What is speaking in tongues and what does it prove?<\/p>\n\t
In Acts 2:5-12 the apostles were speaking in a way that people from 15 different nationalities were able to understand the speakers in their own tongue.\u00a0 Since the hearers heard a language that they understood, it stands to reason that the language of tongues was not unintelligible.\u00a0 It would appear that its primary purpose was to expand the number of people who could understand and not just baffle or mystify listeners.\u00a0 According to I Corinthians 14:22, the whole purpose of speaking in tongues is to impress unbelievers.\u00a0 That is certainly what happened in Acts 2.\u00a0 If the apostles were speaking gibberish, then the charge that they were drunk would have been understandable.<\/p>\n
All of the groups that claim to have the ability to speak in tongues, speak something that is nonsensical or is, at the very least, no known language.\u00a0 Often it follows a rhythm, but it has no language construct.\u00a0 Occasionally someone will claim they are speaking in the language of angels.\u00a0 The problem then is: how would a non-believer know or even be impressed with someone speaking the language of angels, if there was no one available to verify whether the speakers were speaking that language or were faking it?<\/p>\n
Anyone can make up gibberish. I have had some people tell me that they go to tongue-speaking services and make up the stuff themselves just so they won’t feel out of place. Of course, they could never admit it to their group because that would then be “proof” to the others that they were not believers. As far as these people (the fakers) knew, no one else had been able to tell that they were faking it.\u00a0 Since they have a kind of self-imposed silence about it and some were faking, how could anyone tell if they were all faking and just too scared to admit it?\u00a0 It is so much like the little kid’s story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.<\/p>\n
The ultimate thing to realize is that tongue-speaking was serving a purpose in New Testament times.\u00a0 Paul says in I Corinthians 13:8, “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.<\/em>”\u00a0 There is a time limit to at least prophecies, speaking in tongues, and knowledge.\u00a0 It is not clear from this passage if these are meant to represent all of the gifts (as listed in I Corinthians 12:8-11) or if it is just these three that have a time limit.\u00a0 All three of these particular gifts are associated with the revealing of the mind of God.\u00a0 For example, the apostles used the gift of tongues on the day of Pentecost and it helped to get the message out to people who otherwise would not have heard it as quickly.\u00a0 Prophecy (revealing the mind of God) and miraculous knowledge (knowing things for which you should not know, e.g., Peter with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5) are all things that deal with knowledge or learning of various types.<\/p>\n This makes complete sense when we think in terms of the revealing of the Word of God, which was the topic at hand.\u00a0 Jesus told his disciples that they would be guided into all truth (John 16:13).\u00a0 What happens when all the truth is revealed?\u00a0 Then the process of revealing is complete or at an end.\u00a0 If nothing is left to reveal, then what need is there for a continuous process to reveal?<\/p>\n Ultimately, the conclusion is that tongue speaking, as it was done in the days of the New Testament, does not match what is called tongue speaking today.\u00a0 It was a known language, used for the purpose of impressing unbelievers and spreading the word to different nations.\u00a0 It was said that it would end and all indications are that all requirements for its ending occurred many centuries ago.<\/p>\n Darrell Hamilton<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: What is speaking in tongues and what does it prove? Answer: In Acts 2:5-12 the apostles were speaking in a way that people from 15 different nationalities were able to understand the speakers in their own tongue.\u00a0 Since the hearers heard a language that they understood, it stands to reason that the language of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[142,96,141],"class_list":["post-52977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-speaking-in-tongues","tag-tongue","tag-tongue-speaking"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10447,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-balaams-donkey-speaking-in-tongues\/","url_meta":{"origin":52977,"position":0},"title":"Was Balaam’s donkey speaking in tongues?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 18, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Was speaking in tongues done in the Old Testament? The reason I ask is that talking in tongues is nothing more speaking in a language not known to the user. I know it won't be a critical or applicable statement, but didn't even a donkey speak in tongues with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41673,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-was-there-a-need-for-the-interpretation-of-tongues\/","url_meta":{"origin":52977,"position":1},"title":"Why was there a need for the interpretation of tongues?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings Brother, Thank you in advance for answering my question, which is: Why did the disciples, who received the Spiritual gift of speaking in tongues by the laying on of the hands of the apostles, need interpreters when employing that gift and the apostles did not? Thank you so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1730,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-an-unknown-tongue\/","url_meta":{"origin":52977,"position":2},"title":"What is an unknown tongue?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 21, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is unknown tongues a heavenly language or does it mean a language not known to people but for God? Answer: The phrase \"unknown tongue\" only appears in the King James Version in six places in I Corinthians 14. If you look carefully you will notice that in all six\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18563,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/speaking-in-tongues\/","url_meta":{"origin":52977,"position":3},"title":"Speaking in Tongues","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 17, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Acts 2:1-11 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I received several questions in recent days regarding speaking in tongues \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0People wanting to know what it was, what is the heavenly language, what is the unknown tongue \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But probably more than anything else, they want to know if you must have the gift of tongues\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18561,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/could-you-explain-prophecy-tongue-speaking-and-interpretation-a-bit-more-for-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":52977,"position":4},"title":"Could you explain prophecy, tongue-speaking, and interpretation a bit more for me?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 3, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question. It has to do with I Corinthians 14. We are studying the various spiritual gifts bestowed upon the church members and how this gift was abused. The gifts we are focusing our study on is prophecy and tongues. My question, are there several versions of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10768,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-the-apostles-speak-in-different-languages-or-did-the-people-hear-in-different-languages\/","url_meta":{"origin":52977,"position":5},"title":"Did the apostles speak in different languages or did the people hear in different languages?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 30, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: When the apostles were speaking in tongues, were they actually speaking a different language or did each person hear them in their own language?\u00a0 Were they each speaking and different groups congregated toward the one who was speaking their particular language or did each apostle just speak and every\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52977\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}