Controversy: Speaking in Tongues

About 100 years ago, "speaking in tongues" became popular again in Christianity. It is often seen as a revival of the powerful gift that was active in the time of the apostles. But what should we make of "speaking in tongues" today? How should this phenomenon be judged on the basis of Scripture?

When the Day of PentecostThis name (Greek) is used twice in the New Testament and means "the fiftieth day.” This refers to the 50th day after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This day... More was fulfilled, the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More descended upon the earth. On that day, the disciples spoke in new languages for the first time: by the power of God, they were suddenly able to speak in languages they had not learned.

Today, speaking in tongues is often understood as ecstatic speaking in an incomprehensible language. This "speaking in tongues," which is usually slurred and noisy, is often said to be important for one's edification and to provide lasting proof that one possesses the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More.

Unintelligible Sounds?

Today people like to speak of "speaking in tongues" and avoid the better term "speaking in languages". This obscures the fact that speaking in tongues must actually involve real languages. Nowhere in the New Testament does the term used for speaking in tongues (glossa) mean an incomprehensible "stammering". We find glossa in the sense of "languages" in Revelation 5:9, for example: "And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue  [glossa] and people and nationNation (not nations) refers to any kind of people on the whole earth. This term is used to describe both Jews (John 11:51; Acts 10:22) and all other tribes. The... More.’” This passage clearly refers to the various languages spoken in the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More.

The fact that speaking in languages in the Bible is about real languages is also made clear in 1 Corinthians 14:20-22. There Paul quotes Isaiah 28: "’With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; and yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,’ says the Lord.” The theme of Isaiah 28 is that because of their unfaithfulness, the Israelites would hear the language of a foreign people: the language of the Assyrians who would conquer their land. This foreign language of the Assyrians was a signThe Gospel of John tells us about eight signs that the Lord Jesus performed. These signs, which are also miracles, point to something special. They aim to help us grow... More of God's judgment on His people for not heeding the prophets.

In order to justify the unintelligible sounds in (today's) "speaking in tongues", it is also said that this is a language of the angels, with whom Paul also supposedly communicated: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1). Apart from the fact that the language of angels should not be degraded to stammering, the quoted verse does not say that Paul actually spoke in the languages of angels. Rather, Paul says: "Even if I could speak all the languages of the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More and even the languages of angels, without love it would be worth nothing.” In all of the examples in the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul is speaking of possibilities, not reality. Paul did not have all knowledge (compare v. 2 with v. 9), nor did he have his body burned (v. 2). These are hypothetical presuppositions designed to demonstrate in a powerful way that even the greatest gift or the most dedicated service is worthless without love.

Bush dialects?

Years ago, I asked a Christian woman from the charismatic movement, who raved about "speaking in tongues," what language she spoke in. She replied: "It's hard to say, it's in Hebrew or Chinese." In a word, it was gibberish. But she tried to relate it to real languages.

Does "speaking in tongues" mean speaking in languages that are difficult to understand or little known? Is it perhaps some kind of jungle dialect? Is that why the words are not understood? This is not a good explanation. For if the gift of speaking in tongues still existed today, the gift of interpreting languages would also have to be present, so that "speaking in tongues" could be translated and explained in church meetings (cf. 1 Cor. 14:27, 28). But where does this happen in a credible and understandable way? This would be the case, for example, if two interpreters could independently "hear" the same thing from the stuttering of today's "speaking in tongues".

A brother in Christ who practiced "speaking in tongues" intensively for ten years wrote in a book that during those years he had not experienced himself or anyone else speaking in a real, existing language. This honest statement speaks a clear "language"!

The Proclamation (Mark 16)

Speaking in tongues occurs in these New Testament passages: Mark 16, Acts 2:10-19, and 1 Corinthians 12-14. Let us look at these passages.

The Lord, who himself did not speak in tongues, announced this sign: "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; theywill take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover" (Mark 16:17, 18). These signs, such as speaking in "new tongues," were intended to confirm the gospel, which had now been taken into all creation (Mark 16:15; cf. Heb 2:4).

If these signs still existed today, all five signs mentioned in Mark 16 would have to be present. It is not permissible to treat speaking in tongues separately by claiming that every Christian must speak in tongues. For example, where is deadly drink drunk without anything happening? Or where do people today handle poisonous snakes without harm? In apostolic times, snakes were indeed "taken up" without anything happening (Acts 28:3-6)-and people also spoke in new, different languages.

The Historical Record (Acts 2; 10; 19)

Acts 2:1-36: After His resurrection, the Lord Jesus announced that the Holy Spirit would be poured out in a few days and that the disciples would be His witnesses in the power of the Spirit to the end of the world (Acts 1:8). When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, the Holy Spirit descended and resided in the Church and in each believer (Acts 2:1-4). There were no Gentile Christians at this time. Consequently, God was worshiped (primarily) in the Hebrew or Aramaic language. But soon God would be praised in many languages. Testimony to this great truth was given as early as the day of Pentecost: The Jewish disciples spoke of the great works of God in other languages, just as the Spirit of God gave them to speak. The audience, hearing their own language, asked in amazement: "And how is it that we hear, each in our own language [or: dialect] in which we were born?" (vv. 8-11). For others, who did not hear their own language or the dialects they knew, the disciples' words were incomprehensible. They thought the disciples had drunk too much wine (v. 13). Peter then clarifies that what they heard was an effect of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More, who caused the disciples to speak in real languages that they had not previously learned.

Acts 10:44-48 is the second time speaking in tongues occurs. After a divine vision overcame the Jew Peter's inner resistance, he visited a Gentile man to share the gospel. Cornelius and others received the message with faith. They received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues and to glorify God. God had put the seal of approval on the proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles! When Peter shared this experience with his skeptical Jewish brethren, "they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More to life'" (Acts 11:18). They could see through the signThe Gospel of John tells us about eight signs that the Lord Jesus performed. These signs, which are also miracles, point to something special. They aim to help us grow... More of speaking in tongues that God had given the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More to the Gentiles – just as He had given it to them.

In Acts 19:1-7, we read of the apostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More Paul encountering Jewish disciples in Ephesus who did not know the gospel of the salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More of the crucified and glorified Lord and therefore had not been sealed with the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More (cf. Eph 1:13). They did not even know that the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More had come to earth. These disciples had been born again - but they were not yet Christians. When Paul preached the full gospel to them, they gladly received it. After they were baptized and Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More came upon them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Speaking in tongues on these three occasions was obviously something special – they were events of epochal significance. In Acts 2, the Spirit came to earth and the gospel was made legally (de jure) available to all nations. In Acts 10, the gospel actually (de facto) reached the nations: Cornelius heard the gospel through the apostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More to the Jews, Peter (cf. Ac 15:8, 9). In Acts 19 we see how the apostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More to the Gentiles, Paul, proclaimed the gospel and how those who knew only the teachings of John the Baptist put their trust in the work of the Lord Jesus.

It is noticeable that all those who received the Spirit and spoke in tongues had been believers, pious and born again for some time (the disciples of the Lord; the pious Cornelius; the disciples of John). Speaking in tongues thus clearly marks the transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament, from law to graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More: now, in this age of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More, believers from whatever background possess the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More without distinction, and they all form the one Body of ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More. This was something that the Jews, in particular, needed to learn and understand, since they could rely on a God-given worshipIn both Hebrew and Greek, the word "worship" can also be translated as "prostrate / bow down" (Ps 95:6). It is more than praise and thanksgiving because, in worship, honor... More service that God had now set aside. God made this clear through the signThe Gospel of John tells us about eight signs that the Lord Jesus performed. These signs, which are also miracles, point to something special. They aim to help us grow... More of speaking in tongues.

The Teaching Discourse (1 Corinthians 12-14)

In the book of Acts, we saw that people spoke in tongues together on special occasions. The letter to the Corinthians also deals with speaking in foreign languages-but it is about gifts that individuals possess and exercise (1 Corinthians 12:10, 28). The apostle's rhetorical question in 1 Corinthians 12 as to whether everyone speaks in tongues (v. 30) must, of course, be answered in the negative. The often-heard claim that all Christians should speak in tongues is therefore untenable.

Speaking in tongues is also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13. We have already dealt with the statement in verse 1, so we can limit ourselves here to verse 8: "Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” ProphecyProphecy includes any message that God saw fit to pass on to his people or anyone from the nations. Romans 16:26 speaks of the New Testament Scriptures as "prophetic writings."... More and knowledge will be taken away – that happens when the perfection of heaven becomes a reality for believers (vv. 9, 10). But it is said of the tongues that they will cease. The word translated "cease" in the Basic Text also means "fade away”. So it is something that slowly stops and disappears. In Acts 20:1, this word is used in reference to a tumult that subsided. And so the gift of tongues slowly ceased and finally disappeared altogether. In contrast, we know that other gifts will remain "till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of GodThe term "Son of God" in the singular always refers to the Lord Jesus. On the one hand, He is the only begotten (unique) and eternal Son of God, who... More" (Ephesians 4:11-13).

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul goes into detail about speaking in tongues and admonishes the carnal Corinthians to use the gift of speaking in tongues properly in their meetings as an assemblyThe literal meaning is “called out”: • called out of "the darkness" (1. Pet 2:9)—this refers to the area where there is a lack of light about God Himself, His... More (church). Let's look at some key points and see to what extent they are observed today in (alleged) speaking in tongues:

• Prophesying is more important than speaking in tongues because it is directly for the edification of the hearers (vv. 1-5). – Speaking in tongues is sometimes given an importance today that it did not have at the beginning of Christianity when the gift was given.
• Speaking in tongues is only meaningful if it is interpreted and understood by those who hear it (vv. 6-19). – This important criterion cannot be fulfilled by an indefinable babble that no one understands.
• Speaking in tongues is a signThe Gospel of John tells us about eight signs that the Lord Jesus performed. These signs, which are also miracles, point to something special. They aim to help us grow... More to the unbelievers by which God makes it clear that this new gospel comes from Him and also that God has turned from His earthly people to the nations (vv. 20-22). – It is absolutely clear today that God has given the nations repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More unto life. The signThe Gospel of John tells us about eight signs that the Lord Jesus performed. These signs, which are also miracles, point to something special. They aim to help us grow... More of speaking in tongues is therefore no longer necessary.
• A message that no one understands is meaningless and confuses ignorant visitors (vv. 23-25). – How many who were interested in the Christian faith may have been put off by the babbling of the "tongues"?
• No more than three people should speak in tongues at a time in a meeting, and only when interpreted (vv. 26-33). – Babbling in tongues in a Christian meeting is not God's way. The justificationAn act that God performs on guilty people who were under his judgment of condemnation. God declares people who believe in the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus to be... More that it is a personal prayer to God does not make sense because the meeting as an assemblyThe literal meaning is “called out”: • called out of "the darkness" (1. Pet 2:9)—this refers to the area where there is a lack of light about God Himself, His... More is not for personal prayer but for corporate prayer.
• Women are to be silent in Christian gatherings (vv. 34-36). Consequently, they are not allowed to speak in tongues. – But it is precisely when it comes to "speaking in tongues" that women have an important role to play today.
• Everything should be done in a decent and orderly manner (vv. 37-40). – But where people are moved to ecstasy, there is unrest and disorder.

Speaking in tongues today?

"But is God not powerful," we ask, "to work miracles of tongues even today?" Certainly, God could do this, but the question is whether He will. We should be aware that God has reserved special signs for special times. Think of the pillar of cloud and fire that the people of Israel were able to see during the wilderness wandering from Egypt to Canaan. Centuries later, when the Jews returned to their land from Babylonian captivity, there was no such visible signThe Gospel of John tells us about eight signs that the Lord Jesus performed. These signs, which are also miracles, point to something special. They aim to help us grow... More of divine power. God worked this daily miracle at the beginning of His people's history, but later, in the days of shame and weakness, He did not.

The so-called church father, Augustine (354-430 A.D.), wrote about the signs and wonders of the early Christian era: "They were signs adapted to their time. They served to announce the coming of the Holy Spirit to people of all languages, to prove that the gospel of God was to be preached in all the languages of the world. This sign came to announce something, after which it disappeared."

As we understand the presented Scriptures, "speaking in tongues" today is a failed and misleading imitation of God's gift at the beginning of the Christian era. The basis for modern "speaking in tongues" with its incomprehensible sounds is group dynamics, psychological manipulation, hypnosis, suggestion, auto-suggestion, demonic power, or learned habit. The desire for special experiences and to experience the power of God is certainly understandable. However, what we need is not something that tickles our ears, but the sound doctrine of the Word of God and sobriety in all things (2 Tim 4:3-5).