WHAT IS SPEAKING IN TONGUES?
WHAT IS SPEAKING IN TONGUES?
By: Jack Guyler
Speaking in tongues – or in another tongue – originated on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:4. It tells us here that the people who had gathered on Pentecost were filled with the Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. It goes onto say that people there could hear what was being said in their own native language. In other words, one language was spoken, but people from different countries could hear it in their own language. This was a miracle!
Tongues is the ability to speak a foreign language that you have not studied. The purpose of this was for the launching of the church to all parts of the world when these people returned home (review the list of places and nations in Acts 2:5-11). This never happened again. This is what made the Day of Pentecost so special. Since then, missionaries have had to learn foreign languages before sharing the gospel with people in other countries that speak a different language. I have friends who are missionaries to China and they have spent years learning Chinese so they can effectively communicate the gospel to the Chinese people.
As you can see, tongues were for a special time and purpose, not something to create “ecstatic utterances” or to establish elite Christians. Here are a few to remember about tongues:
WHAT IS TONGUES?
Speaking in tongues is recorded in Acts 2 for the purpose of launching the church and for people from various nations to hear the Gospel in their own native language
SHOULD YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES?
For those who say tongues is a special prayer language, then it would be a special gift given by the Spirit to certain people like any other spiritual gift. Not all people have all the gifts. Some have the gift of leadership while others have the gift of service or giving. So, if you haven’t been given the gift of tongues, then don’t seek it. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13 that the greater gift is that of love.
MUST I SPEAK IN TONGUES FOR SALVATION?
While some traditions do teach this, there is no evidence in scripture to support this. Scripture does say that “if you declare with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Tongues is not a mandated evidence of salvation. All followers of Jesus are called to be filled with the Spirit so they can produce the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), but tongues are not an evidence of the fruit of salvation and sanctification.
