The Counterfeit
Holy Spirit
In this lesson we will be learning about
the counterfeit Holy Spirit. Dear friend, it is so very important that
we believe God’s word implicitly or else we WILL be deceived by the devil. The
speaking in “tongues” movement is bringing divergent religions into harmony, and
could pave the way for a united effort to enforce the mark of the Beast talked
about in Revelation 13.
Let us keep our eyes on Jesus as we begin
our search for Eternal
Truth.
1. How will religious leaders deceive those
who dwell on the earth?
Revelation 13:12-13; (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Thessalonians
2:9-10)
13:12 And
he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth
and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was
healed.
13:13
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven
on the earth in the sight of men,
2. At Pentecost, what group received “fire
from heaven,” and what did it cause them to
do?
Acts 2:1-4 (Luke
3:16)
2:1 And
when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one
place.
2:2 And
suddenly there came a sound from
heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting.
2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven
tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each
of them.
2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
3. Can satan counterfeit the gift of
tongues by speaking through people?
Mark 1:23-26 (Mark
5:7-9)
1:23 And
there was in their synagogue a
man with an unclean spirit; and he cried
out,
1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou
Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the
Holy One of God.
1:25 And
Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
1:26
And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and
cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
The spiritual gifts (fire) in Revelation 13
bring a kind of unity, but they are counterfeit. Ecstatic utterances have been
reported in non-Christian cultures too. (See “Phaedrus and Timaeus” by Plato,
and “Aeneid” by Virgil).
4. 1 John 4:1 says, “Test the spirits,
whether they are from God.” How can we test “speaking in
tongues?”
Isaiah 8:19-20 (Matthew 7:15,
20-23)
8:19 And
when they shall say unto you, Seek
unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto
wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for
the living to the dead?
8:20
To the law and to the testimony:
if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them.
A spirit must uphold God’s law, ALL TEN, or
it is a counterfeit!
5. At Pentecost, did the apostles speak in
languages or in unknown tongues?
Acts 2:5-11 (Acts 1:8; Colossians
1:23)
2:5 And
there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under
heaven.
2:6 Now
when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded,
because that every man heard
them speak in his own language.
2:7 And
they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all
these which speak Galilaeans?
2:8 And how hear we every man in our own
tongue, wherein we were born?
2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in
Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of
Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
2:11
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues
the wonderful works of God.
This gift enabled the disciples to fulfill
Jesus’ commission to take the gospel to “all the nations;” to every “tribe,
TONGUE, and people” (Matthew 28:19; Revelation 14:6). The Pentecostal gift of tongues was the
ability to speak in other languages. Some who did not understand these
languages thought the disciples were drunk (verse 13). Each person did not
miraculously hear in his own language while one of the apostles spoke, for the
multitude did not receive the “gift of ears.” Apparently each disciple spoke to
a different group, using it’s particular
language.
6. Was the next occurrence of tongues like
that at Pentecost?
Acts 10:44-47 (Acts 11:15;
15:8)
10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell
on all them which heard the word.
10:45 And
they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with
Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy
Ghost.
10:46 For they heard them speak with
tongues, and magnify God. Then answered
Peter,
10:47
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be
baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
7. Do all born-again Christians receive the
gift of tongues?
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (Romans
12:6-8)
12:4 Now
there are diversities of
gifts, but the same Spirit.
12:5 And
there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
12:6 And
there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in
all.
12:7 But
the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
12:9 To another
faith by the same Spirit; to
another the gifts of healing by the same
Spirit;
12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
12:11
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame
Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will.
8. Did Jesus say every believer would
receive every sign?
Mark 16:17-18 (Philippians 4:19; Matthew
28:18-20)
16:17 And
these signs shall follow them that
believe; In my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues;
16:18
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they
shall recover.
9. Who decides which gifts a person shall
receive?
1 Corinthians 12:11, 18 (Romans 12:6; Matthew
25:15)
12:11
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12:18
But now hath God set the members every one of
them in the body, as it hath pleased
him.
10. Where are the gifts
placed?
1 Corinthians 12:18, 28 (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-12; Colossians
1:24)
12:18
But now hath God set the members every one of them
in the body, as it hath pleased
him.
12:28
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues.
11. How important is the gift of tongues in
relation to other spiritual gifts?
1 Corinthians 12:28-31 (Romans 12:3, 16;
Ephesians 4:7-16)
12:28 And
God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings,
helps, governments, diversities
of tongues. [MENTIONED LAST!!!]
12:29 Are
all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of
miracles?
12:30 Have
all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
12:31
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I
unto you a more excellent way
Of the three places that Paul enumerates
these gifts he mentions tongues in only one, and there he lists it last. Paul
was not encouraging the Corinthians to speak in tongues; he was correcting their
misuse of the gift.
12. Paul says that to have love is more
important than to speak in the language of angels. What language do angels
speak?
Luke 1:26-31 (Daniel 9:21-23; Revelation 22:6-9; Matthew
1:20)
1:26 And
in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth,
1:27 To a
virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the
virgin's name was Mary.
1:28 And
the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the
Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled
at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should
be.
1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not,
Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
1:31
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and
bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
13. What was Paul’s counsel to the people
who misused their gifts ?
1 Corinthians 14:9-12 (Isaiah
28:9-10)
14:9 So
likewise ye, except ye utter by
the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?
for ye shall speak into the air.
14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the
world, and none of them is without signification.
14:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I
shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a
barbarian unto me.
14:12
Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of
spiritual gifts, seek that ye
may excel to the edifying of the church.
Tongues (in chapter 14) must be understood
in harmony with the rest of the new testament. Evidently some who had received
the gift of tongues for missionary work exulted in their ability and began to
preach, pray and sing in these foreign languages which the uneducated, who
probably knew only Greek, did not
understand.
14. Paul did not forbid the use of tongues
in church, but when it was used, what counsel did he
give?
1 Corinthians 14:27-28
14:27
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.
14:28
But if there be no interpreter,
let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to
God.
THREE MAJOR
BIBLICAL REQUIREMENTS for speaking in tongues that you will NOT find in today's
churches...
1. 1. Only ONE person may speak at a
time in tongues. 2. There should be absolutely NO spontaneous outbursts with
many people speaking at the same time.
15. How does a speaker’s own understanding
bear fruit?
Colossians 1:3-6 (Romans 1:13; John 15:8, 16; Philippians
1:22; 4:17)
1:3 We
give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for
you,
1:4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the
love which ye have to all the saints,
1:5 For
the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word
of the truth of the gospel;
1:6
Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world;
and bringeth forth fruit, as it
doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in
truth:
The message given by one speaking in
tongues will bear fruit. It will not be a message of ‘gibberish’ that no one can
understand.
16. Some congregations still pray or sing or
preach in other languages such as Latin. Does this edify the
congregation?
1 Corinthians 14:14-17 (1 Corinthians 14:2; 2:11; Luke
1:47)
14:14 For
if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is
unfruitful.
14:15 What
is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding
also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding
also.
14:16 Else when thou shalt bless with the
spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy
giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
14:17
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other
is not edified.
17. Why was the gift of tongues
given?
1 Corinthians 14:22 (Mark
16:15-17)
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.
18. What kind of ecumenical spirits are
going to unite the world?
Revelation 16:13-14 (Revelation
18:1-5)
16:13 And
I saw three unclean spirits like
frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out
of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
16:14
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the
earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of
God Almighty.
These spirits come out
of the mouth and are likened to frogs. Frogs catch their pray with their
TONGUES! This false speaking in
tongues is nothing
new...
“There are wandering stars professing to
be ministers sent of God who are preaching the Sabbath from place to place, but
who have truth mixed up with error and are throwing out their mass of discordant
views to the people. Satan has pushed them in to disgust intelligent and
sensible unbelievers. Some of these have much to say upon the gifts and are
often especially exercised. They give themselves up to wild, excitable feelings
and make unintelligible sounds which they call the gift of tongues, and a
certain class seem to be charmed with these strange manifestations. A strange
spirit rules with this class, which would bear down and run over anyone who
would reprove them. God's Spirit is not in the work and does not attend such
workmen. They have another spirit.” E.G. White,
Reflecting Christ, 1864.
19. For what purpose is the Holy Spirit
given?
John 16:13-14 (2 Thessalonians
2:9-10)
16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all
truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to
come.
16:14
He shall glorify me: for he
shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
There is a great work to be done in our
world. Men and women are to be converted, not by the gift of tongues nor by the
working of miracles, but by the preaching of Christ crucified. Why delay the
effort to make the world better? Why wait for some wonderful thing to be done,
some costly apparatus to be provided? ... Into all that we do, whether our work
be in the shop, on the farm, or in the office, we are to bring the endeavor to
save souls.