What About the Gift of Tongues

Every normal Christian longs for a deeper walk with God and is seeking for every blessing he knows God wants to give him. So when a Christian is told that some have received the infilling of the Holy Spirit and have “spoken in tongues” to prove it, it is natural for him to wonder if he is missing something valuable. This is especially true if such statements come from groups not usually classed as “Pentecostal.”

Discussion on the gift of tongues has been revived by members of churches which have traditionally been opposed to such manifestations. A closer look shows that these churches themselves have not revised their doctrine but that they have permitted some of their preachers to experiment along these lines. Nevertheless, it is always valuable to review the teaching of the New Testament to be sure that we are accepting all the truth we can find there.

If the New Testament does teach that all of us should “speak in tongues” as the sign that we have been filled with the Holy Spirit, all of us who desire to please God want to know it.

On the other hand, if there is no indication in the New Testament that one must “speak in tongues” to please God fully, then we can continue to yield ourselves to God’s will, and let the Holy Spirit decide what gifts to bestow, and when.