- Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
- Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
- Acts 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.
From this passage we see : 1)the Holy Ghost gave the utterance, 2) everyone present were Jews, 3) every man heard their own language. The ability to speak in another language was not brought about by the will of the one speaking but by the Holy Ghost giving the utterance. The most important details in this passage is the fact that "tongues" is a known language and NOT some gibberish or babbling as displayed in Pentecostal assemblies everywhere.
Secondly, there was a purpose and promise of this gifting of tongues forasmuch as it was NOT something that was to be used in an assembly during a praise service after the band gets the crowd all lathered up singing endless choruses of we worship you songs.
- The promise: Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
- When it was promised by Christ: Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
- The Purpose: Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.....Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:....
From this we can clearly see the promise and purpose. If Israel was to go unto all nations and the uttermost parts of the earth, it only follows as the night to day they would need the equipping of the Holy Ghost giving them the utterance which would be heard in their own language. Pretty simple to understand isn't it? Here lies the bigger problem. The same folks who believe the gifting of tongues are active today are the same folks that believe the church was born in Acts chapter 2 and go to Acts 2:38 as the plan of salvation. If they would only slow down and read the passage preceding Acts 2:38 they would realize what is taking place is not the beginning of anything but the end of something.
- Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Was Joel giving information about the beginning of something? Let's read on.....
- Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
On the contrary, it was the LAST DAYS...
- Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
- Acts 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
- Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
- Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Do you see it? This is speaking to the time of Jacob's trouble, Daniel's 70th week, the great tribulation....NOT the church, the body of Christ! It is even clearer when we see again to WHOM it is directed....
- Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
- Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Did you see the Assemblies of God? or the Church of God? or the Open Door nondenominational full gospel pentecostal holiness Assembly? Of course not! It is the house of Israel!
Now, the slogan verse for so many assemblies today as the plan of salvation,
- Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Repent means by definition to have a change of mind. What would it be the house of Israel is repenting about?
- Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Verses 23-36 lay it out plainly. They crucified their Messiah therefore they had to repent, have a change of mind. They were pricked in their hearts and asked "what shall we do"? They didn't ask what shall we do to be saved did they?
- Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Notice the nomenclature in verse 38, for the "remission" of sins. That is not the same as the "forgiveness" of sins is it? When your Pentecostal or Baptist friends take you to these verses, take them to Acts 3:19-21 for clarification as to what remission of sins entails.
- Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
- Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
- Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
From Acts 3:19-21 you can show your friends that remission of sins is different from forgiveness of sins in that Israel will get their sins dealt with when Christ returns and sets up his Kingdom, the times of refreshing, the times of restitution of all things. We on the other can rejoice in that we have NOW received the atonement, have been forgiven all trespasses, are quickened together with Christ, have been translated into the kingdom of His dear son, and are judicially seated in heavenly places in Christ!! Right division according to Mid Acts Pauline dispensationalism matters....not only to aberrant doctrines such as speaking in tongues, but more importantly to the matter of salvation!
- 1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
- 1 Corinthians 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
- 1 Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Only through the apostle Paul can we get the gospel of OUR salvation. It does NOT involve Israel, speaking in tongues, keeping the commandments, walking in statutes, enduring to the end to be saved and the such, If you are saved today it is a result of the gospel Paul was given to usward alone!
- 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.