Some Christians always insist that speaking in tongues is a necessary manifestation of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But with two of the five cases in Acts-the Samaritans and Saul of Tarsus-nothing is mentioned about speaking in tongues. Students of the Scripture admit that many times what God does not mention is more meaningful than what He does mention. With two of these five cases, no specific manifestation is mentioned. This is an indication that a tongue is not the only or the necessary manifestation of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Even with the other cases, there is no proof that all the believers spoke in tongues. Acts 19:6 states, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Spirit came on them: and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” Did every one of the twelve both speak in tongues and prophesy? It is possible but not probable. It is more probable that some did one and some did the other. So even here, tongues are not the only manifestation. Then Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues....” Not even this verse proves they all spoke in tongues. For example, when we say, “We all came to the meeting and began to pray,” do we mean that we all prayed? No! This is the same kind of composition. They all were filled with the Holy Spirit, but it is doubtful whether they all spoke in tongues. First Corinthians 12:29-30 asks, “Are all apostles? are all prophets?...do all speak with tongues?” The automatic answer to this question is that some do and some do not. Not all are apostles, neither do all speak in tongues. The Christians who insist on this matter interpret this verse as referring only to the exercise of the gifts. In the initial manifestation, they say, everyone must speak in tongues. But this is not logical! How could one speak in tongues as an initial manifestation, but not in the exercise of the gifts?
The facts of history also have much to say about this matter. There have been many powerful and deeply spiritual persons over the centuries who have never spoken in tongues. Brother Watchman Nee has never spoken in tongues. Once he sent me a cable with only the words, “Not all speak in tongues.” He has studied the Word very thoroughly. I have never met a man so well versed in the Scripture as he. He has found it unmistakably clear that “not all speak in tongues.” To insist that all must speak in tongues is unscriptural, but to say that speaking in tongues is dispensationally over is also wrong.
In the entire New Testament only a small proportion is given to speaking in tongues. It is not mentioned at all in Romans, one of the basic books of the Christian life. Neither is it mentioned in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, or Colossians. It is not in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude, or Revelation. In all of the Epistles of the New Testament, it is only mentioned in 1 Corinthians. If our attitude is fair, we will admit that even in 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul speaks of tongues in the sense of limitation, adjustment, correction, and discouragement. In the very beginning of the book, he declares that Christ is our portion. Christ crucified is God’s power and wisdom, and God has made Him wisdom to us: both righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. This means that He is our everything. Then in chapter two, he says that he determined to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. He tells the Corinthian believers that they all had the gifts (1:7); yet their spiritual condition was babyish and carnal, that is, fleshly and even fleshy (3:1-3). In Greek, the word “carnal” in verse 1 means “fleshy” and in verse 3 means “fleshly.” When he reaches chapter thirteen, he tells them of the “most excellent way” (12:31, ASV), the way of love. He says that even if we speak in the tongues of angels, without love-that means without life, because love is the expression of life-we are just sounding brass. We make the sound, but we do not have the life. In chapter fourteen, Paul encourages us to seek the gifts which are most profitable for the building up of the church. If we read the entire book, we see that the matter of tongues is not touched in a positive way, but rather the contrary. Of course, in the Scripture, ground is given to the gift of tongues, but it is very limited.
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