Let me begin by restating a comment you made concerning your conversation with Travis’ dad:
“That it had its place only once when everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit on the passover (or something to that effect).”
This question and others like it are very commonly asked by anyone who is searching for true understanding about speaking in tongues. So, let me introduce you to a concept about dates that will seem unrelated but bear with me for a moment.
October 31, 1517 was the day that everything changed. Up to that point, the Catholic Church, which can actually trace its roots all the way back to Peter the apostle was…for all intents and purposes…the continuation of the efforts of Jesus’ disciples. For almost 1500 years the Catholic Church in Rome was the single organized effort of Christians on the earth. And the single person elected by prayerful consideration that was in charge of that entire effort was the Pope whose actual job description is “The servant of the servants of God”. Over time the Holy See and its Pope became forces that Kings, Emperors, and Heads of State had to recognize and consider. The office of the Pope became a globally important platform. When the Pope issued orders or decrees they effected the entire world not just one small part of it. It is with one such papal letter that Pope Gregory XIII established a calendar that counted time from the commonly accepted date of the birth of Jesus Christ. Governments and countries soon adopted the same calendar. It is this calendar that established abbreviations to denote on which side of Jesus Christ’s birth you might be referring.
B.C., which stands for "Before Christ," is used to date events before the birth of Jesus. A.D. is the abbreviation for the Latin phrase anno Domini, which means "in the year of our Lord," and is used for dates after Jesus' birth. Today, however, with a growing understanding that not all archaeologists are Christians, some archaeologists prefer to use the terms: Before the Common Era (B.C.E.) and the Common Era (C.E.), which are exactly the same as B.C. and A.D. but have nothing to do with Christianity.
So then, it is with this understanding that many thousands of scholars over many hundreds of years have poured over many, many thousands of documents from the history of the world…that we can with reasonable certainty assign dates to specific events mentioned in scripture. Not all scholars agree on all points. I personally trust a chronological system developed by Frank R. Klassen that takes into account some specifics of the Hebrew calendar not considered by the scholars during the time of Pope Gregory. Mr. Klassen’s chronology would have put the birth of Jesus Christ at 5 B.C. In this discussion it is the time periods between dates that is important not the number of the year. Keep in mind though that the dates are only aids toward understanding. Only the scriptures themselves are really important and inspired.
There are only three instances in the scriptures that record someone speaking in tongues and these are apart from where Paul talks about tongues in detail. Additionally, the scriptures do not specifically disclose when Paul began to speak in tongues.
1. Sunday, June 5, A.D. 29
ü A.D. 35-36
Phillip preaches and Samaritans are saved – Acts 8:5-8
- 6 or 7 years had passed since Pentecost
- http://www.biblemap.org/#Acts_8
ü A.D. 35-36
Peter and John are sent to Samaria.
Samaritans receive the Holy Ghost – Acts 8:14-15
- There are only about 35 miles between Samaria and Jerusalem. These two separate events probably occurred within the same week
- There is no mention of speaking in tongues in this passage
- This item simply here for future reference.
2. A.D. 41
Gentiles in the house of Cornelius in Caesarea speak in tongues – Acts 10:44-46
- 5 or 6 more years had passed
- Approximately 53 miles between Jerusalem and Caesarea
- http://www.biblemap.org/#Acts_10
3. A.D. 54-57
- Christians in Ephesus speak in tongues – Acts 19:1-6
- 13 to 16 more years had passed. Now approximately 28 years since Pentecost
- http://www.biblemap.org/#Acts_19
- From Jerusalem…Ephesus is 617 as the crow flies over water…or more than 1000 miles by land….I could not find a single map program that would let me plot a driving distance map through Syria!
Of the three specific Instances mentioned in scripture we have a timeline that spans approximately 28 years. Both Jews and Gentiles are referred to. Ethnic races mentioned are Jew, Roman and Ephesian. And finally we have a triangle covering approximately 6256 square miles…most of which are in the Mediterranean Sea and is represented by a triangle like the one at the bottom of this post.
Here are the questions I would pose back to the logical thinking Christian:
1. The scriptures themselves prove that speaking in tongues wasn’t just a one time event…don’t they?
2. The scriptures themselves prove that speaking in tongues wasn’t just happening in one specific place at one specific time….don’t they?
3. Does it make sense that God would create some sort of “Holy Spirit Triangle” and that for someone to speak in tongues…they need to go out to the Mediterranean?
4. ….Or does it make more sense that:
a. the amount of scripture devoted to this event in a believers life
i. not only the instances of,
ii. but the many references to it,
by the man whom God used to write two thirds of the New Testament…
Could it be a real and vital part of the Christian experience? These are questions that Christians have to answer for themselves. No one can prove it. Speaking in tongues is an issue based in faith. Either you believe it or you don’t. It doesn’t affect your Salvation or your position in Christ as an heir. It doesn’t affect whether or not the Holy Spirit will speak to you. It doesn’t affect whether God listens to your prayers or not.
The real question here is: Is the scripture alive and relevant to me? Do I believe that God inspired the men who actually wrote the scriptures? Did God intend to use these men to convey His thoughts to me? If you can answer “yes” to each of these three questions… then listen to what Paul, the Apostle wrote to you as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do:
1 Corinthians 14:18 (NIV)
18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
But before that he said:
1 Corinthians 14:5 (NIV)
5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
Prophesy is for another study…but I would caution the person who uses the excuse of prophesy for not speaking in tongues…because Paul said that person was greater! The person who would use this excuse does a disservice to God by not understanding how the Kingdom of God works. God doesn’t use hierarchy like that…making one “greater than the other”…that’s pride. One more thing…When you get to feeling “greater” than Paul….who spoke in tongues more….well…I hope you get the idea.
So, as I said in the beginning….I do believe God wants every believer to speak in tongues.
There is a lot more to cover along these lines but I don’t want to cover a subject in exhaustive detail to the point of boredom. You will have to let me know which direction we should proceed. We can explore a completely new concept totally unrelated or I can continue to exhaust this subject. Other thoughts along this line are:
· What specifically is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
o What is it used for?
o How is it different from being saved?
· What do these terms have in common or how do they differ:
o Being filled with the Spirit
o The indwelling
o Annointing
· Are there different types of speaking in tongues?
· How does interpretation of tongues work?
· What exactly happens when you speak in tongues?
o Does God move my mouth?
o How do I know what to say?
o Do I understand it?
