The Holy Spirit - Part 4:
Deviations and Anomalies
In the previous articles I have written about tongues and related things according to the Scriptures as if they were to occur in a perfect world. The Bible shows us the perfect will of God. Although Paul deals with questions and problems in the Church, we are usually presented, in the Bible, with things as they should be.
For example, in Acts 2, we have the genuine, baptized believers receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit. Forty days later, they receive the Power of the Holy Spirit, praise God in other tongues, and move in power to witness.
In Acts 10, willing but unsaved Gentiles hear the Gospel, believe, are water baptized as disciples of Jesus, praise God in tongues as evidence they have received the Holy Spirit. This is all within a few minutes or hours.
In Acts 19, mistaken persons hear about Jesus, believe, are water baptized, and speak in new languages. Again, all within a few minutes. These accounts illustrate an ideal situation.
Someone may think, My life and experience have not been like that. What's wrong with me? God wants you to hear the Gospel. God wants you to believe and trust Him. God wants you to be water baptized as a follower of Jesus. God wants you to speak in tongues. God wants you to live as a witness with spiritual power in your Christian walk. It is better to obey God rather than to disobey Him. While I do not want to say, It doesn't matter how the Scriptures present the normal Christian experience, real life happenings are sometimes convoluted.
A very common example would be the fact that many people get saved, try to live the Christian life but never start with the first step of obedience, water baptism. They are still Christians but may take years to obey the Lord in water baptism.
A more rare example is seeking the baptism of power but refusing to speak in tongues because of previous teaching. A person who sincerely believes that tongues are of the devil yet earnestly seeks God for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit may find it, yet not speak in tongues.
A person may let the Spirit pray, yet believe that this is the entirety of the Baptism of power and never receive what God has for him in the fullness of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
I do not believe these types of things are going to disqualify you from walking successfully in the Christian life. Failing to believe and follow God's instructions in the Scriptures will, however.
I Will
The determination of the will seems to be the driving force, Biblically, for speaking in tongues.
Paul says,
I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. (I Cor 14:15)
However, there seems to be several things that appear to bypass the logic and will. There are conditions that can give a “jolt” to the soul or emotions or even some things which can affect the physical body to the point where tongues are unexpectedly expressed.
Surprised by the Spirit
Normally, most of us, most of the time, are totally unaware of spiritual things. This is for our safety and sanity. If we could see everything in that realm, with all the strangeness to our earthly minds and all the inhabitants we would probably go insane or at least be startled and paralyzed with fear.
A friend of mine who did not speak in tongues was debating with someone who did believe it. My friend was not adamant against tongues. He just was struggling with the idea and playing devil's advocate, voicing various objections he had heard. Suddenly, the Spirit seemed to “touch” him for an instant. He fell back into a chair and began speaking in tongues. A doctrine should not be built around this event but it does happen occasionally that a little shove from the spirit realm will startle someone like this. If it is someone who was on the edge of speaking in tongues anyway, they may begin speaking by the Spirit...and never want to stop.
Surprised by Emotions
At times a worship service may be unusually powerful. Or maybe something happens which touches a person profoundly. Although this may not be spirit in itself, an event or thought can deeply impact us in our emotions. This could overcome our will to the point where we release the spirit to pray or sing in tongues. We could have spoken in tongues without any of these stimuli, but sometime we experience something which “jump starts” us into tongues.
Sometimes this becomes addicting. We think we have to wait for another spiritual or emotional jolt to enable us to speak in tongues. Realizing we just have to will to obey God can be a big let down, especially if we are addicted to the soul's activity.
Do All Prophesy?
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? (I Cor 12:29-30)
The answer to Paul's rhetorical question is, No. All Christians are not prophets.
Yet,
For ye may all prophesy (1Cor 14:31)
What is this? Another “contradiction” in the Bible? Not all are prophets yet you all may prophesy. Not everyone is called to the Five-Fold Office of Prophet but everyone may prophesy. Not everyone is called to the public office of speaking in tongues to a congregation, yet everyone may speak, sing or pray in the Spirit; in tongues.
Is everyone an apostle? Yet the five-fold ministry office of apostle can give anyone a better understanding of extra-local, global ministry. Are all workers of healing as a full time vocation? No, yet persons who are, can give any of us a greater understanding in how to deal with persons who are sick.
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God:...(I Cor 14:2)
Being called to the ministry of speaking in tongues, publicly, is rare, in my opinion. Yet every Christian may speak to God by the Spirit.
Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. (I Cor 14:39 NASB)
Dec. 23, 2022