Letter to the prison

I wrote a letter to one of the inmates yesterday and thought I would share it with you. The question was about "tongues", so I addressed the issue, knowing A (short for his name) was Hispanic. Of course, I used some Spanish in the letter, but you can look up the references in an English Bible (preferably a KJV).

Dear A,

It was good to hear from you again! I suppose you’ve recognized I’m much better at letter writing when I have something in particular to discuss. So, let’s get right to it.

The Ryrie Study Bible is pretty clear cut on what “tongues” are. In the note on Acts 2:4 he says, “with other tongues. Actual languages unknown to the speakers, but understood by the hearers (v. 8).” Tongue is another way of saying language, like when I say, “What is your native tongue?” In your case, it would be Spanish or English, the language (lengua) of the country you’re native (originated from) to. Tongue or language is lengua en español.

I began my Master’s thesis 30 years ago on the subject of tongues and I haven’t changed my mind on any of what I studied at the time. So, here are a few points to consider. 1) Tongues are a sign to non-believing Jews. I Cor. 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: I Cor 14:21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
I Cor 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. The reference to “this people” is from Isaiah 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. Isaiah was talking to the Jews and Paul repeats the same verse to indicate the same people. 2) Every recorded instance of tongues in the Bible is in the presence of Jews, whether it’s Cornelius (he was an Italian, but those accompanying Peter were Jews and so was Peter), or the disciples of John, or even the proselytes in Acts 2. It’s a sign the Jews seek that validates/confirms what God has been doing. 3) Every time there is an encounter with a supernatural being, the conversation is in a language the human can understand. That would lead me to believe there isn’t a need for a “tongue of angels” (the tongues of men and of angels,), if it’s referring to supernatural beings (angel means messenger, which can include people, which may also help comprehending the 7 angels of the 7 churches of Revelation). There really isn’t anything that says the tongue of an angel is any different from men’s tongues and even Spanish doesn’t specify a difference (SI yo hablase lenguas humanas y angélicas), since there are multiple tongues of men that makes a need for using the plural of tongue.
1Co 14:18 Doy gracias á Dios que hablo lenguas más que todos vosotros: Paul was an educated man, which means he was able to speak more than one language. In Acts 21:37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? They had a “private” conversation in Greek, so no one else could understand what they were saying, even the Roman guards, who spoke Latin, and in Acts 21:40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, (Acts 21:40 Y como él se lo permitió, Pablo, estando en pie en las gradas, hizo señal con la mano al pueblo. Y hecho grande silencio, habló en lengua hebrea, diciendo:) and again in Acts 22:2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

You may also have noticed there is no “unknown” about tongues in your Spanish Bible. I Cor 14:2 SI yo hablase lenguas humanas y angélicas, Even in English Bibles, unknown is normally italicized to indicate an added word, supplied by the translators.

So, where does all of this leave us? Tongues are languages that are understood by some human, somewhere. The truths of God are easily understood in Spanish or English or any other language, so there is no need for a glossolalia (ecstatic utterance) to accomplish what we can do already.

The real question is, are we doing what we already know we’re supposed to be doing? Everyone wants to run before they can walk, do the big things before they are doing the little things, and that is a problem. Song of Solomon 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. (Cazadnos las zorra, las zorras pequeñas, que echan á perder las viñas; Pues que nuestras viñas están en cierne.) It isn’t las zorras that cause the problem, it’s las zorras pequeñas! It isn’t the big raccoons that tear up the corn field, it’s the little raccoons, that can’t reach as high as the big raccoons, that tear the stalks up. When we take care of the little things, the big things begin to fall in line. If you do the do’s, that you already know about, you don’t have time to do the don’ts.

We’re supposed to bear fruit, like the fruits of the Spirit, not more gifts.
Mat 7:16 Por sus frutos los conoceréis. ¿Cógense uvas de los espinos, ó higos de los abrojos?
Mat 7:17 Así, todo buen árbol lleva buenos frutos; mas el árbol maleado lleva malos frutos.
Mat 7:18 No puede el buen árbol llevar malos frutos, ni el árbol maleado llevar frutos buenos.
Mat 7:19 Todo árbol que no lleva buen fruto, córtase y échase en el fuego.
Mat 7:20 Así que, por sus frutos los conoceréis.
Mat 7:21 No todo el que me dice: Señor, Señor, entrará en el reino de los cielos: mas el que hiciere la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos.
Gal 5:19 Y manifiestas son las obras de la carne, que son: adulterio, fornicación, inmundicia, disolución,
Gal 5:20 Idolatría, hechicerías, enemistades, pleitos, celos, iras, contiendas, disensiones, herejías,
Gal 5:21 Envidias, homicidios, borracheras, banqueteos, y cosas semejantes á éstas: de las cuales os denuncio, como ya os he anunciado, que los que hacen tales cosas no heredarán el reino de Dios.
Gal 5:22 Mas el fruto del Espíritu es: caridad, gozo, paz, tolerancia, benignidad, bondad, fe,
Gal 5:23 Mansedumbre, templanza: contra tales cosas no hay ley.
Gal 5:24 Porque los que son de Cristo, han crucificado la carne con los afectos y concupiscencias.
Gal 5:25 Si vivimos en el Espíritu, andemos también en el Espíritu.

Work on these things A and lead the others to do likewise. Learn to be rich soil, that produces an abundance of fruit.
Mar 4:2 Y les enseñaba por parábolas muchas cosas, y les decía en su doctrina:
Mar 4:3 Oid: He aquí, el sembrador salió á sembrar.
Mar 4:4 Y aconteció sembrando, que una parte cayó junto al camino; y vinieron las aves del cielo, y la tragaron.
Mar 4:5 Y otra parte cayó en pedregales, donde no tenía mucha tierra; y luego salió, porque no tenía la tierra profunda:
Mar 4:6 Mas salido el sol, se quemó; y por cuanto no tenía raíz, se secó.
Mar 4:7 Y otra parte cayó en espinas; y subieron las espinas, y la ahogaron, y no dió fruto.
Mar 4:8 Y otra parte cayó en buena tierra, y dió fruto, que subió y creció: y llevó uno á treinta, y otro á sesenta, y otro á ciento.
Mar 4:9 Entonces les dijo: El que tiene oídos para oir, oiga.
Mar 4:10 Y cuando estuvo solo, le preguntaron los que estaban cerca de él con los doce, sobre la parábola.
Mar 4:11 Y les dijo: A vosotros es dado saber el misterio del reino de Dios; mas á los que están fuera, por parábolas todas las cosas;
Mar 4:12 Para que viendo, vean y no echen de ver; y oyendo, oigan y no entiendan: porque no se conviertan, y les sean perdonados los pecados.
Mar 4:13 Y les dijo: ¿No sabéis esta parábola? ¿Cómo, pues, entenderéis todas las parábolas?
Mar 4:14 El que siembra es el que siembra la palabra.
Mar 4:15 Y éstos son los de junto al camino: en los que la palabra es sembrada: mas después que la oyeron, luego viene Satanás, y quita la palabra que fué sembrada en sus corazones.
Mar 4:16 Y asimismo éstos son los que son sembrados en pedregales: los que cuando han oído la palabra, luego la toman con gozo;
Mar 4:17 Mas no tienen raíz en sí, antes son temporales, que en levantándose la tribulación ó la persecución por causa de la palabra, luego se escandalizan.
Mar 4:18 Y éstos son los que son sembrados entre espinas: los que oyen la palabra;
Mar 4:19 Mas los cuidados de este siglo, y el engaño de las riquezas, y las codicias que hay en las otras cosas, entrando, ahogan la palabra, y se hace infructuosa.
Mar 4:20 Y éstos son los que fueron sembrados en buena tierra: los que oyen la palabra, y la reciben, y hacen fruto, uno á treinta, otro á sesenta, y otro á ciento.

I haven’t done anything else on the other Ryrie book, but what I am going to do is send you a copy of the study my wife has been doing on Proverbs. I’m trying to figure out how to bind it, that would be acceptable to the system, so it doesn’t fall apart. Proverbs is a book of wisdom, which is knowing the right thing to do and then doing it. “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. . . But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” (C.H. Spurgeon) Jas 3:17 Mas la sabiduría que es de lo alto, primeramente es pura, después pacífica, modesta, benigna, llena de misericordia y de buenos frutos, no juzgadora, no fingida.
Jas 3:18 Y el fruto de justicia se siembra en paz para aquellos que hacen paz.

When I get it all together, I’ll send one to you and one to P. B.

Yours in Christ,

Paul

Test drive

The world around us is changing at a rate that's hard to keep up with, especially as age begins to advance. Blogging is a change that seems so natural for the younger generation, but it may not be as easy as what my older mindset can handle. We'll see, as I attempt to share some of life's experiences.

I have been pretty active on several forums and I am presently a moderator on http://forums.handloads.com/default.asp I have over 10,000 post on that forum, so I'm not a total stranger to the systems/methods of posting.

Since I'm retired, I have time to devote to my hobbies, which increases the enjoyment I derive from the hobby and the camaraderie of associating with others with the same hobby.

Here's part of what I used to do, but it was more than just drinking coffee!




There have been other tasks that seemed to occupy our time , like this one. Stirring dirt is just part of farm life and it's always an enjoyable time for me. I like smelling freshly tilled soil, so it isn't drudgery for me. This picture was taken in the spring, in preparation for planting and with the fragrance of the fruit trees making it even more pleasant.

Well, I thought I lost this one in cyber space, but I may get to publish it after all.

There's lot's to discuss, farming/gardening, Christian living, guns, reloading and etc., but I save it for a later date.