Today I had a nice size delivery from
an Asian bistro. I had some trouble communicating with the workers
there, because they don't speak English very well. Better than I
speak their native language I am sure, but still difficult to
understand one another easily.
Then I took the food to the customer. He was also of Asian descent, and as I stood at the door, chattering away while handing him the various bags and explaining what was in them, to a completely blank face, I suddenly realized – this man doesn't understand a word I am saying!
It certainly wipes out any chance of communicating, doesn't it?
The apostles of Jesus could have faced a similar problem trying to get the gospel message out to everyone in the first century. There is no evidence that any of them knew more than, at MOST, two languages (and most would have only known one). Jesus had told them they would stay in Jerusalem until power came upon them, and then they would preach in all Judea and Samaria, and eventually to the “uttermost parts of the Earth”. Did they ever wonder how they were going to do that without knowing the languages?
We are told in Acts 2 about the Day of Pentecost following Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension. This would have been 50 days after his crucifixion. Jesus had specifically mentioned a “baptism [or immersion- VE] of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5), saying it would happen very soon after his ascension, though not exactly saying when. So one week after Jesus had ascended, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples (now Apostles) with a sound like rushing wind and an appearance like flames of fire above the heads of those on whom it fell.
Peter began to preach. At the time there would have been many visitors to Jerusalem because they would come for Passover and stay through Pentecost. Josephus gives an estimate of over 2.5 Million for Passover during the time of Nero – so it is not out of line to suggest one million in Jerusalem at the time of this occurrence, and tens of thousands close enough to witness it first-hand. Of those, Acts 2 records over a dozen different cultures of different languages.
Without the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues, this would have sounded like a great cacophony to some – and indeed, for those who did not listen for their own language, it did! But many, listening, did pick up that one of the speakers was speaking in their own language, so that the Word of God was made known in every tongue.
This gift of tongues is not seen today. There are many reports of such, but it is often either in a language that nobody has ever heard, or if it really is a known language it is spoken without an interpreter, expressly forbidden in the New Testament because nobody benefits. The true gift of tongues was always for edification, always in a real language, and always for the benefit of someone who did not understand the language of the speaker. People in the first century were told that one day this gift of speaking in tongues would cease (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Thank the Lord that he wants us to understand his message of love and forgiveness. Unlike my friend at the door not understanding my message about his food delivery, every person will have the opportunity to understand God's message about eternal life.
Then I took the food to the customer. He was also of Asian descent, and as I stood at the door, chattering away while handing him the various bags and explaining what was in them, to a completely blank face, I suddenly realized – this man doesn't understand a word I am saying!
It certainly wipes out any chance of communicating, doesn't it?
The apostles of Jesus could have faced a similar problem trying to get the gospel message out to everyone in the first century. There is no evidence that any of them knew more than, at MOST, two languages (and most would have only known one). Jesus had told them they would stay in Jerusalem until power came upon them, and then they would preach in all Judea and Samaria, and eventually to the “uttermost parts of the Earth”. Did they ever wonder how they were going to do that without knowing the languages?
We are told in Acts 2 about the Day of Pentecost following Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension. This would have been 50 days after his crucifixion. Jesus had specifically mentioned a “baptism [or immersion- VE] of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5), saying it would happen very soon after his ascension, though not exactly saying when. So one week after Jesus had ascended, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples (now Apostles) with a sound like rushing wind and an appearance like flames of fire above the heads of those on whom it fell.
Peter began to preach. At the time there would have been many visitors to Jerusalem because they would come for Passover and stay through Pentecost. Josephus gives an estimate of over 2.5 Million for Passover during the time of Nero – so it is not out of line to suggest one million in Jerusalem at the time of this occurrence, and tens of thousands close enough to witness it first-hand. Of those, Acts 2 records over a dozen different cultures of different languages.
Without the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues, this would have sounded like a great cacophony to some – and indeed, for those who did not listen for their own language, it did! But many, listening, did pick up that one of the speakers was speaking in their own language, so that the Word of God was made known in every tongue.
This gift of tongues is not seen today. There are many reports of such, but it is often either in a language that nobody has ever heard, or if it really is a known language it is spoken without an interpreter, expressly forbidden in the New Testament because nobody benefits. The true gift of tongues was always for edification, always in a real language, and always for the benefit of someone who did not understand the language of the speaker. People in the first century were told that one day this gift of speaking in tongues would cease (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Thank the Lord that he wants us to understand his message of love and forgiveness. Unlike my friend at the door not understanding my message about his food delivery, every person will have the opportunity to understand God's message about eternal life.
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