Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-01-05

An upper room III
". Jerusalem; probably
the same in which
the last passover was eaten, and which
seems to have continued a Christian
headquarters. 1t was very likely recog-
niZed as one of the "Galilean syna~
gogues." Here II was that, divinely
guided they had chosen Matthias to be
the twelfth apostle in the place of Judas
The Christians were now about one
hundred and twenty in number, men ana
women, whose great business 1t had De
come to wait IN earnest united prayer tor
the gift of power. At the hours OF
morning and evening sacrifice they We're
habitually at the temple, but the upper
room was their place of supplication for
the Comforter.
The Gift of Tongues.-Great misconcep-
ton prevails respecting these "other
tongues" The common idea is that the
apostles needed q miraculous power OF
understanding and speaking foreign IAN
guages, in order to be able to preach the
Gospel to all nations; that this power was
given at Pentecost. and was afterwaru
used by them; and that they did actually
preach the Gospel in various dialects To-
the assembled crowds on the day of Pen
tecost. But OBSERVE. No such power
was needed. True, II any of the apos-
ties went to very remote lands-lndla.
for instance-theu the power would DO
useful. and 1t may have been bestowed.
but Oh tnlS there is no scripture eElueiSc.
In all the countries which we read OF az
visited by Paul or others Greek was gem
orally understood; and the wide spread OF
this language is justly regarded as
one way in which God prepared the world
for the Gospel OF course the various Ian
guages existed, but they were not neces-
sary to intercourse. 2. In the Acts We
never afterward find the apostles using a
foreign language And the episties are all
written in Greek. 3. Our chapter does not
say that the apostles preached in foreign
tongues TO the crowd. 1t was not preach
ing, but praise Compare verse IL with
chapter 10. 49,. and it began before the
crowds came together. When the amazed
people began to question and mock Peter
stood up and addressed them, and ne
spoke in Greek. which they all under
stood. What then. was the gift of
tongues? 1t was an inspiration. not I'M
like those prophetic impulses we read of in
the Old Testament. The apostles did on
the day of Pentecost speak intellgibly
in actual languages, and their words were
understood by those who knew the IAN
guages: but ii is not implied that a per-
manent knowledge of any foreign tongue
was given, of which they could avail
themselves at pleasure: they only spoke
as the Spirit gave them utterance.' The
power,yery likely, required on other occa-
sions. but ii was one not to be used at thu
will of the individual 1t was given after
ward to converts at various places who
had no special commission TO go to dis
tant lands to preach the Gospel, as at
Cassarea. Ephesus. Corinth. See Acts 10.
40: 10. 8; Cor. IL and IA. AT Corinth
those so inspired spoke not to men. but to
God. not edifying their brethren, for they
could not understand them. but edifying
themselves by the utterance in any way
of their hearts feelings. Hence p-oph-
esying. or preaching. was a nobler gift
because Ii was understood, and so edited
the Church. See Cor. IA. PA. IS, 10, 80.
Then what was the use of the gift of
tongues? See l Cor. IA. 22; it was IA sign
to those who believed not"
AS soon as the disciples were filled with
the Holy Ghost they began to speak
For three years they had 'ccmpanied
with Jesus and had hardly spoken. The
gospels are full of their questions, but do
not report single sermon. But just as
soon as the Spirit was outpoured they be-
gan to speak. So ii is to-day. The silent
Christian is not filled with the Holy
Ghost. A man may have some divine
grace I'm his heart and keep quiet about
1T, but not much. So uncomfortable was
the desire OF these men to speak that the
bystanders concluded they were drunk.
When, few days later, the magistrates
of Jerusalem ordered them to be silent
they said, I'VE cannot but speak" just
as Paul. who afterward joined their num-
ber said, Necessity is laid upon me TO
preach" As new wine works and seethes
and expands until IL sends the cork flying
or breaks the bottle. so there was in
these men an irrepressibie impulse to tes-
tify for God They were ready to burst
with the gladsomeness of their news. And
IL we participate in their blessed spiritual
experience We. too. will become excited
and enthusiastic. Study this lesson, pray.
wait until divine power so charges your
being that you must teach 1t, and your
efforts will not be without results.
The Day OF Pentecost was the birthday
of the Church as an organized institution.
On that day Ii began Its career of con-
quest. The reach of its power from that
day TO this. has been in its possession OF
the Holy Spirit.
Notice the requisites for the coming
of the Holy Spirit: 1. The right time in
Gods plan. Through forty centuries the
world had been growing up to that mo-
ment. At last there was I'm the world a
unity of government. a unity of language.
union OF races. restless longing after
God. a general loss of faith in the old
forms of idolatry. THE day of Pente-
cost had fully come" 3 A prepared peo-
pie. While the world had been preparing
to receive the new revelation a people
had been unconsciously preparing to de-
clare 1t. For twenty centuries the Jewish
race had been under training. through
their law. their prophets, their religious
system. and the discipline of trial Out
of this race had been chosen handful of
believers.
Notice the traits OF the descending
Spirit: J. He came from heaven where
he abides in the Father and the Son. II
earth is TO be lifted up IL must be by a
power from above. 2. He came as a
breath We cannot see the wind but We
can feel its power. So comes Gods spirit
invisible. but not unfelt. 3. He came as IL
fire. burning up sin, and shining with di-
vine glory. We cannot become lights I'm
the world without a lire within us 4. He
came as a tongue, TO give power in utter
ance. The Gospel is a tongue of flame.
with Its glowing testimony.