Speaking In Tongues

Q: What does the Bible say about speaking in tongues?

The Bible teaches that speaking in tongues refers to known languages used for preaching the gospel and not gibberish. In 1 Corinthians 14, the Apostle Paul addresses the issue of speaking in tongues, clarifying that it always refers to either the physical organ or a spoken language. At Pentecost, apostles spoke in languages previously unknown to them, conveying the gospel clearly to diverse groups (Acts 2:4). Paul emphasizes that the gift of tongues should be used to edify others, not to produce confusion, insisting that preaching in a comprehensible language is far superior to speaking in tongues without interpretation. He reminds the church that clarity in communication is essential for understanding and edification.

Q: How do we know the doctrine of speaking in tongues is true?

The doctrine of speaking in tongues is affirmed through Paul’s teachings in 1 Corinthians 14 and the events at Pentecost in Acts 2. The validity of the doctrine surrounding speaking in tongues is rooted in Scripture, particularly in 1 Corinthians 14, where Paul lays out guidelines for its use in the church. He highlights his own experience and knowledge of multiple languages and reiterates that the gift’s purpose is to communicate clearly to edify the church (1 Corinthians 14:19). Additionally, the occurrence of speaking in tongues at Pentecost serves as a powerful example of this gift being used appropriately, where the apostles preached the gospel in known languages that others could understand (Acts 2:6-11). Thus, the doctrine is affirmed biblically by both practice and teaching.

Q: Why is understanding languages through tongues important for Christians?

Understanding languages through tongues is vital as it ensures clear communication of the gospel for the edification of the church. The importance of understanding languages in the context of tongues lies in its purpose to communicate the gospel effectively. Paul stresses in 1 Corinthians 14 that the primary goal of worship and preaching is to build up the church and to clarify complex spiritual truths so that all congregation members can grasp them (1 Corinthians 14:3). If messages are not understood due to language barriers, then the ministry loses its effectiveness and purpose. Paul argues that it is more beneficial to speak a few intelligible words than to speak many words in an unknown tongue, as clarity leads to comprehension and growth in faith, reinforcing the need for educated tongues in communicating God’s truths.

speaking in tongues now there's
a lot of talk about this today and it's sweeping the country
not only here but overseas wherever you go you run into it and I
know a little bit about this subject I encountered this many
many years ago way back in the early fifties and many of my
friends had this particular experience and they tried to They tried
to convey this experience to me and its teachings and so forth.
And I listened very carefully to it and watched and observed.
And I feel that it's appropriate for me to speak today on this
subject, speaking in tongues. And I wish you'd listen and listen
carefully to what I have to say. And if you will, I'm going to
be speaking from the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 14. And
I'll be going through this chapter verse by verse. And I'd like
for you, if you're really interested in this subject, if you are interested
now, in what the Bible says about this thing of speaking in tongues,
you take your Bible and open it to 1 Corinthians 14. And I'm
going to stay right with the Word of God, 1 Corinthians 14.
Now, there's several things that I need to point out about this
subject before we read the Scripture, several things. First of all,
every time the Bible talks about the tongue or tongues, every
time, without exception, now you check it, without exception,
when the word tongue or the word tongues is used in the scripture,
it refers to one of two things. It refers to this organ in the
mouth that's used for eating and speaking or licking postage
stamps, the tongue, either that or it refers to a language, a
spoken language. I don't care where you find the
word tongue or the word tongues in the Bible, it's always either
talking about the tongue, which is a little member Or it's talking
about a language spoken. And then secondly, now we know
this, that the disciples of Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, were enabled
by God, these disciples were enabled by God to preach the
gospel in other languages, in other tongues at Pentecost. Tongues and languages they've
never learned. You see at Pentecost, that particular
feast, after our Lord rose from the dead and ascended back to
heaven. At Pentecost there were many nations and nationalities
represented. People from all nations were
there. Romans, Jews, Creeks, Arabians, Egyptians, they were
there from everywhere. And the apostles only spoke one
language, a language they learned from their childhood. They didn't
know any other language. I have friends, preacher friends,
I have one in particular who speaks English, French, Spanish
and some German. But these men spoke one language.
And yet at Pentecost, God enabled them with special power and special
gifts to speak in other languages. And the Scripture says this,
now listen to it, they began to speak, Acts 2, 4, they began
to speak with other tongues, other languages, as the Spirit
gave them utterance. And every man heard them speak
in his own language. Sure they spoke in tongues at
Pentecost, but it was other tongues, other languages, and everybody
heard them preach the gospel in their own language. And then
what they spoke and what men heard at Pentecost was not a
gibberish. You hear these preachers on TV
and they say they're speaking in tongues and they don't know
what they're saying. Nobody else knows what they're
saying. It's just a gibberish. I know they try to teach people
to speak in tongues and have them say one syllable, then another
syllable, then whatever syllable comes to their mind. They teach
this thing and practice this thing. It's as phony as a three-dollar
bill. And it's an unintelligible chatter. And that's not what they spoke
at Pentecost. They spoke a language, a tongue
that was understood. Listen to what the people said
who heard them speak in tongues, who heard them speak in languages.
Acts 2.11, Cretes and Arabians said, we do hear them speak in
our tongues the wonderful works of God. In other words, when
these apostles were speaking in tongues, these people out
there heard them. And they said, hey, we hear him
preaching the wonderful works of God in our tongue, in our
language. I don't hear these fellows speaking
in this gibberish, preaching the gospel in anybody's language.
They say it's a heavenly language. There's no such thing in the
Bible. The problem in the church at Corinth, now listen to me,
the problem in the church at Corinth was that while some of
these men, some of them, not all of them, some of them had
a gift to speak in tongues, in other languages, and some of
them did not. Many of them did not. Do all
speak with tongues, Paul said? No. Do all interpret? No. Do all heal? No. Do all pastor? No. And the ones that did not
have the gift, they were jealous. They were discouraged. They wanted
the gift. They didn't have it. And some
of those who had the gift to speak in other languages, to
preach the gospel to people in a language they had not learned,
some of them became puffed up. And some of them abused the gift,
and they misused the gift. They misused it, that's right,
they acted ugly in the church. And they showed off, they were
puffed up and proud, and they just misused the gift of tongues
and other languages. And Paul wrote chapter 14, and
presents three things. He presents the author of the
gift of tongues. He presents the reason for the
gift of tongues. and he presents the proper use
of the gift of tongue. Now open your Bible to 1 Corinthians
14 and let's just read chapter 14 and see what Paul says. Now
this is written to the church at Corinth and these men had
these gifts, speak with other languages and they were abusing
it, misusing it and Paul writes to correct this practice And
he tells them, back in chapter 13, he said, I may speak with
the tongues of men and of angels, and I have not love, it'll profit
me nothing. He said, I'll be like a sounding
brass and a tinkling cymbal. So follow after love. Make love
your aim. I'll show you something better
in tongues, and that is to love Christ and love each other. That's
better than tongues. That's chapter 12 and 13. Now,
at the beginning of chapter 14, verse 1, Paul says, follow after
love. Now about it, faith, hope, and
love. The greatest of these is love. So follow after love. Make love your aim. Desire spiritual
gifts. Why, certainly. You know, I'm
going to Mexico in just three weeks. I'll be speaking down
near Guatemala. I'll be speaking in the Yucatan.
And all these people speak Spanish and Mayan. I don't. I speak English. How am I going to preach to them?
I've got to have an interpreter. I wish that I could speak in
another language. I go to the Ivory Coast in Africa.
I went down there and spoke all over the Ivory Coast in several
cities, Sassandra and Gayo and Gognio and different places.
I had to have an interpreter. I didn't want to speak a gibberish.
I wanted to speak French. I wanted to preach the gospel,
but I had to have an interpreter. So he said, desire spiritual
gifts, and I do, don't you? I desire spiritual gifts, but
rather that you may preach That's the important thing to preach
the gospel of Christ, to tell men who God is, to tell men who
they are, what happened in the garden, to tell men what happened
on the cross, to tell men how God saves sinners, to preach
and teach the unsearchable riches of Christ, to teach the word
of God. That's what's important. For he that speaketh in another
language, you see unknown tongue, you see it there, the word unknown
is in italics. That means it's not in the Bible.
That means it doesn't belong there at all. That means that
the translator who took it from the Greek to the English put
that word in there. And what he put it in there for,
the reason he put it in there is this. He's talking about a
language that you don't understand. And perhaps the man that's speaking
the language never learned it, was not taught it, did not grow
up speaking it, but it's a gift. And he may not understand it
fully either, but he speaks another tongue, he speaks another language. He speaks Spanish or French or
Arabian or something like that. And if he speaketh in an unknown
tongue, he doesn't speak to men, he speaks unto God, for men don't
understand him. When our missionaries come to
Ashland, he doesn't speak in Spanish, he speaks in English.
He speaks Spanish fluently, but suppose he stood up in our church
and because he's puffed up and proud that he speaks Spanish,
he begins to rattle off in Spanish. Well, God knows what he's saying.
He knows what he's saying. He's edified. He's telling the
truth. Like here, he said, how be it
in the Spirit? He speaks mysteries, the mystery
of godliness. The mystery of the cross, the
mystery of Christ, the mystery of the virgin birth, all these
things he's saying are true. But he's speaking another language,
an unknown language. A language we don't understand.
So nobody understands him. Nobody profits from anything
he's saying. He does. God knows what he's
saying, and he's telling the truth. But nobody understands
him. But verse 3, watch. But he that
prophesieth, he that preaches, He who teaches the Word of God
in a language everybody understands, he speaks to men. And he speaks
to edification, and he speaks to exhortation, and he comforts
them. They hear what he says. See,
the Word of God comforts. The Word of God edifies. The Word of God teaches. But
he that speaketh in an unknown tongue, a tongue or language
the people don't know, Well, he edifies himself. My missionary
friend from Mexico could stand up and speak, and when I go down
there, sometimes they speak. They preach in Spanish, and I
just sit there and listen to them and smile. I don't understand
a thing they're saying, but they do. I'm not helped, but they
are. I'm not edified, but he is. You
see what he's saying? He that speaketh in an unknown
language edifieth himself, but he that preacheth In a language
understood, he edifies the church. He blesses everybody that hears
him. Now listen to verse 5. Paul said, I would that you all
speak with tongues. I wish I did. I wish I could. I'm not a gibberish now. I don't
desire that whatsoever. That wouldn't do me, you, or
our church any good. But when I go to Mexico, and
when I go to Ivory Coast of Africa, when I go other places, I would
that I could speak with other languages." And Paul said, I
wish you did speak with languages, all of you, so that you could
go all over the world, tell me about Christ. But I rather, listen,
but rather that you preached, that you taught the Word of God,
for greater is he that preacheth. than he that speaks with tongues,
that is, unless he interprets, that is, unless, and that's what
we do in Mexico and Africa, we interpret. I stand up and preach
down there, and a man stands beside me who understands English
and who understands Spanish or French or Portuguese, and he
tells the people what I'm saying. He interprets. And if you interpret,
then the church is edified. But if you don't interpret, nobody's
edified. Look at verse 6. If I come to
you speaking with tongues, other languages, what shall I profit
you? What good is it going to do?
Unless I am able to speak to you by revelation, by knowledge,
by prophesying, or by doctrine. Now listen to this example, verse
7. Even things without life giving sound, whether it's an organ,
or a piano, or a guitar, a pipe, or a harp, Unless they give a
distinction in the sounds, how are you going to know what they're
playing? How do you know what's being piped or harped? In other
words, if you've got a piano and somebody's playing it, do
your children ever go up and bang on the piano? Ooh, that's
terrible, isn't it? You don't know what tunes he's
playing. Nobody knows. Because there's
no order to the notes. Any time you play an instrument,
Paul says here, there's got to be an order to the notes. And
if there's an order to the note, then there's a tune. And the
same thing's true when a man's preaching. He's got to preach
in a language people understand, or nobody's going to know what
he's saying. He's making sound, but he's not making sense. Even
so, the trumpet, if it gives an uncertain sound, who's going
to get ready to go to battle? Back then, the army, the bugler
sounded charge, men did what it said. Sounded retreat, they
did what it said. Sounded reveille, they got up.
taps, they went to bed. But suppose he just stands there
and blows. Well, he's making a noise, but nobody knows what
to do. And even so, if a man comes preaching,
or teaching, or sounding forth in an unknown tongue, nobody
knows what he's saying, nobody knows what to do, nobody's taught. So likewise, that's what he's
saying. Except you utter by your language words easy to understand,
How's it going to be known what you've spoken? For you speak
into the air, Paul said. In other words, if you stand
up in front of people and use a tongue, a language they don't
understand, you might as well be speaking to the wind. Just
like a piano or a harp or a trumpet or anything else that plays a
sound but no notes in sequence and in order, it doesn't make
sense. And what you're saying doesn't make sense either unless
somebody understands it. They are, he said, look at verse
10, they are, it may be so many kinds of voices in the world.
There are a lot of languages, there are thousands of languages.
At the Tower of Babel, God separated the people, they all spoke one
language. And God separated them, they went to all parts of the
world speaking different languages. And every one of them have some
signification. Signification, they mean something. Every language means something
to the people who speak it. Down in Mexico they speak Mayan,
they speak Spanish, and the Mayans understand Mayan, the Spanish,
Spanish, the Portuguese, Portuguese, these languages, there are many
languages, and they are understood by the people who know them.
Therefore, verse 11, if I know not the meaning of the voice,
if I don't know what you are saying, I shall be unto him that
speaketh a barbarian. a foreigner. Here's a man up
preaching or teaching, and he's speaking in another language.
And it has to be a tongue, it has to be a language. And he's
speaking in another language, and I don't understand it. Then
I am to him a foreigner. And he goes on, he says, and
he that speaks to me is a foreigner. Even so you, for as much as you
are zealous of spiritual gifts, you want these, see some of these
people didn't have them. Some of these people didn't have
these gifts. And they were zealous of these gifts. Paul said this,
seek that you may excel in one particular thing, edifying the
church, edifying the church, comforting the church, teaching
God's people. That's the important thing. Preaching
the gospel, teaching the word of God, comforting the hearts
of people. That's more important than anything
else. Wherefore, let him that speaketh in another language,
in a language that people around him do not understand, let him
pray that he may interpret. In other words, if he, if God's
given him a gift to preach in another language, let him ask
God also to give him the power and the knowledge and the wisdom
to interpret what he's saying. And then if he speaks in another
language, fine, he can tell us what he's saying, because if
I pray or speak In a language people do not understand, and
even I may not understand. That's right, even I may not
understand. If I spoke, if God gave me the
gift tonight to start speaking, there were a lot of Spanish listeners
out there, and he gave me the gift to speak in Spanish, I wouldn't
know what I was saying. I'd have some idea of the thought,
but the words I wouldn't recognize. Well, my spirit would be praying,
but my understanding is unfruitful. Your understanding of me and
my understanding of me is unfruitful. What is it then? Listen, I will
pray with the Spirit. I'm going to ask God to endue
me with power and give me some understanding and some grace
and wisdom. God use me for your glory. But
he said I not only will pray with the Spirit, I'm going to
pray with the understanding also. I'm going to speak so that people
can understand me. I'm going to pray so that people
can understand me. I'm going to teach so that people
can understand me, and I'm not going to lapse into a language
people don't understand. And I'm going to sing and sing
with the Spirit, sing spiritually endued and spiritually blessed,
and depend on the Spirit of God to honor the Word. But I'm going
to sing with the understanding also. Else, listen, verse 16,
now watch it. When you bless with the Spirit,
here you are praying in the Spirit, and you're praying in another
language. How shall the man who occupies the room of the unlearned,
that is, he doesn't know this tongue, how can he say amen at
your giving of thanks, seeing he doesn't know what you're saying?
He can't say, so be it. He can't say, yes, Lord. He can't
say amen. He doesn't know what you're saying.
He can't say amen to it. For verse 17, you're giving thanks. That's true. You're giving thanks.
But he's not edified. The other man is not edified.
Now listen to verse 18. Here's the Apostle Paul saying
this. Now he said, Friends, I thank my God that I speak with tongues
more than you all. Now that's worded a little difficult,
isn't it? I speak with tongues more than
you all. Some people got the idea that
this heavenly gibberish, this unintelligible language, Paul
spoke in that heavenly language, more than anybody else. How could
he speak more than anybody else? You either do or you don't. You
either speak it or you don't. No, Paul is saying, I speak with
more tongues than all of you. Paul knew more different languages
than any other. Paul traveled all over the world.
Paul could speak Hebrew, Greek. Paul went to Egypt. Paul went
all over the world and preached. Thessalonians, Thessalonica,
Corinth, Corinth, all these places, Paul could speak their languages.
Why should I speak with languages? I speak more languages than all
of you. Yet, in the church, in the assembly of God's people,
I had rather speak five words with understanding, that by my
voice I may teach others, than speak ten thousand words in a
language the people don't understand. Why? He said, I'd rather speak
for Christ died for our sins. That's five words. Christ died
for our sins. Why? He said, I'd rather say
that in a language that I understand and everybody else understands
than to stand up before you and speak 10,000 words. Now you know
how long it takes to speak 10,000 words? In what they call a language
nobody knows. I'd rather. You see where Paul
puts the importance? Now, watch this next verse. Brethren,
don't be children in understanding. Don't act like babies. You see,
that's what all this is, this commotion and all of this gibberish
and stuff like that. That's just children playing
games. Don't be children in understanding. Don't play games. How be it in
malice be children. Don't act like children in spiritual
matters, but if you talk about holding a grudge, children forgive
one another quickly. You be like children. Be quick
to forgive. Be willing to learn. Be open-handed
and hearted. Be like a child. Be ready to
be taught in malice and those things. But in understanding,
don't be like children. But in understanding, be men,
mature men. Talk about this thing, think
about this thing, look at this thing sensibly in a mature fashion
like men ought to. Now if you go back and read the
Old Testament, look at verse 21, in the law it is written
in the Old Testament, with men of other tongues, this is quoting
Isaiah 28, with men of other tongues and other lips will I
speak to this people. That's God saying that I'm going
to speak to all these people of this day. through the mouth
of a man who hasn't learned that language. Miraculously, I'm going
to give him a gift, like he did Peter at Pentecost and the other
apostles and some of these men at Corinth and Paul, to speak
the gospel in another tongue. And folks are going to hear the
gospel in their own tongues, like these people over here,
the Cretes and Arabians said, while we're hearing the wonderful
works of God in our own tongues. God says, I'm going to do that.
He prophesied that way back in Isaiah, in other languages. Yet, he said, for all that, they
won't hear me," said the Lord. These people at Pentecost weren't
all converted. Some were, but most of them weren't. They actually heard a man preach
the gospel in a language he had never learned. That's what he
prophesied there in Isaiah. And yet they didn't believe.
You see, signs and wonders and miracles aren't going to turn
a man to God. They may get a man's attention
and cause him to listen because look at the next verse. Now watch
this. Wherefore tongues, languages, are for a sign. They're for a
sign. Not to them that believe. Believers
don't need signs. Believers don't need miracles
to prove God is and God blesses and Christ is the Son of God
and salvation is by grace. They don't need signs. I hear
these people say, well, tongues are a sign you've been baptized
with the Holy Ghost. Tongues are a sign that you're
spiritual. Tongues are a sign. Paul said tongues are not a sign
to them that believe. But tongues are a sign to them
that don't believe. Read it, verse 22. Tongues are
for a sign. God gave these men signs and
wonders that the unsaved world might listen to them and give
them their attention like Paul picked up a snake and it bit
him. And he threw it in the fire, and he didn't die. And they said,
well, let's listen to him. He must be from God. He got their
attention. Don't you try to pick up a snake.
It'll kill you. You got a Bible. They don't have
to believe you are a miracle worker. Oh, you just read the
Word of God. That's what I'm trying to do, read what God says.
Not impress you with my gifts and ability to hold a snake or
speak in another language. I don't need that. I just tell
you what God says. You're supposed to believe Him.
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So tongues
are for a sign, but not to them that believe. Tongues are for
a sign to them that don't believe. But preaching serveth them that
believe. And preaching doesn't do much
good to them who don't believe. They won't hear it. If, therefore,
the whole church be come together in one place and everybody speaks
in another language, and there come in somebody who's unlearned
and an unbeliever, why, he's going to say, you're crazy. You
people are crazy. Read verse 23. Here these folks
are all assembled and they're all speaking in all these different
languages with their gifts and so forth and they're trying to
show off and puffed up and abused and these misusing these gifts
and one over here is speaking in Portuguese, one Spanish, one
French, one English, one Arabian, one something else and somebody
comes in off the street that's not a believer, he's troubled,
he wants to hear something, he comes in and hears you and he
says, well you're crazy. These people have lost their mind,
they're mad. But if he comes in and people preach, oh, look
at the next verse. But if everybody preaches and
teaches and there comes in one that doesn't believe or one that's
unlearned, he's convinced. He hears you preach the gospel.
He hears you tell about Christ. He hears you preach the blood
and the cross and forgiveness of sin and redemption, and he's
judged. And the secrets of his heart
are manifest, and falling down on his face he'll worship God
and report that God is with you. Now brethren, how is it that
when you come together, everybody has a psalm, everybody has a
doctrine, everybody has a tongue, everybody has a revelation, everybody
has an interpretation, everybody prays at once. Let all things
be done unto Ediphi. Teaching if a man speak in another
language let it be about two or three select two or three
let them preach their message and let one interpret That's
why we do in Mexico. I preach and then another man
preaches another man preaches and people interpret But if there's
be no interpreter let him keep silent

Speaking In Tongues

What does the Bible say about speaking in tongues?

How do we know the doctrine of speaking in tongues is true?

Why is understanding languages through tongues important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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Speaking In Tongues

What does the Bible say about speaking in tongues?

How do we know the doctrine of speaking in tongues is true?

Why is understanding languages through tongues important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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