Tuesday, March 12, 2013

tongues -- evaluate whether the disciples who received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost behaved

The manifestations Bach described as being identical to that of his Pentecostal friend, 'Joseph', are described in like manner by those who achieve 'cosmic consciousness'  and which we discussed in "The 'god' In Every Man." and More Manifestations & Less Bible! The manifestations and concept of having all knowledge and so on is also the same as was described as taking place with Fox, Boehme and many others. Yes, the "expression" Bach describes and all that was happening did come from the same source.  However, that the source was God is what will be put to the test. 
First, there is a need to evaluate whether the disciples who received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost behaved in this described manner. Did they:
  • Babble gibberish which no one could understand? 
  • Laugh and weep uncontrollably and hysterically? 
  • Have convulsions? 
  • Roll around on the floor shouting at God? 
  • Believe that they knew all things and everything they wanted to be was theirs?
  • Was the knowledge that they were sinful removed from them?
  • Were they given the idea that whatever they thought or believed was right before God? 
A perusal of Acts and other Scriptures would indicate otherwise on all questions. 
If one has the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling. What was it, then, that controlled Bach's body and vocal chords? In order to have the Holy Spirit, you have to belong to Jesus Christ. It's that simple.
Romans 8:9-10 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
1 Corinthians 6:19 -20 "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
To our understanding, what took place at Pentecost was a gifting of languages, as those in attendance spoke the wonderful things of God and every person heard in their own language. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 of the purpose of tongues or languages, 
“In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that they will not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe."
Paul specifically addressed the idea of all in a church speaking tongues, something advocated by Peter Wagner and supported by Billy Graham. v.23 "If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?"
Will God contradict those statements by having groups of people doing what Marcus Bach described and which activities both Pentecostal's and Charismatic's engage in, in varying degrees? 
1Corinthians 14:26  “How is it then, brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”
 1Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” 
Please understand that this is not suggesting that any who engage in this activity have not accepted Jesus Christ nor is it affirmation that they have. God knows the hearts, we do not. There are some pastors who have suggested that the emotional yearning to receive this 'gift of tongues' is so strong as to cause a person to respond from what they have heard others say, and merely mimic what they have heard. Tongues is listed as the least of the giftings, and Paul said to desire the best gifts, which then excludes tongues. See: one former Charismatic's experience of tongues
We firmly believe that a person can not be possessed by another spirit unless they are forfeiting Christ or have never honestly accepted Him. 
Jesus himself said in Luke 11:34-36:
 "The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."

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