College student thinks speaking in tongues is vital to Christian living, part 2

ACTS 2:38-39 Peter says repent and be baptized EVERY ONE of you for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the GIFT of the Holy Spirit. Peter says this is for you, your children and ALL who are far off, and ALL WHOM THE Lord our God will call. He refers to the Holy Spirit as receiving the gift. What’s the gift? Hmm…at least he is saying this is for everyone. So it’s available to everyone.
Must the gift of the Holy Spirit be accompanied by speaking in other languages? The work of the Holy Spirit—including his filling ministry—in Acts is in all 28 chapters. Why are the actual instances of tongues only there three times? Note that those times were strategic. God was bringing the gospel of Christ to new settings and people groups: Acts 2 was to the Jewish nation (with people of many different languages), Acts 10 was a confirmation that Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit just like the Jews at the feast did, and Acts 19 was a group of Jewish disciples of John who were missing the whole story.

4 comments:

  1. Youch...the charismatic movement is dealt a blow from -get this- the BIBLE.

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  2. This blog has global appeal. Now we have comments from two parts of Ankeny, Iowa.

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  3. I am afraid you will have to quit your job and go full time on this thing...haha. Just kidding.

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  4. I think it is confusing the point of tongues to make it the mark of the disciples of Jesus (those baptized in Jesus' name). This brings us back to the logical end of this teaching that I mentioned in the first post on this topic: You cannot say you are really saved if you do not speak in tongues. I do not think you believe that.

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What do you think?