Introduction
I have recently had some conversations with church leaders about speaking in tongues and what they had to say was unscriptural. So that prompted me to put together this teaching on the subject.
This is one of the subjects that divides churches and Christians within churches and yet it shouldn’t. If we all examine the scriptures diligently, we should come to the same understanding on the subject.
Speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that the Apostle Paul tells us about in 1 Corinthians as we will see later. So, when I speak about this subject I will either say, the gift of tongues or speaking in tongues because they are one and the same thing.
The questions I want to address are, has the availability of the gift of tongues ended or is it still available today and, if it is available today, what is it and what is it for?
Primary Scriptures
There are many passages of scripture in the New Testament which cover this subject. And I want to begin by looking at the passages that speak directly about it and then I will look at some passages which speak indirectly about it. Let’s start with the direct ones to see what they tell us.
Mark 16:17
“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;”
Just before his resurrection, Jesus commissions the disciples to go out and preach the gospel and then He tells them what they can expect from those who believe in Jesus. In verses 17 and 18 Jesus lists 5 things that believers will do and one of them is speaking in tongues.
Jesus is making a general statement about some of the things that Christians will be able to do through the power of the Holy Spirit and one of those things is the ability to speak in tongues.
Notice that there is no time bar in this statement and that it applies to all Christians. So, this text supports the idea that speaking in tongues still applies to us today.
Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
This verse is describing one of the things that happened in the upper room on the feast of Pentecost which occurred soon after Jesus ascended into heaven. On the instruction of Jesus about 120 disciples were gathered together in an upper room in Jerusalem. Then on the Feast of Pentecost they were baptised with the Holy Spirit. As a result of this, they began to speak in tongues.
On this occasion we are told that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. The implication is that they all spoke in tongues at the same time and that these tongues were in languages that the crowd outside recognised.
On this occasion, the tongues were used to preach the gospel to the unbelievers outside and as a miraculous sign to them. The tongues were miraculous because they were in languages that the disciples had not learnt.
We also see that on this occasion the speaking in tongues was for public consumption. This was not a private act. And we also see that the tongues were not directed towards God.
And finally, it should be noted that it was the Holy Spirit who gave them this miraculous ability. There was no human endeavour involved in it.
Acts 10:46
For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered.
Peter, accompanied by a number of other Christians, went to the house of a Roman centurion called Cornelius and preached the gospel to him and his household. As he was doing so, the Holy Spirit was poured out on Cornelius and his household. The evidence of this was the fact that they were speaking in tongues. Peter recognises that the same thing had happened to these Gentiles that had happened in the upper room on the feast of Pentecost. In other words, they were baptised with the Holy Spirit.
Once again, we see that a number of people were baptised with the Holy Spirit at the same time and began to speak in tongues. However, there is no suggestion that anyone could understand what they were saying and no interpretation was given.
Notice that this did not happen when they were praying or worshiping. However, those who were baptised with the Holy Spirit did praise God as well as speak in tongues.
On this occasion, they spoke in tongues only to prove that they had been baptised with the Holy Spirit. There was no other purpose.
Acts 19:6
And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
When Paul arrived at Ephesus, he found some Christians who had not been baptised with the Holy Spirit. After baptising them with water, he laid hands on them and they were baptised with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in tongues and to prophecy.
Notice that they only began to speak in tongues when they were baptised with the Holy Spirit. There were about twelve of them and they were genuine Christians. Paul would not have baptised them in the name of Jesus if they weren’t. This incident shows us that you can be a Christian without being baptised (filled) with the Holy Spirit and that the ability to speak in tongues only comes when you have been baptised with the Holy Spirit.
As in Acts 10, a group of Christians spoke together in tongues with no interpretation and only did so as a sign that they had been baptised with the Holy Spirit. As in the incident with Cornelius, the speaking in tongues did not occur during prayer or worship.
1 Corinthians 12:10
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
Now we come to a number of scriptures about tongues in 1 Corinthians. In this first passage we see that speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts among believers for the ‘common good’. Among the list of spiritual gifts are the gift of tongues and the gift of interpreting tongues.
As we see in verse 10, there are ‘various kinds of tongues’. This is very important to note because many people think that there is only one kind of tongue. It tells us that there are different kinds of tongues for different situations and purposes. We need to bear this in mind when we look at the other passages in this letter.
The first thing we learn from this passage is that speaking in tongues is a gift given to individuals by the Holy Spirit as He wills. This means that it is not something that we learn to do. It is something that is imparted to us miraculously as we saw on the feast of Pentecost in Acts 2.
We should also note that this is not a gift that is associated with a certain ministry or role within the church. It is something that is available to all Christians who have been baptised with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, there is nothing in this passage to suggest that it is only available for a certain period in church history, such as the Apostolic age.
And finally, we see that there is another gift associated with speaking in tongues and that is the interpretation of tongues which is for use in a certain situation.
1 Corinthians 12:28
And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
This verse comes after a long discourse by Paul about the church being like a body with many members. He has been showing that God has appointed each member to a certain part of the body (the church) as He desires and has distributed spiritual gifts as He wills. This verse sums up what Paul has been saying by listing some of the ministries and gifts that God has appointed.
This is not an exhaustive list; it is just a few examples that Paul uses to make his point.
Once again, this verse shows us that there are various kinds of tongues that are given to the members of the church as God determines.
1 Corinthians 12:30
All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?
As with verse 28 above, this verse is set in the context of the church being like a body with diverse members and gifts.
Paul is using some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to make the point that they are distributed amongst the members of the church as God determines. As a result of this, not every member of the church has the same gifts. So, we take from this verse that the gift of tongues is not given to every Christian.
1 Corinthians 13:1
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
This verse is at the beginning of a famous discourse by Paul about the importance of acting in love in all that we do as Christians. The love that he is talking about is the love that comes from God, the divine love that is the very nature of God, love that is sacrificial and giving. When we are born again, we receive this love in our hearts. It is not human love; it is divine love. All true Christians have this love and need to act with it. In this chapter Paul gives a superb description of what this divine love is like (see verses 4 to 7).
In chapter 13 Paul applies this divine love to some of the things we can do as Christians, including the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, he doesn’t mention all of the gifts and he doesn’t limit his examples to the gifts. He is simply using some random examples to show how they should be done in love. Amongst his examples is the gift of tongues.
The point that Paul is making, is that if we don’t use the gift of tongues in love then it is ineffective. Like all of the gifts and ministries that God gives us we can misuse the gift of tongues in selfish ways. When we speak in tongues without love it is at best ineffective and at worst harmful.
Some people falsely say that Paul is attacking the gift of tongues in this passage and that he is saying that all we need is love. That is not true. He is simply saying that we should use the gift in love.
1 Corinthians 13:8
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
In this verse Paul is comparing the eternal nature of divine love with the temporary use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Because God’s very nature is love and He is eternal, it follows that the divine love he imparts to us is eternal; it will always be with us.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues, were introduced to the church to help with its ministry and mission. And Paul is saying that there will come a time when they will come to an end but he does not say when that will be. Some theologians say that this happened when the Apostolic Age came to an end but there is no scriptural basis for this claim. church history shows that the gift of tongues has always been part of the true church and is still available today.
The point that Paul is making in this passage is that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues, are transient and that faith, hope and love are eternal.
1 Corinthians 14:2-4
For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But one who prophecies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophecies edifies the church.
These verses occur in a discourse by Paul in which he compares tongues with prophecy. In doing so, his primary concern is to ensure that the church is edified.
We should note that he is not saying that they shouldn’t speak in tongues. Instead, he is encouraging them to prophecy because this edifies the church more than tongues.
Verse 2 shows us that there is more than one kind of tongue. The tongues spoken on the Feast of Pentecost in Acts 2 spoke to men and they understood what was being said. However, in Corinth when the church gathered together, they sometimes spoke in a kind of tongue that nobody understood. This kind of tongue was spoken to God, not to men.
This passage also shows us that no one understands this kind of tongues, not even the person speaking. This means that speaking in tongues is a supernatural gift and not something that you can learn. However, even though the person speaking in tongues does not understand what he is saying, he is somehow edified by it. This shows us that the gift of tongues is a blessing for the person who receives it.
1 Corinthians 14:5-6
Now I wish that you all speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophecy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks on tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?
Once again, we need to bear in mind that these verses are part of a discourse where Paul is comparing tongues with prophecy.
Straight away Paul affirms the value of tongues by wishing that everyone in the church had this gift. This also shows us that the gift of tongues is not universal in the church; not everyone has this gift.
Paul is saying that prophecy is more important than tongues only in the sense that it is better at edifying the church. However, if the tongues are interpreted, then it is just as important.
We see in verse six that when tongues are spoken to the assembled church and interpreted, it can convey a revelation, a word of knowledge, a prophecy or a teaching.
We learn from this passage that when tongues are spoken to the assembled church, it needs to be interpreted in order to edify the church. In this situation, it is important that someone in the church has the gift of interpreting tongues as we will see in the next passage.
1 Corinthians 14:13-14
Therefore, let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
The context for this verse is a discourse by Paul in which he compares tongues with prophecy.
We need to bear in mind that there are different kinds of tongues and that this instruction from Paul is for the church when it is assembled for worship.
We see in this verse the need for interpretation when a tongue is spoken to the assembled church. This verse shows us that a person who receives the gift of tongues may also receive the gift of interpreting tongues.
We also see that Paul expects members of the church to speak in tongues when they assemble for worship. The use of this gift was normal in the church at that time.
1 Corinthians 14:18-19
I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Again, we need to bear in mind that this verse is part of a discourse by Paul in which he compares tongues with prophecy.
Paul starts verse 18 by affirming the gift of tongues when he says that he speaks in tongues a lot.
The implication of this passage is that Paul speaks in tongues that cannot be understood by anyone. So, as well as speaking in tongues, he wants to speak to the church in the native tongue of those present so that he can give instructions to them. This is understandable because he is a preacher and evangelist.
Notice that Paul says that he ‘desires’ to speak to the church in a native tongue. In other words, it is something that he personally chooses to do. He isn’t saying that he doesn’t speak in tongues; he just prefers to speak in a native tongue that everyone can understand.
1 Corinthians 14:22-23
So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?
Paul has now moved on to a discourse in which he gives instructions on how to worship in an orderly manner. However, at this point Paul is still comparing tongues with prophecy.
In verse 22 Paul tells us about one of the benefits of speaking in tongues; it is a sign to unbelievers. We saw this on the feast of Pentecost in Acts 2. It is a sign that something miraculous is taking place, something divine, something extraordinary.
Although tongues is a sign to unbelievers, Paul tells us in verse 23 how they will react if unbelievers walk into a church assembly where everyone is speaking in tongues. They won’t understand it and they will think that the Christians are mad. This is a normal reaction from someone who doesn’t understand what is happening.
This passage shows us that speaking in tongues is a normal part of Christian worship.
1 Corinthians 14:26
What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
In this verse Paul is still giving advice on how we should worship when we assemble together.
What he describes is a situation in which everyone present should be able to contribute towards the worship. Everyone should come prepared to give something. There is no prearranged liturgy put together by one or two people. Everyone is able to contribute as the Holy Spirit leads.
In this verse Paul reminds us that the purpose of our contributions to the worship is to edify those present.
Paul gives a list of examples of what each of us might contribute and it includes tongues and interpretation of tongues. So once again, this passage shows us that speaking in tongues is a normal part of Christian worship.
1 Corinthians 14:27
If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
We must always bear in mind the context. In this case, verse 27 is part of a discourse about orderly worship.
Firstly, we should note that Paul expects people to speak in tongues during worship. If he didn’t, then he would not need to issue this instruction. Secondly, we should note that speaking in tongues during worship is normal.
The kind of tongues that Paul is dealing with is the kind that is spoken by one of the members of the church to the others. It is also the kind of tongues that those present are unable to understand without an interpretation.
Paul has come up with this guidance in order to address a problem in the church at Corinth in which everyone spoke in tongues at the same time, making it impossible for anyone to make any sense of it. Remember that the purpose of this guidance is to achieve edification for those present. His practical solution to the problem is to limit the number of those who speak in tongues to two or three people at a time. And the two or three people must take it in turns and not speak at the same time. Remember also that this only applies to the kind of tongues that are spoken by one member to the rest of the congregation.
The picture Paul is painting here is that two or three people will speak in tongues one after the other and someone with the gift of interpreting tongues will then repeat what each person has said in a language that everyone can understand. Then another group of two or three people can speak in tongues and the same process is followed.
However, if there is no one to interpret the tongues of an individual that person should keep silent in the church. This makes perfect sense if the tongue is a type that is spoken by one member to the others. Notice that Paul tells such a person to keep silent in the ‘church’. So, this guidance only applies to church worship. Notice also that Paul advises such a person to speak to himself and God in tongues instead. So, what we have here are two other types of tongue for different circumstances. One in which we speak to ourselves in tongues and one in which we speak to God in tongues.
Finally, we need to remember that interpreting tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not something that can be learned. It is a miraculous and sudden ability to interpret a language that we do not speak ourselves. With this gift we can either interpret our own tongues or the tongues of others.
1 Corinthians 14:39
Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophecy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.
At the end of chapter 14 Paul comes back to where he started by once again encouraging the Corinthian church to desire the gift of prophecy.
However, at the same time he says that nobody should stop Christians from speaking in tongues. This counters those who claim that Paul is denouncing tongues in chapter 14. Quite the contrary, he is promoting the gift of tongues to be used in the right way.
Secondary Scriptures
The following passages of scripture do not mention speaking in tongues directly. However, they might have something to tell us about speaking in tongues.
Ephesians 6:18
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.
This verse is part of Pauls teaching about spiritual warfare and it is primarily about the use of prayer in spiritual warfare. However, it is also about prayer in general.
Praying or worshipping in the Spirit is a subject that we come across on a number of occasions in the New Testament. As we can see from this verse, praying in the Spirit applies to all forms of prayer (all prayer). Whatever form of prayer we use we are meant to do it in the Spirit. That’s what Paul means when he tells us to pray in the Spirit at all times. Praying in the Spirit is where the Holy Spirit directs the prayer, creates the prayer within us and empowers us to pray it. It is the only true way to pray.
One of the kinds of tongues is where we pray to God. And it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the words to say. So, some people argue that the instructions in this verse also applies to speaking in tongues when we pray. However, this verse does not directly support this idea.
Jude 1:20
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on the most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
In this short letter from Jude, he is warning believers about ungodly men getting in amongst them and causing trouble. These ungodly ones do not have the Holy Spirit. However, the true Christians do have the Holy Spirit and Jude encourages them to become strong through the Word and by praying in the Spirit among other things.
For an understanding of what praying in the Spirit is, see my notes above on Ephesians 6:18.
Just as with Ephesians 6:18, some people argue that praying in the Spirit as mentioned in this verse also includes speaking in tongues when we pray. However, this verse does not directly support this idea.
Cessationism
There are three positions held in the church about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues. There are those who believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still available today, those who accept that they are available today but who put restrictions on their use and those who believe that they ceased either at the end of the Apostolic Age or when the canon of scripture was finalised. This third position is called Cessationism. Those who hold the third position base their ideas on certain passages of scripture and I want to take this opportunity to examine them.
1 Corinthians 13:8-12
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
Just before these verses, Paul has been giving us some wonderful details about the nature of God’s love and at the beginning of this passage he adds another detail about this love. He tells us that love never fails. In other words, God’s love is eternal; it will exist forever. He then compares this with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He tells us that the gift of tongues for instance will come to an end. In other words, speaking in tongues is something that is for a limited time.
In this passage Paul is telling us that the gift of tongues will come to an end when ‘the perfect comes’. At the time that Paul wrote this he was talking about a time in the future. This is a time when the imperfect gifts will no longer be needed because the perfect has come.
So, what future event is Paul talking about? Some cessationist say that this has already happened. It happened when the canon of scripture was finalised in the 4th Century AD. However, this does not make sense because Paul uses the expression ‘face to face’ for this future event. This has to be about Jesus. So, Paul is saying that when the perfect (Jesus) comes (2nd Coming), we will no longer need the gift of tongues because we will have full knowledge when we see Jesus face to face. Because Jesus has not come back yet, the gift of tongues has not ceased; it is still available.
2 Corinthians 12:12
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.
This verse is part of a passage in which Paul talks about himself and his relationship with the Corinthian church. And in this verse, he seeks to show proof that he is an apostle. Part of the evidence that he uses is the fact that his ministry was accompanied by signs, wonders and miracles.
Those who teach cessationism say that this passage shows that signs, wonders and miracles such as speaking in tongues were only given to the Apostles to authenticate their ministry. And that, when the Apostles died the signs, wonders and miracles came to an end. However, this verse does not say that. Paul does not say that they were only for this purpose. Furthermore, there are plenty of examples in the New Testament of believers who were not Apostles who performed signs and wonders. For instance, the speaking in tongues on the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) was not limited to the 12 Apostles; there were 120 believers in the upper room. See also Luke 10:9 & 17-20, Acts 6:8 and Acts 21:9 for example. Therefore, this verse does not support the cessationist teaching.
Hebrews 1:1-2
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world
In these verses the writer is comparing the Old Testament prophets with Jesus. Before the Father sent Jesus, He spoke to His people through the prophets. But now we have Jesus who is God and so God is able to speak directly to us instead of speaking through the prophets. What the writer is saying is that Jesus is superior to the Old Testament prophets. He is not just another prophet or teacher; He is the Son of God.
Those who teach cessationism use this text to say that when Jesus came, there was no longer any need for prophecy or any other gift of the Holy Spirit for that matter. They say that all we need now is the preaching of the Gospel. But the text is not saying that; it is simply comparing the Old Testament prophets with Jesus. Therefore, this verse does not support the cessationist teaching.
Hebrews 2:3-4
how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
In this passage the writer to the Hebrews is saying that signs, wonders, various miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit confirmed that the Gospel of salvation is true. He says that this happened through those who heard Jesus preach the Gospel.
Those who teach cessationism say that ‘those who heard’ were the Apostles because that was one of the qualifications of an Apostle. It is true that the Apostles heard Jesus preach the Gospel but they were not the only ones. There were other disciples who spent time with Jesus and heard what He said, such as the 70 disciples who were appointed by Jesus and sent out on mission. It should be noted that this text in Hebrews does not mention the Apostles so we cannot limit the miraculous confirmations to the Apostles.
There is nothing in the text to suggest that the miracles that confirmed the Gospel were only performed by those who originally heard Jesus. Notice the words ‘God also testifying with them’ which is in the present tense. This suggests that the miraculous confirmations were still taking place amongst those who did not originally hear Jesus.
Furthermore, there is nothing in the text that suggests the miraculous signs must be confined to those who originally heard Jesus or those who heard the Gospel second hand. There is nothing to suggest that this miraculous confirmation of the Gospel was confined to the early church. Why wouldn’t God use miraculous signs today to confirm the Gospel?
Those who teach cessationism say that the signs, wonders, various miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit had one purpose and that was to confirm the Gospel in the Apostolic Age. However, Paul tells us that they had other purposes and that was to build up the church and that they were for the common good.
Therefore, you cannot make a cessationist argument from these two verses.
Conclusions
Now that we have examined all of the relevant scriptures, what can we say about speaking in tongues?
With regards to speaking in tongues, the most important question that the church needs to address today is whether or not the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still available. Did they cease with the death of the Apostles or when the canon of scriptures was finalised in the 4th Century AD? Or are they still available to the church today. In other words, is the doctrine of Cessationism correct? In examining the scriptures used for this doctrine I have shown that Cessationism is a false teaching. I have demonstrated that the Cessationists misinterpret the scriptures that they use for their doctrine. I have shown that there is nothing in the Bible that supports the idea that the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased either at the end of the Apostolic Age or when the canon of scriptures was finalised. This means that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including tongues, have not ceased and are still available to Christians nearly two thousand years after the birth of the church.
Having established that the gift of tongues is still available to the church I want to pull together everything that the scriptures tell us about speaking in tongues. Let’s start with the basics.
All of the primary scriptures I have looked at above use the same Greek word for tongues which is ‘Glossa’. Glossa is a spoken language that is not acquired naturally. All of the natural languages around the world are learnt over a period of time and need to be practiced over and over again until they are mastered. However, when the Bible talks about speaking in tongues it is referring to a language that the person who speaks it has not learnt and does not understand. It is a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit that the Christian instantly acquires. One minute they can’t speak it and then the next minute they can.
As we saw in 1 Corinthians 12:10 that tongues is one of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit and there are various kinds of tongues. Alongside the gift of tongues we have the gift of interpreting tongues. Interpreting tongues is not a skill that can be learnt. Instead, it is a miraculous ability to interpret a message in a tongue/language that the interpreter does not know. Sometimes tongues are meant to be heard by other people and sometimes they are spoken to God.
The gift of tongues has a number of purposes. The first of these is that it is used for the ‘common good’ of the Church. Another is that it is a sign for unbelievers. It is a sign for them that the Gospel is real and powerful. Speaking in tongues also serves the purpose of showing that someone has been baptised with the Holy Spirit.
The gift of tongues will cease to be available to believers at the second coming of Christ. But until then it is available to all Christians who have been baptised with the Holy Spirit.
Now let’s look at the gift of tongues in more detail, especially with regard to it’s use. In the early church it was normal for Christians to speak in tongues especially during collective worship. And there is no reason why it should not be normal today.
As we saw in 1 Corinthians 12:10 there are different kinds of tongues. One of the kinds of tongues is where the person speaking in tongues is speaking to God in prayer. They do not know what they are saying to God and yet they are still edified by it. Another kind of tongue is used in collective worship to convey a message to one or more of those assembled. This kind of tongue is in a language that those present do not understand. And it should only be used when there is someone present with the gift of interpreting tongues. Another kind of tongue is one that is in a language that is known by one or more of those people hearing it.
Not all Christians who have been baptised with the Holy Spirit will have the gift of tongues. The Holy Spirit determines the distribution of the gifts. If a Christian has the gift of tongues, they must not be forbidden from using it according to Paul. They should be free to use the gift anywhere. In fact, according to scripture, leaders should encourage their congregation to speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues is not restricted to use in collective worship A Christian can speak in tongues when they are praying, worshipping or doing neither of these. When there is collective worship, everyone should come prepared to make a contribution according to Paul. And one of the contributions that can be made is to speak in a tongue.
Speaking of collective worship, what have we learnt about speaking in tongues when we assemble together. The first thing to note is that we should expect the gift to be used at such times. However, it has to be done in an orderly manner. When there are messages in tongues, we should not speak all at once. We should take it in turns and the tongue must be interpreted so that those present are edified. Sometimes the person who speaks to the assembled church in a tongue also has the gift of interpretation and is able to interpret their own message. When tongues are spoken to the assembled church and interpreted, they can convey a revelation, a word of knowledge, a prophecy or a teaching.
What else can we say about speaking in tongues? It is very important that we use the gift of tongues in love. We must never use it for show, to show off, for self-aggrandisement or any other selfish reason. We must exercise it with divine love. The gift of tongues is not part of any particular role or ministry in the church. It is available for all Christians who have been baptised with the Holy Spirit to use as the Holy Spirit wills. Speaking in tongues must not be limited to private use. It must be allowed in public worship as well as being used on occasion to proclaim the Gospel to unbelievers. A group of Christians should not speak in tongues at the same time if they are speaking in tongues to each other. But they can speak in tongues together at the same time if they are speaking to God in worship or prayer. This is because this type of tongues is not for the edification of others and does not need to be interpreted.
And finally, I just want to reiterate that praying in the Spirit and praying in tongues are not the same thing. Praying in the Spirit applies to all forms of prayer such as petitions, praise, thanksgiving, etc. Praying in tongues is just one form of praying.
Sadly, in my experience, the vast majority of churches either ignore the subject of tongues or attack it. Only a tiny minority of churches teach the subject and put it into practice. I hope that this teaching will contribute towards changing the situation and that more churches will encourage the use of this divine gift.