And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
Remember when Jesus taught the disciples about confessing Him before men, He said, “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:8-12) ...For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. (Matthew 10:19-20; see THE GOSPEL: Be Authentic, be Real, be Bold, through the Holy Spirit)
After His resurrection, Christ also gave the disciples an assignment, known as the great commission, that applies to all of us who have confessed Him as our Savior and Lord. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (Mark 16:17; see THE GOSPEL: Jesus Gives Final Instruction, then He Ascends)
Well, the fulfillment of these prophesies were coming to pass, that the Spirit of the Father would speaks in them, and that they would go and make disciples of all the nations. But in order for this to happen in the beginning of the church, the disciples had to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak with new tongues. They did not have translations of the Bible in every known language like we do now. They would have to be able to communicate the Gospel to the nations of the world at that time. What better way for God to give validation to the message of Christ Jesus, than to supernaturally enable these people to speak to people in their own language, not babbling and speaking gibberish that no one could understand.
As the Apostle Paul would later teach regarding speaking in tongues within the church, the same principle applies here, "So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. (I Corinthians 14:9-12)
"Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. (I Corinthians 14:13-17)
Because the disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit to utter by the tongue words easy to understand, then it was understood by all the different people from all over the world at that time what was spoken. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude [of people] came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” (Acts 2:5-13)
This was the purpose of tongues when the church began, to spread the Gospel to all the world, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." In order to do that, Christ empowered the disciples to speak with new tongues, a language new to them, but not unknown to others. Because of this, people from all over the world who were in Jerusalem for the Passover heard them speak in his own language. As with anything supernatural and miraculous God does, some will see hear and believe the wonderful works of God; but more will not and find some other illogical excuse for the Truth, for example, mocking and saying, “They are full of new wine.”
We will study in future lessons that tongues is still a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ... But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. (I Corinthians 12:4-11)
But above all these gifts, the Apostle Paul stated very clearly, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ... And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians 13:1, 13)
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