Should I be able to speak in tongues?

Topic:  Spiritual Gifts – Common Good or Personal Possession? (Chapters 12-14)                          

Study Guide

I.  THE CENTRAL QUESTION REGARDING “SPEAKING IN TONGUES” TODAY:   

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hat is the nature of the “tongues” of 1 Corinthians 14?  Are they an unknowable “angelic” language or simply an un-interpreted human one?  Were they a “private prayer language” – or a corporate gift that was being selfishly misused?  Were they a private experience and emotional “release” – or were tongues a gift that was intended to edify the whole church but instead was being misused by the Corinthians out of personal pride?

II.  THREE INTERPRETIVE KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE PASSAGE.

1. To understand the PROBLEM, look at Paul’s SOLUTION:  four times he says they are to “interpret”!

q  Verse 5  “unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified”

q  Verse 6  “unless I bring some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction”  NOTE that Paul makes a distinction between the METHOD of communication (how they spoke) and the MESSAGE (what they said).  It was possible to bring a revelation or word of instruction while speaking in another language, but such a message wouldn’t be useful (or “edifying”) unless it was interpreted!

q  Verse 13  “pray that he may interpret what he says” (i.e., the speaker translates)

q  Verse 27  “someone must interpret” (i.e., another person translates)

2.  To understand the PROBLEM, look at the CONTEXT:  The theme of the entire section (and indeed, of much of the book!) is the conflict of selfishness vs. love.  Paul argument in chapters 12-14 follows this theme, because the Corinthians were using this miraculous gift without any consideration for the needs of the whole BODY (the church).  They weren’t speaking in tongues to edify their brethren, but to indulge their own pride.

q  12:12f.  “there should be no division in the BODY, but its parts should have equal concern for each other”

q  13:1-13  Agape / LOVE is “the most excellent way” and is thus superior to miraculous gifts

q  14:1  “Follow the way of LOVE”

q  14:3-4  “strengthening, encouragement, and comfort…...EDIFIES the church”

q  14:5  “that the church may be EDIFIED”

q  14:6f.  “what GOOD will I be?”

q  14:12  “gifts that BUILD UP the church”

q  14:17  “the other man is NOT EDIFIED”

q  14:19  “five intelligible words TO INSTRUCT OTHERS than ten thousand words in a tongue”

q  14:26   “a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a TONGUE, or an interpretation.   All of these must be done for the STRENGTHENING of the church”

q  14:31  “so that everyone may be INSTRUCTED and ENCOURAGED”

3.  To understand the PROBLEM, look at the SETTING.    Paul nowhere in this passage says to exercise this gift in private.   The closest he comes to that is in Verse 28, where he says, “If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.”  Even there, however, Paul pictures a congregational setting!  In fact, three times he tells the Corinthians to use this gift in church (Verses 5, 6, 27). 

The key to understanding Paul’s entire discussion of the spiritual gift of “tongues” in the first century comes at the very beginning of the three-chapter section. 

12:7  “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given FOR THE COMMON GOOD”

KEY POINT:  The PURPOSE of the gift of tongues was to build up the whole church. The PROBLEM in the Corinthian church was that individuals were misusing that gift out of pride, without regard for the good of their brothers.  Miraculous gifts were a temporary “scaffolding” until the Spirit of truth (John 14:17) finished his work of revelation (John 14:26, 16:13) and the construction of the New Testament/church was complete.

III.  EIGHT REASONS WHY I DO NOT BELIEVE GENUINE FIRST-CENTURY TONGUE-SPEAKING OCCURS TODAY.

1. When the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost (in the only Biblical passage which actually describes tongue-speaking) the word “tongues” clearly has its customary linguistic meaning as recognizable human languages (Acts 2:4-12), not emotional gibberish.  Three times the foreigners in the audience who had traveled to Jerusalem marveled that the apostles were speaking in the pilgrims’ “own native language” (Acts 2:6, 8, 11) despite the fact that the apostles had not previous learned those foreign languages.  Individuals who assert that tongue-speaking today is some sort of ecstatic private experience must demonstrate:

1. Why the nature of the gift changed from Acts 2 to 1 Corinthians 14;

2. Why those who claim to practice tongue-speaking today are not exercising the gift as it was demonstrated by the apostles at Pentecost.

2. The purpose of tongues was to “confirm the word” (Mark 16:17-20);  Hebrews 2:3-4 tells us the word “was confirmed.” 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 says tongues were temporary and would end when “perfection comes.” In Ephesians 4:7-15 Paul also says the gifts would last until the unity of the faith was established.  James 1:23-25 says the “perfect law that gives freedom” had come (cf. Jude 3; John 16:13;  Matthew 10:19-20). 

3. In order for any action to serve the purpose of miraculously confirming the word, it must by definition be beyond normal human experience and irrefutable (Acts 4:16; cf. Luke 11:14-20; John 9-10; Matthew 10:8;  Acts 2:22; 13:10).  Glossolalia (emotionally-prompted ecstatic utterances) were common ancient pagan cults and have been documented in numerous cultures and non-Christian religions today.   [See Psychology Today, August 1972, p. 48-50, 78-79]

4. None of the other miracles which confirmed the Word, such as picking up snakes, drinking deadly poison, healing the sick or raising the dead, are practiced today – only emotionally ecstatic “tongue-speaking.”

5. We read in Acts 8:14-19 that the miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit was transmitted “at the laying on of the APOSTLE’S hands” (cf. Acts 19:6, 2 Timothy 1:6).  According to numerous New Testament passages, there are no individuals today who can possess the qualifications of an apostle (see Acts 1:21-22, 26;  2:42; 2 Corinthians 12:12;  Revelation 21:14).

6. Paul says that first-century tongues were a sign for unbelievers, while prophecy was a sign for believers (14:22).   Modern-day tongue speakers reverse this significance.

7. The modern-day “tongue-speaking” movement began in 1900 when a Holiness group became convinced of two presuppositions:  first, that every Christian must experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit (which they called “the second blessing”);   and second, that THE sign of receiving such a miraculous baptism must be “speaking in tongues.”  That is, they concluded the way you can know that you have been given the Holy Spirit is if you speak in an unusual ecstatic utterance.  In this passage Paul emphasizes that, even in the first century, not every Christian spoke in tongues (12:7-11) and that tongues were a subordinate gift (14:5f.)   Note:  The Corinthians had received every spiritual gift (1:7) but sadly, Paul had to call them “carnal” (3:1).  The mere possession of the gift of tongues in the first century was clearly not a sign of spirituality or maturity.

8. Many modern-day “tongue-speakers” emphasize an overpowering emotional experience, while Paul states that the gifts being exercised in the first-century could and should be under the control of the individual (14:32). 

PERSONAL OBSERVATION:  I will affirm one point of contact between the first-century Corinthian Christians who spoke in human languages they had not learned and individuals in the twenty-first century who practice “tongue-speaking”:  both need to beware of adopting an arrogant attitude of “super-spirituality” and carnal condescension towards those who do not share their practice!   Paul’s argument in Chapters 12-14 is clear:  genuine spirituality does not produce pride, and congregational confusion, and division.

At the same time, Paul’s larger message in 1 Corinthians 12-14 about the supremacy of “love” applies to me, and to those who share my convictions, as well.  Even though I may disagree with the theology of those who genuinely believe they are “speaking in tongues” today in the same manner as the Christians in the first century, I do not have the right to ridicule or scorn any fellow-believer.  I must disagree without demeaning, and when someone is sincerely wrong, I should “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

IV. EIGHT THINGS I DO BELIEVE ABOUT MIRACLES & THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TODAY

q  I believe every Christian is “Spirit-filled” if he or she has been born again of the water and the Spirit (John 3:3) and is allowing the Holy Spirit to work in his or her life (Galatians 5:16-18, 25) to bring forth His “fruit” (Galatians 5:22-23).   We shouldn’t over-react and cede the Holy Spirit to the Pentecostals!

q  I believe I am preaching the “full gospel” whenever I preach the Cross of Christ and his saving work on my behalf  (1 Corinthians 2:2;  John 16:13-14).

q  I believe our mighty and sovereign God is able to work in any way He wishes, so long as it is consistent with His own nature and revealed Word.

q  In the present age, I believe His Spirit chooses to work through His written and proclaimed Word (Romans 1:16; 10:14-17) which was confirmed by the apostles.

q  I strongly believe the Holy Spirit continues to exercise a personal ministry in us and through us today (Romans 8).

q  I do believe in prayer requests for healing for those who are sick (James 5:14-15);  I do not believe in prayer demands (Philippians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9), since in His superior wisdom God may have higher, better plans for my life (Matthew 26:39-42).  In addition, I believe our God is able to work both through divine power and through the medical processes He created (James 5:14; 1 Timothy 5:23).

q  I do not believe the New Testament indicates that the apostolic gifts (see Mark 16:17-28; 2 Corinthians 12:12) are available to present-day disciples. 

q  I do believe the apostles’ doctrine continues to be our authoritative, sufficient guide (Acts 2:42, 2 Timothy 3:16-17) and their Spirit-inspired Word remains able to save us (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:21; Hebrews 4:13) today and until the end of time.

© Dan Williams