This is just a little ‘did you know’ informational post on the subject of speaking in tongues, shared as some food for thought.
Another thing that often happens in Apostolic churches is people being told they “almost got the Holy Ghost/Spirit.” This is different from mainstream Pentecostal churches because Apostolics believe that speaking in tongues is the “initial evidence” of having received the Spirit. Because of this, if a person fails to speak in tongues, they are considered lost. Some will say this is not related to spiritual abuse, but I disagree. When you tell people that God “almost” gave them His Spirit, it leaves the person fearful and frustrated. Let’s look into this.
I don’t know how many times I have heard it said since the early 1980s that someone “almost” got the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the person expressed joy or had what some term “stammering lips.” Maybe they stumbled over their words (sometimes due to exhaustion). The person might be told this “almost” happened or, at the very least, people who are established in the church will think this or say it to someone else.
The person who was “tarrying” for the Spirit may walk away drained, tired and defeated in their spirit. Why didn’t God go all the way and just given them His Spirit? Why did God withhold? Is there something bad in their heart? Do they have unrepented sin? Do they lack faith? Could God be rejecting them? Maybe they need to stop some bad habit first? What if something happens to them before this happens? Oh, no, they don’t want to be lost! Many questions, doubts and fears can fill the mind of the person who “almost” received God’s Spirit.
Where did this belief come from? Can we find any instances in the Bible where someone “almost” received God’s Spirit? Can we find Jesus or any of the apostles teaching that this can happen? For those reading who have been subject to this teaching, have you taken the time to search your Bible to see if anything related to this is found there? This is a teaching that has been passed from person to person through the years and has been accepted by many. It causes unnecessary turmoil and fear.
One biblical incident that some might attempt to use in an effort to teach this is found in Acts 8, where the Gospel is delivered to the Samaritans, people believe and are water baptized, and yet they did not receive the Spirit right then. (There is not space to go into the other aspects of the incident in this post and so I am sticking with my main thought.) While this is true, they did not “almost” receive the Spirit as that was something absolutely impossible. Why? The Spirit had not fallen on any of them yet. Because of this, no one can use Acts 8 to prove that someone can “almost” get the Spirit.
Another incident some try to use is in Acts where Paul “almost” persuades Agrippa to be a Christian. This has to do with a person believing on and placing their faith in Jesus and has nothing to do with him “almost” being filled with the Spirit.
There is not one incident in all of the Bible where it is shared that a person “almost” got the Holy Spirit. Not one time do we find anyone teaching that a believer can “almost” receive the Spirit. I know this may be hard for some to realize, but it simply is nowhere to be found. If we cannot find trace of it in the Bible, why do we teach and accept this today? Has God changed? Has He lost some of his power and authority down through the years?
What the Bible does teach is that the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. Jesus shared that He is our Comforter. Believers are sealed with the Spirit. Why would God “almost” give a person this gift? How would God “almost” give a person this gift? If God so loves the world and God so desires us to have a relationship with Him, why would anyone “almost” be given His Spirit? Stop and think about this.
Don’t continue to live in fear or spend days, weeks or months worrying about what is wrong with you that you only “almost” received God’s Spirit. This is a man-made teaching that causes people to be fearful and to believe God is not yet accepting them. Doing this to a believer is spiritual abuse.
Informational post on speaking in tongues #14: Almost Got the Spirit
Informational post on speaking in tongues #13: Praying Through
Informational post on speaking in tongues #12: Stammering Lips
Informational post on speaking in tongues #11: Prophesy
Informational post on speaking in tongues #10: One of many gifts
Informational post on speaking in tongues #9: Continued evidence
Informational post on speaking in tongues #8: Acts 8
Informational post on speaking in tongues #7: Acts 19:6
Informational post on speaking in tongues #6: Speaking in tongues a second time
Informational post on speaking in tongues #5: Acts 10:45-46
Informational post on speaking in tongues #4: Known languages
Informational post on speaking in tongues #3: 1 Corinthians 12:29-30
Informational post on speaking in tongues #2: 1 Corinthians 14:27-28
Informational post on speaking in tongues #1: Pray to interpret
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