongues are the ONLY evidence of infilling of the Holy Spirit (and or the only evidence of your salvation) it would GO WITHOUT SAYING that Paul wishes EVERYONE would speak in tongues! If tongues were something more than a self edifying GIFT (such as PROOF OF INFILLING or PROOF OF SALVATION) I can promise you this is where Paul would have SAID SO openly, and not said "ya it would be NICE if you all spoke in tongues." Furthermore, if tongues are synonymous with infilling of the Holy Spirit and with Salvation itself he CERTAINLY would NOT have said he would RATHER we prophecy! The whole notion is ludicrous. Pauls says that the only times tongues are as desirable as prophecy is if there is an INTERPRETATION of the tongues and you know what? The reason for that is COMMON SENSE. The minute you have an interpretation of the tongues, it BECOMES prophecy! When pauls makes this exception he's saying, "tongues aren't as desirable as prophecy unless the tongues ARE the prophecy."

1 Corinthians 14: 6

"Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?"
Well, you simply cannot get clearer than this. Tongues only profits the person who is speaking them unless the tongues are interpreted and contain some sort of revelation, knowledge, prophetic utterance, or even a doctrine.

1 Corinthians 14: 9 "So likewise, you except you utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for you shall speak to the air."
Paul is almost belaboring the point on this. He reiterates that you are just a bunch of hot air if you are speaking tongues among your brethren and you aren't interpreting (or if no one is interpreting). Yet he goes even farther (he must have had a vision of the upcoming Pentecostal movement, really).

1 Corinthians 14: 12 - 13 "12 Even so you, forasmuch as you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may excel to the edifying of the church. 13 Wherefore, let him that speaks in an unknown tongue pray also that he may interpret."
I, again, can just hear the Pentecostal's protests! "We DO pray for interpretation of the tongues and many times the church will go silent, someone will give tongues, and then either interpret it himself or another will interpret." Yes, well, this is true but those moments are surrounded by lots of moments where EVERYONE is speaking in tongues all at once, gibbering that can sometimes reach a cacaphony of discordant voices. Try interpreting that. Yes, well, (the Pentecostals will say) that's PRAYING in tongues, it's different than speaking in tongues, praying in tongues requires no interpretation! Well, what does Paul say about PRAYING in tongues? Next verse:

1 Corinthians 14: 14 "14 For if i PRAY in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also, 16 Else when you shall bless with the spirit how shall he that occupies the room of the unleared say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understands not what you are saying?"
It looks to ME, my dear friends like Paul has just stated in no uncertain terms that there must be interpretation of PRAYING in tongues when in GROUP prayer, otherwise how is anyone going to AGREE with you in that prayer and say "AMEN" they don't even know what you are praying! We will see in a little bit that Paul says if anyone comes in and you are all "praying" in tongues at once the outsider will just think you are all insane. I don't want to break the flow here though so we'll stay on the verses.

1 Corinthians 14: 17- 19 "17 For you truly give thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God that I speak with tongues more than you all: 19 Yet in the church I'd rather speak five words of my own understanding, that I might teach others also, than TEN THOUSAND WORDS in an unknown tongue."
Wow, people, especially you Pentecostals. Where does Paul get off saying something like that if tongues are the "evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit" and also "evidence of your Salvation?" Who is more edifying to the Body of Christ than one who TEACHES from the INFILLING of the HOLY SPIRIT? If tongues is the PROOF of that INFILLING then Paul has NO BUSINESS suggesting that it's better to teach WITHOUT speaking in tongues. It's the same as Paul saying "it's better to teach the body of Christ without the Holy Spirit." If tongues are the "evidence" of the Holy Spirit c'mon people Paul has NO BUSINESS saying such a thing as what we just read!

1 Corinthians 14: 21 "In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak to this people; and yet for all that they will NOT HEAR ME, says the Lord."

Yes, it is OBVIOUS Paul foresaw the Pentecostal Movement coming! For, indeed, they have BOAT LOADS of stammering lips and other tongues yet STILL DO NOT HEAR FROM THE LORD. That is because TONGUES CAN BE FAKED people. Furthermore, even if the tongues are real, if no one is interpreting them (especially praying in tongues) then how is ANYONE going to HEAR the message or edification for which the tongues were intended? Yet Paul says that the scriptures in Isaiah 28 which predict tongues were talking about the tongues being a SIGN of SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY. Namely the coming of the Holy Spirit who leads us to Christlike perfection!

1 Corinthians 14: 22 "22 Therefore, tonges are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying servs not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. 23 If therefore the whole chuch be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad? 24 But if all are prophesying, and there come in one that believes not or one unlearned, he is conviced of all, he is judged of all 25 And thus the secrets of his heart made manifest; ans so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth."
Based on the above texts, the argument can be made (and Paul makes it) that if ANY GIFT is "evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit" (God IN YOU) it's PROPHECY NOT TONGUES! What does stammering in an unknown tongue prove? Does it prove that God is in you? Anyone can stammer in an unknown tongue people, it proves nothing of the sort! It can only prove "God is in you" if there's an interpreter and someone's secrets of their hearts are REVEALED by the interpretation of the tongues (in which case, guess what, it's not just tongues anymore, it's prophecy). A whole ROOM full of people stammering in unknown tongues all at once, with no interpretation does not make people say "wow God must really be IN them," it only makes people say "wow those people are really off their rockers!" Don't get mad at me Pentecostals I didn't say this PAUL did, get mad at him!

1 Corinthians 14: 26 "26 How is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one of you

has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done UNTO EDIFYING"
Paul puts his finger right on the problem with modern Pentecostalism. Where is the LOVE? Our desire should be to EDIFY ONE ANOTHER, NOT JUST FOR OUR OWN PERSONAL SPIRITUAL EDIFICATION! When he says "let all things be done unto edifying" he means "edifying one another." Tongues without understanding (interpretation) is SELF EDIFYING ONLY! It is NOT in keeping with LOVE (when we are all come together and everyone is just stammering away at once in an unknown tongue). Now Paul issues COMMANDS on the subject:

1 Corinthians 14: 27 "27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by TWO, or at the most BY THREE, and THAT BY COURSE; and let one interpret. 28 But if there be no interpreter LET HIM KEEP SILENCE in the church; and LET HIM SPEAK TO HIMSELF AND TO GOD! 29 Let the prophets speak by two or three and let the other judge. 30 If any thing be revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace. 31 For you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
I was in one fellowship where the leader would point to Mary and say "okay, Mary, now I want you to speak in tongues," then he'd point to Chris and say "and Chris you interpret." I call this the "on-cue tongues prophecy." It's NOT what Paul was talking about here. What he was saying is that IF it's of God, of HIS HOLY SPIRIT (the tongues prophecy OR praying in tongues) then it WILL be by twos or at the most by THREES (for God is not an author of confusion). If it's not by twos or by threes, and each one speaking in due course and time, guess what IT'S NOT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

This is DAMNING to the Pentecostal Movement for it condemns all the pandamonium as PHONY or FALSE SPIRITUALITY (for God does NOT operate that way, period). Every Pentecostal church you've EVER been in where the whole room is stammering in tongues at once, you can rest assured, according to the written word (and the Spirit) it was NOT OF GOD'S spirit but was OF THE FLESH. According to Paul it was a room full of SELFISH PEOPLE SEEKING THEIR OWN SELFISH AND PERSONAL SPIRITUAL GRATIFICATION WITH NO REGARD TO THE SPIRITUAL EDIFYING OF OTHERS! Damning! Truly damning. I have tried to CONVINCE pastors of churches like this, using these scriptures and they've ALWAYS rejected the message. Always! What does Paul say of them?

1 Corinthians 14: 37 "If any man think himself to be a prophet, OR SPIRITUAL, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you ARE THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD."
These are NOT just "suggestions" Paul is giving here. They are commandments of the Lord because the Lord commanded us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER and LOVE DOES NOT SEEK IT'S OWN SELF GRATIFICATION OVER THE GRATIFICATION OF OTHERS. (We will get to that scripture in a moment).

1 Corinthians 14: 38 "38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant."
This has been my life long approach to those people who are in the Pentecostal Movement and to the Pastor's that allow this sort of nonsense to go on. I will show them the WORD and the COMMAND on it and if they don't receive it I depart from them!

1 Corinthians 14: 39- 40 "39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order."
Here we have the BALANCE then between the Pentecostals on one end of the spectrum and the Baptists (tongues detractors, not just Baptists but they are the most vocal of the group). Paul says covet to prophecy, he is telling the Pentecostal Movement the ERROR of their ways. As I said before if ANYTHING is "evidence of the infilling of the Holy

Spirit" it's PROPHECY for it moves IN LOVE, to EDIFY OTHERS! (Which includes tongues WITH interpretation for it is by definition PROPHECY). Then Paul speaks to the Baptists (the cessationists and dispensationalists who deny tongues is even a working gift), and says "AND FORBID NOT TO SPEAK IN TONGUES." How do the Baptists and other tongues detractors completely miss this verse? We'll cover that in a moment, but it never ceases to AMAZE me that their Bible tells them not to forbid speaking in tongues but they do it ANYWAY, all the while claiming to be a "Bible Believing Church." What a mess!

PROPHECY IS OF LOVE, THEREFORE IT IS EVIDENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We kind of skipped a lesson here because we went right to 1 Corinthians 14. By the time Paul wrote that chapter, however he'd already explained that LOVE was the GREATEST GIFT and WHY if you have either tongues or prophecy, if they are WITHOUT LOVE they are FALSE (or nothing).

1 Corinthians 13: 1- 3 "1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not LOVE I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the prophecy, and understand all the mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I AM NOTHING. 3 And though I bestow all of my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing."
I see a contradiction here looming. Do you see it? In chapter 14 Paul says that prophecy is out of LOVE because he that prophesies seeks the "edification" of another. Yet, HERE before that he says that even if you have prophecy, if it's without LOVE it's NOTHING! That's simple to clear up though! Whatever you do, if it is not MOTIVATED BY LOVE (even prophesying, or feeding the poor, or dying for someone in a fiery pit). If you do it out of some RELIGIOUS SENSE OF COMPULSION and are not doing it out of GENUINE LOVE, it's, well, I have to say it this way. It's CRAP. It's nothing! Yet how can this be, in light of the "Love's Not A Feeling" craze of the late 1900's in Christianity! You may recall it! They began teaching that love is "not a feeling" it's a VERB, it's a DO word. They absolutely taught this. That if you DO the things you KNOW love requires (even if there's no feeling of love there in your heart) then you are LOVING SOMEONE. They completely CONTRADICTED PAUL'S WORDS HERE!

They were saying "nonsense Paul," loves not a feeling, if you feed the poor that's what LOVE DOES so it's LOVE! If you sacrifice yourself to the FIRE for someone that's LOVE (it doesn't matter if you have any real love IN YOUR HEART because "love's not a feeling). This same craze sparked the "what would Jesus do" movement that still exists today! People began to try and memorize and FIGURE OUT what the examples of LOVE are in the Bible and then IMMITATE THEM. How phony is that? I ask you, if you have GOD'S LOVE in your HEART do you have to have RELIGIOUS SEMINARS to TEACH YOU WHAT LOVE DOES? Paul says you don't!

1 Thessalonians 4: 9 "8 He that despises, despises not man, but God, who has also given unto us his holy Spirit. "9 But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you: for you yourselves are TAUGHT OF GOD to love one another."
Brethren, dear fellow children of God, I submit to you now that this is one of the SINGLE MOST AMAZING scriptures in the Bible! Why? Because it says that we DO NOT EVEN NEED THE MAJORITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT! I can see your eyes popping out now, but, consider, what is the New Testament made up of PRIMARILY? Epistles! Letters written from the Apostles to the various churches! Here Paul is, saying that the Thessalonians "have no need" for him "to write to them" about "brotherly love" for they are TAUGHT OF GOD to love one another BY THE HOLY SPIRIT! We also know that Jesus and the Apostles said that the entire LAW (which is the OLD TESTAMENT) all hangs on the two commands "LOVE GOD" and "LOVE YOUR FELLOW MAN," and if you do this you FULFILL the LAW and become "a law unto yourself." If we LOVE, true love one to another we don't NEED the LETTERS OF PAUL (OR THE OTHER APOSTLES FOR THAT MATTER) and we don't NEED THE WRITTEN LAW. That's the Bible people! That's what it contains! We don't NEED the Bible if we have the Holy Spirit of LOVE! So much for the NOTION we've been hearing about having to MIMIC THE ACTS OF LOVE by STUDYING "what would Jesus do!" The Holy Spirit teaches us directly what Jesus "would" and "does" do! Can you see the difference here.

And in the famous LOVE scriptures we are now reading, Paul says if you don't have this LOVE, you can ACT OUT WHAT JESUS WOULD DO ALL YOU WANT (feed the poor, give your body as a sacrifice) IT MEANS NOTHING if it's NOT TRULY MOTIVATED BY THE SPIRIT OF LOVE! It's PHONY. It's FALSE SPIRITUALITY! The movement in the 1900's where they were teaching "oh love's not a feeling it's something you do" sounded GREAT but they were teaching PHONY LOVE whereby you outwardly MIMIC CHRIST but inward the LOVE OF GOD IS NOT IN YOU. Because, if it's TRUE CHRIST LOVE you don't have to LEARN IT, you don't have to be TAUGHT IT IN CHURCH, it JUST HAPPENS!

CHRISTIANS TEACH WE NO LONGER NEED LOVE NOW THAT WE HAVE THE BIBLE
Consider if you will the Baptist (dispensationalist) take on the Subject. They teach the OPPOSITE, that we don't need LOVE because we have the BIBLE! The following information comes from Theopedia.com and it outlines the "cessationist" view of speaking in tongues (which by the way is the dispensationalists view as well and is WELL incorporated into the Baptist teachings). I first learned of this doctrinal stand many years ago when I was a Baptist. I assure you, what Theopedia says about the cessationist view is ACCURATE. I have read TRACTS passed out in Bible school by Baptist teachers that stated the exact same thing you are about to read here. I'm not kidding it's what they most definitely teach on the subject of PROPHECY AND TONGUES! Before I post the ACTUAL information on this I will summarize for you. Baptists (most) are "cessationist" in their view of not just tongues but prophecy. They teach from the very same scriptures we are now reading that "we know in part and we prophecy in part" and that same scripture says "tongues will cease." The teaching goes on to say that "when that which is perfect is come" (and they interpret this to mean the BIBLE) "that which is in part" (knowledge) shall vanish away! They then astoundingly conclude that the knowledge which vanishes away is the "revelatory knowledge used to WRITE THE BIBLE." I ask you now, what WAS the revelatory knowledge used to write the Bible? The Holy Spirit of course, from which we obtain GOD'S LOVE IN OUR HEARTS!

2 Peter 1: 20-21 "20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

There you have it then. The cessationist view (and primarily most Baptists) is that the HOLY SPIRIT ceased to be NEEDED once the Bible was finished. Whereas I have shown you that scripture itself says we DON'T EVEN NEED THE BIBLE TO TEACH US TO LOVE because God teaches us through the HOLY SPIRIT. The Christians have turned it UPSIDE DOWN and say "we don't need the Holy Spirit because we have the Bible." This is almost comical because the Bible can be tampered with and changed (and HAS been changed). The Holy Spirit leads us and guides us into all truth, but Christians (mostly the once saved always saved crowd) want us to believe that the "revelation era" of the church is ENDED and the Holy Spirit (the revelatory knowledge it took to write the Bible) has vanished away. All you need now, they say, is your Bible (and of course their particular interpretation OF that Bible spoon fed to you from the PULPIT). Here is a link to where I got the next information: http://www.theopedia.com/Speaking_in_tongues Speaking in tongues is one of the manifestations of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. And appears to be the same gift is in Acts 2:4 - "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance" (ESV). The understanding of this gift differs greatly between Continuationists and Cessationists, and is the probably most controversial issue separating the two camps. Speaking in tongues is claimed to be is widely practiced today by Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. Cessationists on the other hand reject that, and claim that such ecstatic utterances are not the geniune gifts of tongues. They (cessationists) claim that the gift of tongues refers only to known languages, and were available only to the early church.

Cessationist Understanding
The cessationist understanding of the gift of tongues, is that it refers only to known languages (like Greek, Egyptian or Arabic), and not ecstatic speaking. At Pentecost this gift allowed believers to communicate with foreigners in their native languages (tongues) which they did not previously know. These were clearly the existing native languages of the foreigners. Continuatiuonists therefore, who see the gift of tongues listed in 1 Corinthians 12:10 as an ecstatic utterance rather than a known language, must therefore distinguish what Paul is describing in 1 Corintians from the tongues described in Acts 2.

A Cessationist argument from 1 Corinthians

Cessationism, is the belief that speaking in tongues as well as all the other miraculous and supernatural gifts of the Apostolic era have ceased. This view understands 1 Cor. 13:8 to

categorically state that at some point tongues will cease and that prophecy and knowledge will pass away. [citations needed] There is much debate regarding the timing of the cessation of the items mentioned in 1 Cor.13:8. In order to see when this occurred, or when it is meant to occur, the word remain in 1 Cor. 13:13 needs to be examined in the light of its connection to the three items in 1 Cor. 13:8 which are said to cease/fade/vanish when that which is perfect is come. Tongues, prophecy and knowledge will cease before Jesus returns In 1 Cor. 13:13, faith, hope and love are said to remain. For the word remain to make any grammatical sense, then something else must first be removed. The things targeted to be removed are mentioned a few verses back in 1 Cor. 13:8, namely tongues, prophecy and knowledge. Even after these gifts are removed, faith, hope and love will remain. Considering that the gift of faith (1 Cor. 12:9) will remain with mankind until Jesus returns, then the items of 1 Cor. 13:8 must be gone before this time. As already noted, something must go before something else can be said to remain. It is not possible for the three gifts of 1 Cor. 13:8 to remain along with our faith and hope because that would be saying that the things targeted to cease will actually remain until the things that remain cease. Logic dictates that the items in v.8 have to be gone in order for the items in v.13 to be said to remain so tongues, prophecy and knowledge must cease before Jesus' return.
[citation needed]

Prophecy and knowledge have ceased because the Bible is completed It can be noted that the coming of that which is perfect (1 Cor. 13:10) is only linked to the in part gifts of prophecy and knowledge and not to any other gifts. The inspired writers of the Bible were given these gifts of futuristic prophecy and special knowledge. Futuristic prophecy, such as in the book of Revelation, was given to these men to foretell the things which God wanted to reveal to man.[citation needed] Supernatural knowledge was needed to explain things like redemption, Christian living, church guidelines etc. When 1 Corinthians was written, the Bible was incomplete ... it was in part, and that is why prophecy and knowledge, in 1 Cor. 13:9, were said to be in part. When the Bible was completed, this special, revelatory prophecy and knowledge ceased because all the future prophecy and special knowledge, which God wanted us to have, was now contained in the Bible. The word perfect can be translated complete or finished and these words well describe our completed, that which is perfect Bible. With the completed Bible, the in part gifts of supernatural prophecy and knowledge were done away with and so today no one can add to the Bible.
Face to face

The term face to face in 1 Cor. 13:12 is sometimes interpreted as seeing Jesus face to face.[citation needed] However, reading on from the coming of perfection in v.10, we see that v.11 speaks of leaving childish things behind and becoming mature. If this maturing awaits Jesus' return then it means that believers will remain babes in Christ, never reaching spiritual maturity, until that time. Passages such as Jam. 1:23-25, Heb. 5:11-6:3 and Eph. 4:11-15 speak of a believer's growth and maturing in Christ through the Word

of God. In 1 Cor. 13:12 the writer explains that now, before the perfect had come, they saw things dimly but then, when the perfect had come, they would know fully. Like v.11, this verse speaks of the growth from immaturity to maturity. Today, with the completed Bible, a believer can mature in Christ, see themselves clearly (come face to face), know themselves as they are Divinely known and know God's full plan and purpose.

WHAT 1 CORINTHIANS 13 IS REALLY SAYING:

When you read the above "cessationist" view you MUST be reminded of Catholic Dogma. You must! It is completely devoid of Spiritual meaning. It is a PRIME example of Isaiah's prophecy "precept must be upon precept and line upon line" and also "their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men." They say that if our maturing awaits Christ's return then we would remain babes in Christ until then (something I wholeheartedly believe is true but they are standing on a false premise that we have to wait for Christ's return to be perfect). According to the Apostles babes can only handle the MILK and not the MEAT (and the MEAT IS THE SPIRIT). They clearly sell the entire church into carnal mindedness (because the Apostles taught if you cannot bear the meat and can only stand the milk you are carnal and walk as men (instead of walking as Christ). Yet, they teach "the Meat" the Spiritual Revelatory knowledge that it took to write the Bible is now GONE since the Bible is FINISHED. The MILK is the SCRIPTURES (they don't even understand that part, I'm trying not to laugh) and the MEAT is the SPIRIT OF REVELATORY KNOWLEDGE that comes from the Holy Spirit. They are basically saying "we don't need the MEAT, the MILK IS FINISHED." Those who came up with this ABOMINABLE DOCTRINE could NOT have been hearing from the Spirit at all for they don't even understand that by saying "revelatory knowledge has ceased" now that the Bible is finished, they NULLIFY the CROSS of Christ, for the cross was to send us the Holy Spirit (the source of this revelatory knowledge)!

1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 8 "4 Love is long suffering and is kind; love does not envy, love does not vaunt itself, is not puffed up 5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil 6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things 8 Love never fails: buth whether there be prophecies they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it

shall vanish away."

It is important to note right here that when it says "prophecy shall fail" it's in the context of bringing us INTO OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER! He begins by saying if I have the gift of prophecy but have not love "I am NOTHING." He's trying to show us how to SUCCEED and have the VICTORY OVER SIN IN THIS LIFE! Through LOVE! He says prophecis will FAIL to bring us the victory, tongues will cease to edify us, and KNOWLEDGE will vanish away (or be hid), as we've read knowledge doesn't get you anywhere. As Paul wrote to the Corinthian church "I determined to know nothing among you but Christ and him crucified." And as Isaiah said "the wisdom (knowledge) of their prudent men shall be hid." When it says "when that which is perfect is come" it's not talking about the "revelatory knowledge it took to write the Bible here" it's talking about OUR PERFECTON THROUGH LOVE, saying that you must have LOVE (through the Holy Spirit) because prophecy won't get you to the place you want to go, neither will tongues, and knowledge is USELESS, but LOVE is that which the entire law and the prophets hangs on. He who loves can "do no ill will against his brother." It's how WE are perfected. As John wrote "No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another , God dwells in us, and his love is PERFECTED in us." (1 John 4: 12) Love never fails to PERFECT those who live in it!

1 Corinthians 13: 9 - 11 "9 For we know in part and we prophecy in part 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
It is WE who are to be perfected (not the Bible) in these verses. We shall GROW UP and BECOME A MAN SPIRITUALLY, our love will be PERFECTED and at that point we will no longer "know in part" for we shall "know as we are known." At that point tongues, prophecy, knowledge will no longer be needed for we walk PERFECT before God, in the "fulness of the stature of Jesus Christ." (We'll look at those verses in a moment).

1 Corinthians 13: 12- 13

"12 For now we see through a glass darkly: but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
We can now cross reference what Paul said about "we see through a glass darkly but then face to face" with what John said:

1 John 3: 2- 3 "2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doesn't yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall SEE HIM AS HE IS. 3 And every man that has this HOPE in him PURIFIES himself even as he is pure."
Dear friends, tongues, prophecy, partial knowledge, these things are all part of our growing up together IN HIM until we mature. They are part of the FIVE FOLD MINISTRY that was given to make us LIKE CHRIST.

Ephesians 4: 11- 13 "11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors, and teachers; 12 FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
1 Corinthians 13 when it says "when that which is perfect is come" it's talking about

OUR perfection, unto the fulness of Christ's stature! Love ultimately brings that about. But Christianity has turned it ALL upside down and is literally PLOTTING TO KEEP YOU FROM SUCCEEDING IN LOVE! How can ANYONE say they are not ANTICHRIST? What the Baptists, therefore, have done is FAR worse than the Pentecostals (but not by much) in that they completely DENY the ministration of the Spirit by saying it has "vanished away" and now all we need is the Bible (when actually the Bible could vanish away and we would still learn from God to love one another and be perfected IN THAT LOVE)! The Pentecostals have only created a COUNTERFEIT and SELF SERVING tradition of false spirituality that is actually based upon VOODOO.

VOODOO THE REAL SOURCE OF MODERN PENTACOSTALISM

If you study the voodoo religion (a very ancient religion that is far older than both Judaism and Christianity that originated from Africa) you will see that in this religion the God's (actually these "spirits" are more similar to "saints" in the Christian faith) called the "Loa" come to the worshippers during the service and "possess them." Those possessed are known to shake uncontrollably with their hands in the air, engage in Glossolalia (same thing as speaking in tongues) fall on the floor rolling and convulsing (slain in the spirit), appear "drunken" (drunk in the spirit). These are but some of the things that happen. Occasionally one possesed by Loa will give "messages" to the congregation. It's unfortunate that most internet sites erroneously state that voodooism is a blend of "Pentacostalism" because in point of fact voodoo is FAR OLDER than the Pentacostal Movement (and as I said older than Christianity itself). So if ANYONE has "blended" practices into their culture it would be Pentacostal Christianity who has blended voodoo into Christianity! I was going to provide links on Voodoo but I am hard pressed to find WRITTEN and ACCURATE descriptions of their main spiritual services, but I have seen them with my own eyes and they are completely indistinguishable from a typical "Pentecostal" service. Christianity is no stranger to blending other religious practices into their worship services. The Catholic Church blended literally HUNDREDS of religious practices from other religions from within the regions under their control into one "universal" (That's what Catholic means) religion. Catholic Pentacostals (yes there is such a thing) pray to the saints and the saints will "speak to them" through the possession of the Spirit! This is in fact IDENTICAL to vodoo in every way. Pentacostals speak of the "Holy Ghost" which is a gross mistranslation of the scriptures. God is not a "Ghost." They are then "filled with the Holy Ghost" (the same way in voodoo) and they become "possessed" by God (again same thing as in voodoo. None of this is scriptural of course, (as we have seen already) and is all self serving (self

edifying) in nature and not according to the Spirit of LOVE! It's anyone's guess (if Pentecostals are being FILLED with a spirit) who or WHAT this spirit is that is possessing them, but we know from the scriptures that it CANNOT be the Holy Spirit sent to the world by Christ's cruicifixion. I'm tired and I think I've said enough on this subject for one day. I hope you will continue to read my books and articles. Shalom for now Jeffrey D. Dean, Sr.