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The Third View of Tongues

The Case for More

CHAPTER 4

Is there a God-ordained experience that may take place in the life of the believer that can be recognized as an experience subsequent to the conversion experience?

This question must be answered because it has a direct bearing upon spiritual gifts. In the book of Acts, especially, the manifestation of spiritual gifts seems to accompany an experience that happens to new Christians.

Some of you will disagree with me here. But please hear me out. I have some important things to share as the teaching of this book unfolds.

Pentecost, with the initial manifestation of speaking in other languages, was an experience for the disciples. But since the outpouring of the Spirit marked the beginning of the church, it would be difficult to say that Acts 2 in itself substantiates the teaching of a "second blessing."

Further on in Acts, in my view, it becomes quite clear that there was indeed something that happened to Christians, an experience subsequent to conversion.

Samaritan experience

In Acts 8 we have the Samaritan account of individuals being filled with the Spirit (vv. 5-15). Many had been converted and baptized through the ministry of Philip. But the disciples at Jerusalem, upon hearing that the Samaritans received the word of God, sent Peter and John down to pray for them. If we can judge by Philip's treatment of the Ethiopian later in the same chapter, he was not in the habit of baptizing people unless they were believers. The Samaritans had believed, were converted, and were Christians. They also had been baptized in water. But still they lacked, so the disciples went to pray for them with the laying on of hands. And the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit.

To suggest they were not saved until they received the Holy Spirit is to admit at the same time that they were baptized in water before they were converted. Evangelicals today certainly would not countenance that.

It is a fair conclusion that the principle "unto him that hath it shall be given" was functioning. New believers, born of the Spirit, baptized in water, then received the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The implications to Christians who have been converted and who have followed the Lord in baptism are considerable. God has something more.

Paul's experience

In chapter 9 of Acts Saul's conversion on the Damascus road is related. It was as dramatic a conversion as anyone could have: a bright light, a voice, and a trembling pursuer of Christians falls to the ground. He is left blinded. Spectacular indeed!

But after three days Ananias was sent to pray for Saul that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Assuming that Paul was then filled with the Holy Spirit, there was an interval of three days between his surrender to Christ and the enduement of the Holy Spirit.

Without straining at anything it appears that Paul's experience was similar to that of the Samaritans'.

We should also note at this point that no specific mention of speaking in tongues has been made in these two cases. Simon the sorcerer certainly did observe something that made him illicitly covet the authority to lay on hands, but to insist that the Samaritans spoke in tongues is to go beyond what the Scripture says. Also there is no suggestion that Paul spoke in tongues when he was filled with the Holy Spirit, though of course he ultimately received the gift (1 Cor. 14:18).

Cornelius' experience

In Acts 10 we have the unique story of Cornelius. He was a military man of influence with a hundred men under his command. He was devout, God-fearing, a man who gave alms and was always praying.

There was at least one devout soldier who served under him. The reputation of Cornelius was unusual. As a member of an occupation army, he was held in high esteem by the Jews as righteous and God-fearing. And what conquered nation has ever loved the occupation army?

Still Cornelius was not a saved man, though his prayers were being answered and his giving noted (v. 4). This is clear from chapter 11, verse 14. Peter was to be received because he would deliver "words by which you shall be saved." And Cornelius received Peter.

If ever there was a man ready to receive the gospel it was Cornelius. And while Peter preached, the Spirit fell on his whole family. The manifestation was dual - speaking in tongues and magnifying God.

What happened? Two things at least. Cornelius was converted and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Both things happened together, but if you wish to separate split-second blessings, you may say that he was converted and filled with the Spirit, not filled with the Spirit and converted. Peter appears to be astounded because the Gentiles received the same gift the Jews had received earlier.

Jesus talked about the Spirit of truth whom the world could not receive (John 14:17). If not the world, then who? The church of course. The believers. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is the believers' experience.

Cornelius' experience presents the possibility of a simultaneous conversion and Spirit-filled experience. It also presents the possibility, though not the necessity, of speaking in tongues as a manifestation of the Spirit's fullness.

The Ephesians' experience

In Acts 19:1-7 we have a fascinating account of Paul's encounter with twelve men who evidently, somehow, had been left out of the main-stream of the dynamic events in the early church.

They had received John's baptism, which was a baptism of repentance.

But Paul questioned them closely, "Have you received the Holy Spirit since [or when] you believed?"

Their answer demonstrated their isolation. "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Spirit."

And what does Paul do? Does he then lay hands on them that they might receive the Holy Spirit? Not at all.

Instead, he baptized them in water. And I seriously doubt that Paul would baptize unconverted people. These, then, were new converts, perhaps led to Christ by Paul himself then and there. (And for some concerned souls, here is a scriptural warrant for being baptized twice if the first baptism took place before saving faith dawned. )

These Ephesians, certainly saved, baptized as well, now receive the laying on of hands from Paul. And they speak in tongues and prophesy.

The key again, as in the Samaritan passage, is on the point of baptism. It really does not matter if one translates Paul's question "since" or "when." According to Paul's conversation with them, they were obviously saved people who were then baptized in Jesus' name and subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit.

The implication again is consistent with the other passages already considered. There is something more for believers.

The terms used vary: "Received the Holy Spirit," "filled with the Holy Spirit." In predicting the Pentecost experience Jesus said the disciples would be "baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Terminology, it seems to me, is of minor importance here, especially since the Bible uses various terms. What is important is that we experience what God has for us.

The danger in reviewing these passages is to go farther than the Holy Spirit goes. The scriptures we have just considered clearly demonstrate a second experience for the believer. But they stop short of insisting that speaking in tongues is the only, or even necessary, evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

I find Larry Christenson's comment helpful at this point:

 Is speaking in tongues the only objective manifestation that a person has had this definite, instantaneous experience of the baptism with the Holy Spirit? Scripture does not say that it is the only one. . . . In two cases in the Book of Acts the objective manifestation is not mentioned; in three it is, and in all of these the manifestation is speaking in tongues.

 This is as far as we can go theologically. We can discern the pattern of the baptism with the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts, and see the part which speaking in tongues plays in it. But we cannot set this down as a rigid doctrine or formula. Scripture itself shows us that the pattern allows for considerable flexibility.1

And essentially this is the third view of tongues: God divides the spiritual gifts severally as He wills. Sometimes when people are filled with the Holy Spirit they speak in tongues. Many times they do not. The important thing is to be filled with the Holy Spirit - and know it.

Speaking in a context relating to the coming of the Comforter, Jesus said, "At that day ye shall know . . . I will... manifest myself unto you" (John 14:20, 21). Jesus did not tell His disciples what the manifestation would be or how they would know, only that they would know and that He would manifest himself to them.

And surely every Christian has the right and the need to know for certain that he has been filled with the Holy Spirit.

 In the documentary film, Eastward to Asia, issued by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Dr. Graham is seen at one point addressing several thousand Indian Christian workers, The subject of his early morning address is "Be Filled with the Spirit."

 In his own inimitable way Dr, Graham asks these questions: "Are you filled with the Spirit? Do you know it? Do you know it?"

 We turn these questions to those of you who read these lines, Are you filled with the Spirit?

Do you know it?

 "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine. wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph, 5:17-18).2