Speaking in tongues means praying in the language of the spirit. This is recorded in 1 Corinthians 14:19, which says:
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.”
Speaking in tongues is one of the gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows upon a believer for personal edification and building up the church. This is according to the book of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, which says
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
When a person speaks in tongues, the Bible says that they are in direct communication with God as captured in 1 Corinthians 14:2. This scripture says:
“For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”
What Jesus said about speaking in tongues?
Before ascending to heaven, Jesus made a promise to all believers about the gift of speaking in tongues as recorded in Mark 16:17. This is what it says:
“And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Here, we see Jesus promising his disciples that whoever will believe in him will speak with new tongues. By this he meant the gift of speaking in tongues that the Holy Spirit would bestow upon believers.
We again encounter this promise in the book of Luke 24:49; where Jesus says:
“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Similar sentiments are echoed in Acts 1:4 which says:
“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said,” You have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.””
Speaking in tongues on the day of Pentecost
The promise made by Jesus to His disciples about baptism by the Holy Spirit got fulfilled on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:1-4. This is what it says:
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
There are two important things to notice here. The first one is that, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, ALL who were gathered in that room began to speak in other tongues. Secondly, they spoke under the instruction of the Spirit. This means that it was actually the Spirit speaking through them. In this case, they were just conduits. That means whatever their mouths were uttering did not come from them, but from the Spirit Himself.
This is in sharp contrast to what we nowadays witness in most prayer meetings, where people who ‘want’ to receive the gift of speaking in tongues are normally prayed for and then encouraged to open their mouths and just say anything. This is wrong because praying in tongues is orchestrated by the Holy Spirit Himself and is never a matter of just ‘muttering any words that come to mind.’
What is the purpose of the gift of speaking in tongues in the Bible?
#1. Personal edification
The first purpose of the gift of speaking in tongues is to edify oneself during private prayer sessions. While in private, an individual with this gift is at liberty to exercise it because, being alone, he does not need another person to do the interpretation as required during cooperative prayer. This is recorded in 1 Corinthians 14:1-4, which says:
“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification, exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.”
It is by praying in the language of the spirit that the individual builds himself up as is recorded in Jude 1:20-21 which says:
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
#2. Edifying the church
The second purpose of speaking in tongues is to build the church, as long as an interpreter is present. This instruction is recorded in 1 Corinthians 14:5 which says:
“I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.”
The same sentiments are echoed in 1 Corinthians 14:26-28, which says:
“How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.”
From this passage, we learn that ALL the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be used for edifying or building up the church. It is important to notice that Apostle Paul gave this order to allow for the smooth running of church meetings for the benefit of everyone in attendance. This is well captured in 1 Corinthians 14:33 that says:
“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
To drive this point home, we can as well read 1 Corinthians 14:39-40 that says:
“Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.”
#.3 A sign to the unbelievers
The third purpose of speaking in tongues in the Bible is so that the unbeliever can witness the glorious works of God in our lives and perhaps get converted. In other words, speaking in tongues is a sign to the unbelievers. This is documented in 1 Corinthians 14:22 which says:
“Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.”
This is what happened during the day of Pentecost when the disciples got filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues that were native to the visitors who had come to Jerusalem. To the visitors, this was indeed a miracle and a sign that God was with the disciples. This is recorded in Acts 2:5-11, which says:
“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?””
Should we speak in tongues in church?
Yes, we can speak in tongues in church on condition that an interpreter is present so that we may edify those gathered in that meeting. This is recorded in 1 Corinthians 14:5 which says:
“I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.”
Similar sentiments are echoed in 1 Corinthians 14:6-13:
“But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken. For you will be speaking into the air.”
In Corinthians 14:13 we are encouraged to pray so that we can interpret tongues. This scripture says:
“Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.”
Conclusion
In this article, we have learned that speaking in tongues is a language the spirit uses to pray. The purpose of speaking in tongues is threefold: personal edification, building the church, and a sign to the unbelievers. Finally, we have learned that if one is to speak in tongues in public or in the church, there is a need for interpretation so that all who are present can benefit.
Hope the information was helpful. Thank you.
Related Post: Is speaking in tongues real
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In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
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Benediction
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The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
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(Numbers 6:24-26)
Shalom.
Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/
My name is Nicodemus. I'm a Kenyan by birth. I got saved over 30 years ago while in high school.
I love studying scriptures in order to enhance my comprehension of God and His plan for mankind.
I have an MBA degree in strategic management and a BSc degree in botany and zoology.
I’m married to a loving lady called Leah. God has gifted us three sons: Wayne, Salem, and Michael.
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