Tongues Shall Cease?

No topic sparks more controversy or emotion in the modern Church than the gift of tongues, and it is in this volatile environment that Tony Watts tackles the issue head-on. In his book, "Tongues Shall Cease?" Tony addresses the three most basic questions asked. "What," for example, "was the nature of the gift of tongues?" Was it human in nature, or did it consist of some unintelligible, angelic, or heavenly utterance? Second, and as importantly, "Why were tongues given in the first place? Was it given as evidence of something significant or as means to a deeper devotional life? Finally, Tony answers the one and most hotly debated question about tongues, and that is, "When, if at all, did tongues cease?" In other words, did God intend for tongues to appear and then disappear in the first century or did He mean for the gift to continue throughout the Church age? Tony answers these and other questions in this work, "Tongues Shall Cease?"

Tony is no stranger to Charismatic doctrine. In his late teens and into his early twenties, he regularly attended a local Church of God. Although he is now a Cessationist, his association with his church gave him much exposure to those who “spoke in tongues.” Add that first-hand knowledge of Charismatic theology to the fact that Tony also has many family members and friends involved in the movement to one degree or another, thus making him handily familiar with the arguments on both sides of the issue. “Tongues Shall Cease?,” then, is a compilation of both his experience with Charismatics and his years of study on the topic. Tony Watts is also founder of link2eternity ministries, preacher, columnist, and author addresses contemporary issues from a biblical perspective. Receiving Christ in 1979 catapulted Tony into a life of personal Bible Study that eventually led him from the Charismatic church he attended at the time and then to Piedmont Bible College in 1983 (Now Piedmont International University). There he completed both his undergrad and graduate degrees in Biblical Studies. He has also studied the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection under Gary Habermas at Southern Evangelical Seminary.