[quote]Mr. Chen wrote:
[quote]therajraj wrote:
So I got an answer. He wrote:
“You might want to go to a more reliable source but what I know is on the day of pentacost (after Jesus’ death) the followers of Christ were gathered for fellowship, and in the middle of their prayer meeting they were touched by the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues, but like I said I would go to a more reliable source if you would like to educate yourself on the topic.”
[/quote]
If your friend speaks in “tongues”, but doesn’t know why, I suggest that’s a problem.
He did do good though to recommend a more reliable source, so how about taking the Word of God as reliable:
1Co 14:22(KJV) Wherefore tongues are for______
a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
Notice also it’s not a sign for believers.
Next installment we’ll go back and look at the verses in Acts your friend is referring to. If we read carefully, we can know exactly what they were doing, no speculation or “interpretation” is necessary.[/quote]
Next installment
We shall keep in mind from our first installment (from my 540th post) on pg 10 of this thread, where we checked all mentions of “tongues” in the Old Testament, and noted in EVERY case it referred to the tongue in the mouth, or a dialect of some region.
Pentacostals, on the other hand, believe to speak in “tongues” is to speak some kind of unintelligible language, that no human on earth speaks. Some claim it is the tongue of angels. Some say it is a prayer language. The ability is given by God, and is a miraculous occurrence. When they do it, it sounds like gibberish to any normal person.
For this installment, our task is to understand exactly what was going on at Pentacost in Acts Ch 1, when the apostles first spoke in tongues. Really, we just need to read through text, keeping in mind what we have already have learned from the Old Testament. I will underline what is pertinent, and also insert short observations in parenthesis.
Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (obviously referring to the shape of the flames)
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Act 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.(the “other tongues” of vs 4)
Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? (that is- they would not have had a chance to study our dialects)
Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (the areas of the dialects are even listed!)
Act 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? (it is a miracle obviously)
After reading through the whole passage, it’s hardly even necessary to ask- Is it an unintelligible language, or earthly dialects spoken? The only thing the Pentacostals have correct is that it’s a miraculous occurrence. There hastalo-shan-die-untie-a-bow-tie nonsense is just that.
The next thing to do would be to take this information and use it to understand 1Corinthians Ch 14. If there’s interest, I’ll write it.
