The Holy Spirit (Part 7)

I want to answer some questions concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The two principle questions I want to deal with are: 1) Has the baptism in the Holy Spirit been done away with? 2) Is there any purpose for this gift in the church today?  I will answer these questions based on what the Word of God teaches and not what man believes.

1.  Has Tongues Been Done Away With?

Those who teach that tongues are no longer relevant in the church today, often use 1 Corinthians 13:8 as their primary scripture to validate their point.  This scripture reads in part "...But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled;..."  Upon close examination of this passage, it also says that "...where there is knowledge, it will pass away." If one is going to use this scripture to fortify their argument that "tongues have ceased" then they will also have to acknowledge that "knowledge has passed away" and we know this isn't the case. This passage is referring to the perfect age when none of these will be necessary.

2.  Why Some Believe It Is Not Necessary To Speak In Tongues.

For those who teach that it isn't necessary to speak in tongues, they use 1 Corinthians 12:27-30 as their primary scripture, especially verse 30 "...do all speak in tongues?..."  To which the inferred answer is "no."  What they fail to see and understand is that Paul is addressing "ministry gifts" and not the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  He is talking about the ministry of tongues and interpretation. If one tries to use these verses as argument for "tongues not being necessary" then they are stretching the intent of Paul's words and taking them out of context.

3.  The Purpose of Speaking In Tongues.

There are five reasons why Paul encouraged the Corinthian church to speak in tongues:

• It is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:1-6)
• It is a way to speak directly to God (1 Corinthians 14:2)
• For self-edification (1 Corinthians 14:3; Jude 20)
• It helps the believer pray for the unknown (Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 14:2)
• It brings the tongue under subjection (James 3:8; 1 Corinthians 14:2, 5)

Allow God to speak to you and show you the truth of His Word.  It is exciting to see what God will do when we yield ourselves completely to Him.

-- Pastor Temple