I was once in the AoG Church, (in fact, back in 1988 I actually helped start this local AoG from a small Bible study group). The AoG's doctrine of the Baptism of the Spirit included the sign of tongues. When one was baptized in the Holy Spirit, then this same person must speak in tongues. If you don't then you haven't been baptized. Though you could be born again, you just would not be as spiritually powerful and loving.
And so many Pentecostals and Charismatics teach that tongues are a required sign for being baptized by Christ in His Spirit.
I used to think this way when I was a young Christian. I had a lot of Pentecostal Christians as my friends when I first became a Christian, and so I went that route for a season.
I did all the gimmicks of trying to speak in tongues. And one day, I actually said a couple words, after being prayed over for 15 to 20 minutes. Maybe I said, "Omishin ominee", or something like that. I'm not sure. I was then urged to practice it all day, and God will add syllables, and even words, and then you will have the gift of tongues. There were other ways to learn how to speak in tongues. One brother told me to start to say fa la la fa la la, and then God will fill in the spiritual words. Another brother told me to sing "Abba Dabba Dabba Dabba Abba Dabba Dabba Dabba", which is song from Disney's "The Jungle Book". At first I just went along, and was confused, but everyone seemed so sincere, so I just went along.
Then one day, I asked God, "Is this tongue speaking I'm doing real?" I then read this verse: "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." 1 Cor. 14:15
I then gave up the tongue thing, and so I began to pray with my heart and understanding: My understanding how to pray came from the Holy Scriptures.
I must say that tongues is a deep, deep subject of Scripture, and there are many wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord who say they have this gift. And so I say Lord bless you, and lead you into all His truth. I leave it right there. If they want to study the Bible together and discuss this doctrine, then I'm willing, as long as we are settled that the Bible is all sufficient and the final authority; not experience.
Is tongues a gift of the Spirit? Yes. Does one have to have this as a sign for being Baptized in the Holy Spirit of God? No. There's no Scripture anywhere that teaches this. That's my thinking on this very difficult doctrine of the Bible.
I will have one more post on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I would encourage us all to study the depths of the Holy Word of God concerning this subject, because it is essential we have an understanding of what the Lord teaches, not what man says.
6 comments:
I like how you handled this. I have friends and relatives who believe they speak in tongues. I think your post was truthful without being harsh. That's important.
Thanks Craver.
I am a first time visitor. Your post on tongues was very captivating.
Initially I was only going to browse over this post but it sucked me right in.
I grew up with speaking in tongues and believe that it is a gift of the spirit that is still around today.
There have been some negative experiences in my life when dealing with the topic of speaking in tongues.
I have personally known people who claimed to speak in tongues but they did not have any fruit to show for it.
To me it was a contradiction that one speaks in tongues and yet does not manifest the fruit of the spirit in his life.
Even with all that behind me I believe that some do possess the gift of tongues.
I also agree with you that speaking in tongues is not THE sign that one is baptized with the spirit.
Good post.
"Even with all that behind me I believe that some do possess the gift of tongues."
Thanks for sharing those thoughts Daniel, and stopping by.
There are some incredible Christians, and ministries who hold to having this gift work within their lives.
CJ Mahaney and his church, Covenant Life Church. Calvary Chapel, and Chuck Smith. Jesus people USA.
donsands,
I was in high school during the Jesus People movement in Southern California duing the 60s and early 70s; the height of the Chuck Smith phenomenon. I knew many, many enthusiastic tongues-speaking people and I knew many more who had been seriously wounded and damaged by the "sign of the Spirit" doctrine.
It was careful study of Greek and hermeneutics that finally settled this issue for me. The cessationist view of the church I attended as a kid has no biblical basis that I can find. The "spiritual languages" of the charismatics have no biblical basis. But the gift of speaking unlearned earthly languages for the sake of proclaiming the gospel and advancing the kingdom (see Pentecost) is alive and well in a number of places in the world where the gospel is being preached. I've seen it more than once in foreign countries when tribal villagers have come asking in English for us to come and preach. And I have seen an American speak an unlearned language when preaching the gospel to people who spoke that language. (By the way, the effect of this powerful manifestation of the Spirit was to cause a deep and awful hush among us rather than an enthusiasm!) In similar situations I have often prayed for the gift so I could preach without a translator but God has never given it to me. But Paul preached in many "languages" and even wished that many more Christians could spread the gospel by speaking unlearned "languages" too.
I have many charismatic friends whom I love. I will not argue or debate with them. I might disagree with their interpretation of scripture and their practices but I love them too much to play the judge.
Good post, donsands!
Thanks for sharing that Dave. A genuine blessing for me. And you glorified the Lord as well.
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