Dr Paul Allen

Acts 2:4 ends with the phrase, "as the Spirit gave them utterance, or as the Spirit enabled them."  Meaning, in all of Christian life, nothing is accomplished apart from God.  The followers of Christ on the day of Pentecost spoke in the languages of at least fifteen different countries or ethnic groups. The description in the text states that people from various regions, like Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Crete, and Arabia, were able to understand the disciples speaking in their own languages. The context of the phrase "the Spirit gave them utterance" clearly acknowledges that the Holy Spirit immediately gave each disciple the ability to speak in a language they had not previously learned, enabling them to declare Christ. Yes, it was evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and also a very unique experience for the disciples. The word utterance is not found with the same event in Acts 11...

Dan Delzell Pastor Andy Stanley raised more than a few eyebrows 11 years ago when he shared a story about a couple in his church who got a divorce after the husband began a sexual relationship with another man. Dr. Albert Mohler Jr. described the incident this way: “Stanley clearly and repeatedly stressed the sin of adultery, but then left the reality of the homosexual relationship between the two men unaddressed as sin. To the contrary, he seemed to normalize their relationship.”  And then five years ago, lightning struck again when Andy argued that the Christian faith must be “unhitched” from the Old Testament. Sadly, those who downplay and dismiss the Word of God are terribly misguided and spiritually adrift. Andy continued his assault on Scripture last year when he said, “I know 1 Corinthians 6, and I know Leviticus, and I know Romans 1, so interesting to talk about all that stuff. But just, oh my goodness, a gay man or woman who wants to worship their Heavenly Father, who did ...