Speaking in Tongues

Millions of Pentecostals and Charismatics as well as Protestant and Catholic tongues speakers claim to possess a gift from God which enables them to "speak in unknown tongues."

So what is the Scriptural truth regarding this popular Christian doctrine.

Of the + - 20 times "tongues" is used with reference to a gift from God, there are only three examples of anyone actually speaking in another language:

Acts 2v 4     

                                                                        
Now let's read verse 4  and 6 together and lets focus on what the people heard (v6)

Notice verse 6 here. each one heard their own language being spoken.

Now lets see what languages were spoken:

Acts 2 v8 -9                                                                         

So notice the languages that were spoken, was the common inter-nations language in Jerusalem not the incoherent babbling we hear today in the churches                                                                                          

Its so sad that millions of Christians around the world cannot think for themselves and are merely sheep.

The words "tongue & tongues":

The word translated both "tongue" and "tongues" is the Greek word (glōssais and aside from meaning the organ of the body used in speaking, it means "a language.)"

We know that the languages of the Medes, Cretes, Asians, Elamites, Parthians, Egyptians, Arabians, etc., spoken on Pentecost was not just babble but proper cultural languages. 

Now what about the claim from those who speak in tongues that its absolutely necessary today to speak in tongues as proof a Christian has the gift of Gods Holy Spirit.

In I Cor. 12:28-30, we are told something amazing-something that totally contradicts the tongues-speakers claim that the gift of speaking in languages is absolutely necessary as a proof that one actually has God's Holy Spirit:

V 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.                                                                           
Notice the different gifts the Holy Spirit bestowed on the faithful men and women of God. 

Paul did not focus on one gift i.e. the gift of languages as a sign people were blessed by God. 









Question:  When people spoke in tongues were they speaking absolute nonsense or were they speaking an actual language?

Today many mega church members claim to have the gift of speaking in tongues. Amongst these are Baptists and Pentecostals, Charasmatic Evangelicals, Lutherans, Mormons, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics.

Each member who speaks in tongues from these different denominations claims to speak Gods truth and yet on many doctrinal issues they disagree. How can this be if they are all speaking through the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Have you ever stopped and considered what spirit is making it possible for these people to speak in tongues?

Do people realise that speaking in tongues is also characteristic of Voodoo religions?

Ray Stedman in his blog article entitled the false gift of tongues says this:                                                                           

"Anything that claims to be tongues today but is not like that presented in Scripture is patently false, no matter how sincerely it is offered or how helpful it may appear to be in the life of the individual who professes it."

The New Testament does not record Jesus ever "speaking in tongues" 

What we do know is that on the Day of Pentecost, and during the years that followed, numerous conversions are mentioned with no mention that all spoke in tongues. 

Saul, who later became known as the Apostle Paul, was a zealous enemy of the Church and it was on the Road to Damascus as he was on his way to arrest the followers of Christ, that Christ struck him down and he became converted and a very zealous follower of Jesus Christ.

There is no evidence that Saul (or Paul) immediately spoke in tongues at the time Ananias prayed for him. 

You would think that if "speaking in tongues" was a necessary sign following the gift of the Holy Spirit, this should have been Saul's experience. But it was not.

In conclusion the art or gift of speaking in native languages at the time enabled Chrisitanity to grow and flourish.

It was a practical means to spread the good news to every nation in a short time period. 









Question: Did Paul speak in tongues?