Is speaking in tongues evidence for having the Holy Spirit?

Many believe that unless one can speak with tongues one has not received the Holy Spirit; but in this day of the Church's ruin a true Christian, guided by the Word of God, need not be troubled nor allow others to trouble him because he is not able to do signs and wonders or speak with tongues. The apostles and others had this special gift (Acts 2:4, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 14:3), but even in the beginning not all spake with tongues or did miracles; but all who believed were sealed with the Holy Spirit (See 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13). The questions of the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 12:29-30 show conclusively that all did not speak with tongues. Every member in the Body of Christ has a place and service, but each member, however useful, has not the same gifts. "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?" The answer to these questions is clearly "No." And note it well that the apostle is speaking to those who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit (See verse 13).

The gift of tongues especially became the manifest token of this divine work. Scriptures show that the gospel was told out by the gift of tongues; for the strangers heard the wonderful works of God, each in his own dialect (Acts 2:4, 8, 11; 10:46; 19:6); but it is wrong to conclude that one had not the Spirit of God if he had not this special gift. Tongues were for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not (1 Cor. 14:21-22). This is a fulfilment of Isaiah 28:11-12. We see from this prophecy that it was a sign especially intended to demonstrate to the unbelieving Jews their guilt in rejecting Christ.

Quite effectively. What we have just pointed out bears on it. So also does the fact that in the six cases of the Spirit's reception recorded in Acts, three make no mention at all of speaking with tongues. So also does the fact that speaking with tongues is much alluded to in 1 Corinthians 12, where the whole argument of the Apostle turns upon the point that though the Spirit of God is one, yet the gifts or manifestations which proceed from Him are many and various; and that to one member of the body was given one gift such as prophecy, to another member another gift such as speaking with tongues.

At the end of the chapter (vv. 29 and 30) a number of questions are raised. No answer is given because it is so obvious. "Are all apostles?" he asks. Clearly, No. "Are all prophets?" No. "Do all speak with tongues?" Just as clearly, No. Are all Christians members of Christ's body by baptism of the Spirit? Yes. Do all the members speak with tongues? No. A clear scriptural refutation of this erroneous idea.

We do not find in the scripture any corroboration of the idea that those indwelt by the Spirit are also full of the Spirit, nor of the correlated notion that those full of the Spirit speak with tongues as evidence of that fact. It is the teaching of the New Testament that the possession of the Spirit is a credential of Christianity proper, for “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9). All those who have heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13). But it is nowhere stated that all such are consequently full of the Holy Spirit, though all are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).

No — the gift of tongues was given by the Spirit but only in the beginning and even then not to all (1 Cor. 12:29–30). So how then do we know we have received the Spirit? The plain answer is: because God said so (Eph. 1:13). It is true that we will also experience this (the assurance the Spirit gives us that we are children of God (Q.19; Q.21), the joy He gives, the way He opens up the Scriptures and so on) but the knowledge of His indwelling is based on the word of God, not on our experience (Rom. 8:11; 2 Tim. 1:14).

“If people without grace or power can speak in tongues, if a Mohammedan in his religious frenzy can speak in tongues, as is reputed he does; if a Mormon with his diabolical practices of polygamy can speak with tongues; if people can change their doctrines at will, and believe about as they like and still speak in tongues; then speaking in tongues is no evidence that one has the sacred experience received by the apostles and disciples on the Day of Pentecost. That which may be possessed without grace or power cannot be an evidence of either.”

not giving to every man, but “DIVIDING” to every man as He will. The claim of Pentecostalists that the gift of tongues in the unfailing mark of the indwelling of the Spirit is without the support of Scripture, and only proves the ignorance of those who assert it.

There ought to be, and are, definite signs when the Spirit is received, but not necessarily of a sort to be noticed by sight or hearing. The fact that a new convert looks up to God as his Father is a sign that the Spirit is received (see Rom. 8:15). So also is the fact of the Bible becoming a new book to such (see 1 Cor. 2:11-14); and many other such things could be specified. These are far more important than such things as speaking with tongues.

Take speaking with tongues just mentioned: some insist that unless this takes place the Spirit of God is not received. How does Scripture bear on this?

Take the much discussed question of tongues and healing. It is taught that every believer who receives the baptism of the Spirit shows it by speaking with tongues. But that is not the teaching of Scripture. 1 Corinthians 12:9-10, says “To another [not to ALL] the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. … to another [not to ALL] diverse kinds of tongues.” People, who claim as teachers to be filled with the Spirit, would, we should judge, prove it by the correct exposition of Scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that infallible Teacher.