Initial Physical Evidence: Speaking in Tongues
As taught in the Pentecostal / Charismatic tradition
The biblical basis for identifying glossolalia as the primary initial sign of Spirit baptism.
Within the global Pentecostal movement, no doctrine is more distinctive, more debated, or more central to its identity than the "Initial Physical Evidence" of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the four primary instances in the Book of Acts where the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is accompanied by speaking in tongues.
- **Distinguish** between the "Gift of Tongues" as used in public worship (1 Corinthians 12-14) and the "Initial Physical Evidence" of tongues as a sign of Spirit-baptism.
- **Explain** the theological concept of "subsequence"—the Pentecostal belief that Spirit-baptism is an experience distinct from and following salvation.
- **Articulate** the historical development of the doctrine of Initial Physical Evidence from the Topeka and Azusa Street revivals to modern confessional statements.
- **Trace** the Lukan emphasis on the Holy Spirit as the "Spirit of Empowerment" for mission and witness.
- **Defend** the Pentecostal reading of Acts 2, 10, and 19 against cessationist and non-Pentecostal evangelical interpretations.
- **Apply** the doctrine of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit to the life of prayer, intercession, and global evangelism within the Pentecostal tradition.
- **Compare** the Pentecostal view of Spirit-baptism with the Reformed, Baptist, and Catholic views of the Holy Spirit's role in the believer's life.
Scripture
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