IX. THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST AND TONGUES
Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
A. Can there be Genuine Tongues Today?
Spiritual and scholarly men are ranged on both sides of this question, but it is of vital importance that we endeavor to discover for ourselves the Biblical answer. One school of thought maintains that this gift was temporary, to meet special conditions in the early days of the Church and before there was a written New Testament. This necessity has passed and therefore the gift has been withdrawn.
Be that as it may, he would be a bold man who would, without the clearest and most indisputable Biblical evidence, assert that the Holy Spirit cannot, if He chooses, revive the gift of tongues in our day, even though it may have lapsed through centuries. There does not appear to be any clear statement in the New Testament that the gift has been withdrawn, or that it may not occur. J. Oswald Sanders pg 126
B. Tongues in Scripture:
1. New Tongues Promised
Mark 16:17 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”
2. Biblically Recorded Events of Speaking in Tongues--- Only in Acts
a. Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
(1) At the Day of Pentecost.
(2) Following being “filled with the Holy Ghost”
(3) They were speaking in unlearned languages of men that were
intelligible to men of the particular dialect who where witnesses
of this event following the Holy Ghost entrance.
v. 8 “And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”
(4) Speaking the wonderful works of God. (v. 11)
Some say the “other tongues” spoken on the day of Pentecost were evangelistic in nature and therefore used such as in missionary work. Compare however, the exhibition during the initial filling to the message later preached by Peter. Where not the same individuals possibly present in the congregation to whom Peter preached. Yet, he did not preach in “tongues,” but he preached in his
native language and 3000 were added to the church. Keep in mind, no account was made of adding to
the church during the initial exhibition of the filling, but after the preaching of the Word.
b. Acts10:46 “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,”
(1) Cornelius, his family and others accompanying.
(2) The “Holy Ghost fell on all them.”
(3) Magnified God.
c. Acts 19:6 “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”
(1) Certain disciples.
(2) The “Holy Ghost came on them.”
(3) They spake with tongues and prophesied.
3. Gift of Tongues I Cor. 12
a. Not everyone possessed --- “to another” --- “dividing to every man severally as he will. (I Cor. 12:11)
I Cor.12:30 “Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”
This concerns only the specific gift, not personal, devotional speaking in tongues, nor tongues following the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
b. Two Gifts Given Concerning Tongues: (I Cor. 12:10)
(1) Divers Kinds of Tongues --- The Speaker
(2) Interpretation of Tongues --- The Interpreter
c. Where unknown tongues just an unknown language normal to man?
If unknown tongues were simply various languages, then the gift of interpretation would not be a supernatural gift since men could study and learn various languages and exercise interpretation without the Spirit. Therefore, these languages spoken of to be interpreted must have been beyond the normal communications of men.
Are these the tongues of angels that Paul referred to?
I Cor. 13:1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,”
4. Unknown Tongues Private vs. Public
a. Private I Cor. 14:2
(1) speaketh not unto men, but unto God:
(2) no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
If no man can understand him then it must not just be an unknown tongue in that it is unknown to the speaker, but is an unknown tongue in that it is unknown to all men.
(3) edifieth himself
(4) my spirit prayeth (v. 14)
(5) I will pray with the spirit, (v. 15)
(6) I will sing with the spirit, (v. 15)
(7) Paul said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:” 18
(8) and forbid not to speak with tongues. (v. 39)
b. Public Tongues to be Interpreted
(1) Interpretation qualifies importance to level of prophesying. (v. 5)
(2) The church is edified.
(3) The speaker should pray for interpretation. (v. 13)
(4) tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: (v. 22)
(5) let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let
one interpret. (v. 27)
(6) if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; (v. 28)
5. Other Tongues vs. Unknown Tongues
Are “other tongues” and “unknown tongues” the same?
a. Yes, in inspiration. Both powered by the Holy Ghost.
b. No, in purpose/function.
(1) “Other tongues” is a gift to all as initial evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
(2) “Other tongues” can be tongues supernaturally inspired in the speaker, but natural to a native observer of that particular dialect.
(3) I understand that private unknown tongues is most similar to “other tongues” than public unknown tongues. I feel that private unknown tongues are a manifestation of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost also.
(4) Public unknown tongues, both the speaker gift and the interpreter gift, are specific gifts of the Spirit given to some, but not all. These gift are only appropriately
used in the congregation.
C. According to Pastor Richard Dresselhaus taken from SermonCentral.com
This leads me then to a statement on the four uses of tongues in the New Testament:
1. Tongues as a language for communication. This was apparent on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. (READ)
2. Tongues as a prayer language, I Corinthians 14:2. --- Private
I Cor. 14:2 “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”
I Cor. 14:4 “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that
prophesieth edifieth the church.”
3. Tongues as an evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Act 2, 10, and 19.
How do you know when you have received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost?
I will tell you how I knew. I heard Him speak for Himself.
4. Tongues in the assembly, to be followed by interpretation, I Corinthians 14.
-- Public
Until these four uses for tongues are clearly understood, confusion will persist. This distinction clears up the seeming confusion of I Cor. 14. Paul is dealing here with guidelines for the use of tongues in the assembly, but also touches on tongues in the believer's devotional life.
D. According to Pastor Richard Dresselhaus taken from SermonCentral.com
It will be helpful now to make several points in way of clarification:
1. Speaking in tongues is not the hub of our theology. Jesus is. Speaking in tongues finds its proper place in the church only as tongues relate to the centrality of Christ. Jesus is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
2. Speaking in tongues is not a requirement for salvation. Faith plus "0" is the formula for salvation. To make tongues an "add on" is to be guilty of cultism. The repentant thief was eternally saved by a simple act of true faith. The same is true for all.
3. Speaking in tongues is not specifically an ecstatic experience. Yes, some have fallen prostrate for hours. But such is not a demand of this experience. "The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets." By faith you speak in tongues. It is not an "out of mind" experience. Instead, it is rooted in faith.
4. Speaking in tongues promotes humility, not pride. In no way is this experience to be viewed as a credential for spirituality. Self righteousness should, in fact, be exposed, not fostered, by speaking in tongues.
5. Speaking in tongues is normative for every Spirit filled believer. Note… as an evidence and as a part of our prayer life, not as the gift of tongues expressed in the assembly. Yes, every believer may receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues and use that gift regularly in his life of worship and prayer.
6. It is not my place to judge the spiritual experience of others. "Look at that evangelist, and he doesn't believe in speaking in tongues." I am not his judge. All I am called to do is teach the Word and affirm its operation in my own life. Yes, I believe the Bible teaches that speaking in tongues if the first physical evidence of the infilling of the Spirit, and it is in that way that I have received. I will not, however, be a judge of others, but I will affirm what I believe and have experienced.
7. The fruit of the Spirit is the final, ongoing and convincing evidence of the fullness of the Spirit. So you did receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit years ago, and you spoke in tongues. Good. But what has happened since? Have you gone on to let the fruit of the Spirit grow in your life? If not, all you have is a spiritual skeleton… a reminder of a past experience.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control. Herein lies the final evidence of the Spirit led and controlled life.
It is for this that we must aim. Anything short of this is a miscarriage of what God intended. To give testimony to a distant spiritual experience, evidenced by tongues, and then be living a carnal life today is to discard the teaching of God's Word both in letter and in spirit.
How is it with you? Have you been filled with the Spirit, evidenced initially by the overflow of praise unto the Lord in a language that is of heaven? If so, are you living now in that place of spiritual fullness so that the fruit of the Spirit is seen
in your life? Come now… all who thirst for the fullness of the Spirit… and you
will be gloriously filled.
HOW TO OBTAIN BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
The fundamental conditions upon which baptism with the Holy Spirit is bestowed are: repentance, faith in Jesus Christ as an all-sufficient Savior (apart from works of the law), and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
For those who believe in Jesus Christ the experience of receiving baptism with the Holy Spirit is sometimes conditioned on the believer's knowing that there is such a blessing and that it is for him now.
God gives the Holy Spirit to them that obey Him.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit is given to those who have already believed on Christ and been baptized with water (v. 12) in answer to definite prayer.
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT by: Rev. Dr. David E. Leininger
The fruit of the Spirit. There is Love, and not just any old kind of love - agapé love. It means unconquerable benevolence. It means that no matter what someone might do to us by way of insult or injury or humiliation we will never seek anything else but that person's highest good. It is a feeling of the mind as much as of the heart; it concerns the will as much as the emotions. It describes the deliberate effort--which we can make only with the help of God--never to seek anything but the best even for those who seek the worst for us.
There is Joy. Not the joy that comes from earthly things, still less from triumphing over someone else in competition. It is a joy whose foundation is God.
Peace. Not just the absence of conflict or freedom from trouble but everything that makes for a person's highest good. It means that tranquility of heart which derives from the all-pervading consciousness that our times are in the hands of God.
Patience. Generally speaking the word is not used of patience in regard to things or events but in regard to people. It is the graciousness of the person who could exact revenge but does not, the person who is slow to anger. It is commonly used in the New Testament of the attitude of God toward you and me.
Kindness. It could also be translated goodness or even sweetness. It is a lovely word. Plutarch says that it has a far wider place than justice.
Faithfulness. Trustworthiness. It is the characteristic of the person who is reliable.
Gentleness. In the New Testament the word we translate here has three main meanings: (a) it means being submissive to the will of God; (b) it means being teachable, being not too proud to learn; and (c) most often of all, it means being considerate. Aristotle defined it as the midpoint between excessive anger and excessive angerlessness, the quality of the one who is always angry at the right time and never at the wrong time. This is the animal that has been tamed.
Finally, Self-control. It is used of the athlete's discipline of the body and of the Christian's mastery of sex. Secular Greek uses the term in reference to the virtue of an Emperor who never lets his private interests influence the government of his people. It is the virtue which makes you and me so masters of ourselves that we are fit to be servants of others.
Because they [Corinthians) thought highly of themselves in respect of the tongues he sets it last everywhere. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers
