The title of this article is probably enough for you to feel that you should prepare to defend your position on the validity or not of certain gifts of the Holy Spirit. You may be wondering which way of the pendulum this writing will swing. Actually, the purpose is not to defend a position, since there are other articles that address the issue between and . There are also articles that deal with the points of .
That makes me happy because —although I don’t mean to downplay this debate— the purpose of this article is not to convince you to choose a position or to make mine known, but rather to present you with a list of characteristics that the Bible describes about the gift of tongues in the different contexts in which it appears in the New Testament.
The gift of tongues in Mark and Acts
- Christ promised that those who believe in Him will do signs like “speaking with new tongues” (Mk 16:17). About the validity and originality of this text, you can read an explanation.
- The gift of tongues occurs four times in Acts: Pentecost (2:3, 4, 11); the visit of Peter and John to the Samaritan converts (8:15-18); the meeting of Cornelius and his friends (10:46); and Paul’s visit to the Ephesian disciples of John the Baptist (19:6).
- Luke records that on the day of Pentecost, with the arrival of the Holy Spirit, “tongues as of fire” appeared to Christians (Acts 2:2-3). These tongues are not to be confused with the tongues or languages mentioned later in Acts 2:4.
- When the Spirit appeared, the believers spoke in the languages of the Jews who lived in different nations and who were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).
- The gift of tongues in Acts 2 is the ability given by the Holy Spirit that consists of speaking in another language, without having studied it, to communicate God’s message in the foreign languages spoken by the Diaspora Jews who were in Jerusalem (Acts 2:4).
- Although the text does not describe it on this occasion, the Spirit could also give believers the ability to speak more than one language, like Paul (1 Cor 14:18).
- Citizens of other nations claimed to understand the “Galileans” because they spoke their mother tongue and wondered how this was possible (Acts 2:7-8).
- These citizens who came from different regions affirmed that they heard the message of “the wonders of God” in their own language (Hch 2:11). So it is not about non-human languages, or babble or repetitive phrases without meaning and unintelligible.
- While some showed astonishment at such a manifestation, others mocked the Christians saying that they were drunk (Acts 2:12-13). This could have happened because they did not know the other languages that the rest of the disciples were speaking, and they heard sounds that they could not understand.
- Peter was not silent but explained that the manifestation of the Spirit in those tongues was the fulfillment of the prophet’s words (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21). Neither the prophet Joel nor Peter mentions the gift of tongues; It is only included among other manifestations of the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, where it is said that everyone will enjoy the presence of the spirit and will prophesy, that is, that they will speak in the name of God.
- When Peter preached the message to the Gentiles in the centurion’s house, the Holy Spirit descended on the believers and they spoke in tongues exalting God (Acts 10:34-36). Peter compared this experience with what the Jews lived in Jerusalem during Pentecost (Acts 11:15).
- Paul explained to the brothers in Ephesus the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. “When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
The gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians
Paul did not want the brothers to ignore important points about spiritual gifts, among which was the gift of tongues (1 Cor 12-14). In the letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes an important twist or a new concept regarding the purpose of the gift of tongues in the church and indirectly affirms that the manifestation of that gift at Pentecost now does not have the same purpose if it is manifested in the Corinthian congregation (1 Cor 14:2).
- The gift of tongues is mentioned along with the gift of interpretation of tongues. “If anyone speaks in a foreign tongue… And if there is no interpreter, keep quiet in the church, and speak to yourself and to God” (1 Cor 12:10; 14:27-28). Apparently, the public validity of the exercise of the gift will only be possible if the message is interpreted for the entire congregation.
- If some were to speak in tongues, they should do so in turn and with an interpreter; if there was no one to interpret, they should be silent (1 Cor 14:27-28). Again the gift of tongues is intended to be not just an individual ecstatic experience, but an orderly exercise of a gift for the edification of the whole body.
- In the church the ability to speak in tongues was given, but at the same time —by means of the rhetorical question “Does all speak in tongues?”— Paul affirms that not all speak in tongues or exercise the same gift (1 Cor 12 :27-30). The apostle Paul clearly points out that the gifts are distributed sovereignly by the Holy Spirit and not everyone has the same gifts. So this gift could not be used to “measure” the maturity of believers or in them.
- When a believer tries to use the gift of tongues without love, that is, without doing it for the blessing of the rest of the body of Christ, it is useless because its purpose of blessing and edification is lost (1 Cor 13:1-8).
- Paul introduces the conditional sentence “if there are tongues, they will cease.” Although “when will they cease” is a matter of debate, this confirms the temporary nature of tongues and the eternity of love, which is more important (1 Cor 13:8-10).
- Paul affirms that the one who speaks in tongues in the congregation He does not speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries (1 Cor 14:2). Unless there is an interpreter, he is asked to be silent (1 Cor 14:28).
- Paul expresses his desire that everyone speak in tongues (1 Cor 14:5). This does not mean that Paul is affirming that this is possible, because if we interpret it in that sense we would be affirming that Paul contradicts what he said in 1 Corinthians 12:30. Although Paul states it as a “desire”, he is rather using his rhetoric to show the importance of sharing God’s message.
- The one who speaks in tongues edifies himself, while the one who prophesies edifies the church (1 Cor 14:4).
- Prophesying is greater than speaking in tongues. That is why it is requested that whoever speaks in tongues interpret what is said to the church to build it up (1 Cor 14:5). From this we infer that, according to Paul, some of the Corinthians who spoke in tongues could interpret them.
- The apostle Paul ends his analysis of the gifts in the letter to the Corinthians by making three requests:
- “Long for the…”
- “…do not forbid speaking in tongues” (1 Cor 14:39).
- “But let everything be done decently and in order” (1 Cor 14:40).
it is one of the most important modern concepts when it comes to dealing with these kinds of doctrinal issues that have the potential to divide the church. Let us thank God for the diversity in the congregations, since even in our discrepancies we can give glory to the Lord. Christ unites us to bear witness to the eternal truths of the gospel and fulfill our mission to satisfy the enormous need that the world has to know the Savior.
The grammatical sentence “If there are tongues, they will cease” belongs to a class of Greek sentence called “First Class Conditional Sentence”. This kind of prayer is meant to say rather than establishing a condition in the Spanish sense. Which indicates that Paul would be saying: “since there are indeed tongues, they will cease.” This does not indicate that Paul is referring to our time, but to his.