The "Sign" and the "Gift" of Tongues

By Pastor Franklin D. Simmons

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Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

In Mark 16 new tongues is mentioned as one of the signs that shall follow them that believe the Gospel. Three concrete examples are recorded in the book of Acts. Also, in 1 Corinthians 12, we read that the gift of tongues was set in the Church and its use is regulated in Chapter 14. Is "the sign" promised in Mark and fulfilled in Acts, and "the gift" defined and regulated in Corinthians always the same in essence and use? This is a live question today; as no honest, well informed soul will deny that there are multiplied thousands of genuine cases of new tongues following the preaching of the Gospel today.

Many dear brethren contend that every genuine example is the gift of tongues; that the Baptism in the Holy Ghost is for all believers, and that each believer so anointed, will receive one or more of the nine gifts - as he will; while an increasingly large number of Holy Ghost filled saints see a distinction in the province and use of tongues, in that initial experience in the outpouring of the Holy Ghost as in the Acts, where the manifestation seems included and inherent in the larger experience of the Holy Ghost Baptism. The yielded human vessel is controlled entirely by God's Spirit - hence unlimited and unrestrained. And as a gift in the established assembly as at Corinth, where the manifestation is under the control of the anointed human mind, its exercise is limited and prescribed. This distinction in use is clearly marked in the Scriptures and will be increasingly manifest as we study the subject.

That the gifts are diverse and divided severally is clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

Thus we see the varied manifestations of the divine Spirit in the settled regular work of the Church. All the members are to be active, and acted upon by the same Spirit for the edification of the whole.

With due regard to this apostolic statement as to the manner in which the gifts are divided, let us now study the tongues phenomenon, as recorded in Acts. Our first example is at Jerusalem, where one hundred and twenty consecrated, separated, praying, praising disciples were waiting for the enduement of power. When the Holy Ghost fell "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Please note they were "all filled - all speaking in tongues." Shall we conclude that God is distributing gifts here, that in this case He makes exception to the rule of division enunciated later by Paul, and gives them all the same gift? Did unbelieving Jews cause God to do the irregular thing at Jerusalem? We must draw some such inference, or acknowledge that the speaking in tongues here had some natural relation to the outpouring itself. This in fact is the clear import of Peter's sermon, "This is that spoken by the prophet Joel," this is the outpouring promised to all flesh.

Peter did not intimate that this utterance that so confounded these Jews was something special, having no relation or connection with Joel's prophecy. There is not a hint of anything unusual or abnormal in this experience, or that anything was added because of circumstances; but Peter's word so simply stated, would naturally lead anyone to believe, the whole affair - tongues and all - was but the normal fulfillment of Joel's prophecy.

But let us take another case: Cornelius, his kinsmen and near friends, "many that were come together," await with expectant hearts the coming of the evangelist from Joppa. Peter together with six Jewish brethren arrive and after a few words of formal greeting began to preach Christ; and "the Holy Ghost fell upon all that heard the Word," and "they of the circumcision as many as came with Peter were astonished 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."

Here again the divine record of the acts of the Holy Ghost, is in conflict with the doctrine which insists that all speaking in tongues is simply and only the exercise of one of the gifts; for if we accept Paul's teaching that God divides the gifts - and accept it we must - then there is something different here, for there are no extenuating circumstances in this case, no unbelievers to hear in their tongues. They were all filled: all speaking in tongues.

It seems but reasonable to suppose that the inspired apostles and saints of those Herculean days should understand the meaning and significance of the tongues phenomenon. We must conclude positively that in those days, before the stream of religion and theology was befogged by conflicting doctrines of men, that the impression and conclusion of saints and apostles upon any given subject should be final. Take first the Jewish brethren as interested spectators at Caesarea. They were astonished because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost, for they heard them speak with tongues. There is not a hint that these Jews ever thought of the Spirit dividing gifts when witnessing this experience, but they declared this manifestation a proof beyond cavil, that Gentiles also had received the outpoured Spirit. No unprejudiced mind can read this account and avoid the settled conclusion, that in the mind of these Jewish brethren, the speaking in tongues here, is associated with, and a primary result of, the outpouring of the Spirit.

Peter's verdict is the same. "Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" It is certain from evidence in this case that Peter did not consider the speaking in tongues at Caesarea "the gift," as defined by religious thought of today - something additional, having no relation to the Baptism itself. Let us see. We must remember that God dealt with Peter in a very definite way on the house-top, to teach him to call no man common or unclean, and that "God is no respecter of persons." So when he is called to trial for having gone into those of another nation, he takes into consideration the fact that his brethren have not had opportunity to understand the case: so he is careful to give them in detail God's dealing with him, and to describe God's blessing upon the Gentiles, that their prejudice might be broken down and his brethren would not take the wrong attitude in this very important matter. It is easy to see the importance of Peter's making the case strong, and setting before his prejudiced jurors all the evidence at his command. Now had it been the fact, that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost was usually received without any visible, physical sign: if the candidates took it by faith, had joy, peace, love, etc., and sometimes the experience was accompanied with gifts that were outward and visible; then without doubt Peter's language would have been very different. He probably would have said, "As I preached to the Gentiles God gave them a mighty Baptism. They were all very happy and much blessed in their souls, and in addition to the Baptism, as if in order to dispel all our doubts, He gave them also the gift of tongues, yes, even the same gift we all received at Jerusalem." But now read the statement of Peter, "And as I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us in the beginning. Then remembered I the Word of the Lord how that He said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." In other words, when these Gentiles broke forth in rapturous, ecstatic worship in other tongues, Peter never thought of gifts, but he thought of the Baptism in the Spirit. Even a carnal reader is driven to the conclusion, that in Peter's mind, the supernatural utterance at Caesarea was associated with the experience of the Baptism itself. He simply and only describes in clear and simple language, the manner in which the Spirit fell upon the Gentiles.

A passing notice of the outpouring on the Ephesians will suffice. "The Holy Ghost came upon them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied." Here again the manifestation is the direct first result of the Spirit's coming upon them. Again there is nothing in the circumstances to warrant the unusual, no one edified by the exercise of the gifts. They are all baptized, swallowed up in the divine cloud, occupied with Christ alone. It is not a time of ministry to each other in mutual strength giving and receiving intercourse. The Holy Ghost fills the whole scene. There is no need for and no attempt to edify each other; yet we have the same outward manifestation, every one of them speaking by the Spirit.

If after reading carefully these three narratives any of my readers are still of the opinion that all speaking in tongues is simply and only the exercise of one of the gifts, that, theologically speaking, the gifts are divided severally, but actually in Bible days, in the experience and ministry of the apostles they might, and in these three cases, actually did all receive the same gift at the same time when baptized - that these two experiences are so closely related that they are spoken of by the inspired writer as one experience - that of the Baptism, then I simply suggest that if this could be true, then assuredly the gift of tongues is deserving a far greater prominence, than is accorded it by advocates of the gift theory today.

Another reason why I cannot see that all speaking in tongues is the gift, in the limited and prescribed sense of 1 Corinthian 14, is because that apostolic instruction that governed the use of the gift in the assemblies, is in conflict with the practice of the apostles relative to the tongues phenomenon in the Pentecostal outpouring. First, observe, those who have the gift in the assembly, are to keep silence unless there is an interpreter; only speak to themselves and to God; and where there is an interpreter, they are to "speak by two, and at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret." That is, not more than three ought to speak in any one service, and one at a time; while one is to interpret. I repeat, these instructions are in open conflict with the practice of the apostles in the Acts. At Caesarea, the whole crowd magnified God in tongues without any effort on Peter's part to maintain order, and have the languages interpreted. And too, when we consider that they broke right in on the preacher's sermon, and the speaker an apostle, and no doubt mightily anointed, for Peter was not through his message - he said he had only fairly "began"; when the Gentiles began to speak in tongues, not one at a time in Bible order, but all at once. They surely spoiled a good sermon at Caesarea. But assuredly the Holy Ghost has a right to supersede even an apostle; and this is the simple but glowing account of the Holy Ghost falling upon, and taking possession of them. Peter might well forbear to speak to them, while God is condescending to speak through them.

Even Paul had at least twelve speaking in tongues without calling for an interpreter, notwithstanding he had set the maximum for the exercise of the gift , at three; and that on condition the messages were interpreted in turn. Now if all speaking in tongues are the same in use, and that use is defined in 1 Corinthians 14; then the whole assembly at Ephesus, apostles included, was very much out of order. How are we to interpret this contradiction between apostolic instruction and apostolic practice; unless we see a clear distinction in the use of tongues?

First, that speaking in tongues which is a direct result of the sovereign power of God in the Pentecostal Baptism, as we have just noted in the book of Acts. Here the Spirit is controlling the speaker, absolutely; spirit, soul and body; entirely possessed by divine power; having passed the point of transition from mind control, to divine control; when by the Spirit of God, using their yielded, enraptured faculties, they began to magnify God, all at once, and in divers languages. Could anything be more in flagrant violation of the general understanding of "decency and order" in religious services? Yet the apostles did not attempt to call these assemblies to order. In fact they did it themselves, at Jerusalem (Acts 2:4).

Second, that gift of speaking in divers (different) languages that abides with many after the wonderful power and glory of the Pentecostal anointing has lifted, the gift of tongues, like the gift of prophecy or exhortation, is subject to the prophet. They may speak or keep silent, as their sense of discretion and Bible order suggest. It is under the control of the mind, and may be used as a means of self-edification at anytime, but publicly only for the edification of the Church; in strict accord with instructions regulating its use.

My dear brethren who see tongues only as a gift, under the control of the mind, insist upon all worship, whether after service or private tarrying meetings, being kept under rigid control of the mind. This in my humble judgment is a great mistake. Why be more careful than Peter and Paul, who rejoiced that the Spirit came upon the people, even though they did speak words not understood, and with no apparent use, so far as ministry to others is concerned? Hungry seekers should have the privilege to yield to God in prayer and worship without fear, putting themselves under the covering blood of the Lamb; and entirely in the hands of Jesus; within that inner veil where God takes them beyond us, beyond themselves; until they are lost in Him. Upon that sacred spot men may well refuse to tread. The place is holy ground.

I close with this remark, that to avoid making the Scriptures dealing with this subject contradict themselves, and Paul's teachings seriously disagree with his practice, we must see a distinction between the use of tongues, under the control of the mind and regulated by apostolic instruction, and that initial speaking in tongues which accompanied the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in the Acts, where the candidate - mind, tongue and all - is controlled by the Spirit, without any attempt at regulation by any apostles at any time.

Abundant Life Apostolic Church

Pastor Franklin D. Simmons

2220 Muirhead Avenue NW
Olympia, Washington 98502

(360) 357-5490 or (360) 705-1775

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