What's up with... Speaking in tongues and Baptism on the Holy Spirit?

What’s Up With Speaking in Tongues – Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Since “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Cor14:33) – let’s examine together what the bible says. Speaking in tongues is one of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit in three sections of the bible:

1 Corinthian 12:7-11 = Manifestation Gifts = short, local.

Romans 12:6-8 = Ministry Gifts = for years, state/nation

Ephesians 4:11-12 = Gifts to Men = for decades, nation/world

NOTE: “Each of us should use whatever gift we have received to serve others…”

The group that causes division among Christians is the group found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

This list comprises what Bible teachers commonly call the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the order listed:
• the word of wisdom
• the word of knowledge
• faith
• gifts of healing
• the working of miracles
• prophecy
• discerning of Spirits
• different kinds of tongues
• the interpretation of tongues

Within the universal church there are 3 camps that have set up their beliefs – each is confident that they have the “right” handle on the Gifts of the Spirit. However, not all can be right.

- Cessationists argue that the gifts are not = normal, not needed and not necessary. The spectacular works of the Spirit “ceased” with the apostles (or those they taught)

• John Calvin “Calvinist”
• Their primary verse is 1Cor 13:8-10

"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away."

• No baptism of the Holy Spirit

• Evangelism: Since God has “predestined” whom He shall save – evangelism is not necessary other than in obedience to Christ’s command.

• Issue: the Intimate Immaculate – “God with us” – God’s nature is to be intimatelyinvolved in the lives of His children.

- Pentecostal/charismatic argue that the gifts are = normal, needed and necessary.

• their primary verse of argument is Acts 2:1-4

"When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

• A 2nd event following salvation where a person is “activated” and receives a baptism of the Holy Spirit manifesting itself in speaking in tongues.

• Evangelism: It is up to the church to bring the message of Christ to the nations. Romans 10:14 – “…how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?”

• Issue: The words “baptism of the Spirit” does not occur.

• Consider Acts 8:14-17 (2nd baptism of the spirit???)

• Also – many do not believe in eternal security of the believer in many cases.

- Third wave argue that the gifts are = normal, needed but not always necessary.

• 1st wave – Azusa Street revival / 2nd wave 1960’s charismatic movement / 3rd wave mid 1980’s

• They use many of the verses that Pentecostal and charismatic argue including Ephesians 4:7-13 and Isaiah 43:19 – “Behold I am doing a new thing.”

• No baptism of the Holy Spirit as a 2nd work after salvation. Believe individuals are empowered with all gifts the moment of salvation.

• Believe in separate “fillings” of the Spirit but not baptism of the Spirit.

• Evangelism: Power Evangelism and Power Encounters. Jesus and the apostles met the needs of people by healing, casting out demons, and even raising the dead. These miracles made people interested in the Good News. This is how we should evangelize today. A Power Encounter happens when the Kingdom of God encounters the Kingdom of Satan. It is here when God shows his power over Satan and people turn to the Lord. Acts 5:16 – “the people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

• Issue: Gnostic – “new revelation” – is God given “new revelation” or simply lifting the veil of something that has been there all along?


Speaking in tongues – 1 Cor 14:4,5 “The one who speaks in tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.”

- NOTE: tongues is for the individual

- “If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.”

• This brings up the issue of a “prayer language”.

* 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 – “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding in unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also;

Are Gifts and miracles for today?

- 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 – “ceased?”

• When will these gifts cease? = when perfection comes… when the Lord comes.

- Hebrews 2:3-4 – “only for apostles?”

• The reasoning is miracles confirmed apostles, only apostles worked gifts, when they died the gifts died.

• However, in Luke 10:1 – Jesus commissioned 70 to go out / 1 Cor 15:6 – Jesus appeared to 500 / Stephen worked miracles Acts 6:8 (associates of the “apostles”) / Miracles worked in the Galatian churches (Cal 3:5).

- Another argument against gifts is the “Signs are dead and demonstrate unbelief” - Matthew 16:1-4 – “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” – “a sing demonstrates lack of faith” – actually “unbelief”; 5 levels of faith; if you can, if you will, if he touches me, if I touch him, just say the word.

• The reasoning is we should not seek signs and the only sign needed for faith is the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

• However, this was spoken to the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to test Jesus. / Romans 15:18

– “For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit..”

NOTE;
Jesus calls them “hypocrites” - they have the capacity to discern the natural but are clueless to spiritual things. Because of the Holy Spirit we are able to discern “seasons”

The kingdom of God comes to us in two ways;

- violently (Mat 11:12 - the kingdom of heaven suffers has suffered violence and the violent take it take it by force)

- inheritance (Mark 10:15 – “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”)

It is VITAL to know the season whether by violence or as a child.

Why would God perform Miracles today think about this?

- God heals because it flows out of his compassion and nature – Matthew 14:14 – “"...and Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." See also e.g. Mk.1:41-42; Mk.9:22; Luke 7:11-17; Matt.15:32. Is God less compassionate today?

- It brings glory to God. Concerning the sickness (which would result in the death) of His friend Lazarus, we read in John 11:4 "When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." See also e.g. John 11:40; Acts 3:12-13; Acts 4:21 NASB; Luke 5:24-26; 7:16; 13:13,17;19:37; John 2:11. Miracles of all sorts still bring glory to Christ and His Father.

- God's Word encourages faith, and He is pleased to respond to it. See for example Jesus' word to the woman who touched the edge of His garment "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you." See also the following Scriptures. Acts 14:8-10; Matt.9:28; 8:2,3; Mark 9:22-23; Matt.21:21-22.

- God heals in response to his own promise. In James 5:14-16 we read "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick..." The validity of this promise I have already demonstrated from my own experience in the earlier part of this paper. Were those healings not from God?
So… '
- Where are the raising from the dead?',
- 'Why do some healings relapse?',
- 'Why are they not all instantaneous, as Jesus' were?'
- Or, 'Jesus never failed to heal' so why do we?

Recognize that there are degrees of effectiveness in other giftings, such as preaching and teaching. Then why do you not allow the same in the use of spiritual gifts? The Scripture does say that we 'prophesy according to the measure of our faith' (Rom.12:5).
As to why some healings relapse. There are a number of reasons. One such could be because of fresh sin. This reason is, moreover, Scriptural (John 5:14). Anyway, it is sheer assumption that Bible healings never relapsed.
As to Biblical healings all being instantaneous, was not the healing of the blind man by Jesus in Mark 8:22-26 in stages?
'Jesus never failed to heal'? Is the implication that we should be able to go in and empty hospitals? But we read in Matt.13:58 and Mark 6:5 that Jesus could do no mighty works there because of unbelief. Again, it was only one man Jesus chose to heal at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1ff.). Both in Jesus' day and Apostolic times there were many reasons for no healings or other miracles taking place.