Like many things in the bible, there is no explicit statement - only the example presented by the actions of the believers at the time. Just like the Trinity arguements :), not explicitly stated, but derived from the whole of scripture.
The thing is, since tongues can be, and has been faked, I find it a poor criteria by which to measure an act of God in someones life.
That is why Paul notes that those who are spiritual discern the actions of those. That is why Paul gave instructions for those to say silent if they couldn't interpret those tongues. And just like a lot of other things, there is a degree of faith involved. However it is also a strong proof too. My childhood pastor was baptized in the Holy Spirit as a young girl. Thing about it was that she had never been taught or aware of tongues until suddenly she was praying in another language altogether.
Also, I had an encounter with God some time ago that could only have been a filling of the Holy Spirit and it was so real and so powerful that I have no doubt it was of God and honestly, I dont feel like I need to speak in tongues to validate it.
And I would go counter to most pentecostals and agree with you.
At that point, tongues to *confirm* it is superfluous. If someone is not sure aside from a tongues event, then I dont know .... Id just wonder about what it was they really did experience.
I can only point to the experience of the earliest church - the tongue became a sign of what happened. The jews from around the world didn't witness the flames settling on the disciples- but they heard the tongues.
I see too much spiritual pride in regard to the haves and have nots. The message that keeps coming across is that the have nots havent really *arrived* yet spiritually.
Indeed MM, and that pride isn't limited to charismatics either :) One thing I'd note - the body of Christ is made up of many parts and none of the parts are suppose to look down on the others. So charismatics might fill the part of the "tongue" while others serve as arms and feet and what not.
I think wed be better off focusing on what we can do for others..... like love (1 Corinthians 13)
Which is what we are doing here.
That's fer sure.
When I first got saved, my best friend also got saved about the same time (we always did things together) although through an entirely different set of circumstances and I didn't know any thing about it until she told me, me not understanding what really happened to me either.
Anyway, I worked with a guy who was hardcore GARB, down to the toes, and my best friend landed immediately in an AoG church.
Boy, did I get it from both ends. I had a real crash course in the ins and outs of Pentecostal/Charismatic vs GARB cessationist theology.
I was just trying to figure out what had happened to me and establish my own identity in Christ, and was getting it from both (opposite) sides.
Perhaps that partially explains my..... resistance (for lack of a better term) to being told that I have to/can't do ________, because ____________.