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Mr. Finnell wanders into unfamiliar rhetorical territory, with a "have you ever noticed" comment. We doubt he has ever noticed, because we doubt he's ever been to a charismatic church. He'd rather lob rhetorical bombs from a distance than obtain a first-hand witness.
HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT CONTEMPORARY TONGUE SPEAKERS NEVER CLAIM TO SPEAK IN TONGUES LIKE PETER AND THE ELEVEN APOSTLES SPOKE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST? (Two things. One, what tongues speakers claim or do not claim is clearly something unfamiliar to Mr. Finnell. Many tongues speakers have actually spoke in other, known languages.
WHAT KIND OF TONGUES WERE SPOKEN ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST?
Acts 2:1-11...4 And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came to gather, and were bewildered because each of them was hearing them speak in his own language........
When Peter and the eleven apostle(s) spoke, each man heard in their own language. Peter spoke in tongues and each man heard in their own language. They did not need an interpreter to understand. (Mr. Finnell betrays himself here. 1Co. 14:27 "If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret." How is it that the apostles did not need an interpreter, but the Corinthian church was required to? Perhaps because Pentecost as an event does not come to bear on the church expression of tongues?
I(f) Christians today had the gift of tongues, like Peter and the apostles demonstrated on the Day of Pentecost, (Which is not a requirement.)
Mr. Finnell wanders into unfamiliar rhetorical territory, with a "have you ever noticed" comment. We doubt he has ever noticed, because we doubt he's ever been to a charismatic church. He'd rather lob rhetorical bombs from a distance than obtain a first-hand witness.
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HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT CONTEMPORARY TONGUE SPEAKERS NEVER CLAIM TO SPEAK IN TONGUES LIKE PETER AND THE ELEVEN APOSTLES SPOKE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST? (Two things. One, what tongues speakers claim or do not claim is clearly something unfamiliar to Mr. Finnell. Many tongues speakers have actually spoke in other, known languages.
Two, Mr. Finnell artificially restricts the expression of tongues to what happened on the day of Pentecost. He gives no reason for this, since tongues were widespread in the early church.
And three, what does or does not happen in contemporary churches has nothing to do with the biblical case for tongues. Mr. Finnell, and all cessationists, must demonstrate from the Bible that the charismatic gifts have ceased. We have yet to read a persuasive biblically-derived argument from any cessationist advocating for their position.)
And three, what does or does not happen in contemporary churches has nothing to do with the biblical case for tongues. Mr. Finnell, and all cessationists, must demonstrate from the Bible that the charismatic gifts have ceased. We have yet to read a persuasive biblically-derived argument from any cessationist advocating for their position.)
WHO SPOKE IN TONGUES ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST?
Acts 2:12-15....14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let it know to you and give heed to my words. 15 For these men are not drunk, as you suppose....
These men, were Peter and the eleven apostles. (10. Judas Iscariot was dead.)
These men, were not the one hundred twenty. These men, were not all of the three thousand who were saved on the Day of Pentecost. Peter and the eleven were the ones who spoke in tongues. (Mr. Finnell cannot know this, for Scripture does not say how many were there, only that the apostles stood up with Peter. In fact, the disturbance was widely witnessed: "When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language." (Ac. 2:6) There was a crowd there, and they were amazed and tried to explain it by accusing the tongues-speakers as being drunk.
Acts 2:12-15....14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let it know to you and give heed to my words. 15 For these men are not drunk, as you suppose....
These men, were Peter and the eleven apostles. (10. Judas Iscariot was dead.)
These men, were not the one hundred twenty. These men, were not all of the three thousand who were saved on the Day of Pentecost. Peter and the eleven were the ones who spoke in tongues. (Mr. Finnell cannot know this, for Scripture does not say how many were there, only that the apostles stood up with Peter. In fact, the disturbance was widely witnessed: "When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language." (Ac. 2:6) There was a crowd there, and they were amazed and tried to explain it by accusing the tongues-speakers as being drunk.
The curious thing, though, is what Peter said in response to the crowd. He quotes Joel:
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." Ac. 2:17-18
Peter does not tell them that this is restricted only to the apostles, for that would be preposterous given the content of the passage. He tells them this is evidence of what will happen to many people in the last days.)
WHAT KIND OF TONGUES WERE SPOKEN ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST?
Acts 2:1-11...4 And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came to gather, and were bewildered because each of them was hearing them speak in his own language........
When Peter and the eleven apostle(s) spoke, each man heard in their own language. Peter spoke in tongues and each man heard in their own language. They did not need an interpreter to understand. (Mr. Finnell betrays himself here. 1Co. 14:27 "If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret." How is it that the apostles did not need an interpreter, but the Corinthian church was required to? Perhaps because Pentecost as an event does not come to bear on the church expression of tongues?
You see, Mr. Finnell wants to focus only on the Pentecost event so as not to deal with the Acts 10:46, Acts 19:6, 1 Cor. 12:10, 1 Cor. 12:28, 1 Cor. 12:30, and especially 1 Cor 14:5: "I would like every one of you to speak in tongues..."
Tongues was widespread in the early church, and Paul encouraged it. He gave guidelines and correction for its improper expression. He spend much time explaining something, according to people like Mr. Finnell, would cease in a few short years. Why would he do that?)
There are no contemporary tongues speakers who claim to have the same gift of tongues that the apostles spoke on the Day of Pentecost. (Incorrect, and of course, irrelevant.)
I(f) Christians today had the gift of tongues, like Peter and the apostles demonstrated on the Day of Pentecost, (Which is not a requirement.)
they could go to the floor on the United Nations and speak in tongues and all present would be able to understand them without an interpreter. If Christians today had, the Day of Pentecost gift of tongues they could be missionaries to every country in the world without studying the language of that country. (This second thing has happened.)
WHY DO CHRISTIANS TODAY NOT HAVE THE GIFT OF TONGUES THAT WAS SPOKEN ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST? WHY? BECAUSE TONGUES HAVE CEASED!
1 Corinthians 13:8....if there are tongues, they will cease... (Which according to cessationist Tom Pennington is an uncertain verse which cannot be relied upon for the cessationist case.)
(All Scripture from. NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)
1Co. 14:2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no-one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. (Wait! Mr Finnell just quoted a Scripture that contradicts everything he has written to this point. "No-one understands him." This isn't speaking in known languages! Likewise, how can someone be speaking in a known language given this: 1Co. 14:28 "If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God." Sounds to us like this is a tongues expression unlike the manifestation at the day of Pentecost, doesn't it?)
1 Corinthians 13:8....if there are tongues, they will cease... (Which according to cessationist Tom Pennington is an uncertain verse which cannot be relied upon for the cessationist case.)
(All Scripture from. NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)
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