Chapter 9
Ten Reasons Why Every Believer Should Speak in Tongues
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all
I Corinthians 14:18
The Apostle Paul wrote and spoke much about the subject of speaking with other tongues, and he apparently practiced what he preached for he said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all” (
1 Cor 14:18. I too, thank God that I speak in tongues regularly and I wish every believer would make this his habit and enjoy this same blessing and source of power in his everyday life.
The purpose of this particular lesson is to set forth ten reasons why every Christian should speak in tongues, and to help believers see the blessings that can be theirs through daily appropriating the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Reason Number 1
The Word of God teaches that when we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we speak with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance. As we have seen, speaking with tongues is an initial evidence or sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit: “And they were all FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST, and began to SPEAK WITH TONGUES, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (
Acts 2:4).
In
Acts 10, the brethren of the circumcision who had come with Peter to Cornelius’ household were astonished when they saw that the gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out on the Gentiles too. They thought salvation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost were just for the Jews.
How did these Jews know that Cornelius’ household had received the gift of the Holy Ghost? “For they HEARD THEM SPEAK WITH TONGUES, and magnify God...” (
Acts 10:46). Speaking in tongues was the supernatural sign and initial evidence that convinced them that the Gentiles had the same gift they had.