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Message from the Monthly Flyer from August 2010

THE EVIDENCE OF THE HOLY GHOST (Part 2)
Why did God choose tongues?

AN EXTERNAL EVIDENCE
There is a second vital and important reason why God chose other tongues as the evidence of one's receiving the Holy Ghost. It is an external, outward evidence. There are many evidences of the operation of the Spirit of God in one's life. With some, it is a matter of time before they are manifest; that is, the fruits mentioned in Gal. 5:22, 23. These follow in the wake of the spiritual infilling and are results of it. Peter and the six who went with him to Caesarea knew that the Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost, not because of longsuffering, gentleness, meekness or temperance but because they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. He definitely and specifically pointed to the speaking in tongues as his evidence of knowing (Acts 10:46-47). Such is an outward, external evidence, instantly observable and heard. Peace, joy, righteousness and the fruits of the Spirit are the internal, inward action, and the result of the infilling.

A UNIFORM EVIDENCE
A third reason why God chose other tongues as the evidence is that it is a uniform evidence. Many who oppose this statement will quote I Cor. 12:30 as the basis of their opposition, "Do all speak with tongues?" However, this is speaking of the gift of tongues, which one may receive at the time of, or subsequent to, the infilling of the Spirit. Though both the speaking in tongues as the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and as a gift, are the same in essence, they are different in administration and operation. This might seem hair-splitting, but the same thing is also true of faith. To be saved, everyone must have a certain degree of faith (Eph. 2:8; John 3:16; Romans 10:9), yet in I Cor. 12:9 we are instructed that there is a special gift of faith, operational over and beyond that which is necessary for salvation. They are the same in essence but different in administration and operation.

In speaking about being born of the Spirit, Jesus states in John 3:8, ". . .so is everyone that is born of the Spirit." Certainly this is uniformity. By carefully analyzing this verse, you will see that Jesus places emphasis upon the word "sound." You hear the sound of the wind blowing, and this is evidence of its presence. It is not seeing nor feeling that is important, though these evidences may be present, but hearing the sound. Some may conclude that this means the experience at Pentecost where they heard the sound as of a rushing mighty wind. However, this rushing mighty wind was not spoken of in Acts 10:46 or in 19:6, but speaking in tongues was. Hence, we must conclude that the important phase of the Spirit's evidence at Pentecost was the speaking in other tongues. The WIND WAS IMPERSONAL; the SPEAKING WAS PERSONAL.

At Caesarea all who heard the Word were filled (Acts 10:44-48), and all who heard the Word spoke in tongues. The "them" in verse 46 is the same "them" in verse 44. All twelve men mentioned in Acts 19:6 had a uniform experience. Do you think that if ten of the twelve had spoken in tongues, and the other two had not, Paul would have believed the two had received the Holy Ghost the same as the ten? Certainly not! Paul would never have accepted the credence of their experience if they had failed to exhibit this same uniform evidence. F.E.K.

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