Pentecostals: Is speaking in tongues the only way to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Question

Can any Christian be filled? Or just some?

if you speak in other tongues, nobody is supposed to understand what your saying. "other" tongues (as in languages).

Answer 1

Over the last half century we have witnessed the incredible growth of the Pentecostal movement. Pentecostalism has even challenged the hold of the catholic church in south America, where there are 17 million Pentecostal members in brazil alone. It has been estimated that in the United States alone, 200,000-300,000 Catholics have become "Pentecostal" or "Charismatic" (A NEW GUIDE AND ALMANAC RELIGIONS OF AMERICA, By Leo Rosten 1975 ). The hallmark of the Pentecostal movement is its believe in miracles specifically speaking in "tongues". Most Pentecostals believe that in order to be a "true Christian one must be able to speak in the Spirit", in other words those religious denominations which cannot (or don’t) speak in tongues are not from a Holy Spirit. First, let use for clarification briefly examine the origin of Pentecostalism.

Pentecostal: what is sometimes called classical Pentecostalism grew out of the late 19th century holiness movement in the united states. The holiness preacher Charles fox Parham began preaching (1901) to his Topeka congregation that speaking in tongues was objective evidence of baptism in the spirit. After the Los Angeles mission of Parham's apostolic faith sect became the center of a great revival (1906) the movement quickly spread around the world. Over the next two decades the movement split along doctrinal and racial lines. Of the many Pentecostalist denominations in the united states today, characterized by belief in the experience of holiness or Christian perfection. This perfection is climaxed by an "infilling of the holy spirit," as evidenced by "speaking in tongues," ecstatic utterances frequently unintelligible to listeners,

Now let use begin our examination of Pentecostal "miracle" of speaking in "tongues".

First, it is important to note that most scholars agree that one of the signs of demonic possession is the speaking in strange or unintelligible tongues, as the following shows:

"According to the roman ritual, other signs of possession include ‘the ability to speak with some familiarity in a strange tongue or to understand it when spoken by another; the faculty of divulging future and hidden events; and the display of powers which are beyond the subject's age and natural condition.’" (joseph ecanem, ph.d., demonic possession, p. 23)

"The catholic church still defines true signs of possession as displaying superhuman strength, often accompanied by fits and convulsions; changes in personality; having knowledge of the future or other secret information; and being able to understand and converse in languages not previously known to the victim, such as the phenomenon glossolalia. Early puritan ministers and later protestant clergy agreed on the same symptoms for declaring a person demonically possessed. In many incidences there was a complete ignorance of the person's medical condition and behavior." (Michael foreman, ph.d., a short history of diabolical possession, p. 59)

one of the signs of possession as listed in the rituale romanum is as follows: "to speak unknown languages (xenoglosia) and to sustain conversations in such languages, as well as to understand the languages that are spoken." (Rituale romanum)

Of course this does not mean that all "speaking in tongues" is demonic such as the speaking in intelligible tongues that we read about in the book of acts of the apostles. In acts 2:4-8. It tells the happenings on the day of Pentecost. The twelve apostles miraculously spoke in tongues which they received through the baptism of the holy spirit. These tongues were human languages which the apostles miraculously spoke. But it does very well show that the demons also can perform this "Pentecostal miracle of unintelligible tongues" this is further emphasized by the fact that this manifestation common in non-Christian occult and satanic religions [it is common in the Hindu belief] is identical to many modern Pentecostal churches.

"Kundalini in english means ‘the serpent power.’ it is the common hindu belief that within each person resides a "serpent" coiled tightly up at the base of the spine. Through practicing kundalini yoga, along with chanting, mediation, and an impartation from the guru one can have their kundalini awakened. Kundalini yoga is the "power yoga" of Hinduism. It is the pathway to supernatural power and godhood. Kundalini yoga can also lead to mental collapse, psychosis, and demon possession or oppression. the awakening can bring up memories of past psychological traumas. The grofs state that "individuals involved in this process might find it difficult to control their behavior; during power rushes of kundalini energy, they often emit various involuntary sounds, and their bodies move in strange and unexpected patterns. Among the most common manifestations ... are unmotivated and unnatural laughter or crying, talking tongues ... and imitating a variety of animal sounds and movements" (p. 78-79). The grofs state that "careful study of the manifestations of kundalini awakening confirm that this process, although sometimes very intense and shattering, is essentially healing" (citing warren smith by permission in an article for spiritual counterfeits project entitled "holy laughter or strong delusion" (fall, 1994, vol. 19.2), p. 14).

The fact that the unintelligible tongue-speaking experience is found in false pagan religions would indicate that its source is not from god but is a human experience confused for divine intervention. The fact that the same experience is known in, and sometimes outside the religious experience altogether would indicate that its source is not from god. The fact that it can be learned and imitated would indicate that it is not a miracle.

Second, Pentecostals will tell you that they know that their gift comes from god, because they "feel it". As it is, it is quite normal for the devil to come posing as an angel of light, or even god himself, as the following citations from early Christian Tertullian (160-200? A.d.) shows:

"Let a person be brought before your tribunals who is plainly under demoniacal possession. The wicked spirit, bidden speak by the followers of Christ will as readily make the truthful confession that he is a demon as elsewhere he has falsely asserted that he is a god" (Tertullian, apolog., tr. Edinburgh, p. 23).

"All the authority and power we have over them is from our naming of the name of Christ and recalling to their memories the woes with which god threatens them at the hands of Christ as judge and which they expect one day to overtake them. Fearing Christ in god and god in Christ, they become subject to the servants of god and Christ. So at our touch and breathing, overwhelmed by the thought and realization of those judgment fires, they leave at our command the bodies they have entered." (Tertullian, ibid).


Third, we see that sacred scripture also points this fact out:

"And no wonder: for Satan himself transformed himself into an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14)

"Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a doctrine to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema." (Galatians 1:8)

So, we see that just because we "believe" that they action or message is from god this most certainly does not mean that this action is indeed from the holy ghost and not from a demon.

Forth, as this is the case, we must try the spirits, and test them, as the following citation from the first epistle of st. John the divine shows:

"dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of god: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 john 4:1)

Now, let us examine the speaking in tongues that is referred to the book of acts of the apostles

(New international) acts 2:6 when they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. (7) utterly amazed, they asked: "are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? (8) then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? (9) Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, (10) Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (11) (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of god in our own tongues!" (12) amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "what does this mean?"... (41) those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The bible is explicitly clear on exactly two points:

First: each one of the crowd heard them (note: this is pleural not singular meaning the crowd heard the group of disciples) speaking in his own language despite the large number of native languages (Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians.)

Second: the glossolaly ("speaking in tongues") described in acts was historic, articulate, and intelligible to both the disciples and to the crowd. This makes perfect sense when one realizes the Greek word for "tongue" is gloce-sah' (strong's ref. # 1100) which means : the tongue; by implication a language (specially, one naturally unacquired ):

The definition of language is:

lanq·guage : audible, articulate, meaningful sound as produced by the action of the vocal organs understood by a community (© 2000 by merriam-webster, incorporated)

Neither of these two points are accomplished in the Pentecostal "speaking in tongues" which St. Paul in I Corinthians condemns and likens to "speaketh (like) a barbarian"(14:11) and speaking "into the air" (14:9) St. Paul further goes on to explain that if the whole group come together into one place, and all speak with these unintelligible tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, "will they not say that ye are mad?" these unlearned, or unbelievers, certainly would not be "utterly amazed" (acts 2:7) as the crowd was when the apostles performed the true miracle of "Speaking in tongues". The new testament gift of tongues is a miracle and consists of speaking in human languages that the speaker, had not known or learned by natural means and which the listener understands. Not the Pentecostal preachers practicing mass hysteria, holy laughter, slain in the spirit, animal sounds, spiritual amnesia, spiritual muteness, spiritual drunkenness, spontaneous movements, see someone do "the dead chicken" on the floor and another while standing up! Hear the "redhead moo" while the preacher crows like a rooster. The Pentecostals and their pastors worship in chaos (condemned 1 Corinthians 14:40 ) and misbehave in church services in ways that other real Christian church goers discipline their children for, and blame it on the Holy Spirit!

Third: it is important to note Jerusalem was then as now a polyglottal region and could easily have produced one hundred and twenty persons who, in the presence of a cosmopolitan assemblage, might express themselves in fifteen different tongues. Since the variety of tongues is attributed to the group and not to individuals, particular disciples may not have used more than their native Aramaic, though it is difficult to picture any of them historically and socially without at least a smattering of other tongues. The linguistic conditions of the country were far more diverse than those of Switzerland today. The number of languages heard equaled the number of those in which the listeners "were born".

Fourth: subsequent manifestations occurred at Caesarea, Palestine, Ephesus, and Corinth, all Polyglottal regions. St. peter identifies that of Caesarea with what befell the disciples "in the beginning" (acts 11:15). There, as at Ephesus and Jerusalem, the strange incident marked the baptism of several converts, who operated in groups. Corinth, standing apart in this and other respects, is reserved for special study.

Fifth: St. Paul's concept (I Corinthians). for the biblical data thus far examined we are indebted to the bosom friend and companion of St. Paul. St. Luke. That being true, the views of St. Paul on supernatural glossolaly must have coincided with those of St. Luke.

Now St. Paul had seen the gift conferred at Ephesus and St. Luke does not distinguish Ephesians glossolaly ("speaking in tongues") from that of Jerusalem (acts chap. 2). They must therefore have been alike and st. Paul seems to have had both in mind when he commanded the Corinthians (14:37) to employ none but articulate and "plain speech" in their use of the gift (9), and to refrain from such use in church unless even the unlearned could grasp what was said (16). No tongue could be genuine "without voice" and to use such a tongue would be the act of a barbarian (10, 11). For him the impulse to praise god in one or more strange tongues should proceed from the holy ghost. It was even then an inferior gift which he ranked next to last in a list of eight charismata. It was a mere "sign" and as such was intended not for believers but for unbelievers (22).

St. Paul, in commending the gift to the Corinthians, therewith gave his guaranty that the characteristics of Corinthian glossolaly were those of the gift itself. Some writers in overlooking this point place St. Luke at variance with St. Paul, and attribute to the charisma properties so contrary as to make it inexplicable and prohibitively mysterious. There is enough in St. Paul to show us that the Corinthian peculiarities were ignoble accretions and abuses. They made of "tongues" a source of schism in the church and of scandal without (14:23). The charism had deteriorated into a mixture of meaningless inarticulate gabble (9, 10) with an element of uncertain sounds (7, 8), which sometimes might be construed as little short of blasphemous (12:3). The divine praises were recognized now and then, but the general effect was one of confusion and disedification for the very unbelievers for whom the normal gift was intended (14:22, 23, 26). The Corinthians, misled not by insincerity but by simplicity and ignorance (20), were actuated by an undisciplined religious spirit (pneuma), or rather by frenzied emotions and not by the understanding (nous) of the spirit of god (15). What today purports to be the "gift of tongues" at certain protestant revivals is a fair reproduction of Corinthian glossolaly, and shows the need there was in the primitive church of the apostle's counsel to do all things "decently, and according to order" (40). Faithful adherence to the text of sacred scripture makes it obligatory to reject those opinions which turn the charism of tongues into little more than infantile babbling (eichhorn, schmidt, neander), incoherent exclamations (meyer), pythonic utterances (wiseler), or prophetic demonstrations of the archaic kind (see I king 19:20, 24). The unalloyed charism was as much an exercise of the intelligence as of the emotions. Languages or dialects, now kainais (mark 16:17) for their present purpose, and now spontaneously borrowed by the conservative Hebrew from gentile foreigners (eteroglossois, cheilesin eteron, I Corinthians 14:21), were used as never before. But they were understood even by those who used them.

Answer 2

No, being filled with the Holy Spirit is just an act of faith just like receiving Christ as your Savior. You just ask and invite the Holy Spirit into your life and He will take it from there. The speaking in tongues was given as a sign to show some that their prayer has been answered. Any Christian, if truly saved or born-again can be filled with the Holy Spirit. I have Christian friends that are Catholics, a Lutheran, and a born-again Jewish friend that are all filled with the Holy Spirit and continue to remain in their churches. Although their churches don't understand and they don't practice the gifts when among the congregation only in their private life . The gifts of the Holy Spirit are available at any time the believer has a need to use them if the Holy Spirit prompts the believer.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are mainly used in prayer circumstances and at times when some wisdom or knowledge are needed beyond our human abilities. We understand that it is not by our power but by the power of the Holy Spirit that makes these gifts effective. He can withdraw His gifts at any time.Although the gift of tongues once used is a permanent gift and is very helpful in praying at times when we don't know how to pray for a situation . The Holy Spirit will interess for us in prayer.

Answer 3

speaking in tongues is a special way of speaking to God. It is an evidence that the Holy Spirit gives, but the person must speak out in faith. Usually the Holy Spirit will give you a few words that don't seem to make sense, but by speaking these out in faith, the Holy Spirit increases your ability. It's a great way to pray about something that is too overwhelming for English.

Just because someone doesn't speak in tongues doesn't mean they aren't filled with the Holy Spirit; it may be that their faith is a little weak. Sometimes it's like a little child learning to speak one word at a time, sometimes it will just start and seem to never send. It's based on faith.

It is your spirit communicating to God AND THE DEVIL CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING,which makes it an excellent way to pray. It also builds up your faith.

Answer 4

Any Bible-believing Christian can be filled with the Holy Spirit. The evidence is NOT just speaking in tongues. In fact the evidence of the infilling (which happens at the salvation experience actually) is a holy life up to the end of life. You stop living holy and carefully, maybe you were not saved at the beginning?

Many believers do not speak in tongues, and are perfectly obviously Christians. Read the passages carefully in Corinthians and Acts esp.

Answer 5

Your order is wrong. People speak in tongues AFTER being filled with the Holy Spirit, not as a prelude. Speaking in tongues is an evidence of the fullness of the Spirit.

Jesus said: "Ask the Father to send you the Spirit". So, as long as you're sincere, ask in faith, you can receive His Spirit.

Answer 6

Hello inquiring,

No, If you want the Holy Ghost- You got to have joy, being filled with the holy spirit does not mean one has to speak in tongues.

It is God presents upon you, when the spirit of the lord comes upon you, you will speak with new tongues, you use to curse now you are praising God, you use to lie now you are telling the truth.

So you see its not about speaking in the tongues, its about the present of God, the present of god is so powerful that it is impossible for the anointing to stay with you.

Yes! any Christian can be filled, do not confuse the gifts, we all have different gifts to contribute to the body of Christ, it could be tongues, it could be interpreting, the gift of healing etc.

The bible says it is better to speak in a language everyone understands then it is to speak in tongues, tongues is not the greatest gift, its just one of the gifts of the spirit. Do not allow yourself to be confused with guilt trips when it comes to tongues, study Gods word for yourself.

Answer 7

Most "pentecostals" believe that the evidence of being filled with the Spirit is speaking in toungues. I cannot find any scripture to back this up.

I beilieve that all Christians recieve the Holy Spirit when they recieve Jesus, that actually the Holy Spirit needs to be working in their lives in order to become convinced that we need Jesus.

however I do believe in a "baptism" a surrendering to the Spirit, this is where we see the manifestation gifts of 1 Corinthians 12.

Answer 8

Speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift and it should only be done with an interpreater. When a person speaks in tongue... its their spirit praying... there are people who actually understand whattheya re saying very clearly.

Only some christians can speak in tongues.... Its the same as the gift of healing, prophecy, discernment of spirits e.t.c.

Answer 9

This ought to be good to see them argue with each other and quote verses out of context.

My question is where was the fire when you were filled with the Holy Spirit? And how come when you speak in tongues, no one can understand you?

Answer 10

Any Christian can ask for the gift of tongues. You ask and start praising and depending on the individual, you get the baptism and the evidence is speaking in toques. It may just be one word to start with. Look up and read scripture on the subject and go to a church that believes in it and ask them to pray with you until you get then baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

Answer 11

No tounges is not the only way to be "filled". Any Christian can be filled if they wish to do so. All you have to do is ask God to release his Spirit on you and wolla. Being filled is not just a feeling it's a being, a state of purity. And the "Spirit" works in many different ways and there are many different gifts of the "Spirit". I personally can testify that I walk in the "Spirit", does that mean I feel it everyday or I speak in tounges every time I pray, no, it's an act of faith and it guides me.