Two of God’s Greatest Preachers Never Spoke in Tongues
When I first became a believer, charismatics used to insist that speaking in tongues was THE sign of having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I no longer believe this. I do still believe that speaking in tongues is a sign of having been baptized in the Holy Spirit--I just don’t believe it’s the only sign.
Even though his story is contained in the New Testament, it’s clear to me that John the Baptist was basically an Old Testament prophet. And in Matthew 11:11 Jesus says something mind boggling: “Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.”
From Jesus’ point of view, John the Baptist was greater than Moses. Greater than Elisha. Greater than Elijah. And yet we know that John the Baptist did no miracles (John 10:41). What did John the Baptist do that made him greater than the miracle workers we read about in the Old Testament? Here’s what the angel Gabriel told John’s father Zacharias:
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:15-17 (WEB)
Elijah, of course, did many miracles--and his servant Elisha did twice as many. What did John do?
John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. . . . He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:4-8 (WEB)
So far as we know, Dwight L. Moody never spoke in tongues. Like John the Baptist, Moody did not minister healing or miracles. Moody did, however, receive an infilling of the power of the Holy Spirit, after which hundreds began to be saved whenever he preached. If you read the account of what happened to Moody I think you’ll it’s fair to say he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Like John the Baptist, Moody was preparing a people prepared for the Lord.
I thank God that I do speak in tongues. But it’s obvious to me these days that God is way more impressed with soul winners than He is with tongue talkers--unless those tongue talkers also happen to be about their Father’s business.
Margot Armer
P.S. You can read about “The Day Dwight Moody Was filled with the Holy Spirit” here.
