Study #17: The miracle of speaking in foreign languages without training on the Day of Pentecost, examined by Scripture

§Complement Body: The Assembly in Jerusalem was clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit (2:1 - 40)

¶Unique God poured out his Holy Spirit upon the Apostles; and this miracle brought many foreign-born Jews around them (2:1 - 13)

Opposite And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Opposite And suddenly a sound came from Heaven like a rushing mighty wind; and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And cloven tongues like fire appeared to them; and it sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit; and they began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Complement Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, religious men, out of every nation under Heaven. So when this sound occurred, the multitude came together. And they were confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language.

Complement And they were all amazed; and marveled, saying one to another, “Behold, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how do we hear every man in our own language, in which we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, 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 hear them speak in our languages the wonderful works of God.”

Unique And they were all amazed; and were in doubt, saying one to another, “What does this mean?” Others mocking said, “These men are full of new wine!”

Comment: The OO-CCU (two opposites, two complements, and one unique) Golden Ratio design of the sub-paragraphs for paragraph 1:

Opposite The Apostles and the first Assembly of Christians were all praying together, inside of a house

Opposite The Holy Spirit descended from Heaven into the house and filled each one of the Believers, causing them to speak with foreign languages without prior training

Complement A multitude of foreign-born Jews heard this sound and came to the Believers to find out what was going on

Complement The foreign-born Jews were amazed that the Galileans were able to speak in their native languages from all over the Roman world

Unique The men were divided among themselves at what this sound might mean

The topic today is very controversial among professing Christians. But I want to challenge you, if you are offended by this Bible study, to examine your church's teachings to see if they are truly Biblical or not. If your pastor and church are teaching things that are not supported by Scripture (the Bible), then you know that your church is not a Biblical church. This should be a wake-up signal to you that you need to find a church that does teach the Bible as the Final Authority for all matters of Faith and Practice. These are called Fundamental Baptist churches.

The miracle of speaking in foreign languages that occurred at Pentecost was aimed at the foreign-born Jews who witnessed the event. Recall from previous studies that these foreign-born Jews were already saved, because they were believers in Jehovah under the Old Covenant of Moses.

They had already received Eternal Life from Jehovah through offering an animal sacrifice in the Temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem by faith in Jehovah, and by obedience to the command of Jehovah in the Law of Moses.

But, they did not yet know that Jesus was their Messiah, and so the gift of tongues at that event was a sign to THEM that Jesus Christ was their Messiah, and they must believe in Him, which they did.

“Therefore the gift of languages is for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that do not believe; but prophesying does not serve for them that do not believe in Christ, but for them who do believe.” 1 Corinthians 14:22

So the miracle of speaking in tongues at Pentecost was NOT for a sign to the Apostles and the church at Jerusalem, who were doing the speaking in tongues: it was a sign to their audience of foreign-born Jews.

In every instance that speaking in foreign languages without training (aka tongues) is mentioned in the Book of Acts, it was sign for someone; and not everyone at the event spoke in tongues.

Acts 2: The Apostles and other members of the church at Jerusalem spoke in tongues (a few hundred, perhaps), but the many thousands of foreign-born Jews at the event DID NOT speak in tongues.

Acts 8: The Bible says that the Apostles had to lay hands on the Samaritan Christians before they received the Holy Spirit. No mention is made of speaking in tongues, but it is only assumed to be so. If we assume that it did happen to them, then the same pattern is true. Only some spoke in tongues, but others did not.

Acts 10: Cornelius and his friends and family spoke in tongues (as a witness to the Jews [Peter and his companions, and later, the church at Jerusalem] that God was sending the Gospel to the Gentiles), but Peter and his companions did not.

Acts 19: The dozen followers of John the Baptist spoke in tongues, but Paul did not.

In all four situations, the same pattern occurred: some spoke in tongues, but others did not. In fact, most of the new Christians in the Book of Acts are not recorded as speaking in tongues at all.

How UNLIKE today, where speaking in tongues seems to be a group event in most Pentecostal and Charismatic churches.

I would like you to notice something important in those four places in Acts where speaking in tongues was recorded:

Acts 2: It was a witness to the foreign-born Jews who did not yet believe in Christ

Acts 8: It was a witness to the Jewish Christians from the church in Jerusalem that the Gospel was also sent to the Samaritans (considered to be a half-breed, heretical Jewish sect by Jews from Jerusalem). They did not believe, initially, that the Samaritans could be saved.

Acts 10: It was a witness to the Jewish Christians from the church in Jerusalem that the Gospel was also sent to the Gentiles. They did not believe that the Gentiles could be saved.

Acts 19: It was a witness to the Apostle Paul (a Jewish Christian) that the followers of John the Baptist had received the Holy Spirit. Paul needed confirmation that these followers of John the Baptist were indeed believers in Christ.

These are specific groups that were important to the Jews: Christian Jews in Jerusalem, Samaritans, Gentiles, and followers of John the Baptist. Those four groups encapsulate every general religious group in those days. Once they had been witnessed to, there was no need to repeat the experience again, as far as the Book of Acts is concerned. Anyone reading the Book of Acts should be able to understand that the Author of Acts (the Holy Spirit through Luke) was sending a message to all that speaking in tongues was a one-time event that was aimed at a specific group in the first century. It was not intended to be repeated on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis.

Many Charismatics teach that unless you speak in tongues, you have not received the Holy Spirit yet. But that is contradicted by the foreign-born Jews in Acts 2, who were baptized in the Name of Jesus and then received the Holy Spirit, but they did not speak in tongues. Saying they did speak in tongues is not supported by the Biblical record.

Many Charismatics also teach that if you speak in tongues, then you must be saved, no matter what you personally believe. For example, Roman Catholics who pray to Mary for salvation and speak in tongues are treated as brothers and sisters in Christ, even though they have not trusted in Christ alone for salvation, which is the Biblical requirement for salvation. Mary is a false idol with no power to save anyone.

Speaking in tongues today is widespread around the world, and many religions speak in tongues: Hindus, Catholics, and even worshipers of the devil in pagan religions can speak in foreign languages without training. So the teaching that speaking in tongues alone is somehow evidence that you have received the Holy Spirit is a false doctrine, and extremely dangerous, because it is giving false hope to those with no hope of ever going to Heaven in their current religion.

But that is contradicted by the Book of Acts, because everyone who spoke in tongues were all Bible-believing Christians. There are no examples of anyone in the Bible, anywhere, at any time, who were worshipers of false gods and/or liberal deniers of the Bible who spoke in tongues. It never happened. And yet today, “speaking in tongues” is extremely popular in liberal, Bible-denying churches, and in Roman Catholic churches as well. This is anti-Biblical and wrong, which is a powerful sign that it is NOT OF GOD.

Yet in many “Christian” churches today, they are far more concerned with trying to “train you to speak in tongues” than in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to you. In fact, in most of these churches, the actual Gospel of Jesus is watered down to the point of non-existence. These are not true and Biblical Christian churches.

These same churches practice “holy laughter”; “slaying in the Spirit”; wild, ungodly dancing; women pastors, union with liberal and Roman Catholic churches, and much more. Where is the Biblical, scriptural authority for such teachings? There is no Biblical authority for these teachings, and that’s why they are wrong.

Satan has always sought to water down the Gospel of Christ and turn the eyes of both sinners and Christians away from the Bible. Then the devil and his demons replace the Bible with many false teachings and practices, which keep the people feeling good while they are going to Hell.

“To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them.” Isaiah 8:20

Christians MUST return to the Holy Bible ALONE as the Final Authority for all matters of faith and practice, if we ever want to know the blessings of God, and keep Satan out of our churches.

The Apostle Paul prophesied of our modern day religious confusion in his second letter to Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:1 - 4: “I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: PREACH THE WORD; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine: for the time will come when they will not endure sound teaching, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the Truth, and shall be turned to fables.”

The Biblical evidence is conclusive that the gift of speaking in foreign languages without training was given by God for a specific purpose (the initial spread of the Gospel to the four religious and ethnic groups) and a specific time (the first century). After these were accomplished, there was no more need for this gift and it was "done away" by God, because it had fulfilled its divine purpose, and was no longer needed.

I Corinthians 13:10: "But when that which is complete has come [the complete text of the Bible], then that which is in part shall be done away."

Modern-day claims of "speaking in tongues" can be easily explained as manufactured gibberish or demonic manifestations. Neither one of these helps the cause of Christ, but leads the children of God away from the Bible into fables.

If you feel offended by anything I have said, ask yourself why you are offended: is it because you are guilty of preaching or being part of practices which go against the Bible? Then your problem is with God, who gave us the Bible, not me. I am only a messenger of what God has said. Search the Scriptures and let the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures, be your Teacher instead of your favorite pastor who doesn’t care about the Bible. You will not give account to him, but to Jesus Christ. Something to think and pray about.Amen.

Are you saved? Has anyone ever taken a Bible and shown you how to be saved? If not, you need Jesus Christ as your Savior, right now, because you are a sinner, and Jesus Christ came to the Earth over 2,000 years ago to be born of a virgin, live a perfect sinless life, and die on the cross for your sins; and then, He arose from the dead on the third day to demonstrate that He was God, and that He has the power to save you, if you repent of your sins, and call upon Him to save you.

There is NO OTHER NAME under Heaven that can save you and forgive you of your sins: Peter said,

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me: for I am meek and lowly in heart. And you shall find rest to your souls: for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him: for [it is written], “whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:12-13

Here is a prayer that you can use to repent and trust in Christ right now. May the Holy Spirit of God help you to do it right now:

“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against YOU. I am no good, and you are righteous! I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, were buried, and rose again from the dead on the third day. I want you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Please come into my heart right now. Forgive me for all my sins, and save my soul. In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!”

If you have turned from your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and only Savior from sin, please message me through Facebook and let me know that you have done that, so that I can pray for you and rejoice with you in what God has done in your life. Amen.