Tongues: What Does the Bible Actually Say?

 

There has been so much debate about speaking in tongues that sometimes I think we have forgotten to simply read what Paul actually wrote. Some say every Christian should speak in tongues, while others say tongues were only for the early church and have no place today. But what happens when we set those arguments aside for a moment and simply follow Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14?

Paul clearly identifies tongues as a gift of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12:10, he says that the Spirit gives to one person various kinds of tongues and to another the interpretation of tongues. So, there is no question that Paul regarded tongues as a genuine spiritual gift.

But then he asks something very important:

“Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” 1 Corinthians 12:30

The answer is obviously no. Paul has already explained that the Spirit distributes the gifts as He wills, and not everyone receives the same gift. That undermines the teaching that every Christian must speak in tongues as evidence of having received the Holy Spirit. Paul doesn't say that. In fact, his question seems to suggest the opposite. If all believers were supposed to speak in tongues, why would Paul ask, “Do all speak with tongues?”

So, we can establish something quite simply from the text. Tongues are a gift of the Spirit, but they are not a gift given to everybody.

Then we come to 1 Corinthians 14, where the subject becomes even more interesting.

Paul says:

“For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 14:2

Then, just two verses later, he says:

“The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:4

I think we sometimes overlook that because we have already decided what we believe about tongues. Paul says the person who speaks in a tongue builds up himself. That is personal edification, and Paul doesn't present it as something bad or meaningless. He doesn't say that the person is wasting his time. He says that he is building himself up.

And that makes another statement Paul makes very interesting:

“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.”
1 Corinthians 14:18

Why would Paul say this?

If speaking in tongues had no personal spiritual value, why would Paul thank God that he did it more than all of them?

We have already seen what Paul said. The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up. So perhaps we should take Paul at his word. A personal strengthening was taking place, and Paul tells us that he himself spoke in tongues more than all of them. We could describe that as becoming stronger in his walk with God and better able to stand, although Paul simply says he was being built up.

But I also understand the objection that can be raised to this. Where is the fruit? If someone tells me that speaking in tongues is building them up spiritually, then surely, I should be able to see some evidence of that spiritual strengthening in the way they live. Paul himself gives us the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23, and that fruit cannot simply be ignored because somebody has a particular spiritual gift.

The Corinthians themselves show us why we need to make that distinction. They had spiritual gifts, including tongues, but Paul still had to correct them for their divisions, jealousy, pride and disorder. So having a gift does not automatically mean that a person is spiritually mature.

That does not mean we should reject Paul's statement that speaking in a tongue builds up the individual. It means we shouldn't confuse the gift with the fruit. Paul says the gift can build the individual, but the evidence of a life being governed by the Spirit is seen in the fruit that follows.

That is why he says:

“Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.” 1 Corinthians 14:19

Why? Because when the church comes together, other people matter. If I speak in a tongue and nobody understands what I am saying, I may be strengthened personally, but what has the person sitting next to me received? That is Paul's concern.

And this is where Paul's statement in verse 5 also needs to be understood:

“Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy.”
1 Corinthians 14:5

How can Paul say that he wants them all to speak in tongues when he has already asked, “Do all speak with tongues?”

I don't believe there is a contradiction here. Paul can express a desire that everyone might speak in tongues without saying that everyone has been given the gift. We do this ourselves in ordinary conversation. I could say that I want everyone to be able to speak another language without believing that everyone already speaks one.

Paul's greater concern in chapter 14 is what happens when the church comes together. He says that the person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in a tongue unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. That is where we begin to see the balance in Paul's teaching. Tongues can build up the individual, while interpretation allows what is spoken to become something the church can also benefit from.

I think this is where we need to be careful with the arguments we have built around this subject. We can become so focused on whether tongues are real or whether they are for today that we miss what Paul is actually teaching about their purpose. Paul clearly regards tongues as a gift of the Spirit. He tells us that the person speaking in a tongue builds himself up, and he tells us plainly that he himself speaks in tongues. But he also makes it equally clear that not everyone speaks in tongues, and nowhere does he tell us that speaking in tongues is the evidence that proves someone has the Holy Spirit.

Another verse is often brought into the discussion.

Paul says:

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1

Some use this verse to argue that there is a special heavenly language called the tongues of angels. But is Paul actually teaching that here?

Look at the way the whole passage is written. He says, “If I speak...” Then, “If I have prophetic powers...” Then, “If I understand all mysteries and all knowledge...” Then, “If I have all faith...” Then, “If I give away all I have...” and “If I deliver up my body...”

Paul is taking the argument to extremes to make one point. Even if I could do all these extraordinary things, without love I am nothing.

That is why I don't think we should take “tongues of angels” as Paul establishing a doctrine that there is an angelic language which Christians can speak. The point he makes in 1 Corinthians 13 is about love. We don't need verse 1 to establish that tongues are a gift, because Paul has already told us that in chapter 12 and then spends chapter 14 explaining how the gift is to be used.

And perhaps that is where we need to return to the simplicity of what Paul actually wrote. Tongues are a gift of the Spirit; not everyone has the same gift, and the person speaking in a tongue can be strengthened. But when the church gathers, there must also be concern for the strengthening of the whole body. That is why Paul places such importance on interpretation and on understandable speech.

It seems very different from some of the arguments we hear today. It is also very different from simply dismissing tongues altogether. Paul doesn't do either. He doesn't say everyone must speak in tongues, and he doesn't tell the church to forget about tongues.

In fact, at the end of his instructions he says:

“Do not forbid speaking in tongues.” 1 Corinthians 14:39

That seems pretty clear to me. We shouldn't forbid something that Paul himself recognised as a gift of the Spirit. But at the same time, we shouldn't make it the measure of everybody's spirituality either. Use the gifts God gives. If the gift strengthens the individual, there is a place for that. If the gift is used publicly, then Paul wants the church to be strengthened as well.

In fact, another thought comes to mind when I think about the gifts God gives us. Jesus told the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14 to 30. The master entrusted different amounts to his servants, and two of them went and used what they had been given. The third servant took what his master had entrusted to him and buried it in the ground. He was afraid and did nothing with what had been given to him, and that is the warning in the parable. What God gives us is not meant to be buried simply because we don't know what to do with it or because we are afraid of using it.

That does not mean every gift will look the same, as Paul has already made clear. Not everyone is an apostle, not everyone is a prophet, not everyone is a teacher, not everyone works miracles, and not everyone speaks in tongues. We don't all have the same gift. But if God has entrusted something to us, perhaps the question is not why we don't have someone else's gift. Perhaps the question is what we are doing with the one He has given us.

And that brings me back to tongues. Paul does not tell us that everyone must speak in tongues. He doesn't make tongues the evidence that someone has the Holy Spirit. But neither does he tell those who have the gift to bury it. After everything he has said about how tongues should be used, Paul has made his position clear. There is something very simple about that. Don't make the gift into something it isn't, but don't bury it either. Use what God has given you according to His Word, with love, with order, and with consideration for the body of Christ.

And above all of this, we have to remember what sits between Paul's teaching on the gifts in chapter 12 and his instructions concerning them in chapter 14.

Love.

That is not an accident.

We can argue about tongues until the cows come home. We can argue about whether they are for today, whether everyone should speak in tongues, what exactly Paul meant by tongues, and whether what we see happening today is the same thing Paul was describing. But Paul puts the whole discussion into perspective.

Whatever gift we have, whatever experience we have, and whatever ability God has given us, without love it amounts to nothing. The gift is important, but it is not the giver. The strengthening of the individual matters, and the strengthening of the church matters, but neither should become more important than Christ Himself.

Perhaps the question isn't simply whether we speak in tongues. Perhaps the better question is what we are doing with whatever God has given us. Are we using it to build ourselves up and, where appropriate, to build up the body of Christ? Are we allowing the gift to remain a gift, or have we turned it into a measure of spirituality?

Because Paul seems to leave us with a very simple principle. Whatever God gives us, it must never become more important than the One who gave it.

Signing off, Tyrone

Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 12:10 to 30; 1 Corinthians 13:1 to 3; 1 Corinthians 14:2 to 5; 1 Corinthians 14:18 to 19; 1 Corinthians 14:39; Galatians 5:22 to 23; Matthew 25:14 to 30

ARE WE LOOKING FOR JESUS IN THE WRONG PLACES?

Part 13: The Man in the Iron Cage

"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God."

Hebrews 3:12 (ESV)

Christian has now been through several rooms in the Interpreter's House, and each lesson has revealed something that he needs to understand before continuing his journey. The Interpreter has shown him the faithful servant, the dusty room, Passion and Patience, the fire that continued to burn and the palace guarded by armed men. Each lesson has revealed something about the Christian life, yet Christian is still carrying the burden that brought him out of the City of Destruction. The Interpreter is not finished with him. He takes Christian into another room, and there he sees a man sitting inside an iron cage.

The sight of this man immediately troubles Christian. His eyes are looking towards the ground, his hands are folded together and he is sighing as though his heart might break. Christian asks who he is, and the man's answer is very revealing. He tells Christian that he is what he was not once. Christian naturally wants to know what he was once, and the man explains that he had been a fair and flourishing professor, both in his own eyes and in the eyes of others. He had believed himself to be on the way to the Celestial City and had even experienced joy when he thought about arriving there. Yet now he describes himself as a man of despair, shut up in an iron cage, and he sees no way of escape.

This is quite a change from the man he says he once was.

Christian wants to know how he came into such a condition, and the man's answer is sobering. He tells Christian that he stopped watching and being sober. He gave himself over to his lusts. He sinned against the light of the Word and the goodness of God. He says that he grieved the Spirit, tempted the devil, provoked God to anger and hardened his heart until he could no longer repent.

There is a progression here that is difficult to ignore. The man did not describe himself as someone who had never known anything about God. He had made a profession. He believed himself to be on the way to the Celestial City. He had experienced joy concerning the things of God. Yet he became careless, allowed his desires to take control and continued in a direction that eventually brought him to a place of complete despair.

Peter writes, "Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

Peter's words immediately bring the man's testimony to mind. He tells Christian that he stopped watching and being sober, while Peter warns us to remain sober minded and watchful. Bunyan has already shown us that the Christian pilgrimage is not a journey without danger. Christian has encountered those who would turn him away from the narrow road, and now he is being shown what can happen when a person becomes careless with the things of God.

There is something else here that has caused me to stop and think about Christian's journey. How is Christian able to receive all these lessons in the Interpreter's House before he reaches the Cross? Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3 (ESV): Christian has not yet reached the Cross; his burden is still upon his back, yet he is clearly being shown things that have spiritual meaning.

Perhaps we have been looking at this the wrong way.

Christian does not appear to understand everything that God is doing in his life. He knows that something is wrong. He knows that he is in danger. He has opened the Book and discovered his condition. He has listened to Evangelist, sought the Wicket Gate and entered the Interpreter's House. Something has already happened to this man, even though he has not yet reached the place where his burden will finally fall from his back.

Sometimes a person can notice that something is changing before they understand what is causing it. I can speak to this from my own experience. I was very much about wine, women and song, yet before I returned to South Africa, what had once been relatively easy to achieve suddenly became strangely difficult. At the time, I could not understand why. I simply noticed that something had changed. I certainly was not thinking that God was dealing with me or preparing me for the Gospel. I simply knew that something was different. Looking back now, I can see that He was dealing with me long before I understood what He was doing.

I wonder how many of us could look back and recognise something similar? Perhaps there were circumstances that made no sense at the time, desires that began to lose their appeal, or things that once satisfied us that suddenly seemed strangely empty. We may have put it down to circumstances or simply to getting older, never considering that God might be dealing with us before we had any understanding of it. I am not suggesting that every change in our lives is God preparing us for salvation, but having experienced it myself, I cannot help but look at Christianity differently. He knows something is wrong; he knows he needs deliverance, but he does not yet understand what God is doing. Could Bunyan be showing us a man beginning to see his condition before he understands the hand that is leading him towards the answer? Perhaps that is a question each of us should consider when we look back over our own lives.

Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." John 6:44 (ESV). That is worth considering alongside the Christian's journey. He is not finding his own way to God through human wisdom. He has been awakened to his condition and is being directed towards the place where his burden will finally be removed. He does not understand everything, but that should not surprise us. We do not understand everything at the Cross either. The Cross is where the burden is removed. It is not where our education suddenly ends.

Christian still has a long pilgrimage ahead of him after he reaches the Cross. There will be temptation, suffering, false teaching, spiritual conflict, and many more lessons before he reaches Celestial City. The Parable of the Sower comes to mind here, because Jesus tells us that some receive the Word with joy, yet when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, they stumble. Hearing the Word is not the end of the matter. What happens afterwards matters. Perhaps this is part of what Bunyan is showing us by placing the Interpreter's House where he does. Christian is being prepared for what lies ahead, and the Interpreter is helping him understand things he could not yet grasp while he was still content to remain in the City of Destruction.

This makes the image of the man in the iron cage even more sobering, as Christian is shown what can happen when a man receives light and then grows careless with it. We must not soften that warning, but neither should we forget the abundance of God's grace. I can say that from experience because when I look back at the man I was, I know that God has shown me a patience I did not deserve, and I continue to experience that patience today. Samson gives us another remarkable example. His choices brought terrible consequences, including blindness, captivity and humiliation, yet when he cried out to God, the Lord heard him and restored his strength. His story does not make his sin acceptable, but it does show us something of God's mercy. "and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 1:14 (ESV)

Christian is deeply affected by what he has heard and asks whether there is any hope for such a man. The Interpreter tells him to ask the man himself, but Christian asks the Interpreter to do it. The man's answer is filled with despair. He believes there is no hope for him. Christian reminds him that the Son of the Blessed is very pitiful, yet the man believes that he has gone beyond the reach of mercy. He speaks of despising Christ, His righteousness and His blood, and of doing despite to the Spirit of grace.

The language Bunyan uses here takes us directly into the warnings of Hebrews.

"How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:29 (ESV)

These are difficult words, and Bunyan does not make them any easier. The man believes that he has deliberately turned away from the truth he once professed, and now he sees nothing before him except judgment. He believes that he has hardened his heart to such an extent that repentance is no longer possible.

This is where we need to be careful about what Bunyan is actually showing us. It would be very easy to decide exactly who this man represents theologically. Was he truly converted and then lost his salvation? Or was he someone who had made a profession but had never possessed saving faith? Bunyan does not stop here to settle that question for us. He allows the man to tell Christian what has happened to him, and then the Interpreter tells Christian to remember what he has seen as an everlasting caution.

We do not need to force an answer where Bunyan has not provided one. We can heed the warning and allow the Scriptures to speak alongside it.

The man also says that he has grieved the Spirit and that the Spirit is gone. Those words take us back to what we have already considered in the Interpreter's House. The Holy Spirit has been brought before us as the Spirit of truth, the One who teaches and guides God's people. Paul tells the believers at Ephesus, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30 (ESV)

The man then tells Christian what brought him to this condition. It was the lusts, pleasures and profits of this world. These were the things he had promised himself he would delight in, yet they have now become a source of misery. What he once believed would satisfy him has turned against him, and he describes them as biting and gnawing him like a burning worm. Judas Iscariot is a sobering example of this very thing. He was entrusted with the money bag, yet his love of money eventually led him to betray his Master. When the consequences finally became clear, the thirty pieces of silver that had once seemed worth the price of his betrayal offered him no comfort. He returned the money, confessed, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood," and then went away and took his own life. Matthew 27:3 to 5. What had appeared to be worth having became a terrible burden once the reality of what he had done caught up with him. Sin has a way of hiding the price until after the purchase has been made.

Is that not so often the way sin works? We see what it promises before we see what it costs. The pleasure comes first, and the consequences often arrive later. We tell ourselves that we are in control, yet the very thing we have chosen can eventually become the thing that controls us. The man in the iron cage now sees the consequences of choices that once appeared to offer him pleasure.

The Interpreter tells Christian to remember the man's misery as an everlasting caution. Christian's response is revealing. He asks God to help him watch and be sober, and to pray that he might shun the cause of this man's misery. Bunyan then has Christian ask whether it is time to continue on his way, but the Interpreter tells him to stay because there is one more thing he wants to show him. I think this is worth considering, because Christian believes he is ready to continue, yet the Interpreter knows there is still something Christian needs to see before he leaves the house.

Christian has entered by the right way, but he still needs to be taught. He has seen things, but he does not yet understand everything. He is moving towards the Cross, but there are still lessons that must be learned before he leaves.

That is important because the Christian pilgrimage does not begin with complete understanding, nor does it suddenly produce complete understanding at the Cross. God deals with us, teaches us and reveals things to us as we walk. Sometimes we only recognise afterwards what He was doing before we had the understanding to recognise it.

Bunyan's Christian is being prepared for something he does not yet fully understand. He is carrying a burden that he cannot remove himself, and he is being brought towards the place where he will finally discover what Christ has accomplished for him. The Interpreter has shown him many things, and the man in the iron cage has given him another warning to carry with him.

The burden is still upon his back; the Cross is still ahead of him, and there is still one more lesson waiting before he leaves the Interpreter's House.

Signing off

Tyrone

Scripture References: John 3:3; John 6:44; Matthew 13:20 to 21; Matthew 27:3 to 5; Judges 16:28 to 30; Luke 8:13; Hebrews 3:12; Hebrews 6:4 to 6; Hebrews 10:26 to 29; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Timothy 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

ARE WE LOOKING FOR JESUS IN THE WRONG PLACES?

 Part 12 – The Stately Palace: Counting the Cost

"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33 (ESV)

Having shown Christian the fire that could not be extinguished, the Interpreter leads him to yet another room, where a very different scene unfolds. Before him stands a stately palace on a beautiful hill. It is a place of great splendour, and everything about it invites admiration. Yet Bunyan immediately directs our attention away from the palace itself and towards its entrance. Armed men stand before the doorway, determined to prevent anyone from entering. Their swords are drawn, and they appear ready to oppose all who attempt to pass.

Why would Bunyan place such a scene before Christian?

As we have already discovered, nothing in the Interpreter's House is accidental. Every lesson has prepared Christian for the pilgrimage that still lies before him. The portrait taught him to recognise a faithful servant of Christ. The dusty room revealed the true purpose of God's Law. Passion and Patience contrasted the passing pleasures of this world with the inheritance awaiting the believer. The fire burning against the wall reminded him that the work of God's grace is continually sustained by Christ Himself. Now Bunyan presents another lesson, one that speaks to the cost of following Christ.

At first, the picture appears almost discouraging. If the palace represents God's blessings, why is its entrance guarded by armed men? Why is the way not open and inviting? Bunyan could easily have described Christian entering without resistance, yet he deliberately places conflict before blessing. That alone should prompt us to pause and ask what he intends us to learn.

Christian then notices a man seated at a table, a book before him. One after another, those who wish to enter the palace approach the entrance, but as soon as they see the armed men, they quietly withdraw. The danger seems greater than the reward. Finally, one man of resolute spirit steps forward and says to the man with the book,

"Set down my name, sir."

Having spoken these words, he draws his sword and presses forward. Though wounded many times in the struggle, he refuses to turn back until he has passed through the armed men and entered the palace. Immediately those within receive him with great joy, clothe him in garments of gold, place a crown upon his head, and welcome him into their company.

Why does Bunyan describe the scene in this way?

The answer lies in the teaching of our Lord. As great crowds gathered around Him, Jesus never concealed the cost of discipleship. Rather than encouraging superficial followers, He called men and women to count the cost before committing themselves to Him.

"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33 (ESV)

These words are often misunderstood. Jesus was not teaching that salvation is earned through sacrifice or perseverance. Bunyan has already made it abundantly clear that Christian entered through the Wicket Gate by God's appointed way, not by his own merit. The palace is not teaching us how to be saved. It is teaching us what it means to follow the One who saves.

The Scriptures leave us in no doubt that the Christian life will be marked by opposition. Paul reminded Timothy,

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV)

Similarly, when Paul and Barnabas strengthened the churches, they reminded the disciples,

"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

Acts 14:22 (ESV)

These passages do not present suffering as unusual but as something to be expected. Bunyan illustrates this truth by placing armed men at the palace entrance. They are not there because Christ is unwilling to receive His people, but because the world, the flesh and the devil continually oppose those who seek to follow Him faithfully.

One detail deserves particular attention. The man does not ask whether there is another entrance. He does not seek an easier path, nor does he wait for the armed men to leave their posts. Having committed himself, he presses forward despite the wounds he receives. His confidence rests, not in his own strength, but in the certainty that what awaits within the palace is worth every hardship endured along the way.

Does this not bring to mind the words of the Apostle Paul?

"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Romans 8:18 (ESV)

Perhaps this is why Bunyan places this lesson before Christian reaches the Cross. The pilgrimage is not a promise of an easy road, but of a faithful Saviour. Before Christian continues his journey, he must understand that opposition is not evidence that he is on the wrong path. Rather, it often confirms that he is walking the narrow way of which our Lord spoke.

As we continue through the Interpreter's House, Bunyan prepares both Christian and the reader for the realities that lie ahead. Each lesson strips away another misunderstanding, each lesson directs us back to the Scriptures, and each lesson points us once again to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Signing off

Tyrone

Scripture References: Luke 14:25 to 33; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12; Romans 8:18; James 1:12.

 

ARE WE LOOKING FOR JESUS IN THE WRONG PLACES?

 

Part 11 – The Fire That Would Not Go Out

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:27–28 (ESV)

Having shown Christian the difference between Passion and Patience, the Interpreter leads him into another room, where he is presented with a most remarkable sight. Christian sees a fire burning against a wall while a man stands before it, continually casting water upon the flames. Everything about the scene suggests the fire should soon be extinguished, yet the opposite happens. The more water is poured upon it, the more brightly it burns. As with the previous lessons, Bunyan offers no explanation at first. He simply presents the picture and leaves both Christian and the reader to consider what they have seen.

Why would Bunyan place this lesson before Christian? Throughout the Interpreter's House, every room has unfolded a spiritual truth firmly rooted in the Scriptures. The portrait taught Christian how to recognise a faithful servant of Christ. The dusty room revealed that the Law exposes sin but cannot cleanse the heart. Passion and Patience showed the difference between living for present pleasures and waiting for the inheritance God has promised. This scene now introduces another truth that every pilgrim must learn before continuing the journey.

At first, the picture seems to make little sense. Fire and water cannot coexist for long. Common experience tells us that if enough water is poured on a fire, the flames will eventually die. Yet Bunyan deliberately reverses what nature teaches us. The enemy appears to have every advantage, yet despite his continual efforts, the fire refuses to go out. The explanation only comes when the Interpreter invites Christian to look behind the wall. There he sees another man, hidden from view, continually pouring oil on the same fire. What had seemed impossible suddenly becomes perfectly clear. The fire continues to burn because another work is taking place that Christian cannot see.

The Interpreter explains that the fire represents the work of grace within the heart of the believer. The man casting water upon it represents the devil, who continually seeks to quench that work through temptation, persecution, doubt and discouragement. The One standing behind the wall is Christ Himself, secretly sustaining His people by His grace. Satan sees the fire, but he does not see the hand that preserves it. Christian sees the attack, but he does not immediately see the One who is ensuring that the fire will never be extinguished.

There is another thought that may be worth considering. Throughout the Scriptures, fire is often associated with the work of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist declared that Christ would baptise "with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11), and on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples with "divided tongues as of fire" (Acts 2:3). Bunyan does not tell us that the fire represents the Holy Spirit, and we should be careful not to say more than the Scriptures or Bunyan himself allow. Nevertheless, it is difficult to overlook the connection. The work of grace burning within the believer is the work of the Holy Spirit, and it is Christ who continually sustains that gracious work.

Does this not bring to mind the words of our Lord?

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:27–28 (ESV)

Jesus does not say that His sheep will never face danger. On the contrary, He speaks of wolves, thieves and robbers throughout this discourse. Yet in the midst of every threat, He gives His people an unshakeable assurance. They belong to Him, and because they belong to Him, no power is able to remove them from His hand. Their security rests, not in their ability to hold on to Christ, but in Christ's determination to hold on to them.

The Apostle Paul expresses the same confidence when writing to the Philippians.

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

Notice where Paul's confidence rests. He does not point believers to their own strength, their own faithfulness or their own perseverance. He directs them to God, who begins the work and who also completes it. The Christian life begins by grace, continues by grace and will one day be perfected by grace. Left to ourselves, the fire would long ago have gone out. It continues to burn because Christ continually supplies what His people need.

Perhaps this explains why Bunyan places this lesson before Christian reaches the Cross. The pilgrimage will not be easy. There will be trials, disappointments, fierce temptations and determined opposition. Before Christian encounters those realities, the Interpreter reminds him that there is always more taking place than human eyes can see. Behind every trial stands a faithful Saviour who neither slumbers nor sleeps, continually preserving those whom He has redeemed.

As we continue our journey through the Interpreter's House, Bunyan will unfold yet another lesson that prepares Christian for the road ahead. Each room brings us one step closer to understanding the grace of God more fully, and each lesson points us once again to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Signing off

Tyrone

Scripture References: John 10:27–29; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 7:25; Jude 24–25; 1 Peter 1:3–5.

ARE WE LOOKING FOR JESUS IN THE WRONG PLACES?

 

Part 10 – Passion and Patience: Which Treasure Are We Seeking?

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15 (ESV)

Having shown Christian that the Law can expose sin but cannot cleanse the heart, the Interpreter leads him into another room. There, Christian sees two young children seated in chairs. One is called Passion, the other Patience. At first, there seems little to distinguish them, yet Bunyan is once again using a simple image to reveal a profound biblical truth.

Christian is told that Passion can no longer wait for his inheritance. He demands it immediately. His request is granted, and for a short time he delights in all he has received. Yet his joy is short-lived. Before long, his riches are gone, and he is left with nothing but rags and regret.

Patience, however, is willing to wait. He refuses to demand what has not yet been given, content to receive his inheritance in the proper time.

Why would Bunyan place this lesson before Christian reaches the Cross?

The answer goes back to one of the oldest temptations recorded in Scripture. Ever since the Garden of Eden, mankind has desired to grasp now what God has appointed for later. Eve saw that the fruit was desirable, and rather than trusting God's wisdom, she reached out to take what had been forbidden. The immediate seemed more attractive than faithful obedience.

Has anything really changed?

Our world encourages us to seek immediate satisfaction. We are taught to pursue comfort, success, wealth and happiness now. Patience has become a rare virtue because we have been conditioned to believe that fulfilment must not be delayed.

The Apostle John warns believers,

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15 (ESV)

He continues by reminding us that,

"...the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:17 (ESV)

Is this not exactly what Bunyan is showing us?

Passion lives for what is temporary. Patience lives in light of eternity.

The contrast is not merely between two personalities. It is between two kingdoms, two hopes and two treasures. One seeks satisfaction in the present world, while the other waits in faith for what God has promised.

Our Lord spoke in similar terms when He said,

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." Matthew 6:19–20 (ESV)

Bunyan's lesson remains as relevant today as it was in his own generation. Every day we are encouraged to value the immediate over the eternal. Yet Scripture continually calls God's people to look beyond the passing pleasures of this world and to fix their hope on the inheritance that can never perish.

Perhaps that is why the Interpreter shows Christian these two children so early in his pilgrimage. Before he encounters the attractions of Vanity Fair, the hardships of the journey, and the many temptations to abandon the narrow way, Bunyan teaches him to distinguish between what is transient and what is enduring.

In our next study, the Interpreter leads Christian to another striking scene. This time he sees a fire burning against a wall, while someone continually pours water on it in an attempt to extinguish it. It is another lesson that reminds us where the believer's confidence truly rests.

Signing off

Tyrone

Scripture References: 1 John 2:15–17; Matthew 6:19–21; Genesis 3:1–6; Hebrews 11:24–26; Colossians 3:1–4.