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Acts Study #9: Is speaking in tongues necessary to be saved?
Hechos Estudio #9: ¿Es necesario hablar en lenguas para ser salvado?
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“This is the work of Jehovah! It is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:23
Acts, Chapter 1.1: Many Jews of the Diaspora believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1:1 - 2:47)
§Complement Introduction: Jesus gave his Great Commission and the apostles chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot (1:1 - 26)
¶Opposite The Lord gave his Great Commission to his first church (and all future churches) to take the Gospel to the entire Earth (1:1 - 8)
¶Opposite The apostles cast lots to choose an apostle to replace Judas Iscariot (1:9 - 26)
§Complement Peter preached the Gospel to foreign-born Jews and about 5,000 confessed Jesus as their Messiah (2:1 - 40)
¶Unique God poured out his Holy Spirit upon the apostles; and this miracle brought many foreign-born Jews around them (2:1 - 13)
¶Complement Peter preached that the miracle of speaking in foreign languages came from Jehovah, the God of Israel (2:14 - 21)
¶Complement Peter preached that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was also from Jehovah, the God of Israel (2:22 - 28)
¶Opposite Peter pointed to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit from Jehovah as proof of the resurrection of Jesus (2:29 - 36)
¶Opposite Peter called the Jews to repent and turn to their Messiah; and be baptized as a sign of the forgiveness of their sins (2:37 - 40)
§Unique The Assembly in Jerusalem began to expand rapidly with many new believers (2:41 - 47)
¶Complement After baptism, the new converts continued in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles (2:41 - 43)
¶Complement The spiritual growth of the new converts resulted in more souls being saved, which were added to the Assembly (2:44 - 47)
§Complement Introduction: Jesus gave the apostles a promise to give them power, and the apostles chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot
¶Opposite Jesus gave the apostles a promise to give them power to carry out his Great Commission
Unique The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Spirit had given Commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen. 1:3To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Complement And, being assembled together with the apostles, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem; but “wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard from me:
Complement “for John truly baptized in water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Opposite Therefore, when they came together, they asked him, saying, “Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom of Zion again to Israel?” And he said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own authority.
Opposite “But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria; and unto the uttermost part of the Earth.”
This is the fifth in a series of topical studies in the Book of Acts.
Normally, I don’t do topical studies, because I’m trying to demonstrate how the Golden Ratio design of “UCC-OO” is found throughout the Bible. But there are so many false teachings today about the Book of Acts that we need to stop and examine what the Bible actually says, so that we will be properly prepared to study the Book of Acts in detail. These studies will “plow the ground” properly so that the Seed of the Word of God will be planted in good ground when we get there.
Now, I want to take a look at one issue related to the spiritual gift of speaking in foreign languages without training (or “tongues”) and how it actually happened in the Book of Acts, versus how many false teachers (especially Charismatics and Pentecostals) twist and warp the Bible to make it say what they want it to say. There are many of these errors being taught today, but we can only address one at a time due to space. Here is one:
FALSE TEACHING: "YOU MUST SPEAK IN TONGUES OR YOU ARE NOT SAVED."
Now there are many false teachers today, who are saying that if a Believer in Jesus does not speak in tongues, they were not saved, even if they did what the Bible said to do (e.g. they repented and asked Jesus to come into their heart and save them). In other words, you can be a Christian, and still go to Hell if you have not spoken in tongues.
This claim is false, because even in the first century during the Book of Acts, not every person who was saved spoke in tongues (or foreign languages). Here is an incomplete list of references that you can look up for yourself. I don’t have time to go over every one of them right now: Acts 11:20-21, 13:12, 13:48, 14:1, 16:41, 16:33-34, 17:4, 17:12, 17:34, 18:8; but here are several examples:
“And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they came to Antioch, spoke to the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord.” Acts 11:20-21
“Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed in Christ, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.” Acts 13:12
“And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord; and as many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed. And the Word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.” Acts 13:48-49
“And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household; and many of the Corinthians hearing the Gospel, believed, and were baptized.” Acts 18:8
Notice:
1) No mention is made in these texts of speaking in tongues
2) The apostles did not lay hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit
So does that mean that because they did not speak in tongues, they were not saved? Of course not; anyone who hears the Gospel of Christ and believes in Christ, calling on his Name (Romans 10:13), shall be instantly saved. This is the message of the Bible, both in Acts and for today.
“But what does it say? “The Word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart”; that is to say, the Word of faith (which we preach), that if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved: for with the heart man believes into righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made into salvation: for the Scripture says, “Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed.” For there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him: for [it is written], “whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:8-13
MOST EXAMPLES OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES IN THE BOOK OF ACTS WERE DONE BY PEOPLE WHO WERE ALREADY SAVED.
There were only four recorded instances of people speaking in tongues in the Book of Acts, and the evidence in the text indicates that, in most cases, they were not lost, but they were already Believers under the Old Covenant: Acts 2:1-4, 8:5-17, 10:44-46, 19:1-7.
1) 2:1-4: The apostles were New Covenant Jews who were already Believers in Jehovah and Believers in Jesus Christ. They had already received the Holy Spirit from Jesus after his Resurrection in John 20:22:
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and says to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit right now.”
2) 8:5-17: Peter’s audience in Acts 8 were Gentile converts who were already Believers under the Old Covenant.
3) 10:44-46: The Samaritans may or may not have been Believers before then; it is not possible to be certain from the text. If not, they would be the only exception to this rule in the Book of Acts. Typically, Samaritans were regarded as heretics, so it is likely that they were not saved before hearing the Gospel of Christ from Philip. But we are not Samaritans, and there is no reason to use their conversion experience as a model for us today, especially since the apostles had to lay hands on them before they received the Holy Spirit. We have no apostles today, so that would be impossible under any circumstance.
4) 19:1-7: The followers of John the Baptist were already Believers in Jehovah under the Old Covenant, and had been baptized by John the Baptist, but until then knew nothing of Jesus.
All of the other references to people hearing the Gospel in the Book of Acts has no mention at all of speaking in tongues: Acts 2:38-47, Acts 11:21, 13:12, 13:48, 14:1, 16:41, 16:33-34, 17:4, 17:12, 17:34, 18:8, etc.
CONCLUSION:
So the Scriptural evidence leads us to conclude that speaking in tongues in the Book of Acts was done (in all but one case in Acts 8) by people who were already saved, not by people who were new Believers in Christ; and there are many more examples of people who believed in Christ, but no mention is made of speaking in tongues.
Another way to say it is that “Tongues were not for everyone in the Book of Acts.” So it is legitimate to claim that “Tongues are for today”, even when tongues were not for everyone in the Book of Acts? I say, "No; prove it from the Bible or repent of your false teaching and get right with God or get saved (as the need may be)."
So the claim that you must speak in tongues or you are not saved is a false claim that is not supported by the evidence in Acts. Neither does the letter of 1 Corinthians or any other letter of the apostles have any text that supports this claim.
Anyone who makes claims to the contrary is saying it without Scriptural evidence, and God will hold them accountable for their false teachings.
“And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given to him has written to you; as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood; which they that are uninstructed and unstable twist, as they do also the other Scriptures, toward their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15-16
A full examination of 1 Corinthians 13-14 must wait until we can spend an entire series of studies on that text. The proper understanding of that text can only be gained by looking at the entire picture of that church and the immature Believers within it.
Personally, I have been saved since August 1982, and I have never spoken in tongues, neither do I want to. I can be filled with the Holy Spirit at any time through repentance from all sins, and simply asking the Lord Jesus for the Holy Spirit to fill me to the uttermost. Then, by reading a large amount of Scripture (and obeying it!), the Holy Spirit uses it to nourish my soul spiritually and help me to grow up in Christ. This is what God wants Believers to do today.uttermost. Then, by reading a large amount of Scripture, the Holy Spirit uses it to nourish my soul spiritually and help me to grow up in Christ. This is what God wants Believers to do today.
We will compare more false teachings in the Book of Acts against the Bible in the next study.
How to be saved
The Bible clearly states that salvation can only be obtained if we repent and believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.
Luke 13:3: “I say to you, no; but, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Romans 3:21-24: “But now, the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed (being testified by the Law and the Prophets), even the righteousness of God as it is through the faith of Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and have fallen short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
It is impossible to keep the Law of Moses! The sole purpose of the Law of Moses (the Ten Commandments) is to make you understand that you are a sinner who has sinned against God. It cannot make you righteous in God’s eyes:
Romans 3:19-20: “And we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be shut, and everyone may become guilty before God; therefore by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified in His sight: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.”
Sins can only be paid for by the finished atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross! We cannot pay for our own sins with our suffering, neither in this life nor in the fictitious place called “Purgatory”!
Romans 3:23-26: “For all have sinned, and have fallen short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God has publicly exhibited, to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of past sins, through the patience of God; to declare, I say, at this time his justice; that God may be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus.”
Here is how you can be truly saved TODAY, and know that you have Eternal Life, right now!
The Bible says,
“that if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved: for with the heart, man believes into righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made into salvation: for the Scripture says, “Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed.” For there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him: for it is written, “whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-13
Are you ready to do that? If so, then find a place to pray privately, and pray this prayer with all of your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ:
“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against YOU. I am no good, and you are righteous! You are my only hope for salvation! I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, you were buried, and you rose again from the dead on the third day. I want you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Please come into my heart right now. Forgive me for all my sins, and save my soul. In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!”
If you have turned from your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and only Savior from sin, please message me through Facebook and let me know that you have done that, so that I can pray for you and rejoice with you in what God has done in your life. Amen.
Hechos Estudio #9: ¿Es necesario hablar en lenguas para ser salvado?
¡Si está utilizando un teléfono inteligente, por favor, gírelo al modo horizontal! ¡Gracias!
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“¡Esta es la obra de Jehová! Es maravilloso a nuestros ojos”. Salmo 118:23
Hechos, Capítulo 1.1: Muchos judíos de la Diáspora creído al evangelio de Jesús Cristo (1:1 - 2:47)
§El complemento Introducción: Jesús dio su Gran Comisión y los apóstoles eligieron un reemplazo para Judas Iscariote (1:1 - 26)
¶Lo opuesto El Señor dio su Gran Comisión a su primera iglesia (y todas las iglesias futuras) para llevar el evangelio a toda la tierra (1:1 - 8))
¶Lo opuesto Los apóstoles echan suertes para elegir un apóstol para reemplazar a Judas Iscariote (1:9 - 26)
§El complemento Cuerpo: Pedro predicó el evangelio a judíos nacidos en el extranjero y unos 5,000 confesaron a Jesús como su Mesías (2:1 - 40)
¶Único Dios derramó su Espíritu Santo sobre los apóstoles; y este milagro atrajo a muchos judíos nacidos en el extranjero (2:1 - 13)
¶El complemento Pedro predicó que el milagro de hablar en idiomas extranjeros provenía de Jehová, el Dios de Israel (2:14 - 21)
¶El complemento Pedro predicó que la crucifixión y resurrección de Jesús también provenían de Jehová, el Dios de Israel (2:22 - 28)
¶Lo opuesto Pedro señaló el derramamiento del Espíritu Santo desde Jehová como prueba de la resurrección de Jesús (2:29 - 36)
¶Lo opuesto Pedro llamó a los judíos a arrepentirse y volverse al cristo, y ser bautizados como señal del perdón de sus pecados (2:37 - 40)
§Único Conclusión: La asamblea en Jerusalén comenzó a expandirse rápidamente con muchos creyentes nuevos (2:41 - 47)
¶El complemento Después del bautismo, los nuevos conversos continuaron en la enseñanza y la comunión de los apóstoles (2:41 - 43)
¶El complemento El crecimiento espiritual de los nuevos conversos resultó en la salvación de más almas (2:44 - 47)
§Complement Introduction: Jesus gave the apostles a promise to give them power, and the apostles chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot
¶Opposite Jesus gave the apostles a promise to give them power to carry out his Great Commission
Unique The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Spirit had given Commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen. 1:3To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Complement And, being assembled together with the apostles, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem; but “wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard from me:
Complement “for John truly baptized in water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Opposite Therefore, when they came together, they asked him, saying, “Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom of Zion again to Israel?” And he said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own authority.
Opposite “But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria; and unto the uttermost part of the Earth.”
Introducción
La traducción al español de este estudio está pendiente.
¿Exactamente cómo y cuándo naciste de nuevo?
He aprendido por experiencia que aquellos que se niegan a responder lo hacen porque nunca han nacido de nuevo; no tienen idea de lo que significa, y por eso no pueden responder.
Si ese es tu caso, entonces tu destino eterno en este momento es el Infierno; y más tarde, el Lago de Fuego.
Afortunadamente, podemos cambiar nuestro destino eterno del Infierno al Cielo, si nos arrepentimos de nuestros pecados y recibimos a Jesucristo como nuestro Salvador personal.
Primero, debemos creer que Jesús es el Hijo de Dios; que fue crucificado por nuestros pecados, que fue sepultado y que resucitó de entre los muertos al tercer día.
Romanos 10:8-11: “Pero ¿qué dice? “La Palabra está cerca de ti, incluso en tu boca y en tu corazón”, es decir, la Palabra de fe (que predicamos), que si confesarás con tu boca al Señor Jesús, y creerás en tu corazón que Dios le levantó de los muertos, tú serás salvado: porque con el corazón, el hombre cree para justicia, y con la boca, la confesión se hace para la salvación: porque la Escritura dice, “cualquiera que en él creyere, no será avergonzado”.
Entonces, debemos arrepentirnos de nuestros pecados e invocar el Nombre del Señor Jesús para salvarnos.
Romanos 10:12-13: “Porque no hay diferencia entre el judio y el gentil: porque el mismo Señor sobre todo es rico a todos los que le invocan: porque está escrito, “Cualquiera que llamará sobre el Nombre del Señor será salvado”.
Juan 1:12: “Pero cuantos le recibieron, él les dio autoridad para convertirse los niños de Dios: incluso a aquellos quien creen sobre su Nombre”.
Cuando hacemos eso, entonces nacemos de nuevo instantáneamente en el Reino de Dios.
Estas listo para hacer eso? Si es así, entonces busca un lugar para orar en privado y haz esta oración con todo tu corazón al Señor Jesucristo:
“Señor Jesús, sé que he pecado contra TI. ¡No soy bueno y usted eres justo! Creo que moriste en la cruz por mis pecados, fuiste enterrado y resucitaste de entre los muertos al tercer día. Quiero que vengas a mi vida y seas mi Señor y Salvador. Por favor entra en mi corazón ahora mismo. Perdóname por todos mis pecados y salva mi alma. En el poderoso Nombre de Jesús, oro, ¡Amén!”
Si se apartó de sus pecados y aceptó a Jesucristo como su Señor y único Salvador desde el pecado, por favor envíeme un mensaje a través de Facebook y hágame saber que lo ha hecho, para que pueda orar por usted y alegrarme con usted en lo que Dios tiene hecho en tu vida. Amén.