Tongues: General

There are two prophecies concerning the gift of tongues and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. Isaiah 28:11 is the prophesy that the jews will be evangelised in Gentile languages; Acts 1:5 is the prophecy of the event which would signal the beginning of the Church Age -- 1 Corinthians 12:13.

Israel was responsible before God as the custodians of the Word of God -- Romans 3:1-2, and for evangelisation. The failure of Israel to evangelise resulted in divine discipline. She lost the custodianship of the Word to a "new people," the Church: Day of Pentecost, 32 AD. Israel was evangelised in Gentile languages which was a sign (1 Corinthians 14:21-22) of the fifth cycle of discipline (Leviticus 26) which was to begin in AD 70. (The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and Israel was dispersed)

The fulfillment of the prophecies were seen in the book of Acts. Jews were evangelied in Gentile languages on the day of Pentecost and after - Acts 2:7-11. The Church began on the day of Pentecost; all Jewish believers received the baptism of the Holy Spirit entering them into union with Christ - 1 Corinthians 12:13. In Acts 10:44-48 this was extended to Gentile believers in Caesarea - Acts 11:15. In Acts 19:1-6 other believers in various locations and at different times received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, entering them into union with Christ, making them Chuch Age believers.

Why was tongues the first gift to be used on the day of Pentecost?

Tongues was the first gift to be used on the day of Pentecost and its primary use was evangelism. The great barrier to evangelism was that the city was filled with many people who spoke many languages, therefore a language barrier existed.

Pentecost began the Church Age and a new modus operandi began immediately: spiritual gifts came into operation. However, because tongues was the first gift used it does not imply that it was the most important. 1 Corinthians 12:28 says it is the least of all spiritual gifts.

The gift of tongues was used only in the first part of the Church Age. In the pre-canon period there were both temporary gifts and permanent gifts. In the post-canon periof there were only permanent gifts. The unusual activities in the book of Acts must be regarded in the light of the fact that the canon was not completed and not circulated; Acts is simply a history of the pre-canon period. Therefore during that period there was a great crash program called temporary gifts: a stop-gap measure to take up the slack, which later on would be taken up by the completed canon. The gift of tongues was discontinued upon the completion of the canon (actually before that).