Speaking in Tongues? What The Bible really says!
Take a look at these verses.
This is the day of Pentecost, when THE HOLY SPIRIT was first sent to the Apostles.
Notice that when the Apostles spoke in Tongues, everyone who heard them speak, heard it in their own language wherein they were born.
Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Act 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Now, take a look at these verses.
Notice that when the Apostle began to speak, THE HOLY SPIRIT fell on those present, as it did for the Apostles 'AT THE BEGINNING'. When was the beginning? It was Pentecost day! And how did the Tongues manifest? Every man heard them in his own language wherein he was born. Everyone understood what was being said.
If you take a look at verse 11:17 below, you will also see that GOD gave them the 'like gift' as HE did unto the Apostles. So, the 'like gift' would mean the same gift.
Acts 11:15-18
Act 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Act 11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Act 11:17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
Act 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Read the verses below and notice verses 46 and 47. In verse 46, they spoke with Tongues and magnified GOD. And in verse 47, what does Peter say? He says they received THE HOLY SPIRIT 'as well as we'.
What does 'as well as we' mean? It means that it's the same as Peter and the other Apostles. And how did Peter and the other Apostles receive THE HOLY SPIRIT? Well, it's written above. They received THE HOLY SPIRIT on Pentecost day and they all spoke in Tongues and everyone who heard them speak, heard them in their own language wherein they were born.
Acts 10:44-48
Act 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Act 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
What does it mean when THE HOLY SPIRIT prays?
If you read the verses below in context, you will see that GOD'S WORD says that HIS Elect do not know what to pray for, therefore THE SPIRIT makes intercession for the Elect.
Another thing to notice about Romans 8:26 is that the SPIRIT itself maketh intercession for us with 'groanings'. The definition of 'groanings' is to 'sigh'. A sigh is basically inaudible.
G4726
στεναγμός
stenagmos
sten-ag-mos'
From G4727 ; a sigh: - groaning.
G4727
στενάζω
stenazō
sten-ad'-zo
From G4728 ; to make (intransitively be) in straits, that is, (by implication) to sigh, murmur, pray inaudibly: - with grief, groan, grudge, sigh.
The SPIRIT itself maketh intercession for us with groanings 'which cannot be uttered'.
If you take a look at the definition for 'cannot be uttered', you will notice that it means 'unspeakable'. Therefore, no words are spoken.
G215
ἀλάλητος
alalētos
al-al'-ay-tos
From G1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of G2980; unspeakable: - unutterable, which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: 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.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
First Chorinthians chapter 14 is about order in the church. It details the use of Tongues and Prophesy.
The following verses refer to speaking in Tongues. These are the only verses in The Bible that refer to speaking in an 'unknown' Tongue. If you look in your King James Bible, you will see that the word 'unknown' is in italics. Whenever you find a word in the King James Bible written in italics, it means that the word was added by the translators to make the verse flow more smoothly for the english reader. If you look at the Greek definition for 'Tongue', you will see that it means a language naturally unacquired. This is the same word used in Acts 2:4. The situation going on in Corinth at this time was that the church was not disciplined. People were speaking with other languages which were unknown to others around them and there were no translators present. Since Tongues and Prophesy was under the control of the person possessing the gift, it resulted in an undisciplined display of activity in the church. Paul's message to the church was to do things in an orderly fashion. Even though the people were speaking mysteries in the Spirit, only GOD would understand because there was no one else around to hear it in the language spoken. It's the same word for Tongue (G1100) as used in Acts 2:4 but a different result because the people were speaking a language which was not known by those in attendance. Paul tells the church that he would rather speak five words in a language understood by the hearer so that he can teach rather than ten thousand words which aren't understood. Paul states that speaking in a language not unerstood by the person receiving it makes you a barbarian to the person receiving it and the person receiving it is a barbarian unto you. So the subject of this chapter is descipline, or order in the church.
G1100
γλῶσσα
glōssa
gloce'-sah
Of uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication a language (specifically one naturally unacquired): - tongue.
1Co_14:2 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.
1Co 14:2 For G1063 he that speakethG2980 in an unknown tongueG1100 speaketh G2980 notG3756 unto men,G444 butG235 unto God:G2316 for G1063 no manG3762 understandethG191 him; howbeitG1161 in the spiritG4151 he speaketh G2980 mysteries.G3466
1Co_14:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
1Co 14:4 He that speaketh G2980 in an unknown tongueG1100 edifiethG3618 himself; G1438 butG1161 he that prophesiethG4395 edifiethG3618 the church. G1577
1Co_14:13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
1Co 14:13 Wherefore G1355 let him that speakethG2980 in an unknown tongue G1100 prayG4336 thatG2443 he may interpret.G1329
1Co_14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
1Co 14:14 For G1063 ifG1437 I prayG4336 in an unknown tongue, G1100 myG3450 spiritG4151 prayeth,G4336 butG1161 myG3450 understandingG3563 is G2076 unfruitful.G175
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.
1Co 14:19 Yet G235 inG1722 the churchG1577 I hadG2309 rather speak G2980 fiveG4002 wordsG3056 withG1223 myG3450 understanding,G3563 that G2443 by my voice I might teachG2727 othersG243 also,G2532 thanG2228 ten thousand G3463 wordsG3056 inG1722 an unknown tongue.G1100
1Co_14:27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
1Co 14:27 If G1535 any manG5100 speakG2980 in an unknown tongue, G1100 let it be byG2596 two,G1417 orG2228 at theG3588 mostG4118 by three, G5140 andG2532 that byG303 course;G3313 andG2532 let oneG1520 interpret.G1329
◄ 1100. glóssa ►
Strong's Concordance
glóssa: the tongue, a language
Original Word: γλῶσσα, ης, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: glóssa
Phonetic Spelling: (gloce-sah')
Short Definition: the tongue, a language, nation
Definition: the tongue, a language, a nation (usually distinguished by their speech).
HELPS Word-studies
1100 glṓssa – tongue, used of flowing speech; (figuratively) speaking, inspired by God, like the evidence of tongues-speaking supplied by the Lord in the book of Acts to demonstrate the arrival of the new age of the covenant (i.e. NT times).
[The normative experience of the 120 believers received "tongues (1100 /glṓssa) as of fire" (Ac 2:3) and miraculously spoke in other actual languages, i.e. that they could not speak before (Ac 2:4f). This sign was repeated in Ac 10:46, 19:6 – furnishing ample proof (three attestations) that the Lord had incorporated all believers into Christ's (mystical) body (1 Cor 12:13).]
1Co 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
1Co 14:10 There are, G2076 it may be,G1487 G5177 so manyG5118 kindsG1085 of voices G5456 inG1722 the world,G2889 andG2532 noneG3762 of them G846 is without signification.G880
G880
ἄφωνος
aphōnos
af'-o-nos
From G1 (as a negative particle) and G5456; voiceless, that is, mute (by nature or choice); figuratively unmeaning: - dumb, without signification.
1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
A final note:
If you read Acts 2 and the book of Joel, you will see that this is what happens at the end time when the Elect are delivered up and THE HOLY SPIRIT Speaks through them as described in Mark 13.
1Co 13:8 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.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11 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.
1Co 13:12 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.
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
