WWUTT 2547 The Gift of Tongues (Acts 2:5-13)

The Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles. They went into Jerusalem and they began speaking the

Gospel in other languages. And all the people there understood what the Apostles were saying in their languages when we understand the text.

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Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. In our study of the book of Acts, we come back to chapter 2.

The Holy Spirit coming upon the Apostles at Pentecost and they go into Jerusalem sharing the

Gospel. So let me read once again Acts 2 verses 1 through 13. Hear the word of the

Lord. And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place.

And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the

Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

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.

So they were astounded and marveling, saying, Behold, are not all these who are speaking

Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language in which we were born,

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the district of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both

Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs? We hear them in our own tongues, speaking of the mighty deeds of God.

And they all continued in astonishment and great perplexity, saying to one another,

What does this mean? But others, mocking, were saying, They are full of new wine.

So yesterday we looked at just verses one through four with the apostles in the upper room, and this concludes their time in the upper room, which we've been reading about in chapter one.

And here the Holy Spirit has come upon them as Jesus said they were to wait for. And the

Spirit is distributed, so to speak, in these tongues of fire that comes upon each one of them.

And they are able to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And so now in verses five through 13, the apostles go into Jerusalem. They're sharing the gospel.

And Luke is sure to tell us all of the different nationalities that are represented there, the different languages that come to hear what the apostles are doing, and they understand what the apostles are saying in their respective languages.

So what we read about in this section was who these people were that heard the apostles and exactly what the apostles were saying, because indeed, they say,

We hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God. So let's come back up to verse five.

Now, there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

Now, this is the legacy standard translation. But understand that as Luke is sharing this about those who are living in Jerusalem, it's not talking about permanent residence, because this is during a holiday.

Remember, it's during the it's during Passover, which is the Feast of Weeks. And the people who are there have probably been there since Passover, just like the apostles have been there for that long.

So for these 50 days, they've been dwelling in Jerusalem. The English Standard Version uses the word dwelling.

The New International Version words verse five this way. Now, there were staying in Jerusalem, God fearing

Jews from every nation under heaven. So they're staying in Jerusalem. And the word that that the legacy translates as devout to the

NIV says they were God fearing Jews. So, again, Luke is not saying here that these are permanent residents in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, because as we go on to hear the different the list of the different people groups that are there and the different languages that are spoken, it's said in verse nine that among us are residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia.

So they're not residents of Jerusalem. They live somewhere else. They're here in Jerusalem for the festival.

They are there for the feast. So the living in Jerusalem is just to say they've been there for some time, just like the apostles have been there as Jesus told them to remain there until the

Holy Spirit comes. So when when the sound occurs, I'm going on to verse six here, it says when this sound occurred and this was the same sound that happened in verse two, the noise that comes upon them like a violent rushing wind.

And it may also be referring to the apostles speaking in tongues, as talked about in verse four, the whole with the

Holy Spirit, they began to speak in other tongues. So this sound occurred and it draws the attention of the people, the sound of the violent rushing wind and the sound of the apostles speaking in multiple languages.

They were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.

Now, the way that the people are gathered there, they're probably in groups according to their language.

So it's not like there's this intermixing of people all speaking a variety of different languages in a big crowd.

They're all together with their own groups of people that all speak the same language together. So now with the disciples that are speaking in multiple languages, this is an odd sound because the intermixing of these languages is not occurring here in Jerusalem with the disciples.

They're all speaking a different language. So they hear the sound of the wind and they hear the sound of the disciples speaking and the multitude came together and now they're just beside themselves.

What are we observing here? These men who are speaking. So it says in verse seven, they were astonished and marveling, saying, behold, are not all these who are speaking

Galileans? So it is very obvious, it's very obvious to the people that are observing this, that something miraculous is taking place.

This is not the apostles speaking gibberish. And that's the common description that you have of tongues in our present charismatic context.

Right? Most churches that you hear of today that claim to continue to exercise the speaking in tongues, they will describe tongues as being these, these random gibberish utterances.

Well, they probably won't call them gibberish, but you know, the Bata Bata Bata, or I thought about a key about about a Honda, you know, all that, that, that kind of rambling that they do, that they call speaking in tongues.

That's the common kind of speaking in tongues in charismaticism today. That is absolutely not what the disciples were doing.

And any other occasion that you see in the New Testament, in reference to speaking in tongues, you have to come from Acts and you have to start in Acts two to understand this.

And listen, if you've been a longtime listener, when we understand the text for the few of you that have been with me from the very beginning, you'll know that when

I started this, I was charismatic within like the first year of being on the air with this podcast,

I was responding to charismatic questions and saying that speaking in tongues can be this, this otherly language that may not be known to humankind, but it is kind of like a private language between you and God.

Something that is this overwhelming feeling that you can't articulate into words that you understand.

So it just comes out as what people might call gibberish, but the Lord knows what it is that you are saying.

It's like a private prayer language. I used to hold that position. I've even had that position in the time that I've done this podcast, which we're coming up on 11 years now.

So it's been a long time. But back in the very beginning, I still was holding on to my former charismaticism and speaking in tongues was the last domino to fall for me.

A friend of mine walked me through the New Testament to help me get a proper theology of speaking in tongues.

And he begins in Acts 2, not first Corinthians 14. And then you read your definition of tongues into what

Paul's talking about there in first Corinthians 14. If you come to Acts 2 first and you understand that speaking in tongues is clearly described here as speaking other languages of men on earth, then you have to understand that definition of speaking in tongues.

Every time you see speaking in tongues come up in the New Testament, it's never redefined as anything else.

It's always the gifting of these different languages. And notice back to verse four, that they are filled with the

Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit was giving them utterance.

Okay. What are these tongues? And then you hear the men say it exactly in verse eight.

How is it that we each hear them in our own language in which we were born?

Those are the tongues that the apostles are speaking. Each one of them speaking a different language that's being represented there in Jerusalem.

Now again, they recognize, the people in Jerusalem recognize that this is something miraculous.

They know it's miraculous. The gibberish speaking in tongues is not miraculous. And even when

I was charismatic, I didn't look upon that as something miraculous. I thought it was a work of the spirit, but I didn't think it was a miraculous work of the spirit.

Just like you can have a spiritual gifting that isn't miraculous. Like for example, where Paul talks about in Romans chapter 12 of having a gift of administration.

That's not a miraculous spiritual gifting, but it is certainly driven by the

Holy Spirit working through you to accomplish something for the betterment and the encouragement of the church.

Which as said in 1 Corinthians 14 is the reason why we have these spiritual gifts. That we may be a blessing to the church and helping to build one another up.

Some of those spiritual gifts are not miraculous. So even when my friends would be speaking in tongues, they're actually just muttering gibberish, but I think it's speaking in tongues.

Even then I didn't think something miraculous was occurring. It's just some move or feeling of the spirit that they had.

But this that's taking place in Jerusalem is clearly, clearly miraculous and it can't be anything else but that.

They're bewildered by this. These men are Galileans. They can tell by their appearance.

These are not educated men. They've not devoted themselves to years and years of study of other languages.

And yet here they are, these common fishermen, a tax collector over here. This guy's a zealot, carpenters, whoever else.

We don't know all of the occupations of the apostles. But as they're looking at these men, these common men, common working men, not deeply educated men, and here they are speaking these other languages with fluidity.

And we all understand what it is that they're saying. In Hebrews 2, when it talks there about the distribution of miraculous spiritual giftings by the

Holy Spirit, it said there in Hebrews 2, verse 3, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

That salvation, first spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard,

God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the

Holy Spirit, according to his own will. And that's what we're reading about here, that the

Savior himself has given this commission to the apostles to go out into Jerusalem, speaking the gospel.

And the confirmation that this message they will proclaim is from God is that they are performing miracles.

And the very first miracle, the first miracle of confirmation that this message is from God is this speaking in tongues, which, by the way, has never happened anywhere else in Scripture.

This is the first time it's happened. And this is the only place that Pentecost is talked about in the

New Testament, the only place in Acts chapter 2, where it is discussed about the apostles speaking these other languages and proclaiming the gospel to devout men from every nation under heaven.

And again, that's verse 5, that's the description in verse 5. Luke isn't necessarily attempting to be exhaustive there.

It's not like every single language in the Roman Empire is being represented there in Jerusalem at that time.

But just saying that there's devout men in Jerusalem there who come from all over the place and then he specifies from where exactly.

But this is how the gospel is able to go out into all the places in the

Roman Empire. God will see to it that the people in whatever region an apostle goes to will understand the gospel as it is proclaimed.

So, verse 8, once again, how is it that we each hear them in their own language, I'm sorry, in our own language in which we were born?

Now, it's often asked of me, I get this question every once in a while, did the apostles actually speak the different languages that were heard?

Or was it that they were all speaking one language and it wouldn't even matter what the language is?

So let's say they're speaking Hebrew or they're speaking Greek. They're all speaking that language.

But it's actually the Holy Spirit that is enabling the people hearing to hear it in their own language.

Is that what we're reading about? Or was the language that was coming from the apostles actually another language? Yes, it's that one.

It's the latter one. Not that the apostles were all speaking one language and then everybody else was able to discern it with certain ears.

But no, each apostle was speaking a different language. That's verse 4.

That's exactly verse 4. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues.

So before there's even anybody there to hear and understand what it is that they're saying, Luke tells us they're speaking with other tongues.

These are other languages as the Spirit was giving them utterance. It wouldn't have been miraculous for them to be up there in the upper room all speaking the same language.

No, it's different languages. And the people recognize that when the apostles come out, speaking of the mighty works of God.

And that's what they testify to next. So in verse 9, here's where we have the list of all the different peoples that are represented there in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost.

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the district of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both

Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. We hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.

Now, if you count all that out, each one that's listed, you come up with what, like 15 or 16 names.

But if you understand that Egypt is actually not a location, it's the district of Libya and Cyrene.

So that's what you would be counting. Visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs.

Some of that is grouped together as one thing. But when you count all that out, you get 12.

How many apostles were there? 12. So you have 12 apostles speaking 12 languages that represent the nationalities that are all there, that have all gathered together in Jerusalem for Pentecost.

With reference to those visitors from Rome in verse 10, these are the Christians that go back to Rome and plant the church there.

That's the church that Paul writes to in the book of Romans. And no apostle had ever been to visit them yet.

There had not yet been an apostle that had come to Rome. So how was it that a church was planted there?

Well, you have it right here. It's the Christians from Rome in Jerusalem who hear the gospel preached.

And then later on, when we get to what, Acts 7 or 8, when the people are distributed and they end up going back to where the places from which they came, they go back to Rome, they share the gospel, a church is planted there,

Gentiles come in. Anyway, the whole history of that church there in Rome is spoken about right here in Acts 2, verse 10.

The visitors from Rome who hear the gospel and will go back and will plant the church there in the capital city of the world at the time.

And what is it that the disciples are saying that the people understand? And again, that's verse 11.

We hear them in our own tongues, speaking of the mighty deeds of God.

Now the specificity of that is going to be elaborated upon when we continue in Acts 2 on to Peter's sermon at Pentecost, starting in verse 14, and we'll get to that tomorrow.

So the mighty deeds of God is everything that Peter is going to say here regarding what the

Old Testament has said and how Christ is the fulfillment of that and telling the people to repent and be baptized and you will receive the gift of the

Holy Spirit. So all the people, verse 12, they continue in astonishment and great perplexity saying to one another, what does this mean?

But others mocking were saying they are full of new wine. And then that sets us up for Peter's response that we're going to get to tomorrow.

So some of them are dismissing what's going on, maybe because they don't understand all the different languages.

They don't recognize that there are different languages being spoken. So all they hear is just this muttering. That is how they translate it is these guys are just rambling on.

They're crazy. They're wild. They must be full of new wine. They've already gotten drunk.

And Peter's going to say, no, it's the it's the third hour of the day. We haven't even had enough time to get drunk yet.

Anyway, we'll get to that tomorrow. So some of them are mocking, blowing it off. Others are quite perplexed at this and wanting to hear what it is that Peter will say when he gives the gospel coming up in just a moment.

So my friends, like I said yesterday, all of us have received the Holy Spirit and all of us have a gifting of the

Holy Spirit that we can use to be a blessing to the church. But please don't let yourself be led astray, as I was for many years into thinking that the speaking in tongues, this miraculous gifting of the

Holy Spirit is this randomly citing gibberish. No one is impressed by that. And there isn't anyone outside of the church that sees that happening and thinks that we're doing something miraculous.

They think we're all out of our minds. That's exactly what Paul warns against in First Corinthians 14.

This isn't even a gift that is edifying to the church, because a gift that's edifying to the church is a gift that people are going to be able to understand, something that is actually going to build people up and encourage one another.

And so you may need to consult some fellow believers in your church or your elders or somebody like that to find out what your gifting is and how you can be a blessing to the church.

It's not going to be speaking some other language, though. It's going to be being the hands and feet of Christ to one another.

And let us desire to serve in the Holy Spirit in that way, not clamoring after these miraculous things.

That was for the apostles. But there's an ordinary Christian life that we're all called to live in service to each other and especially to our

God and King. Let us enter into that humbly and with thanksgiving. Heavenly Father, we thank you for what you communicate to us through the scriptures, even going back to Acts 2 and reading about what these apostles did in Jerusalem, what the

Holy Spirit did through them to preach the gospel, so that even from them down to our very day, we may know the gospel of our

Lord Jesus Christ, put our faith and trust in him who died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead, so that by faith in Jesus we are forgiven our sins and we have everlasting life.

Thank you for your goodness and grace to us, and may we continue to show the goodness of God that we've received to others, turning away even from sin, that we may walk in the righteousness of Christ we've been given.

It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Pastor Gabe keeps a regular blog sharing personal thoughts, alerting readers to false teachers, and offering commentary on the church and social issues.

You can find a link to the blog through our website, www .utt .com.

Thank you for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue our study in God's word when we understand the text.