Q. Is Speaking in Tongues necessary?
A. In an age in which this phenomenon seems to be dwindling, our emphatic answer is YES. And here’s why:
- It was GOD Who chose to evidence the initial infilling, or baptism, in the Holy Ghost by the Speaking in Tongues. He gave this as a GIFT, obviously to bless His Children.
- The principle of Speaking in Tongues is a firm introduction of the Believer to relate to God in the realm of the Spirit, rather than ‘with the understanding’, or the realm of the intellect. This does not discard the use of our understanding or intellect in worshipping or communicating with God, but certainly places our fellowship with the Lord in the Spirit firmly above an intellectual relationship.
- Speaking in Tongues enables the Believer to communicate with God well beyond the puny impact of human words. This blesses the Lord and also builds the spiritual life of the Believer immeasurably – 1 Cor 12 – 14 – even though ‘his understanding is unfruitful’.
- Speaking in Tongues is perhaps the purest form of worship to God.
- Speaking in Tongues incorporates the development of submission to God. James 3:1-12 tells that our unruly tongues need to be controlled. When we speak in Tongues, we learn the vital principle of allowing God to control us, as we defy the apparent foolishness of speaking what we do not intellectually understand. Thus spiritual understanding grows.
- In the Book of Acts Speaking in Tongues was clearly exercised by the Early Church, and is also comprehensively dealt with in 1 Cor 12 – 14.
- Speaking in Tongues benefits the Believer without interpretation, but in the Church, God gives the Interpretation of Tongues, that all may profit.