Part 7 There is a difference between the gift of the Holy Ghost and the gift of tongues. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a promise to us when we repent of our sins and are baptized in Jesus name for the remission of our sins.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39

The gift of the Holy Ghost (the Spirit) is necessary for salvation.

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." - Romans 8:9

When people receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, they speak with other tongues.

They spoke in other tongues when they received the gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4

They spoke in other tongues at the house of Cornelius when they received the gift of Holy Ghost.

"And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God." - Acts 10:45-46a

John the Baptist’s disciples spoke with other tongues when they received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

"And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." - Acts 19:6

The gift of tongues is different from the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is one of the gifts of the Spirit given to believers for the edifying of the church.

“Edifying” means, “(the act of) building, building up, a metaphorically, edifying, edification, i.e. the act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, happiness” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

“It expresses the strengthening effect of teaching… (the idea conveyed is progress resulting from patient effort)”. (Vine’s Expository Dictionary)

It is not necessary to have the gift of tongues for salvation, or any of the other gifts of the Spirit, which are all used for edifying the church, the body of Christ.

In the following verse, Paul is speaking to the Corinthian church about two of the gifts of the Spirit. He is talking to them about the gift of tongues, and the gift of prophecy.

"I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying." - 1 Corinthians 14:5

“Prophesieth” means, “to break forth under sudden impulse in lofty discourse or praise of the divine counsels, or (for the above verse), under like prompting, to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

"To be a prophet, to prophesy," is used (a) with the primary meaning of telling forth the Divine counsels (Vine’s Expository Dictionary)

It is necessary for the gift of tongues to be used with the gift of the interpretation of tongues, in order for the church to be edified. If there is no interpretation of the message in tongues, then no one understands what has been said, and the church is not edified, which is the purpose of the various gifts of the Spirit.

"If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret." - 1 Corinthians 14:27