Think Tongues-Speaking Proves Spirit Baptism? Think Again.

“Have you received the gift of tongues?” many Pentecostals and Charismatics want to know. But they’re asking the wrong question. What they mean is, “Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?” But if they’re asking another Christian, that’s the wrong question as well. The problem is that often, these sincere believers think that the two are the same thing. And, they mistake this gift that God gives freely for a second blessing that only some Christians receive.

Pentecost (Whit Sunday) is June 8. It’s a good day to set the record straight. While the gift of tongues can accompany the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they are not the same. Unfortunately, the confusion between the two often leads to serious theological and pastoral outcomes, especially for Christians who don’t speak in tongues.

Let’s break it down.

When Did the Disciples Receive the Holy Spirit?

Many people think the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the same as the gift of tongues. Yet, Contrary to popular belief, the disciples didn’t even speak in tongues when they first received the Holy Spirit. Further, their initial baptism of the Holy Spirit did not happen at Pentecost. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples. John 22 says:

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

So, the disciples received the Holy Spirit, not on Pentecost, but before. And the context of this experience was not speaking in tongues. Instead, it was Jesus’s speaking of peace, enthusiastic impartation of the spirit/wind/breath of God, and sending the disciples on a mission.

What Happened at Pentecost?

If the disciples received the Holy Spirit after the resurrection, what happened at Pentecost? Exactly what Acts 1:8. Jesus says:

^“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Pentecost doesn’t mark the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit. They did this in John 22. Instead, it fulfills Jesus’s promise of power, as evidenced by the presence of fire on the heads of each apostle gathered. This also fulfills John’s prediction in Matthew 3:11:

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

The baptism of the Holy Spirit happened earlier, in John 22. At Pentecost, the disciples experienced a baptism of fire (power), which allowed them to carry out their witness to the nations who were gathered in Jerusalem on that day. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not the same as speaking in tongues. Even the baptism of fire is separate from the tongues-speaking that followed. The fire was one gift. Tongues were another.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

According to the Bible, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not some elite spiritual upgrade, like first-class passengers on an airplane. Instead, it’s the work of the Spirit that places believers into the body of Christ at the moment of conversion. If salvation is getting your ticket on the plane (a poor analogy at best), then the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the scanning of that ticket upon boarding. Everybody gets their tickets scanned. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, Paul says it like this:

For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Everyone on board has had their ticket scanned. Without getting your ticket scanned, you can’t be on board. Holy Spirit baptism is not reserved for “first-class” Christians. Neither does it require any specific activity like tongues to be authenticated. While you may hear a variety of tongues spoken aboard the plane, no heavenly language is required for your ticket to be valid.

What is the Gift of Tongues?

In 1 Corinthians 12:10, Paul lists many spiritual gifts. Glossolalia is but one of them. It involves a person in spiritual ecstasy speaking a language unknown to them. Some believe this to be gibberish while others think it is an earthly language. Still, others consider it to be the tongues of angels. Whatever it is, this language is one that the speaker does not speak naturally. Instead, it is a gift of the Spirit for the edification of the Church. Ideally, words spoken in tongues should be interpreted if uttered in the assembly.

In my article, “What is the Gift of Tongues? Part One: A Second Blessing?”, I explore how the gift of tongues has mistakenly been associated with a “second blessing,” marking tongues-speaking Christians as first-class passengers and leaving all others in coach. Through personal experience, I know that the emotional power of ecstatic speech is undeniable. But equating it with Spirit baptism creates a spiritual hierarchy that the Spirit does not intend.

Paul emphasizes this in 1 Corinthians 12:30, when he asks:

“Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?”

The obvious answer to Paul’s question is “No.” Just as not everyone in the Church possesses gifts of healing and not everyone is an interpreter, not every Christian should expect to speak in tongues. All Christians experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but this is not the same as the gift of tongues.

Evidence from the Book of Acts

Some people argue that the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the gift of tongues. Certainly, some scriptures seem to support this:

Acts 2 – Speaking in unknown tongues, the disciples address an international crowd. The greater miracle, of course, is that each hearer understands the message in their own language.
Acts 10 – The Holy Spirit is poured out on Cornelius’s household, who speak in tongues. The noteworthy thing is that Gentiles now share the same status as Jewish believers.
Acts 19 – Paul’s Jewish audience in Ephesus had received the baptism of John, which was a promise of the coming messiah, Jesus. Upon Paul’s laying on of hands, they receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.

These three examples, however, are meant to be descriptive, not prescriptive. When the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 8, no tongues are mentioned. Likewise, when Paul is filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 9, he never mentions any gift of tongues. In my article, “Deconstructing the Gift of Tongues, Part Two: A Lesser Gift?”, I discuss why we must be cautious about elevating any one gift as a universal experience.

The Real Danger: Second-Class Christians

Here’s where this confusion gets dangerous.

When Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians treat the gift of tongues as a proof of the Holy Spirit’s baptism, they introduce a subtle but toxic undertone to the Church’s message: If you don’t speak in tongues, maybe you’re not fully Spirit-filled—or worse, maybe you’re not even saved. Tongues-speakers are perceived as more spiritual, while those without this gift lack something essential. This spiritually abusive doctrine leaves many damaged victims.

Many of my faithful friends who love Jesus, serve, pray, worship, and read the Bible feel spiritually broken because they have never spoken in tongues. They’ve even asked God to grant them the gift of tongues, believing themselves somehow defective without it, yet have received nothing. Like passengers in coach, jealous of those in first-class, they feel the judgment of those who look down on them as less-than.

As a result, the unity of the Church suffers. Instead of classifying Christians, we must realize that every believer receives the Spirit at conversion (Romans 8:9). Nobody is a second-class Christian in God’s eyes.

Gifts Are Distributed, Not Earned

Rather than fostering a caste system among Christians, the New Testament affirms an equality among believers. In 1 Corinthians 12:11, Paul says:

All these are activated by the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

This means that:

Nobody earns a spiritual gift.
Nobody who attempts to manufacture a spiritual gift through pressure or mimicry does so by the power of the Spirit.
No single gift (including tongues) puts one believer on a higher plane than another.
No single gift (including tongues) should be used as a litmus test for spiritual development.

In my article, “Tongues: A Prayer Language?”, I write about the deep spiritual significance of tongues as a form of private prayer. For some Christians, the gift of tongues is incredibly intimate and profoundly meaningful. But even then, it should not become a ticket you wave around to gain the approval of others. It is the Spirit who validates you, not Church members.

Holy Spirit ≠ Tongues. Here’s Why That Matters

In the end, it’s important to recognize that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not the same as the gift of tongues. This matters because:

Every believer is baptized by the Spirit into Christ’s Church at conversion.
The Spirit offers diverse gifts to a variety of people—some with tongues, others wisdom, teaching, mercy, or healing.
There is no seating status or boarding zone when it comes to Christians. Instead, there is only unity in diversity.

When tongues are used as proof of spiritual maturity, the opposite of maturity results. Instead of development, the “gifted” demonstrate their pride. What’s more, they marginalize those whose accomplishments appear to be defective. This is the hallmark of arrogance, not of love.

Think Tongues-Speaking Proves Spirit Baptism? Think Again.

Do you think tongues-speaking is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Do you believe that some Christians are “spirit-filled,” while others are not? Think again. Pentecost is a day when we recognize the Spirit as poured out upon all people. It is not a time when some should claim to possess mystical proof of greater devotion to God than others. So, let’s honor the work of the Holy Spirit in a variety of manifestations. Let’s not reduce it to a singular sign of divine favor. Let’s create space in the Church for every believer to grow, serve, and flourish—regardless of the language they speak.

If you or someone you know doesn’t speak in tongues, let me say this loudly, like a trumpet blowing a clear note that all can hear and understand: you are not missing out on the Holy Spirit. It is like Peter preached in Acts 2:16-17 on the day of Pentecost:

This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

‘In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh…

“All flesh” means “all flesh.” So, let’s stop creating spiritual “classes” based on gifts and start celebrating the rich diversity of the Spirit’s work in all people.