Speaking in Tongues
Here’s my quick notes on speaking in tongues. I’m a continuationalist, which means that I believe that God still distributes spiritual gifts like speaking in and interpreting tongues and prophecy. I do think they are less common today than what’s described in Acts and other parts of the New Testament because there’s a reduced need for edification, but that they are still distributed. This is opposed to the view of a cessationaist who believes that God no longer distributes spiritual gifts.
Quick notes on tongues
- Tongues is the most commonly abused spiritual gift by people looking for their own glory.
- Paul describes speaking in tongues as the least of the spiritual gifts.
- Tongues is meaningless if nobody is present to interpret what is said. Paul instructs someone speaking in tongues in public to remain silent if there’s nobody there who understands them.
The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 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. Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 1 Corinthians 14:2-6
Types of “tongues”
- “tongues” in the Bible literally means “languages”. The miracle of a speaker spontaneously speaking a human language they don’t normally understand in order to share the gospel or something else meaningful about God to an audience. Ex: if I suddenly started speaking Chinese to share the gospel with a non-English speaker from China. This is the antithesis of what happened after the Tower of Babel when languages were mixed and people scattered.
For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people, Isaiah 28:11
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 1 Corinthians 14:22
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? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” Acts 2:6-12
- Utterances of prayer or singing in the language of the Holy Spirit that occur when you’re alone. Aka praying or singing in the spirit. Not intended to be interpreted by another human.
For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:2
- Speaking in a non-human language in front of a crowd to deliver a revelation or prophecy from God. Paul characterizes this mode of speaking on tongues as useless without anybody there to interpret, and useless if there is no revelation or prophecy in the message. Aside, the Bible clearly instructs us to be critical of prophets and validate their prophecies, not to simply assume all prophetic speech is from God.
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
For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:8
Purpose of speaking in tongues
The reason God distributes the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues seems to fall into one of two categories. 1. To share a revelation or prophecy from God or to share the mighty work of God with somebody, or 2. Privately pray to God through the Holy Spirit when you may not know what to say and the Spirit prays through you. In both situations, the purpose is never to selfishly grab attention for yourself. It’s to glorify the Lord. Be wary when you see people speaking in tongues and keep these points in mind.
but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 1 Corinthians 14:11
Don’t forget…
Don’t ever forget that any of these actions without love is worthless.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1