“ALL OF THEM WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES...” (ACTS 2: 4) HOMILY FOR THE PENTECOST SUNDAY Rev. Ezekoka Onyekachi Peter

“ALL OF THEM WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES...” (ACTS 2: 4)

HOMILY FOR THE PENTECOST SUNDAY

Rev. Ezekoka Onyekachi Peter

Intros

The feast of Pentecost which we celebrate today is an age-long feast which has a Jewish background. Its important for Christians stems from the fact that it is the birthday of the Church. Many scholars and theologians agree to this fact. So we must say and sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Holy Mother Church. We must wish her many more years as the gate of hell can never prevail against it. ♫ Happy birthday to you; many more years to you ♫.

ON THE PENTECOST

When the day of Pentecost came... (Acts 2: 1). Pentecost is a Greek term which simply means “the fiftieth” (day). It is an Isrealite-Jewish festival; one of the three listed in Ex 23: 14-17 (Passover, Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacle). It was called in there the feast of Harvest (Ex 23: 16), where the celebration of the firstfruits of the crops sown takes place. In Ex 34:22, it is also called the feast of weeks. It is so called because it fell on the fiftieth day, a week of weeks, after the Passover. In Lev. 23: 15-21, the feast is reckoned by counting 7weeks from the beginning of the grain harvest (cf. Also Deut 16: 9-12, Num 28:26-31, Ch 8:13). It was simply a very important feast. In Judaism, the feast received two major significances:

·       An agricultural feast with no historical motif during which two loaves were offered in gratitude to God for the ingathered harvest.

·       The giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai, having a historical motif. It became the anniversary of the giving of the law, even though this motif did not appear until the Christian era.

This feast was a holiday for all and the crowds on the streets would be greater than ever. This would explain why the Holy Spirit employed this yeast for his manifestation.

EVENTS OF THE PENTECOST THAT MARKED THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

The author of the Acts of the Apostles (Luke) exposed that on the day of Pentecost that there certain events that occurred which proved the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. These events I have deemed fit to group into two:

·       Visible signs of the Spirit

·       Audible signs of the Spirit

The visible signs were a violet wind which came from heaven and the tongues of fire that rested on each one of them. The audible signs were the gift of tongues and Peter’s speech. The disciples had an experience of the power of the Spirit flooding their beings such as they never had before.  This experience of the descent of the Spirit upon the disciples was visible in the events that happened such as: the gift of tongues, the discourse of Peter and the formation of the first Christian Church. Amidst every lesson that can be grasped from these three events, concentration is paid on the Gift of Tongues, because of the confusion and misinterpretation that Christians today give to it.

SPEAKING IN OTHER TONGUES

And they began to speak in other tongues (cf. Acts 2: 4). The gift of Tongues is no doubt one of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12: 8- 11). It is technically regarded as glossolaly. But we need to discover what actually this gift is, and how it is presented in the biblical writings. For a deeper understanding, we must go to the root of the word, and how it was used in the Greco-Roman society. What the English versions of the Bible calls tongue is translation from the Greek γλώσσα. Γλώσσα in the ancient Greek usage has three different meanings.

·       As an organ of speech

·       As the language of a people

·       As an unintelligible sound uttered in spiritual ecstasy

We see these meanings reflected in the New Testament writings. The use of this word by Luke in the Acts is not exactly the same usage by Paul in his Letters. The gift of Tongues experienced during the Pentecost (Pentecostal glossolalia) in Acts 2 has even a different context with that of Acts 10 and 19.

In Pentecostal glossolalia, allusion is simply made to the second meaning of viewing tongue as language of a people. Hence, when it is said that they spoke in other tongues, it simply means that they spoke in other languages. And it is not even that they were speaking other languages, but that by the power of the Holy Spirit, they were understood by every person (Parthians, Asians, Capadocians, Romans, etc) regardless of the language differences. The Holy Spirit became their translators. That is the work of the Spirit. The glossolaly of Pentecost is described more precisely as a divinely prompted speech understood by every foreigner. It was intelligible to all those present, for they were heard declaring the wonders of the Lord (cf. Acts 2:11).

This leads us to the purpose of this Pentecostal glossolaly. Through the outpouring of the Spirit, the Church is empowered to address herself to all nations and to be understood by them. The message to all nations in their own tongue is actually fulfilled in the mission of the apostolic group to the people of the world. This event calls our minds to the story of the tower of Babel (Gen 11) in which all mankind was divided due to language/tongue diversities. This lost unity is restored in the Church which speaks all languages but is a single unified society. Hence, the outpouring of the Spirit renders the Church articulate in preaching the gospel. Peter’s speech is the first proclamation. The Church now has as her prerogative the preaching of the gospel, showing her commitment to Jesus Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Church thus is a principle of unity for all mankind, breaking down all walls of separation between peoples and bringing them together in one body in Christ.

Furthermore, we must clarify too the glossolaly experienced by Peter in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:46) and that experienced by Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:6). When these people spoke in tongues, the author added that they too prophesied. Hence, these passages have the context of prophesy.  But, how is prophesy connected to speaking in tongues? To answer this question, we must go to the Old Testament antecedents of the gifts of tongues. The antecedents appear in Numbers 11:25-29, where the Spirit descended on the seventy elders selected by Moses. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but it was for that moment. We again see in 1 Sam 10:5-19, during the anointing of Saul as king by Samuel, he was shown the sign that the Spirit of the Lord rested on him through the character of prophesy, whereby he became a changed person. Again we see in 1 Sam 19:20, how the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men and they also prophesied. These episodes may allude to the view of glossolaly as the uttering of unintelligible sounds. It was actually the influence of such a practice that was exhibited by some Christians. This particular type of glossolaly is momentary and is prompted by God when one is in spiritual ecstasy. It is not manipulated and does not come all the time.

However, under the impulse of the Spirit, the same charisma appears in the Church but in a higher form. This seems to be the charisma that was experienced by Peter and Paul. There came in aberrations as a result of people’s thought about it as the best of gifts. No wonder, Barclay William observed:

There was in the early Church a phenomenon which has never completely passed away. It was called speaking with tongues...what happened was that someone in an ecstasy began to pour out a flood of unintelligible sounds in no known language. (Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles)

From this we can thus not regard any fake uttering of unintelligible sound as speaking in tongues. The best we can call it is what Barclay has said: speaking with tongues (babbling). We must then emphasise that glossolalia seen in the sense of ecstatic discourse has a prophetic context. No wonder Paul warns that if one speaks in tongues and there is no interpreter, he should better be quiet. Actually, any speaking in tongues (in the context of spiritual ecstasy) must communicate a message to the person(s) it was meant for. No speaking in tongues address itself but the other because the human is simply an instrument. In this sense, he that speaks in tongues can be said to be prophesying.

People that prophesy speak in the name of God, and would not have the name unless they spoke inspired utterances. Due to the confusion that arose in the Corinthian Church because of the aberration connected with the glossolalia, Paul had to write to correct them. Evry prophesy has a message which is given in a language that could be understood, and since speaking in tongues has a connect with prophesy, then intelligibility must come in. That was why Paul did not greatly approve of glossolalia because he preferred that a message should be given in a language that could be understood.

Hence, whereas Luke in the Acts favoured the character of glossolalia as languages, Paul in his Letter to the Corinthians corrected glssolalia as uttering of unintelligible words. It is then conceivable that Luke’s outlook had been influenced by Paul’s critic of the glossolalia in 1 Cor. 14:2-19, comparing their incomprehensible sounds unfavourably with the edifying words of prophesy. This points greatly to an effort to inaugurate a mission that would cross all language barriers, which is the emphasis of Pentecostal glossolalia. In all, whether glossolalia as languages (Acts 2:4) or glossolalia as prophesying (Acts 10:46, 19:6. 1 Cor. 14), it must be stressed that the gift of tongues must be prompted by the Spirit of God to utter inspired and intelligible words. Acts 2:11 brings it out better: they were declaring the wonders of the Lord. What is then prophesying if it fails to declare the Lord’s wonders? Hence, prophesy and speaking in tongues has an inseparable connection; they must be intelligible (understandable), prompted by God, and must accompany with it certain message.

OUR EXPERIENCE TODAY: THE WAY FORWARD

The aberrations experienced in the Corinthian community is still beings felt today. The confusion that lies under the gift of tongues still exists today. Indeed, the aberrations have led many into disbelieving the gift of tongues (glossolalia) which actually is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Today, people repeat the mistakes of some Corinthians; babbling as they pray or sing. We must be aware that the gift of tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit which indeed exists; and can be given freely by God to any person. Some of us may have experienced spiritual gatherings in which God speaks through a human instrumentality. One’s conviction of the credibility of such an experience may stem from the fact of witnessing what the human instrumentality is incapable of doing at that particular time when the Spirit comes. For instance, when God uses a boy who in reality is unable to express himself in English language to speak words of instruction, repentance or admonition to the worshipping community; and he does so in a sound English, without any grammatical blunder; which the community understand so well. This is glossolalia; words understandable by all, even though the human instrument may not know what he/she utters. Some Church exorcists too have their experiences of how demons are expelled when God speaks through them to the demons the language which they are aware of. Some have confirmed that these words may not be known and understood by them, but are understood by the demons for whom they were spoken. The point is: there must be divine presence and prompting, coupled with intelligibility. If any claims to speak in tongues; the questions remain: who/what prompted him/her? Who understands?

Some Christians go a long way in learning to speak in tongues. It is a pity. What they do is simply speaking with tongues (wobbling their tongues and producing sounds). They are deceiving themselves and others; and must stop such an act. The implication of such an act is that they take the place of God and arrogate to themselves of being able to practice that which comes only from God. Some musicians even go to the extent of performing such aberration as they sing. Tell me, how can such be divine? It is simply an outburst of human emotions. Unintelligible words are mere babblings. Any moment one babbles, it is speaking with the tongues; and such is a corruption of the gift of tongues.

We must continue to allow the Spirit dispense his gifts to us and not imposing ourselves on God. Remember, Paul made the Corinthians to understand that love is the greatest virtue (cf. 1 Cor. 13). Love disposes us to keep the commandments of Jesus; for Jesus has said in today’s Gospel reading: if you love me, keep my commandments. It is His wish that we love Him and to allow the Paraclete to dwell in us (as the Second reading exhorts: Rom 8:8-17), to use us as He pleases, and to enkindle in us the fire of His love.

We must as Christians be concerned with that which is our specific mission: to get the Goodnews to every corner of the earth, and to live it out in our lives. We must search for the best way and means of adapting the gospel message to our current world, and not pursuing shadows. We continue thus to pray him to make us cooperative with the Holy Spirit who comes to renew the face of the earth. ♫Send forth your spirit O lord, that the face of the earth be renewed♫ (Psalm 104:30). May He renew His gifts in us, renew our Church, and renew the beauty of our world which human are trying to destroy. Amen. GOD BLESS YOU.