Chapter 3 - I'm Filled the Holy Spirit, But I Don't Speak in Tongues - Don't Bug Me!

Chapter 3

Up to this point we have simply been laying the groundwork that every person who receives Jesus Christ as Lord, and is born again or “born of the spirit” has the Holy Spirit inside them at the point of salvation or conversion.  It is important that you see that, because many people can get confused or offended when we begin to speak of the need for a secondary Holy Spirit experience. So, if you are born again, you indeed have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. Secondarily, as we have also shown in the previous chapters, both Jesus and the apostles, in multiple places in the bible, both encouraged and taught everyone who was a believer to go on to the secondary experience known as being, "baptized in the Spirit."

You may say then, “why, if I all ready have the spirit inside of me, do I need to be baptized in the Spirit? Isn't having the Holy Spirit enough?” My answer to that is, apparently not – at least according to Jesus!  Because Jesus and the apostles plainly taught that we needed to go on from our salvation experience, to another experience – a second experience with the Holy Spirit.

I do have some idea as to “why” this is the case, which I will go into in some depth in a later chapter, but for now, let it be enough, that this second experience is the simple and direct commandment Jesus to us, after we become Christians or are “born again.”.

So what is this secondary experience called “the baptism of the Holy Spirit?”  How do we get it, and how will we know when we have received it? These are all very good questions; let's look into the word of God again, and see if the Bible answers these questions plainly and simply for us.

Let's go again to Acts chapter 2 verse 4, which is the very first outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church, separate from when they received the Holy Spirit directly from Jesus - when he “breathed on them” in John chapter 20. Acts 2:4 says, "and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." We can see from this, that when the Holy Spirit was first poured out upon the disciples (as distinct from their salvation experience) on the day of Pentecost, that “they spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Speaking in other tongues was at least, the very first “initial sign” of this secondary Holy Spirit experience.

In verse 14 of the same chapter, Peter stood up and addressed the large crowd of Jews that was also present there, who were wondering about this "speaking in tongues." In verse 16 he says to them, "but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: and it shall come to pass in the last days says God, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams and upon my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my spirit in those days." Notice Peter is giving an answer to the crowd - specifically about the “tongues” that they heard the disciples speaking.   Peter said that this event (Visible to the crowd by the “Speaking in Tongues” of the apostles and disciples) was and is a fulfillment of Scripture, and that that Scripture is about God's promise to pour out His Holy Spirit on all people.

Notice again verse 38and 39 of the same chapter -  what Peter says at the end of his message, to the crowd, "repent, and let every one of you be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all or a far-off, as many as the Lord will call." The crowd had asked Peter what this "speaking in tongues" meant, and Peter in response told them that it was a promise to them from God, written in the prophets many years ago.

 But, he told them that in order to receive this promise, they must first receive Jesus, and after that was done, they could receive the promise of the Holy Spirit - which is what they initially were asking about. He went on to settle, once and for all time, who could receive the Holy Spirit – who could receive this promise from God, when he said in verse 39, "the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." That pretty much settles it – the promise is for everyone; not only the Jewish Christians of bible times, but for you and me now, for we are – "as many as the Lord our God shall call."

Actually, we've already looked at the second time that people were filled with the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. That was Acts chapter 8; when Philip but down to Samaria and preached Christ to them. Remember, that after they were saved and baptized into the name of Jesus, the apostles came down and laid hands on them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Again, let me point out, they were born of the spirit when they received Jesus and became Christians, but still the apostles came down, to give them a second gift – that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

Let's start at Acts 8:17 – 19, "then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, ‘give me this power also, that anyone on who I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Though it may not be apparent right away, what exactly happened when the apostles laid their hands on the people, what ever happened, Simon was able to see it, and it was so dramatic that Simon (previously Simon the sorcerer –  called ‘the great power of God” – and most likely not easily impressed) wanted to purchase this power from the disciples. Simon either saw or heard something very impressive. This will become evident later, as we look at other bible passages that clearly depict what happens when you receive the Holy Spirit, that most likely, Simon saw and heard people "speaking in tongues" or prophesying, or praising God, or all of the above.

The next time that the Holy Spirit is poured out on a group of people takes place in Acts chapter 10. Acts 10 is the account of the apostle Peter preaching Christ to the Gentiles for the very first time. At the end of Peter's sermon to the household of Cornelius, God, by a sovereign act, poured out his Holy Spirit for the first time ever on gentile believers. We read in verse 44, "while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." There are several matters here that may need clearing up, in regards to whether salvation came before  or at the same time as the Holy Spirit or not, because it appears that the Holy Spirit came first – but he did not!

This is just a quick side note, but I will cover it briefly: Peter went Cornelius's house in obedience to the heavenly vision that he received on the roof of Simon the Tanner's, but even though he was commanded to go, he was not sure what would happen, nor was he told what would happen when he got there. The Gentiles who heard Peter’s message believed it, and therefore were saved, or born-again, before the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them. We know this, because as we studied earlier, the world cannot receive Him (the Holy Spirit) John 14:17. Peter did not know that these people could actually be “born again,” only that he was to go and see what they wanted. These were the first Gentiles ever to be born again, and as a “sign” to the Jewish believers - that God had accepted them – which was something that the Jewish believers did not understand as of yet,  and they were not ready to receive easily – God showed them a sign of his “approval of the Gentile believers”, by filling them with the Holy Spirit the moment after they believed.  God did this so that the Jews would know that God approved the Gentiles for salvation. This event – seemingly out of sequence, in the normal order of things – was a sign to the apostles and the Jewish Christians with them, that they needed to accept and receive their Gentile brothers in Christ.

We know this because of the words of Peter in verse 47, where he says, "can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." It was at the point where Peter heard the Gentiles “speaking with tongues,” that he realized the interpretation of the vision he had received at Simon the Tanner's house – the Gentiles could be saved.

That being said, the main point that I want to bring out from this passage, is that when the Holy Spirit was poured out, the disciples knew it because they heard the Gentiles, "speak with tongues and magnify God." Two of the three times now, that we have looked at the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit being poured out – the second experience with the Holy Spirit, the people “spoke with tongues,” and the other time we are not sure exactly what happened, but whatever happened; it could be both seen and heard.

The next passage we will look at will be acts 19:1 – 6, "and it happened while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples, he said to them, ‘did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him ‘we have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘into what then were you baptized?’ So they said ‘into John's baptism.’ Then Paul said ‘John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied."

Again, we notice from this passage, that after they were baptized – the implication being that they were saved or born-again – that after that, Paul laid his hands on them, and they received this second experience with the Holy Spirit. Also from this passage, we see that when they received the Holy Spirit, that they "spoke with tongues and prophesied." So, now we see for a fourth time, that when the people received the Holy Spirit that they “spoke with tongues,” magnified God, or prophesied. In the three times where we are actually told what happened – all three of those times, the people “spoke with tongues.” Other manifestations of the spirit were present – magnifying the Lord, and prophesying, but on each occasion where these two other manifestations took place, “speaking with tongues” was there also, and appears first and  in primary importance in every list.  Speaking in tongues is beginning to appear to be the single “common denominator’ in every listed occurrence of people being “filled” or “baptized” in the Holy Spirit” in the New Testament.

There is another occasion in the book of Acts where someone received being “filled” with the Holy Spirit, and that is when the apostle Paul himself received the Holy Spirit. You may remember that Paul (first named Saul) was knocked off his donkey on the way to Damascus, to imprison whatever Christians he could find there.  While on the road, he heard the voice of the Lord and saw a bright light, and he became blind for a season.

 We pick up the story again, in Acts chapter 9:17, 18, "and Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your site and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately, there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once, and he arose and was baptized." Please notice that Ananias came for two reasons: that Paul may receive his sight, AND that he might be “filled with the Holy Spirit.” We can see from this text that Paul did immediately receive his sight. We should assume also, that he was “filled with the Holy Spirit,” even though the text does not say exactly what happened, or what that  “filling” may & have looked or sounded like.

However, we have Paul's own words about his Holy Spirit experience, written for us in 1 Corinthians 14:18, “I thank you God I speak in tongues more than you all.”  Paul plainly declares in that passage that he is one who “speaks in tongues.”  When would Paul have received this gift?  The most plausible and biblical answer is: when Ananias came and laid hands on him to be “filled with the Spirit.” In fact, Paul, more than any other writer in the New testament (next to Jesus speaking about it) spends more time - actually whole chapters - speaking to the Church about the our personal need of the Holy Spirit,  the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the power and operation of the Holy Spirit in our actual church services. Paul was a “born again” “tongue talkin” preacher of the Gospel, that both believed and preached that all believers should be filled with, and operate in, the power of the Holy Spirit – and he even went as far as to say, “I wish that you all spoke with tongues…” (1 Corinthians 14:5).  And again, in verse 15, “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.  I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.”

So, we see that in all 5 cases in the book of Acts, where the Holy Spirit is poured out, or people are “filled with” or “baptized in”  the Holy Spirit, that SOMETHING that could be either visibly viewed or audibly heard took place and that others either saw or heard it when it happened. Also, we know that in 4 of the 5 cases, that those people “spoke in tongues” without a doubt, and that though the other 2 manifestations (Prophesy and glorifying God) did also  occur, only “speaking in tongues” is common thread that runs through every biblical experience of being “filled” or baptized in the Holy Spirit.

But you say, “Doesn’t Paul himself say in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30, “Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?  Are all workers of miracles?  Do all have the gifts of healings?  Do all speak with tongues?  Do all interpret?” And of course the answer is NO!  So how then can speaking in tongues be for EVERY believer then?  The answer is very simple – why don’t we cover it briefly in the next chapter…