The Gift of Tongues Displayed in the Book of Acts Essay Sample

The gift of Tongues has been going more and more popular over the past 10 old ages. Christians appear to hold differing positions on the affair. Some think it is a mark of the HOLY SPIRIT. other think it is a manifestation of diabolic forces. There are Bible poetries to back up both of these sentiments. so the issues can go instead confounding. This paper is meant to demo precisely everything that the Book of Acts references on the topic of linguas. This paper doesn’t refer to any other parts in the Bible sing linguas. There are three different incidences in the Book of Acts that refers to talking in linguas. First in Acts 2:4. 6-11 at the twenty-four hours of Pentecost. so in Acts 10:46 at the transition of Cornelius. and eventually in Acts 19:6 at the baptism of the 12 work forces in Ephesus. I am traveling to look entirely at these events in order to analyze precisely what the Book of Acts says about linguas. Pentecost

The experience of the Spirit on Pentecost is a fulfilment of the prognostication of John the Baptist refering the 1 who would baptise in the Holy Spirit ( Matt. 3:11 ; Mark 1:6 ; Luke 3:16 ; John 1:33 ) . This promise is besides stated by Jesus Christ in Acts 1:5. The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost is therefore tightly tied to a redemptive-historical motive. The twenty-four hours of Pentecost is a Judaic vacation that happens during Passover. It was besides known as the “Feast of Weeks” or “Day of First Fruits” . It was a jubilation of the crop. It came after the seven hebdomads of reaping that started with the wave of the first barley bundle during Passover jubilations. By the first century A. D. Pentecost was besides considered the day of remembrance of the giving of the jurisprudence on Mount Sinai. and was one of the pilgrim festivals of Judaism. When you look at the background of this festival it brings more significance to the event in Acts chapter 2.

When Israel celebrated Pentecost. they would live over the event of Moses giving them the jurisprudence in Exodus chapter 19. This makes it particularly notable because it was on the twenty-four hours of Pentecost that God introduced the gift of linguas as a agency of pass oning the Gospel in linguistic communications they could understand. Ellen white provinces. From every state under heaven”4 who were gathered in Jerusalem. “Every known lingua was represented by those assembled. This diverseness of linguistic communications would hold been a great hinderance to the announcement of the Gospel ; God hence in a marvelous mode supplied the lack of the apostles. The Holy Spirit did for them what they could non hold accomplished for themselves in a life-time. They could now proclaim the truths of the Gospel abroad. talking with truth the linguistic communications of those for whom they were tuging.

It is apparent that the gift given at Pentecost was known human linguistic communications that were instantly understood by members of the audience without demand for translators. The word apophtheggomai ( “gave them utterance” ) . while used in other Grecian literature to mention to enraptured vocalization. is used by Luke three times in contexts that underscore lucidity of address and apprehension. On the twenty-four hours of Pentecost the gift of linguas was given in order to supply the adherents with the proper tool for evangelising the universe. The apostles did non cognize all the linguistic communications that were represented in the battalion that twenty-four hours in Jerusalem. so by giving them linguas God supplied them with what they needed. From that clip frontward. wherever the apostles went. they had the ability to talk in foreign linguistic communications. Languages they could non hold learned in a life-time of survey were instantly available to them as a consequence of this gift. The gift of linguas was highly valuable in that state of affairs and can non be over looked. Jesus had commissioned His followings to take the Gospel to the whole universe. If these Apostles were supposed to travel all over the universe they would necessitate to cognize multiple linguistic communications. something that these Apostles did non cognize beforehand.

There was besides the practical advantage of pass oning the Gospel to the pilgrims in Jerusalem in their ain linguistic communications so that they might take it back to their ain parts. If you look at Jerusalem as the centre for Judaism. so you realize the demand for such a marvelous mark. If God hadn’t bestowed the gift of linguas and had everyone hear their ain langue there wouldn’t have been adequate force to get down the Christian motion. Quite apart from practical considerations. the gift of linguas on the twenty-four hours of Pentecost was a divinely provided presentation that the motion being inaugurated that twenty-four hours was non of human beginning. The miracle God used on Pentecost for the trusters is the same sort of thing He would make for the Jews. It served as a self-authenticating advertizement for the Gospel. Thus the people must hold felt that if God had used linguas at Sinai on the first Pentecost to pass on a really particular message to them. He was now pass oning once more in many linguas another particular message on another twenty-four hours of Pentecost.

The transition of Cornelius
The alone experience of the Jerusalem church at Pentecost in Acts 2 occurred in similarly public and important ways for gentiles in Acts 10. After the events at Pentecost. the Spirit needed to happen a manner to pour out on to the Gentiles. The job was that the Gentiles didn’t know they could have it. The Jews. even if they were genuinely born-again Christians. were still extremely prejudice toward the Gentiles. The Judaic trusters with Peter were shocked that the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles in Acts 10:45. They likely thought that Gentiles should go Jewish proselyte’s foremost. This was the position that God was traveling to shatter with Cornelius. In the transition of Cornelius God took the enterprise by first directing an angel to him in a vision. and so by giving a vision to Peter in Acts 10:9-16. Peter’s initial response. “Surely non. Lord” . clearly expresses his daze and discouragement. Even when the Gentile invitees were at the gate. the Spirit had to press him to travel and run into them: “Do non waver to travel with them. for I have sent them” .

The Spirit does non necessitate to repeat what is perplexing Peter. The most of import point the Spirit tells him is to travel without seeking to spot or know apart. His anxiousness is farther indicated by the first inquiry he asked the Gentile invitees. “For what ground have you come? ” Peter so asked six fellow Jews to travel with him on this unusual mission. And when they arrived at Cornelius’ place he began by explicating that his visit to a Gentile place was contrary to the jurisprudence. When Peter was prophesying at Cornelius’ house the Spirit came on them merely as It had during Pentecost and they started to talk in linguas. God used the same mark He used in Jerusalem to authenticate these Gentile trusters. This was an highly of import event for the heathens and for all of us Christians who were non born Jews. Yarnell says. This fantastic event had a important impact upon Peter. The mark of the Spirit’s coming upon the Jews was now apparent in His coming upon the Gentiles. The Judaic Christians heard these foreign Gentiles amplify God as they communicated clearly in linguistic communications. Peter hence commanded that his Judaic Christian comrades baptize the Gentile Christians. therefore conveying Gentile trusters into family with the Jerusalem church ( Acts 10:47-48 ) .

This is precisely what it would take to convert Peter’s Judaic deputation that God would accept Gentiles the same manner He accepted Jews. which is by religion in Jesus. The usage of linguas in this narrative is the miracle needed for the Gentiles to happen expectance in the already established church. So far. linguas have played a really of import function in assisting the Jews and the Gentiles find their manner into Christianity. Some people wonder if the gift of linguas displayed here is an enraptured look or a known linguistic communication. Holcombe’s position is that if the purpose of the gift of linguas here was to convert Peter’s deputation and subsequently the Jerusalem church of God’s credence of Gentiles. it seems improbable that God would replace the known linguistic communications they had experienced in Jerusalem with enraptured vocalizations. How could ecstatic looks be a godly mark to them? Their past experience would non hold prepared them for this.

Without clear grounds to the contrary. we must reason that the linguas at Cornelius’ transition were known linguistic communications. After all. there were at least three linguistic communications represented in that assemblage. The linguas of Acts 10-11 do non function to pass on God’s glorification to disbelievers. They do. nevertheless. function as hallmark to Jewish trusters that Gentiles are members of the messianic community apart from the establishment of the jurisprudence of Moses. Johnson. who is known for believe in enraptured looks of linguas. besides agrees that it is a known linguistic communication when he states. “In the happening of the phenomenon in Cornelius’ house. Luke’s nomenclature is similar to that in chapter two. He uses the word glossa. and we have no ground to believe that he means anything other than that which he clearly means in Acts two. known linguistic communications. Furthermore. there were once more Jews nowadays. corroborating once more Paul’s statement sing the purpose of the gift. ”

This tends to be the all-round position of this happening in Acts 10:46. which shows us that so far all the events of linguas in Acts have been known linguistic communication incidences. The experience of linguas at Cornelius’ transition has been called the Pentecost of the Gentiles. God used linguas as a agency of get the better ofing human bias and opening the Gentile mission. Because of this clear grounds of Godhead enterprise and blessing. the Gentile converts would non be relegated by Judaic bias to the position of second-class Christians. At the transition of Cornelius God used the gift of linguas as a span to get the better of Judaic bias. Tongues at the Ephesian baptism

The 3rd and concluding episode that Acts records of the giving of the gift of linguas is the experience of the baptism of 12 work forces by Paul at Ephesus. . This case brings us to an brush between 12 converts of John. taught by Apollos. an Alexandrian Jew. and the apostle Paul at Ephesus. The great apostle was now pre-eminently “the apostle to the Gentiles. ” He had promised to return to the metropolis of Ephesus. and on making so he found “certain adherents. ” This is the most hard to construe because it lacks any contextual inside informations. It seems that there was a religious order at Ephesus that followed John the Baptist’s instructions. They believed and taught that John the Baptist was equal to or greater than Jesus Christ. If this premise is right. there was a demand to demo the domination of Jesus Christ as the lone Savior and Lord. John the Baptist had taught that the Coming One would baptise with fire and the Holy Spirit. which makes this instance a perfect topographic point to showcase the HOLY SPIRIT though linguas. After Paul had established the lacking status of the 12 adherents. he instructed them more to the full. and upon their confession of religion baptized them. It was at their baptism that they received the Holy Spirit. began to prophecy. and spoke in linguas. Bock says. “This particular distribution confirms that the Spirit has come and shows how John’s adherents are completed in their religion. indicating to the fact the John did indicate to Jesus. ” It appears that God used the gift of linguas as an hallmark of these men’s new experience.

It was to function a treble intent: as a mark for fellow sectaries who would see this as presentation of godly credence ; as a mark for the church. which might be hesitating to accept the new converts who had belonged to a questionable religious order ; and as a verification to the work forces themselves of the genuineness of their experience. The gift of linguas served to get the better of human opposition and bias at Ephesus merely as it had in Jerusalem and Caesarea. The 12 were to go the centre for the Ephesian Church. which was going the 2nd most of import centre for the Gentile mission. They spoke in known linguistic communications. or linguas. As in the other happenings. Jews were present. and Paul’s words sing the purpose of the gift are confirmed a 3rd clip. Ellen G. White concludes. “Thus they were qualified to labour as missionaries in Ephesus and its locality. and besides to travel away to proclaim the Gospel in Asia Minor. ” Once once more the gift served a practical and strategic evangelistic intent. Decision

The usage of linguas in Acts appears to hold been really of import in distributing the Gospel in hard state of affairss. such as Judaic bias and spiritual epicentres. The intent of the gift was non to laud any adult male. but to supply for growing and enlargement. The grounds besides seems to propose that the linguas were known human linguistic communications that were instantly recognizable to some who heard. In an rating of the present phenomenon of the linguas motion. the information presented in Acts needs to be carefully examined. I have come to the decision that that the gift of linguas comes by godly enterprise and brings glorification to God in order to assist in the mission to convey the lost into the church. It has a practical map for the church. and is intended to convey about growing and integrity in the organic structure of Christ.

Bibliography

Bock. Darrel L. ACTS. Michigan: Baker Academics. 2007.

Holcomb. Justin. “Tongues in Acts. ” IIIH Magazine. July 29. 2001.

Johnson. S. Lewis “The Gift of Tongues and the Book of Acts” Bibliotheca sacra 480 ( 1963 ) . p 309-311. Lowe. Harry W. Speaking in Tongues: A Brief History of the Phenomenon Known as Glossolalia. or Talking in Tongues. Idaho: Pacific Press Publishing Association. 1965. White. Ellen G. The Acts of the Apostles. California: Pacific Press Publishing Association. 1911. Yarnell. Malcolm B. Speaking of “Tongues. ” What Does the Bible Teach? Texas: Center for Theological Research. 2006.