The nature of this gift, and all the circumstances attending it unite in
investing it with a character of peculiar impressiveness, significance
and propriety among the miracles which attested the gospel. Devotional
in its nature, and exercised in celebrating “the wonderful works of
God,” it was an indication of the reception and enjoyment by those on
whom it fell of a large measure of the sanctifying graces of the Spirit.
The report of it, spreading over Jerusalem, was the attraction which
assembled together that vast company, of whom three thousand were
converted that day. The prophetic nature of the sign demonstrated the
identity of the occasion with that predicted by Joel. And the
significance of the scene,—God’s praises uttered in many languages,—as
the anticipation of a world-wide acceptance of the gospel,—brings this
sign into intimate accord with the new spirit of missionary zeal, and
the tongues as of fire, which were the other principal phenomena of the
day. It exhibited, in a figure, all the tribes and tongues of men, till
then immersed in idolatry and darkness, uniting with sudden harmony in a
glad burst of praise to God for the wonderful works of his grace.
The conspicuous position occupied by this gift amid the scenes of
Pentecost and the relation which it sustained to the outpouring of the
Spirit, as being the most observable gift thereby bestowed, occasioned a
manner of expression on the subject in the book of the Acts, which has
led to some misconception and error. It consists in the use of the name
of the Holy Spirit, and of phrases respecting his falling on the
disciples, being received by them, etc., when the subject spoken of is,
not his renewing and invisible graces, but the sensible phenomena which
attested the preaching of the apostles. Thus, Peter, on the day of
Pentecost, having assured the multitude that what they saw and heard was
the fulfillment of the promise, “I will pour out of my Spirit on all
flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy,” and explained
that Jesus having received of the Father the promised Spirit, had shed
forth this “which ye now _see_ and _hear_;” exhorted his hearers to
repent and be baptized, “and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost. For the
promise (by Joel), is to you and to your children (‘your sons and your
daughters’), and to all that are afar off (‘all flesh’).” Here, the
assurance of receiving the Holy Ghost, upon condition of repentance and
baptism, as well as the quotation from Joel, shows that Peter did not
speak of the renewing gift of the Spirit; which precedes and gives
repentance, but of the miraculous gifts which followed, and which they
saw and heard.
Again, upon the mission of Peter and John to Samaria, it is stated that
they prayed for the Samaritans, “that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
For as yet he was fallen upon none of them; only they were baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Ghost.”—Acts viii, 14-17. Here, no distinct mention is
made of miraculous endowments. But the manner in which the gift was
imparted, the fact that they were already believers, and especially the
proposal of Simon magus, on the occasion, show that it was miraculous
gifts that were conferred. The sorcerer would have offered no money for
the invisible renewing and sanctifying graces of the Spirit. “Simon
_saw_ that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost
was given.” And what he saw was what he sought to purchase. These
perceptible and miraculous signs were therefore the things intended in
the expressions used, as to the receiving of the Holy Ghost, and his
falling upon the disciples.
The same manner of expression is seen in the account of Paul’s interview
with certain disciples of John at Ephesus. (Acts xix, 1-7.) Paul asked
them, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost, since ye believed?” So reads the
common version. But it should be,—“(_Elabete, pisteusantes_), Did ye,
upon believing receive the Holy Ghost?” The question had reference to
the time of their first reception of the gospel. The apostle predicates
his question upon the assumption that these men were believers; and he
elsewhere testifies that faith is one of the fruits of the Spirit. It is
thus evident, as the sequel also shows, that it was not the ordinary
graces of the Spirit of which Paul inquired, but his extraordinary
gifts. Such being the purport of his question, the answer is to be
interpreted in accordance with it. “They said unto him, We have not so
much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” That is, We have not
heard of the miraculous gifts. “And he said unto them, Unto what then
were ye baptized? And they said unto him, Unto John’s baptism.” So
intimately was Christian baptism related to the baptism and miracles of
Pentecost, that Paul could not imagine any one to have received the
former, and yet remain ignorant of the latter. To suppose, as do some,
that these disciples of John meant to declare themselves ignorant of the
existence of the Third Person of the Godhead, is little short of a
contradiction in terms, in view of the essential place which was given
to the Spirit in John’s teachings,—even were we to ignore the Old
Testament testimonies, of which John’s disciples can not have been
ignorant. What they meant, is manifest from the whole tenor of the
narrative. In the result, the Holy Ghost was bestowed on them by the
laying on of Paul’s hands, “and they spake with tongues, and
prophesied.” That was the subject of Paul’s inquiry,—the subject on
which they were ignorant. And the form of expression is another example
of the style of language which we have seen running through the pages of
the Acts on the subject.
In striking coincidence with the relation of this sign, as representing
the dissemination of the gospel to the nations of the Gentiles was the
order of its manifestation. The command of Jesus was that the gospel
should be preached “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and
unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” Precisely this was the order of
manifestation of the gift of tongues. First, it was given to the
disciples assembled in Jerusalem and representing all Judea, on the day
of Pentecost. Then Philip having preached in Samaria, to the conversion
of many, Peter and John were sent thither; and by the laying on of their
hands, the gift was conferred upon the Samaritans. (Acts viii, 12-17.)
Afterward, Peter was called to the house of the Gentile, Cornelius, and
upon his preaching, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the
word,” and they spake with tongues and magnified God. (Acts x, 44-47.)
Beside these, there is but one other account, in which the manner of the
gift is indicated. It is the case already mentioned, of the disciples of
John in Ephesus. Respecting this sign, the following points are to be
noticed.
1. As to its nature, it came under the general designation of prophecy,
being an inspired utterance of the praises of God (Luke i, 67, 68), in
which in the beginning at least, all the assembly, men and women united.
(Acts i, 14; ii, 1, 4, 11; 1 Cor. xi, 5.) As such, Peter declared it to
be a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. “Your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy.... And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour
out of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.”—vs. 17, 18. In this
exercise, while the hearts and affections of the speakers were edified
by the Spirit, in connection with the utterances thus inspired, their
understandings did not ordinarily apprehend the meaning. (1 Cor. xiv, 2,
4, 13, 14, 18, 19, 28. Compare Rom. viii, 26, 27.) It was in “another
tongue” than that which was native to the speaker, and usually to him an
“unknown tongue.”
2. It was not, therefore, designed to facilitate the labors of the
apostles, by enabling them to preach in foreign languages; and there is
no reason to believe that it was ever so used. The Scriptures are silent
on the subject, and the traditions of the primitive church to that
effect are worthless. Its design seems to have been two-fold,—the
edifying of those upon whom the gift was bestowed;—and, for a sign to
the hearers. (1 Cor. xiv, 22.) Of what it was a sign, intimation has
been, already, given. It was a token that henceforth the Spirit of all
grace would be bestowed as freely, and work as effectually, in the
hearts of Gentiles, as of the Jews; and that God’s praises thus inspired
would be equally acceptable to him in every tongue and from every
people.
3. Being intended as a sign of the ingathering of the Gentiles, it seems
at first, and until the minds of the disciples had become fully imbued
with that idea, to have been very abundantly bestowed, and especially at
Jerusalem, the centre whence the healing waters, were to flow. In fact,
its value as a great public sign depended materially upon the abundance
of the gift, whereby, as on the first occasion, it presented a figure of
all nations uniting in the worship of the true God and our Savior. But
as the idea became familiar to the mind of the church, and the churches
of the Gentiles multiplied, this gift seems to have fallen gradually
into a subordinate place, among the many with which the church was
endowed. (1 Cor. xii, 1-10.) The occasion of its importance as a public
sign having passed away, its chief value now consisted in the spiritual
edification which was ministered to the possessors themselves, in its
exercise (Ib. xiv); and it gradually disappeared from the church.
4. As the apostles were the official witnesses, appointed by the Lord
Jesus to testify of his resurrection and exaltation to the baptizing
throne, this sign was at first given in immediate connection with, and
confirmation of, their personal testimony. It was also, with a like
intimate relation to their witnessing office, conferred by the laying on
of their hands, upon disciples who had been gathered in by the ministry
of others. Apart from the personal presence and ministry of the
apostles, in one or other of these forms, there is no Scriptural
intimation, nor reason to believe, that it was ever bestowed.