My understanding of the gift of tongues based on what the bible says about it.

My understanding of the gift of tongues based on what the bible says about it.

Tongues is a very contentious issue in the modern church today. Some reject it, others defend it, and most simply do not understand this gift and its purpose. I am certainly not a scholar in this regard, but having studied the scriptural references of this topic, and with my understanding of dispensational truth, considering the transitional changes that occur between dispensations, the following is my unbiased and plain interpretation of the scriptural references, letting scripture dictate my understanding, instead of trying to twist it to fit a current denominational narrative.

Tongues in the Jewish church of Acts

Exodus 34:10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

Tongues was a sign for Israel. Jesus and Paul said the following,

John 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Signs were a manifestation of God’s presence, power, and approval. In biblical times, signs qualified an apostle or prophet. Signs validated that ministry or movement. See Hebrews 2:3-4; Acts 2:22; 2 Corinthians 12:11-12. Signs was how God interacted with Israel and was part of their history and relationship with God.

Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Tongues was not an unintelligible babble, but actual foreign languages. In Acts 2, after the Holy Spirit descended on the Jewish Church, it is clearly described that those speaking in tongues were speaking foreign, human languages. As the apostles spoke in tongues, men of different nations understood them in their own language.

Act 2:6-8  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  (7)  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?  (8)  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Just like water baptism, the ability to speak in tongues is a to Israel, in this case, a specific gifting of the Holy Spirit and for their ultimate purpose of their ‘great’ commission; to go to ALL nations. If Jews are to go into all the world and bring all nations to an understanding of the law and of the gospel, according to prophecy, they will have to be able to speak the language of that nation they go to. This is where tongues will be necessary.

Tongues as a gift in the Transitional church

So, if tongues were a Jewish gift, why was it exercised in the Gentile church? This is a good question and where understanding dispensational truth and rightly dividing comes to importance.

One must first understand that the period in focus was transitioning out of the Kingdom program into the Grace program. The 30 to 40-year period of the book of Acts started with the Kingdom program in its fullest operation. The Holy Spirit had empowered Jewish believers and these giftings were in operation to prove the validity of their message and ministry, Act.2:43; Act.5:12 . If Israel recognized the signs, and believed, their Messiah would have come back, having said that the Kingdom was ‘at hand’ Mat.4:17; Mat.10:7, and set up His Millennial Kingdom, and the Jews would become priests and kings, going out into the nations with the law and the gospel of Christ.

However, Israel did not believe, and God started to shift His attention to Paul and the Gentiles, Act.9, whilst progressively blinding the Jews and suspending their Kingdom program, Rom.11:25.

As for the Grace program for all nations, God revealed a mystery doctrine to Paul, Rom.16:25-26. During this transition period, while Paul was going to the Jews FIRST, Rom.1:16; Rom.2:9-10, signs continued to be necessary to validate Paul’s message and ministry, Act.19:11-12; Act.20:9-12. In addition to validating it, the new doctrine had to be preached and transcribed. The gifts of the Spirit were of great necessity to proclaim this truth. Paul mentions the gifts in operation during this time, 1Cor.12-14, to set up churches and provide them with structure and leadership. There were apostles and prophets, teachers and pastors, miracles and healings, knowledge, tongues, and interpretation of tongues prevalent in the church at this time. All this was to declare and show the power and validity of God in this movement and over Paul’s apostolic ministry.

As with the Jewish church, tongues were not an unintelligible babble, but actual foreign languages. It was part of all the other gifts in operation during this transitional time. However, unlike the evangelical purpose of tongues in the Jewish church, tongues were for the building up and edification of the grace church.

Desiring gifts profitable for edification

1Co 14:2-5  For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.  (3)  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.  (4)  He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.  (5)  I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. … 12  Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

It is interesting to note though that tongues diminished in functionality in the church compared to the other gifts. Tongues was not useful in the local church. Nobody could understand the language and interpretation was necessary. Interpretation was never needed in the Jewish church as their preaching was to be directed to people of foreign tongues. In the local church, tongues became a means to prophesy and bring edification to the local church, but interpreters were needed. This is why Paul tells us that he would rather speak five intelligible words in the local church than ten thousand in a tongue.

1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. 

I cannot qualify the following statement, but I believe that tongues were coveted by the early Gentile church because it was a sign that one was endowed by the Holy Spirit. In the Jewish church, after water baptism, tongues were the first sign of reception of the Holy Spirit. It made an immediate impression on people and thus, the Gentile church, and especially the carnal Corinthian church, sought after this gift more than any other.

Where the carnal Corinthians sought after the sign of tongues, no doubt for boasting and selfishness, it is interesting to note that Paul appeared to favour prophecy and teaching more than tongues. The reason is that tongues was not as beneficial in the Body. Unless someone interpreted, it was of little value.  Note how Paul lists tongues at the very end of the list of gifts,

1Co 12:28-30  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  (29)  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?  (30)  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

The above verse also tells us that not everybody received the gift of tongues. In the Jewish church, the tongues gift was a valid sign of the Holy Spirit upon that person. It was a sign of salvation to the Jew, as part of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of the New Covenant, as listed in Jer.31:33 and Ezek.36:26,

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

However, in the Gentile church, tongues were a gift of edification, and it was distributed by discretion of the Holy Spirit and was always for the profit of the Body as a whole,

1Cor.12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal [everyone]. 

1Cor.12:11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 

Paul was clear in his advice and teaching to the Corinthians that they seek after the gifts of greatest value, being those that edify the church. However, Paul would move on to literally disqualify the giftings of the Spirit for something that would be of greater value and excellence in the Body of Christ,

1Cor.12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. 

The diminishing of the gifts for something more perfect

1Cor.13:8-13  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  (9)  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  (10)  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.  (11)  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  (12)  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.  (13)  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Without doing a deep dive into all the truths laid out in the above passage, let me simply provide this summary. It is clear that prophecy, tongues, and the gift of knowledge would disappear. There would be little need for these gifts once that which is ‘perfect’ has come. What would replace these gifts? It would be the completed revelation of the mystery doctrine, which in turn would fulfil, or bring to completion, the Word of God,

Col.1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

The gifts to help edify the church would no longer be needed as the full revelation of God’s will and purpose for the Body of Christ would be available in the epistles of Paul. These letters could be read and studied in the local churches and they would bring a member of the Body to a knowledge of God’s purpose and will for them. They would be able to grow in spirit and understanding of God’s ways and increase in the knowledge of Christ in them. The Word would be their foundation in faith, it would minister love and be an example of love in practice, and it would be their hope for an eternal salvation and vocation.

The completed Word of God would be the item of perfection that surpasses the temporary giftings of the Spirit. Where the gifts allowed for a dim view through a glass, the Word of God would be looking into at Christ face to face, 1Cor.13:12.

‘Tongues’ or groanings in private intercession

There is one more point to deal with based on what we read in the epistles. We have learned that the gift of tongues, as with prophecy and knowledge, have ended, and this would be in a corporate sense, as in edification to the Body? But, what about the scriptures that Paul writes about edifying ourselves? Paul also speaks of praying and singing with the spirit, 1Cor.14:2; 1Cor.14:15. He also speaks of the inner groanings of the spirit. How do we interpret these sayings?

Have a look at the following verses,

1Co 14:4  He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 

1Co 14:18  I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

1Co 14:14-15  For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.  (15)  What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.  26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities [weaknesses]: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (See Joh 11:33 for another example).

As for Paul's references to tongues in Corinthians, this is the actual gift of tongues that was still in operation during the transitional period of Acts. Since the full revelation of Paul's mystery program had not yet been written down and made known, the giftings of the Spirit were still prevalent in the Jewish church, but also in assemblies that Paul established, having a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. However, as the Kingdom program diminished, so also did these spiritual giftings of signs, confirming what Paul wrote in 1Cor.13:8-9.

As for the groanings we read about in Romans 8, we should be careful not to interpret this with bias, trying to make it speak for or defend tongues. Groanings is not tongues, and int the true context it has nothing to do with speaking or even verbal utterance. Let's use the example in John 11:33 to get the base context correct. The word rendered “groaned,” here, commonly denotes to be angry or indignant, or to reprove severely, denoting strong agitation of mind. Here it also evidently denotes strong agitation - not from anger, but from grief. Jesus saw the sorrow of others, and he was also moved with sympathy and love. The word “groan” usually, with us, denotes an expression of internal sorrow by a special sound. The word here, however, does not mean that utterance was given to the internal emotion. He groaned in the spirit; in his human soul. The origin of Jesus' groaning may be partly at the weakness of Mary's faith, and at her excessive sorrow; and partly at the hypocrisy of the Jews: or else this inward groaning was through grief, sympathizing with Mary, and her friends, his human soul being touched with a fellow feeling of their griefs and sorrows.

Returning to Romans 8 above, verse 23 indicates that we ourselves can experience this deep agitation in spirit as we wait in patience and hope for the finishing of our salvation, the redemption of our bodies. Whether we groan audibly or not, it is certain that this does not produce any form of language or communication. It is simply sounds if it were external or emotions if it were internal. In either case, the meaning of groanings, as for the English language, has never been associated with language or communication. Finally, the latter part of the passage, from verse 26, is not us groaning, but a working of the Holy Spirit within us. This is the Holy Spirit groaning in intercession on our behalf, which, being groanings, does not equate to any language or communication, and which we have no means to utter, as the verse expresses.

Amen.