What is the Gift of Tongues
Notes
Transcript
What is the gift of tongues?
Buenos días, le damos la bienvenida a nuestro servicio en la Iglesia Bautista Monte Carmelo. Nuestra oración es que recibas una bendición de Dios hoy.
Salve, nos ad munus nostrum suscipimus in Ecclesia Baptistae Montis Carmeli. Oratio nostra est ut a Deo hodie recipiatis benedictionem.
Good morning, we welcome you to our service at Mount Carmel Baptist Church. Our prayer is that you receive a blessing from God today.
Jerry Clower told of an person from another country that had moved into the area and he couldn’t speak a word of English. His brother lived nearby and taught him to pronounce some type of food so he could go down to the restaurant and eat. So he taught him to say apple pie and coffee. The waiter came up and he told him he wanted apple pie and coffee. For two weeks, he would go into the restaurant and order apple pie and coffee. He told his brother he was getting tired of apple pie and coffee, and he needed to teach him something else. He taught him to say ham sandwich. So he went back to the restaurant and told the waiter he wanted a ham sandwich. White or Rye? Ham sandwich. White or Rye? HAM SANDWICH! WHITE OR RYE! Apple pie and coffee????
Something was lost in the translation - the spoken word and the understanding of the word “Ham Sandwich”.
There is something different between repeating something one has been taught, and truly knowing what is being said. As we look at these verses in Acts, I think it should takes consideration into what the whole context and interpretation is. Many will take this to mean a different, Holy language was developed and spoken. Did the apostles and others gathered speak in another language? Yes. Was it understood by others there? Yes. Did they have or need an interpreter? No. They were speaking in languages that were common and understood at the time. This was not a “spiritual language” that was gifted to someone as a sign of receiving the Holy Spirit as interpreted by some denominations.
It was something more like this, you are not from this country, you do not speaking the native language, but while visiting you walk by a church and hear someone speaking fluently in your native language. The Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak in those passerby’s and attenders native tongues.
So, how do we interpret speaking in tongues today - is it something that is spirit filled - one of the gifts from God that some may be blessed with, is it a sign of the receiving of the Holy Spirit, or can it be a learned behavior and be something that causes confusion or disruption? This morning, let’s take a closer look at what Luke says about what happened on the day of Pentecost.
All Gathered Together
All Gathered Together
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
The day of Pentecost was an annual feast 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits where the Israelites were told in Lev 23:16
16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord.
The apostles, and the church as a whole had gathered. Acts 1:15
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,
I would interpret this to be shortly before the gathering of the day of Pentecost many Christians were gathered together. Why were they gathered? What were they gathered for? They were gathered for the purpose of WORSHIP!
The Holy Spirit Appears
The Holy Spirit Appears
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
As best as I can tell, the twelve are together when the Holy Spirit makes His presence known. Have you ever been in a church service where you can just feel the Holy Spirit descend upon you and just pour out all over you? Let me ask a question…isn’t the Holy Spirit already in us as believers? Jesus tells us in John 14:
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
We already have the promise of the Holy Spirit dwelling with us from the time we make our profession of faith. So, what happened here? I believe a great pouring out of the Spirit came on those who were gathered. God was working in them and through them, and knew the need for evangelism to take place and the gospel being sent to everyone in a way they could understand.
The wording used describing wind and fire are significant also. A “SOUND” ēchos signifying a noise “LIKE” a mighty rushing wind - it sounded like God just like an echo sounds like us. I think they recognized that sound as God as He has used wind to show His presence in the past.
11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
Has anyone ever been sitting in a place so still that your ears sound like there’s wind roaring? Ever changed elevations and had pressure build up in your ears and sound like a roaring wind or the ocean waves roaring? I believe the presence of God created a sound that showed the power of the Holy Spirit was among them.
After the wind, divided tongues “AS” of fire. Fire is used to also show the presence and power of God. Think of Moses and the burning bush.
2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
Again, the symbolism shows the presence and power of God through the Holy Spirit. The tongue can implicate language. The division of the tongues can be different languages that came to rest/dwelled/stayed on each of them.
If we look closely, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit was definitely manifest in both the sound and the vision that all those in attendance witnessed. In looking at the next verse, I can see where the tongues could be interpreted as different languages.
Gift of Tongues
Gift of Tongues
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The presence of the Holy Spirit was evidenced by the sound and the sights, but it was the filling of the Holy Spirit that led these where the tongues rested on them the ability to speak another language. The word used for filled here can also be translated as supplied - God supplied their needs by giving them the ability to speak in the native tongues - languages - of those present. Notice He didn’t give them a thimble full, but He FILLED THEM with His presence. As we already discussed, the Holy Spirit was already within those believers, but He filled them with His presence when they had gathered together to worship.
Many theologians mark this as the beginning of the “church” as up to this point, the organized church was anticipated.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Church, I think too many of us today miss out on the filling of the Holy Spirit, we miss out on the blessings of the Holy Spirit, we miss out on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit because we don’t come to church with the expectation of being filled or even for the Holy Spirit to be present and active in our midst. If we don’t come expecting God to do, will He do anything?
Would we expect God to allow some of us to speak a different language is someone from a different nationality came into our service?
You’re Speaking My Language
You’re Speaking My Language
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
Now, look at this closely “each one was hearing them speak in his own language”. These disciples and those in attendance were speaking the the NATIVE LANGUAGE of those who were passing by. The most common languages spoken in the Mediterranean area would have been Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin and those who heard and witnessed this even UNDERSTOOD what was being said in their own language. Now, where do we interpret a “Holy language” from this interpretation? Where can we interpret anything other than speaking known dialects and languages?
Known Languages
Known Languages
7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,
11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
Galileans were not seen as well educated, but instead would have been judged as ignorant at best and perhaps as simple-minded. So when the “elite” Jews saw these from Galilee speaking in different languages it caught them by surprise. Notice again, the languages are listed - Parthinians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Jews, proselytes, Cretans, and Arabians. How is it we hear them telling in our OWN TONGUES the mighty works of God.
6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
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.
6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
Regardless of translation, I do not see where a “Holy” language is spoken. Each heard in their native language the mighty wonders and works of God.
Amazed, Perplexed, Drunk
Amazed, Perplexed, Drunk
12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
When hearing the apostles speak in all these languages, those who could understand were amazed and what God had done. It truly was a wonderful gift given from God. They couldn’t explain how this occurred, why it happened, and how these uneducated Galileans could be speaking multiple languages and dialects. Some simply explained it away as they were drunk.
One thing we know for sure is this - God touched the apostles in a mighty way. It set the stage for Peter to present the Gospel Message of repentance, forgiveness, and baptism. As a result about 3,000 souls were baptized and many more were saved daily.
You see, any time we allow the Holy Spirit to freely to work in our presence, how much could be done in our churches today?
Closing
Closing
SHOULD we expect miracles to occur in churches today? SHOULD we expect the Holy Spirit to fill us during services? SHOULD we be willing to receive and then use gifts from the Holy Spirit?
I’m not here to debate the interpretation or use of speaking in tongues. What I am trying to do is show God can move in mighty ways to accomplish His will in His time and through His people - if we are willing and receptive. Willing to RECEIVE what He is willing to GIVE. Interesting to me, this occurred during the Feast of Firstfruits - and we see an extraordinary picture of fruits being born through this miracle.
We should come expecting.
We should come wanting to be filled.
Then we should USE what we have been given to tell others, so they too can know the Gospel of Jesus Christ.