Jesus prophesied that His believers would be followed by signs. One of those signs is speaking in new tongues. In Mark 16:17, Jesus said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe: in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues…” Jesus announced that believers, not just apostles, would speak with new tongues. When we go back to the pattern found in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit was first given, we see that one hundred and twenty followers received the baptism that day. That number included men, women, and Jesus’ mother and brothers specifically (Acts 1:13-15). As they continued in one accord in prayer and supplication, the Scripture says they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).
Ten years later when Peter preached the Gospel to the Gentiles, they received their salvation and, as Peter described what happened, he said God purified their hearts by faith and bore them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost as He did unto the disciples (Acts 15:8-9). While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles as a witness that they had received Christ! The six Jewish believers that had accompanied Peter from Joppa heard the Gentiles speak with tongues, and they were astonished. This was the initial evidence that the Gentiles had received salvation and had been baptized in the Holy Spirit as the believing Jews had at the beginning (Acts 11:15). God gave to the Gentiles according to the same pattern established at the beginning. Now, both the Jews and the Gentiles had experienced the same baptism (Acts 2 and 10).
In 1 Corinthians 14:5, Paul said, “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.” It was the will of God through Paul that every Christian speak with tongues and prophesy. Verse 4 of the same chapter tells us that “he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.” It also goes on to say in verse 39, “forbid not to speak with tongues.”
Some today would say, “Didn’t Paul mention in 1 Corinthians 12 the rhetorical question, ‘Do all speak in tongues?’” He was not dealing with the baptism of the Holy Spirit [here]; he was teaching on spiritual gifts. The spiritual gifts that come out of the Holy Spirit are given as the Spirit wills and as we covet these unique giftings (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). They are given for the profit of all. When people are baptized in the Spirit,the evidence of worshiping in personal tongues is the initial evidence, but it is not the gift of tongues which Paul speaks of in chapter 14. This gift is to be exhibited by only one or two persons in a gathering, with an interpretation following (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
In reference to the gift of tongues, it is a message from the Holy Spirit to individuals and needs an interpretation. Thus Paul’s teachings on the gift of tongues are distinct from the teachings on the initial evidence of the baptism of the Spirit through tongues.
God today wants you to speak in the Spirit. He wants you to enjoy an utterance that will come from the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all (1 Corinthians 14:18).” This is because of the intimacy with the Spirit and personal edification that comes from using your heavenly language.
