What the Bible Says About Speaking in Tongues?

Introduction

There remains confusion, debate, and discussion in the Christian church today on the gift of tongues. This article seeks to contribute to that discussion by accomplishing two main purposes. First, it will review the passages in Acts and 1 Corinthians that reference the spiritual gift of tongues. Second, it will provide a brief theology on the gift of tongues by characterizing its nature, its purpose, and its duration.

Speaking in Tongues in Acts

Acts 2

Speaking in tongues did not occur in the Old Testament. In the Bible, tongue-speaking is first described in Acts 2:1–13.^[1]

And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [γλῶσσα], as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (Acts 2:1–4)^[2]

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit indwelled 120 Jewish believers to inaugurate the New Testament church, and all of them began to speak with other tongues. Because these uneducated Galileans were speaking foreign languages which they had never studied, the eyewitnesses who came “from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5) to celebrate the Feast of Weeks “were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language [διάλεκτος]” (Acts 2:6). The languages and people groups represented were diverse, and they included “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the district of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs” (Acts 2:9–11a). Tongue-speaking served as a sign that God was reversing the curse on humanity that God had delivered at Babel (Gen 11:1–9).^[3] At Babel, God confused the people’s language as a barrier to prevent them from joining together against Him, but here in the book of Acts, He was breaking down these barriers through tongue-speaking to unite believers of every tongue as one people.

Two observations appear indisputable from a simple reading of this passage. First, the gift of tongues in Acts 2 was spoken human language.^[4] Luke describes the crowds hearing the tongue-speakers in their own “language [διάλεκτος]” (Acts 2:6, 8). The Greek word διάλεκτος, in its four other occurrences in the NT, always meant human language (Acts 1:19; 21:40; 22:2; 26:14). Second, this miraculous gift was one of speaking and not hearing. The miraculous speaking of many different languages drew the attention of many people, and it gave Peter the opportunity to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the large crowd in Greek, the language common to them all.^[5] Acts 2:4–11 is the only passage in the entire Bible that directly describes the gift of tongues, so this passage will serve a major role when determining the nature of tongues.^[6]

Acts 10

The next explicit account of tongue-speaking is recorded in Acts 10 when God saved Cornelius and his household in Caesarea.^[7] As a visible sign to Peter that the Gentiles were to be included into the church, the Holy Spirit empowered Cornelius and his family to speak in tongues (Acts 10:44–46a). Convinced that Cornelius had become a genuine believer, Peter instructed Cornelius to get baptized. Later, Peter reported back to the other apostles and the Jerusalem church that “the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). Peter affirmed that the tongue-speaking of Cornelius and his Gentile household in Acts 10 was the same gift dispensed to the 120 Jewish believers in Acts 2.

Acts 19

Luke gives a third and final account on tongue-speaking in Acts 19:1–7. In this episode, there were about twelve disciples of John the Baptist who were residing in Ephesus. They had received the baptism of repentance by John the Baptist, but they had never heard nor received the Holy Spirit. After Paul explained the gospel and baptized them in the name of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking with tongues.

There is a similar pattern found in the book of Acts with these three accounts of tongue-speaking. First, an apostle of Jesus Christ was always present. In Acts 2, there were all twelve apostles. In Acts 10 and Acts 19, Peter and Paul were present respectively. Second, the gospel was preached, and the hearers believed and received the Holy Spirit. Third, the tongues spoken involved the miraculous acquisition of an authentic, foreign language. Together, these instances of tongue-speaking authenticated the inauguration of the New Testament church with an equal pouring out of God’s Spirit to Jews, Gentiles, and the disciples of John the Baptist.^[8]

Speaking in Tongues in 1 Corinthians

One of Paul’s purposes for writing 1 Corinthians was to answer Corinth’s questions concerning spiritual gifts. Paul addresses the topic of spiritual gifts including tongues in 1 Corinthians 12–14. It is noteworthy that Luke and Paul were close companions (Acts 16:10; Col 4:14; Phil 24). Paul likely wrote 1 Corinthians after the three tongue-speaking events in Acts 2, 10, and 19,^[9] but he wrote 1 Corinthians five to seven years before Luke wrote the book of Acts.^[10] It is unlikely that Luke and Paul would independently coin the Greek word γλῶσσα (“tongue”) for two different phenomena.^[11]

1 Corinthians 12

There are five lists of spiritual gifts found in the New Testament: Romans 12:6–8, 1 Corinthians 12:7–10, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Peter 4:10–11. The gift of tongues is mentioned only in the two lists found in 1 Corinthians 12.

The final two spiritual gifts on Paul’s first list were “various kinds of tongues [γλῶσσα] and…the translation of tongues [γλῶσσα]” (1 Cor 12:10). Paul placed tongues at the end of the list to contrast the Corinthians’ zealous overemphasis of tongue-speaking. The gift involving the interpretation of tongues implies that tongues involve speaking a real human language that can be coded linguistically and translated intelligibly.

In his second list of spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:28), Paul positions the identical phrase “various kinds of tongues” at the end again to counter Corinth’s tongue-speaking overemphasis. Paul then asks the rhetorical question, “Do all speak with tongues?” (1 Cor 12:30), implying that not all Christian believers were given the spiritual gift of tongues. Paul encourages the Corinthians to “earnestly desire the greater gifts” (1 Cor 12:31) delineated in the front of the list instead of the lesser gifts like tongue-speaking. At the end of chapter 12, Paul transitions to discuss the superiority of love and how aspiring to walk in love is more noble than aspiring spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 13

In 1 Corinthians 13:1, Paul begins with the conditional clause, “If I speak with the tongues [γλῶσσα] of men and of angels.” Some suggest that Paul’s addition, “and of angels,” gives evidence that speaking in tongues could encompass angelic language. The immediate context of 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 includes several deliberate exaggerations. For example, Paul’s next statement includes knowing “all mysteries and all knowledge” (1 Cor 13:2) which is impossible for any created being. To have “all faith, so as to remove mountains” (1 Cor 13:2) and to “surrender my body” (1 Cor 13:3) also appear to be dramatic overstatements. Therefore, Paul’s allusion to angelic language is hyperbole and not descriptive of tongue-speaking.

1 Corinthians 13 also teaches that tongue-speaking is temporary. “If there are tongues [γλῶσσα], they will cease…for we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away” (1 Cor 13:8–10). This passage must be considered when discussing the duration of the gift of tongues.

1 Corinthians 14

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul gives detailed instruction on how the gift of tongues should function in the church. “For one who speaks in a tongue [γλῶσσα] does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries” (1 Cor 14:2). Referencing tongue-speaking, the book of Acts and 1 Corinthians 12–13 always uses γλῶσσα in its plural form. However, in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul begins to use γλῶσσα in its singular form. The KJV translators mark this distinction by adding the additional word unknown in six occurrences (1 Cor 14:2, 4, 13, 19, 26). Because the speaking of this singular tongue is directed to God and not men, some believe this verse supports the use of ecstatic utterances in private prayer.^[12] Paul’s primary intent in 1 Corinthians 14:1–5 is to explain the relationship between tongue-speaking and prophecy. Without proper interpretation, tongue-speaking cannot be understood by men, and the church is not edified. Tongue-speaking, when properly interpreted, becomes equivalent to prophesy since it also conveys “mysteries.”^[13]

Paul develops this argument further in 1 Corinthians 14:6–19. Paul compares speaking in tongues without interpretation with indistinct musical sounds (1 Cor 14:7) and a vague trumpet signal (1 Cor 14:8). Paul affirms that all audible languages have meaning, but if the hearer does not know its meaning without interpretation, it is like trying to speak with a foreigner or barbarian (1 Cor 14:10–11). Without interpretation, the tongue-speaker is praying with an unfruitful mind (1 Cor 14:14–19), and Christians must pursue mature thinking (1 Cor 14:20).

Paul clarifies the purpose of tongue-speaking by stating that tongue-speaking is a sign to unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign for believers (1 Cor 14:22). If anyone were to speak in tongues during public worship, “it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must translate; but if there is no translator, he must keep silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God” (1 Cor 14:27–28). Tongue-speaking must be orderly, and someone must interpret. Otherwise, tongue-speaking must remain private between the speaker and God.

Theology of Speaking in Tongues

The Nature of Speaking in Tongues

A discussion on the nature of tongues must begin with Acts 2:4–11 which is the only passage in the Bible that directly describes the gift of tongues. In Acts 2, 120 Galileans miraculously spoke various foreign human languages which they had never studied. Luke uses the Greek word γλῶσσα for tongues, and in all 50 occurrences in the NT, γλῶσσα either refers to the physical tongue or human language.^[14] There is no evidence from the Greek language that γλῶσσα was ever used to mean unintelligible ecstatic speech.^[15] Seven times in the book of Revelation, the apostle John uses γλῶσσα to reference human language (Rev 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15).

Some propose that since Acts 2:4 uses the verb λαλέω (to utter) instead of λέγω (to say, to speak), this indicates ecstatic utterances were vocalized. However, in all 296 instances of λαλέω in the NT, none refer to ecstatic unintelligible speech.^[16] Paul uses the same verb λαλέω when describing the gift of prophecy. “But one who prophesies speaks [λαλέω] to men for edification” (1 Cor 14:3). Furthermore, Paul uses the verb λέγω with tongue-speaking when he writes, “how will the one who fills the place of the uninformed say the ‘Amen’ at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying [λέγω]?” (1 Cor 14:16)

Some argue that the tongue-speaking in 1 Corinthians is different from that found in the book of Acts. At first glance, the phrase “tongues of men and of angels” (1 Cor 13:1) suggests that the gift of tongues includes the ability to speak an “angelic” or “heavenly” language. But as stated above, Paul is likely using hyperbolic language.^[17] Moreover, Paul later states in 1 Corinthians 13:8 that tongues will cease. There is no reason for heavenly language to cease, as such language would continue in eternity.^[18] Furthermore, Scripture never indicates that angelic language is necessary when speaking to God, and in fact, God preferred to use human language as His means of communicating His infallible Word.

Some cite 1 Corinthians 14:2 to support the argument that tongues can include ecstatic utterances and not just intelligible language. “He speaks mysteries” is interpreted as ecstatic utterances since unlike Acts 2, the speech here is directed to God and not men. However, 1 Corinthians 14 teaches that tongues, when interpreted, is equivalent to prophecy. Therefore, tongues must involve a language that transmits information and can be interpreted to preserve its original meaning. It does not involve producing sounds with no discernible code or linguistic pattern.^[19] Therefore, having analyzed all that has been written on tongues in the New Testament, the best conclusion is that the gift of tongues found in Scripture is speaking human language.

The Purpose of Speaking in Tongues

Although there are various spiritual benefits the gift of tongues bestows, the primary purpose for tongues is most precisely spelled out by the Apostle Paul. “So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers” (1 Cor 14:22a). In 1 Corinthians 14:21, Paul quotes Isaiah to argue that uninterpreted tongue-speaking was a sign of both judgment and salvation (Isaiah 28:9­–11).^[20] Tongue-speaking was a sign for unbelievers as an evangelistic tool. When unbelievers heard uninterpreted tongue-speaking, it reaffirmed God’s covenantal curses upon Israel that He will carry out His threats against the wicked and unbelieving, but it also confirmed that God had shifted His redemptive program from a Jewish-centered activity to an activity involving all the nations.^[21]

Therefore, Paul gives four explicit instructions for exercising the gift of tongues in the local church. First, only two or three people are allowed to speak in tongues during a worship service (1 Cor 14:27). Second, only one person is to speak in tongues at a time. Third, a person with the gift of interpretation must be present to interpret what is spoken (1 Cor 14:28). Otherwise, the tongue-speaker must not exercise his gift of speaking in tongues. Fourth, women are not allowed to speak in tongues during the church worship service (1 Cor 14:34). By following these instructions, the gift of tongues with its interpretation became functionally equivalent to the gift of prophecy which becomes “a sign not to unbelievers but to those who believe” (1 Cor 14:23).^[22]

Outside church worship services, private tongue-speaking is permissible. Paul testified that he spoke in tongues more than all the Corinthians (1 Cor 14:18), but private tongue-speaking does not edify the church (1 Cor 14:4). And because tongue-speaking during private prayer does not involve the mind (1 Cor 14:14–15), Paul declares, “I desire to speak five words with my mind…rather than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Cor 14:19). Private tongue-speaking does not achieve the primary purpose delineated in 1 Corinthians 14:21–22.

Speaking in Tongues Today?

Believers today differ on whether the gift of tongues still exists today. Those who believe that virtually all the miraculous spiritual gifts still function today are called continuationists. Those who believe that certain gifts including tongue-speaking have ceased are often called cessationists. There are also those who are unsure and remain “open but cautious” about whether certain gifts still exist today.

According to 1 Corinthians 13:8–12, the gift of tongues will cease. The challenge is interpreting when the gift of tongues “will cease” (παύσονται) and when prophecy and knowledge “will be done away” (καταργηθήσονται). Scripture teaches that these gifts will end “when the perfect comes” (1 Cor 13:10). Many English translations (CSB, ESV, KJV, NASB) use the word “perfect” to translate the Greek adjective τέλειος which can mean “meeting the highest standard” (i.e. perfect), “to being mature, full-grown,” or “to being fully developed in a moral sense.”^[23]

There are five major viewpoints on the meaning of “when the perfect comes” (1 Cor 13:10): (1) the death of a believer when ushered into Christ’s presence, (2) the eternal state, (3) the completed New Testament canon, (4) Christ’s second coming, and (5) the maturing of Christ’s body through the course of the church age.^[24] Continuationists who understand τέλειος to mean “perfect” and is synonymous with seeing God “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12; cf. Deut 34:10; Judg 6:22) will gravitate toward the first, second, or fourth viewpoint in support that the gift of tongues is still in operation today. Many cessationists who define τέλειος as meaning “mature” or “fully developed” will embrace the third or fifth viewpoint and argue that once the New Testament had been completed, the gift of tongues ceased because the complete canon of Scripture is sufficient for spiritual maturity (2 Pet 1:3).

Perhaps a stronger argument for the case for cessationism is Scripture’s assertion that the church was “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20).^[25] Many self-professing continuationists believe that the gift of apostleship has passed away. To qualify as an apostle, one had to be commissioned as an apostle and seen the risen Christ (Acts 9:1–19; 1 Cor 9:1–2; Gal 1:13–17). Paul was the last person Jesus appeared to which confirms that there would be no apostles appointed after him (1 Cor 15:8). If “prophets” in the New Testament spoke infallibly like the Old Testament prophets, then prophecy can be defined as “speaking the infallible word of God and since the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, there are no longer prophets today, since the foundation of the church has been laid.”^[26] Since the church’s foundation has been laid, there is no new apostolic and prophetic teaching today outside the completed canon of Scripture. The gift of apostleship and the gift of prophecy have ceased.

There is ample testimony in church history that the gift of tongues had ceased with the apostles. Early church fathers like John Chrystostom in the fourth century and Augustine of Hippo in the fifth century taught that “in the earliest times, the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed, and they spake with tongues which they had not learned, as the Spirit gave them utterance…That thing was done for a betokening, and it passed away.”^[27] Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Owen, Thomas Watson, and Jonathan Edwards also affirmed tongues had ceased as do the Westminster Confession of Faith and the London Baptist Confession of 1689.^[28]

Conclusion

Several conclusions may be drawn from the passages in Acts and 1 Corinthians that address tongue-speaking. First, tongue-speaking in Acts and 1 Corinthians refer to a speaker’s miraculous ability to speak a foreign human language that he had never studied. Second, the primary purpose of uninterpreted tongue-speaking is to serve as a sign to unbelievers as a tool for evangelism. Third, if the gift of tongues corresponded to the building of the church’s foundation, then like the gift of apostleship, the gift of tongues has ceased. This is the generally accepted conclusion recorded throughout church history.

The belief that some of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased does not deny the reality of miracles today. God still performs miracles of physical healing, but He can perform these miracles without granting an irrevocable spiritual gift of healing to a specific individual like He did during the apostolic age of the early church.

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