Series: Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gift
#19: The Gifts of Spiritual Expressions – “Tongues”
Acts 2:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 14:1-19 (CEB)
By John Gill ~ October 22, 2023
I have always been a little uncomfortable with the practice of speaking in tongues. Growing up in a parsonage, I got to see first-hand how divisive it can be. My dad was assigned to a congregation that was seriously divided over the issue. Those with the gift tended to “look down their spiritual noses” at those who didn’t have it. And those without the gift privately wished those “charismatics” would go find another church. (And, no, my dad was NOT serving First United Methodist Church of Corinth – although the Corinthians and my dad’s church had a lot in common!)
I was on the “anti-tongues” side of the controversy and so I have always cast a suspicious eye on those who claim the gift of tongues. I considered them to be “religious kooks.”
Then one day, my attitude changed. (No, I did not suddenly discover that I had “the gift!”) I was in seminary, talking to one of my best friends – a man who also became a pastor in the Florida Conference. We had a great deal in common. Our beliefs and styles of ministry were very similar. I had great confidence in Mike, and respected his opinion on any subject.
Then, one day, he mentioned that he spoke in tongues. I had no idea! I was stunned!
That revelation made me begin to reconsider the possibility that I may have been mistaken about my attitudes towards this gift. If Mike spoke in tongues, maybe there is more to it than I realized… Maybe “charismatics” aren’t kooks at all! After all, the word “charismata” simply means “gift of grace,” and according to my Bible, tongues IS one of the Gifts of the Spirit, whether I like it or not!
So, in this sermon series focused on the Spiritual Gifts, it had to happen. Sooner or later we had to come to it: the gift of tongues.
We most often associate this gift with the events of Pentecost in the Book of Acts – one of the most significant stories in Christian scripture. Pentecost is often called “the Birthday of the Church,” - the moment when God sent the Holy Spirit to give power to His church, - power that turned wishy-washy disciples cowering behind locked doors into bold and fearless Apostles proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus and turning the world upside down.
There are only two days in the Church calendar considered more holy than Pentecost: Easter and Christmas! Yet, most of us only remember one thing about that day: Tongues. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and they spoke in tongues. And the church has been bickering about that ever since!
The Gift of Tongues is certainly the most controversial of the Spiritual Gifts, bar none. For some, it is so central to their spiritual life that they believe every Christian MUST practice it. For others, it is to be avoided at all costs, lest it drive a wedge between members of the body of Christ.
Who is right? Should we all speak in tongues, or should none of us speak in tongues? And if some should, who should? How? And when? There is considerable confusion (and ignorance) in the church about tongues, and therefore it has become an emotional and hotly-debated issue.
If we are EVER to find a solution to the “tongues or no tongues” debate, I think it is important that we set aside our preconceived notions about tongues and consider what the Bible teaches about this gift.
In First Corinthians 12, Paul lists among the gifts, “various kinds of tongues.” It may surprise many of us to learn that, in the Bible we find two DIFFERENT kinds of “tongues” described:
1. In some places in the Bible, those who “speak in tongues” speak in an actual language – but one they had never learned. In fact, it is interesting to realize that the Biblical event that is pointed to most often by those advocating “speaking in tongues” (aka “Pentecostals”), - that seminal event does not describe what most people think of when they think about “speaking in tongues.”
When the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost, they spoke “in other languages” – languages which were understood by all the various foreigners who had come to Jerusalem from all over the world to attend the festival. It would be the same as if, one Sunday morning we had visitors in worship from Africa, and God suddenly gave me the ability to preach in Swahili so that the Gospel could be understood by them. Or, it would be as if I was preaching as usual in English, and a visitor to worship who had no comprehension of the English language miraculously “heard” my sermon in their own native tongue.
So, the gift of tongues CAN mean speaking in an actual language understood by others for the sake of the Gospel. These events are extremely rare.
2. In other places in Scripture, those who “speak in tongues” speak in an unknown spiritual language – what is technically referred to as “glossolalia.” It is a language unintelligible to everyone including the speaker. Only God, and those to whom the Gift of Interpretation of Tongues has been given can decipher it’s meaning. This is what we usually think of as “speaking in tongues,” and it’s what often causes so much discord in congregations.
But, there is something else that causes confusion about tongues. Not only are there two different TYPES, there are also two different FUNCTIONS: Private tongues, and Public tongues.
Private tongues are a personal “prayer-language” to be used in a person’s private devotions and prayers. Public tongues are intended for a worship setting – and in this case, are actually a form of the gift of prophecy. That is why it is only appropriate for public worship when a person with the gift of Interpretation of Tongues is present to “translate” it’s message into English.
So, now you see why there is so much confusion. There is much more to the gift of tongues than we might first think.
Well, the best way to clear up confusion is to turn to the word of God. We really shouldn’t be confused at all because the scriptures are very clear about this gift.
It seems that the church at Corinth had a problem with “spiritual snobbery.” The problem in that congregation wasn’t like the problem we have today – that our members don’t know their spiritual gifts. The issue was that they knew them very well - and that they had formed cliques of folks who shared certain gifts. Each group thought their particular gift was the most important. Apparently, one of the most arrogant cliques was made up of those who spoke in tongues. In fact, it is interesting that, of all the gifts, tongues is the focus of the largest block of scripture, and then it is almost a warning! You see – controversy over tongues is nothing new!
Let’s see what the Apostle Paul teaches about this gift. Turn in your Bible, if you brought yours, or in the red pew Bible, to First Corinthians, chapters 12 through 14 (pew Bible page # 1312):
Ready? So, what does Paul teach?
1. The gift of tongues is a legitimate Gift of the Spirit.
There are people (also some denominations, but thankfully not the UMC) that reject the gift of tongues. They say that it was a gift in the New Testament times, but not valid today. They are wrong… Just look at the Bible, and observe the church today.
Turn to 1 Cor. 12:28-31. You will see there (in vs. 30) Paul names “tongues” as one of various gifts God gives. And in the Book of Acts, we see instances where this gift was manifest: It happened at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the Disciples, and again at Cornelius’s house when the Holy Spirit fell upon Gentiles, and again at Ephesus when Paul laid his hands on new believers. In our scripture this morning, Paul himself claims to have the gift. And it’s a gift that millions of Christians practice today (maybe even some in this congregation!). In many denominations, “speaking in tongues” is a regular part of their worship.
So, yes, the gift of tongues is a legitimate gift of the Spirit. It is wrong for any church or Christian to deny that the Gift of Tongues exist.
2. What’s more, the Gift of Tongues is a desirable gift, even though it isn’t a requirement of faith.
In our text this morning, Paul is warning about the indiscriminate use of tongues. However, even so, in 1 Corinthian 14:5 he writes, “I wish that all of you spoke in tongues…”
Those who possess the gift testify that it is wonderful, and so it’s natural for them to desire that others have the gift, too. However, some people and denominations have taken the opposite view of this issue (a position that is equally unbiblical) – that, in order to prove you are a Christian, “born of the Spirit” (as they understand the phrase) – you MUST speak in tongues.
Years ago, as I was beginning my ministry, I turned on my TV and just happened to catch a broadcast of one of Jimmy Swaggart’s crusades. I was shocked by what he said. He told the thousands of folks in the arena that, if they attended a church that did not speak in tongues, they were attending a spiritually “dead” church, and they should leave it! I stood up in my living room and shouted, “Haven’t you ever read 1 Corinthians?’
Paul needed to remind the Rev. Swaggart that, as wonderful as the gift of tongues may be, it is only ONE of the many manifestations of the Spirit. As Paul makes clear in chapter 12:29-30, “All aren’t apostles, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t teachers, are they? All don’t perform miracles, do they? All don’t have the gifts of healing, do they? All don’t speak in different tongues, do they?....”
To say that we all should speak in tongues makes about as much sense as saying we all should be apostles, or perform miracles, or become missionaries, or teachers. It is absolutely true that it would be wrong for a church to DENY the Gift of Tongues. But it is equally wrong for a church to REQUIRE it!
3. In fact, according to Paul, tongues is one of the lesser gifts.
That same scripture I just quoted goes on to remind us that, while all gifts are important to the body, some are more vital than others. As we just read, “All aren’t apostles, are they? … All don’t speak in tongues, do they? …” Then in verse 31, Paul adds, “Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts.” In these chapters, Paul specifically tells us: Tongues are a less important gift than prophecy and teaching. In 14:4-5, he writes, “People who speak in tongues build up themselves; those who prophesy build up the church. I wish that all of you spoke in tongues, but I’d rather you could prophesy. Those who prophesy are more important than those who speak in tongues, unless they are able to interpret them so that the church might be built up.”
And of course, all the gifts pale in comparison with Love. Paul made that case in that well-known passage, chapter 13 – the Love Chapter, which begins with the familiar words, “If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I am a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal…” And he concludes the chapter by writing - “The greatest of these is love.”
4. As with all the Spiritual Gifts, tongues should build-up the church in faith, not divide the church.
In fact, whenever tongues – or any gift, for that matter – becomes divisive, it by definition ceases to be a Spiritual Gift. The danger with tongues is that it can be used to glorify the one who is gifted, rather than the Giver of the gift. As Paul wrote,
“People who speak in tongues build up themselves.” And then in verse 12 of that chapter, he writes, “Since you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, use your ambition to try to work toward being the best at building up the church.”
5. So, when is speaking in tongues ever appropriate?
As I read Paul’s writings, I find there are only two instances:
First – in private prayer. Those who have received the gift know it is a blessing. It must be wonderful for your spirit to commune directly with God’s Spirit in such an intimate way – to communicate the desires of your heart so deeply that mere-language can’t begin to express it. As we read in verse 14:2, “Those who speak in a tongue don’t speak to people but to God; no one understands it – they speak in mysteries by the Spirit.” I must confess that I have come a long way – sometimes even I long for the gift, myself! How it would enrich my own devotional life! So tongues are appropriate in personal devotions.
The other instance when tongues are appropriate is public worship. But, before we decide to all break out into ecstatic speech, there are a couple of conditions that must be met: Tongues are acceptable in public worship 1) only when it would not bring division in the body, and 2) only when there is someone gifted in interpretation available to explain its message. As Paul plainly puts it (14:18-19): “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church, I'd rather speak five words in my right mind than speak thousands of words in a tongue so that I can teach others.” Then skipping to verse 26: “what is the outcome of this, brothers and sisters? When you meet together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All these things must be done to build up the church.”
I'd like to close with a true story that demonstrates how, when used according to the biblical guidelines, tongues can build up the body of Christ and bring glory to God:
A small group of Christians lived in a remote Guatemalan village. A severe drought had devastated the area and the village was on the verge of extinction. The Christians prayed and God spoke to the group through a message in tongues. The interpreter told them to go up on a hill which was owned by the Christians and dig a well. Now, that seemed to be one of the most illogical places to do it, but they obeyed, even in the face of the ridicule of the unbelievers in the village. Their ridicule changed to astonishment, however, when the Christians soon struck an abundant supply of water and the entire village was saved. Many unbelievers also were saved when they saw the power of God.
Maybe this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote in chapter 14 verse 21-22 (referring to Isaiah 8:11-12) , “In the Law it is written: ‘I will speak to this people with foreign languages and foreigners lips, but they will not even listen to me this way,’ says the Lord. So then, tongues are a sign for those who don't believe not for those who believe.”
Friends, I am so thankful that we are part of a denomination that has a biblically-sound understanding of the gift of tongues. We have all been enriched through the years by the spiritual vitality of those persons with this gift. I am also thankful that I can serve a congregation that celebrates all the gifts – including those we may not personally possess, or even fully comprehend.
I leave you with Paul’s word to us in 1 Corinthians 14:1 – a passage I especially love the way the New King James Version translates if. It actually beautifully sums Paul’s entire teaching on the Spiritual Gifts – not just tongues. It is actually just this simple:
“Pursue love, and desire the spiritual gifts.”
© 2023 by John B. Gill, III