In reading what the
Bible has to say about speaking in tongues, the aim is, first of all, to
get people concerned about the one main thing, the power of
the Holy Spirit to win souls, and to keep people from being led off
into some cult and false doctrine and get a substitute instead of the
real thing. The talking of tongues took place on the day of Pentecost, There were three feasts that Jewish men
were required to observe in Jerusalem, each once a year. They were:
the Feast of Unleavened Bread (called Passover), the Feast of Tabernacles,
and the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost literally means "fifty" and was to be celebrated fifty days after
the Feast of Firstfruits. This was fulfilled by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." - I Corinthians 15:20.
Christ Fulfilled Promise on Pentecost
Since Pentecost came 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits, it was on this day, as promised by the Lord, that the Holy Spirit would come and a new dispensation would begin. Christ had told them to wait at Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came, "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." - Acts 1:1-5. Christ fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits when He arose from the grave (1st Corinthians 15:20,23). He then walked forty days with them (Acts 1:3) before ascending back to Heaven (Acts 1:9). They were to receive the Holy Spirit as PROMISED. The Holy Spirit would not have come any sooner or later; but, only at the APPOINTED TIME, set by God. The Holy Spirit was not the object of man's will by PRAYING, BEGGING, or SEEKING; but, the object of God's will by PROMISE.
Speaking Tongues on Pentecost
Now this is the one great essential Bible passage that deals with speaking in tongues at Pentecost. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:" - Acts 2:1-14. Here they spoke in tongues. What does it mean? The Scripture says, "Every man heard them speak in his own language." The words, "tongue" and "tongues," come from two Greek words, the word "tongue" is "dialektos," and means "dialect or language.", the word "tongues" is "glossa" and also means "a language". In other words, these are literal languages, but given miraculously as a gift of God in a time of need. Here is the principal Bible passage on talking in tongues.
These were not ecstatic utterances of "jibber-jabber"; but, actual, known languages. Pentecostalism and most tongues advocates claim Acts, Chapter Two, to validate their "jibber-jabber" and ecstatic sounds as true experience of speaking in tongues. One can easily see, by comparison, that tongues advocates today are not exercising the same manifestations of the Spirit as did those on Pentecost. If the tongues movement is motivated by, and their experience is that of the Holy Spirit, then they will coincide in every respect with the manifestations of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. When God does something, there is a purpose behind it.
Sole Purpose For Speaking in Tongues
God had a purpose and the whole purpose of Christ's coming into the world, and the preaching of the Gospel, and churches, and people called to preach, and missionaries, is to get the Gospel out to sinners and to keep people out of Hell. And that was the aim God had here. So He had plainly said, and now God had a reason to let them talk in the language so these people could be saved. Jews out of every nation under Heaven there that day heard the Gospel and three thousand souls got saved and baptized that day.
Christ Fulfilled Promise on Pentecost
Since Pentecost came 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits, it was on this day, as promised by the Lord, that the Holy Spirit would come and a new dispensation would begin. Christ had told them to wait at Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came, "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." - Acts 1:1-5. Christ fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits when He arose from the grave (1st Corinthians 15:20,23). He then walked forty days with them (Acts 1:3) before ascending back to Heaven (Acts 1:9). They were to receive the Holy Spirit as PROMISED. The Holy Spirit would not have come any sooner or later; but, only at the APPOINTED TIME, set by God. The Holy Spirit was not the object of man's will by PRAYING, BEGGING, or SEEKING; but, the object of God's will by PROMISE.
Speaking Tongues on Pentecost
Now this is the one great essential Bible passage that deals with speaking in tongues at Pentecost. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:" - Acts 2:1-14. Here they spoke in tongues. What does it mean? The Scripture says, "Every man heard them speak in his own language." The words, "tongue" and "tongues," come from two Greek words, the word "tongue" is "dialektos," and means "dialect or language.", the word "tongues" is "glossa" and also means "a language". In other words, these are literal languages, but given miraculously as a gift of God in a time of need. Here is the principal Bible passage on talking in tongues.
These were not ecstatic utterances of "jibber-jabber"; but, actual, known languages. Pentecostalism and most tongues advocates claim Acts, Chapter Two, to validate their "jibber-jabber" and ecstatic sounds as true experience of speaking in tongues. One can easily see, by comparison, that tongues advocates today are not exercising the same manifestations of the Spirit as did those on Pentecost. If the tongues movement is motivated by, and their experience is that of the Holy Spirit, then they will coincide in every respect with the manifestations of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. When God does something, there is a purpose behind it.
Sole Purpose For Speaking in Tongues
- To show that those speaking were speaking by
the controlled power of the Holy Spirit.
- To show that the Holy Spirit had come as
promised.
- As evidence that their Messiah had already
come and ascended back to Heaven (John 16:7).
- To show that a miracle by God had taken place. It is certainly a miracle when a person can speak and many nationalities understand, each in their own language at the same time.
God had a purpose and the whole purpose of Christ's coming into the world, and the preaching of the Gospel, and churches, and people called to preach, and missionaries, is to get the Gospel out to sinners and to keep people out of Hell. And that was the aim God had here. So He had plainly said, and now God had a reason to let them talk in the language so these people could be saved. Jews out of every nation under Heaven there that day heard the Gospel and three thousand souls got saved and baptized that day.
