Individual Experience and General Rule

Generalizations applicable to everyone usually cannot be proved from individual experiences

Some assert that the manifestation of tongues is the invariable initial evidence of Spirit baptism, basing their position several examples in Acts and on personal experience. There are, of course, no scriptures which directly state that spirituality is always manifested first as speaking in tongues, so generalization from examples is the best available argument. However, the only possible source for a general rule of this sort is scripture.

The problem with reasoning based on personal experience is that individual instances cannot absolutely prove a universal rule. It is one thing to say, "I spoke in tongues when I was baptized in the Spirit" but quite a different thing to say "everyone who is baptized in the Holy Spirit must speak in tongues." Stated from the opposite direction, there is no inconsistency between the statements "Joe spoke in tongues when he was baptized in the Holy Spirit" and "Mary was baptized in the Holy Spirit 80 years ago but has never spoken in tongues." One person's individual experience simply cannot be relied upon as proof that every other Christian's experience will be the same.

On both sides of the argument about tongues, the point is raised that "God is no respecter of persons," and therefore must treat all identically. If tongues are the evidence of the Spirit in anyone's life, they must be the evidence of the Spirit in everyone's life. But when God declared that He does not respect persons, He did not mean that He treats us all identically. He meant that He doesn't show favoritism. He doesn't give His love or show His favor more readily to the rich because they can buy it or to the poor because they can't. He doesn't court the favor of the powerful or especially seek recognition from human celebrities. He doesn't let us earn anything before Him. God is one, but He recognizes that we are many individuals, understands the differences between His children, gives us individually what we need, and apportions different responsibilities and gifts to each of us.

Jesus promised that we would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:5). Paul commanded that we be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18). So whatever it means to be "baptized in" or "filled with" the Spirit (a question discussed on a later page), these are universals, things God wants to be a part of the experience of all of his children. There is, however, no particular reason God should prove His activity, or the work of His Spirit, in my life in exactly the way He proves His work in yours.

NEXT PAGE: What is the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Ian Johnson & Jonathan Brickman
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