Let's take a glance for a moment at the theme of SPEAKING WITH TONGUES, in the Bible:
1. The first person to mention speaking with tongues in the New Testament, was none other than our LORD Jesus Himself:
𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝟏𝟔:𝟏𝟓-𝟐𝟎
𝟏𝟓 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐆𝐨 𝐲𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.
𝟏𝟔 𝐇𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝; 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧𝐞𝐝.
𝟏𝟕 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞; 𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬; 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒;
𝟏𝟖 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫.
𝟏𝟗 𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝.
𝟐𝟎 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧.
Jesus said the sign of 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴 would follow them that believe.
You're a believer, aren't you? Therefore the sign of speaking with new tongues shall follow you!
Paul said, "I would that ye all spake with tongues..." (I Corinthians 14:5).
'All' would include you and me, as individuals, wouldn't it.
That means God is willing that we all speak with tongues!
Paul said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" (verse 18)
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He meant, outside of the church—he was talking about praying to God by himself, in tongues
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"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" (verse 2).
Speaking not to men, but to God, it says—which means praying, doesn't it.
"I will pray with the spirit [that is, in tongues] and I will pray with the understanding also..." he said (verse 15)
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Those words 'I will' indicate volition. It means, once you have received the Holy Spirit and spoken with tongues as the Spirit gave you utterance (see Acts 2:1-4), thereafter you can continue to speak in tongues, or with your understanding, at will.
Paul chose to pray to God in tongues, outside of the church, more than all of them. And he said, I would that you all did!
It is God's will that you and I speak with tongues. He is a good Father Who gives good gifts to His children. He will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.
But tongues aren’t only for private prayer: they’re also for church gatherings, when "...the whole church be come together into one place..." (verse 23):
"And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴" (I Corinthians 12:28).
God has set diversities of tongues in the church, it says.
"If any man speak in an unknown tongue [directly addressing the congregation] let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret" (verse 14).
Two or three members taking their turn to hold the floor and directly address the audience in unknown tongues expecting everyone’s undivided attention would have been plenty before someone should be given the chance to interpret, wouldn't you agree—so the congregation could get something out of it.
That was really just common sense, in that scenario. (That's why Paul appealed to the common sense that even unbelievers would have.) If someone's going to singularly, directly address an audience, he ought to want them to be made to understand it so they can benefit.
That's altogether a different scenario to when the Spirit fell upon 120 people in an upper room on the day of Pentecost and they all began to speak with other tongues;
or different to Cornelius' household where the Spirit fell on them all while Peter was still preaching, and they heard them speak with tongues;
or at Ephesus, where Paul laid hands on 12 newly baptized disciples and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
In each of those situations no-one was addressing an audience per se.
That's why it's perfectly Biblical to have Holy Ghost meetings in which everyone sings, prays or speaks to God in tongues at once. It's not obtrusive at all, because no individual is holding the floor, as such.
But when someone is expecting an audience's undivided attention, addressing them in an unknown tongue, he ought to want someone to interpret it, so the audience can benefit.
Paul's advice in I Corinthians doesn't contradict his own experience, nor Peter's, nor the 120 on the day of Pentecost - it addressed a different scenario.
Paul indeed said, "Let everything be done decently and in order' - but sometimes it's possible to place our own rules on what that means.
For example, when Peter was preaching to Cornelius' household, the Spirit fell on them while Peter was still speaking! And Peter later said he'd heard them speaking with tongues. While Peter was still preaching! And more than two or three people too. Some might think that would be disorderly. But it's Bible!
"Let all things be done unto edifying," Paul explained. That was the real gauge of whether or not the proceedings in a gathering were decent and orderly.
When all are getting filled with the Spirit at once and all speaking with other tongues, all are receiving and being edified—so that’s not indecent nor disorderly. Because all are edified.
But if someone is singularly, directly addressing a congregation in an unknown tongue, expecting the whole congregation's undivided attention, then it's only common sense that he ought to want to make room for interpretation so everyone can benefit.
That's talking about the gift of "...the interpretation of tongues" (12:10).
Tongues evidently weren't always understood by the audience, even in Bible times—otherwise, if tongues were always understood by the audience there could never ever have been any need for the gift of the interpretation of tongues!
Jesus mentioned 𝘯𝘦𝘸 tongues; and here Paul mentioned an 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 tongue (also 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 of tongues [12:28]; 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 of tongues [verse 10]; tongues 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯 and 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴 [13:1]); and Acts 2:4 mentioned 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 tongues. It wasn’t always known by the hearers.
Since ‘other’ tongues were ‘new’, or ‘unknown’, and often not understood, the distinct gift of ‘interpretation’ was therefore also given by the Spirit so the congregation could profit.
Addressing a congregation in an unknown tongue is beneficial to the congregation, as prophecy is—when it's interpreted.
"Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret" (14:13).
If you speak in an unknown tongue, you can pray that you may interpret.
Or, you can "...let one interpret" (verse 27). Someone else may be given the interpretation.
"But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God" (verse 28).
That meant that in any case praying privately in tongues is always a good thing.
It is a way to speak "...unto God", Paul said.
"He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself (verse 14).
It builds you up!
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful".
Your mind doesn't understand it (unless one interprets, or you pray that you may interpret) - nevertheless your spirit is praying.
Praying in tongues has many of the benefits that praying with your understanding has with the added benefit that you're speaking exactly as the Spirit gives you utterance:
𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝟐:𝟒
𝟒 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬, 𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐓 𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄.
When we speak with tongues, it is 𝘸𝘦 who speak, as the 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.
The moment we pray in tongues, our spirit is immediately speaking to God about things we couldn't have known to pray for with our understanding, according to the perfect will of God.
We can "pray", "bless", "give thanks" and "sing" with our spirit (in tongues), (I Corinthians 14:15,16,17).
Jesus said this sign of speaking with new tongues would follow them that believe, while the gospel would be preached to every creature in all the world.
The gospel is still being preached to every creature in all the world today, isn't it? And we still see believers being baptised today, don’t we. People still need to be freed from demons. There are still people that have need of healing. Speaking with tongues was categorised along with those other basic ministries. So, since those other basic ministries (like preaching, and baptising) are still crucial today, therefore tongues still belong to today too, because Jesus categorised them together.
"So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen" (Mark 16:19,20).
The Lord is still confirming the word with signs following.
2. Some select personal testimonies, for the sake of illustration:
a). One day a friend and I prayed that his father would be saved by the end of that year. Then, honestly, I forgot about the prayer. But on the last day of the year, the same friend and I decided to walk out into the bush and have a time of prayer. Both of us felt an unusual unction to pray in tongues. It just flowed! I didn't know what we were praying for, but after about 45min we felt that whatever it was, was accomplished. Then that night we went out to our church's New Years Eve activity.
Afterwards, at about 2am, my friend's mother phoned my friend from another city to tell him that his father had accompanied her to a service at her church that night and he accepted salvation. Then we remembered our prayer earlier in the year. No doubt we'd been inspired to pray for his father again in tongues again that day.
b). Another night, home alone with no other schedule, I decided to spend some time praying in tongues. About 10 minutes into it, I sensed my prayer take on a new urgency. Into my mind flashed the face of the wife of a friend of mine. I knew I was praying for her, but I didn't know why. After about 30min, I felt the urgency lift.
A couple of days later I told my friend about it. "When was it?" he asked. I told him the day and the hour. He then told me that at that very time he had to rush his wife to hospital because of a complication with her pregnancy. I couldn't have known their need - but the Holy Spirit gave me utterance to pray about it.
c). One day several of us were having a Holy Ghost meeting in a friend's lounge room. I said something in tongues to myself and to God. Someone happened to hear me, and began to laugh. He said he heard me say, "This revival [which we were experiencing in the room that night] shall impact our whole church, and other churches in the city, and spread interstate and around the globe". He said he'd heard me say that, and more, when I spoke in tongues. And it came to pass!
d). Another time I was invited to preach in a Finnish church. As soon as I stood to the pulpit, I was inspired to speak in tongues. After some time I stopped, and gave an interpretation. I preached not a prepared message but by the interpretation of tongues. What I said wasn't pre-meditated at all.
Afterwards one of the elders' wives was re-filled with the Spirit. "I haven't felt this in a long time," she said. And the leader remarked, "This message was exactly what we needed to hear."
e). One time many young people in the Philippines got filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues. At the time, a mission team was visiting from Hong Kong. One of the team said she heard her Chinese dialect being spoken.
One of the team members belonged to a denomination which didn't believe in tongues. She said she heard a young Filipina say in her dialect, "How long will you not believe that this is of Me?"
Another team member said she heard another young person, speaking in tongues, say, "I love you Lord. Cleanse me Lord." And at the moment she said, "...cleanse me, Lord" an evil spirit left the girl. And then she carried on in bliss with the Holy Spirit.
Another person who'd been a missionary in Indonesia said he heard an Indonesian language, while some of the youth were speaking with tongues. I can't verify whether they were or not, but that's what he said.
f). In a number of meetings someone would speak with tongues, then one would interpret. It resulted in a move of God amongst the congregation: repentance, forgiveness, deliverance - and more people getting filled with the Spirit and seeing visions.
g). Some young people were so filled with the Spirit that when they got to school they were still speaking with tongues. "Why didn't you tell me you could speak Chinese!" a teacher said to one teenage girl. But the girl had never learned Chinese! The whole class fell under the power of God. They got up off the floor in tears asking, "What have we got to do to be saved?"
What began with laughter for joy, then tears of healing, led to speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, seeing visions, prophesying, and demons cast out - starting with young people, and spreading to adults, and other churches, in other towns.
h). One time I was in church hearing our pastor speak about winning the city. I thought to myself, "The key to the city is the Holy Spirit - and to let Him move."
Many of us were lying on the floor, in the Spirit. I quietly spoke in tongues. The person beside me laughed.
He said that when I spoke in tongues, he heard me say, "But we've got the key to the city..."
A he said he saw a vision of a golden key.
That is the key: learning to let the Holy Spirit have the room, to hold the floor, in our meetings.
i) Sometimes when I haven't known what to do, just one sentence in tongues, and I immediately felt refreshed, I might laugh a little in spirit, and sense a note of victory. That is being ‘edified’.
j). I heard of a minister who was thinking of retiring. He had to spend two weeks painting his house. He spent eight hours a day for two weeks speaking in tongues out loud while painting.
He had a dream telling him to move overseas, and to expect blessings. So instead of retiring he moved overseas and planted a new church in a difficult city. The church grew, impacted a nation and many leaders were raised up and the world was impacted. It was birthed by praying in tongues!
k) A truck driver decided to spend his eight hours a day in the truck speaking in tongues. After a while he started getting revelations and understanding of the Word. He started sharing it in free MP3 files online. He started preaching it publicly. And it benefited many around the world.
Spending that time speaking mysteries in the spirit, some of the revelation soon came up from his spirit from the Holy Spirit into his understanding.
From truck driver to international exhorter—through speaking in tongues.
l). A pastor-friend of mine was about to preach, but first he said that he felt he ought to speak in tongues and that another particular brother would then interpret.
So he spoke in tongues, and then the brother came forward and gave what he felt was the interpretation.
“Come and be healed,” says the Lord, “Be healed spiritually and emotionally.”
And with that the preacher said, Let’s respond to that straight away. People came forward, and there was much healing and deliverance.
After seeing and hearing that, the people were twice as interested in hearing the Pastor preach, I can assure you!
After all these decades that service is still memorable, because of the expression of the gifts of tongues and interpretation and their impact.
3. Who is the gift of the Holy Spirit for?
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38,39).
HOW YOU CAN BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND SPEAK WITH TONGUES
1. KNOW it is God's will for you
2. ASK the Father in Jesus' Name to fill you with the Holy Spirit
3. BELIEVE you receive
4. Since you believe you receive, go ahead and SPEAK, trusting the Spirit to give you the utterance...
...and you shall HAVE IT!
Whether for your first time - or whether you've already been filled - how about taking a moment right now to speak in tongues as the Spirit gives you the utterance.
"He [the Spirit] shall glorify Me," Jesus said.
It's all about JESUS.
All to JESUS' honour.
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