Speaking in Tongues: A Gift of the Holy Spirit
There are two views on what speaking of tongues in the Bible actually is. One view is that everywhere ‘tongue’ just means ‘language’. If that view is correct, speaking in tongues (or foreign languages) is a gift of the Holy Spirit to further the spread of the Gospel among new peoples (see e.g. Acts 2). At the same time it is a warning and announcement of judgment to the unbelieving Jews (1 Corinthians 14:21-22).
The Nature and Purpose of the Gift
Most Bible scholars believe that when the Bible is mentioning ‘ tongues’ these are unknown languages, probably not even human languages. Often these are called languages of angels, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1: “ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels”. But we can still find the purpose of speaking in tongues, as it is stated clearly in the text.
According to the biblical text, the gift serves the following functions:
- To teach the church: That is only possible if the tongue is interpreted. If there is no interpreter for the tongue available, the tongue speaker should be silent (1 Corinthians 14:28).
- To pray or sing with the spirit: It is an extra way to connect with God without the mind taking part: “ I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also” (1 Corinthians 14:15).
Comparison of Scriptural Views
| Perspective | Description | Scripture Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Human Languages | A gift to further the spread of the Gospel among new peoples. | Acts 2 |
| Unknown Tongues | Languages of angels or prayer with the spirit. | 1 Corinthians 13:1 |
Importance and Application Today
Even then though you should realize that speaking in tongues is not for every Christian. “ Do all speak with tongues?”, Paul asks rhetorically in 1 Corinthians 12:30. The answer clearly is ‘no’. And that is okay, because we all have our own gifts – though we are encouraged to seek God for more gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31).
However, I am hesitant to confirm this importance of speaking in tongues for the following reasons:
- In history, after the time of the apostles speaking in tongues has been extremely rare until the modern day revival of the practice.
- Speaking in tongues happens in many other religions. Speaking in tongues therefore cannot be taken as proof of being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
- People learn it as easily as riding a bicycle. So if you hear people speaking in tongues, it is impossible to know whether it is a gift they received from the Holy Spirit or a trick they have learned.
- The structure of what is said, is much simpler than that of real language. It is quite literally babbling.
For all these reasons, there is no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of speaking in tongues today is a learned behavior that has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, I cannot say from the Bible that genuine speaking in tongues cannot happen today. So this is one area it is wise not to judge our brothers and sisters for speaking or not speaking in tongues, but to leave the judgment to God.