The Coming of the Holy Spirit

The Day of Pentecost
May 23, 2010

Speaking of Tongues
Acts 2:1-21

The most impressive thing that Peter did on Pentecost was not speaking in a foreign language that he had never learned. It was his sermon.

Peter pointed people from all over the world to Jesus. He pointed them to their Savior's crucifixion and resurrection.

Peter preached: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. This Man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. (Acts 2:22-24)

The main miracle of Pentecost wasn't speaking in tongues. It was the Holy Spirit coming to these people and creating trust in Jesus in many of their hearts. The Holy Spirit created trust in their Savior, trust that would save them and sustain them.

And it's important to note how the Holy Spirit came to the gathered audience. He did use the wind didn't create faith. The fire didn't create faith. The marvel of fishermen speaking practically every language known to man didn't create faith. These wonders gathered the audience, but they didn't save anyone.

The Holy Spirit works through things that aren't amazing. On Pentecost He used non-amazing Peter preaching a sermon. Then He used non-amazing water to baptize them. Then He used Jesus' body and blood in, with, and under the non-amazing bread and wine of the Lord's Supper to increase their trust in Jesus and in His promises.

Among most Christians, at least on the surface, the work of Jesus is confessed—He lived, died, and rose from the dead. But among this same group, there are major divisions about what the Holy Spirit does. Many want the Holy Spirit to do amazing things among them; they refuse to trust that He would use non-amazing things.

There are many who say that He used and still uses wind, fire, and tongues to create salvation in Jesus. They pressure their followers to have dramatic spiritual encounters with God. They peer pressure their people to speak in tongues.

The irony is that these groups will cite the Day of Pentecost as proof that speaking in tongues is something that every true Christian needs to do. But the tongues that the apostles and disciples spoken were known languages. The tongues that the Pentecostal groups demand are syllables that mean nothing. And in practice, their churches sounds like the Tower of Babel every Sunday. No one knows what anyone else's tongue speaking means.

Paul talks about speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14: Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church...

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified... in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. (1 Corinthians 14:9-12, 15-17, 19)

I've never seen flying tongues of fire. I've never spoken in tongues, except when I stub my big toe. I've never seen powerful wind in an enclosed room. The Day of Pentecost was unique. We can't recreate it. And Paul tells us that we don't need to.

Instead the Holy Spirit uses non-amazing things to do amazing things. He uses the Word that speaks of Jesus. So we speak in tongues that people can understand that Jesus is that He died for all.

Many years after Peter preached for the first Pentecost, he wrote a letter to his friends. We call this letter 1 Peter.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation… Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-5, 8-9)

Peter wrote to this friend in the Greek language, so that they could understand the joy that we share in Jesus Christ. It has been translated into English so that many more can know this joy, too.

Speaking in tongues doesn't make you a Christian. Speaking of Christ—so to speak—does. The wind doesn't make you a Christian; the Word does. The tongues of fire don't make you a Christian; the drops of water connected to the Word do.

Amen.