Mr. Andy Underhile (Field Report): "Lies" Pentecostals/Charismatics Tell about Tongues

http://andycontramundum.blogspot.com/2010/09/missionary-tongues-story.html

The Missionary "Tongues" Story

Ever since I was a child, I have often encountered a particular story. It is something of an urban legend in certain church circles.

It goes like this: There was a missionary who met up with a person, usually a tribeman of some sort in a remote jungle area, with whom he wished to share the Gospel. Unfortunately, though, they could not understand each other's languages. Somehow the missionary felt compelled to open his mouth and just speak. To his surprise, he found himself speaking the other person's language fluently, though not aware of what he was saying. The tribesman was miraculously converted.

 I have heard a dozen or more incarnations of this story, but those are the central story factors that are always present. As I said earlier, in some church circles, especially Pentecostal ones, this is something of an urban legend. It is always recounted third or fourth hand. I have never spoken with someone who actually claims to have personally had this experience.

The unspoken assumption, and often very clearly spoken assumption, of this story is that egghead cessationists are wrong and the supernatural sign gift of tongues still functions in the church today. Usually, this idea is further 'established' by claiming that while much of the tongues speaking that goes on in many Pentecostal churches is fraudulent, this kind must be real because it occurs in situations that seem to replicate the condition of the 1st Century Church.

This is a problematic assumption. I am not satisfied that this situation replicates the situation of the Apostolic age. I don't think it even comes within a hundred miles of the situation that existed on the Day of Pentecost.

1. On Pentecost, there was, as yet, no New Testament.

2. Tongues did not miraculously preach the Gospel to people in need of an interpreter.

 

3. The 3,000 converts were converted by Peter's plain preaching of the Gospel in Aramaic, a language they all understood anyway. Peter did not preach in tongues. The witnesses, though fluent in other languages, were all Jews who understood Peter's Aramaic sermon. The elect were converted, the non-elect mocked them, in direct fulfillment of Isaiah 28:11-12.

 

4. Pentecost was the event wherein the New Testament Church emerged from the cocoon of the Old Testament Church. This can never be repeated.

 

5. Virtually the entire visible church was present - something that has not been repeated since.

 

6. Tongues, on the Day of Pentecost, was not a conversation between a believer and an unbeliever. It was not an evangelism tool.

 

For more, see:

 

http://andycontramundum.blogspot.com/2010/09/missionary-tongues-story.html

Mr. (Rev. Dr.) John MacArthur, Conference (16-18 Oct 13), and Pentecostals/Charismatics

Mr. (Rev. Dr.) John MacArthur is hosting a conference on Pentecostals and Charismatics entitled "Strange Fire" of date 16-18 Oct. 2013.  He will publish a book a few weeks thereafter. Long, long overdue, but most, most welcome.

http://www.tmstrangefire.org/speakers#.UkSpb4zD9jo

Speakers

John MacArthur

John is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and the Bible teacher for Grace to You. John has written dozens of bestselling books, including The MacArthur Study Bible, The Gospel According to Jesus, and The MacArthur New Testament Commentary series. He is also the president of The Master’s College and Seminary. John and his wife, Patricia, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren.

R.C. Sproul

Dr. R.C. Sproul is founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries in Orlando, Florida, and can be heard daily on the radio broadcast "Renewing Your Mind." He is co-pastor at Saint Andrews Chapel, as well as president of Reformation Bible College and Ligonier Academy. Dr. Sproul has written more than 50 books, including The Holiness of God, Loved by God, Chosen by God, and Grace Unknown, and he has authored scores of magazine articles for evangelical publications. In addition, he has taught at numerous colleges and seminaries. He and his wife, Vesta, have two children.

Conrad Mbewe

Conrad Mbewe has been the pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia, Africa, since 1987. He is a frequent conference speaker throughout Africa and around the world. He has written Maintaining Sexual Purity and Foundations for the Flock, and contributed to a number of other books, including Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry. He is also the editor of Reformation Zambia magazine, and he writes a column for a Zambian national weekly newspaper as well as his own blog, called A Letter from Kabwata. Conrad and his wife, Felistas, have six children.

Steve Lawson

Dr. Steven J. Lawson is the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. He is the author of numerous books, including Pillars of Grace, Foundations of Grace, The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards, and The Expository Genius of John Calvin. He is a teaching fellow with Ligonier Ministries and a visiting professor at the Ligonier Academy, The Master’s Seminary, and Samara Theological Seminary in Russia. Steve and his wife, Anne, have three sons and a daughter.

Tom Pennington

Tom is the senior pastor of Countryside Bible Church in the Dallas area. Before his ministry in Texas, Tom served sixteen years in various roles connected to Grace Community Church, including administrative pastor and personal assistant to John MacArthur. For many years he was also managing director of Grace to You, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the international radio, audio, publications, and Internet ministry.

Phil Johnson

Phil is the executive director of Grace to You. He has been closely associated with John MacArthur since 1981 and edits most of John’s major books. Phil also maintains several popular websites, including The Spurgeon Archive, The Hall of Church History, and the Pyromaniacs blog. He is an ordained elder and pastor at Grace Community Church. Phil and his wife, Darlene, have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Nathan Busenitz

Nathan serves on the pastoral staff at Grace Community Church and teaches historical theology at The Master’s Seminary. He has written or edited a number of books, including Living a Life of Hope, Reasons We Believe, and Men of the Word. He is also a regular contributor to Pulpit Magazine and the Cripplegate blog. Nathan and his wife, Beth, have four young children.

Justin Peters

Raised in a Southern Baptist church but genuinely saved as a preacher, Justin has studied in great depth the word-faith movement which, along with Roman Catholicism, is unfortunately the face of Christianity in much of the world today. He has developed a seminar confronting that movement entitled A Call for Discernment. In it he incorporates video clips of false teachers such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Joel Osteen, and Joseph Prince as he refutes that biblically bankrupt system. Justin has taught on the word-faith movement across the U.S. and in ten countries and has attended numerous word-faith churches and conferences to support his research. Justin and his wife, Kathy, live in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Todd Friel

Todd studied to be a pastor only to discover he was not actually saved. Presently he is the host of the syndicated daily radio program, Wretched Radio. Todd is also the host of Wretched TV, available in 80 million American households. Todd has produced the following DVDs or audio lessons: Drive-By Theology, Drive-By Church History, Drive-By Marriage and Parenting, What Hath Darwin Wrought?, On the Shoulders of Giants, Herman Who?, It’s Not Greek to Me, Drive-By Pneumatology, Drive-By Discernment, Terrified, and Decisions Decisions. Todd has one wife, three kids, and a dog.

Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni Eareckson Tada has lived in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic for over forty-five years, enabling her to share a biblical view of suffering which is authoritative, yet personal. Her worldview and advocacy on disability issues has been honed over thirty-five years of leadership at Joni and Friends (JAF), including visits to forty-five countries and serving on the Disability Advisory Committee to the U.S. State Department. Mrs. Tada has led the JAF team in declaring and demonstrating the gospel through: thirty years of radio outreach, Wheels for the World Family Retreats, over fifty books, a global network of disability ministry through Joni and Friends offices and international charter ministries—including NGOs on every continent.

Pentecostal History by Tim Naab

Tim Naab has compiled a serious and extensive list of links that lead to Pentecostalist history or, what we at RA snidely dub it, Hillbilly History. 

Tim came from that background and has many long experiences with them, not just individually, but in his generations.  It's a good resource by one who has seen the loons up close.

http://www.seeking4truth.com/pentecostal_history.htm