Wednesday, October 8th, 2003 - Speaking in Tongues

I wrote this email quite awhile ago and I found it saved on my computer, so I figured I might as well post it. I suppose someday I should read through it again and see what God shows me through the Scriptures presented here, again.


I just read the first few chapters of Acts today, so here is my take on the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.

Jesus, before His ascension into heaven, promised that He would send His Spirit and at that time, the apostles would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Holy Spirit to the apostles (along with the other 108 believers in the room) is known as Pentecost - this happened either 9 or 10 days after Jesus' ascension. Once the Holy Spirit came upon them, He gave the gift of speaking in tongues (or many languages) to the believers gathered there. This is what made the people of Jerusalem gather before them in awe or in disbelief (some thought they were drunk). God used Peter to speak before this crowd, leading 3,000 people to Christ all at once.

Got all that? lol it's kind of a lot. That's my summary of a good portion of Acts 2 that deals with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Now here's where the discrepancy comes in for many people - the significance and application of the speaking in tongues. What exactly does the Bible mean when using the phrase "speaking in tongues?" Is speaking in tongues a required piece of evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling, or is it a gift given to only some (in other words, does speaking in tongues happen for everyone once they receive the Holy Spirit)? How should speaking in tongues be applied to gatherings of believers today - who and in what way? Do Christians need to speak in tongues when worshiping and/or praying/talking to God?

The best way to understand what speaking in tongues actually means is to visit a Pentecostal Church on Pentecost Sunday. No just kidding! I did that, by the way. I would describe it as the Holy Spirit's presence within a Christian empowering them to speak in a language other than one they can already speak. This may be a known language (such as Spanish, French, Japanese, Latin) or what some people have called a "Godly language" or "Spiritual language." Listening to a person speaking this would sound like mumbo jumbo or jibberish - words or syllables that don't make any sense. People that have spoken and worshiped in such a way say that they are talking to God in their mind in their own language, but the Holy Spirit is using their body to talk in a language known only in Heaven; also, they have said that sometimes they have no idea what the words they are saying mean, that their Spirit is praying even though their mind cannot comprehend the language. I hope that made some sense, lol.

The other three questions can be answered by turning to 1 Corinthians 14. I would recommend reading and meditating on this whole chapter before reading what I have to say about it here. Also read 1 Cor 12:1-11 about Spiritual Gifts (the rest of Chapter 12 helps with a great example to more fully understand the first 11 verses).

So the Church has been growing ever since Christ sent His Spirit in the upper room at Pentecost. The people who believed and chose to live for Christ have been taught all about Jesus and what it means to follow Him, but still have questions about how to live life in a way that reflects Him - the details, procedures, and guidelines for everything. So amidst his journeys, Paul writes letters to the churches in many cities, answering their questions and encouraging them in faith. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul talks about Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor 12) and the specifics of implementing two of them: The Gifts of Tongues and Prophecy (1 Cor 14).

I will attempt to summarize Chapter 14 and what God showed me through this Scripture. One who speaks in tongues speaks with God and not others, while one who prophesies helps others grow in the Lord. This is why prophecy is a greater gift, unless there is someone to interpret the tongues for the entire church to understand (verse 5). A person with the gift of speaking in tongues should pray for the interpretation of it, so that others may understand as well (verse 13). The sign of tongues is for unbelievers while prophecy is for believers, but if unbelievers don't understand speaking in tongues and hear someone speaking it, they will think that person is crazy (verses 22-23). An unbeliever who hears prophecy will be convicted of sin and declare the Truth of God.

Paul goes on to describe how these things are used in gatherings of worship. Everyone should use their gifts for the good of everyone there. No more than 2 or 3 should speak in an unknown language, and they should speak 1 at a time, and an interpreter should be present so that all will understand. Without an interpreter, those with gifts to speak in tongues must remain silent in the church meeting (as far as speaking in tongues goes, this doesn't mean that they can't talk at all). Paul also gives directions for those with gifts of prophecy. The chapter concludes with "be eager to prophesy, and don't forbid speaking in tongues. But be sure that everything is done properly and in order."

So back to the questions. Does speaking in tongues happen for everyone once they receive the Holy Spirit (as evidence)? I think that Chapter 12 (explicitly) and 14 (implicitly) both agree that speaking in tongues is a Spiritual Gift. "[The Holy Spirit] gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said (1 Cor 12:10)." Different Spiritual Gifts are given to different people; the verse directly says "some" will speak in unknown languages, not "all." This, and the entire context of Chapter 14, leads me to believe that some may have the gift of tongues but some will not, therefore it will not happen for everyone once they receive the Holy Spirit, and is not required as evidence.

How should speaking in tongues be applied? 1 Cor 14: 27-28 enumerates explicitly, "No more than two or three should speak in an unknown language. They must speak one at a time, and someone must be ready to interpret what they are saying. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately." It is so direct that I don't think I need to elaborate any more. It is noteworthy that verse 39 says "don't forbid speaking in tongues" and that leads me to believe that churches should accomodate those with gifts to speak and interpret tongues if God wants to use those people to speak to the church body.

Is tongues the method in which Christians should worship and pray? I guess I already answered this question by stating that tongues is a Spiritual Gift given to only some, not all. Clearly, a Christian can worship, pray, and spend time with God all in their own language and in any fashion pleasing to God. The main theme coming through is that speaking in tongues is a blessing, but not a requirement.

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