Pentecost was a Jewish holiday; it was not a Christian holiday. People came from everywhere to celebrate Pentecost. What happened on the day of Pentecost was a onetime event. Nothing had ever happened like that before the day of Pentecost and nothing has ever happened like that since. Pentecostals have used the name Pentecost to describe their religion.
What happened on the day of Pentecost is what gave birth to the New Testament church. The question is what did happen of the day of Pentecost? Many believe that Pentecost was about the Holy Spirit coming into the world. What it was really about was the Gospel coming into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit. What was all of the tongues about? (Which was foreign languages) It was about, "The wonderful works of God" Acts 2:11. The wonderful works of God is the Gospel. It is about how Jesus had defeated sin, death and the devil and in doing so reconciled us and the world unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.
It was the Gospel that gave birth to the New Testament church. The Holy Spirit was there on the day of Pentecost to convict the Jewish people of their need for Jesus Christ and to reveal the Gospel to the apostles. All that heard Peter's Gospel and believed Peter's Gospel were born again by the Holy Spirit. This was the purpose of the Holy Spirit. "Then they that gladly received (Peter's Gospel) were baptized: and the same day there was added unto them (the church) about 3,000 souls" Acts 2:41. The next day, "Those that heard and believed were about 5,000" Acts 4:4. For a total of about 8,000.
After Pentecost the apostles went everywhere preaching Jesus Christ and his Gospel. There is no mention after Pentecost of the mighty wind or the cloven tongues of fire, The message was Jesus Christ and his Gospel and not their subjective experience. The purpose of the tongues was to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People that were there on the day of Pentecost heard the Gospel message in their own tongue, Acts 2:6. Paul wrote, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (which is the Gospel) Romans 10:17.
The Miracles that the apostles performed were done to confirm that the Gospel message that they were preaching was of God. They would do a miracle and when a crowd gathered, they would preach the Gospel to them. This was the purpose of miracles. Same thing with tongues. Tongues were used to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People heard the Gospel message in their own tongue. Tongues are of no use today because the Bible is available to everyone in many different languages. Same way with miracles. There are no miracles today because there are no apostles today. The Gospel can easily be found in the Bible or through other Christians.
Pentecostalism much like Catholicism is a religion of the flesh. God does not want to take away from the greatest miracle that has ever happened in the work and the person of Jesus Christ. Miracles, tongues, revelations are a distraction and a diversion away from Christ and his Gospel.
What happened on the day of Pentecost is what gave birth to the New Testament church. The question is what did happen of the day of Pentecost? Many believe that Pentecost was about the Holy Spirit coming into the world. What it was really about was the Gospel coming into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit. What was all of the tongues about? (Which was foreign languages) It was about, "The wonderful works of God" Acts 2:11. The wonderful works of God is the Gospel. It is about how Jesus had defeated sin, death and the devil and in doing so reconciled us and the world unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.
It was the Gospel that gave birth to the New Testament church. The Holy Spirit was there on the day of Pentecost to convict the Jewish people of their need for Jesus Christ and to reveal the Gospel to the apostles. All that heard Peter's Gospel and believed Peter's Gospel were born again by the Holy Spirit. This was the purpose of the Holy Spirit. "Then they that gladly received (Peter's Gospel) were baptized: and the same day there was added unto them (the church) about 3,000 souls" Acts 2:41. The next day, "Those that heard and believed were about 5,000" Acts 4:4. For a total of about 8,000.
After Pentecost the apostles went everywhere preaching Jesus Christ and his Gospel. There is no mention after Pentecost of the mighty wind or the cloven tongues of fire, The message was Jesus Christ and his Gospel and not their subjective experience. The purpose of the tongues was to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People that were there on the day of Pentecost heard the Gospel message in their own tongue, Acts 2:6. Paul wrote, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (which is the Gospel) Romans 10:17.
The Miracles that the apostles performed were done to confirm that the Gospel message that they were preaching was of God. They would do a miracle and when a crowd gathered, they would preach the Gospel to them. This was the purpose of miracles. Same thing with tongues. Tongues were used to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People heard the Gospel message in their own tongue. Tongues are of no use today because the Bible is available to everyone in many different languages. Same way with miracles. There are no miracles today because there are no apostles today. The Gospel can easily be found in the Bible or through other Christians.
Pentecostalism much like Catholicism is a religion of the flesh. God does not want to take away from the greatest miracle that has ever happened in the work and the person of Jesus Christ. Miracles, tongues, revelations are a distraction and a diversion away from Christ and his Gospel.