What is speaking in tongues?

Speaking in tongues refers to instances in the New Testament in which followers of Jesus spoke in other languages in a miraculous way. The first instance appears on the day of Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead. Online drag racing games, drag racing games for free.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:4 NIV).

In this case, those who heard them were from different lands and spoke in different languages. As the disciples spoke in tongues, their audience understood it in their own language.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" (Acts 2:5-12 NIV).

Later in the book of Acts, we see the gift of the Holy Spirit given to Gentiles, as part of Peter's ministry. They too were filled with the Holy Spirit, and this was confirmation to the early believers that the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ was not for Jews only, but also for Gentiles.

The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God (Acts 10:45-46 NIV).

This also happened to two believers when they encountered and were baptized by Paul (see Acts 19:5-7).

It appears that the gift of tongues was also a regular part of Christian worship in the early church.

  • It was a gift given to some, but not all (1 Cor. 12:30)
  • It was one of the lesser gifts (1 Cor. 14:5)
  • It was to be accompanied by the gift of interpretation (1 Cor. 12:10)
  • May have been associated with angelic language (1 Cor. 13:1)
  • They are a sign for unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:22)
  • It should not be forbidden (1 Cor. 14:39)
  • It should be done for the strengthening of the church (1 Cor. 14:26)
  • Used to pray in the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:14)

There is controversy among Christians today over this gift of the Spirit. There is no doubt that this was practiced in the early church. The question is whether this gift is for today. Pentecostal and Charismatic churches generally believe very strongly that this gift is to be practiced in the church today. While there is little evidence to disprove this, the strongest argument against it is that there was a lapse for many centuries in the exercise of this gift.