This post will form part of many posts on the subject of receiving the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.
Tongues has come under a lot of debate over the last 100 years mainly due to misunderstandings of what Jesus said and what Paul wrote on this subject mainly in the letter to the Corinthians.
So first of, there is more to being filled with the Holy Spirit than speaking in tongues; but speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit as we see for example in Acts 19:1-7.
There are those who purport to believe in speaking in tongues but do not feel that tongues are necessary for all believers. However, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for all those who believe (Acts 2:38,39); therefore, speaking in tongues as an evidence of the Spirit’s infilling is also for all those who believe.
These who say that speaking in tongues is not necessary for all believers use the scripture in First Corinthians 12:30 which says, “. . . do all speak with tongues?. . .” to prove their argument.
However, one could take a part of a verse of Scripture, or even one entire verse of Scripture out of its setting and try to prove anything with it. But we have to read the entire context to see what the writer is talking about.
To learn what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 12:30, “. . . do all speak with tongues? .
. .” we must read the entire context in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Having done that, then let’s look specifically at verses 27 through 30.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-30
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
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.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
Ministry Gifts vs. Spiritual Gifts
What is Paul talking about in this passage of Scripture? He is talking about ministry gifts, not spiritual gifts. Ministry gifts are those people in the Body of Christ who are called by God to stand in the fivefold ministry (Ephesians 4:11,12).
These apostles, prophets, teachers, and so forth, listed here in First Corinthians 12:27 and 28 are ministry gifts that God has set in the Church.
For example, first, “apostles” is not a spiritual gift, but it is an office or a ministry gift.
Second, “prophets” is not a spiritual gift, but it is a ministry gift. Third, “teachers,” the office of a teacher, is not a spiritual gift, but a ministry gift, or one called to minister to the Body of Christ.
Therefore, in this passage of Scripture in First Corinthians 12:27-30, Paul is talking about ministry gifts, or those called to the fivefold ministry, not about spiritual gifts.
In order to see the difference between ministry gifts and spiritual gifts, let’s look at the nine spiritual gifts, or gifts of the Spirit. Paul lists them in the first part of this chapter.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:8-10
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the WORD OF WISDOM; to another the WORD OF KNOWLEDGE by the same Spirit;
9 To another FAITH [special faith] by the same Spirit; to another the GIFTS OF HEALING by the same Spirit;
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.
It is certainly true that gifts of the Spirit may be manifested through the laity, not just through ministry gifts or those called to the fivefold ministry, because the Bible does say, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given TO EVERY MAN to profit withal” (1 Corinthians 12:7).
However, there are those in the fivefold ministry who are especially equipped with certain gifts of the Spirit in order to fulfill their office or function in the Body of Christ. We do not call those people spiritual gifts or gifts of the Spirit; they are ministries or ministry gifts that God has set in the Church.
Paul talks about ministry gifts in writing to the Church at Ephesus. Paul said that when Jesus ascended on High, “. . . he led captivity captive, and gave GIFTS unto men” (Ephesians 4:8).
What were those gifts? Paul goes on to list them. They are ministry gifts Jesus set in the Church.
EPHESIANS 4:11,12
- And he gave some, APOSTLES; and some, PROPHETS; and some, EVANGELISTS; and some, PASTORS and TEACHERS;
- For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
There are five ministry gifts or offices. They are people in the Body of Christ who are called by God to stand in the fivefold ministry.
Now let’s look at First Corinthians 12:28 in context so we can understand what Paul meant when he said, “… do all speak with tongues?. . .” (1 Corinthians 12:30).
In 1 Corinthians 12:28, Paul is also listing ministry gifts, but he lists them in a little different way.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:28
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.
Now let’s look at each one of these ministry gifts, so we can understand the phrase “do all speak with tongues?”
As we said, “apostle,” “prophet,” and “teacher,” which are also mentioned in First Corinthians 12:28, indicate those in the fivefold ministry offices.
Then Paul also includes the ministry of helps because those in the ministry of helps assist those called to the fivefold ministry. But what about “miracles” and “gifts of healings” (1 Corinthians 12:28)?
Miracles and Gifts of Healings
Those gifts of “miracles” and “gifts of healings” indicate a ministry gift — the office of the evangelist. The ministry of an evangelist is not listed at all here, except as “miracles” and “gifts of healings,” indicating the office of the evangelist.
Philip is our only example of a New Testament evangelist. We can see the working of miracles and gifts of healings operating in his ministry which indicate the ministry of an evangelist.
ACTS 8:5-7
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, HEARING AND SEEING THE MIRACLES WHICH HE DID.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
Later on Philip was called an evangelist.
ACTS 21:8
8 And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of PHILIP THE EVANGELIST, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
If a person is a New Testament evangelist, he will be equipped with supernatural gifts such as working of miracles and gifts of healings. In fact, it takes at least those two gifts to constitute the office of the evangelist.
Many times we call people evangelists who are really exhorters. In other words, they just exhort sinners to get saved, but they are not really New Testament evangelists; they are exhorters.
Exhorters do not have the gifts of healings or the gift of the working of miracles operating in their ministries. They are exhorters; that is their function in the Body of Christ. And they can exhort people to get saved, but there is no manifestation of supernatural gifts operating in their lives or ministries on a continual basis. Paul speaks of exhorters in the Book of Romans (Rom. 12:8).
Helps
The ministry of helps is included in this passage in First Corinthians 12:27-30 too. These are people in the Body of Christ who are divinely called and anointed by God to help those in the fivefold ministry. Verse 28 calls this ministry, “helps.” Their function is as a supportive role to those called to the ministry.
Governments
Also, the ministry or the office of the pastor is not listed in this verse either, as such. However, the office of governments is listed which indicates the pastoral office because the pastor is the head of a church. He “governs” or shepherds the local body.
Diversities of Tongues
Another ministry gift we see listed in First Corinthians 12:28 is diversities of tongues. Paul has not changed his subject in this verse. He is still talking about ministry gifts, or fivefold ministry offices, not gifts of the Spirit.
In other words, in this passage, Paul isn’t talking about being filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking with tongues as a devotional gift because he said, “Are all apostles? [No!] are all prophets? [No!] are all teachers? [No!] are all workers of miracles? [No!] Have all the gifts of healing? …” The answer is no (1 Corinthians 12:29,30).
Then Paul said, “. . . do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:30). The answer is no, all do not speak with tongues as a ministry gift. Paul was not talking about believers being filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking with tongues in their private devotional prayer lives.
However, all believers are encouraged to speak in tongues to themselves and to God (1 Corinthians 14:2,4).
Paul was talking about ministering in tongues in a public assembly with interpretation as a ministry gift, and not everyone does that. Ministering in tongues in public assembly with interpretation on more of a continual basis denotes the ministry gift of diversities of tongues most closely related to the office of the prophet, and not every believer has that gift. This is not referring to a believer who is used in tongues or interpretation of tongues on an occasional basis.
Of course, every believer can have the gift of speaking in other tongues for private devotion. The gifts of the Spirit are for all believers. But ministry gifts only refer to those who are called to the fivefold ministry.
It is true that the laity are sometimes used in the manifestation of the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues — the gift of the Spirit listed in First Corinthians 12:10. But, actually, diversities of tongues listed here in 1 Corinthians 12:28 is not referring to lay members speaking in tongues; it is referring to an office — a fivefold ministry gift.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:28
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.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:27,28
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
Paul was speaking here about one of the fivefold ministry gifts which is equipped with tongues and interpretation of tongues. This spiritual equipment of diversities of tongues is manifested on a consistent basis through one who is called to the fivefold ministry in the office of the prophet.
So to conclude, the phrase “do all speak in tongues” in 1 Corinthians 12:30 cannot be applied to a normal believer as Paul is referring to men and women who are operating as ministry gifts to the body of Christ. They all might not speak in tongues in a congregational setting, but ceratinly would do in their personal time of prayer.
Living as a Christian in this World 