UNQUOTABLE QUOTES - Oral Roberts - "A New Understanding"

DAILY GUIDE TO MIRACLES from Oral Roberts Ministries
Monday, July 18th, 2005
www.orm.cc

A New Understanding
Part 2 of 3 Parts
Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts Ministries
www.orm.cc

"Many times we don't know what to pray for. But Romans 8:26,27 says, Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

When we're praying in tongues, the Holy spirit-our Comforter and helper-is interceding with God and using words for which there is no human speech. this is why He gives us a new language, because our human speech is so limited. We don't know what to say to God. The Holy Spirit was sent for this very reason-to open up a new line of one-on-one communication between Jesus and us, just as if he were here in the flesh.

Then verse 27 says, he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. While we're praying in tongues, the Holy Spirit is searching our hearts for problems, for hurts, for questions we don't have answers to. He's looking for things that are a mystery to us.

First Corinthians 14:2 says, he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. When we speak in tongues, we're speaking directly to God! We don't have to go through life double-minded or burdened down. God gave us the Holy Spirit-Christ in us-to give us a new understanding of Him and help us pray according to God's will."

ON DOCTRINE NOTE:
Oral Roberts is very clever at mixing a little truth with a lot of error to make his claims appear to be legitimate. Beginning with Romans 8:26-27, which rightly states that the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, Oral Roberts then states that it is not the Holy Spirit who speaks, but that it is the Holy Spirit using the mystical spiritual language who speaks through the voice of human beings, something that he has added to the Scripture that does not exist in the verses that he quotes. Oral Roberts redacts the Scripture, adding his own words to produce the Oral Roberts Version (ORV) of the Bible. Oral Roberts presents an absurdity, namely that as part of the Trinitarian Godhead the Holy Spirit is unable to intercede and communicate the needs of believers to God except after God has created a new "communication system" of tongues, by which the Holy Spirit speaks through the voice of human beings using the words of that language.

Unable to use the limited vocabulary of human language, the Holy Spirit is forced to use a new spiritual language that is not just a singular language, but is a different language for every single believer, resulting in untold millions of different languages that must be used. Not only are there so many languages, they are only good for one-way communication because the person speaking does not understand what they are saying, and if God were to reciprocate by speaking back to them, they would not understand what God was saying. Apparently God must use an interpreter to speak back to the individual which would entail translating the perfect spiritual language back into the imperfect human language in order for God to make His point.

Oral Roberts ignores the meaning of Romans 8:26, which says:

". . . for we do not know how to pray as we should . . ." (NAS)

Nothing is said in the verse about language being deficient, but it is the inability of the believer to understand their true needs that would lead to their welfare. It is about those unknown elements that the "Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words . . ," (NAS). If the Holy Spirit does not utter words, then it is certain that human being do not utter the words even in a magical spiritual language. The explanation of how the Holy Spirit communicates with God is found in the very verse that Oral Roberts quotes:

". . . and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God," Romans 8:27 (NAS).

The Divine intercession by the Holy Spirit is within the mind of the Trinity where no words are necessary. God, who searches the hearts of mankind, knows the mind of the Holy Spirit just as the Holy Spirit knows the will of God and it is in relation to the will of God toward the believer that the Holy Spirit intercedes.

Oral Roberts' misuse of 1 Corinthians 14:2, is the attempt to insert his "revelation" about the "new communication system" into a passage in which it doesn't originally exist. 1 Corinthians 14:2 is expressing the same idea as 1 Corinthians 14:6-16:

"But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and i will also sing with the understanding. otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say 'Amen' at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified." (NKJV)

Oral Roberts claims that tongues is the "new communication system" established by God, but the apostle Paul denies that to be the case, because he says that not all believers have the gift of tongues just as all believers do not have all of the other gifts:

"And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues. Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way," 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 (NKJV).

As a "new communication system," Oral Roberts version of the gift of tongues utterly fails, because not all believers have the gift, therefore they are excluded from its use and are substandard in their walk with God because the Holy Spirit is unable to intercede to God on their behalf.

"Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. In the law it is written:

'With men of other tongues and other lips
I will speak to this people;
And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,'

says the Lord.
Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe," 1 Corinthians 14:20-22 (NKJV).