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The
Bible does not state whether Peter spoke in tongues or not, but it is
clear that the Holy Spirit supernaturally enabled him to preach. After
a brief discussion by the members of the Sanhedrin Council, Peter and
John were ordered not to speak about Jesus; but they refused to obey.
Consequently, they were threatened and released. In response, the early
Christians prayed for boldness to continue speaking the Word of God.
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (NASB) Acts 4:31 Once again the filling of the Holy Spirit resulted in Christians speaking
the Word of God, this time with boldness.
Stephen, the Martyr - Acts 7:55. Stephen
was the first martyr recorded in the New Testament. His martyrdom started
when some men of the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians
and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, started arguing with
Stephen (Acts 6:9). We are told that Stephen was speaking under the influence
of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:10), and the men could not win the discussion.
As a result, they plotted his murder and succeeded (Acts 6:11-7:1). When
Stephen was asked by the High Priest if the slanderous reports were true,
Stephen preached a sermon while filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:55).
But being full of the Holy Spirit . . . (NASB) Acts 7:55 Once again we see that the filling of the Spirit resulted in individuals
speaking the Word of God and speaking it with boldness.
Paul’s Conversion - Acts 9:17. The
third time the book of Acts records that the Holy Spirit filled someone
is in Acts 9:17 when,
. . . Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized . . .” (NASB) Acts 9:17-18 Notice that even though Paul had already believed in Jesus Christ, he
had not been filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 26:18 indicates that Paul
already knew that the forgiveness of sins was by faith and only faith
- Jesus had told him already. Yet, Paul was not filled with the Holy
Spirit until Ananias arrived. The filling of the Holy Spirit occurred
after he was saved, that is, forgiven his sins. This is called salvation.
Paul & Bar-Jesus - Acts 13:9. Several
chapters later we are told that the apostle Paul had to confront a man
called Bar-Jesus. Bar-Jesus was a magician and false prophet who was
trying to prevent Paul from telling a politician, Sergius Paulus, the
good news about Jesus Christ. News in those days was most often communicated
orally and not by the New York Times. Sergius Paulus was a Roman proconsul
- an important Roman official. Consequently, Paul confronted Bar-Jesus.
Here is the account,
But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? . . .” (NASB) Acts 13:9-10 When Paul spoke, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Each time that
Paul has spoken by the Spirit, tongues are never mentioned. Yet Paul
did speak in tongues, according to 1 Corinthians 14:18. This is a reminder
that scripture does not reveal everything that occurred in one place.
Paul’s & Barnabas’ Lives -
Acts 13:52. The last time that the filling of the Holy Spirit
is mentioned in the book of Acts occurs in chapter thirteen. It occurs
after a confrontation between Paul and Barnabas and some Jewish leaders.
After Paul and Barnabas left the city of Antioch, we are told that
Paul and Barnabas were filled with the Holy Spirit.
And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (NASB) Acts 13:52 What does it mean that they were continually filled with the Holy Spirit?
The Greek word for “continually filled” is the imperfect
tense of PLEROO. This implies an ongoing condition. They were constantly
joyful and the Holy Spirit was constantly empowering them.
Summary. So far we have discovered that
the filling of the Holy Spirit resulted in the apostles speaking in tongues
on one occasion and preaching of the good news about Jesus on multiple
occasions by the apostles Peter and Paul and the martyr Stephen. When
these men were filled, the Holy Spirit empowered them with words and
boldness. The empowerment to speak in tongues is never mentioned in the
Old Testament, but empowerment for the ministry of the Word of God occurred
with the seventy elders of Moses.
Acts - Other Empowerments. We have skipped
some other events in the book of Acts in order to discover what scripture
was referring to when it said that a person was filled with the Holy
Spirit. Now we need to explore what scripture means by “receiving
the Holy Spirit,” “falling upon,” and “speaking
in tongues.”
Apostles Spoke in Tongues - Acts 2:4. We
have already discovered that the apostles spoke in tongues when they
were filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (NASB) Acts 2:4 This is the only time the New Testament records that the filling of
the Holy Spirit included the speaking in tongues. On every other occasion,
the New Testament refers to the filling of the Spirit and tongues separately.
Peter Lays Hands - Acts 8:18. Our first
stop occurs in Acts 8:18 where we discover that Peter and John had been
sent to the believers in Samaria (Acts 8:14) so that they might receive
the Holy Spirit. That is, the Samaritan believers had believed in Jesus
Christ already (Acts 8:14), had been baptized in water already (Acts
8:16), but they had not yet received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17). When
Peter and John arrived, they laid hands on these believers.
Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give this authority to me as well . . . (NASB) Acts 8:17-19 A curious magician, Simon, saw this event and wanting another magic
trick asked to purchase the “trick.” It is obvious from the
passage that something visible happened when the apostles laid hands
on the new Christians; otherwise, Simon would not have noticed anything.
He would not have offered money for “the trick.” Did the
new believers speak in tongues when they received the Holy Spirit or
did they prophesy as Moses’ seventy leaders did? The answer to
the question is unknown.
Peter Lays Hands - Acts 10:44. In Acts
10:44 we are told that Peter went to Caesarea and shared the good news
about Jesus to Cornelius, a God-fearing man, and his family, who were
Gentiles. He told them that “everyone who believes in Him receives
forgiveness of sins.” While presenting this good news, Peter was
surprised when the Holy Spirit was “poured out” upon them.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God . . . (NASB) Acts 10:44-46 This was an amazing event. The Jewish believers who were with Peter
did not expect the Holy Spirit to be poured out on the Gentiles. They
thought that the Holy Spirit was only for the Jews. The proof that the
Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles was that they spoke in tongues.
The next two verses are also important because they indicate that water
baptism is not necessary for salvation or to have one’s sins forgiven.
Then Peter answered, “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. (NASB) Acts 10:47-48 Later Peter will explain in Acts 11:17 that these Gentiles had already
believed in Jesus Christ before they spoke in tongues. This means that
they were saved before they spoke in tongues and before they were baptized
in water. Peter is clear and logical. If the Holy Spirit had already
been poured out on the Gentiles, then that is proof they are Christians
already (1 Cor. 12:3, 13; Eph. 1:13). Acts 11:16-17 tells us that the
tongues the Gentiles experienced was identical to what the apostles received.
It is important to notice that speaking in tongues does
not prove that a man or woman believes in Jesus Christ. These Gentile
believers believed in Jesus Christ, but they did not immediately speak
in tongues. That occurred after they believed.
John the Baptist’s Disciples - Acts 19:6. The
last time in the book of Acts that we are told the Holy Spirit came “upon” or “on” someone
occurs in Acts 19:6. In Acts 19:1-10 we are told that Paul found about
twelve disciples of John the Baptist and asked them if they had received
the Holy Spirit when they believed (Acts 19:2). They answered, “No.” So
Paul asked, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered “Into
John’s baptism.” Then Paul said,
. . . “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” (NASB) Acts 19:4 When the men heard this, they were baptized in water, Paul laid hands
on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. (NASB) Acts 19:5-6 Notice that these men believed, were baptized in water, and then spoke
in tongues. Faith came first. This is the second time that we have seen
water baptism and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit follow faith. Faith
always comes first.
Summary. It is important to note that
the filling of the Holy Spirit resulted in men speaking in tongues on
only three recorded occasions in the book of Acts: at Pentecost, when
some Gentiles believed, and when twelve disciples of John the Baptist
believed. The Samaritans may have prophesied as Moses’ seventy
leaders did.
Tongues occurred at key transition points. The apostles
were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues at the inception
of their ministry in order to obtain power for ministry. That is why
Jesus encouraged them to wait until the Helper came. The Holy Spirit
helped them in their ministry. This occurred among the Jews and a number
of visitors in Jerusalem.
The book of Acts states that after the apostles had learned
that some Samaritans had already believed in Jesus Christ, they sent
Peter and John to visit them and to lay hands on them. History tells
us that the ancient Jews and Samaritans were not very friendly to one
another. The Samaritans lived north of Judea and south of Galilee. This
is the region in which “the woman at the well” lived (John
4:7-38). If the Samaritans spoke in tongues after hands were laid on
them, it would have been a sign to the apostles that salvation was offered
to them too! (It is possible they prophesied as Moses’ seventy
elders did.)
Tongues occurs a third time in the book of Acts after some
Gentiles believed in Jesus. The apostles were surprised. Consequently,
a council was convened in Jerusalem to discuss this important news (Acts
15). Why did the Gentiles speak in tongues? The answer is provided in
the book of Romans.
For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit . . .(NASB) Rom. 15:18-19 The empowerment of the Holy Spirit confirmed the apostle’s good
news about Jesus and their character. |
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| The Spirit's Ministry - Tongues and Prophecy | |||||