"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4
The Bible tells a lot of stories of individuals speaking in tongues. It was specifically practiced by Paul after Christ's Resurrection, as the Bible states. Throughout history, there have been many accounts of people speaking in tongues in various gatherings, even in the modern-day Christian practice.
Because of this, the topic of speaking in tongues is one of the most controversial topics in the Christian faith up to this day. It has its fair share of debates among Christians on whether it genuinely still exists today and whether it should be practiced, and when. This article shall present the meaning of the gift of speaking in tongues according to biblical perspectives as well as present if it is for modern-day practice or not.
Speaking in Tongues: Table of Contents
What Is Speaking in Tongues?
Speaking in tongues is a form of communication with God. It is a prayer, and doing so speaks directly to God alone. According to 1 Corinthians 14:2, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.”
Paul further emphasized this in his letter to the Corinthians, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful” (1 Corinthians 14:14).
Thus, the practice of speaking in tongues was important during Paul’s time to efficiently communicate with God through prayer.
Speaking in Tongues at Pentecost
"When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them." - Acts 2:1-3
The Holy Spirit coming in the appearance of "divided tongues, as of fire" fulfills the prophecy of John the Baptist that Christ would "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Luke 3:16). This fire is a manifestation of the grace of God.
"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?" - Acts 2:4-8
This is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 3:1 and a divine reversal or recapitulation of the events at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). In the account of Babel, pride was shown to possess the power to divide; here, the humble reception of the Holy Spirit is shown to have the power to unite, even in a diversity of languages and people. A key lesson of Pentecost is that the people hear the Gospel in their own language!
What Else Does the Bible Say about Speaking in Tongues?
Aside from it being a form of prayer, speaking in tongues is also a form of praising God. It is, thereby, also a form of worship to the Almighty God. Paul further writes in his letter to the Corinthians,
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15).
Here, Paul specifically mentioned the word “sing with my spirit” and “sing with my understanding,” which means praising God as explained in Ephesians 5:19, “Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.”
Paul further writes, “Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say ‘Amen’ to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified” (1 Corinthians 14:16-17), emphasizing speaking in tongues as a form of praising God.
Speaking in Tongues as a Spiritual Gift
Speaking in tongues is only spoken to God. Like other gifts, speaking in tongues is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Not everyone is bestowed of this gift. Paul writes,
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
This verse means that each and everyone has a gift from the Spirit but is different from each other. Some have talents that others do not have, and it is true with the gift of speaking in tongues. Now, because speaking in tongues is a gift from the Spirit, therefore, it is only spoken to God Almighty.
Aside from it being a form of prayer and praise, speaking in tongues is also a form of building oneself. It enables a person to improve himself morally and spiritually through God. As Paul explains, “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:4).
It is further emphasized in Jude 20: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God.”
Speaking in tongues is not only building oneself but also building others. It is a way to edify and encourage others to have faith.
As Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up” (1 Corinthians 14:5), he emphasized that the practice of speaking in tongues is a way to build the entirety of the Church.
But what does Paul refer to when he talks about “but even more to prophesy”? He merely mentions that prophecy is preferred because it is more understandable in certain gatherings than speaking in tongues.
However, when someone from the group can interpret and translate the language being spoken, then speaking in tongues can thereby be used to edify others.
Examples of Speaking in Tongues
When is it best to speak in tongues? Paul writes that it is best practiced in private, as he says,
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful” (1 Corinthians 14:14).
What Paul means by his words is that speaking in tongues in private is praising God through the Spirit. It may not be understood as he emphasized, “my mind is unfruitful,” but he emphasized that the Spirit is praising and worshiping instead.
When speaking in tongues, the mind alone cannot decipher what is happening, but the Spirit can understand it. Paul further writes,
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15).
Speaking in tongues is not used to preach the gospel, according to the biblical perspective. All three accounts of the act of speaking in tongues written in the Bible showed signs of supernatural phenomena and were not made when Paul was delivering the gospel. These three accounts are as follows:
First, in Acts 2:2-3,
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
Second, in Acts 10:44-48,
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Lastly, in Acts 19:1-7,
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.
These three accounts always had a supernatural phenomenon accompanying them but were not done during preaching but rather when edifying others.
In most modern practices, the act of speaking tongues is done without a miraculous phenomenon, which does not conform to how the Bible has explained the practice of speaking in tongues. Some modern-day practices use it to preach the gospel, while others use it through ministry, and some do not at all.
Why Does This Matter?
In conclusion, speaking in tongues is a significant topic that should be examined in daily Christian living by continually learning about it through God’s Word.
It has a lot of meaning and, to summarize, it is a form of prayer, a form of praise, a form of building the self, and a form of edification to others. It is also spoken mostly in private by the individual’s mind, is a gift from the Holy Spirit, and is spoken only to God.
Furthermore, it is also not spoken during gospel preaching and is usually accompanied by miraculous phenomena, as stated in the Bible. In the modern-day scenario, a miraculous phenomenon is absent, and thus, it can be argued that the practice is no longer the same within biblical examples.
To find more biblical references to this topic, read this thorough collection of Bible verses about Speaking in Tongues.
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Glory Dy has been a content creator for more than 10 years. She lives in a quiet suburb with her family and four cats.
