Earlier this semester, I was at a bible study on my campus and the topic of speaking in tongues came up and was discussed for about four of our bible studies. It is truly a difficult subject matter to fully understand, but I'm going to share what I recieved from my personal study of the Word of God. I believe that some people can have the gift of speaking in tongues, but it's hard for me to believe that one has to speak in tongues as evidence to show his or her salvation and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. My first point is, who are we trying to prove or show the evidence to because surly we don't have to prove it to another man. He's not going to get us into heaven. If we are trying to prove it to ourselves, then we need to rethink whether we truly excepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And God knows he saved us because it was his doing. That would be like me giving someone a ball, and then asking them if they have it right after I gave it to them. I know I gave it to them so I know they have it. Plus,i f that was the case that we had to speak in tongues to show our salvation and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, then I feel Jesus would have added that in the package when he told Nicodemus the plan of salvation in John 3 because that would be really improtant. THAT COULD STOP YOU FROM SPENDING ETERNITY WITH THE FATHER!!
3:3 "Verily, Verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
3:15 "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave HIs only begotten son, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE."
It didn't mention anything about speaking in tongues after you were born of the water and believed in Jesus.
Lastly, I don't have the gift of speaking in tongues, but I bear fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. (Read Galatians 5:22-23). If I have to speak in tongues to show that I have the Holy Spirit how am I bearing fruits of the Spirit. That would be like and oak tree growing apples. IT"S NOT POSSIBLE! Same thing in the spirit. If you do not have the Holy Spirit living in you, it's impossible for you to bear fruits of the spirit. So I know I have the Holy Spirit in me, and yet, I have never spoken in tongues. Like I said, I do believe that people can have the gift of speaking in tongues, I just don't believe that everybody has to do it as evidence of their salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There has also been incidents in the Bible of people receiving the Holy Spirit and not speaking in togues.
John was “filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s
womb” (Luke 1:15), but he never spoke in tongues. “Elisabeth was filled
with the Holy Ghost” (Luke 1:41). There is no account of her speaking
in tongues. “Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost” (Luke 1:67).
There is no account of him speaking in tongues. It was said of Barnabas
in Acts 11:22-24, “For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost
and faith: and much people were added unto the Lord.” There is no
mention of him speaking in tongues. Stephen, Philip, Prochorus,
Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, the first deacons, were full of
the Holy Ghost according to Acts 6:5, but there is no mention of them
speaking in tongues. There are other evidences of being filled with the
Spirit. We read in Ephesians 4:18 that singing spiritual songs was a
sign of being filled with the Sprit. Acts 4:31 declares that speaking
the Word of God with boldness is evidence of being filled with the
Spirit. It is a mistake to believe that speaking in tongues is the sign
of receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit.
P.S. I'm not a Bible scholar, I'm just sharing what I know.
Everyone be blessed!!!