QT 29/05/2024 Wednesday Acts 19. The border crossing tongue. 过境的方言。
QT 29/05/2024 Wednesday Acts 19.
READ & LISTEN here
https://www.esv.org/Acts+19/
LISTEN TO Acts 19
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Acts.19
Did speaking in tongues accompany baptised believers in Acts? Yes and No.
[YES]:
(1) Here in Acts 19:4-6, twelve of the believers in Ephesus were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus (not in the name of the Holy Spirit). After Paul placed his hands on them, they spoke in tongues (other languages) and prophesied.
(2) In Acts 2:4, 8-11 among the APOSTLES and EARLY believers - Tongues in Acts seems to take on its initial meaning ("other languages", as in Acts 2) consistently.
"And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and .... we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." (Acts 2:8-11)
(3) In 10:44-46, even the GENTILES in Caesarea spoke in tongues and extolled God. The sound of this speech and its content (praising God) were heard by Peter and those who came with him (Acts 10:45,46). The ability to speak in tongues proved to Peter that the Gentiles did receive (and CAN receive) the Holy Spirit, "just as we have" (Acts 10:47).
Absence of evidence might not be evidence of absence. But consider the absence in the records.
[NO - Even after Baptism]: There was no record of the 3000 baptised believer speaking in tongues (Acts 2:41). Similarly there were no records of the following speaking in tongues: the Ethiopian official (Acts 8:38-39), Paul himself in Damascus (Acts 9:18), Lydia and her household (Acts 16:15) and the Philippian jailer and his family (Acts 16:33).
[NO - Even after being filled with the Holy Spirit]
Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit while facing the Sanhedrin but Luke made no mention of tongues (4:8). Likewise for Stephen, who was full of the Holy Spirit, while addressing the Sanhedrin (7:55); and Paul, who was full of the Holy Spirit while confronting Elymas (13:9).
REFLECTION (1): Could the [YES] above be accounted for because the gospel was CROSSING the borders on the way to the ends of the earth? Tongues appeared whenever an ethnic/geographical boundary was crossed, be it Jerusalem, Samaria, Gentiles etc...?
REFLECTION (2): Does the concept of "tongues" in 1Corinthians take on a similar or another meaning other than "ordinary languages" that could be understood by people of other ethnic groups?
APPLICATION: S-Word, be careful to weigh the scriptural evidence, which must guide practice, rather than the other way round. Anyway, we thank God that the gospel had crossed many borders and had come to us. Let us also cross the last borders on earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ! Press on!
星期三2024年5月29日 今日读经：使徒行传19章。过境的方言。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Act/19/
听音频使徒行传19章
https://www.bible.com/bible/41/act.19.cnvs
在使徒行传里，受洗的信徒是否有说方言？是和不是。
[是]:
(1) 在徒19:4-6，以弗所的十二个信徒都奉主耶稣的名受洗的(不是奉圣灵的名)。保罗为他们按手之后，他们就用各种的语言讲话(别的语言)，并且说预言。
(2) 在徒2:4,8-11，在门徒和早期的信徒之间--使徒行传里的方言往往只有一个意思(“其他的语言”，就如使徒2章)。
“我们各人怎么听见他们讲我们从小所用的本乡话呢？我们帕提亚人、玛代人、以拦人和...都听见他们用我们的语言，讲说 神的大作为。”(徒2:8-11)
(3) 在10:44-46,就连在该撒利亚的外族人也说方言赞美神。这话的声音和内容(赞美神)让彼得和那些与他同来的人听见了(徒10:45,46)。这件事让彼得看到，能够说方言的能力证明了外族人领受了(而且可以领受)圣灵，“跟我们一样”(徒10:47)。
没有证据不一定证明没有。但仔细思考记载中，没有记录说方言的事迹。
[不是--就算是受洗之后]：经文没有记载3000个受洗的信徒说方言(徒2:41)。那衣索匹亚的太监也没有说方言(徒8:38-39)，保罗本身在大马士革也没有(徒9:18)，吕底亚和她的一家也没有(徒16:15)，还有那腓立比的狱吏(包括他一家)也没有(徒16:33)。
[不是 - 就算是被圣灵充满后]
彼得在面对犹太人的官长时，他是被圣灵充满的，但路加并没有提到讲方言(4:8)。同样的，司提反也是被圣灵充满的，当他在和官长说话时(7:55);还有保罗，他在对抗以吕马时，也是被圣灵充满的(13:9)。
反思(1):以上[是]所述是否乃因福音要越过边界去到世界的地极？是不是每当要越过一个民族/地理边界时，方言总会出现，无论是耶路撒冷、撒玛利亚、外族等...?
反思(2):在哥林多前书，“各种语言”是否包含同样的意思，也就是其他族群也能明白的“一般语言”或是指其他的意思？
应用：为道人，谨慎衡量经上的证据，这些都当以引导我们所行的，而不是相反的。无论如何，感谢神因为福音已越过许多边界且来到我们这里。让我们也带着耶稣基督的福音越过世上的最后边界！继续前行！
