After Jesus had risen from the dead, and right before he
had gone back to heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father, he said to
his disciples, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry
ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke
24:49) “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Jesus then
ascended back to heaven to His Father. This took place on Thursday, Ijar 27th,
in 29 A.D., and is sometimes called, “Ascension Thursday.” (In 29 A.D. Ijar 27th
fell on a Thursday.)
Then 8 days later, the Word of God says, “And when
the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4) This took place on the Old Testament feast
day of Pentecost, on Friday, Sivan 6th, in 29 A.D., and is sometimes called,
“Pentecost Friday.” (In 29 A.D. Sivan 6th fell on a Friday.)
This is when
the Holy Spirit first came in New Testament times to fill people with Himself
and to endue them with power. (“Holy Ghost” and “Holy Spirit” are the same
thing, the same person, the third person of the Godhead. In 1611, when the King
James Bible was first published, people often used the word “ghost” for “spirit”
or “Holy Ghost” for “Holy Spirit.”) Notice that when the people were filled the
Holy Spirit, they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them
utterance.
Must a Person Speak in Tongues in Order to be Filled with
the Holy Spirit? Can a Person be Filled with the Holy Spirit and NOT Speak in
Tongues?
These two questions are really the same question phrased two
different ways. The answer is that a Christian must speak in tongues initially
in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is the initial
evidence that a Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit. A Christian who has
NEVER spoken in tongues, has NEVER been filled with the Holy Spirit.
Some
Christians argue that a Christian CAN be filled with the Holy Spirit even though
they have NEVER spoken in tongues. But what is the point of this argument? The
Bible talks about “praying in the Spirit,” or “praying with the spirit.” This is
talking about praying or speaking in tongues, or
other tongues, or
unknown tongues, as it is sometimes called.
(The reason the Word of God sometimes refers to tongues as “
other
tongues,” or “ unknown
tongues,” is because it is a language
other than a language that the person praying
is familiar with, or unknown to the person praying.) When a
person prays in a language that they know, the Word of God calls this, “praying
with the understanding.” The Bible says in Ephesians 6:18,”Praying always with
all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...” The Bible says in Jude 20, “But
ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy
Ghost.” The Bible says in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.,”
meaning, “not uttered in a language understood by the person praying.” I
Corinthians 14:5 says, “I would that ye all spake with tongues.” Praying in the
Spirit is something that all Christians are supposed to do. Praying in the
Spirit is something that all Christians are commanded to do.
Since all
Christians are supposed to do this, why would a Christian want to be filled with
the Holy Spirit and NOT speak in tongues? Does such a Christian want to be in
sin? Disobeying the Word of God is sin. This is the reason I said what is the
point of arguing whether or not a Christian can be filled with the Holy Spirit
even though they have never spoken in tongues. If a Christian can be filled with
the Holy Spirit, even though they have never spoken in tongues, and such a
Christian refuses to speak in tongues, such a Christian would be in sin anyway.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit doesn’t benefit in any way if the person is
living in sin!
It should also be pointed out here that every single
Christian who was filled with the Holy Spirit in the New Testament spoke in
tongues. To say that Christians of today can be filled with the Holy Spirit
differently is preposterous!