Baptism with the Holy Spirit
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5. Is it possible for a Christian to be filled with the Holy Spirit
without speaking in tongues? |
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No, it isn’t, because ever since the day of Pentecost when one is
filled with the Spirit he begins immediately to speak with other tongues as
the Spirit gives him utterance. |
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I have said ‘ever since the day of Pentecost’ for it was on that day
that this spiritual manifestation started to accompany the filling up with
the Spirit. Here is what happened on the day of Pentecost to the about one
hundred and twelve when they were filled with the Spirit: “And when the day
of Pentecost was fully come, ….. they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”
(Acts 2:1-4). |
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Before the day of Pentecost one could be filled with the Holy Spirit
without speaking in tongues. Here are a few examples of men who prior to that
day were filled with the Spirit but did not speak in tongues. Zechariah, the
father of John the Baptist, was filled with the Holy Spirit but he did not
speak with other tongues, he only prophesied (Luke 1:67); John the Baptist
was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb but he did not
speak with other tongues (Luke 1:15); and Jesus was filled with the Holy
Spirit yet He did not speak with tongues (Luke 3:22; 4:1). |
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Therefore, from the day of Pentecost on, tongues are the outward sign
attesting that a person has been filled with the Holy Spirit, that is to say,
that a person has been baptized with the Holy Spirit, for the filling up with
the Holy Spirit is nothing but the baptism with the Holy Spirit. |