Calvary Chapel occupies a distinctive middle position on the Holy Spirit. It affirms that all spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament — including tongues, prophecy, and healing — remain available to believers today (continuationist), distinguishing it from cessationist Evangelicals. However, it explicitly rejects the Assemblies of God doctrine that speaking in tongues is the necessary initial physical evidence of Spirit baptism.

Calvary Chapel's Distinctives document, authored by Chuck Smith, devotes significant attention to this point. Tongues are treated as one gift among many, not a required sign, and public use of tongues is generally discouraged during main services to avoid division. The movement thus positions itself between classical Pentecostalism and cessationist Evangelicalism — a stance sometimes called 'Third Wave' or 'continuationist evangelical.'