Chapter 2: Establishing

the Legitimacy of

The First Instance

Okay, letʼs first establish the legitimacy of speaking in tongues. We know that speaking in tongues is indeed an actual operation in the Scriptures, but what oen gets lost is that there are dierent versions of speaking in tongues that the Bible speaks of. Many people only see speaking in tongues as the evidence of the Holy Spirit, and as long as you limit your view of speaking in tongues to that one thing, you have completely missed speaking in tongues altogether. You might be surprised to know that the first time speaking in tongues actually took place was not in the New Testament, but actually in the Old Testament. Yes, the Old Testament, and actually in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, the 11th chapter, first through the ninth verse.

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they le o to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1, 6-9 KJV According to the scripture, once upon a time, there was one language for all that dwelt upon the Earth. And to divide the people of the Earth, God gave them languages that would be dierent from one another, so they had to be given unknown languages as opposed to the one that they were familiar with. You see, my friend, language unifies us as a people; we are oen identified by the language we speak, giving implication of oneʼs origin.

The Day of Pentecost

Now, letʼs travel to the blessed New Testament to the most famous time of speaking in tongues, and that, my friend, would be the day of Pentecost in Acts the second chapter.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4 KJV Do you know this description did not say an “ unknown tongue,” but it says “ other which simply means a dierent language from their own?

“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:5-11 KJV

This passage of scripture expresses that there were people out of every nation under heaven in Jerusalem hearing those that were lled with the Holy Spirit speaking in their language. As the scripture progresses, we know this would be the rst message that Peter preaches in Jerusalem, but I want us to pay attention to the move of the Holy Spirit. In the book of Genesis, the 11th chapter, tongues were given to divide and separate the people, but here in the book of Acts, speaking in tongues actually unied the people to be gathered in one place as Peter ministered his rst sermon. What this indicates is that this gi of tongues operates according to the will and purpose of God; it is not as random as some would like to believe. This particular operation of tongues is a miracle designed to gather and draw attention to the preaching of the Gospel.