“In his inaugural sermon on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter stood in the courtyard of the Jerusalem Temple and proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises and expectations related to the coming Messiah. By his death, burial, and resurrection, he secured the forgiveness of sins for his people, as well as for all those “who are far off” (v. 39).
But this passage also happens to be one of the foundational texts for what has come to be known as “Pentecostalism,” a movement that began in the early part of the twentieth century, and which according to one dictionary “emphasizes a post-conversion ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’ for all believers, with glossolalia (speaking in tongues) as the initial evidence of such baptism.”
That same dictionary defines glossolalia as “the supernatural ability to speak in languages not previously learned…as happen[ed] on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).” But there’s a foundation question that I’d like us to step back and ask right at the outset. Does a clear reading of Acts 2 actually promote any of these beliefs?”
Shane Rosenthal, Acts 2 & The Tongues Controversy (Part 1)
Read the full article here.