who do not speak in tongues ask, “Why do folks give such importance to speaking with other tongues?” There are at least three reasons:
1. Speaking with other tongues is always manifested when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is the supernatural evidence of His infilling in a person’s life.
2. The spiritual gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues are distinctive of today’s dispensation (1 Cor. 12:1–11).
3. The Apostle Paul gave prominence to the subject of tongues. In his first letter to the Corinthian church, he wrote much about it. (See First Corinthians chapter 14.) Why? Because then, as now, the subject was misunderstood.
Here are some common objections people have to speaking in tongues.
Although the other seven gifts of the Spirit manifested in Jesus’ earthly ministry, you won’t find tongues and interpretation. Jesus said God would give this new gift under the New Covenant. Mark’s Gospel records five supernatural signs that are to follow believers.
MARK 16:17–18
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
One supernatural sign is speaking in tongues. Some try to explain verse 17 away by saying people won’t tell vulgar jokes or lie anymore. While you shouldn’t do either, this scripture is not talking about that.
If four of the five signs are supernatural, it doesn’t make sense that one would be natural. And Jesus didn’t say a few believers would speak in tongues. He clearly said all believers should
do so.
Why don’t some believers pray in tongues? Sometimes people have personal reasons, but I’m sure the main reason is little teaching on its importance has been done. Christians don’t realize the value of speaking in tongues. If they did, they would want to do it.
#2: ‘TONGUES ARE OF THE DEVIL.’
Some Christians are concerned they will receive a wrong spirit when they pray for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But if you ask God to fill you with His Spirit, He will not give you
something else.
LUKE 11:11–13
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Jesus wasn’t talking about literal snakes or scorpions here. He was talking about the power of Satan and demons.
This lets us know that Jesus was referring to an evil spirit in Luke chapter 11. He said, “If a son asks for a fish, will his father give him a serpent (an evil spirit)? Or, if he asks for an egg, will his father offer him a scorpion (an evil spirit)?”We never have to be afraid to receive the Holy Spirit.
People use First Corinthians 13:8 to say that tongues have ceased.
1 Corinthians 13:8
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
This verse says tongues shall cease, not that they have ceased. It also says prophecies shall fail and knowledge shallvanish away. “Shall” is future tense. Tongues haven’t ceased any more than knowledge has vanished away.
First Corinthians 14:39 goes on to say, “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.”The Apostle Paul never forbade people to speak in tongues; he encouraged them to speak.
People who hold to the argument that tongues ceased with the last apostle say the apostles received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and were able to pass the Spirit on to others. But those folks couldn’t pass Him on to anyone else.
They use Acts 8:14–17 to support their case by saying that Philip was able to get the Samaritans born again but not filled with the Spirit. Peter and John went to Samaria to get them filled. But that argument isn’t in line with scripture.
ACTS 9:10–12, 17
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold,
he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. . . .
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Ananias was not an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher. He was a layperson. The Lord Jesus, the Head of the Church, directed him to lay hands on Saul to receive the Holy Spirit.
I believe God put this account in the Bible because He knew we’d face this argument. You don’t have to be one of the early apostles to lead someone into the baptism in the Holy Spirit. You don’t even have to be a minister. Today, believers around the world are helping people get filled with the Holy Spirit just as Ananias did long ago.
Begin Speaking in Tongues
Are you born again but not Spirit-filled? If so, pray this prayer to be baptized in the Holy Spirit:
Heavenly Father, I ask You to baptize me in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Now begin to speak in tongues. Yield to the Spirit and let Him give you the utterance to speak in a language unknown to you.
Author
Kenneth E. Hagin
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