SPEAKING IN TONGUES PART III
There are five accounts of people believing the truth of God’s Word, being born again AND speaking in tongues in the Book of Acts. The first was on the day of Pentecost, which was handled in part II. So, we are now going to study the second account of speaking in tongues which occurs in Acts chapter eight
SPEAKING IN TONGUES PART III
There are five accounts of people believing the truth of God’s Word, being born again AND speaking in tongues in the Book of Acts. The first was on the day of Pentecost, which was handled in part II. So, we are now going to study the second account of speaking in tongues which occurs in Acts chapter eight
Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
Why aren’t there more occurrences of people being delivered like that which we have just read? The only reason can be that the people in the pulpit aren’t teaching the accuracy of God’s Word. When God’s Word is taught then people will believe and people will be delivered.
9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
Compare these verses to Acts 14:11 -15 and Acts 10:25&26
Acts 14: 11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
Acts 10: 25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
It is important to God who gets the glory. It should be equally important that the Christians remember that. Look around at the churches today is God really getting the glory or is God a pretense to the minister getting the glory. Big difference. Big, big difference.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
There are four Greek words that must be understood at this juncture to be able to put the Word together. Those words are pletho, plero-o, dechomai and lambano. Pletho is filled to overflowing just as in a glass that is full and yet, the water is still being poured in and it flowing out just as fast. Plero-o ( the last “o”should be a long “o” but since I don’t know how to do that in Microsoft Word I opted use a hyphen) is filled to capacity. The example of that is a glass so full that one more drop would send the water over the sides. Lambano means to receive into manifestation whereas dechomai is to receive passively. If someone gave me ten dollars and I put it in my pocket that would be dechomai but, if I spent that money it would be lambano. This is vitally important to the understanding of these verses.
The word received in verse fourteen is the word dechomai. The believers received but they didn’t manifest (lambano) by speaking in tongues. This was the first time this had happened in the church and the elders heard about it and sent Peter and John to rectify the situation.
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive (lambano) the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received (lambano) the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
What did Simon see? What is the evidence of holy spirit in a man or a woman? It is speaking in tongues. That is what Simon saw.
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive (lambano) the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
Peter probably did just that. Simon was trying to change but that old man nature kept creeping in.
Here we see people that had been bewitched for a long period and when they believed they still had something holding them back from manifesting the full power of God in their lives. What about you? What is in your way that stops you from receiving the fullness of what God wants for your life? Isn’t it time to rise above the world and claim the promises of God?
