Three Streams

I became a Christian through a church that believed tongues had passed away along with prophecy, healings and miracles.I began to speak in tongues a year and a half later after going to pentecostal meetings, reading Pentecostal literature and and praying about it.

Jack Deeres Book Surprised by the power of the Spirit is one of the best biblical explanations on the gifts of the Spirit and in particuar deals with tongues.

The support for not speaking in tongues is very weak, I would say non existant. Most verses used to justify the cessation (passing away) of the gifts of the Spirit are hugely taken out of context.

The view that suggests tongues are essential for every believer and are evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit is based on two assumptions. One is that Spirit Baptism does not happen at conversion, there is a weight of scriptural evidence to say that it does. the other is that Tongues is intended as a sign, or initial evidence that this has happened. This view is based on a few passages in Acts. I used to believe this but I am no longer sure about this interpretation.

The other view is that tongues is one of the gifts, but its up to the Spirit which gifts we get and Paul says ‘not everyone speaks in tongues’, so some take this to mean that it is not for everyone.

My own view? Everyone recieves the Holy Spirit the moment they are born again ”If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Christ” Romans 8:9However everyone needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit, (some would use the term baptised by the Spirit, but I find this unhelpful, however I do not contest its use. Paul exorts Christians to ‘be filled with the Holy Spirit’ Eph 5:18This must be a continual experience, we leak! We need to continualy surrender to the Lordship of Christ and confess sin.

In regards to tongues, it is a spiritual gift and not the essential initial evidence of the Baptism in the Spirit. However, I believe that every believer can speak in tongues!I believe this for two reasons

1)Paul in the passage in Corinthians that deal with spiritual gifts say’s ‘Desire earnestly spiritual gifts’, this means that we have a responsibility to pursue gifts from God.

2)Tongues is the only Spiritual gift given for personal edification. The other gifts are for the edification of others. In other words it is to help you individually stay spiritually strong ‘He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself’ 1 Cor 14:4

So, my view, if you truly are born again, you will already have the Holy Spirit.

You can seek tongues as a gift for personal edification, God is willing to give you it because he wants you to seek it and it will edify you.

You need to be filled reguarly and in increasing measures by the Holy Spirit. Tongues may come as you are continually filled with the Holy Spirit.You can be filled by the Holy Spirit as a result of personal consecration, repentance, confession of specific sins and faith, however you also can have hands laid in you. However if the laying on of hands bypasses the already mentioned process you will not likely be filled.

One last thing, many people already have the gift but dont know how to exercise it. You may already have tongues but are not confident enough to speak out the ‘giberish’ hat comes to you in prayer. God doesnt speak for you, you must speak. Sometimes it is only one or two words initially. If you have these words, dont worry about feeling daft, just speak them out.