Question: "What is the gift of speaking in
tongues?"
And is that gift still given today?
In this video I’ll answer that question
from a biblical perspective.
Afterwards, I’ll point you to some helpful
resources so stick around for that.
The first occurrence of speaking in tongues
occurred on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4.
The apostles went out and shared the gospel
with the crowds, speaking to them in their
own languages: “We hear them declaring the
wonders of God in our own tongues!”
(Acts 2:11).
The Greek word translated tongues literally
means “languages.”
Therefore, the gift of tongues is speaking
in a language a person does not know in order
to minister to someone who does speak that
language.
In 1 Corinthians chapters 12–14, Paul discusses
miraculous gifts, saying, “Now, brothers,
if I come to you and speak in tongues, what
good will I be to you, unless I bring you
some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or
word of instruction?”
(1 Corinthians 14:6).
According to the apostle Paul, and in agreement
with the tongues described in Acts, speaking
in tongues is valuable to the one hearing
God’s message in his or her own language,
but it is useless to everyone else unless
it is interpreted or translated.
A person with the gift of interpreting tongues
could understand what a tongues-speaker was
saying even though he did not know the language
that was being spoken.
The tongues interpreter would then communicate
the message of the tongues speaker to everyone
else, so all could understand.
“For this reason anyone who speaks in a
tongue should pray that he may interpret what
he says” (1 Corinthians 14:13).
Paul’s conclusion regarding tongues that
were not interpreted is powerful: “In the
church I would rather speak five intelligible
words to instruct others than ten thousand
words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19).
Is the gift of tongues for today?
First Corinthians 13:8 mentions the gift of
tongues ceasing, although it connects the
ceasing with the arrival of the “perfect”
in 1 Corinthians 13:10.
Some point to a difference in the tense of
the Greek verbs referring to prophecy and
knowledge “ceasing” and that of tongues
“being ceased” as evidence for tongues
ceasing before the arrival of the “perfect.”
While possible, this is not explicitly clear
from the text.
Some also point to passages such as Isaiah
28:11 and Joel 2:28-29 as evidence that speaking
in tongues was a sign of God's oncoming judgment.
First Corinthians 14:22 describes tongues
as a “sign to unbelievers.”
According to this argument, the gift of tongues
was a warning to the Jews that God was going
to judge Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ
as Messiah.
Therefore, when God did in fact judge Israel
(with the destruction of Jerusalem by the
Romans in A.D. 70), the gift of tongues would
no longer serve its intended purpose.
While this view is possible, the primary purpose
of tongues being fulfilled does not necessarily
demand its cessation.
Scripture does not conclusively assert that
the gift of speaking in tongues has ceased.
At the same time, if the gift of speaking
in tongues were active in the church today,
it would be performed in agreement with Scripture.
It would be a real and intelligible language.
It would be for the purpose of communicating
God's Word with a person of another language.
It would be in agreement with the command
God gave through the apostle Paul, “If anyone
speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should
speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.
If there is no interpreter, the speaker should
keep quiet in the church and speak to himself
and God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians
14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion,
but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
God most definitely can give a person the
gift of speaking in tongues to enable him
or her to communicate with a person who speaks
another language.
The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the dispersion
of the spiritual gifts.
Just imagine how much more productive missionaries
could be if they did not have to go to language
school, and were instantly able to speak to
people in their own language.
However, God does not seem to be doing this.
Tongues does not seem to occur today in the
manner it did in the New Testament, despite
the fact that it would be immensely useful.
The vast majority of believers who claim to
practice the gift of speaking in tongues do
not do so in agreement with the Scriptures
mentioned earlier.
These facts lead to the conclusion that the
gift of tongues has ceased or is at least
a rarity in God's plan for the church today.
Hungry for more?
Subscribe so you don’t miss the next video!
Visit GotQuestions.org for more great content.
And check out the details section below this
video: There are several links to related
articles, along with one to a book I recommend.
If you’d like to learn about Bible Munch,
or if you’re interested in Bite-sized devotionals,
subscribe to Bible Munch on YouTube.
Remember, got questions? 
The Bible has answers, and we'll help you find them.
