Wayside Gospel Chapel: Pastor's Sermon Notes: The Final “Pentecost” (Acts 19:1-7)

The Final “Pentecost”

Acts 19:1-7

1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve.

Introduction:

Ephesus continues to be the focus as we begin this chapter, but before it is over Paul is fixed on Jerusalem and then Rome ushering in the final geographic movements in the book. In the first 7 verses of this chapter we are exposed to the first of the four scenes recorded here.

Outline:

I. The Setting for the Final “Pentecost” (19:1)

II. The Catechism for Disciples (19:2-3)

III. The Connection between John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ (19:4)

IV. The Effect on John’s Disciples (19:5-7)

Transition:

Perhaps this is another time when there is room for disagreement over where a chapter division should be placed. These, along with the verse divisions are uninspired as not part of the original manuscripts. They were not added until centuries later. Some might want to maintain the connection between these verses (19:1-7) and the final paragraph of chapter 18 (18:24-28) by placing the chapter division between verses 23 and 24. Others might see a point in beginning chapter 19 where the 3rd missionary journey begins, and accordingly place the chapter division between verses 22 and 23 of chapter 18. In any case, the chapter division should not be allowed to obscure for us the immediate connections between the final event of the previous chapter, and the one recorded here. The most prominent connections that we are faced with are: 1) the baptism of John, and, ) the going from and coming to Ephesus.

Reminder: The historical narrative recorded by Luke in Acts covers a transitional period in God’s dealings with his people. Some of it pertains only to this foundational period, and thus does not have direct application to us. Some of it applies to the Church in all stages of its development, and should be taken directly and personally by us today. All of it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. All of it is the Word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God, and is necessary for us to be perfected and full equipped to every good work. Let us rightly divide it, honor it, submit to it, and profit from it as such.

The event that we encounter in the verses we are to hear on this Lord’s Day must be understood as unique, yet it has similarities to three other equally unique events encountered earlier in Acts. As such caution is in order lest we be found obscuring the uniqueness of this event by pressing it into the mold of these other events, or by viewing it as normative for all believers including ourselves throughout the Church age.

The Gospel records concerning John the Baptist, and the accounts of other “Pentecosts” earlier in Acts should be considered as essential background reading in order to understand this event in its historical and Biblical contexts.

I. The Setting for the Final “Pentecost” (19:1)

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

1. Another episode is introduced at Ephesus

2. Apollos is no longer at Ephesus

3. Paul comes to Ephesus

4. Paul encounters disciples at Ephesus

1. Another episode is introduced at Ephesus

And it came to pass

13 occurrences of this expression in Acts (37X in Luke’s Gospel) -

4:5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

9:32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.

9:37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

9:43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

14:1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

21:1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:

22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

22:17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

28:8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

28:17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

2. Apollos is no longer at Ephesus

while Apollos was at Corinth,

This is the final mention of Apollos in Acts. The only other mentions of this man are in two of the epistles of Paul mentioned in the previous sermon: 1 Corinthians and Titus.

The mention of Apollos is significant and ties this episode to that recounted at the end of the previous chapter.

3. Paul comes to Ephesus

Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus:

Paul and Apollos were “passing like ships in the night” as it were due to the route of their respective travels to and from Ephesus.

There is an emphasis in this passage on Paul (1, 4, 6), the Holy Spirit (2, 2, 6), and baptism (3, 3, 4, 4, 5).

4. Paul encounters disciples at Ephesus

and finding certain disciples

The fact that these men were referred to as “disciples” has led some to question whether they were, in fact, believers, or true disciples. However, at least two facts would indicate the true nature of their status as “disciples”:

1) their discipleship is not qualified, as in “the disciples of John,” and,

2) Paul refers to their unqualified faith in the next verse.

II. The Catechism for Disciples (19:2-3)

1. Question and Answer #1 - The Reception of the Holy Spirit (19:2)

2. Question and Answer #2 - The Nature of Baptism (19:3)

1. Question and Answer #1 - The Reception of the Holy Spirit (19:2)

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?

And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

No defect should be imagined in their pneumatology or trinitarianism assuming an understanding of both the Old Testament Scriptures, and the teachings of John the Baptist.

Compare Lk. 3:15-16; Is. 44:3-5; Ezek. 36:26-27; Joel 2:28-29

“They were certainly in something of a time-warp…” (David G. Peterson, pg. 530)

Their understanding was on the wrong side of the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost!

Ask the question!

Answer the question!

2. Question and Answer #2 - The Nature of Baptism (19:3)

And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?

And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Ask the question!

Answer the question!

III. The Connection between John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ (19:4)

Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

This is the “hinge” verse in this paragraph upon which all either leads to or away from. This verse contains the truths upon which everything that happens here depends.

1. Paul reminds the disciples concerning the nature of John’s baptism

2. Paul reminds the disciples concerning the focus of John’s preaching

1. Paul reminds the disciples concerning the nature of John’s baptism

Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,

2. Paul reminds the disciples concerning the focus of John’s preaching

saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

IV. The Effect on John’s Disciples (19:5-7)

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve.

1. The Immersion in Water in the Name of the Lord Jesus (19:5)

2. The Laying on of Paul’s Hands (19:6a)

3. The Reception of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (19:6b)

4. The Exhibition of the Sign Gifts of Tongues and Prophecy (19:6c-d)

1. The Immersion in Water in the Name of the Lord Jesus (19:5)

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

This is the only record of “rebaptism” or double baptism in the Scriptures.

2. The Laying on of Paul’s Hands (19:6a)

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them

Compare Acts 8:17-18

Contrast:

1) Acts 6:6 and 13:3 - commissioning, on this see also 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:6; Heb. 6:2; and

2) 9:12, 17; and 28:8 - healing.

3. The Reception of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (19:6b)

the Holy Ghost came on them

Compare the “Pentecosts” recorded in Acts.

1) The Jewish (Apostolic!) Pentecost and the Sign of Tongues in Acts 2

2) The Samaritan "Pentecost" in Acts 8

3) The Gentile "Pentecost" and the Sign of Tongues in Acts 10 with Peter in Cornelius' house at Caesarea

4) The Final or Ends of the Earth [1] "Pentecost" and the Sign of Tongues in Acts 19:1-7 with Paul and the disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus

Before we proceed further I must draw your attention to the fact that the only one of these "Pentecosts" where there is any mention of: 1) "a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind" that "filled all the house" (Acts 2:2 [2]), and 2) "cloven tongues like as of fire" that "sat upon each of them" (Acts 2:3 [3]) is the Apostolic Pentecost at Jerusalem in Acts 2! The significance of these unique, unprecedented and unrepeated signs should not be underestimated! In other words, the absence of any mention of these aspects of the event in any of the subsequent "Pentecosts" recorded in Acts should not be lightly dismissed.

Compare the other differences in these “Pentecosts”:

1) Laying on of hands - only in Acts 8 and 19

2) Apostles present - Peter and the 11 in Acts 2, Peter and John in Acts 8, Peter in Acts 10, Paul in Acts 19

3) Timing of water baptism in relationship to Spirit baptism - before in Acts 2 and 8, after in Acts 10, before in Acts 19

4. The Exhibition of the Sign Gifts of Tongues and Prophecy (19:6c-d)

and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

This is the last mention of “tongues” in the book of Acts. See the conference excerpt on this subject below.

The last mention of “signs” and “wonders” in the book of Acts occurs in 14:13, with a mention of this in the following chapter (15:12) in the report to the Jerusalem church.

The last mention of “miracles” in the book of Acts is in 19:11.

The last mention of prophecy in the book of Acts is in chapter 21 regarding the daughters of Philip the evangelist, and the prophecy by Agabus concerning Paul’s intent to go to Jerusalem.

I find it highly problematic and without exegetical warrant to speak of prophecy as anything other than revelatory. In other words, preaching and teaching in the post-Apostolic period is not prophesying. There are no prophets in the post-Apostolic period. I realize that Wayne Grudem and others differ on this subject, but I do not find the case they make persuasive at all. Even granting that the Biblical usage of the term includes both elements of "forth-telling" and "fore-telling" does not make their case. To divorce one from the other as if in either case it was not revelatory is to slice and dice the term in a way that I do not find warranted in the New Testament. It is always "forth-telling" in a revelatory sense whether it is "fore-telling" or not. It may not be reduced to merely preaching or teaching as exposition of prior revelation. Nor may it be divorced from the spiritual gift of prophecy or the office of prophet. The usages in the New Testament were all prior to the finalization of the New Testament canon, and may not be wrenched from that historical context. More than the reductionist focus on the root meaning of the word is involved here. The exegetical and the historical contexts may not be swept under the carpet in defining its significance in the New Testament. Nor may we assume that 1 Cor. 13:8-10 has no relevance to the temporary nature of this gift, and operate in the church today as if these words were not found in the New Testament.

See “Small “p” Prophets, Little “a” Apostles, and lowercase “t” Tongues: Making a difference where none exist in attempts to undermine the case for cessationism” below.

Conclusion:

Ask the questions again!

Complete outline:

I. The Setting for the Final “Pentecost” (19:1)

1. Another episode is introduced at Ephesus

2. Apollos is no longer at Ephesus

3. Paul comes to Ephesus

4. Paul encounters disciples at Ephesus

II. The Catechism for Disciples (19:2-3)

1. Question and Answer #1 - The Reception of the Holy Spirit (19:2)

2. Question and Answer #2 - The Nature of Baptism (19:3)

III. The Connection between John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ (19:4)

1. Paul reminds the disciples concerning the nature of John’s baptism

2. Paul reminds the disciples concerning the focus of John’s preaching

IV. The Effect on John’s Disciples (19:5-7)

1. The Immersion in Water in the Name of the Lord Jesus (19:5)

2. The Laying on of Paul’s Hands (19:6a)

3. The Reception of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (19:6b)

4. The Exhibition of the Sign Gifts of Tongues and Prophecy (19:6c-d)

[Sermon preached 2 NOV 2014 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]

Tongues Shall Cease -
A Sign of Covenantal Curse [4]

1 Corinthians 13:8-10

[8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;

whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge,

it shall vanish away.

[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Introduction: [5]

Outline:

Tongues Shall Cease Because They Function as a Sign of God’s Judgment

Tongues Shall Cease Because They Function as a Sign to Unbelievers

Tongues Shall Cease Because They Function as a Sign of Gentile Conquest

Cp. 1 Cor. 13:1-2 – [1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

This is holy ground! Here you need to take your sandals off, and put your hand on your mouth. The view here is from one of the greatest mountain tops to be found in the Biblical landscape!

We should not go to this passage of Scripture to do what it was never intended to do. It cannot be seen as a proof text for cessationism due to the close of the Canon of the New Testament. More on that later. Nor can it be seen as a proof text for the continuation of tongues and the signs of the Apostles past the First Century A. D. However, there is something here in the verbs that are used that we must be able not only to notice, but to affirm. We should be able to exercise care concerning both what it says, and what it does not say. Notice the verbs in 1 Cor. 8:8-10 as I emphasize them:

[8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;

whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge,

it shall vanish away.

[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Consider the chart where I have compared and contrasted the verbs in 1 Cor. 13:8 and 10. Translations have been very inconsistent here.

All I want to establish at this point is that Scripture clearly teaches here that tongues shall cease. Cessationism regarding tongues has a basis in the teaching of Scripture. The questions remains as to when that will take place, but that it will should be beyond any question.

O. Palmer Robertson has the best works on this in print, [6] and I have done some "fine tuning" of his teaching which we will consider next.

Comparisons and Contrasts:
The Verbs of 1 Cor. 13:8, 10b [7]

SUBJECT	PREDICATE	PARSING	TRANSLATION
h agaph [Translation: "love"]	oudepote ekpiptei	present active indicative 3rd person singular of ekpiptw	*never fails* (KJV, NASB, ASV, Darby, YLT, Rotherham) *never ends* (ESV, HCSB, RSV, NRSV) *never disappears* (Moffatt)
profhteiai [Translation: "prophecy"]	katarghqhsontai	future passive indicative 3rd person plural of katargew	*shall fail* (KJV) *will pass away* (ESV, RSV) *will be done away* (NASB, ASV, Darby, Rotherham) *will come to an end* (HCSB, NRSV)
glwssai [Translation: "tongues"]	pausontai	future middle indicative 3rd person plural of pauw	**shall cease/will cease** (KJV, ESV, NASB, NRSV, RSV, ASV, Darby, YLT, Moffatt, Rotherham)
gnwsiV [Translation: "knowledge"]	katarghqhsetai	future passive indicative 3rd person singular of katargew	*shall vanish away* (KJV) *will pass away* (ESV, RSV) *will be done away* (NASB, ASV, Darby, Rotherham) *will come to an end* (HCSB, NRSV)
to ek merouV [Translation: "that which is in part"]	katarghqhsetai	future passive indicative 3rd person singular of katargew	*shall be done away* (KJV) *will pass away* (ESV, RSV) *will be done away* (NASB, ASV, Darby, Rotherham) *will come to an end* (HCSB, NRSV)

I. Tongues Shall Cease Because They Function as a

Sign of God’s Judgment

1 Corinthians 14:21-22c - [21] In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. [22] Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:

1. The Citation of the Prophecy by Paul

1 Cor. 14:20-22 – [20] Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. [21] In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. [22] Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Where is the first mention of tongues in the Bible?

You may have heard of the "Trail of Tears" involving the forced relocation of the Choctaw and Cherokee nations along with others from the South to Oklahoma in the 1830s.

Let's get on "The Trail of Tongues", and hopefully it will not be a "Trail of Tears"!

All you will need for this is a good study Bible and a concordance. You will also need the skills and attitude of a good Bible student. This is similar in some respects to that of a detective and a newspaper reporter. Ask questions and get answers. Have a hunger for the truth, and seek it out. Don't rest, and don't be satisfied until you have answered all the questions that you can, and have gotten to the bottom of every truth you are studying. Ask the who, what, when, where, how, why, and so what questions. Get on the trail of truth and sink your mental teeth into it.

The beginning of our "Trail of Tongues" is the question I asked a few moments ago, "Where is the first mention of tongues in the Bible?" We will begin in 1 Cor. 14:20-22 and work our way back in the Biblical texts until we get to the very beginning of the Biblical teaching on tongues, the very first mention of tongues in the Bible.

2. The Pronouncement of the Curse in the Prophecy of Isaiah - The First Application of the Sign of Tongues as an Indicator of the Curse of God on Israel

Isaiah 28:9-11 – [9] Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. [10] For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: [11] For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

3. The Recitation of the Curse on Mount Ebal by the Levites - The Second Mention of Tongues in Scripture

Deut. 28:49 - The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

Introduction 27:11-14

Curses 27:15-26

Blessings 28:1-14

Curses 28:15-68

4. The Pattern of the Curse in the First Mention by Moses - The First Mention of Tongues in Scripture

Genesis 11:1-9 – [1] And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. [2] And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. [3] And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. [4] And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. [5] And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. [6] And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. [7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. [8] So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. [9] Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

This event stands as one of the most significant judgments in all of Scriptural history, and yet is seldom, if ever, considered on this subject. The "First Mention Principle" of Biblical interpretation, along with a good Bible concordance should eventually lead us here. This is where the seed plot for tongues throughout Scripture is sown. The elements found here will never be deviated from. It is here that the pattern is laid out which will be followed without alteration throughout the Scriptures.

The Pattern:

1) Breach, vv. 1-4

2) Judgment, vv. 5-7

3) Tongues, vv. 7-9

4) Dispersion, vv. 8-9

5. The Pronouncement of the Curse in the Prophecy of Jeremiah - The Second Application of the Sign of Tongues as an Indication of the Curse of God on Israel

Jeremiah 5:15-17 – [15] Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say. [16] Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men. [17] And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.

The Pattern:

1) Breach of covenant – covenantal unfaithfulness

2) Judgment by God

3) Signaling of the Imposition of the Curse by God with the sign of Tongues

4) Imposition of the Judgment by being invaded and carried away into Captivity

5) Cessation of the Sign of Tongues

II. Tongues Shall Cease Because They Function as a

Sign to Unbelievers

What is the purpose of tongues according to the Scriptures?

Is there more than one purpose of tongues according to the Scriptures?

There was not just one "Pentecost". There were four. [8] There was the Jewish "Pentecost" on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem in Acts 2. Then there was the Samaritan Pentecost in Acts 8, the Gentile Pentecost in Acts 10, and the final "Ends of the Earth" Pentecost in Acts 19. It is not a good practice in studying the Bible nor is it sound theological procedure to come to conclusions on the issues we are considering while ignoring this sequence of events in its entirety.

Consider also Mk. 16:17, and Acts 19:6.

1. The Conviction of the Unbelieving Jews Concerning the Judgment of God on Israel

1) The Jewish (Apostolic!) Pentecost and the Sign of Tongues in Acts 2

Many speak as if this was the first occurrence of tongues which fails to reckon with the material already presented under the first point.

Residual issue: Some posit multiple purposes for tongues including cross-cultural Gospel preaching based primarily on what took place in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. [9]

Question: Is the purpose, or one of the purposes of tongues, for the communication of the Gospel across language barriers, as many seem to assume?

A very significant historical and cultural factor in the Mediterranean world of the 1st century A. D. seldom enters into this discussion. That is the prevalence of Koine Greek throughout the Alexandrian Empire as the universal language (weltsprache or "world-speech", "world-tongue"), the lingua franca of the market place, including the multilingual facility of even the unlearned in the Mediterranean world (Koine, Aramaic, etc.). [10] This reality, along with the Roman road system providential expedited the spread of the Gospel in the 1st and subsequent centuries.

Reaction: I find it strange, indeed inexplicable, that those who understand and teach how God prepared the world for the advent of the Gospel in the First Century A. D. by the provision of a common language under Alexander, and a well-developed road system under Rome, forget about this when discussing the purpose of Biblical tongues in passages like Acts 2. This is a clear cut case where unscriptural presuppositions can drive the demands of exegesis and the facts of history aside in the interest of pushing an agenda.

Bottom line: there is one, and only one, purpose for Biblical tongues. That purpose is explicitly stated in Scripture (1 Cor. 14:21-22). No other purpose may be found expressed in Scripture. Therefore, any suggestion that there is another purpose must be summarily dismissed as without Biblical warrant. The conclusion concerning those who teach any other purpose for tongues must also be drawn that this is imported into their teaching, nor from Scripture, but from their own assumptions or presuppositions being forced on passages of Scripture. This is otherwise known as eisegesis, as opposed to exegesis.

2) The Samaritan "Pentecost" in Acts 8 (we will deal with this event in the next session).

3) The Gentile "Pentecost" and the Sign of Tongues in Acts 10 with Peter in Cornelius' house at Caesarea (we will deal with this event momentarily).

4) The Final or Ends of the Earth [11] "Pentecost" and the Sign of Tongues in Acts 19:1-7 with Paul and the disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus

Note: Before we proceed further I must draw your attention to the fact that the only one of these "Pentecosts" where there is any mention of a 1) "a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind" that "filled all the house" (Acts 2:2 [12]), and 2) "cloven tongues like as of fire" that "sat upon each of them" (Acts 2:3 [13]) is the Apostolic Pentecost at Jerusalem in Acts 2! The significance of these unique, unprecedented and unrepeated signs should not be underestimated! In other words, the absence of any mention of these aspects of the event in the subsequent "Pentecosts" should not be lightly dismissed.

2. The Conviction of the Unbelieving Jews including Peter Concerning the turning of God to the Gentiles

Acts 10:24-48 - [24] And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. [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. [27] And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. [28] And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. [29] Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? [30] And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, [31] And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

[32] Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.

[33] Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. [34] Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: [35] But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. [36] The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) [37] That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; [38] How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. [39] And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: [40] Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; [41] Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. [42] And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. [43] To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. [44] While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. [45] And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. [46] For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, [47] Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? [48] And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

III. Tongues Shall Cease Because They Function as a

Sign of Gentile Conquest

The Escalation of the Curse in the History of Israel - In Each Case the Pattern Holds True

1. In the Eighth Century B.C. – Assyrian Conquest of Ten Northern Tribes

Isaiah 5:26-30; 7:18-20; Isaiah 36-37!!!

Is. 36:11-14 - ¹¹ Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall. ¹² But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? ¹³ Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. ¹⁴ Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you....

2. In the Sixth Century B.C. - Babylonian Captivity

Jeremiah 6:22-23.

3. In the First Century A. D. – Roman Devastation of Jerusalem by Titus

The Prediction of the Destruction by Christ in the Gospels:

Matthew 23:38-24:4 - ³⁸ Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. ³⁹ For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. ¹ And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. ² And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. [14]

The Fulfillment of the Prophesied Destruction in History:

See the works of Josephus for a graphic account of this awful period in Israel's history. [15]

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Small “p” Prophets, Little “a” Apostles,
and lowercase “t” Tongues:

Making a difference where none exist
in attempts to undermine the case for cessationism

There is a common thread in all three of the propositions that involve one or more of the following errors:

1. The error of pitting the historical events in Acts against the didactic communication in 1 Corinthians, and then both versus the larger historical context including the Old Testament.

2. The error of unwarranted redefinition based on slim circumstantial evidence, and in the absence of any doctrinal basis for divorcing the local practice from the historical narrative.

3. The error of divorcing direct revelation from authority, and lowering the essence to nothing more than the non-revelatory exposition and application usually termed preaching or teaching.

4. The error of failure to consider the connections in each case to the purposes of apostolic sign gifts and tongues.

5. The error of failure to consider the impact on the doctrine of Scripture, and particularly the sufficiency of Scripture.

Recommended Bibliography:

Sir Robert Anderson, The Silence Of God (New York: Dodd Mead & Co., 1897); free PDF available on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=1XhCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 14 FEB 2013]; online edition on Alan Newble at http://www.newble.co.uk/anderson/silence/preface.html [accessed 14 FEB 2013].

Michael John Beasley, The Fallible Prophets of New Calvinism (n.p.: The Armory Ministries, 2013).

Walter Chantry, Signs of the Apostles: Observations on Pentecostalism Old and New, 2nd ed. (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1973, 1976).

Thomas R. Edgar, Miraculous Gifts: Are They For Today? (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1983).

Thomas R. Edgar, Satisfied by the Promise of the Spirit: Affirming the Fullness of God’s Provision for Spiritual Living (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1996).

F. David Farnell, “The Current Debate about New Testament Prophecy,” Bibliotheca Sacra 149:595 (Jul-Sep 1992), pp. 277-303; posted as “Is the Gift of Prophecy for today? Part 1 (of 4 parts): The current debate about New Testament prophecy,” on Evangelisch-Freikirchliche Gemeinde at

http://www.efg-hohenstaufenstr.de/downloads/bibel/prophecy01.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

F. David Farnell, “Is the Gift of Prophecy for today? Part 2: The Gift of Prophecy in the Old and New Testaments,” Bibliotheca Sacra 149:596 (Oct-Dec 1992), pp. 387-410; posted as “Is the Gift of Prophecy for today? Part 2 (of 4 parts): The gift of prophecy in the Old and the New Testament,” on Evangelisch-Freikirchliche Gemeinde at

http://www.efg-hohenstaufenstr.de/downloads/bibel/prophecy02.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

F. David Farnell, “Does the New Testament Teach Two Prophetic Gifts?” Bibliotheca Sacra 150:597 (Jan-Mar 1993), pp. 62-88; posted as “Is the Gift of Prophecy for today? Part 3 (of 4 parts): Does the New Testament teach two prophetic gifts?” on Evangelisch-Freikirchliche Gemeinde at

http://www.efg-hohenstaufenstr.de/downloads/bibel/prophecy03.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

F. David Farnell, “When Will the Gift of Prophecy Cease?” Bibliotheca Sacra 150:598 (Apr-Jun 1993), pp. 171-202; posted as “Is the Gift of Prophecy for today? Part 4 (of 4 parts): When will the gift of prophecy cease?” on Evangelisch-Freikirchliche Gemeinde at

http://www.efg-hohenstaufenstr.de/downloads/bibel/prophecy04.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

F. David Farnell, “Fallible New Testament Prophecy/Prophets? A Critique of Wayne Grudem’s Hypothesis,” The Masters Seminary Journal 2:2 (Fall 1991), pp. 157-179; on The Masters Seminary at http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj2h.pdf [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

F. David Farnell, “The Montanist Crisis: A Key to Refuting Third-Wave Concepts of NT Prophecy,” The Masters Seminary Journal 14:2 (Fall 2003), pp 235-262; on The Masters Seminary at http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj14i.pdf [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

F. David Farnell, New Testament Prophecy: Its Nature and Duration (Ph.D. dissertation, Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1990).

Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., "A Cessationist View", in Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views, Counterpoints series, series ed. Stanley N. Gundry, gen. ed. Wayne A. Grudem (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), pp. 25-64, see also his responses and concluding statement, pp. 149-155, 284-297, and 334-340.

Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Perspectives on Pentecost (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1982; Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1979).

Ada Habershon, The Study of the Miracles (London: Morgan & Scott Ltd., 1911; reprints 1957, 1963, 1967, 1975, 1980 by Kregel, Grand Rapids; and 2008, Wildside Press, n.p.), esp. pp. 190-193.

Erroll Hulse, Crisis Experiences (Haywards Heath, Sussex, U. K.: Carey Publications, 1994).

Dan Phillips, “Vern Poythress and the modern sorta-gifts (Part One),” on Pyromaniacs (22 JUL 2010) at http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/07/vern-poythress-and-modern-sorta-gifts.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

Dan Phillips, “Vern Poythress and the modern sorta-gifts (Part Two),” on Pyromaniacs (27 JUL 2010) at http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/07/vern-poythress-and-modern-sorta-gifts_27.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

Dan Phillips, “Vern Poythress and the modern sorta-gifts (Part Three),” on Pyromaniacs (29 JUL 2010) at http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/07/vern-poythress-and-modern-sorta-gifts_29.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

Dan Phillips, “Sweeping up after the Poythress articles” (6 OCT 2011), on Pyromaniacs at http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweeping-up-after-poythress-articles.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014]; a repost of Dan Phillips, “Sweeping up after the Poythress articles” (6 AUG 2010), on Pyromaniacs at http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/08/sweeping-up-after-poythress-articles.html [accessed 6 NOV 2014].

O. Palmer Robertson, The Final Word: A Biblical Response to the Case for Tongues and Prophecy Today (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1993).

Benjamin B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1918; Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1972; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953 as Miracles: Yesterday and Today); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=L9sOAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 14 JAN 2013].[16]

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Resources on Acts:

G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 513-606.

Paul Barnett, The Birth of Christianity: The First Twenty Years, After Jesus, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005).

Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, eds. Robert W. Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007).

F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951, 1952).

I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction And Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint).

David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009).

John B. Polhill, Acts, Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary, gen. ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers, 1992).

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, gen. ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012).

William H. Willimon, Acts, in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, series ed. James Luther Mays, New Testament ed. Paul J. Achtemeier (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).

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Resources on Paul:

Kenneth E. Bailey, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011).

F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977).

D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), pp. 496-501.

W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, The Life, Times and Travels of St. Paul, 2 vols. in 1, unabridged American ed. (New York: E. B. Treat U Co., 1869); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=Bn1CAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 12 FEB 2013].

Adolf Deissmann, Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson (New York: Harper Torchbooks, n.d.).

F. W. Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul (New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1889); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=RB2KeCSM6KsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 12 FEB 2013].

Bruce N. Fisk, “Paul: Life and Letters”, in The Face of New Testament Studies: A Survey of Recent Research, ed. Scot McKnight and Grant R. Osborne (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), pp. 283-325.

Richard B.Gaffin, Jr., "Acts and Paul", 46 lectures (MP3 format), WTS Resources Media Center on Westminster Theological Seminary at http://wts.edu/resources/media.html?paramType=audio&filterTopic=5&filterSpeaker=10&filterYear=2005 [accessed 20 MAR 2013].

Frank J. Goodwin, A Harmony of the Life of the St. Paul According to the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistles (New York: American Tract Society, 1895); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=YgpEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 12 FEB 2013].

Richard N. Longenecker, The Ministry And Message Of Paul (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971).

Richard N. Longenecker, Paul, Apostle Of Liberty (New York: Harper & Row, 1964).

Richard N. Longenecker, ed., The Road From Damascus : The Impact Of Paul's Conversion On His Life, Thought, And Ministry (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).

Richard N. Longenecker, Studies In Paul, Exegetical And Theological (Sheffield : Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2004).

J. Gresham Machen, The Origin of Paul's Religion: The James Sprunt Lectures Delivered at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1925).

Leon Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955).

John Pollock, The Apostle: A Life of Paul, 3rd ed. (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1969, 2012); also published as The Man Who Shook the World (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1972; originally The Apostle: A Life of Paul, New York: Doubleday, 1969).

Stanley E. Porter, Paul in Acts, in Library of Pauline Studies, gen. ed. Stanley E. Porter (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1999; 2001 reprint of The Paul of Acts: Essays in Literary Criticism, Rhetoric and Theology, in Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 115, by Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen).

W. M. Ramsay, The Cities of St. Paul: Their Influence on his Life and Thought (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son; London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1908); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=JryEbmKool0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 13 FEB 2013].

W. M. Ramsay, Pauline and Other Studies in Early Christian History (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1906); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=-1ZJAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 13 FEB 2013].

W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen, 10th ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1907); on Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ramsay/paul_roman.html [accessed 13 FEB 2013].

W. M. Ramsay, The Teaching of Paul in terms of The Present Day: The Deems Lectures in New York University (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914); on Internet Archive at http://ia600404.us.archive.org/2/items/teachingofpaulin00rams/teachingofpaulin00rams.pdf [accessed 13 FEB 2013].

A. T. Robertson, Epochs in the Life of Paul: A Study of Development in Paul's Character (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974).

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Paul The Missionary: Realities, Strategies And Methods (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008).

Udo Schnelle, Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology, trans. M. Eugene Boring (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003; trans. from Paulus: Leben und Denken, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., n.d.).

Thomas R. Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2001).

James Stalker, The Life of St. Paul, (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1885; rev. ed. 2010 by Kessinger Publishing from 1912 ed.); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=vT0HAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 7 FEB 2013].

James Ironside Still, St. Paul on Trial (London: Student Christian Movement, 1923).

End Notes:

[1] Cp. Acts 1:8.

[2] Cp. Ezek. 3:12-13; 37:9-10 and Jn. 3:8. Cp. also Acts 4:31.

[3] Cp. Mt. 3:11 and Lk. 3:16.

[4] This material is from the first session of a three session conference I presented at Faith Baptist Fellowship Church (Lake Ariel, PA) on 23 FEB 2013 on “The Cessation of Tongues, the Termination of "the Signs of the Apostles", and the Continuation of Counterfeit Miracles.” The two audio files of this conference are linked on Faith Baptist Fellowship Church at http://faithbaptistfellowshipch.com/bible-conference/ [accessed 19 NOV 2014]. See also “Audio of Conference Sessions Available” (26 FEB 2013), on Wayside Gospel Chapel at http://waysidegospelchapel.blogspot.com/2013/02/audio-of-conference-sessions-available.html [accessed 19 NOV 2014]. The conference manuscript PDF file is at

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13946111/Cessation%20of%20Tongues%20-%20Termination%20of%20Signs%20of%20Apostles%20-%20Continuation%20of%20Counterfeit%20Miracles%20-%20for%20publication.pdf [accessed 19 NOV 2014]. See also “Conference Manuscript Now Available” (1 MAR 2013), on Wayside Gospel Chapel at http://waysidegospelchapel.blogspot.com/2013/03/conference-manuscript-now-available.html [accessed 19 NOV 2014].

[5] The following includes edited extracts from a sermon preached at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA, November 21, 2010, titled The More Excellent Way, Part Four: Tongues Shall Cease (on 1 Corinthians 13:8d-e).

[6] “Tongues: Sign of Covenantal Curse and Blessing,” Westminster Theological Journal, Fall 1975, pp. 43-53; and The Final Word (Banner of Truth, 1993), pp. 41-51.

[7] Note: The KJV, NKJV, NIV, NLT, NEB, MLB, Wycliffe & Weymouth translations obscure the differences and similarities in these verbs. Phillips is interesting, but again obscures these differences and similarities (“...will be fulfilled and done with...the need for them will disappear...it will be swallowed up in truth...that is the end of the incomplete.”). Likewise the Berkeley – “...shall be rendered useless...shall cease...it shall lose its meaning...becomes antiquated.” The MLB does not correct this – “...will pass away...will cease...it will lose its meaning...will come to an end.”

[8] See on this Benjamin B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1918; Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1972; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953 as Miracles: Yesterday and Today), pp. 21-22.

[9] For example: "Over forty years ago, Kenneth Welliver wrote a doctoral dissertation on the patristic interpretations of Acts 2. He correctly concluded that for the church fathers, Pentecost brought “a gift of remarkable understanding of and ability to use languages previously unknown,” a miraculous power of speech that enabled the apostles to preach the gospel throughout the world. In harmony with Scripture, the earliest interpreters of the New Testament understood the gift of tongues as a supernatural enablement to intelligibly speak another human language." Francis Gumerlock, "Tongues in the Church Fathers", Reformation and Revival 13:4 (Fall 2004), pp. 123-134; citing Welliver's “Pentecost and the Early Church,” 31, 219.

[10] See A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 4th ed. (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), pp. 49-51, 53-56, 66; Adolf Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East: The New Testament Illustrated by Recently Discovered Texts of the Graeco-Roman World, 4th rev. ed. of Licht vom Osten (Tübingen, 1909, 1923), trans. Lionel R. M. Strachan (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, n.d.; 1978 ed.), pp. 62-69; G. Adolf Deissmann, Bible Studies: Contributions Chiefly from Papyri and Inscriptions to the History of the Language, the Literature, and the Religion of Hellenistic Judaism and Primitive Christianity, trans. Alexander Grieve (Winona Lake, IN: Alpha Publications, n.d.; 1979 ed., reprint of Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1923, combining both Bibelstudien and Neue Bibelstudien), esp. pp. 77, 80, also pp. 61-169, "Contributions to the Language of the Greek Bible;” James Hope Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek, 4 vols., Vol. I: Prolegomena, 3rd ed. (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1978), I:1-32, esp. pp. 4-8, and 30-32; James Hope Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament Illustrated from the Papyrii and other Non-Literary Sources (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., n.d.; 1930 ed.), pp. vii-xx, esp. xi-xii; C. F. D. Moule, An Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek, 2nd ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1953, 1959), pp. 1-4; and J. N. Birdsall, "Language of the New Testament,” in New Bible Dictionary, J. D. Douglas, et al., eds. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962), pp. 713-714. See Appendix III.

[11] Cp. Acts 1:8.

[12] Cp. Ezek. 3:12-13; 37:9-10 and Jn. 3:8. Cp. also Acts 4:31.

[13] Cp. Mt. 3:11 and Lk. 3:16.

[14] See also the parallel passages in Mk. 13:1-2; Lk. 13:34-35; and 21:5-6. Also consider Acts 6:14 for the accusation against Stephen based on a misunderstanding of his repetition of these prophetic statements of judgment by Christ.

[15] Flavius Josephus (AKA: Joseph ben Matityahu, יוסף בן מתתיהו, trans. Yosef ben Matityahu), The Wars of the Jews, or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem, trans. William Whiston (1737); on Christian Classics Ethereal Library at http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM [accessed 14 JAN 2013]; on Bible Study Tools at http://www.biblestudytools.com/history/flavius-josephus/war-of-the-jews/ [accessed 14 JAN 2013]; on Project Gutenberg at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2850 [accessed 14 JAN 2013]; on Lexundria at http://lexundria.com/j_bj/0/ [accessed 14 JAN 2013]; et al.
[16] The contents of this volume constitute “The Thomas Smyth Lectures for 1917-1918 delivered at the Columbia Theological Seminary, Columbia, South Carolina, October 4-10, 1917." See esp. especially Ch. 1: “The Cessation of the Charismata." pp. 1-31, and in particular pp. 10-31.

Wayside Gospel Chapel

Verse of the Day

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Pastor's Sermon Notes: The Final “Pentecost” (Acts 19:1-7)

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