08/21/20 DLG FB NOTE... TWO NOTES ON TONGUES

08/21/20 DLG FB NOTES... TWO NOTES ON TONGUES

1. AS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST 08/17/09 
2. "IS IT AN ANGELIC LANGUAGE?" 08/24/09

1. AS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST

It is true that there is a deeper experience of commitment and spiritual manifestation for a believer than conversion, subsequent to regeneration. While there are numerous blessings and outpourings of God's Holy Spirit, there is one specific experience available and incumbent upon all believers. Among other names, this experience is referred to as the “Baptism with the Holy Spirit,” henceforth referred to simply as, “The Baptism.”

However, much of what is called "The Baptism" is not consistent with the Bible. We must allow the Scripture to validate our experiences rather than allow our experiences to explain Scripture.

AS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST
There are some people who claim that “speaking in tongues” or in “unknown tongues” is “the evidence” of The Baptism. They claim that the model is seen in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2. This is crucial.

While there is such an experience as The Baptism, and there is an evidence attached to The Baptism, the Bible does not teach that it is evidenced by “speaking in tongues” of any kind. If a person is required to receive this Baptism in the same way as they did in Acts 2, let us be consistent and thorough.

They heard a rushing, mighty wind that filled the house. Did you and others hear this when you were baptized?

Cloven tongues, like fire sat on each one of them. Did you and others see tongues of fire on each other?

If your answer to either of these two questions is, “No,” then you did not receive the Baptism in the same way as they did in Acts 2.

But that is not a problem, because God did not promise and does not require nor expect us to receive it the same way they did.

But what about “speaking in tongues?” There are lots of people and preachers that say speaking in tongues is “the evidence of being Baptized with the Holy Spirit.” But remember, it does not matter what anyone says, if the Bible does not say it. In fact, if we make a claim for the Bible, that the Bible does not make for itself, we are adding to the word of God, which endangers our spiritual lives.

So, back to our Acts 2 model.

TONGUES IN ACTS 2, OTHER OR UNKNOWN
What human language did you speak, upon receiving The Baptism? I ask this because those who were Baptized on the Day of Pentecost spoke in other human languages. There is no passage in the entire Bible that says they spoke in ecstatic utterances. Nor did they speak in languages unknown to any human being. They spoke in other tongues (languages). The languages were unknown to the speakers, but they were not angelic or prayer languages. There is nothing in the passage that infers such a thing. So, if you did not speak in an unlearned human language, understood by someone else who speaks that language, you did not receive The Baptism in the same way they did in Acts 2.

Someone may tell you something different, but all I am interested in is a Biblical explanation, not a human explanation. If anyone promotes something that is not Biblical, they are in error.

THE PASSAGE
Acts 2:4-11
4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5) And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
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.
7) And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8) And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9) Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10) Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11) Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

According to Acts 2:7-11, it is clear that the believers spoke in 15 human languages, and not in an ecstatic utterance, angelic language or a so-called prayer language. Acts 2:6 says, "Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language," and Acts 2:8 says, "And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"

WHAT ABOUT PRAYING IN TONGUES?
I have not addressed the question of “praying in tongues” since that is a separate subject, which I am going to address in another NOTE.

(I clarified my view a little more...)

I believe the Holy Spirit enters us at our conversion and we also enter into Him at the same time (as one enters the water for baptism). Without the Holy Spirit, we are not believers (Ro. 8:9; 1 Co. 12:13).

I then believe that our total surrender, subsequent to conversion, leads into a total infilling of the Holy Spirit (NT pattern), thus completing the Baptism/Holy Spirit experience (as being immersed).

This results in the purifying of the heart, which does not happen at conversion. The NT believers were saved prior to Pentecost, but made total surrender in the Upper Room, at which time they were Baptized with the Holy Spirit and purified (Ac 15:9).

I too believe there are many infillings, renewings and refreshings for the faithfully obedient believer.

Sketchy, but concise (smile).

 

2. "IS IT AN ANGELIC LANGUAGE?"

Confusion of Tongues
For whatever reason, some people refuse to accept the clear record of God in the book of Acts, that the “other tongues,” in which believers spoke, on the Day of Pentecost, was OTHER HUMAN LANGUAGES and DIALECTS. Instead, some of those who deny the Divine record, claim that they spoke in an angelic or heavenly language. They then assert that the evidence of being Baptized with the Holy Spirit is speaking in an angelic or heavenly language. I addressed the "evidence" issue in a previous NOTE (AS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST) and I now address the question of angelic or heavenly languages.

The only place in the Bible, from which such an assertion can (erroneously) be made, is one statement made by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” However, this passage does not say that anyone can speak in an angelic language or anyone has ever spoken in an angelic language or will speak in an angelic language. To assert such a thing is to add to the Bible.

Bold, Un-Biblical Assertion
BUT, you say, this verse MEANS that people did speak in an angelic language. NO, it does not. Speaking in the language of angels is not stated as a fact, but simply stated as a proposition, an absurd proposition. It was as if Paul was saying “even if...” The apostle goes from the actual to the absurd to make his point; “if I speak with the languages of men or EVEN angels,” “if I have the gift of prophecy, EVEN if I understand ALL mysteries, or EVEN if I have ALL knowledge, or EVEN if I have ALL faith.” Paul was not saying that he spoke in an angelic language, or understood all mysteries or had all knowledge or had all faith. If anyone could have hinted at making such a claim it would have been Paul, but he did not claim to speak in an angelic language. Even if Paul would have made such a claim, there is no Biblical reason to believe anyone else can make such a claim. The reason I say Paul could have possibly made any such claim but deny anyone else the same ability is because Paul was an apostle, and he was gifted and inspired in a way that no human being has been since the days of the apostles.

Just as there is a gift of “faith,” and no one has ALL faith, and just as there are gifts of “the word of knowledge” and “the word of wisdom” and no one has ALL knowledge, and just as there is a gift of “prophecy” and no one understands ALL mysteries, so it is that there is a gift of “languages” but no one speaks in an angelic language. It is true that angels do speak in some language. It may be that some day we will speak with angels in their own language, but this verse does not say that the gift of languages or tongues was the language of angels.

Obscure Interpretation
Something else to consider; if speaking in tongues (languages) is speaking in an angelic language, then why isn't it explained or stated anywhere in the Bible? Note, there is no Bible passage that asserts the idea that speaking in languages (tongues) is an angelic language, NONE. If angelic language was spoken by humans, there should at least be one other reference to it in the Bible. I know of none. But, even if there is such a reference, it does not verify that the believers spoke in an angelic language on the Day of Pentecost. They spoke in other human languages and dialects (tongues).

The Bible does not say that humans have spoken in an angelic language, but it does say that when angels spoke to humans, they spoke in human languages. I don't know of any passage that clearly says anyone ever heard an angel speak in an angelic language. There is no passage that says anyone ever translated an angelic language into a human language. Even if there is such a passage, it does not mean that the apostles spoke in an angelic language on the Day of Pentecost. They spoke in other human languages and dialects.

In fact, Paul reports that there was one occasion when he was caught up to Paradise, and heard things, though it does not say he heard angelic languages. Whatever Paul heard in Paradise he was not allowed to communicate it to anyone. What he heard was “unspeakable words.” The words that he heard were not repeatable. What he heard was not lawful to be repeated. The closest we come to any use of a heavenly or even angelic language actually being spoken is also accompanied with a Divine prohibition to repeat or communicate it to humans (2 Co. 12:4).

Contradiction to Acts
To assert that the apostles and believers spoke in an angelic or heavenly language on the day of Pentecost is to go far beyond and afield from God's revelation. In fact, to assert any such idea is both adding to the Word of God and denying the revealed Word of God, which clearly asserts that they spoke in other human languages and dialects.

If the apostles and other believers did not speak in an angelic or heavenly language on the Day of Pentecost, then there is no reason to say that present day believers speak in heavenly or angelic languages, as an evidence of being Baptized with the Holy Spirit.

A person may not agree with my position. However, we should build our beliefs on Biblical facts, not human interpretation. On the Day of Pentecost, the believers miraculously spoke in other human languages and dialects, which were understood by people from various parts of the world.