Since we started reading through the book of Acts together, there has been a lot of excellent discussion surrounding the Biblical phrases such as “baptism of the Holy Spirit,” “filled with the Holy Spirit”, and “speaking in tongues.” Today, there is great confusion in churches regarding these phrases. Some say you have to speak in tongues in order to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Some say the gift of tongues no longer exists today. Some say it doesn’t matter, and it’s not worth talking about.

Here is what Ekklesia believes the Bible clearly teaches:
1) Every person needs to be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17).
2) Every person needs to continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit, over and over again… (Ephesians 5:18)
3) Speaking in tongues is a gift that is alive and well today, and should not be forbidden (1 Corinthians 14:39).
4) Some people will speak in tongues, some won’t (1 Corinthians 12:27-30).
5) We should all eagerly desire the greater gifts, including speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 12:31).
6) Tongues should not be spoken in a church service, without interpretation, where unbelievers are present, and real churches should have unbelievers present during their services (1 Corinthians 14:18-25).
7) The focus of Pentecost day was about receiving power to make disciples of all nations, not about speaking in tongues (Acts 1:8).

It is hard for some to believe the above 7 points, because there are several stories in Acts where people spoke in tongues when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Why did it happen this way? Well, let me try and make this as brief and clear as possible. Remember Acts 5, when God killed Ananias and Sapphira, because they lied to the church and the Holy Spirit about money? Well, people are still lying to churches and God today, and most of them don’t get “struck by lightening” right then and there. The reason God did what He did with Ananias and Sapphira was to drive home the point, loud and clear.

In fact, we see this type of action by God many times when He brings about a new work. When God poured out His Spirit on Pentecost day, He made it loud and clear to the people that being baptized with the Holy Spirit is absolutely ESSENTIAL and AMAZING! Not only that, but as the Gospel spread, especially to the non-Jewish people, God wanted the disciples to know that other people’s conversion to the Gospel was authentic. For example, we clearly see this in Acts 10:44-48. Peter FINALLY took the Gospel beyond his cultural/religious misunderstandings. God wanted Peter to know that the non-Jewish people had in fact been baptized with the Holy Spirit, so He confirmed it by giving them the gift of tongues so there would be no doubt. In Acts 11:15-18 we learn that this was how Peter convinced the Jewish church leaders that the Gospel had in fact spread to these non-Jewish people who didn’t follow the food laws.

Unfortunately, speaking in tongues has become something that many disciples fight about today. I know some people who pray for days and months in order to receive the gift of tongues, because they feel like they are not true Christians if they don’t speak in tongues. I know some people who speak in tongues, and then they don’t spread the Gospel to all nations. They don’t care about reaching out to people of different cultures. They’re just glad they are “good with God.” That is sad…

The truth is, everyone needs to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Basically, you know you’ve been baptized with the Spirit if you’ve repented of your sins, put your faith in Christ, and decided to follow Jesus with all your life for the rest of your life, and you experienced a RADICAL change in your heart, mind, and Spirit. Maybe you started thinking differently, feeling differently, believing differently, and you knew it was supernatural. That’s being baptized with the Holy Spirit. You know you’ve been baptized with the Holy Spirit when you want NOTHING more than to follow Jesus and make as many followers of Him as you possibly can, crossing all social, racial, and cultural boundaries!

ALL of us should passionately ask God to give us His gifts, especially speaking in tongues and prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:5), so that we will advance the Kingdom of God more effectively, making disciples of all nations. I hope you enjoyed this teaching, and I look forward to your comments. Blessings on you all!

Acts 10 is a pivotal chapter. So far, the Jewish followers of Jesus have spread the gospel to a few Gentiles. However, these Gentiles were men and women who were already following the Jewish customs. They gospel was being severely limited, because Jesus’ followers were severely limited in their understanding of what it meant to love all people.

As you read through chapter 10, what did you find interesting today?

Today we read about a man named Saul. Saul was a blood-thirsty opponent of Christ who would eventually experience a radical encounter with the risen Jesus… an encounter that would later lead him to be the man who would write a large percentage of the entire New Testament. What stood out to you today in your reading of Acts chapter 9?

Man, that story of Stephen and his stoning was pretty incredible… Today we read about another powerful movement of the Spirit, spreading the Gospel to the Samaritans and beyond. So, let’s blog: What did you find interesting today in chapter 8?

What hit you as you read Acts chapter 7 today?

What did you find interesting in today’s Scripture reading, Acts chapter 6?

It’s Friday! You know what that means? That means we are 5 chapters deeper into God’s Word than we were last week. Not only that, but this blog discussion has been very enriching, so let us continue…

What stood out to you in Acts chapter 5?

What stood out to you in Acts chapter 4?

As we continue our journey in Acts, what did you find interesting about chapter 3?

What is one thing that impressed you about Acts chapter 2?