Not All Receive the Gift of Tongues

Posted March 11, 2004, updated April 2026 

Introduction

This study was originally published 22 years ago in response to several questions from a brother who believed that unknown tongues was a Biblical doctrine. At that time I had not yet written anything on this subject and I told Sandi that when she posted this that we would probably lose as much as 50% of our readership. I knew that many, if not most, of the people attending our conferences back then believed that unknown tongues were the sign that you had received the gift of the holy spirit.

This study was done in response to questions from a reader who seemed to be sincere. They were questions I had myself at one time, and I was excited to share what I had learned with this reader, but I knew very well how tenacious this particular false doctrine is to those who have spoken in unknown tongues, and I was right about losing many readers when I let everyone know that I considered the doctrine that “Speaking in unknown tongues is the initial evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost” is a false doctrine. Yet that statement is an article of faith among many Pentecostal and Charismatic congregants. The acceptance of this false doctrine has continued to grow in popularity in virtually every Christian denomination, both Catholic and Protestant. They read these verses and because they have no ability to discern spirits, they fall for that lie:

Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Hi Mike!

Thanks for your response. I do want to discuss this subject of speaking in tongues. I just wanted to explain how I’ve believed this. I had a few thoughts about your statement that not everyone who has the Holy Ghost receives the gift of tongues.

Thanks, M____

Hi M____,

Yes, Paul makes it very clear that not all who receive the Holy Ghost receive the gift of tongues when he lists all the gifts and offices and then poses seven questions. The obvious answer to every one of those seven questions is an emphatic, No! His point being that each member of the body has a different function. No one sincerely seeking to know the mind of God on this subject can read the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians and conclude that everyone who has the Holy Ghost must speak with tongues. Read that chapter. After each question Paul poses, ask yourself, “Does this person have to speak with tongues to have the Holy Spirit?” The only verses where the answer is yes will be the verses which deal with the gift of tongues. Yet Paul assert that they all have the “selfsame Spirit”.

1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Tongues are mentioned only three times in the book of Acts:

1. When they were first given on the day of Pentecost in Act 2, as a sign to the Jews from all over the world, followed by Peter’s witness to all those Jews.
2. At Cornelius’ house, in Acts 10, as a sign that the gospel was to go to the Gentiles, again followed by Peter’s witness to both the Gentiles present and as a sign to Peter himself and the Jews that were with him that the gospel had, indeed, been given to the Gentiles.
3. To the 12 men at Ephesus, again as a sign, to the very “Jews of Asia,” who were later to be so instrumental in attempting to stop Paul’s ministry as “the apostle of the Gentiles” ( “Tongues are for a sign to unbelievers.” That is the only scriptural purpose given for this gift. Tongues, in scripture, are always real languages.

Let’s just let the scriptures speak for themselves. I will embolden a few words for emphasis:

1Co 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. [There; if you have Christ, you have the Spirit]
1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1Co 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1Co 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
1Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
1Co 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

The many members with many gifts and functions have only one “Holy Ghost”- verse 3. The “more excellent way” is the way of ‘agape,’ love. The love of God is totally ignored by many who actually teach that “Speaking with unknown tongues it the initial evidence of the gift of the holy spirit.” To these immature and deceived brothers speaking with ‘unknown tongues’ is by far a more reliable sign of how close one is to God in the mind of many than the “more excellent way” revealed in ‘the love chapter’ of 1 Corinthians 13.

I know this is true, because I was just such a person as a teenage Pentecostal. I remember clearly how shocked I was  when it was pointed out to me that Paul said that he would rather speak five words which could be understood than ten thousand words in a tongue no one understood:

1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

These gifts here in 1 Corinthians 12 are listed in descending order of importance. Tongues are always the last gift mentioned. Paul concludes with the admonition to “covet earnestly the best gifts.” Notice how Paul characterizes those who prefer to edify themselves by displaying their gift of tongues instead of edifying the church:

1Co 14:20  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Why then is it that the emphasis today is the exact opposite as the so-called ‘gift of unknown tongues’ is becoming more and more mainstream in so many churches?

Apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, gifts of healing, helps, governments are all around, but they can’t hold a candle to the popularity of ‘unknown tongues.’ Why is that? Could it be that a healing is a bit harder to perform? Well, in truth, that is certainly not the case for God, but that is the case for the Adversary. Yet it seems that the only gift being sought so diligently by most Christians is ‘unknown tongues.’

Again, the obvious answer to every question Paul poses concerning whether all possess all of the gifts is an emphatic NO! Not every one who receives the Holy Ghost, talks with tongues, and NO one speaking in the true spirit of God speaks in ‘unknown tongues’ because such a doctrine is not even mentioned in scripture.

The “Holy Ghost,” is “Christ in you.” That is why He said, “The Father will take of mine and give to you.” That is why Christ said, “I will not leave you Comfortless. I will come to you.”

That is why we are told that ‘the parakletos’ is “the comforter which IS the holy ghost…”:

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter [G3875: ‘parakletos’], which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Notice where this verse appears and what Christ had just said:

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [The ‘we’, and the ‘our’ refer to Christ and His Father]

Christ’s teaching is that He and His Father will come and make their abode within us. There is no mention of a “third person” because we are told that this “parakletos, which is the holy ghost”, is Jesus Christ:

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate [G3875: ‘parakletos’] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Our ‘advocate”, our “comforter” is our “parakletos”… Jesus Christ the righteous” That is what Christ meant when He told us the Father had given everything to Christ. When He said that, He was referring specifically to the holy spirit, which Christ said He would send to us:

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come [“The Comforter”, (Joh 15:26)], he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine [Including the Father’s spirit]: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Christ had already told us that “the spirit of Truth” is the same as “the comforter.”

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

[Be sure to read Is God a Trinity? on the web page.]

In Act 2, it says that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in other tongues. Okay, here we have them all speaking in other tongues. There seems to be an indication that, when a person is filled with the holy spirit he ‘begins to speak’ .

Of all the conversions mentioned in the book of Acts, from the 3000 on the day of Pentecost to the Ethiopian eunuch, to all the people Paul and Barnabas brought to Christ, to Paul’s and Silas’ jailer, etc., tongues are mentioned only three times. 1 Corinthians 12 explains why. Not every part of “the body,” needs the same gift. Besides that, the only tongues mentioned in Acts 2, or anywhere else in scripture, are real languages, spoken clearly by people who weren’t even able to interpret what they were saying. They were of no value to the person speaking, as far as being edified by what was coming out of their own mouth. However, those words were very edifying to “unbelievers,” and that is why tongues were given to those to whom they were given in the New Testament.

Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem [unbelieving] Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

These as yet unbelieving Jews knew that these men were all uneducated “Galileans.”

Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

The languages spoken by those given the gift of tongues are enumerated, and not one of the languages is referred to as being an “unknown tongue”:

Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Act 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? [This was a “sign to these unbelievers”]

I have never denied that on the day of Pentecost, “they all spoke in other tongues [languages].” This is a bonafide gift of God. This is the real thing. If the Spirit is moving in this way, as is claimed, why have we not one modern case of such an event. Television  and news magazines have from time to time been forced to admit to a Bonafide healing. Personally, I have yet to see or hear of any such event as was witnessed by thousands on the day of Pentecost. I want to experience such a miracle, but I want it to be as real as it was that day when “speaking with tongues … profit [ed] you, …[by] speak[ing] to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine” (1Co 14:6). This is what happened with real languages on the day of Pentecost, and every time tongues are mentioned in scripture. Again, there is no mention in scripture of ‘unknown tongues.’

We know this is so because Paul goes on to tell us that the tongues he is discussing in 1 Corinthians 14 are so real he makes this statement:

1Co 14:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds [Distinction means that it has significance to someone in the room], how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
1Co 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound [how in the world can anyone be certain about a language that is not mentioned in scripture and is understood by no one on earth?], who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1Co 14:9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood [does this sound like Paul is talking about ‘unknown,’ tongues], how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
1Co 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
1Co 14:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

That last verse is in contrast to: He that speaketh in an [foreign] tongue [when there is no one there who needs that particular tongue] edifieth himself [hey, look at me, I’ve got my gift]; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church (1Co 14:4). The “edifieth himself” of this verse is not talking about spiritual edification, because the man himself does not understand what he is saying in the language he is speaking. Nevertheless, it is a real language under discussion, as real as the languages on the day of Pentecost, or Paul would never have made the statements we have just quoted or the statement that follows that:

1Co 14:5  I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

An ‘unknown’ tongue would serve no purpose whatsoever. It is a false ‘sign’ because no one can possibly know whether it was being properly interpreted, because it isn’t even a language. That is why Paul poses the question, “How shall it be known what is spoken?” (verse 9). Paul is not even talking about ‘unknown tongues.’ He asks that question in the context of having no one around who would be benefited by the real foreign language being spoken. ‘Unknown tongues’ as that phrase has come to be understood, are not even part of the discussion in 1 Corinthians 14, or anywhere else in scripture.

You ask:

“In Luke it says wait until you’re endued with power from on high. Do you believe that at salvation you receive the Holy Ghost as well?” (End Quote)

The phrase “at salvation” is not in the scriptures. I am not intending to offend you, but the way you have framed this question, demonstrates that you are not aware that ‘salvation’ is a continual, “dying daily” (1Co 15:31) process. Of course you receive the Holy Ghost when you receive Christ. The Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit which God the Father gave to Christ who then gives His Father’s spirit to us.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth [“The Comforter”, (Joh 15:26)], is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine [Including the holy spirit]: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost [Which is “the Spirit of Truth”, (Joh 15:26)], whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Here is Christ telling us the comforter and the spirit of truth are the holy ghost which the Father has given to Christ. That is how Christ can say “He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you”.

Both English words ‘ghost’ and spirit’ are translated from the same single Greek word ‘pneuma‘. The Greek for ‘holy ghost’ is Hagios Pneuma. The translators have done us a very great disservice by not giving this Greek phrase a consistent translation.

Ephesian 4:30 tells us not to grieve the holy spirt of God:

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Why did they not translate that verse as… “And grieve not the holy ghost of God…” Could it be that doing so would indicate that the spirit of God is not a person but that of which God consists… His all powerful, ever present, everywhere present spirit.

Getting back to your use of the phrase… “at salvation”, the apostle Paul demonstrates the fallacy of that phrase when he speaks of our salvation in this way:

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

How does “salvation nearer” square with the concept of “at salvation?” Again he says:

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [Why not ‘Holy Ghost of promise?’]

Then he also reveals this:

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

These verses reveal that ‘salvation’ is a continual “working out” process. We receive the ‘Holy Spirit [Ghost] of promise immediately “after ye believed.” Just because the twelve men at Ephesus had never even heard of the Holy Spirit does not mean that one must wait for a so called “separate work of the Spirit.” Those twelve men were still under “the baptism of John” and were completely unaware that Christ, through His Father’s spirit could come and dwell within them:

Act 19:1  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
Act 19:2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Act 19:3  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
Act 19:4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:6  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Act 19:7  And all the men were about twelve.

John’s baptism was to repentance, but it did not include the conversion that comes with the gift of the holy spirit. As Christ told Peter, His own apostle the night of His apprehension by the Jews. This was after Peter spending three and a half years as Christ’s apostle:

Luk 22:31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Luk 22:33  And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Luk 22:34  And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

Like Peter before his conversion, the twelve men at Ephesus were not yet converted because they had not yet received the holy spirit. Even then we still must “endure to the end” to receive our salvation:

Christ is always the final word on any subject and the statement that ‘we must endure to the end to receive our salvation’ is Christ’s own words:

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

This Truth is repeated by Christ in Matthew 24:

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many [who believe in Christ] shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

So, to answer your question as to what I believe, based on these and many other like scriptures, I do believe that you receive the Holy Spirit immediately upon conversion, but I do not believe that you are mature in the Spirit at the moment you become aware of your need for a Savior, and the fact that a Savior has been provided. Salvation is an ongoing process. Though you have been given God’s Spirit, right from the beginning, God’s Spirit does not make you mature and complete right from the beginning. The steps involved in our maturing process are outlined for us in Israel’s experience and history. Paul tells us that this is so in:

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

I am sending you another email on this subject of salvation. It is entitled The Seven Steps To Salvation.

We will pause this study at this point and continue with this brother’s questions in our next study.