There are three manifestations of tongues in the Bible. The most commonly accepted is the Spiritual Gift of Tongues discussed by Paul in First Corinthians, chapter 14. The second is the prayer language of tongues, mentioned in First Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful” and Romans 8:28, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The third manifestation of tongues is the focus of this page. It deals with the quesion, How does a person know if he has the Spirit of God dwelling in him? Is there a sign that confirms a person has received the Holy Spirit? What does the scriptures say?
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
During Mark’s account of the great commission, he says that one of the miraculous signs that will follow believers is the manifestation of tongues. Tongues being the Greek word “glasso” meaning a language that is not naturally acquired. In other words, it is not learned through normal or natural means, such as a language that is not taught.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
On the day of Pentecost, at the initial outpouring of the Holy Ghost, the 120 disciples spoke with other tongues, as the Spirit of God gave the utterance. In other words, the Spirit of God gave them or taught them the language, they spoke.
Act 10:45-46 . . . 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. . . .
We see again in Acts, chapter 10, the gentiles also spoke with other tongues when they were filled with the Holy Ghost. Luke actually records that the way that they knew they had received the Holy Ghost, was because they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
We see the pattern repeated again in Acts, chapter 19, when a group of followers of John the Baptist, who were living in Ephesis. Beginning on the day of Pentecost forward, they spake with other tongues as God gives the utterance. The Bible does not say that a person must speak with tongues to be saved. It does say that a person must have the Spirit of Christ to be His. It also indicates that every time someone received the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, they spake with tongues.
I Cr 14:18&39 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: . . . Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
The focus of Paul’s writing in the fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians, is about the gift of prophesying in tongues. The meaning of this scripture is often misrepresented by those who reject the manifestation of tongues as the initial sign of the in filling of the Holy Ghost. Paul says that he speaks with tongues more than everyone he was writing to. He closes his discussion with the statement, not to forbid the speaking in tongues.
Act 2:15-18 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:
When the people in the street on the day of Pentecost heard the commotion, they thought the disciples were intoxicated. Peter explained, what they were witnessing was the promise God had made through the prophet Joel. In the later days God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. We know that what God was doing was making the Spirit available to all flesh. That did not mean that everyone received the Spirit of God yet. We know this, because we see in Acts 2:38, that people had to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. They had to repent, then ask God to fill them, and then receive what God had promised.
Is 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isaiah also prophesied of the time when God would speak to his people with another tongue.
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
John records how Jesus told Nicodemus, that the wind blows where it wants to and we hear the sound of it, but do not know where it is coming from, or where it is going. The wind is an analogy for the Spirit. A spirit is like the air. When the wind blows, it is like the moving of the Spirit. We can not see it. We can feel the air moving over our skin. We can hear it moving through the atmosphere. We can see the effects of the wind as it moves dust and debris. We can not however see the wind. The same is true of the Spirit of God. We hear, feel and see the effects of the Spirit just like the wind, but we can not see the Spirit, no more than we can see the wind. Then Jesus says, so is everyone born of the Spirit. What Jesus is saying, we will feel the Spiirt moving, see the effects of the Spirit on the person and hear the sound of the Spirit. The sound is manifest, when we hear people speak with tongues. The sound is present in everyone that receives the Spirit of God. Why then, did God choose tongues?
Jam 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
James writes the tongue of man is unruly and evil. He points out no man can tame the tongue. How many times do our tongues get us into trouble. Man’s flesh being evil spawns evil from the tongue. Our sin nature is in control of our tongues.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Contrary to those who believe, following the heart, is the right thing to do, the Bible teaches our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Jeremiah asks the question, who can know it?
Mt 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
The mouth reveals the secret condition of a man’s heart. The heart of man is revealed by the things he says. The hidden things of the heart are manifest by our speech.
Jam 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
James says if a man were able to control his tongues so that he would not offend anyone, then he would be able to control his whole body. Such a man would be a perfect man. There has only been one perfect man, and that was the man, Jesus Christ the Messiah. He was made perfect by the Spirit of God. So what ever controls a man’s tongue will control the whole man. Jesus Christ made a way for men to receive the same Spirit of God that dwelt in Him. When the Holy Ghost fills a man, it manifests itself through the man’s tongue. The tongue now reveals, the Spirit of God has taken control of the man. As long as the man continues to follow the leading of the Spirit of God, he will be under the control of God. This seems ridiculous to some people.
I Cor 1:27-28 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
God chose things that people would scoff at or think was foolishness. People who are too sophisticated or proud to humble themselves in such a way that would allow them speak in tongues, will not be able to receive the gift of Holy Ghost .
Matt 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
We instead must be like little children in the presence of God. We must be humble and submissive to God. We must fully put our trust in Him, believing that he is not out to make us look silly or embarrass us. Then and only then will we be able to receive the promise that he has for us. In spite of what scripture has to say, many will say that tongues are of the Devil and not God.
Mt 10:24-25 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
The religious elite of the time, accused Jesus of having a devil. They said the miracles that were performed were of Beelzebub. Jesus prophesied that the unbelieving world would accuse the members of his household as being possessed by devils.
Mk 15:28 . . . And he was numbered with the transgressors.
Others would say that only a cult would believe the doctrine of the in filling of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in other tongues as God gives the utterance. If Jesus himself was numbered among the transgressors, what makes us think we are any better. If they rejected him and his doctrine, who are we to think that we also will be accepted for teaching the same doctrine?
Pv 10:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: . . .
Finally, the proverbs sums it up. Death and life are in the power of a man’s tongue. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in other tongues as God gives the utterance is a life and death issue. It is from God, it is free and it is up to the individual to believe and receive what God has already poured out or made available. That choice manifests itself through our tongue, therefore death and life are in the power of who controls our tongues. Our sinful flesh or the Holy Ghost.
