Greetings Good Newspaper, thank you for the work you are doing. I am born again, and I have a question about speaking in tongues: Is this experience scriptural? What does it mean to speak in tongues, and of what importance is it? — Duncan Lubega.
Thank you, brother Duncan, and most importantly, we thank the Lord that you are born again. Here is what we need to share regarding your questions about speaking in tongues.
Charismatics
Born-again people are not only people of faith but people of experience as well. Occasionally, they experience the Lord in various expressive ways, and one of these is speaking in unknown tongues. One cannot easily argue against personal experience; however, one can ask whether such an experience has scriptural justification.
There is nothing wrong with personal or corporate experiences. What is dangerous is reading our experiences into Scripture, a practice known as ‘eisegesis’, from the Greek, meaning to use Scripture to defend one’s own conclusions. Believers must therefore be careful not to use Scripture to justify their experiences but rather to ensure that whatever they experience is already grounded in the Word of God. This is not mere biblicism; it is ensuring that our belief and practice are rooted in the will and Word of God.
Scripture
In Mark 16:17, speaking in tongues is listed among the signs accompanying believers, alongside exorcisms, healing, and handling snakes. A handful of verses in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, as well as Acts 2, 10, and 19, mention speaking in tongues. Each reference forms part of a narrative about the Holy Spirit’s outpouring on believers for empowerment (Acts 1:8).
In Acts 2:4, 120 followers are filled with the Spirit and begin speaking in other tongues as the Spirit enables them. The crowd in Jerusalem marvels at hearing the praise of God in their own languages ( Acts 2:7–12), and onlookers ask the pivotal question: “What does this mean?” (verse 12). In every instance where disciples speak in tongues, there is an answer to this question.
Peter tells the Pentecost crowd: “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel” ( Acts 2:16), connecting the experience to the promise of the Spirit poured out on all flesh. In Acts 10:46, Peter and other Jewish believers recognise that Cornelius and his household are praising God in tongues after hearing the Gospel. What does this mean now that Gentiles speak in tongues? Peter responds by welcoming Cornelius as a Spirit-filled brother in Christ, and the question of receiving the Gentiles through water baptism as full members of the Church is resolved.
Finally, in Acts 19:6, a group of disciples in Ephesus speaks in tongues and prophesies after Paul baptises them in water. The story has come full circle; the Spirit has been poured out on Jews in Acts 2, Samaritans in Acts 8, Gentiles in Acts 10, and now 12 Ephesian disciples from John the Baptist’s ministry receive Spirit baptism.
Spiritual gifts
Spiritual gifts are distinct from natural talents in that they can only be acquired by believers in Jesus Christ, those born again by the Spirit. They are special abilities given to believers individually as members of the body of Christ, each receiving a unique gift package. Believers receive these abilities where and when such gifts are needed to accomplish God’s mission and will.
Purpose of the gift
The Holy Spirit equips the Church with spiritual gifts, one of which is speaking in tongues. The purpose of all these gifts is to edify and build up the Church. However, what we see in many churches today is disorder. The chaos of speaking in unrecognisable sounds is not spiritual and is not a gift of the Spirit, since our God is a God of order, not confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40).
Paul addressed a very similar problem in Corinth: an excess of tongues without interpretation, which is of no benefit to other believers (1 Corinthians 14:6). This is problematic because the fundamental purpose of spiritual gifts is serving others (1 Corinthians 12:7). Paul therefore asks; “If with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air” (1 Corinthians 14:9).
The tongues the Bible speaks of are recognisable human languages, distinguished by tribe and culture. In every biblical instance of speaking in tongues, a person spoke in another person’s language for communication and edification (1 Corinthians 14:2, 5, 16–17), not unintelligible sounds. Paul writes, “One who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may also interpret” (1 Corinthians 14:13), for there is no language on earth, or even of angels, that is without meaning (1 Corinthians 14:10).
When Gentile converts spoke in tongues in Acts 10:46, the same Greek word glossa, meaning a language or dialect used by a distinct people, was used as in Acts 2:4. It was a known, earthly language. Paul himself uses this same word in 1 Corinthians 14:18: “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all.” Paul had the genuine gift of tongues (Acts 21:37–40), and it was intelligible.
