Filled with the Spirit and the Gift of Tongues

Question:

If you are filled with the Holy Spirit must you speak in tongues or can you be filled with the spirit without receiving this gift.

Submitted by DI on July 16, 1999.

Answer: (Given by Bro. Jon Mullins)

I think that the best place to start would be to examine what the role is that the Holy Spirit plays in our lives, then look at the Gift of the Holy Spirit as given to the apostles and others during the first century, and finally to look at what the bible says about speaking in tongues today. 

According to God's word, we receive the Holy Spirit once we are baptized and we become saved, or added to the church.  (Acts 2:37-38-Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.) 

What is it though that the Holy Spirit does for us?  The bible states that He is a Helper (John 14:16,17 26)-And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [26] But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

The bible also says that He is a giver of gifts. (Romans 12:6-8) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. (I Corinthians 12:8-11) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 

These are important things to keep in mind as we review a little bit of what happened with the church in its beginnings. 

One can see the beginning of the church on the Day of Pentecost following Christ's ascension back to Heaven in Acts Chapter 2.  It is important to note here that in the second chapter of Acts, the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles, and they had the ability to speak in tongues, each in a separate
language, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  (Acts 2: 2-4) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Continuing on in Acts Chapter 2, we see that the people were amazed to see this, and they supposed the men were drunk.  However the Bible states in verses 1-21, 

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  

If you remember my earlier reference to Acts 2:37, 38, Peter responded to what they needed to do in order to be saved in further detail. What is important here though is that the Apostles were given the gifts and that they could pass it on to those whom they were directed to do by God.  An example of this is found in Acts Chapter 10.  The Bible says that 

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 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 gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Now looking past this time when the gift was given in this way, Paul stated by inspiration of God in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 that the gifts of prophesying and speaking in tongues would cease.  "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. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." There is an obvious indication here that speaking in tongues will, at some prophesy and speaking in tongues with some day cease. We cannot deny that conclusion, as the Bible does state this very clearly. 

Now to consider the last point of your question regarding using the gift of speaking in tongues in the church.  The use of this gift is covered in 1 Corinthians,  Chapter 14, which follows:

1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.  2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.  3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.  4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.  5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.  

6Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?  7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?  8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?  9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.  11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.  12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.  13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.  14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.  

15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.  16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?  17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.  18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:  19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.  

21  In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. 22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.  23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?  24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:  25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.  

26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.  27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.  28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."

It is apparent that speaking in tongues today is used in the church only with interpretation that all may understand.  As an example, we have a deaf ministry at the Quartz Hill Church of Christ, and recently, we had a speaker come and deliver a message in sign language, but we also had a person present who spoke and interpreted what the deaf speaker was saying in sign language. Since we have deaf members, we also are required to provide interpretation for them when the minister gets up to deliver his sermon, during the song service, prayers, the Lord's supper, etc.  It is necessary to do so in order to be pleasing to God according to what we find in Acts 14.

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