THE UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (14)

Speaking in Tongues (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

          The Pentecostals teach that speaking in tongues is evidence that a person has been baptized by the Holy Spirit. They will set forth several instances in Scripture wherein individuals who received the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues.  When they set forth these examples, they focus solely on the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.  They also would have their listeners believe that the tongues that were spoken were babblings that could not be understood by the speaker or the hearer.  Let’s look at each of these examples in more detail in this article.

          The first instance of individuals receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is recorded in Acts 2. Those who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit were the apostles.  Keep that in mind.  These men occupied the highest human office in the church.  They were not lost.  They were saved individuals.  Jesus Himself promised these men that He would send them the Comforter following His ascension into heaven when He spoke to them in the upper room (John 16:7).  He confirmed the promise on Mount Olivet prior to His ascension (Acts 1:4-5, 8).  The promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.  “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).  These men had been commission to preach the gospel to the lost in the world (Mark 16:15).  These men had not been trained in the rabbinical schools.  As Jews, they would have been familiar with two languages, Hebrew and Greek.  In order to teach individuals in other nations, they would need the gift of tongues.  This would enable them to preach the gospel in any language. 

          The second instance of those who received the Holy Spirit and “spoke with tongues” are the converts of Philip in the city of Samaria.  Philip, an evangelist, entered the city and preached Christ unto them (Acts 8:5).  “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12).  It is interesting that these new Christians did not receive the Holy Spirit immediately upon their conversion.  Several days would pass before they would receive the Holy Spirit.   Too, they would not receive it in the same fashion as did the apostles on Pentecost.  “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:  who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:  (for as yet ye was fallen upon none of them:  only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:14-17).  It is interesting that the text does not reveal that these individuals spoke with tongues on this occasion.  The Pentecostals assume that they did because of Simon’s reaction to the apostles’ ability to lay hands on others and bestow the Holy Ghost (See Acts 8:18-19).  A question is in order at this time.  Is it possible the apostles laid hands on these individuals to bestow upon them the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10?  This is a very real possibility.  The church had been established in Samaria.  These individuals would need these gifts in order to carry out the work of the church.

          The third instance of the reception of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is in Acts 10.  Peter was called to go to a Gentile’s house to preach the gospel to them.  This was something unique, unusual, and difficult for Peter.  He had been raised as a Jew.  He had been taught the distinction between clean and unclean things.  In the eyes of a Jew, the Gentiles were unclean.  Now things were different.  The Old Law had been done away (Col. 2:14).  The New Covenant, that is, the law of Christ was in effect (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 8:6).  The blessings of this covenant were to be offered to all men (Mark 16;15).  Peter did as he was commanded.  As he spoke the message of salvation to Cornelius and his household, something surprising happened.  “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word…For they heard them speak the tongues, and magnify God…” (Acts 10:44).  These individuals were not Christians at the time they received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues.  This cannot be an example of Christians experiencing the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.  This situation happened for a very specific purpose.  It was to convince the Peter and the Jewish Christians who were with him that the Gentiles were prospects for the kingdom of God.  “”And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the Holy Ghost…Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which had received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord…” (Acts 10:45-48).  The household of Cornelius was saved after receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.

          The fourth instance is recorded in Acts 19:1-7. Paul passed through the upper coasts and came to the city of Ephesus.  There he found certain disciples (Acts 19:1).  “He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?  And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost” (Acts 19:2).  Paul inquired further and found that these men had been baptized with John’s baptism.  John’s baptism was not valid once the New Testament was made effective.  Once Paul informed them of the Lord’s baptism, “they were baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 19:5).  Acts19:6 reveals that it was necessary for Paul to lay his hands on them in order for them to receive the Holy Spirit.  When the Spirit came on them, they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).  Dear readers, this is the only specific example of new Christians receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.  And, they not only spoke in tongues, but they also prophesied.

          We have looked at the four instances of individuals receiving the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.  The apostles received it and spoke with tongues.  The Samarians received the Holy Spirit, but we are not told they spoke with tongues.  The household of Cornelius received it prior to becoming Christians and spoke with tongues.  The men of Ephesus received it after their conversion and spoke with tongues and prophesied.  How the Pentecostals can take radically different accounts and proclaim that all of them prove that all Christians will receive the Holy Spirit and speak with tongues as evidence thereof is amazing to this writer.  It does not appear that they are exegeting the text.  Instead, they go to the Biblical text with a preconceived notion and tried to find examples to prove what they already believe.