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SUBJECT: Tongues, Speaking in
QUESTION: What is speaking in tongues?
ANSWER:
Doctrinal Statement on SPEAKING IN TONGUES
The biblical occurrences of "speaking in tongues" are not a
phenomenon often seen in charismatic circles, nor the sign
by which one judges whether a person has been begotten by
God's Holy Spirit. In complete contradistinction to the
unintelligible verbal utterances of certain groups, for one
to biblically "speak in tongues" means that God has
supernaturally given the gift of speaking in an actual
foreign language to that person as a sign.
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Tongues is not required for salvation.
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Here is some explanation of Tongues:
TONGUES, GIFT OF
The Spirit-given ability to speak in languages not known to
the speaker or in an ecstatic language that could not
normally be understood by the speaker or the hearers.
Apparently the only possibly direct reference in the Old
Testament to speaking in another tongue or language is found
in <Isaiah 28:11> "For with stammering lips and another
tongue He will speak to this people." This seems to be a
reference to an invasion of the Assyrians. They apparently
would speak in another language, one probably unknown to the
people of Israel. The apostle Paul later applied this verse
to speaking in tongues <1 Corinthians 14:21>. The apostle
Peter considered the phenomenon of speaking in tongues that
occurred on the Day of Pentecost <Acts 2> as the fulfillment
of Old Testament prophecy <Joel 2:28-32>.
In an appearance to His disciples after His resurrection,
Jesus declared, "And these signs will follow those who
believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will
speak with new tongues" <Mark 16:17>.
On the Day of Pentecost, the followers of Christ "were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" <Acts 2:4>. The
people assembled in Jerusalem for this feast came from
various Roman provinces representing a variety of languages.
They were astonished to hear the disciples speaking of God's
works in their own languages. Some have suggested that the
miracle was in the hearing rather than in the speaking. This
explanation, however, would transfer the miraculous from the
believing disciples to the multitude who may not have been
believers.
Tongues as a gift of the Spirit is especially prominent in
<1 Corinthians 12> and <14>. In <1 Corinthians 12> the
phenomenon of tongues is listed with other gifts of the
Spirit under the term gifts. As one of the several gifts
given to believers as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit,
tongues is intended, with the other gifts, to be exercised
for the building up of the church and the mutual profit of
its members. In <1 Corinthians 13> the apostle Paul puts the
gift of tongues in perspective by affirming that though we
"speak with the tongues of men and of angels" <v. 1>, if we
do not have love, the gift of tongues has no value.
In <1 Corinthians 14> Paul deals more specifically with the
gift of tongues and its exercise in the church. In this
chapter the tongue is not an intelligible language, for it
cannot be understood by the listeners. Therefore, a parallel
to the gift of tongues is the gift of interpretation. The
gift of tongues was used as a means of worship,
thanksgiving, and prayer. While exercising this gift, the
individual addresses God not man; and the result is to edify
himself and not the church <1 Corinthians 14:2,4>. This gift
is never intended for self-exaltation but for the praise and
glorification of God. Paul does not prohibit speaking in
tongues in a public service <1 Corinthians 14:39>. But he
seems to assign it to a lesser place than the gift of
prophecy. Paul claims for himself the gift of
tongues-speaking, but apparently he exercised this gift in
private and not in public <1 Corinthians 14:18-19>.
The gift of tongues is to be exercised with restraint and in
an orderly way. The regulations for its public use are
simple and straightforward. The person who speaks in an
unknown tongue is to pray that he may interpret <1
Corinthians 14:13>. Or, someone else is to interpret what he
says. Only two or three persons are to speak, with each
having an interpretation of what he says. Each is also to
speak in turn. If these criteria are not met, they are to
remain silent <1 Corinthians 14:27-28>. The gifts of
speaking in tongues and their interpretation are to be
Spirit inspired. Paul also points out that tongues are a
sign to unbelievers. If these guidelines are not observed,
unbelievers who are present will conclude that the people of
the church are out of their minds.
The phenomenon of speaking in tongues described in the New
Testament is not some psychological arousal of human
emotions that results in strange sounds. This is a genuine
work of the Holy Spirit.
~from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary
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