WHAT IS PENTECOSTALISM? AI: “Pentecostalism is a vibrant, fast-growing Protestant movement emphasizing direct, personal experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, often evidenced by speaking in tongues. Emerging in the early 20th century, it prioritizes spiritual gifts, divine healing, and enthusiastic worship, with over 600 million followers globally, making it one of the largest forms of Christianity. A post-conversion experience, distinct from salvation, that empowers believers to live a holy life and work for God. Belief that biblical gifts—including prophecy, healing, and tongues—are active today, Strict adherence to the inerrancy of the Bible, with a focus on replicating the power of the early Apostolic Church. A focus on Jesus not just as Savior, but also as Baptizer (in the Spirit), Healer, and Soon-Coming King. Speaking in Tongues (Glossolalia): Often considered the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Services are characterized by emotional expression, such as raised hands, clapping, dancing in the spirit, and vocal praise.Evangelism: A strong, mission-driven focus on spreading the gospel.”

Modern Pentecostalism in the US began on January 1, 1901, in Topeka, Kansas, when Agnes Ozman spoke in tongues at Charles Fox Parham’s Bethel Bible College. Parham, a holiness teacher, established that speaking in tongues was the “initial evidence” of baptism in the Holy Spirit. The movement grew rapidly, catapulting to international fame through the 1906-1909 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, led by Parham’s student, William J. Seymour. 

WHAT IS THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT? Emerging in the 1960s as a “second wave” of Pentecostalism, brought Pentecostal-style spiritual gifts—such as tongues, prophecy, and healing—into mainline Protestant and Catholic denominations. Unlike Pentecostalism, which formed new denominations, this movement encouraged adherents to remain within their traditional churches, initiating a global renewal movement. The movement is widely considered to have begun on April 3, 1960, when Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett announced to his congregation at St. Mark’s in Van Nuys, California, that he had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. While Pentecostalism was the first wave (early 1900s), the Charismatic movement acted as a second wave (1960s), with a “third wave” (1980s onwards) focusing on signs and wonders without necessarily emphasizing tongues as the initial evidence of the Spirit. Third Wave believers often do not view the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” as a second, distinct experience after conversion, nor do they typically insist on tongues as the only evidence of that baptism. A central concept where preaching the Gospel is accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders to validate the message. It emphasizes the restoration of the offices of apostle and prophet.The movement is known for emotional,, sometimes, dramatic worship experiences, including reports of “laughing in the Spirit” and other physical manifestations. Associated with figures like John Wimber (Vineyard Movement) and movements focusing on spiritual warfare. Key groups include the Association of Vineyard Churches, Calvary Chapel, and various ministries associated with the Toronto Blessing and Kansas City Prophets. By the early 21st century, this group was considered to have more adherents worldwide than the first two waves combined. Then there are the neo-charismatics: This broader term includes groups that emphasize the “health and wealth” gospel, such as those associated with Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagin, and Kenneth Copeland.”

WHAT WAS TONGUE SPEAKING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT? That’s a lot of history. Let’s stick with the first wave of Pentecostalism and discuss the speaking in tongues and baptism of the Holy Spirit. Do Pentecostals really speak in tongues just like done in the New Testament? Tongues in the New Testament were actual human languages that believers who had received the gift of the Holy Spirit could speak in. It began in Acts on the Day of Pentecost when the apostles were gathered in an upper room waiting for the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had told them to wait for. There were Jews from many different countries present for the Feast of Pentecost. The apostles started miraculously speaking in human languages that they did not know. We know the tongues were actual human languages b/c of the reaction of those who heard. Acts 2:⁵ Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷ They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” ¹² And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others were jeering and saying, “They are full of sweet wine!” Throughout the New Testment, tongue speaking was miraculously speaking in human languages which the tongue speaker did not know. Paul told the Corinthians that there must be an interpreter of the tongues, i.e. one who miraculously can interpret the human tongue language even though he does not know the language. If there was no interpreter, a person was not allowed to speak in tongues in the Sunday assemblies. That again sounds like tongues were human languages.

WHY AND HOW WAS TONGUE SPEAKING GIVEN TO BAPTIZED BELIEVERS?Tongue speaking miraculously in a human language was a proof of salvation for a baptized believer in the first century church. An example of this is found in Acts 19. Paul found some whom he thought had been baptized in the name of Jesus, but they had only been baptized in John’s baptism which was no longer valid after the ascension of Jesus. Paul taught them about the baptism in the name of Jesus. 19:⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.” The tongues speaking was proof of salvation and was necessary in the first century b/c there the New Testament had not been written yet. There were several signs that accompanied believers being baptized in the name of Jesus. Mark 16:¹⁵ And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned. ¹⁷ These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Tongue speaking was part of the miracles poured out on believers in the last days of the Jewish Age, i.e. from 30 AD to 70 AD that culminated with Jesus’ 2nd coming in judgment on the Jews in 70 AD. Joel 2:28-32 had predicted this pouring out of the Spirit (miracles) in the last days and Peter said in Acts 2:17-21 that Joel’s prophecy was beginning to be fulfilled with the apostles speaking in tongues that day. Acts 2:17  And in the last days it shall be, God declares, ^wthat I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and  your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18  even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19  And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20  the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (ESV)’ This 40 year miraculous period in the early church would end with the “glorious day of the Lord”, i.e. the judgment of the Jews at Jesus’ 2nd coming in 70 AD. Tongues and miracles were no longer needed after the New Testament was delivered. All 27 books of the New Testament were written before 70 AD. We don’t need tongues today as a sign that we have been saved when we believe and are baptized. We have the written word of God in the New Testament, which is better than relying on tongue speaking. The miraculous spiritual gifts were given to baptized believers by the laying on of the hands of the apostles. That is seen in Acts 8. Philip, who could do miracles himself, baptized many in Samaria but he could not give the baptized believers the Holy Spirit (also called the “gift of the Holy Spirit). The apostles Peter and John came from Jerusalem to lay their hands on them and give them the miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:¹⁴ Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, ¹⁵ who came down and prayed for them that they would receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ (For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ¹⁷ Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ” That’s about as clear as it gets showing how the miraculous gifts were given to baptized believers. The apostles all died before 70 AD so there are no apostles to continue to give miraculous gifts after 70 AD.

ARE MODERN TONGUES THE SAME AS TONGUES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT? Modern tongue speaking has been tested to see if there are any human languages in the tongue speaking, and no human languages have been found. Likewise none found to be able to miraculously interpret a human language that they do not know. One experiment had someone saying the Lord’s prayer in a real foreign language. 5 people who claimed to have the gift of interpretation were asked to interpret it. They gave 5 different interpretations and none of them was the Lord’s prayer. Modern tongue speaking claim that tongues do not have to be human languages. They might cite 1 Corinthians 13:1 the tongues of angels. But we have already seen that tongues were actual human languages. Modern tongue speaking is just a rapid saying of different nonsense words, none of which are human languages. That would not impress me as a miracle sent by God if I was a listener. The pagan religions had prophets who worked themselves into a frenzy and spoke in weird syllables so Christian tongue speaking had to be different than that to convince an unbeliever that it was truly from God. Modern tongue speaking is truly an emotional experience but I don’t think it is tongue speaking as in the early church. It can cause those who claim to speak in tongues to have a superior spirituality than those who don’t speak in tongues. It can leave a tongue speaker feeling less spiritual when he is not speaking in tongues. I would never make fun of someone who claimed to speak in tongues, but I feel the need to teach on what tongues really were. I don’t think tongue speaking is a heaven/hell issue.

WHAT IS CESSATIONISM: AI: “Cessationism is the Christian doctrine that miraculous spiritual gifts—such as tongues, prophecy, and healing—ceased to function after the apostolic age and the completion of the New Testament canon. It posits that these sign gifts were temporary, intended specifically to validate the apostles’ message and establish the early church.” It is opposed to continuationism, which teaches that all spiritual gifts are available to believers today”. They were necessary to confirm the gospel message, for the establishment of the church kingdom, provide the early church with spiritual gifts for their edification in their assemblies,and for the confirmation of who the true Christians were. They were like a scaffold temporarily used to build a house. Scaffolds are needed until the house is built but then they come down. I believe that the miracles ceased in 70 AD at the end of the last days of the Jewish Age which coincided with the completion of the writing of the New Testament books. When I say miracles have ceased, I mean supernatural events that cannot be explained by natural means, that are undeniable. Acts 4:¹⁵ But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, ¹⁶ saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” The enemies of Jesus and the apostles never denied that a supernatural event had occurred so they said that Jesus did his miracles by the power of the devil. Jesus said that Satan would not do thatt b/c it would be destroying his own house. The miracles healings were instantaneous with no relapses. The miracles were not done for money. Those wanting to be healed were never “culled” and not allowed to get to Jesus. There were no failures in doing the miracles, perhaps saying that something failed due to a lack of faith of the person wanting to be healed. I don’t see those kind of miracles being done today. God can and does still do amazing things. He can cure someone providentially. Maybe its just semantics on whether we call an amazing act of God a “Bible miracle”. or not. But to avoid confusion, I think we should only call events miracles today if they meet the tests given above for miralces done by Jesus and the apostles.

PLEASE DON’T TAKE OFFENSE! If you are a tongue speaker or go to a church that has tongue speaking, I hope this article has not offended you. I also am aware of a lot of the arguments for tongue speaking today. For example, the church I was raised in (the Church of Christ) is cessationist. They also claim to restore the church to its original form as in the book of Acts. They claim to restore worship to the way it was in the New Testament. But then you carry them to 1 Corinthians 12-14 and see all the miraculous Spiritual gifts that were used in the assembLies and how to use the tongue speakers and the prophets. My church does not believe in using those miraculous gifts in their assemblies and yet they claim to be restoring the early church to its original worship. That sounds inconsistent. But it is not inconsistent if we understand that the miracles were only for that transition period from 30-70 AD. Everything in the New Testament was not written directly to us but to other people living in that transition period. I look around and I do not see human language miraculous tongue speaking and other miracles being done in churches today. I thing it would be undeniable if such was really happening, but I jsut don’t see it. The charismatic might not be evil, but is it real?

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