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What is Speaking in Tongues?

Speaking in Tongues is simply speaking in a language that you have not learnt. This phenomenon first occurred on the Day of Pentecost around 50 days after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The entire event was recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

In order to understand the function and purpose of speaking in tongues it is important to understand the relationship that audibly speaking in tongues has with the experience of receiving the Holy Ghost as promised by God in the Old and New Testaments.

For many centuries in the Old Testament, prophet after prophet declared to the people that the time was going to come when God would send a Messiah as the Christ to confirm the promises made to Abraham that he (God) would bless mankind.

We read in Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Further we read in Jeremiah 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

This was further alluded to in the Book of Isaiah chapter 28 as well as the book of Zephaniah chapter 3 when we read: Isaiah 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. Isaiah 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

Zephaniah 3:9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

A combination of the above Old Testament verses gives us several events or markers that will help to identify what will happen when we receive that which the Christ came to accomplish. That is to say, The Christ (gk Christos-anointer) came to anoint us with the Holy Ghost. As a result.........

a) We would receive a new heart

b) We would receive a new Spirit (The Holy Spirit)

c) The Spirit (of God) would be put within us

d) His (God’s) Law would be put in us

e) Our sins will no longer be remembered by God

f) A new “pure language” would be spoken by us who “Call on his (God’s) name

All of these were fulfilled by Jesus the Christ upon his death and victorious resurrection. After Jesus was resurrected he commanded his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for what he called “the promise of the Father.” 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.

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. This represented the culmination of the whole purpose of the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

The concept of the Passover lamb was not a new one. Fifteen centuries earlier the whole gospel story was played out in Egypt. The Children of Israel were in bondage to the Egyptians, when a man named Moses was sent by God to deliver Israel. In fact the whole Passover of Pentecost was a celebration of those events in Egypt. God told Israel to apply the blood of a sacrificial lamb to their doorposts. Israel then passed through the waters of separation whereupon a great pillar of fire was awaiting them on the other side of the Red Sea. 50 days later the Law was given on Mount Sinai. This was a type of Baptism under Moses and the law being written on our hearts.

[Note the three witnesses in Bold: Blood-Water-Fire(Spirit)]

1Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 1Corinthians 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

No wonder John the Baptist said Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Many times in the Old testament the Holy Ghost was likened to "Fire from Heaven"

The disciples did as commanded and waited in Jerusalem where we read: Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

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. (the ability)

This event was identified by Peter the Apostle as the promised outpouring of the Holy Ghost spoken of in Joel chapter 2: Acts 2:16 But this (The speaking in Tongues) is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 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:

The words of Jesus must have rang in their ears... Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

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;

Peter was not saying that speaking in tongues was the entirety of the outpouring. He was simply stating that the long awaited promise of the Father had fallen on them and that it was evidenced by the “sign” of speaking in tongues which the observers both saw and heard. In the exact way that Jesus said it would.

This event marked the birth of the Christian Church where all of the markers were present:

a) The disciples received a new heart - Hebrews 8:7-13 & Gal 4:6

b) The disciples received a new Spirit (The Holy Spirit) - Acts 2:4

c) The Spirit (of God) would be put within them Romans 8:9

d) His (God’s) Law would was put in them 2 Corinthians 3:1-8 & Heb 8

e) Their sins were no longer be remembered by God Acts 2:38-40

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