The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Anjela Paje of Spokane, WA, from the tape, GC 1301-X, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 26."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  ©1983. All Rights Reserved.

Questioner

I have a friend of mine who's a medical doctor from the country which I came from. He’s a Christian, and he has witnessed to quite a few people up there using tongues and healings and miracles. And, he has spoke in different tongues. And because of that, many have come to Christ. So, I can’t really understand why you would say that tongues have ceased when he has done that miracle.

John MacArthur's Answer

Let me ask this question, is the proof of tongues the experience of your friend or the testimony of scripture?

Questioner

It’s the testimony.

John MacArthur's Answer

Okay. So, I don’t need to answer the experience of your friend. He needs to see where that fits with scripture. Okay? I don’t want to sit in judgment on his experience, but I know this, I’m not convinced that something is true because somebody experienced it. I mean, drunks think they see pink elephants, but they don’t. So if a guy preaches the gospel, the gospel is so powerful people will get saved. I’m not sure that we can say that because "this" was added to the gospel, this was the reason. I’m not denying that God is a god of miracles, and I’m not denying that there may be a time and an occasion when God might give a person the ability to speak a language to someone to reach them with the message of Jesus Christ, in a language they otherwise wouldn’t know, but that’s different than the gift of tongues, which was a sign gift to Israel. Now, whether God is doing that in some isolated situations...I’m not going to put God in a box at that point, but I do know that we do not qualify truth on the basis of anyone’s experience. But, that person’s experience has to stand the test of the Word of God.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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