THE HOLY GHOST, WITH OR WITHOUT TONGUES?

The Prophet Isaiah spoke of the promise of the Holy Ghost when he prophesied in Isaiah 28:9-12: "Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from the milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line. Here a little, there a little. For WITH STAMMERING LIPS AND ANOTHER TONGUE HE WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, to whom he said, THIS IS THE REST WITH WHICH YOU MAY CAUSE THE WEARY TO REST, AND THIS IS THE REFRESHING; yet they would not hear."


It is interesting to find a marvelous correlation of scripture when we compare this prophecy with Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28,29. Jesus is the one who causes "THE WEARY TO REST" through the supernatural experience of speaking in stammering lips and another tongue.
"Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS."
The rest and refreshing of God speaking to His people with stammering lips and an unknown tongue is consistent with Jesus' description of the birth of the Spirit in John 3:5-8:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God . . . Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The WIND blows where it wishes, and YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF IT, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. SO IS EVERYONE WHO IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT."


The original Greek word translated as "wind" is Pneuma. The word pneuma literally means "Spirit," "wind," or "breath." In every other place where the word pneuma is used throughout the Greek New Testament, it is translated into English as the word "Spirit," except in this one instance. Hence the more literal and consistent Greek rendering of this passage in the Emphatic Greek Diaglott renders John 3:8 as follows: "The Spirit breathes where it will, and YOU HEAR ITS VOICE . . . THUS IT IS WITH EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN BORN OF THE SPIRIT."

The J. P. Green Interlinear Bible (which is consistent with most other literal word for word Interlinears) also renders John 3:8 as follows: "The Spirit breathes where He desires, and YOU HEAR HIS VOICE but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes - SO IS EVERYONE WHO HAS RECEIVED BIRTH FROM THE SPIRIT."

One might ask, what on earth is Jesus talking about when he said that "The Spirit breathes . . . and you hear it's voice?" Surely he is not talking about a believer making a verbal confession of faith. This cannot be said to be the Spirit's Voice. There is something else that Jesus is talking about in which everyone must receive to receive the birth of the Spirit. The only supernatural phenomenon found in the Bible in which God's Spirit blows or breathes upon His people and you hear the Spirit's sound or voice is the speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance.

Jesus also stated in Mark 16:17 that one of the signs that shall follow them that truly believe upon Christ as the scripture has said would be that "THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES."
In Acts chapter ten we read of an unsaved Roman Centurion by the name of Cornelius. He was a devout man who feared God according to the Law of Moses. While in prayer he saw an angel in a vision who said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send for Simon whose surname is Peter . . . HE WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU MUST DO." In Acts ll:4 Peter adds that the angel further said to Cornelius that the apostle Peter "SHALL TELL YOU WORDS, WHEREBY YOU AND ALL YOUR HOUSE SHALL BE SAVED."
Cornelius and those with him obeyed the angels instructions and sent for Peter who preached salvation through belief in the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 10:43-47 give us the following account of the conversion of Cornelius, his household, and his cohorts: "To Him all the prophets witness that through His name, whosoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. While Peter was still speaking these words, THE HOLY SPIRIT FELL UPON ALL THOSE WHO HEARD THE WORD. And those of the circumcision (the Jews) who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD BEEN POURED OUT ON THE GENTILES ALSO. FOR THEY HEARD THEM SPEAK WITH TONGUES and magnify God. Then Peter answered. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT just as we have."


In the above conversion account we must note that there is nothing to vindicate a belief in a new birth of the Spirit prior to being filled with the Spirit. The question must be asked, how did the believing Jews which came with Peter know that the Gentiles had received the gift of the Holy Ghost? The scriptural answer is consistent with Jesus' statement, "The Spirit breathes where it will and you hear it's voice . . . thus it is with everyone who has been born of the Spirit." The believing Jews were convinced that the Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost when they "heard them speak with tongues and magnify God." Believing Christians of today should also expect the same initial sign as positive proof that someone has received the Holy Ghost.


Those who purport that a verbal confession alone automatically causes one to receive the Holy Ghost must ask why the Bible is silent upon such a belief. The scripture says that a believer is to "Repent and be baptized . . . and he shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38)." It does not say the moment one believes he automatically receives the Holy Ghost. The scriptures plainly declare that all who would lawfully enter God's Kingdom must "Repent and be baptized" and they "shall receive the Holy Ghost."

This is consistent with Jesus' own words found in Luke 11:5-13."And He said to them, which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him; Friend, lend me three loaves . . . I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, YET BECAUSE OF HIS PERSISTENCE he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you . . . how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to those WHO ASK HIM!"


The context of the above passage indicates that a confession of Jesus Christ as Lord or repentance does not automatically impart the Holy Ghost. Jesus instructed his followers to have faith and persistence in asking God their Father for the gift of the Holy Ghost. The teaching of the apostle Paul confirms this to be true.

"And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." Acts 19:1-6


These Ephesian Disciples had believed upon Christ to such an extent that they disciplined their lives according to the knowledge that they had of Christ from John the Baptist. To be called "disciples," they must have repented of their sins prior to getting baptized into John's baptism. Paul addresses two major areas where these Ephesian disciples were lacking in. Paul addressed water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Ghost baptism."

We must understand that the book of Acts is the only New Testament book which gives us actual historical accounts of people actually getting saved under the apostolic preaching. Just as in the four gospels, each account does not always explain every detail of each historical event. The following passage of scripture does not directly state that the Samaritans spoke in tongues. However, the context demands it.

"Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money. . ." Acts 8:14-18

Notice that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, and were baptized in water, yet were tarrying in prayer for the Holy Ghost. The Evangelist could have easily said, "repeat the following words of a confession of faith" and told the Samaritans that they had received the Holy Ghost.

However, there is no such language in scripture to give rise to the belief that one has received the Holy Ghost without the initial sign of speaking in tongues. Simon the sorcerer would not have desired the power to repeat a prayer if verbal confession alone brought the power to receive the Holy Ghost. There was a definite external evidence proving that the Samaritans had received the Holy Spirit.


"The Spirit breathes where it will, and you HEAR IT'S VOICE . . . THUS IT IS WITH EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN BORN OF THE SPIRIT." John 3:8