Speaking in Tongues

Tongues = Speaking in a known Language – In the scripture when a person spoke in tongues it was always in a known language to someone! People today seem to have lost the ability to compare spiritual things with spiritual, what do I mean, when people tell us that they have had a spiritual experience, I believe we need to go to the Bible, and see if their experience matches what the scripture teaches.

 

There are only three places where it is recorded that people spoke in tongues in the Bible, so let’s look at the most well known one, and see if we can determine what speaking in tongues is!

First let’s look and see what tongue means in an English dictionary.

Tongue = :  language; especially :  a spoken language. This is right out of the Merriam Webster Dictionary.

Now let us go to the day of Pentecost, and see if can determine if this modern day “Holy Ghost Tongues” movement is scriptural.

Acts.2 [1] And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. [2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. [5] And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. [6] Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. [7] And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? [8] And how hear we every man in our own tongue, where in we were born? [9] Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, [10] Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, [11] Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Please notice now, and don’t let your emotions drive you, but pray and ask the Holy Ghost to reveal the truth to you, as we look closer at these verses.

1.       In verse 4, when they began to speak with tongues it was as the Spirit gave them utterance, this simply means it was an orderly thing like they spoke one at a time, not chaotically, and uncontrolled.

2.       In verse 5, we see these were Jews out of every nation under heaven, this simply means it was a diverse group who did not speak the same language.

3.       In verse 6, we see the Biblical definition of what happened, notice every man heard them speak in their own language.

4.       In verse 7, we see that all of the speakers were Galileans, not everyone present was speaking.

5.       In verse 8, we get an ever clearer definition of what happened, the languages being heard were in each person's native language where they were born.

6.       In verse 11, we find out that the things being spoken of, was the wonderful works of God

The miracle was that a person (Galilean) would speak in an orderly fashion, and the crowd would here them in their own language! Think United Nations meeting, when a person is speaking, with the help of modern day technology each person from another country hears the speaker in his own tongue, or language. It’s that simple!

If you look at these verses, there is no special never before heard language being spoken here on the day of Pentecost, everything being spoken was in a known language!

There is no other correct interpretation of what is happening here in these verses, and it is that simple.

Now I know many of you are thinking, what about the unknown tongues, so let’s discuss the supposed unknown tongues that some of you are thinking about, and see if they have a simple definition, or explanation.

The unknown tongue passages are found in 1st Corinthians Chp. 14.

1Cor.14  [2] For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.  [4] He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.  [13] Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.  [14] For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.  [19] Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

[27] If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. [28] But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

Now I recommend that you go and read the whole chapter, but for discussion's sake we look at every verse that has the word “unknown tongue” in it in 1 Cor. Chp. 14.

When people see the word “unknown tongue”, I believe they immediately jump to the conclusion that this means no one can understand it, I, here as always, encourage you to study, and to ask the Holy Spirit to show you if this is the truth, when we compare this modern day “Holy Ghost Tongue Talking” movement to what the Bible says, and see if is it scripturally correct, or could it be a deception of Satan?

1.       In verse 2, when Paul said “he that speaketh in an “unknown tongue” speaketh not unto men but unto God”, this does not mean the speaker did not know what he is saying. Not to long back, I was in Miami, Florida speaking to a bunch of Spanish speaking store clerks, who couldn’t understand a word that I was saying to them in Georgia Plow Boy English! I knew full well what I was saying, but to them I was speaking in an “unknown tongue” or “unknown language”.

2.       In verse 4, Paul states that he that “speaketh in an “unknown tongue” edifieth himself” well I am here to tell you that all Paul was saying here is that if I am speaking in an “unknown tongue” to everyone around me about the wonderful works of God, and no one understands me, I am only edifying myself, because I understand what I am saying!

3.       In verse 13, Paul says “let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret”. Let us go back to my Miami experience, after I determined that I could not communicate with the Spanish speaking store clerks I was praying I could interpret my English tongue, into the Spanish tongue. That’s all Paul was saying that if you speak in an “unknown tongue” pray that you could convert into a language you could share with others.

4.       In verse 14 Paul says “For if I pray in an “unknown tongue”, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. Here again he is just stating that if I pray in an “unknown tongue” in other words if you don’t understand what you are praying it does you no good.

5.       In verse 19 Paul says “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an “unknown tongue”. Read this and pray about it! Five words that can be understood is worth more than ten thousand that no one understands, come on people this is not that difficult, get your Bible out and start comparing your experiences to what the Bible says.

For the Grand Finale, a little Bible study will clear away all the confusion that Satan has wreaked upon the Body of Christ, with this modern day, supposed “Holy Ghost tongue talking revival”!

Paul says 1st Cor. 14 [27] If any man speak in an “unknown tongue”, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. [28] But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

Example;

Alfred walks into a church in Miami, Fl. and wants to share some great spiritual truths with the Body of Christ, all I can speak is Georgia Plow Boy English, the scriptures are simply telling me, if and when I go into a Spanish speaking congregation, and I want to share, I have to look around, and ask if anyone speaks English (English is an “unknown tongue” to a lot of people in Miami, FL) that can interpret for me, that is when I speak in English, the interpreter will convert my English into Spanish (a known tongue to the hearers).

If no one understands what I am saying, then I am to keep my mouth shut, and speak to myself and to God! It’s that simple!

The Gift of Tongues was a special sign gift to the Jews, that allowed the speaker, and hearer, to communicate in known languages, not some special never before heard language.