Must All Christians Speak In Tongues?

BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS believe tongue speakers are nearer to God’s kingdom than non speakers. They also claim that rapture will take place before the Beast shall strike the world with deception.

The superiority is claimed over those who cannot chant in strange tongues. Some pastors have gone further to brand God’s people who do not speak tongues wizards and demons. They are indirectly forced to leave the Church for tongues speakers to displace their born again powers. Because of this end time doctrine Christians are found scattered at open places, school parks, sea shore and forests praying for the gift of tongues.

Some ministers and singers are heard speaking tongues during preaching, praying and singing on air. The radio stations are becoming tongues speaking auditoriums. We heard them shouting hli baba, hli baba, sei sei, baba huhu ame-en, the statements they do not understand nor could explain. It is often argued that communication is between tongue speakers and God, and that Holy Ghost is revealing secret to the speakers of foreign languages.

Another embarrassing thing is that tonguing pastors and prophets have authority and power over the Holy Ghost. They command the Spirit of God at worship and distribute it unto their members. The Spirit of God could be stopped by these strong and powerful men of God. The pastor claps his hands or rings a bell to stimulate speaking in tongues. Some of these children of God behave as if they are possessed by Satan. To stop tongues speakers, hand is clapped or bell is rang which automatically stop it.

The entire world is told in the prophetic scriptures that the Spirit of Yahweh cannot be controlled and dictated. He has all the attributes of God and does all things in accordance with God’s law. “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor hath taught him? With who took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge and shewed to him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:12-14

The Holy Scriptures have revealed that God will send His Spirit unto the Bride of Jesus the Messiah. Prophet Joel predicted the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which Jesus had confirmed during his ministry on earth. He spoke about the gifts of the Spirits which Apostle Paul elaborated in his Epistles. The gift of tongue is taught by Jesus after his glorious resurrection. The saints did not have any knowledge of controlling and dictating to God’s powerful and active Spirit, but humbles them to enable the power of God to control them.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come” Joel 2:28-31

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you” John 16:8-14

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John 14:26-27

“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was raised. And he said unto them, Go ye into the entire world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” Mark 16:14-19

The Scriptures narrate how on the Pentecostal Day the Holy Spirit was poured on the disciples when Jews had gathered to commemorate the feast of Weeks. The Spirit of God spoke through the early apostles the dialects of people who were gathered in Jerusalem. They heard the apostles speaking their native languages unto their understanding. But do the tongue speakers speak to understanding of the church members?

It is written “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitudes came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, what meaneth this?” Acts 2:1-12

We are also told how Apostles Peter and Paul heard the brethren spoke tongues after they had baptism of the Holy Spirit. Their speaking in tongues proved that they have received the Spirit of God, which integrated into the Messianic Judaic family. “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. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” Acts 10:44-47

“And it came to pass, that, while Apollo’s was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, unto what then was ye baptized? And they said Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should 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 upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” Acts 19:1-6

SPIRITUAL GIFTS DISTRIBUTION: According to the records of Apostle, the celebrated Judeo- Gentile powerful missionary, God has the gifts of the Spirit distributed among members of the Church. It means that all members cannot speak tongues, prophesy, heal and others. But they shall be dictated by the good Holy Spirit, for it is the Spirit of God that controls or inspires members of the synagogues of Yahweh. “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 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 worked 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 other divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worked that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, is one body: so also is Christ” 1 Cor. 12:3-12

Apostle Paul made Christendom to understand that it is impossible for the entire church to speak tongues. And that the Spiritual gifts are bestowed upon the Congregation of Christ. The Spirit of God has power to distribute its gifts among the saints, which keep the Decalogue and honour Jesus the Messiah.

“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after those miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” 1 Cor. 12:28-31.

The Holy Bible did not teach that all Christians must speak strange dialect before they can become born again, the passport to the kingdom of Yahweh- 1 Cor. 14:23-29. The truth is that those who keep God’s Commandments, and have the Faith of Jesus are the holy people the Bible has exposed- Rev. 12:17; 14:12 and 22:14.

SOURCE: Apostle Kadmiel Emmanuel Haworth Agbalenyoh, Founder and General Overseer of the WORLD THEOCRATIC RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION (worldtheocracy@yahoo.com), is an author and contributes regularly to various columns in various newspapers, including the Gye Nyame Concord. He writes...