AJ Tomlinson baptized while interpreting tongues?

February 15, 2016 by  
Filed under Featured, News, Research

Shearer-SchoolhouseA recent covenant group rereading of the personal diary of Rev. AJ Tomlinson brought up several questions as per the exact timing of his personal baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The first explanation proposed a problem, namely: does one have to be baptized in the Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues in order to operate the gifts of the Spirit? One specific problematic area in the discussion was the interpretation of tongues, since we know that many in the Bible prophesied without being baptized in the Spirit. A second explanation proposed that AJ Tomlinson was baptized with the Holy Spirit or at least witnessed and experienced a Pentecostal experience prior to 1906. Here are several passages from his personal diary which refer to early baptism with the Holy Spirit:

Vol. 3. p. 13 “Received the Holy Ghost about March, 1896”

Vol. 3, p. 36 August 4, 1904 “Just arrived home from Drygo, Tenn., where we held a ten days meeting. Some converted, some received the Holy Ghost.”

Vol. 3, p. 49 June 14, 1907 “Glorious results. Speaking in other tongues by the Holy Ghost.”

Vol. 3, p. 52 August 19, 1907 “One received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues.”

Last but not least, we have a detail record of a tremendous financial struggle through which AJ Tomlinson expressed deep dependence on the leadership and supplication of the Holy Spirit throughout the whole year of 1901 and forward. This record should be regarded as formational for the whole financial structuring of the upcoming church organization and its later institutionalization.

Source: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067290775;view=1up;seq=42