The Day of Pentecost

3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 ¶ Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? RSV

Some thoughts about the Day of Pentecost.

I had a course in Seminary by Prof. Dr. Richard Jensen who wrote a book entitle, Touched by the Spirit, and we used that book in his class.

Prof. Dr. Jensen talked about his experience with speaking in tongues and the whole Pentecostal experience. He urged us to look closely at the Acts text. The text says that the disciples spoke in different languages, not different tongues that no one could understand.

The text says: 7 And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? RSV

Not a language that no one could understand, but their own language.

He went on to tell us that he has the gift of speaking in tongues, but only uses it to build up the community of believers, not to lord it over people.

Dr. Jensen maintains that the gifts of the Spirit are to be used to build up the church, period.

He goes on to say that if your gift brings despair, or discontent to those around us, then use it only in private.

In this day and age when one group of Christians think it is far superior to another, we are not building up the body of Christ, but tearing it down.

We all have gifts of the Spirit as as it says in 1 Corinthians 12

7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Paul says we are given the manifestation of the for the common good. The gifts are not to be used to judge one another, but to build up the community of believers.