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An individual is indwelt with the Holy Spirit as soon
as they exercise their faith and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:2-3; Eph. 1:13; John 7:38, 39), for faith itself is a work of the
Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7, 9). Speaking in tongues is not the gift of the Spirit
but ONE of the gifts of the
Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11). Paul makes it even more clear when he asks the
rhetorical question, "Do all speak in tongues?" Of course not! - since
neither are all apostles, and not all are prophets, nor is everyone a
teacher, etc. (1 Cor. 12:29-30).
The Oneness theology creates it's
own contradictions. On the one hand there are those who have spoken in
tongues but have not been "correctly" baptized, suggesting that they are
"acceptable" to God to a point where God will come and dwell within them
while their sins are not yet forgiven. On the other hand, there are those
who have been "correctly" baptized but have never spoken in tongues,
suggesting that they have had their sins forgiven, but who for some reason
are not yet "acceptable" to God for Him to come and dwell within them! If
the coming of the Holy Spirit only occurs after, and as a result of, one's
own self-purification then it is a different gospel (2 Cor. 11:4) for it
would then really be only a reward and not a free gift (Acts 2:38;
8:19-20; 10:45, etc.) . Acts 2:4;
10:45-46 and 19:6
These and other implicit passages of Scripture is what Oneness groups
use to base their understanding of the necessity of tongues as a sign of
one's receiving the Holy Spirit.2
It must first be observed that if this is true - and Oneness
believers insist that they conform to the pattern found in the Book of
Acts - why is there no instance of anyone "seeking" or begging for the
Spirit? Moreover, it does not appear that anyone is even expecting to
speak in tongues. What you will find is the Holy Spirit simply
"falling" on people. There is nothing anywhere in the Bible that comes
close to showing someone begging God for the Holy Spirit or
trying for days or years to purify themselves so that the Holy Spirit will
come. Relatedly, you will find that the Holy Spirit falls on all the
believers at the same time. Is one to believe that each of these believers
just "happened" to finally purify and surrender themselves at the exact
same time? Of course not! It also must be pointed
out that the book of Acts was written by Luke and is a continuation of the
Gospel of Luke. In these two books, he was writing as a historian and not
as a theologian. Because Theophilus had already been taught the Gospel,
Luke's purpose of writing was not to reteach him, but to tell how all "the
things that have been fulfilled among us" came about (Luke 1:1-4). To say what happened is not the
same as saying what should always happen. If Oneness proponents are so
strong in their belief that everything written in Acts is to be taken as a
standard practice for the church then why do they not witness all of the things mentioned in connection with the
outpouring of the Spirit such as the sound of a violent blowing wind,
tongues of fire on their heads, AND people understanding their tongues (Acts
2:1-4,11) each time one of them "receives the Holy
Spirit?"
Some would respond by referencing Matthew 18:16 (taking it out of context of course) and say that because there are more than two passages where tongues is associated with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it therefore proves that tongues is the initial evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. However, there are several passages that describe a person as being filled with the Holy Spirit, yet there is no mention of them "speaking in tongues" (Acts 2:17-18, 38; 4:8, 31; 9:17-19; 13:9, 52). So what do we do now? Count them and delcare the one with the most passages as the correct doctrine? I think not! Furthermore, there are two passages where you will find people selling all their
private property and sharing all things in common (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37). Yet you would not find Oneness proponents declaring this to be something that all believers must obey. 1. Word Aflame Press Tract, The Apostles' Doctrine (#6103).; Daniel Jauhall, Pneumatology: Part 2, Preserving Doctrinal Unity, Apostolic Biblical Expositor, 2nd Quarter (Manna Apostolic Publications, Los Angeles, CA, 1994), 36. 2. Word Aflame Press Tract, The Apostles' Doctrine (#6103).; Daniel Jauhall, Pneumatology: Part 2, Preserving Doctrinal Unity, Apostolic Biblical Expositor, 2nd Quarter (Manna Apostolic Publications, Los Angeles, CA, 1994), 35-36. Back to the top or Theology page |