Objections and Questions Regarding Tongues

We have been looking at this controversial topic of tongues. Let's proceed through some of the typical questions that come up.

A. What about Paul and the Samaritans?
There are two biblical accounts that do not say specifically that the believers spoke with tongues when they received the Baptism In the Holy Spirit. Some people point to the filling of Paul and the filling of the Samaritan believers in Acts 8 and say, “Hey it isn’t written that they spoke in tongues there”. Maybe, but it doesn’t say that they didn’t speak in tongues , let look at those….

The Samaritan believers
Acts 8:18-19 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying of hands of the apostles. How could he have known this if there had not been a manifestation? We have every right to assume that the manifestation in this case was the same as we have seen, in Acts 2, 10, and 19. That is how Simon saw that the Spirit was given.

Paul
Paul said, 1 Cor 14:18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

Not only do we know Paul spoke in tongues. It doesn’t make much sense if Paul lays his hands on others to receive the Baptism In the Spirit with speaking in tongues without him having received it.

B. Haven’t Tongues Ceased?
Some people say that the gifts of the spirit including tongues have ceased. They use scriptures like the following:

1 Cor 13:8-10 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

Opponents of spiritual gifts point to this verse and say that the Bible is the perfection that is referred to. They say that now that we have the complete Bible, we no longer need spiritual gifts. But this scripture says nothing of the kind. It is clear from the context, that this perfection refers to the return of Jesus Christ and life in heaven. Imperfect knowledge will be complete when we are face to face with Jesus. We will no longer have mysteries of revelation, when we are face to face with the Revelation himself.

C. Is it possible to receive the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues?
This kind of like a trick question. I hate to say it's impossible, yet the evidence of tongues is for you as well. You can't have confidence in experience or lack of experiences, feelings or no feelings. We can only go by the Word. The way to have confidence that you have received the baptism in the Spirit is to have the evidence of tongues.

Wouldn’t you want to know that you have received the Holy Spirit?

The Point Is Not That You HAVE To Speak In Tongues. The Point Is That You GET To!

I do have a friend who says that he received the Holy Spirit but did not speak in tongues because he was waiting to be acted upon, instead of acting with the Holy Spirit. He thought he had to be forced to speak. When he realized his error, he began to speak freely. Speaking in tongues is a matter of cooperating in faith.


D. Isn’t "fruit" the proof the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
No, because fruit is a result of a process of growing in Christ. A gift is received instantaneously. A gift may indirectly lead to fruit, and fruit is important, but the Baptism in the Spirit with speaking in tongues is a gift not a fruit. That is why Cornelius and his household were able to receive completely as one day old believers!


E. Is this an Involuntary Emotional or physical Reaction?
No , nowhere in any of instances we have reviewed do we see emotional playing a big role. Of course, man is an emotional creature, yet emotion has nothing to do with the reception of the Holy Spirit or speaking in tongues. Both are done by faith.

It is the same thing with Physical reactions. Sometimes we see that people reacted physically to the presence of God, by falling on their faces or being weakened in awe. But the only physical evidence that a person has received the baptism in the Spirit is speaking with other tongues.

A man received the Baptism In The Spirit but later came to the altar saying he wanted to receive. Finally, it turned out that he didn’t believe he had received although he had the evidence, because his wife told him that it was a greater expereince than being born again. Since he couldn’t imagine anything better than his intial expereince of being born again, he couldn’t believe he really had received the Baptism. You see the Devil , the flesh and the world will sometimes try to talk you out of this experience. You have to base things not on feelings or other’s experience or opinions but on the Word.

F. Isn’t tongues just for some but not for all?

Some have argued that tongues is not for the whole church. They have used this verse.

1 Cor 12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Now some have used this scripture to say that all people obviously don’t have to speak in tongues. But we need to understand this verse a little better. Here, Paul is talking about those that have ministry gifts that are for the building up of the church. That is what he means by the greater gifts. The greater gifts are the ones that build up the most people.
The specific gift he refers to in this list is "kinds of tongues", or "divers tongues." This is not the same as the tongues that we are given at the Baptism in the Holy Spirit for personal edification. This is a spiritual gift which not all have, and are meant to be used publicly, for public edification.

The question Paul really is asking here is not, "Have all at one time, spoken in tongues?" But rather. “Do all believers who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit regularly exercise the public ministry gift of “kinds of tongues"?

Understand that Speaking in tongues is a privilege for the New Testament believer and a sign of the initial Baptism in the Holy spirit. The ministry gift of “kinds of tongues “ is for some but speaking in tongues is a gift for all.