If there is one gift that is misunderstood, mis-taught, and often misused, it is the gift of speaking in tongues. The denominational divides on this topic cut right between charismatic Christians and non-Charismatic Christians. How do you approach this topic with biblical and doctrinal clarity while identifying some challenges that exist on both sides of this debate? That is my objective today. While I can’t say I will settle this debate today, hopefully you can walk away thinking differently about this topic while finding more grace for those who have an opposing view.
Some Background: What Is Speaking in Tongues?
Speaking in tongues is a supernatural gift that comes from the Holy Spirit, who gives you the ability to speak in another language that you have never studied or learned. The word for tongues in the Greek is Glossai, which in this context means languages. Therefore, anyone who is speaking in tongues, as enabled by the Holy Spirit, is speaking in a human language. This does not mean you will understand what you are saying, because the only way that can happen is if the Holy Spirit gives you the ability to interpret it.
Biblical Instances of Speaking in Tongues
For as much conversation as there is about speaking in tongues, there are only three brief instances in the Bible where we see this gift in practice.
- The day of Pentecost - "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:4)
- At Cornelius’ house - "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." (Acts 10:45-46)
- Paul and the believers in Ephesus - "When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." (Acts 19:6)
Outside of these three instances, there is no other place in the Bible where we see people engaging in the activity of speaking in tongues. However, we know this activity took place in the Corinthian church because Paul writes about it. Clearly, this was a gift that was active in this church, and Paul instructs the believers there on the proper way to exercise this gift.
Is Speaking in Tongues for Today?
An enormous area of debate over speaking in tongues revolves around the question of: Are tongues for today? Your answer to this question probably depends on whether you are charismatic. If you are, your answer is probably yes. If not, then your answer is probably no. So, who is right? Those who argue against tongues will probably say that all the sign gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians were temporary and meant for the early church. These gifts ceased with the death of the apostles. This is known as cessationism. However, there are issues with this belief. I can’t cover all those now, but with tongues, I discover many of the arguments are not really against speaking in tongues. Their concerns usually center on how people exercise the gift. Here are three common arguments you may hear from those who do not believe tongues are for today, which show what I mean.
1. Biblical tongues were known languages while modern tongues sound like unintelligible syllables.
Being in charismatic circles my entire church life, there were moments when I heard people speaking in “tongues” that sounded like repeating syllables and not a known language. While there is some truth to this argument, there is one question I have not heard anyone pose. When you say known languages, the question is known to whom? There are over 7,000 known human languages, and there is nowhere in Scripture that says tongues must be in a common language known to much of the world. For this reason, you cannot ignore the possibility that someone speaking in tongues is speaking in a known language. It is just one that you don’t know.
2. Tongues when spoken in the church must always be interpreted, but rarely are.
If this is your argument, you are correct. There are many times people speak out in tongues in church or in a gathering of believers and there is no interpretation. This is not the way Paul teaches us to use this gift:
"If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God." (1 Cor. 14:27-28)
By writing this, Paul is addressing a problem that was happening in the Corinthian church. They were not using the gift in a manner that was edifying to the entire body. However, if someone does not use the gift properly, does that invalidate the gift? No. It did not invalidate the gift in the Corinthian church, and it does not invalidate it today.
3. Speaking in tongues is the result of emotionalism.
The argument here is that many modern expressions of tongues are driven by emotionalism (caught up in the moment), peer pressure (everyone else is doing it, so I should too), or imitation (I will just repeat what I am hearing). Sadly, sometimes in churches, these things happen. If this is what people are doing, they are doing something, but they are not flowing in the gift of speaking in tongues. However, even this argument aligns more with the way people teach or use the gift and does not cancel out the gift itself if it is used properly.
A Common Misconception about Speaking in Tongues
There are many in charismatic circles who will tell you that speaking in tongues is the only evidence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit (I used to believe this too). I will agree that speaking in tongues is evidence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, because you cannot speak in tongues unless he enables you. However, is it the only evidence? Did everyone who was baptized in the Holy Spirit speak in tongues? No. Since this teaching is based on what happened in the book of Acts, you will discover there is an occasion where this did not happen.
"Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:17)
We see from this Scripture that these men received the Holy Spirit, but the Bible does not say they spoke in tongues immediately afterward. Could they have done that? Most likely. But the Bible does not mention that. In situations like these, we must be careful not to force a doctrinal position into a narrative where it may not fit.
Two problems when we teach speaking in tongues is the evidence:
There are two problems with teaching people that speaking in tongues is the evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
1. We pressure people to speak in tongues.
When you make tongues the only legitimate evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, then to validate the experience, people come up with all kinds of ways to “help” people speak in tongues. After all, you have no other way to validate your doctrinal position. This is where you can see many nonsensical things occur to “help” people speak in tongues. Things like telling people to repeat after me or just use one syllable for now. I even had a pastor tell me that since tongues is a language, you learn language by listening and that is how you can develop tongues. None of this is biblical because, in the Bible, when people who were filled with the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues, they did so with no coaching or coaxing from anyone. They simply spoke as the Holy Spirit enabled them. If he wants you to speak in tongues today, he can still do the same thing.
2. We send people after the wrong pursuit.
Because some charismatic circles put so much emphasis on tongues, we miss the real prize of it all, which is the Holy Spirit doing a deeper work in your life. I know Christians devastated by their inability to speak in tongues. Sadly, their devastation results from bad theology. Many have been taught to pursue speaking in tongues when being filled with more of the Holy Spirit is what we should be pursuing. This is what our sole emphasis should be. We need to shift people’s priorities from desiring to speak in tongues to desiring more of the Holy Spirit operating in their lives. When that is your desire, you are growing in your walk with God, and it does not really matter if you speak in tongues.
Before Jesus left, he talked about the Holy Spirit. However, he did not emphasize speaking in tongues. The last thing he said was you would receive power to be my witnesses (Acts 1:8). This is the reason we desire more of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so we can represent Jesus more effectively.
Is the Gift of Speaking in Tongues Given to Everyone Who Believes?
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them." (1 Cor. 12:4)
Since tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit, he controls who receives this gift. Therefore, we should not judge the infilling of the Holy Spirit by whether someone can speak in tongues. Especially because the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not to speak in tongues and you cannot just magically make it happen, even though some try. You can be baptized in the Holy Spirit and not speak in tongues. I know some of you will disagree with that statement. However, there is a far better measure of the Holy Spirit working in someone’s life. It is not the gifts, but the fruit.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23)
This is the deeper work the Holy Spirit wants to do. His desire is to transform your character, so you can be a more effective witness for Jesus. This is what we all should strive for. If the Holy Spirit enables you to speak in tongues, then wonderful, but if not and you see this type of fruit developing in your life, then you can be certain you are full of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion: Embracing Spiritual Gifts
I strongly believe that all gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation today, so I am not a cessationist. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit when I was sixteen, and that night in my kitchen with my sister and mom, I was enabled by the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues. As wonderful as that experience was, that was just the beginning. The more important work was what the Holy Spirit has been doing in working the fruit of the Spirit into my life. The character of Christ flowing in my life has had far greater reach and effectiveness in helping others than the gift of speaking in tongues ever has. For this reason, I encourage you to seek the baptism and infilling of the Holy Spirit. If speaking in tongues or other gifts flow through you as a result, then let them. Most importantly, watch how he will change who you are. When he does, that will have the greatest influence in your life and the lives of those around you.
See also: "What Is the Meaning of 'Praying in Tongues'?"
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