by Tony Barbera
Tony's Teaching on Speaking in Tongue, One of the manifestations of the holy spirit.
Series:Biblical Basics
Duration:34 mins 16 secs
See the "New Birth Language by Tony Barbera
peaking in tongues is perhaps one of the most misunderstood manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The reason so many Christians do not understand its importance within their lives, as well as within the Church today, is due mostly to wrong teaching—and sometimes, to incorrect application. I’m sure that we can all agree that the Word of God is our source for right doctrine and truth when it comes to this misunderstood manifestation. Let’s look together at this manifestation, or, “evidence” of the spirit, speaking in tongues, with a fresh outlook and perspective, much like those in Thessalonica did. For it says that they received the Word of God with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. I'm sure that you agree, that the apostles all spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost. Further, that the Apostle Paul (according to 1 Cor 14:18) said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all”. So the question for the present day Christian believer is not did they speak in tongues, but should we? Is it still valid? Beyond that, is there a benefit to do this today, and, have we been instructed by the Lord to do so? Positively, we all wish to do those things which are pleasing before Him.
Over 700 years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah prophesied concerning speaking in tongues and its future use within the church today.
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. Isa 28:11-12 KJV
If we look through the New Covenant we see a number of verses that specifically reference speaking in tongues. They illuminate at least eleven benefits to the Christian man or woman.
· Edifies your spirit. (1 Cor 14:4; Jude 1:20)
· You are speaking “divine secrets” with God. (1 Cor 14:2)
· You are speaking the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:11)
· It magnifies God. (Acts 10:46)
· It’s praying perfectly. (Rom 8:26-27)
· It’s giving thanks well. (1 Cor 14:17)
· God’s Spirit bearing witness with our spirit. (Rom 8:16)
· Knowing you are a joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17)
· Strengthens you with might in the inner man. (Eph 3:16)
· A sign to uninstructed believers. (1 Cor 14:22 & Mark 16:17)
· Gives rest to your soul. (1 Cor 14:21; Isaiah 28:11+12)
The question for the Christian today is: Did this ability and manifestation of the "gift" of the holy spirit truly disappear when the apostles died? That is what is commonly taught in many churches today. To clearly repeat what some have taught: was this ability only available during a previous time in history and now is lost to us? And if speaking in tongues is not available today, are all the other manifestations of the gift of the holy spirit also unavailable to us?
On-the-other hand, if speaking in tongues was instituted by God to be truly utilized in our private prayer life, and within the worship service of the church today, why do so many churches today throw a veil of disrespect over speaking in tongues, as though it was born of some evil influence?
Or, happily, is the ability to speak in tongues given 'for today' by God, to every Christian believer when they are born again? Is it a refreshing rest to the believer? Does God provide for us to speak with Him directly (spirit to Spirit) by way of this worship manifestation now, and secondarily, if so, do we know how to properly utilize its power and benefit. Is speaking in tongues to be a part of the prayer worship in any gathering of the saints of God? I'm sure that as we look at the scriptures we will receive our answer.
Our Initial Perception
Outside of the church, for some of us, our worldly view of speaking in tongues comes by way of a convoluted association of images: people with heads thrown back, muttering nonsense and finally tumbling or throwing themselves onto the floor as they are slain in the spirit. This picture is mostly derived by movies designed to discredit God and His Word. Furthermore, being slain in the spirit is being possessed by devil spirits. God never takes control of your free will. Never, not once in the Scriptures does God control any man in such a way - only our enemy does that. Godly worship is to be done decently and in order. In-other-words, it is to be done with edification, comfort and no weirdness. No oddities and quirky peculiarities, which make you feel stupid. Prayer within a worship service is to build your relationship with Him (who is pure, holy and loving) and in addition, to edify (build up) the church, the body of Christ present.
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God... Act 10:46 KJV
Finally, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ foretold of the ability to speak in tongues, which would be made available after the day of Pentecost had finally come.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name [Jesus Christ] shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17 KJV
Certainly, it is worth our time to look further into speaking in tongues, the first of the nine manifestations (or evidences) of the spirit.
Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice (evil) be ye children, but in understanding be men. In the law it is written, With [men of] other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying [serveth] not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. 1Cor 14:20-22 KJV
Clearly, as Paul instructs the believers at Corinth, he is quoting Isaiah in reference to speaking in tongues. The refreshing 'rest to a believer' is also a sign [sēmeion], a token of remarkable events soon to occur. Additionally, speaking in tongues is a sign [sēmeion] of the finished and completed work of Jesus Christ upon the cross at Cavalry. It points to our value, recreated and reestablished in him.
Let’s look at the first record of what happened when the disciples received the “gift” of holy spirit on the day of Pentecost, the birthday of the church, in Acts 2:1.
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they [the twelve apostles] were all with one accord in one place [the temple]. Acts 2:1
With one accord (purpose) they were together at one place. And not to let this slip by: the day of Pentecost had been coming from the moment man fell and lost his spirit in the garden of Eden over 2,000 years before. Some believe that the disciples were in the upper room, however, that is not possible. You cannot fit a multitude in the upper room where the apostles stayed. They were in the court of the gentiles within the temple, during the feast of weeks, on the day of Pentecost. Many, many, devout men from Israel were gathered from around the country during this feast.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, [or, heavy breathing]and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:2-4
Translated more accurately, [pnoē] is not wind, but heavy or hard breathing. This agrees with what Jesus instructed the apostles to do before his ascension in John 20:22. You might ask, is it possible that they could have received the gift from the Holy Spirit at that time? No it is not, Jesus was instructing them of the gift to come, the gift that would not be available until the day of Pentecost.
And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Jhn 20:22
As we see in Acts 1:8:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8
The previous instruction occurred precisely before Jesus Christ ascended into heaven. Pentecost was the first record of the church receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, the power from on high. It marks a change in administration of God’s grace to man allowing man to once again be spiritually connected to Him, this time as sons of God by the new birth. Clearly, the first act to take place was that God placed His Holy Spirit within them and they all spoke in tongues as the spirit gave the utterance.
It is important to note that they (the disciples) were doing the speaking. It is a free will act of believing God, and, we shall see as we continue, it was normally the first manifestation received by a new Christian. That’s not to say that some Christians never utilize this manifestation. Never-the-less, until the gathering together, we will see that it is a part of God’s Gift to be utilized now! The idea that we no longer have either the ability, nor availability to utilize the full gift of the Holy Spirit is an out and out lie, perpetrated by the god of this world to keep the believer weak and ineffective. It’s akin to walking onto the field of battle—without armor and no weapons. You and I are not to be ignorant, in contrast we are to be filled with all the power of God. Not weak, but strong in the Lord and the power of His might. We must refuse to be talked out of what God has promised us in His Word. No matter what the source. The Word of God must be our standard, and not the word of men.
Speaking in tongues is a sign indicative of a completed work. The completed work which our Lord and Savior achieved upon our behalf. And not to get ahead of ourselves, further, it is positive proof to you, in the realm of the five senses, that you are filled with pneuma hagion, the gift of holy spirit from God the Giver.
God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth. John 4:24
In the first century church the normal response to being saved was to speak in tongues immediately. The disciples who received the gift on the day of Pentecost all received, all were filled. They did the speaking, as the Spirit [the pneuma] gave them the words. But it’s important to note that Judeans by religion were the only ones who received the gift at that time, and the twelve apostles were all Galileans.
Let’s look now at the first outpouring of the gift of holy spirit upon the gentiles.
Please look at Acts Chapter 10.
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian [band], [A] devout [man], and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. Act 10:1-3 KJV
Here we have a gentile (a gentile was anyone who was not Judean by religion), an Italian soldier who loved God, prayed fervently and gave of his finances to help God’s people. God thought so much of Cornelius that He sent an angel to help Cornelius become connected to Himself. As Cornelius’s men went to fetch Peter, Peter went to the rooftop at Simon the Tanner’s House and began to pray as well. Look how God so beautifully worked in this situation to teach Peter, at just the right moment, that He God, was going to give the gift of the holy spirit to anyone who desired it, Jews and gentiles alike.
When Peter arrived at Cornelius’s house and perceived that God was no respecter of persons (meaning that now everyone was invited to join the family of God as children), the Holy Spirit fell upon them which heard the Word and the Judeans present heard the gentiles speak with tongues, magnifying God. In record after record, we will see that the normal course of events in the first century church was that as one was born again and received the gift of the holy spirit, that that man or woman spoke in tongues right then and there.
Peter was a Judean and had no intention, nor thought, of bringing the gentiles into the fellowship of Israel. Speaking in tongues was proof to all of them, in the physical world, that these gentiles too had entered into fellowship with those of Israel. And still, it took some time before the fullness of the mystery of the one body of Christ jelled for the believers of their time. The gift of the holy spirit, made available first on the day of Pentecost, made you and I complete in Christ - as he became the head of all principality and power.
Jesus took upon himself our sin and sickness, so that we might live as he is now. Jesus Christ took upon himself what we deserved, so that we might receive what he had earned. That is a refreshing rest to every born again believer that is available now!
As Ministers, Pastors, laymen and workers of the Word, we must encourage one another in allowing the Bible to interpret itself. This is not difficult or confusing. It simply means throwing off any man-made doctrines and together, returning to the inherent truth and accuracy of God’s Word. In the Old Covenant God spoke by way of the prophets. His Spirit was solely upon them based upon their faithfulness to do His will. As can be seen throughout the Old Covenant, having the spirit of God upon you was based upon a condition. The condition was obedience. Some were successful for a lifetime. Many failed. And yet, many loved God with their whole heart, mind, body and soul.
Today, Christ has restored our access to God. Our spirit is within, a part of God, not by condition. Through Christ we are made able to join face-to-face with our heavenly Father, with full confidence and no fear—in fact with boldness. There is no longer a separation.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, [sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father.The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if [since] children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if [since] so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. Rom 8:15-17 KJV
So we have received a spirit of sonship, whereby we call our God Abba Father, meaning: “father my father” or “father daddy.” We speak to our Father freely, with open hearts, hiding nothing. One of the ways we may speak to God in our private prayer life, is by way of speaking in tongues.
The scripture declares that God’s Spirit bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. The nine manifestations, or evidences of the spirit, bear witness with and of our spirit. Speaking in tongues is speaking the wonderful works of God, magnifying God, and giving thanks well. Sometimes we don’t know what to pray for.
In Romans 8:26: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: the spirit itself maketh intercession with groaning which cannot be uttered.
These are literally sounds which cannot be expressed in words and praying “spirit to Spirit” to God for things, or people, which may need to be prayed for in the body of Christ. It is a manifest help and glory to God
As we have clearly seen, speaking in tongues is to be a part of our new nature walk with God. It is a benefit to the individual believer in his or her private prayer life, and, the church as a whole. If we are to walk by way of the Spirit of God, then we desire to utilize all of the enablements He has provided for us. Speaking in tongues, and tongues with interpretation are two of the nine manifestations of the spirit given to us to be used by every born-again Christian man and woman in our walk with Him. It is each individual believer's choice as to whether or not they take advantage of this bountiful blessing of God.
Rich Blessings,
Tony Barbera