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Status: is logged in The Third View of Tongues Intro Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Epilogue Appendix A Appendix B Notes

How do you write a book about tongues when you do not know the experience yourself? More importantly, when the main thrust of your book, not to mention the Scriptures, makes it clear that the gifts are divided severally as God wills, what do you do?

And if you are not especially anxious to speak in tongues, what do you do?

And if you know very well that God filled you with the Holy Spirit years ago and that for years you have had a satisfying experience in the spiritual gifts without speaking in tongues, what do you do?

If you know your more enthusiastic charismatic brethren will probably refuse all you say because you do not speak in tongues, what do you do?

And if you do speak in tongues you know that some will say, "Now he has the baptism," when really you know in your heart that even if you do speak in tongues, that is not what will have happened at all. What do you do?

And if you know that speaking in tongues can give your book an authority and impact it would not otherwise have, what do you do?

And if you realize that your motive for wanting to speak in tongues may be just to add effectiveness to a book, rather than desiring a beautiful gift of the Holy Spirit for God's glory, what do you do?

You pray.

So I prayed. Something like this: "Lord, if you would like to allow me in your will to speak in tongues, I'm willing for whatever you have for me. I submit myself unconditionally to your will. I make no demands. I refuse and reject everything that is of the devil and I welcome all that is of the Holy Spirit of Almighty God."

And so it was that during the writing of this book the Lord answered my prayer by giving me the manifestation of tongues.

At this point I could take the "experience book route" and provide all the details about providential circumstances, feelings, etc. But I feel restrained at the same time. Perhaps the reason is that there is no biblical basis for describing the subjective details relating to an experience with any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Though I will admit these same details are often fascinating and exciting.

I will say that I immediately made sure that the manifestation was one that willingly confessed that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. And frankly, though the Scriptures do not require that wariness in every case, in this age of charismatic confusion I personally could never rest unless I knew the source of such a manifestation in my life and ministry.

I'm not suggesting the same experience for you. Certainly not all speak with tongues. God is not at all impoverished in His methods. He does not even duplicate a snowflake exactly. But our Lord still divides severally as He wills, thank God.

When I told my wife on the phone what had happened, she wondered how I could be so subdued about it all. My reply was spontaneous - and revealing. I said impulsively, "It would be hard to handle if you were (initially) filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time." That is it exactly. It also would be harder to handle if you thought it was a necessity, or the only evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Or if you had no previous experience with the function of other spiritual gifts.

I suppose I am a reluctant arrival among the tongues-speakers. But I believe God wants this witness. Really, there should be no need at all to divulge the secrets of our hearts. Still, I have felt that if I wanted to really help people, I would have to speak up. Confusion and deception must not go on forever. And because the church of our Lord is hurting, wounded and bleeding, thrust through with "tongues," I have no choice but to add my witness.

Not that it is unbiblical to do so. There is a scriptural precedent. In the midst of all his corrective writings to the Corinthians Paul said, "I speak with tongues more than you all." He talked from his experience when it became necessary. Paul is the only biblical writer to claim a spiritual gift publicly, and he did so in a corrective context.

Though I certainly am not presuming any Pauline authority, this "third view" could be corrective. I want it to be that. It is personal. And for good or ill, it has become in its own way an experience book too. If it finds its place alongside the other experience books as a counterweight and a balance, it will be more than I can ask.