What Are Tongues?

In last month’s class we discussed how the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood subjects of the Bible. Another, and arguably more controversial Scriptural subjects, is tongues and their use in the church today. We will provide you with the Scripture and you can accept or reject for yourself what the Word of God plainly says. No matter your background, we hope that you will feel comfortable talking about this subject through the reading of God’s Word. We must live according to the Scriptures and not from a worldly perspective.

Tongues as written in the Bible is simply a foreign language unknown to the speaker. Tongues are revealed in Scripture in the New Testament which was written in Greek. The Greek word for tongues is glossolalia which is derived from glossai meaning “tongues” or “languages”, and lalien meaning “to speak”.

God wishes to know you intimately more than you wish to know Him. He has more thoughts about you than you do for Him.

Psalm 139:17-18  —  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

As of 2024, there are 7,139 officially known languages on earth. We know that there is a vast spiritual realm largely unknown to us that contains spiritual beings that speak different languages.

1 Corinthians 13:1  —  If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

With that in mind, understand that we are limited to communicate with God and in His kingdom with our level of understanding and language. God says that He doesn’t want His children to be limited in this way! He wants to communicate and use us to declare His works to all the earth as any proud parent would. We cannot fully participate in the family business if we aren’t able to communicate effectively!

God’s kingdom has an enemy that roams the earth who is not God and is limited to his understanding. Tongues allow us to give orders to angels and to speak of kingdom matters which are unknown to the enemy. This is no different in the earthly tactics of war. All those who study this subject understand that information is the most crucial element of war. Each of the entities in conflict must secretly communicate without the others understanding or the battle would be won before it’s even started.

Since we discussed in the first class that the Bible was written by the Holy Spirit through anointed men, we can agree that one of the outcries of our Heavenly Father is that we are able to communicate with Him on His level.

1 Corinthians 14:5  —  I wish you all spoke with tongues.

If you attended a private one-on-one meeting with the President of the United States, would you be able to communicate with him on his level with the amount of confidential knowledge he has regarding our country’s military, various agencies, etc.? No. You also wouldn’t just walk in and address him as someone that you’ve built a solid relationship with over the course of several years. You wouldn’t be able to walk up to a Navy SEAL and be able to communicate battle plans and use up-to-date language from current operations because civilians are not privy to such information.

God doesn’t want this type of distant relationship with His children! Because of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, God no longer has to communicate with a middleman! We can receive battle strategies and assistance straight from the Father’s mouth, and we can boldly enter His throne room and speak to Him! He wants every believer to be able to communicate with Him on His level and to be able to issue orders to angels here on earth. We have dominion as saved children of the King! This warfare is waged by praying in the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 10:4  —  For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

1 Corinthians 12:1  —  Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:37-39  —  If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

 

 

The Four Types of Tongues

 

There are four types of tongues mentioned in the New Testament. Two are for public ministry and two are private to the believer.
 

1. Tongues for a Sign

 

This is a one of the two tongues for public ministry and was the tongue used on the day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:1-21  —  When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

This tongue is for the unbeliever as a sign that the believers who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit do possess powerful, supernatural, God-given abilities. Isaiah spoke of the unbeliever hearing tongues for a sign for the first time at the Day of Pentecost:

Isaiah 33:19  —  You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.

And Paul wrote of this in his letter to the Corinthian Church:

1 Corinthians 14:21-22  —  In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers.

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2. Tongues Given for Interpretation

 

This is another of the two public tongues and is one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. Many people falsely claim that 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 is a basis to disprove that that tongues were only for the early church and should not be used in the church today.

1 Corinthians 12:28-30  —  And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

So, if the argument is that not everyone can speak in tongues for interpretation, you would be correct. This does not apply to the other three types of tongues. Not everyone has this gift because the Scriptures tell us that God give gifts as He pleases to anyone He pleases.

1 Corinthians 12:11  —  All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

This tongue is a gift and is for the edification of the church body. The tongues are spoken in a group setting, another interprets, and if there is no one to interpret, each person must seek within themselves to hear from God.

1 Corinthians 14:27  —  What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.

 

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3. Tongues for Personal Prayer

 

This is one of the two private tongues and is spoken between you and God.

1 Corinthians 14:2  —  For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:14-15  —  For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

Jude 20  —  But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
 

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4. Tongues for Intercession

 

This is the other of the two private tongues and is when the Holy Spirit speaks through you to God, interceding in their unique situation.

Romans 8:26-27  —  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Some have prayed in the Spirit and God showed them a vision of Christian captives being freed by untying the ropes that bound them in a foreign land. Some have been awoken at night with a powerful urge to pray in the Spirit, and God told them that they were interceding for their roommate’s grandfather, who unbeknownst to them, had just suffered a massive heart attack and the doctors were able to save him. Some have prayed in the Spirit and God revealed the Christians who were being thrown off cliffs for their beliefs in a foreign land and being whisked away by the Spirit to safety.

God gave man dominion over the earth in the beginning. That has not changed today, as God does not go back on His word. The only difference today is that we willingly signed over our tenancy contract to another landlord. Though it is true that the enemy can influence this world, he can only do it through man who still have dominion over it. The Children of God are set apart from the wicked! The saints belong to God and He can issue orders by His decree through His saints!


 

The Initial Evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

 

We believe that the initial evidence for the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the speaking of tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance. Every time the Spirit-baptism is mentioned in the Scriptures, it is accompanied by a physical sign that others witnessed, the speaking of tongues and sometimes prophesying. The first account was The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–21) as we read earlier in the class.

Then came the baptism of the Spirit in Samaria:
Acts 8:14-20  —  Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

This account doesn’t explicitly say that these believers spoke in tongues once they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, but notice that “Simon saw that the Spirit was given” which indicates that the initial sign of speaking in tongues and prophesying was present.

And when Paul encountered some believers in Ephesus:
Acts 19:1-2; 6-7  —  And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all.

And when Peter preached to Cornelius and his household:
Acts 10 :44  —  While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.

Again we see here that the Scripture doesn’t say explicitly that these believers spoke in tongues, but notice there was a physical sign that the Jews must have been amazed upon seeing. This was the entire house speaking in tongues and prophesying.

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Going forward

 

Think of how formidable and effective the people of God would be if we effectively communicated in spiritual warfare! It is your choice whether you would like to receive this gift. It is not required of you. Yet, think of the opportunities that you will miss out on if you don’t. We can all agree that the amount of spiritual warfare has drastically increased in our time. We must not personally sit on the sidelines as spiritual warfare is waged around us! We are warriors in the armies of the Living God! Act like it!

Ephesians 3:15-19 says, “From whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” If you have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and have not ever spoken in tongues, see one of the leaders in the class today. They can walk you through this personally.

As you continually learn to live a holy life, God’s Word tells us that the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of the people around us so they will hear the life words we speak to them. We willingly abandon our responsibility as redeemed man if we don’t carry out this incredibly important work. The deeper we study and the more time we spend building our relationship with Him, the more that flame will spread in our spirits until it can no longer be contained inside us. This is when the power to witness by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is manifested. Jesus said in John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Praying in the Spirit is the rivers flowing out of your heart! You will become a wildfire of wisdom and discipling those around you will come naturally.

The mission of Convergent City Church, along with the worldwide Body of Christ, is to equip our people for the spreading of this knowledge, which has the power to rip the chains of sin and death off the people around us and igniting that same flame in them!