Paul was saying that it would be better for him to stand before the congregation and speak five
words in his own language so people could understand him and he could teach others, than it
would be to speak ten thousand words in tongues that were uninterpreted.
But to correct one error, Paul would not suggest we make another by abandoning speaking in
tongues altogether. We are just to get instruction regarding the public use of this gift. We are
told to covet earnestly the best gifts.
And as we do this, we will walk in more power and be more effective in our Christian life. We
will go through the door of the baptism of the Holy Spirit to receive the glorious spiritual gifts
that God has promised those who believe His Word.
I am thoroughly convinced that if we would be sensitive and responsive to the Holy Spirit, He
knows what is coming in the future, and He will show us things to come (John 16:13). He will
equip each of us for that which lies ahead in life, if we will yield to Him. Praying and speaking
with tongues is one way to do that. It is one way to be built up spiritually in order to prepare
and be ready for whatever may come in the future.
It is wonderful what the Lord is doing these days. Are you as a Spirit-filled believer taking full
advantage of the gift of tongues? God has given each of us a supernatural means of edifying
ourselves or building ourselves up spiritually. God has given to us a supernatural means of
communication with Him. Are you taking full advantage of this gift of the Spirit, speaking in
tongues, that God has made available to each one of His children?
1 Howard Carter, Questions and Answers on Spiritual Gifts (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, Inc., 1976), p. 120.
Chapter 8 The Bible Evidence of the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit
In order to determine the Bible evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, let's look at five
recorded instances in the Book of Acts of believers receiving the Holy Ghost.
Scriptural Witnesses for Tongues As the Evidence of the Baptism of The Holy Spirit
The Bible says, ". . . in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established"
(Matt. 18:16). As we study these accounts, notice the Bible gives us three scripture
"witnesses" to specifically show that speaking with tongues is the initial evidence or sign that a
person is filled with the Holy Spirit, and two "witnesses" which infer that speaking in tongues is
the evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Let's look first at the three Biblical accounts which specifically show that speaking in tongues is
the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit.
First Witness: The One Hundred and Twenty
First of all, in Acts 2:4, we read that on the Day of Pentecost the 120 who were gathered in the
upper room were all filled with the Holy Ghost.