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While I consider your #1 and #2 the same gift, there is third...being able to speak in a foreign language.
That is not what I said. I said, claiming that the only way the Spirit manifests Himself is through speaking in tongues when Scripture clearly indicates that there are multiple other gifts that could also be given depending on His will is putting Him in a box. What I mean by putting Him in a box is that we humans are determining what the Holy Spirit will do rather than listening to God's Word on the matter.
Exactly. Not all will receive the same gifts and included in that list is speaking in tongues. How is it you do not see that?
Yes. And again, a one-time occurrence for a specific reason; the exception, not the norm. It should be pointed out that if that passage is going to be used as a proof-text, then it must also necessarily be the case that speaking in tongues be accompanied by the sound of a rushing wind and tongues of fire resting on every individual. You can't just pick the sign you want and leave the others.
Not at all. That's reading too much into it. Paul specifically says, "I want you all to speak in tongues," not "you should all speak in tongues." But, clearly not all will, since he has already stated in chapter 12 that not all speak in tongues and not all interpret.
Exactly my point. This strongly implies that not all will speak in tongues, and given the diversity of gifts, it may be relatively few who do.
This is not biblical. There is not a single verse showing that there is a "private and personal experience for every believer baptized in the Holy Ghost." The only verses which have people speaking in tongues show the opposite of private and personal. There is also not a single verse which states that every believer who receives the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues, as the above states.
First, every believer receives the Holy Spirit. Second, nowhere in Scripture is a distinction made between "personal prayer language" and "the specific gift of tongues used in a public worship setting." Tongues is tongues is tongues, whether personal or corporate.
Everyone who is declared righteous by God receives the Holy Spirit, which is every believer. The evidence is a change of affections, a desire to live for and please God, obedience to Christ's commands, conviction of sin, and love for all people.
In reflecting on the consistent experience of witnessing individuals receive the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, it becomes clear that this manifestation is not merely a historical event but a continuous and universal sign of God's unchanging work. Scripture affirms that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, as seen in Acts 2, Acts 10, and Acts 19, is not an isolated phenomenon but a divine pattern established by God for His church. This sign transcends cultural, denominational, and temporal boundaries, serving as a powerful and unifying confirmation of the Spirit’s presence. Just as God gave the same Spirit to the Jews, the Gentiles, and believers throughout the early church, so too does He give the same initial evidence to those who seek Him today. God’s unchanging nature assures us that He remains faithful to His Word and His ways, providing a consistent and unmistakable sign of the baptism of the Holy Ghost that aligns with the scriptural precedent. The diversity of churches and traditions and personal opinions does not alter this divine pattern, for God’s purpose is to affirm His work in every believer through a tangible, shared experience of His Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues. This serves as both a personal assurance and a corporate witness to the power and reality of the Holy Ghost in the life of the believer.
If "God’s purpose is to affirm His work in every believer through a tangible, shared experience of His Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues," that means that those who don't speak in tongues aren't truly saved. It then follows that none of the disciples were saved until they spoke in tongues. That, in turn, means that God gives the Holy Spirit to unbelievers, which I find a very odd position to take. It also means that if we have to pray to receive the Holy Spirit and so speak in tongues, that we must also work to earn our salvation. Now this becomes a false gospel as Christ's work on the cross is seen to be insufficient to secure our salvation.
Philippians 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."
It absolutely is for everyone sadly not all want to receive it, believe it, or some say not for me, or not available today. So very sad if anyone falls into this category.
There can be real tongue-speaking and fake-speaking. Scripture doesn't provide any way to really test it so how do you know they were all cases of genuine tongue speaking and not people faking it just because they thought they would go to hell for not doing it?
Not everyone speaks in tongues anymore than everyone is a prophet, healer, or exorcist. Just how it is.
Like I said very Godly sorrow for them.
Yes possibly. But as far as I have seen those earnestly seeking would fear God if they tried and faked it.
Well, the gospel in Oneness Pentecostalism can be reduced to "Speak in tongues or die." You're gonna get a lot of people saying, "How long you want me to speak in tongues?" Everyone who is put under that kind of pressure is going to try to perform. That's why in over a decade you've consistently observed tongues. In over a decade of places that don't pressure people to speak tongues, I have only observed it two times.
