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Introduction
He was a deacon in a
fashionable church, but he did not believe in the Pentecostal doctrine
relative to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Yet he had been exposed to that
belief through members of his immediate family. One night, at the close of
an Evangelistic service in an Apostolic church, he went forward to pray and
was overwhelmingly filled with the Spirit of God. He spoke in other tongues
fluently and was so inundated in the Spirit that even hours later he could
not speak English. Definitely, this was a biblical experience accompanied
not only by speaking in another tongue, but also by the joy and peace of
the Holy Ghost.
Millions have
experienced this same baptism in the Spirit. Wherever this message is
proclaimed, the question is asked, "Why did God choose speaking in
tongues as the initial, physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy
Ghost?" There may be many answers to this question, and perhaps we do
not know them all. Several key points are apparent, however.
The
Sovereignty of God
First, we must
recognize that God is not accountable to us for what He chooses to do.
Isaiah asked, "Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his
counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed
him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and
shewed to him the way of understanding?" (Isaiah 40:13-14). We have no
license to question God's ways or to dispute His actions. His purposes are
supreme, His promises sure, His performances sane and sensible. The
following passages of Scripture, when studied prayerfully with a hungry
heart and an open mind, show that there is a definite connection between
speaking in tongues and the baptism of the Holy Ghost: Isaiah 28:11-12;
Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:6; Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6.
Why did God choose
blood as the basis for atonement? Why did God choose water as the element
in baptism? Why did God choose gold as the overlaying metal for the ark of
the covenant? Why did God choose stone as the material upon which to record
the Ten Commandments? Why did God choose Jerusalem as the site for the
Temple? Why did God choose dust out of which to form mankind? There is
divine purpose behind these choices, although we may not understand all the
reasons. We certainly cannot deny or disavow God's sovereign right to do as
He pleases and to choose what He wishes.
An Immediate, External Evidence
One vital reason why
God chose other tongues as the initial sign of receiving the Holy Ghost is
that speaking in tongues is an immediate, external evidence. There are many
other evidences of the operation of the Spirit of God in a person's life,
but it is a matter of time before they are manifest. For example, the fruit
of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 follows in the wake of the
spiritual infilling.
Peter and the six
Jewish Christians who went with him to Caesarea knew that the Gentiles had
received the Holy Ghost, not because of longsuffering, gentleness,
meekness, or temperance, but because they heard them speak with tongues and
magnify God (Acts 10:46). Peter specifically pointed to speaking in tongues
as the irrefutable evidence (Acts 10:46-47).
Speaking in tongues is
an outward, external evidence, instantly observable and heard. By contrast,
peace, joy, righteousness, and spiritual fruit are inward, internal results
of the infilling that become evident with the passing of time.
A
Uniform Evidence
Another reason why God
chose other tongues as the initial sign of receiving the Spirit is that
speaking in tongues is a uniform evidence. It applies to everyone,
regardless of race, culture, or language.
Some people quote I
Corinthians 12:30 in an attempt to prove that not all speak in tongues when
they are filled with the Spirit: "Do all speak with tongues?"
However, this verse refers to the gift of tongues, that is, speaking
a public message in tongues to be interpreted for the congregation, which
is a spiritual gift that a person may exercise subsequent to the infilling
of the Spirit. Though both tongues as the inital evidence of the baptism of
the Holy Ghost and tongues as a later spiritual gift are the same in
essence, they are different in administration and operation. For example,
the regulations regarding the gift of tongues in I Corinthians 14:27-28 did
not apply to the conversion accounts in Acts, where many people spoke in
tongues simultaneously, without interpretation, as the sign of being filled
with the Spirit.
Some people may
question this distinction between the initial use of tongues at the baptism
of the Holy Ghost and the later use of tongues as a spiritual gift in a
Christian's life. But the same distinction is apparent with regard to faith.
To be saved, everyone must have faith (John 3:16; Romans 10:9; Ephesians
2:8). Yet I Corinthians 12:9 reveals that there is a special, supernatural
gift of faith that can operate in a Spirit-filled person's life over and
beyond the faith necessary for salvation. Saving faith and the spiritual
gift of faith are the same in essence but different in administration and
operation.
In speaking about the
birth of the Spirit, Jesus emphasized the uniformity of the experience:
"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 3:8). Moreover, Jesus
placed emphasis upon the accompanying sound, not on sight or feeling. The sound
of the wind blowing is evidence of its presence.
Some people conclude
that Jesus referred only to "the sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind" on the Day of Pentecost. But this sound of wind is never
mentioned again in the later accounts of receiving the Holy Ghost, while
speaking in tongues is. Speaking in tongues by itself caused the Jewish
Christians to recognize that the experience of the Gentiles at Caesarea was
identical to theirs on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 10:44-47; 11:15-17).
Hence, the important, conclusive evidence of the Spirit's manifestation at
Pentecost was speaking in other tongues. The sound of wind was impersonal,
but the speaking was personal. Speaking in tongues was the first
evidence of each individual infilling.
At Caesarea all who
heard the Word were filled, and all who heard the Word spoke in tongues. If
some of them had not spoken in tongues, would the Jewish Christians have
accepted their experiences? Clearly not. All twelve men mentioned in Acts
19:6 had a uniform experience. If ten of the twelve had spoken in tongues
and the other two had not, would Paul have believed that the two had
received the Holy Ghost just as the ten? Certainly not. Paul would not have
accepted their experience if they have failed to exhibit the uniform evidence.
A
Symbol of Complete Control
Speaking in
tongues symbolizes God's complete control of the believer. Perhaps this is
one of the strongest reasons why God chose speaking in tongues as the
initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This symbolism becomes
apparent when we study James 3, which provides more information on the
tongue than any other chapter in the New Testament.
First, the
tongue is capable of defiling the whole body. If so, is it incredible to
claim that the tongue is also capable of symbolizing the sanctification of
the whole body?
Second,
though the tongue is a smaller member, it has never been tamed by humanity.
It is the most unruly member of the body. If so, is it not necessary for
the tongue to be tamed before the whole body can be consecrated to God?
James illustrates the importance of the tongue by comparing it to the bit
in a horse's mouth, which gives the rider complete control over the horse,
and to the helm of a large ship, which gives the pilot full command of the
vessel. In other words, whoever controls the tongue of a person controls
him. And a person cannot tame his tongue by himself; only God can tame it
for him.
According
to Matthew 12:29, before someone can enter a strong man's house and plunder
his goods, he must first bind the strong man. The strong man of our house
is the tongue. We can tame every member of the body but this one. When God
tames a person's tongue, that person comes under God's full control. He is
in the hands of the Almighty. He has been conquered by Christ, endued with
a spiritual force from on high, and empowered for God's service.
Humanity's Greatest Expression
The tongue
provides the greatest expressions of the human spirit. We humans are
spiritual and emotional beings, and as such we must give expression to our
emotions. The ability and power to coordinate thought and tongue into
intelligent speech is one of our highest prerogatives, elevating us above
the beasts of the field. This ability makes us superior to the rest of
God's creation on earth, and it is the most distinguishing feature of our
being.
The tongue
becomes the vehicle of expression for the spirit. All of the emotions--such
as love, hate, anger, sorrow, joy, happiness, relief, serenity--are
communicated through the tongue. The tongue is the gate way to the heart,
feelings, attitudes, and spirit.
Conclusion
In light of
these truths, it is not difficult to see why God has chosen speaking in
tongues to express the greatest, most wonderful experience that we mortal
humans can receive. In the baptism of the Holy Ghost, His Spirit and our
spirit become one. He uses our tongue and voice to express this union. It
is a wonder of wonders, chosen not by humans, but by God, the sovereign
ruler of the universe.
Why fight
against Him? Believe His Word, accept what He says, and you too can be
baptized with the Holy Ghost, for God will give the Holy Spirit to all who
repent and ask in faith (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:38-39).
*Taken from the Word
Aflame Tract "WHY DID GOD CHOSE TONGUES" #6108
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