Introduction
On November 7, 2006, The New York Times published an article titled A Neuroscientific Look at Speaking in Tongues, written by Benedict Carey. Here you read that “Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took brain images of five women while they spoke in tongues and found that their frontal lobes — the thinking, willful part of the brain through which people control what they do — were relatively quiet, as were the language centers.”
Scientists were startled since it is impossible to utter things from your mouth without substantially employing both the frontal lobes and the language centers. Why does this matter? The biblical premise of speaking in tongues is that the Spirit is praying for you.
“The amazing thing was how the images supported people’s interpretation of what was happening,” said Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, leader of the study team, which included Donna Morgan, Nancy Wintering, and Mark Waldman. “The way they describe it, and what they believe, is that God is talking through them,” he said.
The world is interested in the idea of speaking in tongues. They want to know how it works. Believers are curious as well. Like you, they want to know more about it. In the Bible, it was on Paul’s mind too! There is a story in Acts 19. Paul arrives in Ephesus, and there he runs into a group of believers. The first thing he asks them is, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Paul was not only interested in the Holy Spirit; it was the first thing on his mind. And so, my question to you is the same as Paul’s. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Let’s clarify:
Act 19:1-5 (NIV) 1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Most everyone is aware of John’s baptism that is the baptism of water. Every month I ask a group of people I am about to baptize in water if they have ever been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Most often, I just see blank stares. You may be reading this book with that same blank stare, and I want you to know two things. First, you are not alone. Second, you are reading this book at precisely the right time. John baptized in water, and we aptly have all called him John the Baptist. He was a relative of Jesus, like a cousin. John’s baptism is awesome, but John himself spoke of a greater baptism. In Mark 1:8, he tells us that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:8 (NIV) 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Paul saw that these believers needed the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. So how did he baptize them? Was there water? Was there a goat sacrifice? What now?
Act 19:6 (NIV) 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
We can arrive at a few conclusions here. First, some people are baptized in the Holy Spirit right when they hear and believe in Jesus. Paul had asked if they got it when they heard and believed. So, it does happen that way. In Acts 10, Cornelius and his whole family were baptized in the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues right when they believed the message of the Gospel. But these disciples in Ephesus didn’t have that experience. They needed a second experience.
In this book, I want to talk to you about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. I’ll teach you what praying in tongues is and how you can be baptized in the Spirit. I will show you that it is clearly in the Bible. I will discuss the power that accompanies this baptism and why God gives us the gift of speaking in tongues.
Scientists were startled since it is impossible to utter things from your mouth without substantially employing both the frontal lobes and the language centers. Why does this matter? The biblical premise of speaking in tongues is that the Spirit is praying for you.
“The amazing thing was how the images supported people’s interpretation of what was happening,” said Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, leader of the study team, which included Donna Morgan, Nancy Wintering, and Mark Waldman. “The way they describe it, and what they believe, is that God is talking through them,” he said.
The world is interested in the idea of speaking in tongues. They want to know how it works. Believers are curious as well. Like you, they want to know more about it. In the Bible, it was on Paul’s mind too! There is a story in Acts 19. Paul arrives in Ephesus, and there he runs into a group of believers. The first thing he asks them is, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Paul was not only interested in the Holy Spirit; it was the first thing on his mind. And so, my question to you is the same as Paul’s. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Let’s clarify:
Act 19:1-5 (NIV) 1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Most everyone is aware of John’s baptism that is the baptism of water. Every month I ask a group of people I am about to baptize in water if they have ever been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Most often, I just see blank stares. You may be reading this book with that same blank stare, and I want you to know two things. First, you are not alone. Second, you are reading this book at precisely the right time. John baptized in water, and we aptly have all called him John the Baptist. He was a relative of Jesus, like a cousin. John’s baptism is awesome, but John himself spoke of a greater baptism. In Mark 1:8, he tells us that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:8 (NIV) 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Paul saw that these believers needed the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. So how did he baptize them? Was there water? Was there a goat sacrifice? What now?
Act 19:6 (NIV) 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
We can arrive at a few conclusions here. First, some people are baptized in the Holy Spirit right when they hear and believe in Jesus. Paul had asked if they got it when they heard and believed. So, it does happen that way. In Acts 10, Cornelius and his whole family were baptized in the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues right when they believed the message of the Gospel. But these disciples in Ephesus didn’t have that experience. They needed a second experience.
In this book, I want to talk to you about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. I’ll teach you what praying in tongues is and how you can be baptized in the Spirit. I will show you that it is clearly in the Bible. I will discuss the power that accompanies this baptism and why God gives us the gift of speaking in tongues.
