The Truth About Tongues

THE TRUTH ABOUT TONGUES

I Cor. 14: 1-2

You may have noticed as we read the first 6 verses of this passage that “speaking in tongues” is mentioned several times (5 times to be exact).

What do you know about “speaking in tongues?”
Can people today really “speak in tongues” like some of these people at Corinth did?
What does it mean to “speak in tongues?”
Some people today will tell you that “speaking in tongues” is a confirmation that the Holy Spirit dwells in you…if you can’t speak in tongues does that mean your relationship with God is not right?
We don’t practice or teach “speaking in tongues”…why? Are we wrong?
Well, this morning let’s learn some things about speaking in tongues that might answer some of your questions.

To begin, let’s learn what “speaking in tongues” was.

When people were given the “gift of tongues” by the Holy Spirit…what was it that they were given?
Turn with me to Acts 2.

Here in Acts 2, the apostles are all gathered in one place on the day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit is about to descend on them just like Jesus promised in John 14: 26 and John 16: 13.

Now, look at verse 2: And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Now look at verse 4: And they were all filled with the HolySpirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance…or ability to speak.

So, what were these “tongues?”

Vs. 5: Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

People were from all over.

6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered…or astonished…or amused…

Why? Well, look what the verse says next.

… because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language…or dialect.

When it comes to “speaking in tongues” this is the first thing we must understand.
And if we do it will eliminate our questions concerning much of what we see people do as far as “speaking in tongues” is concerned.

What these people are doing here wasn’t babbling…or repeated syllables…or gibberish that no one could understand.

It wasn’t some unknown language different from any other language on earth.
They were speaking known languages conveyed in words!

Look at vs. 7: And they were amazed and marveled, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

Galileans were considered to be uneducated people with a low standard of culture.
But look at vs. 8.

“And how is it that we each hear them “in our own language to which we were born?”

They heard them in their native tongue!
Immediately you know that this wasn’t babbling!
These people recognized their own language.

And look at the languages or dialects that were native to these people:

9 "Parthians and Medes and Elamites(these people spoke the Persian language), and residents of Mesopotamia(Syriac), Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus(not certain what language these people spoke) and Asia(probably Greek), 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia(Greek), Egypt(Demotic) and the districts of Libya around Cyrene(not certain), and visitors from Rome(Latin), both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs(Arabic)-- we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God. "

These are the languages and dialects that the “multitudes” were “born to.”
These were their native languages!
These were not the native languages of the apostles.
The apostles were Galileans!
And yet, the apostles, without ever learning these languages through the “linguistic process” were able to speak these different languages so these people could hear and understand “the mighty deeds of God.”
It would be like me, if we had an audience half full of Russians, and I have no idea how to speak Russian…don’t even know a word of Russian…
But the Holy Spirit comes down on me and empowers me and immediately, without ever being taught, I am able to speak Russian so that any Russian in the audience can understand.

Tongue speaking was not and is not what you see many do today.

It is not babbling…it is not an ecstatic hysterical repetition of syllables repeated endlessly in continual jabbering.
Tongue speaking in the Bible was a clear, understandable language.

So, what are people today doing when they claim to be speaking in tongues by simply repeating syllables or jabbering?

Perhaps it is something they do out of emotions.
Perhaps it is something they do for attention.
Perhaps it is something they do to show their own piety…or for personal gain and following.
There are many reasons I suppose that people do that.
Whatever the reason, there is one thing I know, it is not in agreement with the scripture and therefore, it is not from the Holy Spirit, and if it is not from the Holy Spirit, it must be from a spirit of deceit as spoken of in 1 John 4: 1-2.

Now, back to 1 Cor. 14.

In this chapter when Paul speaks of tongues, he is speaking about a real, true, normal language.

No where in all of scripture will you find any reference to babbling, or ecstatic repletion…so this is talking about a real, true, normal language.
And remember, the natural language for these brethren here in Corinth is Greek.
The “gift of tongues” that some of them were capable of speaking would have to be a different language or else it wouldn’t be a “tongue.”

So, what you have here is, some of these brethren were apparently getting up and speaking in another language…a language given to them by the Holy Spirit, but it was a language that no one understood.

Look at vs. 2: “For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God!”

Why? Why do they speak to God?

Look at the next phrase: “For no one understands.”

They weren’t speaking to God because they were more spiritual than others.
Paul took care of that back in chapter 12 when he says that the Holy Spirit “distributed the gifts as He wills” and no one should exalt himself over others because of the gift they have.
Many who claim to speak in tongues today claim to be on a higher spiritual level because they are speaking in tongues.
Paul does not endorse that thinking.

Paul says here that these brethren “were talking to God”because the gift to speak what ever language it was they were speaking, came from God…and no one could understand what they were saying…therefore, the only one who could understand was God!

Look at vs. 3: “But one who prophesies…”

“Prophesy” was the gift of inspired speech…the Holy Spirit given gift of being able to speak forth God’s truths.

He says, “But one who prophesies, speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself;”

Why? Because no one can understand what he is saying.

“…but one who prophesies edifies the church.”

Why? Because he can be understood.

Paul’s primary concern is he wants the church to be edified.

He wants the people…the body…the assembly to be edified…built up and encouraged…strengthened.
Tongues or a language that no one can understand cannot do that!

Look at vs. 5: Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.

It’s not that a person who prophesied was greater spiritually or character wise.
He was greater congregationally wise!
He was more of a benefit to the congregation because they learned from him.
They understood what he said and they grew!

Now verse 6: But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what shall I prophet you, unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?

Paul says, “The only way tongue speaking is profitable is if it reveals something to you…if you learn from it.
And you can’t learn from it if you don’t understand it.

Let’s read vs. 7-19: Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? 8 For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? 9 So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. 11 If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. 12 So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. 13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What is the outcome then? I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the mind also. 16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. 18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; 19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind, that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul’s primary concern was to edify the church…to encourage the body…the assembly.

Tongue speaking couldn’t do that unless there was an interpreter to interpret what was being said.
The tongue speaker couldn’t interpret because he was speaking a language he didn’t know…he had never learned it before.

So, what was the purpose of the tongues?

Vs. 21. In verse 21 Paul quotes Isaiah 28: 11 and notice what Isaiah says: In the Law it is written, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me," says the Lord.
When people saw this miraculous tongue speaking taking place, and when they reflected on what Isaiah says here…they should have listened because Isaiah tells them that what was taking place was God trying to speak to them.
So tongue speaking was intended to get people to believe…to teach them.
But, some refused…so look at the next verse.

Verse 22: So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers;

Tongue speaking was a sign to the unbeliever intended to get them to believe.
And for those who refused to acknowledge it and listen to it, it was a sign of their hard heartedness.

… but prophecy is for a sign not to unbelievers, but to those who believe.

Many today practice their so called “tongue speaking” in the assembly and that’s the only place they get emotionally high enough to do it.
Paul indicates here that tongue speaking is not intended for the assembly…it is intended to reach out to the unbeliever.
And prophecy…or the proclaiming of God’s truths for the building up and instruction of the body…is what is intended to be spoken in the assembly.

Look now at verse 23-28: If therefore the whole church should assemble together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men(some of your own brethren) or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?(They will not understand a thing!) 24 But if all prophesy(in a language that can be understood), and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all(all are united…saying the same thing); 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. 26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation(If they have an interpreter…fine!). Let all things be done for edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three(to much of this gets tiring), and each in turn, and let one interpret; 28 but if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.

Tongue speaking had its purpose.

It was a gift from the Holy Spirit, given to men and women, to enable them, without any linguistic training, to speak in another language…not gibberish or babbling…so that others could learn the mighty deeds of God.
It was intended for the unbeliever…a sign to get him to believe.
It was given to help spread the word to a lost world.
It had its proper use.

These brethren were using it improperly.

They were causing confusion…and they were speaking without interpreting.
IN doing so, they were keeping those who could speak forth the word of God in a way it could be understood, from doing just that.
Paul’s primary concern was the edification of the body…and an unknown language couldn’t do that…
Therefore, Paul’s instruction is “keep silent.”

What about tongues today?

Some claim to speak it in secret.
No indication in scripture that that is ever done.

Some say “speaking in tongues” is the Holy Spirit’s sign to you that you are in a right relationship with God. (Don’t speak in tongues…not saved.)

1 Cor. 12: 30.
And I Cor. 13:8 indicates that the miraculous gift of tongues has ceased anyway.

What should you do? Look at verse 1 of chapter 14.

Pursue love!
Love always edifies others anyway. It is the greater gift.

God gave men the ability to speak in other languages so that people might believe in Christ…so that they might be saved.

God wants all nations…all languages to be saved.
What about you this morning?
Are you saved?