On Matters of Tongues

Let's let's pray we're gonna get into it. Heavenly Father Almighty and Everlasting God we come before you in humble awe. You are the one true God. There is none like you come. We pray bless our hearts our minds as we study your word.

Send us your Holy Spirit so that we may grow in love and grace and that we may go forth into all the world Proclaiming your gospel so that others may learn of your saving grace in Jesus name. We pray.

Amen.

All right.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles

We're gonna we're gonna begin with the firing squad portion of the Sunday school lesson. So. Are there any questions as a result of the sermon, you know, yes, I see that hand over there.

Yes.

Here comes.

In the sermon you said that the promise of birth yep was for them alone, correct. But this is in the same. Yeah, this is the same audience.

Uh-huh.

The same same speaker same audience and the same the same time even uh-huh as these promises that we applied everybody. That are Foundational comforts without which our faith goes. Yeah, so.

Could you say that again. It goes what I.

Like that.

Just so you know everyone listening it goes yeah that yeah, that's a technical term.

Correct. Show me how I can believe in my weak times. The other.

Okay, another that's a that's a Hebrew very specific word, yeah.

I.

Go to prepare a place for you. I will never leave. Yes.

All right.

So the the answer to the question is is that it's the context is not going to help you here. Because the context is is in this sense Christ is promising the Holy Spirit and we see in the fulfillment of it that it's being poured out on everybody and.

To even make the case even further Peter preaching has made it clear that this is the fulfillment of Joel. That that the God is going to pour out of the Spirit on all flesh. So we know that the the broader promises there in this discourse and John are Clearly being applied to all of us as the church now within the midst of that.

That does not mean that every promise that is being given is to be universally understood. And so the context and the specifics are going to come to mind so I side with those exegetically who see within these broader promises a specific promise that relates to the inspiration of Scripture and.

And so, you know, we had the opportunity to talk about it just a little bit. But I want to read this out these things I've spoken to you Jesus says while I'm still with you, but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name He will teach you all things and bring to you remembrance all that I have said to you.

Now that is a specific promise in the midst of a broader promise and over and again I've heard people say that somehow that this is some promise that God's going to bring to my mind. And my remembrance the things that Jesus has said and taught but the thing is is that I have no I have no experience at all of the things that Jesus said have taught apart from what the Apostles have written and.

So what you know, I see in this a specific promise in the midst of universal promises. Specifically to the Apostles for the purpose of inspiration of Scripture. I see it fitting into that category. And so they truly had remembrances of Jesus, you know.

And so when you look at like the skeptical arguments put out by agnostics and so-called you know Christian scholars and stuff like this where they are challenging the inspiration of Scripture and.

So.

You know, they'll basically say listen, we all know how this works. You remember playing telephone when you were a kid, right? Yeah, it's it's a fun party game, you know, it starts off with the Gettysburg Address.

You know in you know with person number one, you know four score and seven years ago. And by the time you get to the last person in the line, it begins with the Minnesota Vikings lost. To you know to the Minnesota Twins four score and seven, you know in seven innings, you know.

It's weird how it all plays out. And so they'll say something to this effect and the if and the impact is is that you can't trust Scripture because it's like the game of telephone and plus the disciples didn't even write till the end of their life.

Their claim is because always and again, you know, John, you know, John writes at the end of his life we know but we with there's no way that any of the Gospels were written before 70 AD and the reason why it couldn't have been written before 70 AD is because Jesus prophesied of the destruction of the temple.

Right, and they deny the miraculous so you have the gospel writers writing late and so then what happens is is that you have no confidence in their ability to Properly recall these things because now Jesus has gone from the historical Jesus to the Jesus of legend and myth.

Right, and this is how they'll argue. Now, let me give you a better analogy because this one you'll get all right. You are into martial arts. I cannot remember the name or pronounce the name of the current martial art that you are studying.

All right, but I would say I have absolute confidence. That the martial art you're being taught today. That it is a faithful Teaching that you've received and that other black belts and masters within your school that they Practice the same moves same techniques same tactics same strategies same everything.

That that you've been taught and that their masters taught them. How do I know this? Well back in the day when I was skinny, you know and younger, you know I was studying Taekwondo and I remember Taekwondo being taught to me as you know.

There's different levels and you have to master these techniques these moves these kicks these blocks these punches. You know all of this stuff prior to you moving to the next level and if you show no mastery.

You don't you don't advance you were black belt. Okay, and so Christianity is more like martial arts. It's taught in that way. It should be taught in that way. Now all that being said then this specific promise He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I've said to you if this is applying to us.

My immediate question is.

Okay.

What does this then look like? What is the Holy Spirit promising you individually? Yeah. He might see now you're falling back on what I said, so yeah, I've clearly influenced you in a bad way. You fail in exegesis and okay if this is a universal promise to us.

My question is what is the cash value of this promise? What exactly is being promised because I see the charismatics using this. In a way that now they're being guided by the Holy Spirit in a way that not even the Apostles claimed.

This is most certainly true and there's other passages for that. Yeah, there's other passages for that. Apart from the Holy Spirit. We can't even probably understand the Word of God period. Okay. So what do you mean by that?

Because here's the thing I can tell you for a fact the Holy Spirit was working today. All right, but Let me let me let me fact let me pull this up and log us real quick because I think this will help.

My apologies. We're gonna hear some noises here from my computer. Let me see if I can. No, I can't. Okay. Hang on. It's it's gonna make this. My question is gonna be if it is both in what sense are we talking then because now we're talking is Something that's that's gonna be functionally different for the Apostles than for us.

Okay, and I exegetically I don't see that I see a very specific promise he will bring to remembrance to y 'all all the things that I said and taught I Told you it was gonna sing to us. All right, let me let me show you another thing small called articles in the book of Concord small called articles the article number eight on confession and this is an important little note that that Luther has in here and When we would be good to pay attention to so it says this in these matters which concern the external spoken word We must hold firmly to the conviction that God gives no one his spirit or his grace Except through or with the external word which comes before.

Thus we shall be protected from the enthusiasts that is from the spiritualists who boasts that they possess the spirit without and before the word and Who therefore judge interpret and twist the scripture or the spoken word according to their pleasure?

Moonser did this and many and many still do it in our day who wish to distinguish sharply between the letter and the Spirit without knowing what they say or teach. The papacy too is nothing but enthusiasm for the Pope boasts that all laws are in the shrine of his heart and he claims that whatever he decides and commands in his churches is spirit and law.

Even when it is above and contrary to the scriptures or the spoken word and all of this is the old devil and the old serpent who made enthusiasts of Adam and Eve he led them from the external word of God to Spiritualizing and to their own imaginations and he did this through other External words.

So even so the enthusiasts of our day condemn the external word yet they do not remain silent, but they fill the world with their chattering and their scribbling as if the spirit could not come through the Scriptures or the spoken word of the Apostles but must come through their own writings and words and I'm gonna say this almost to a person.

The public teachers that I've heard use John 14 as a universal promise their enthusiasts. There may be there may be an application.

Over there and God the Holy Spirit brings up one of the right going that plan.

Yeah, so so here here's what I'll make. The distinction is is that the Apostles have the promise of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of Actually preaching what is the Word of God and to end to proclaim and to document and write down The words of Christ and I think that this promise is specifically referring to that.

Now we on the flip side of this. All right, and I would go to clearer passages not to this one. I would go to clearer passages like Psalm 119 that I might hide my work your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you as Christians and we are in the discipline of recognizing that the Holy Spirit works Through the external word and then when that external word is memorized and put in and hidden in our heart.

That that whole that the Holy Spirit then continues to work through his word in Connection with it now no longer written and external but now internal because I have in a sense Ingested it and it has become part of my heart my psyche my mind and the Holy Spirit pulls on that which is one of the reasons why I am a big fan of the ancient liturgy because there's so much scripture that's sung and taught in the Liturgy that it's fascinating how those texts end up becoming your own, you know, because you've sung them so many times.

So.

So I'm a you know. So let's we're going to talk about the Spirit working and the Spirit is only always going to be connected with the word. And when that word goes from the written page now to memorized in my heart.

That the Holy Spirit then pulls on that word and is speaking back the written Word of God that is now hidden within me.

Yeah.

Well, yeah, he was the one abnormally born. Yeah. Correct, and I would even point to then in this regard. Although it seems like a strange place to go what Peter writes in second Peter as he's getting ready to go to his death.

He's not pointing people to experiences or spiritualizing or even their own in their hearts. He's putting them back to the written Word of God. As as even being more sure than any experiences. And so, you know now.

So coming back to you know, the original question personally, I see that this is a specific promise to the Apostles in the midst of universal promises and For us then we do not. I don't I will not approach the Holy Spirit or believe that the Holy Spirit is Approaching me apart from the Word of God.

All right. So so that you know because the Spirit has chosen God has chosen in a sovereignty to work through means. Just I think the phrase bring to your remembrance. Yeah, and this is most certainly true because those that's another promise that is then Universalized then in other passages when in doubt you pull in the you pull in the cross references scripture interpreting scripture.

Yep, that is and so that and that's the idea. Exactly, you know that see there's there's more to it now and so I approach this discourse by the way. Similarly to the way I approach the Olivet discourse.

Are you familiar with the Preterist view by the way? Have you heard of Preterism?

You know.

Preterism is this fascinating eschatological view that basically says that the Olivet discourse and the book of Revelation have already been fulfilled in history and. That it's all specific to something that took place in the first century and has no bearing for future eschatology.

Now that's a very broad and sweeping way of putting it. But I I get I I get emails from Preterists on a semi regular basis. Who who want to challenge me the way I'm using the book the way I'm using Matthew 24.

And so in Matthew 24 the disciples asked Jesus because Jesus says, you know. They they're at the temple complex and the disciples look at this massive Amazing place right and Jesus. I'll listen. There's not gonna be a stone left upon another, you know.

This is all coming down and they're freaked out. And so they connect this with two things. They said when will these things happen and what will be the sign of your coming if the temple is gone? They would they're thinking it's like the end of the world Jesus is coming back if this is destroyed then that has to be connected to the coming of Christ.

So Jesus doesn't Doesn't correct their question, which is they're asking about two things. Instead what he does is he kind of braids together. You know two streams of thought and holds them connected to each other.

So there is an aspect then when you can you that you can say in Matthew 24. There are specific prophecies that Christ gives that were fulfilled in 70 AD. Does that mean the Olivet Discourse has nothing to say regarding Christ's coming in the end of the world?

No. He connected them together and wove them together and it's up to you to sit there and chew on it and pull them apart. Good luck. Okay, because the two are kind of are held together very tightly and so on the one hand.

You'll get you know, like the preterist to say the whole thing has been fulfilled. There's nothing in Matthew 24 that relates to anything coming in the future. And you sit there and go what? What all right and.

Then you you know on the other side of it. It's like well, this was actually written after the fall of the temple. So it's not even a prophecy. It's like lean into this. That's correct, that is. It's a big deal.

It's such and that's one of the things that Good conservative scholars keep pointing out, you know is that how come? None of the New Testament writings reference the destruction of the temple. Answer because it was still up when all of the New Testament was, you know.

It was kind of the exception of like the book of Revelation that one we have we have we have some you know. We know the dating on that one's a lot later. You know, so yeah, it's just doesn't work out that way.

So so anyway personally I think this is referring to inspiration of Scripture. I'm convinced by those exegetical arguments. So there's a specific promise in the midst of universal ones in the same way and you have to tease it out and prophecy Oftentimes works this way, by the way.

You think back, you know to the the ink in the blood is that's been spilled regarding Alma, you know. You know it well, it's a young maiden of marriageable age, but it doesn't necessarily mean virgin, right?

Yeah, what you just did okay. But so My seminary profs. I mean this is this is and I agree with the concept is that there they call it proleptic prophecy. Where the when a prophecy is given oftentimes there is an immediate fulfillment in the time of the person.

So you think about the context there, you know going at you know, it's God says ask of sign of me. You know make it, you know high as the heavens or as low as Sheol it and you know, and he says oh, I Wouldn't put Yahweh to the test.

I wouldn't do that. Fine the Lord himself is going to give you a sign right and you know. The Amal would be with child. This is how this says and so there's an immediate fulfillment in the time of Isaiah that was a sign to the king and Then the prophecy lies dormant because there's there's a there's a long fulfillment then of it in Christ.

So that you know, the Virgin is now with child and you can see how that works. It's a strange Phenomenon when it comes to Scripture and Christ himself being the author of Scripture, you know being God in human flesh He does some of the similar things He kind of braids together things which makes you make kind of causes our brains to hurt, you know, it's like.

Yeah.

Well Jews today don't. Well, I would say this Matthew was a Jew and He was the one who then finds the ultimate fulfillment for that text in the birth of Christ, you know and weaves that into His you know into his gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Yeah, I Must confess in you know in my limited reading of like Jewish midrash and you know The Talmud I've never seen anything to that. That does not mean it doesn't exist. I don't. I am NOT as well versed in how somebody in the ancient world would you know?

Who's a Jew prior to the birth of Christ would have seen the text? Yeah, it's kind of like it's it's kind of like Chuck Norris. He can hit 11 targets with nine bullets, it's just.

You.

Didn't know that.

All right, all that being said I want to come back to our text in Acts 2. We spend a little bit of time talking about the Holy Spirit and Some of the modern confusion that's out there regarding it. Especially it relates to the gift of tongues and we'll do a little bit of work in 1st Corinthians 12 just to kind of put a bow on this if you would because This being Pentecost.

It's always important to make sure that we properly understand what the work of the Holy Spirit is now. It's not in this text. But Christ says that when he sends the Spirit that the Spirit would convict the world of sin and unbelief in our day in our time.

There are people who claim that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit include include Writhing on the ground and convulsing uncontrollably. Getting down on all fours and barking like a dog laughing uncontrollably cackle kind of laughing uncontrollably and Getting drunk in the Holy Spirit so that the Holy Spirit overcomes you and the manifestation of it is.

You know this right. It does sound demonic right, but the question is biblically how would you Know what is and is not a valid manifestation of the Spirit and then there's a whole group of people who will say that That water baptism.

God does nothing in it. What do we confess? One baptism. For the forgiveness of sins, right? It's one baptism. How many baptisms are there? One in fact Paul makes that point in Ephesians. There's one Lord one faith one baptism one God and Father of all.

One Lord one faith one baptism but there's a whole group of people within the visible church who say that there's water baptism and then there is spirit baptism and That there are two different baptisms.

Yeah, so so for instance my My friend my and I and I love him dearly and you know, he's just you know, we disagree on so many things you know, I have a Baptist minister friend of mine and You know, so if anybody comes to him who was baptized as an infant in the Lutheran Church.

And they've decided to become a Baptist. He basically says that was you just got wet that didn't that did nothing. So you need to be baptized again before you can become a member of our Baptist Church.

So then you ask him. All right, so you don't think that when they were baptized as an infant as a Lutheran that that meant anything. So what is God doing when they're baptized by you? Oh nothing. They're still just getting wet.

But they're doing it in obedience to Christ. Yeah. Yeah. Why does it matter if. Yeah, I don't know it's it's weird so, you know, but he definitely vehemently against this idea that God does anything in baptism.

But let's take a look at the back end of of our text from today. This gets into like next week's pericope at the end of the sermon that Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost and by the way I think that you can make the argument that the great miracle was the preaching of the sermon.

That's the great miracle because now the Word of Christ is going out. God the Holy Spirit. Recalling to mind, you know The Apostle Peter all that Christ said and taught and his words are being the very oracle of God.

It says this in verse 37 now when they heard this they were all cut to the heart and they said to Peter and the rest Of the Apostles brothers. What shall we do? What did Jesus say he sends the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is gonna convict the world of sin and unbelief.

Is the Holy Spirit working on the crowd who heard the preaching on Pentecost? Absolutely, they're cut to the quick brothers. What shall we do? I am absolutely terrified. I am guilty. Look, what do I do?

What do we do?

Right.

Hmm and here it is repent and Be baptized passive voice. Passive voice. Baptism is something done to you by God. It's not a work that you do to earn anything. Again, I always like to point out if I were to say to my wife in the active voice I cut my hair.

She would rush me to the emergency room or something. You know, it would it would turn out very poorly. All right, anybody who says that they cut their own hair in the active voice. That's you know, we know that the the results are going to be bad even if they have a phloby.

So. Especially if they have a phloby, but when we go to get a haircut We understand that's a passive act. So, you know I go visit Nikki and Nikki she cuts my hair and I sit there. She tries to engage in chit-chat and conversation.

Convince me that paraffin wax is a thing that I really need to be enjoying and stuff like this, right?

All the.

Yeah, they put the hot mitts on anyway. But the entire time the entire act is 100 passive. I am Receiving a haircut. I am NOT giving a haircut to myself. Same with this passive voice here. Be baptized.

It's being done to you. You're just receiving in the same way. You receive a haircut. That's the idea. So repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.

Ice.

Athos in tone ha marty on. Into the forgiveness of sins. So what do we confess in the Nicene Creed? I believe in one baptism. For the forgiveness of sins. What's baptism for if I were to say to you? I know this is gonna sound like rocket surgery.

But work this out with me if I were to say to you baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. Would I be saying the exact same thing in Scripture? Exactly. Okay. So baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.

Well, they were given.

Faith and everything the thing is is that as Lutherans we do not believe that you're that somebody who has faith cannot apostatize and so the idea here is is that faith is a gift given by God just like life is and You steward and take care of that gift by caring for your faith by availing yourself of the Word of God in the sacraments.

And so it's through them rightly taught and through the sacraments that God continues to strengthen to feed and maintain our faith. And if you're feasting on false doctrine and apostasy or you're neglecting to Receive the Word of God to hear it and neglecting to come to the sacraments Then what happens is you're endangering your faith itself.

So Paul says to the churches in Galatia you who would be justified by the law. They've been listening to the Judaizers you who would be justified by the law. You have been alienated from Christ and you've fallen from grace.

That's a text. And so, you know, we sit there and go the idea then is is that what we're looking for. Baptism is necessary and God is faithful in what he does in baptism. Now as a Christian, do you have faith or not?

Do you have faith? Do you believe so somebody can say? Well, I was baptized as an infant. But I think that Jesus is dirty rotten scoundrel and how dare he make exclusive claims and there's no way I'm gonna Attend a church where they don't affirm gay marriage and stuff like this.

I said, well your baptism doesn't mean anything. You've walked away from it.

But they were already determined or they were saved before they were even brought to pass before they were even born.

Well, we're all. We're all born dead in trespasses and sins.

But.

Those infants that are taking baptism. It's already determined.

Before the back. Oh see now see now you're kind of working in the reform doctrine of election. All right. So we never talk about election apart from the means of grace. And so we understand that there is a very true aspect in which you know that you can talk about God predestining.

But we talk about God predestining and electing through the means of grace. So that you know. The idea here is we don't believe that there's a select group of people before the foundation of the world.

They were chosen by God and predestined for damnation. Instead we say scriptures clear that God does not will that any should perish that all should come to a knowledge of the truth that Christ died for the sins of the whole world and it is will it's as will that they would all repent and believe.

This is most certainly true. So the idea here is is that We disagree with the Reformed on this and in this way because we deny that God predestined anybody to hell. Okay, so that's not how that works.

So we talk about election through the means of grace and if you want a clear example of what it is that Lutherans believe in this regard. Give me a second to pull this up. If you go to book of concord org book of concord dot org.

Let me see here there. This is not part of the book of concord, but it's on this website and there's a particular document worth reading in this regard and It is called the the Saxon visitation articles 1592 Saxon visitation articles and this was written as a means of kind of distinguishing what's the difference between Lutheranism and Calvinism or you know, those who call themselves Reformed and so.

So it talks about the Lord's Supper the person of Christ baptism on predestination so here's here's the affirmative that The pure and true doctrine of our churches in this article regarding predestination and the eternal providence of God that number one Christ Died for all men as the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the whole world.

We have texts that say that all right now that God created no man for condemnation. He wills that all men should be saved and arrive at the knowledge of the truth. That should sound familiar to you because that's straight out of Scripture.

He therefore commands all to hear Christ his son in the gospel and he promises by his hearing the virtue and the operation of the Holy Ghost for conversion and salvation. Now the idea then is is that the Holy the Holy Ghost is intimately connected to the preaching of the gospel and he Promises that the Holy Ghost is going to be working through it.

So that so also then we confirm that men by their own fault then they perish. They perish some who will not hear the gospel concerning Christ some who again fall from grace. Either by fundamental error or by sins against conscience.

So the idea then is as Lutherans we say Scripture teaches apostasy and grievous sins against conscience like basically allowing yourself to be re-enslaved to sin that that works against the operation of the Holy Spirit and Causes your faith to die and to wobble and to fall away.

So those two, you know, so apostasy and rank sin are things that work against salvation. And then for that all sinners who repent will be received into God's favor. None will be excluded though whose sins are as red as blood since the mercy of God is greater than the sins of the whole world and God has mercy on all of his works.

Now in the in the erroneous doctrine then talking about Predestination at the bottom of this this doctrine or this article. It says we deny that Christ did not. We okay the false and ruins doctrine of the Calvinist on predestination of God that Christ did not die for all men.

But only for the elect we deny that Scripture is very clear that Christ died for all. In fact, I would point to a fascinating text in this regard and it's found in 2nd Peter. 2nd Peter chapter 1. Here's what it says a chapter 2 verse 1 false Prophets also arose among the people just as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive Heresies even denying the master who bought them bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

Here's a text where Christ has died even for heretics who deny him and that they and they're destined to destruction but Christ even bought them through his death and his resurrection and then you think of.

You think of 1st John and let me get the last part of this in here 1st John. I'll start at 1 verse 8 if we say we have no sin We deceive ourselves the truth is not in us if We confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So if we say we have not sinned we make God out to be a liar and his word is not in us. So my little children I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous.

He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole.

World.

So Christ didn't die for just some he died for everybody.

Okay.

And then we deny that God created the greater part of you of mankind for eternal damnation and Wills not that the greater part should be converted and live. And unfortunately There are some Calvinists who talk this way that God literally made, you know A large swath of humanity for the only the purpose of glorifying himself in their damnation, which is not taught in Scripture We also deny that the elected and the regenerated cannot lose faith Scripture again is clear on this and the Holy Spirit or be damned though they commit great sins and crimes of every kind.

And so, you know, God works repentance in us and gives us faith and Apostasy and you know rank sin threatens your your faith and. That we also deny that those who are not elect are necessarily damned and cannot arrive at salvation though they be baptized a thousand times and receive the Eucharist every day and Lead as blameless a life as ever can be led.

And so you'll note then that you know we have a very distinct difference between the Calvinists as far as what we believe regarding predestination and Then the working of the means of grace. So that being the case God is faithful in Promising the operation of the Holy Spirit granting forgiveness of sins Christ circumcising our hearts in the waters of baptism us being united with him in his death and his resurrection all the clear text say this.

And that baptism itself is a washing of regeneration. This is most certainly true. It's God's work that being the case human beings Because of their own foolishness because of their own evil despise these gifts that God has given to their own eternal damnation or neglect the Word of God To their own eternal damnation or worse imbibe in apostasy to their own eternal damnation.

So that's that's how we read the text. Does that make sense?

Yeah.

Yes, so you're making a distinction that Lutherans make and the Calvinists don't have this distinction. So we talk about Universal atonement. Universal objective atonement is a category for us and that when it comes to somebody who's individually saved now we talk about individual subjective Justification.

So Christ's death on the cross is a universal objective Justification and atonement for the sins of the whole world. That does not mean that everybody is saved. But that everybody is bled for and died for.

So the idea then is we have this category of universal objective justification and then when it comes to those who are saved. Those are the ones who have Individual subjective justification and that's worked in them by God through the means of grace.