MOV:I spoke in tongues by Pastor Edward Stelling My Conversion I was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1907. My parents being Episcopalians, was christened in that church. Faithfully the' brought me up to attend Sunday School church, and the young people's society. In due season I learned the catechism and wac confirmed by the bishop. But I had never been saved. I became a member of the choir president of the young people's society, and president of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew's but I was not saved. I even attained the position of Cross Bearer and Altar Boy, but I was not a Christian. On some special occasions I was permitted to read the Scripture from the lectern and prayers from the prayer book during a service. Still I was not saved although the church, because of infant baptism, counted me "a member of Christ, a child of Go, d, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. At the age of 25, I moved to Washington, D.C., in order to study commercial art. I was working in the Census Bureau of the government and attending the Epiphany Episcopal Church. As secretary of the Sunday School, I noticed the influence that a certain teacher had upon the young people she taught. I decided to attend that class. She took an interest in me and unknown to me, prayed for me to be saved. One day she gave me a book to read on the new birth. I struggled through and returned it. Her question was, "How did you like it?" My reply, "Oh, it was a good book, " but under my breath, "but not for me." Then after a time, she invited me to a meeting outside the church, where the people gave testimonies. That night everyone seemed to speak about being born again. I went home lifted up, thinking of what a wonderful service it was. I felt those people were really doing a grand work. At my desk the next day, some voice seemed to say to me, "When were you born again?" I wondered, "When was I born again?" Then like a flash it came to me that they were speaking about infant baptism. "Of course they were, for that is what the prayer book states." I then resumed work and was happy. But the voice seemed to insist, "When were you born again?" I stopped work and wondered, "Just what did they mean? If they were not talking about infant baptism, what could it be?" Then again like a flash there came the answer that they were speaking about confirmation, and it seemed so dumb of me not to have thought of that before. Once again I was reassured and worked with whistling spirit. But there again came that persistent question, "When were you born again?" Now I was really troubled; for if they were not referring to infant baptism, nor confirmation, then I know not what, for I had no more religious experiences upon which to rely. For about two weeks I was greatly disturbed over this being born again. Those whom I asked about it gave me no help, until I visited my Sunday School teacher. She explained that I was a sinner and needed a Saviour. Jesus Christ was that Saviour Who died for my sins, and I needed to accept Him personally in order to have peace and sins forgiven. There and then I accepted Christ and found peace. My life was so changed that my mother could detect it in my letters and asked me to come home and explain what had happened to me. I gave my testimony to the young people a church and met with strong opposition. The Scripture says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Act' 16:31); I believed and was saved and knew ii It also says, "Therefore if any man be ii Christ, he is a new creature; old things ar passed away; behold, all things are become new" (Il Corinthians 5:17); I was now ii Christ, Christ was in me, and my life was really changed. My Introduction to Pentecostalism My early Christian life, however, was full vacillation--I was happy one day and defeated the next. I began to understand how weak the flesh is. I was still yielding to temptation; was finding it hard to break with the world; was failing to witness for my Lord; I was not reading my Bible; and my prayer life wa almost nothing. These things never bothered me before, but now they constantly affect my conscience. I seemed to be thinking much, too, about being filled with the Spirit read everything that came across my pal about being filled; I gave special attention sermons on that subject; yet no matter ho hard I tried to meet the conditions, I could make no progress--I just could not find the fullness. Furthermore, the conditions give were confusing, for all the ministers did agree on how to be filled. I was in this state of mind when a Christ' friend, Gene Scheele, asked me to go wi him to the Full Gospel Tabernacle. He knew my difficulties and my heart's desire. said, "Ed, come on over to this church; you like it. It is one of the happiest groups Christians I know. They have fine singing and are on fire for the Lord, witnessing and winning souls continually." It sounded fine to my discouraged ears, and I went. The church at that time was having evangelistic meetings led by Mrs. Edith M. Pennington. Every seat was taken and extra chairs placed in the aisles. The musical part of the program was rousing. Mrs. Pennington preached a message on salvation, and I enjoyed it. But coming out of a church that majored in ritual and reverence in their service, I was quite upset by the informality of this service. Especially was I disturbed when one or two during the service would arise and speak with unintelligible tongues. These would stand up somewhere in the congregation. Then after they were quiet, another from the platform, usually an elder or the pastor, would speak in English. This was my first introduction to hearing speaking in tongues and an interpretation. When the invitation was given, many moved freely toward the altar railing around the pulpit. Some stood and some knelt. I mentioned to my friend Gene that we should go home now. "Oh no, " he said, "let's stay for the after-meeting; this is the best part of the service." I yielded against my better judgment. Soon prayers and praise began to ascend from the seekers, as they prayed, for the most part, aloud. The overtone increased in pitch. Here and there a shout. Hands began to rise and tremble. Some people started weeping; some were clapping their hands. Then I saw a few women fall backward from the railing in unbecoming positions, but small blankets were quickly thrown over them. Many were speaking in tongues, some praying, some praising, and some singing. I grew quite frightened and told my friend that he could stay, but I was leaving. He left with me and tried to explain things on the way home, but I was very confused. When I did reach my room, I knelt by my bed for a long time in prayer and confessed to the Lord that I was fearful of this experience. I asked why I should be afraid if this was of Him. If this was the proper way to be filled with the Spirit, why should I be moved with fear? I set out a fleece, that if this was of the Lord, He would remove the fear that I had of it by the next Sunday (for the campaign closed that Sunday), and I would go forward and tarry for the "baptism." All that week I thought upon that service, and each time I reconstructed the scenes in my mind, fear gripped me. At the end of the week, I decided to use some of my accrued leave and stay home on Saturday to pray. Someone placed into my hands a book on this subject, and I read it through. Everything seemed to be explained in such a simple manner; the Scriptures used were very reasonable; and I found myself beginning to understand. Suddenly, I realized that my fears had left me, and just as I had prayed, before the next Sunday. I fully concluded it must be of the Lord and with joy decided then and there to go forward the next night. Again the church was packed with an over-flowing audience. It made no difference to me where I sat, for I was determined to be the first to the altar rail. I do not remember anything about the message as I was awaiting the invitation. As soon as it was given, I started down the aisle to seek the baptism. I knelt, while my friend Gene sat in the first pew behind me. A worker knelt by my side and asked if I came to be saved or to tarry for the Holy Ghost. I told her I was saved but wanted to be filled with the Spirit. She advised me to praise the Lord and keep praising and praying and yielding to Him. She blessed the Lord and left my side. I followed instructions as nearly as possible, but nothing happened. I turned and looked about me and saw a number with their hands raised and speaking in tongues. I decided to try this; maybe it was the way. However, nothing happened, and I soon became tired of holding up my hands. Then I looked about again, and this time I saw a number had fallen prostrate on the floor. The thought came to me, "No wonder you do not receive the power; you would never let that happen to you; you are too proud. An Episcopalian on the floor of the church. You would never humble yourself to do that." At once I determined that if that was required to humble me, if fear of lying on the church floor before all these people was hindering me from receiving the Holy Ghost and power, it would be a stumbling block no longer.-I lay down right alongside the nearest seeker. But still nothing happened to me, and I began to despair. Several came over to my side and began to pray in tongues and encourage me to praise the Lord and "let go and let God." The elder and the pastor came over and laid their hands on my head and prayed in tongues, but still nothing happened. I held up my hands until they were weary, and I kept going over these phrase' that I heard others use, "Hallelujah. Glory to God. Praise you, Jesus! Praise you Jesus! Hallelujah, Praise the Lord! Bless you Jesus bless you, Jesus!'! I felt the sensation come up over my body. My arms, which were now by my side, began to move by this power. The power crept on up to my chest, then to my neck and stopped. I remembered what the woman had said about the tongue, and I praised hard, yearning for my tongue to be taken. Then it was, and it began to move like a trip-hammer. I began to use sounds and syllables that I did not recognize. Behold, I was speaking in tongues. My tongue was moving faster than I could ever move it in normal conversation, and I was not in the least tired, nor were my hands tired as they had been earlier in the evening, though they shook and shook. My whole body was refreshed. I spoke in tongues; then I sang in tongues, the syllables seeming to match the music; then I prayed in tongues. I was in burden and squirmed on the floor. All at once I was seized with "holy weeping, " and I wept until I thought my heart would break. Then suddenly I was seized with "holy laughter"; I laughed until I thought my sides would break; nor was I thinking of anything funny-no, not even in my imagination; I was under the grip of this power. From weeping to laughter, I behaved as one hysterical, and yet I had never had hysterics in all my life. After some time had elapsed, this power released me, and I began to quiet down. I opened my eyes and looked around. I sat up and was strangely surprised to find that there was no one left in the church except my friend Gene, who was faithfully sitting in the pew next to me. It was close to midnight. I stood to walk but was so dizzy from the experience that I had to reach for the back of a pew to steady myself from falling. Think of it dizzy from lying on a floor--it certainly was not a worked-up experience. As I steadied myself, the Scripture came to my mind, "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine" (Acts 2:13). I did not remember the exact words, but I knew the apostles were accused of being drunk on the day of Pentecost. So I let out a shout, for I was thereby assured that I had the true baptism of the Holy Ghost. As I walked the streets that night going home, I felt like I was walking on a cloud. Oh, was I happy, and my friend happy for me. I went to bed, but I did not sleep for praising the Lord. Often through the night I would scratch the sheets to see if something was under me, for I felt like I was floating on a cloud. I was living in a boarding house with a number of other Christian young people who worked in Washington, most of them for the government. Each morning after breakfast we had group devotions. I had been told by the Pentecostal folk that if I did not testify of my experience, I would grieve the Holy Ghost and lose the experience. So at the first devotional meeting, I decided to testify. After asking if I might say a word by way of testimony, I told them briefly what had happened to me the night before. Some knew I was interested in this experience, and when I began to speak, their heads dropped. The only one who seemed to understand, outside of my Christian friend, was the Negro cook, who clapped her hands and cried, "Praise God, Master Edward got the Holy Ghost." I found a new boldness in witnessing; each morning I would stop in the parks along the way and pass out tracts and deal with souls. In fact, I was late to work several times but consoled myself with "first things first." Then one morning at my desk, that sensation of a current flowing through my body ceased. I had had it day and night ever since I came under the power. I was frightened. I thought I must have sinned and grieved the Holy Ghost. I rethought my waking hours of that morning before coming to work but could think of no definite sin. It worried me so, I decided to ask off and go home half a day. Being given leave for half a day, I rushed to my room, locked the door, dropped to the floor, and began to praise Him again as at the first when I had received the baptism. I knew that if I could repeat the actions of that first night, the power would come on me again-and it did. But when my friend Gene came home from work and I told him of the experience, he explained that I had nothing to fear, for it was very unusual for me to have the bodily sensation as long as I did. He said it usually departs that very night of the original baptism. My friend had been tarrying, I found out after my experience, for about twenty years for the baptism (that is, off and on) and had never received it. I told him to come down to the church next Sunday night, and I would pray for him; I was sure he would then be baptized and would speak in tongues. He did go with me and fell under the power that night. After that, he and I would go to a certain home of one of the Pentecostal women of that church, and a group of us would tarry for "Refreshings" or "anointings." At such times, I always spoke in tongues, often praying, singing, weeping and laughing. My Deliverance From Tongues But now I must turn your attention to those things which led to my deliverance from this power. The first that made me question it a little was the failure to see what I expected to see among the Pentecostal people--a spiritual life that extended way beyond the normal. I expected victory, fruitfulness, consecration, spiritual discernment, the wisdom of God, Bible understanding and depth of prayer commensurate with Spirit-filled lives; instead I found carnality, impurity, defeat, ignorance of God's Word and spiritual pride. Not, of course, in everyone. There were a few who bore a good testimony, but many lived below the normal Christian life. I know we find them in every church, but not every church claims this mature experience; not every church claims to have the "meat of the Word" and the "spiritual gifts." It made me wonder. Again, I entertained a doubt when a close friend, who loved God's Word, would not have anything to do with this doctrine or experience. This friend lived in the same boarding house. Each day that I came home, I would see him at his desk studying his Bible. I also noticed that whenever anyone would ask him a question about the Christian life, he would answer with some reference from the Scriptures. I knew he lived a clean life and witnessed for the Lord faithfully. It bothered me that he would not tarry. One day I asked him why. He said, "Ed, I have read both sides of this subject, I have studied the Scriptures on it, and I cannot see my way clear to seek it. I want everything God has for me, and I have prayed earnestly about this matter, but I am not convinced." (This friend, George Miles, later became president of a Bible institute and is now president of the Washington Bible College and the Capital Bible Seminary in Lanham, Maryland.) Another thing that made me question tongues was what happened in a Christian youth fellowship. I enjoyed the privilege of sharing the leadership of this interdenominational group with two other young men, Gene and George. After I had received the baptism, naturally I became interested in every other Christian receiving it, too. I knew it was what they needed but they, as most Christians, were prejudiced against the Pentecostal young people. I began to pray for them to receive the power. A number of Pentecostal young people became interested in this group and prayed with me to introduce the experience to them. The influence began to affect our prayer meetings especially. Finally, since we were approaching a split in the group, we had a special meeting of the deeply interested Christians. I could see that we had been in the wrong. Surely, the Lord would not give me a spiritual experience that would lead to strife among believers. Surely, a Spirit-filled Christian would not foster division among the saints, and that is what we were doing by forcing this experience upon the group. A Bible teaching pastor in the city often brought messages to our group of young people. All of us respected him highly in the work of the Lord. He knew the Word well and knew how to impart that knowledge. The Lord had blessed his ministry among us (over a hundred young people). Of course, these young people were praying for me to be delivered from the day I became vitally interested. Now many of them were pleading with me to visit this minister and let him show me the Word on this doctrine of tongues. I constantly refused, with the argument that he did not have the experience I had, so how could he have the light I had on the Word. My old Sunday School teacher, however, joined in with them, beseeching me to speak to this Bible teacher, promising to make the appointment for me. I assured them that I was perfectly satisfied, could never doubt the reality of such a marvelous experience, and knew that he could not show me anything different in the Scripture; but to bring peace, I would go. This pastor patiently went through Acts 2 and I Corinthians 12- 14, showing me that what I had was not scriptural. All during the interview, I was praying that the Spirit might fall on him and prove to him that what I had was real. I thought of what a wonderful power for God he would be if he had what I had along with his knowledge of the Bible. Everything he said was going in one ear and out the other. Because he saw that he was not making any headway, he prayed and closed the session. But I could not forget that this Bible-loving pastor was convinced that the tongues experience was unscriptural. Now I had confidence in two people who both loved the Word of God, but yet did not believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost with tongues. The next shadow that crossed my experience was concerning my sweetheart. I was quite interested in a young Christian nurse who was serving in the Sibley Memorial Hospital. She played the piano for this interdenominational youth fellowship, and I was the song leader. After my experience at the Pentecostal church, I asked her several times to go with me to one of the services, but she steadfastly refused. I prayed earnestly for her to speak in tongues. Then it occurred to me to ask her if she would visit one of the homes with me, where we met for prayer. I picked out the home of a mutual Pentecostal friend. She agreed to go and also to tarry for the Holy Ghost in that home. It was the apartment of a widow of a Pentecostal minister. That night I spoke in tongues freely and prayed earnestly in tongues for her to be baptized. She fell under the power and began to speak in tongues as she lay on the floor. It being late at night, the telephone rang, and the people in the lower apartment threatened to report us if we did not quiet down. They claimed that the chandeliers were shaking. We praised the Lord all the more because we were being reproached for His name's sake. During that night, I had an unusual experience. I had been kneeling at the side of my sweetheart praising the Lord in tongues. There was an over-stuffed chair behind me. I turned slightly toward that chair, and I was lifted and thrown against the chair by this power, with my feet dragging along. This stirred me to praise all the louder. But when we went down to my car, I noticed that my friend was not elated such as I was the night I received the baptism. Already her woman's intuition led her to doubt the authenticity of it. My questions received cold answers. Immediately, I thought that she had gone through all this Just for me, because we loved each other and expected to be married. From that time on, we had strife over this matter. She came out more boldly against it and I rebuked her severely for tampering with such holy things. We "broke up" and "made up" a number of times over tongues. It seemed that we would never be married. Nevertheless, we were married, being convinced that it was the Lord's will, in spite of our differences on this subject. In less than a month after we were married, Mrs. Stelling was hit by a taxi in Washington. I brought her home from the emergency operating room and tried to take care of her in our modest little apartment. I had to do the housework, cook, and work a full-time job besides. Through the night I had to be awakened whenever she had to turn from one side to the other. It was wearing me down. Then one of the Pentecostal women, a practical nurse, asked if I would like her to come and spend a day with Mrs. Stelling to help out. I thrilled at the suggestion and told her to do what she could to rid her of this foolish idea that tongues was unscriptural. The day that the friend came, I prayed hard that the Lord would give her wisdom to convince my wife, so that we could be of one ac cord about Pentecostalism. I could hardly wait to punch the clock and go home to seś what success had been made. I offered t< drive the nurse home. On the way I asked he what progress she had made- She replied "Your wife is very stubborn. I could no change her view at all. Brother Ed, the Lori has given you a very unusual experience) among us, and you must not let anyone stan in your way to take this message out." Well Could I believe my ears? Was this woman suggesting that I leave my wife for Pentecostalism? This suggestion so shocked me that I forgot my wife's stubbornness. This seemed like the last straw that broke the camel's back. I did not know much Scripture, but I knew better than that. I knew the Lord would not bring into my life such a spiritual experience that would cause me to divorce my wife. We had prayed long and knew His will about our marriage. Yet I still could not deny this tremendous experience that I had. How could it be wrong? Surely the Lord would not let me be deceived when I sought Him so earnestly about it. And all of these Christians in Pentecostalism--could they all be deceived? I just could not turn back--even the thought was repulsive--it struck fear into my heart. One night Mrs. Stelling and I decided to attend the Bible Conference being held in a local church by a nationally known Bible teacher. At the close of the service, we moved back toward the book table. While scanning the books, Mrs. Stelling picked up one titled The Modern Tongues Movement. She glanced through it, then turned to me and asked, "If I buy this booklet, would you read it?" I took the book out of her hands to note the author and publisher. Dr. Louis S. Bauman, Bible teacher and pastor of a Brethren church, was the author. I quickly handed it back and said, "No, I would not read that; the author has never had the experience I have had, so how could he have the light on the Scripture that I have?" She then asked, "Do you mind if I buy it for myself?" I replied, "I don't care what you buy for yourself." So she took it home. Some days later, she knew that I was planning to take the afternoon off in order to study for a message I was to give that weekend. Like a wise wife, she told me that she was going for a walk, and left that booklet lying on the table. During the afternoon, I arose to get a drink of water and, passing the table, noticed the booklet. I stopped and looked at its cover. "No, I'm not going to read it. What does he know about it?" And I passed on. Coming back, I stopped again. An urge came upon me to read and see just where he was off in his teaching. Curiosity gained the best of me. I decided that I could read it and replace it before she returned, so that she would never know that I had read it. I began to read. Page after page I read. It gripped me. I was amazed at how accurate he was on the Pentecostal teachings, practices, and the experience that I had known as the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It was interesting, too, as to how he had set up his book. For he described the Pentecostal experience in part and then on the same page showed that the Scripture did not-agree. It was like setting up pins in a bowling alley, then bowling them down--so that, piece by piece, I was losing my experience. By the time I had read through the book, I had no experience left. About that time my wife walked in, looked at my face, and said, "Praise the Lord!" "Why?" "You don't have to tell me, Honey; you are delivered." "Yes, I am, and, what amazed me, I did not have the same emotional ecstasy coming out that I had going in. I have peace. Why, I did not realize how stirred up I had been, until the peace of deliverance flooded my being. (Some time afterward my friend Gene was also delivered. Praise the Lord!) These are a few of the points that Dr. Bauman brought out. First, the gift of tongues was the least of the gifts (I Corinthians 12:28). The Pentecostal made it the -greatest because all others depended upon it. Second, tongues were a sign to the un-believer (I Corinthians 14:22). They made it a sign to the believer; for by it you are filled with the Spirit. Third, the true gift of tongues was spoken only when there was an interpreter present in the assembly (I Corinthians 14:27-28). Many times I had heard speaking in tongues in the public service without any interpretation, and never had I heard anyone ask if an interpreter was present. Fourth, the true gift was under the speaker's control (I Corinthians 14:32). Often I had heard, "Let go and let God" and "When the power came upon me, I was in a trance; I couldn't have stopped speaking if I wanted to." Fifth, no woman was to speak in tongues in a public service (I Corinthians 14:34). And women were the chief speakers. When I was delivered, I could come to only one conclusion. I knew this power that came upon me was supernatural; it was not human, the energy of the flesh, a worked-up emotion; for I could not do in the natural what I did under the power. There were only two supernatural powers. Since the Word of God proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was not the Holy Spirit, it could only be a deception of Satan, a counterfeit of the true baptism, the true fullness of the Holy Spirit. When I told this to my Pentecostal friends, with horror on their faces, they declared that I had committed the unpardonable sin and would pay for my folly. That was over 40 years ago, and surely by this time, my witness and ministry have proven the contrary. In fact, what I had expected to find through the tongues experience, I have found since I was delivered. I have made this statement publicly many times, and herein inscribe it again, that the experience taught by tongues people, that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is an experience apart from salvation and evidenced only by the individual's speaking in tongues, is of the Devil. Also, the teaching that only those who have spoken in tongues have been filled with the Spirit, is of the Devil. Please do not quote me as having said, as I have so often been accused of saying, that the tongues people are of the Devil. I have never said that and never will, for I myself was saved while under the power of the Wicked One. For the most part, I believe Pentecostal people are saved and believe in the salvation of sinners by grace alone through the blood of Jesus Christ. But they have added to their teaching this spurious deceptive experience, instigated by Satan himself. Scripture for Satanic Domination Dr. Bauman significantly shows in his littleś book that Satan was the first one in the Bible to speak in tongues. He energized the serpent to speak in a human tongue, so that Eve could understand. Furthermore, the tongue was used to deceive the woman (Genesis 3:1 13). The question arises in the minds of many "Can Satan thus dominate or control believer?" We shall suggest to you several Scriptures that testify to this truth. In Acts 5, we have the instance of Ananias and Sapphira, who were believers that lied to the Holy Spirit concerning their consecration. Said Peter, "Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" In I Corinthians 5, Paul writes concerning the discipline of a believer who had fallen into the sin of fornication while a member of the church at Corinth. He said, "For I verily as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Likewise, of Hymenaeus and Alexander, who had made shipwreck of their faith, Paul wrote, "I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme" (I Timothy 1:20). But Il Timothy 2:24-26, I believe, especially applies to the Christian who has been led into this deceptive experience of tongues: "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his w-iI.'5--l believe that I was one who was opposing myself while insisting on the genuineness of the tongues experience. I was in a snare of Satan unknowingly. But when the Lord gave me the grace of repentance, to acknowledge the truth, I was able to recover myself from Satan's snare. Praise the Lord! I would like to thank Pastor Ed Stelling for his devotion and love to Jesus Christ over all these many years. I first met Ed Stelling back in January of 1965 four days after I can to know Jesus Christ as my personal savior. You see he was the Pastor of Charleston Harbor Bible Church, in Charleston, SC at the time. I consider myself very fortunate to have sat under his ministry for almost four years. He was/is one of the greatest expository teachers of the Word of God that I have even had the pleasure to be ministered by.