Lesson 1900

(Lesson 1900)(01-05-17) ACTS 2:1-13

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 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 they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine."

Today's quote relates how, at Pentecost, the power of the Holy Ghost. as Jesus promised, was bestowed upon the twelve apostles. The awesome power of Jesus Christ was given to His church.

The Holy Ghost, through those apostles, worked an earth shaking miracle that day. That miracle was that as the apostles preached the gospel of Christ in their own language, they were heard and understood in the language of those from the many different countries who were listening.

The miracle performed that day was not so much that the apostles spoke in an "unknown" tongue. They knew perfectly well what they were saying because they spoke in their own language, which was probable either Aramaic or Hebrew. The miracle occurred as the messages were miraculously translated into the ears of those foreigners who had come to listen. Therefore, the miracle that was performed at Pentecost was more a miracle of hearing more so than a miracle of an "unknown" tongue.

Sadly, there are many isms today who contend that somehow the Holy Ghost blessed those apostles with some mysterious "unknown" tongue. That is far from what happened. There is some slight possibility that each of the apostles were miraculously blessed with the ability to translate what Peter preached into the languages of the foreigners, but it is much easier to believe that the Holy Ghost simply acted as a translator for the many who were there.

I say this because there was no interpretor present at Pentecost, other than the Holy Ghost, and because Paul said, in 1Corinthians 14:26-28, "How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, everyone of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. BUT IF THERE IS NO INTERPRETER, LET HIM KEEP SILENCE IN THE CHURCH; AND SPEAK TO HIMSELF, AND TO GOD."

An "unknown" tongue, as the reference is applied in the New Testament, simply refers to a language other than one's own.~