"Speaking in Tongues" is a popular event in many churches and is often the cornerstone of their doctrine. What does the Bible teach about this phenomenon?
In the Bible the word "tongues" is used to mean "language." Speaking on "other tongues" means to speak in a language the speaker does not understand. It is a real language - but one the speaker does not know.
"Tongues" appeared on the first Pentecost after death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Acts 2:1-11, On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. {2} Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. {3} Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. {4} And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. {5} Godly Jews from many nations were living in Jerusalem at that time. {6} When they heard this sound, they came running to see what it was all about, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. {7} They were beside themselves with wonder. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from Galilee, {8} and yet we hear them speaking the languages of the lands where we were born! {9} Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, {10} Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya toward Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), {11} Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!"
On that day, with Peter spoke to the multitude, he spoke in Greek - which everyone present would understand. But when the Holy Spirit spoke through the 120 from the upper room in other tongues, the different speakers spoke in the various languages of the countries the visitors were from. These were languages the people speaking would not have understood.
The first gentiles to become Christians also spoke in other tongues.
Acts 10:25-27, As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell to the floor before him in worship. {26} But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I’m a human being like you!" {27} So Cornelius got up, and they talked together and went inside where the others were assembled.
Acts 10:44-47, Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who had heard the message. {45} The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles, too. {46} And there could be no doubt about it, for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, {47} "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"
The believers in Ephesus also spoke in tongues.
Acts 19:1-7, While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces. Finally, he came to Ephesus, where he found several believers. {2} "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we don’t know what you mean. We haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." {3} "Then what baptism did you experience?" he asked. And they replied, "The baptism of John." {4} Paul said, "John’s baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God. John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later." {5} As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. {6} Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. {7} There were about twelve men in all.
Paul spoke of tongues as a gift of the Spirit.
1 Cor 12:7-11, A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. {8} To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge. {9} The Spirit gives special faith to another, and to someone else he gives the power to heal the sick. {10} He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. {11} It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
Like anything that is given for good - some people will start misusing it. The Corinthians did that with tongues. All gifts of the Spirit are given for the common good - the good of the entire body. (We can accomplish the common good two ways - edifying one another or correcting ourselves.) But the Corinthians were using tongues as a tool to compete with one another and in pride. Paul corrected them and instructed them on how to use tongues.
His advice was simple. If the tongues are for someone else, that person must understand what is being said. If no one is present who knows the language, the tongues are only for the benefit of the speaker and should not be used to disrupt the worship service. Let's now quote the Scripture.
1 Cor 14:1-40, Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy. {2} For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. {3} But one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them. {4} A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally in the Lord, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. {5} I wish you all had the gift of speaking in tongues, but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy. For prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church can get some good out of it. {6} Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you talking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you some revelation or some special knowledge or some prophecy or some teaching—that is what will help you. {7} Even musical instruments like the flute or the harp, though they are lifeless, are examples of the need for speaking in plain language. For no one will recognize the melody unless the notes are played clearly. {8} And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle? {9} And it’s the same for you. If you talk to people in a language they don’t understand, how will they know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room. {10} There are so many different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them, {11} but to me they mean nothing. I will not understand people who speak those languages, and they will not understand me. {12} Since you are so eager to have spiritual gifts, ask God for those that will be of real help to the whole church. {13} So anyone who has the gift of speaking in tongues should pray also for the gift of interpretation in order to tell people plainly what has been said. {14} For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. {15} Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand. {16} For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? {17} You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn’t help the other people present. {18} I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. {19} But in a church meeting I would much rather speak five understandable words that will help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. {20} Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature and wise in understanding matters of this kind. {21} It is written in the Scriptures, "I will speak to my own people through unknown languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me," says the Lord. {22} So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. {23} Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting and hear everyone talking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. {24} But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin, and they will be condemned by what you say. {25} As they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship God, declaring, "God is really here among you." {26} Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize what I am saying. When you meet, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in an unknown language, while another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must be useful to all and build them up in the Lord. {27} No more than two or three should speak in an unknown language. They must speak one at a time, and someone must be ready to interpret what they are saying. {28} But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately. {29} Let two or three prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. {30} But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. {31} In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. {32} Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can wait their turn. {33} For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches….{39} So, dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. {40} But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
Many error today in their teaching about tongues. Some who speak in tongues are like the Corinthians and misuse the gift. Others error by forbidding people to speak in tongues and teaching the gift has been done away with.
As Paul wrote the gift of tongues is of great value in private communication with God through praying and singing in tongues. I will not attempt to explain to people without the gift how this happens - they are not capable of understanding. If you receive the gift of tongues - no one will have to explain it to you - you will experience it. Just remember all the gifts are given to help, not to lift a person up in religious pride.
In the Scriptures, there is no "magic formula" for receiving the gift of tongues, or for any other gift for that matter. Paul told us to seek earnestly for the gift. They appeared in Scripture in many different ways.
The root word translated "gift" is the same one for "grace.' If something is given as a reward, it is not a gift. Many seek for the gift of tongues by telling God how much they deserve it. They are going after it like it is a reward. Since it is a gift, who, where, and when it occurs is at the choice of the giver.
Let me relate how I received the gift of tongues. This is not a pattern for how you should act, because as I said there is no pattern.
A couple days after I was baptized in the water, I when up to a spot in the woods where I could be alone with the Lord. I remember sitting down on a log and talking to the Lord.
I was honest with Him. I told Him I didn't know if tongues were for everyone or not. I didn't know if He wanted me to have the gift or not. But I told Him if His desire was for me to speak in other tongues - I wanted to do His will. As soon as I said this words I didn't understand started coming from my mouth with no forethought on my part. It was like I was listening to someone else speaking, yet I was the only one there.
The main use I make of tongues is in prayer. Whenever I pray in tongues I am reassured by the Holy Spirit that the Lord heard my prayers - even if I don't understand the words. How often do you really understand everything about what you are praying about? The Holy Spirit understands. When the Holy Spirit prays in tongues through you, you know the Father hears and understands. A calm assurance comes over you that can come no other way I know of.
Today there are reports of tongues being used in areas where someone speaks to a person of another language, without knowing the language. But normally in this part of the country no one present knows any language except English. In that case the only use of tongues is for communication with the Lord.
The practice of one person using the gift of tongues and another using the gift of interpretation to understand it is not scriptural. The Holy Spirit would be using one gift because he messed up and used the first one wrong. He does not mess up. If the Holy Spirit uses the gift of tongues for communication between two or more people, someone there understands the language. If the Holy Spirit uses the gift of interpretation, the speaker is speaking in a language he understands.
Tongues can be a sign to the unbelievers - but only if they understand the language.
There are other questions and opinions people bring up on both sides of the issue, but most are just attempts to justify their teachings - not to discover the truth. Most just complicate the issue. For the most part understanding the truth of the scriptures is not hard, it just takes applying some good old-fashioned common sense.
Summation
by Keith Howard
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