Pitfalls in Solely Relying on Acts for doctrine?

[Sam]

How many of the folks who "speak in tongues" in Pentecostal churches actually speak in a "language" and how many have had their chins wiggled and how many have been shaken so their words come out garbled, and how many have been told to keep repeating certain words or sounds until they get their tongue tangled up and gibberish comes out? How honest are we in facing this? There was a recent post about Bro. Joe Duke and how many received the Holy Ghost Baptism in his ministry but some who were there were honest enough to admit he had folks repeat "nonsense syllables" until they came out jumbled enough to be called "tongues."

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Sorry for the misunderstanding. Just typing fast. I disagree that 90% of UPC members speak in tongues on a regular basis. Maybe they have spoken in tongues at one time but cease to do so on a regular basis now.

Ok. fine. Thanks for clarifying.

But I think you and Keith are talking about 2 different things.

Keith said:

"Regarding Op's Vinson Synan, the leading Scholar who studies all Pentecostal Denominiations, Movements and Streams currently reports that Oneness Pentecostals have the highest percentage of people who claim the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the intial evidence doctrine.Upwards of 90%. So there is some credible scholarship and stats for this percentage."

He was talking about OP's who've received the initial baptism of the Spirit with accompanying tongues, not necessarily those who speak with tongues on a regular basis.

I think many/most of us have witnessed people clearly speaking in tongues when they got filled with the Holy Ghost... and some of them have rarely spoken in tongues afterward, while some others pray in tongues daily.

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by Sam

That percentage may be the same as the early church.

Over 500 people believed that Jesus rose from the dead and these folks were called "brethren" by Paul when he wrote about it 35 years later in 1 Corinthians 15:6. So, it looks like after Jesus' resurrection, the early church had over 500 members. However, only about 120 of these received the Holy Ghost Baptism at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. So that equals 24 percent or less.

Sam, have you considered that maybe not all 500 of those people were in the upper room with the others on the Day of Pentecost?

[iceniez]

Originally Posted by Sam

How many of the folks who "speak in tongues" in Pentecostal churches actually speak in a "language" and how many have had their chins wiggled and how many have been shaken so their words come out garbled, and how many have been told to keep repeating certain words or sounds until they get their tongue tangled up and gibberish comes out? How honest are we in facing this? There was a recent post about Bro. Joe Duke and how many received the Holy Ghost Baptism in his ministry but some who were there were honest enough to admit he had folks repeat "nonsense syllables" until they came out jumbled enough to be called "tongues."

I know My Wife and I both speak in languages so does my Kids None of us recieved the Holy Ghost in a Church setting We all Recieved at Home.I have seen what you are talking about and am disgusted by it.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by TRFrance

Sam, have you considered that maybe not all 500 of those people were in the upper room with the others on the Day of Pentecost?

There were about 120 associated with the upper room according to Acts 1:13-15

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by Sam

There were about 120 associated with the upper room according to Acts 1:13-15

Yes, so based on that, the other 380 did not receive it when the initial 120 did.

But we cant come up with a figure that 24% of them received the Holy Ghost, because we dont know if/when the other 380 received it. We know that many thousands received it shortly after the first group did, not just on the day of Pentecost , but afterward also.

[Sam]

The emphasis on only going to the Book of Acts and avoiding the Gospels and/or Epistles is based on teaching which is illustrated by this chart which is similar to what Bro. S.G. Norris used at the Apostolic Bible Institute

http://home.att.net/~jrd/gospelsactsepistles.gif

[bkstokes]

Originally Posted by TRFrance

I haven't seen this actual study. Keith4him is the one who referenced Synan's study and the 90% figure. You might want to check with Keith for more info on that.

The point I was making on that was that I would consider that number believable, based on my own experiences and observations in Pentecost over the years... and also based on the fact that I consider Synan to be generally impartial and credible in matters like this.

Sorry

I know you like to study, so I thought that you might have read it also.

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by bkstokes

Sorry

I know you like to study, so I thought that you might have read it also.

No problem.

I'll take that as a compliment, but I actually don't think study as much as I should.

[Steve Epley]

Dan is back with his same ole anti-Pentecostal junk. He never stops.
How is this The Church was born is Acts thus the history of the Original Church?