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The Gift of Tongues in the Bible — 26 Comments

  1. You say that speaking in tongues is, "when someone hears the gospel in their own language." What do you think Paul means when he says in 1 Cor 14:2-3, "For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries."NKJV?

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    • Paul goes on to say that he who speaks in tongues edifies himself but he who prophesies edifies the church. "I would like everyone to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy." Paul earlier said "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels and have not love..." 1 Cor 13:1

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      • Is there a kind of talking in tongues that is for individual exercise benefitting that individual alone and not for others to participate in?

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    • Good question Jim! In the context of the entire chapter, I take it to mean that if no one else is there to hear and understand in their tongue (language) then he is not edifying the church, and should be praying alone to God instead of in church, as it would be of no edification to the church. Only God would understand and it would be a mystery to everyone else. Remember the purpose of every gift is to edify the church family. Some believe in this verse that Paul is referring to the groans in Romans 8:26 where the Spirit alone understands our sighs and groans that no words can express, and not necessarily tongue as in Acts 2. They say its like comparing apples to oranges. You may have a different understanding. What do you understand it to mean?

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    • Please why SDA church doesn't speak in tongues.
      1cor 18:8
      To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues

      Please the meaning divers kinds tongue ?

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  2. Thank you for clarifying some things that I had not understood about the whole topic of "speaking in tongues", I had previously had some other thoughts about it. I had recently had a conversation about this and I think I may have explained it incorrectly. But now I see, through the verses you've addressed above, the correct way that it was meant to be understood.

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  3. Love your article. A friend of mine from a remote village in Africa was living in the United States while her husband attended college. She was very sad and lonely and attended a local church known for speaking in tongues. At her first visit, someone gave her a 'message' from God in her native language. However, they needed her to interpret what she heard back to them. My understanding was that the person speaking in tongues would know what they were saying. What purpose would there be in speaking to anyone without understanding what you were saying? Is there a scripture that addresses this in particular?

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  4. In the bible there are three types of tounges. I always wonder why there is so much opposition to tounges. People love what they understand,that is why i believe when they talk of tounges they always want to speak about the tounge which is of languages. It a matter of the flesh wrestling with the Spirit really. The bible in 1 corinthians 14 verse 2-3 say he who speaks in tounges speaks unto God and no man understands him. man is flesh God is Spirit. Paul goes on to say if i speak in an unknown tounge my mind will not understand but it will be fruitful to my Spirit. Almost everyone i meet who is against tounges seems to forget the existance of 1 corinthians 14 verse 2-3,its as if a deletion would have happened of that verse in their minds. I am a tounge speaker and the first thing which the devil attacked me with before i spoke in tounges was that there are no tounges. Later on when i recieved tounges by the baptism of the Holy Spirit the enemy changed tactics and sent me thoughts which told me your tounges are not enough or they are wrong,i stood firm and progressed.tounges are like everything which is of God,it comes by faith, if you say there are no tounges i do not believe in tounges then to you it will be like that,but if you believe you will see that tounges are real and they elevate. Some people nowadays still claim that there are no Prophets or Spiritual gifts yet when you speak in tounges those gifts which the Holy Spirit has deposited in you are stired up and operate.

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    • Keith, thank you for your question, and I looked at it with an open mind as I have heard your argument before. I looked at the commentaries, and according to several commentaries, including the SDA commentary is that the word "unknown" in 1 Corinthians 14:2 was supplied by the translators. This goes along with the rest of Scripture regarding tongues.

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    • The Greek word for word translation can be found on Biblehub which is on the internet: the [one] indeed speaking with a tongue not to men speaks but to God no one indeed hears in spirit however he utters mysteries

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    • Br Keith, i have never spoken in tongues before but i would like to find out something, do you understand yourself when you are speaking in tongues? Again, when you are speaking in tongues, is it a form of prayer or what?, Are there any instances in the bible where people spoke in tongues apart from the day of Pentecost where the people heard disciples speaking in their own languages? Kindly help me with answers to these questions! I will also appreciate if you can give me the scriptures which talk about the other 2 types of tongues apart from the one referred to in Acts chapter 2 and what are the uses of these 2 other types

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  5. Brother William,
    When I read from Act 2, Act 11:15 and Act 19:6, it is very clear that those spoke in tongues, spoke known languages. However, 1 Corinth 14: 2-3 poses something very different and I see we need to understand which tongue is this that another person can not understand but indeed to God and no one can hear. Does it mean that Paul admits that sometimes we can speak in tongue to edify ourselves because we speak to God and no one else can understand?
    Thanks

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    • If I speak in German in an English-speaking congregation, no one is likely to understand me, and I'm speaking only to myself because the language is "unknown" to others in the room. And it seems to me that's likely what Paul was talking about.
      If in doubt regarding a biblical passage, consider that the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one.

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  6. I believe in speaking in tongues. I believe that there is a gift for tongue speaking whereby the person is directed by the Holy spirit to speak and then interpret. Or someone might have the gift of interpretation to do so. Then there is another tongue whereby the person edifies him or herself. For the Apostle Paul said I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you. Also he instructed Timothy to pray in his most holy faith and for us to pray in other tongues. Then he said he who speaks in tongues doesn't speak to men but to God and that such a person speaks mysteries.

    To my opinion either circumcision or not is what matters but the new creation. You can speak or not in tongues. The matter is living a life Christ our Lord expects us to live.

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    • I also believe in speaking in tongues - the kind William wrote about:

      Biblical speaking in tongues is when someone hears the gospel in their own language.

      Ecstatic utterances were practiced other religions and well known at the time of Pentecost. Such a practice would not have been a dramatic demonstration of something extraordinary. However speaking in other, known languages was something new. Notice that in the account from Pentecost, the people present from other countries each heard the message in their own language.

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      • If these were all known languages why would the people around believe they were drunk. Peter had to explain that they were not drunk because it sounded to many that they were speaking jibberish as drunk people do. So I think it could be a mixture of both which is the case today. Some tongues are earthly languages and some are not.

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  7. The others say the apostles were drunk because they couldn't hear them, and mind you; speaking in tongues is of only one type, it's the purpose that is plentious, it can be used to edify, preaching, magnifying God, and as many as our common languages can do.
    Not some ecstatic gibberish alterations.
    My father and mother are penticostal pastors, we talked about this, they told me to pray to God for the help of the Holy Spirit to lead me in studying,and guess what? The holy spirit granted me the real understanding about speaking in tongues,contrary to their own understanding.

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  8. Funny enough Jesus spake in a tongue. While on the cross. If I was there being a Jamaican I'd say he was a barbarian,(Eloi, lama sabachthani). It was earthly yet unknown to us.. But the translation makes it knon.. My God my God why has thou forsaken me.. He was speaking to God the father.. So he spoke not unto men yet unto God...every instrument gives a certain sound.. Even language #tongues ...como estas, Como-how,.estas-are you
    Como es ella.. How is she so Como remains the same to the sound as the meaning.. I can't say Como to mean the word (bring)

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    • Yes, Jesus spoke in a "tongue," which, in English, is just another word for language. The language Jesus spoke on the cross in Matthew 27:46 was the common language of the Jewish people, although Greek was also commonly spoken. The fact that the saying is translated immediately after seems to support the scholarly consensus that the original Gospel of Matthew was written in Greek.
      The parallels you draw seem to match what Paul was saying in his letter to the Corinthians.

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    • Hi Samuel, I recommend you read the whole post, which should explain that Paul was talking about preaching in the language that most people understood which was probably Greek, although he said it was fine to translate the sermon for visitors who didn't understand Greek.
      Like I attended a camp meeting where the sermon was in English, but for those who only understood Afrikaans they could get a machine with ear phones and listen to the interpreter translating the sermon into Afrikaans. This is also done at the United Nations, where you can see rows of interpreters translating the speakers comments into all the different languages so everyone can understand the message.

      1Co 14:39-40 ISV  Therefore, my brothers, desire the ability to prophesy, and do not prevent others from speaking in other languages.  (40)  But everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.

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  9. Samuel- look at verse 22-23, your answer is written there.
    1 Cor 14:22-23. Tongues are for a sign, (do you understand what is a sign in this context). What do road signs tell us? what do signs in Matthew 24:2-51 tell us. Tongue speaking is not to those who believe but to those who do not believe. So if you are in a room and people start talking in 'tongues' it is because many do not believe. The question is asked, do you believe?

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    • Lyn,
      1Co 14:21-22 ISV  In the Law it is written, "By means of other languages and through the mouths of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," declares the Lord.  (22)  Other languages, then, are meant to be a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers, while prophecy is meant, not for unbelievers, but for believers.

      I believe that the other languages are so foreigners can also understand the message in their own language.
      Compare Rev 14:6
      Rev 14:6 KJV  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

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