Baptism with the Holy Spirit

10. Can a believer be filled with the Holy Spirit today and begin to speak with other tongues tomorrow, or after several days?

No, such a thing is not possible because speaking in tongues follows immediately the filling up with the Holy Spirit. For on the day of Pentecost, when the about one hundred and twenty disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they immediately “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4); the same thing happened at the house of Cornelius when the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were hearing the words of Peter, as it is written: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (Acts 10:44-46). And still the same thing happened at Ephesus when Paul laid his hands upon some disciples of the Lord, as it is written: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).

Therefore, speaking with another tongue (or with more than one foreign tongue) is the visible sign which appears immediately when a believer is filled with the Holy Spirit.

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