Lesson 3: Comparing The Principle To The Experience – Acts 8

So far in this series we have done two things: established a basic principle for understanding tongues and then used that principle to analyze the first historical event when tongues were spoken.

• The principle is: tongues are for a sign to unbelievers not believers.
• Tongues were first spoken miraculously in Acts 2:1-13.

In Acts 2 the unbelievers were the Jews who refused to believe the Old Testament prophecies pointing to Christ. They were believers in one sense and unbelievers in another. The Bible was revered (making them believers) but they stopped short at accepting Christ (making them unbelievers). Along with the Old Testament prophecies attesting to Christ, they also rejected the avalanche of evidence from Christ’s ministry, all of which shouted His Messiah credentials.

Because the term “unbeliever” is also associated with any person who is not a Christian, Acts 2 wasn’t as clear an example as other events when tongues were spoken. Those who heard tongues in that passage became believers not only in Christ but also in a ministry transition.

Other examples bring more clarity to the discussion.

With these thoughts in mind we proceed to the next occasion on which tongues were spoken in judgment against unbelief, Acts 8:1-25. [Read more…] about “Tongues” Are A Sign, Part 3