Monday 14 June 2010

Questions and Answers About Speaking With Tongues

1. Must speaking with tongues always be a known language?

Genuine speaking witb tongues doesn't necessarily need to be a known language. There are tongues of men, tongues of angels, and there are 'new' tongues:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels..." (I Cor.13:1)

"And these signs shall follow them that believe...they shall speak with new tongues..." (Mark 16:17).


2. Can a person genuinely speak with tongues at will, or only on rare occassions when God especially moves upon him to speak with tongues at that moment?

A person can speak with tongues at will.

"What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" (I Cor.14:15).

"I will" indicates volition.


3. Is speaking with tongues only for public use, or is there a private use also?

There is also a private use.

"But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God" (I Cor.14:28)

"I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 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 (I Cor.14:18,19)."


4. Does speaking with tongues have personal benefits only when it is interpreted?

Speaking with tongues has personal benefits even when it is not interpreted.

"He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself" (I Cor.14:4).

"...when thou shalt bless with the spirit...thou verily givest thanks well..." (I Cor.14:16,17).


"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful" (I Cor.14:14).


5. Can a believer pray to interpret his own tongue, or must the interpreter always be a second party?

A believer can pray to interpret his own tongue.

"Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret" (I Cor.14:13).



6. Is it indecent and out of order for everyone to speak in tongues at once?

It is Scriptural for everyone to speak in tongues together, even when there is no interpretation, during times of the outpouring of the Spirit, or during times when believers are essentially speaking to themselves and to God rather than addressing an audience.

"...the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty...they were all with one accord in one place... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance..." (Acts 1:15; Acts 2:1,4,8).


"And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve" (Acts 19:6,7).

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