Short answer: In the Bible, speaking in tongues is a Spirit-given ability to speak in languages the speaker has not learned. At Pentecost the tongues were real, understood human languages. In Corinth, Paul treated tongues as a gift that must be interpreted, kept orderly, and used for the good of the church. The Bible does not clearly say the gift has ended, but it does tell us exactly how it must be used if it is exercised.
In This Article
Speaking in tongues, sometimes called glossolalia, has intrigued and divided Christians for centuries. Some churches treat it as central, others rarely mention it, and many believers simply feel unsure what to think. If that is you, you are in good company.
People in the pews kept asking me about this, so I want to walk through what Scripture actually says, in the order the New Testament presents it, and then say where I land. I will try to treat views that differ from mine fairly.
What Happened At Pentecost?
The most prominent example is in the book of Acts, written by Luke. If you want to know about its author, see Who Wrote The Book Of Acts? On the day of Pentecost, the believers gathered in Jerusalem:
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:4 (NIV)
What follows matters. Jews from many nations were in the city for the feast, and the text says each one heard the believers in his own language:
a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
Acts 2:6 (NIV)
So at Pentecost the gift allowed the apostles and others to speak languages they had not previously known, to a diverse crowd of listeners from different regions. The effect was understanding, and it opened the door for Peter's sermon. Tongues appear again when the first Gentiles believe in Acts 10:44-46 and when a group of disciples in Ephesus receive the Spirit in Acts 19:6. In each case tongues serve as a visible sign that God was doing something new and including new people.
What Did Jesus Say?
The Gospels record very little. The only direct mention is in Mark's longer ending:
they will speak in new tongues;
Mark 16:17 (NIV)
I should be honest that many Bible scholars, and the footnotes in most Bibles, point out that the final verses of Mark are missing from some of the earliest manuscripts, so I would not build a doctrine on this verse alone. What Jesus unmistakably promised was the coming of the Holy Spirit with power. Tongues belong to that larger story.
What Did Paul Teach In 1 Corinthians 14?
Paul's longest treatment comes in 1 Corinthians 12 to 14, written to a church that was excited about spiritual gifts and a bit chaotic about them. This is the key passage for anyone asking about the purpose of tongues. Paul writes:
For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 14:2 (NIV)
Notice how different that sounds from Pentecost. There the listeners understood. In Corinth, no one understood unless there was an interpreter. An interpreter, as the gift is described in 1 Corinthians 12, could grasp what the speaker said and pass the meaning on to everyone present so the whole room benefited.
Paul does not despise tongues. He thanks God that he speaks in tongues more than all of them. But he puts them in their place:
But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1 Corinthians 14:19 (NIV)
His concern is edification, building each other up. Even the most dramatic gift is empty without love, which is why chapter 13 sits in the middle of the discussion. A gift that makes me feel spiritual but does nothing for the person next to me has missed the point.
What Are The Biblical Rules For Tongues?
Paul does not leave this to feeling. He gives rules, and they are specific.
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| It must build up the church, not display the speaker | 1 Corinthians 14:12, 26 |
| Two or at most three speak, one at a time | 1 Corinthians 14:27 |
| Someone must interpret | 1 Corinthians 14:27 |
| No interpreter means silence in the gathering | 1 Corinthians 14:28 |
| The speaker remains in control | 1 Corinthians 14:32 |
| Everything fitting and orderly | 1 Corinthians 14:40 |
If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
1 Corinthians 14:28 (NIV)
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
1 Corinthians 14:40 (NIV)
Does A Person Know When They Are Speaking In Tongues?
According to Paul, yes, in the sense that the speaker is not carried away unaware. Prophets keep control of themselves, and in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 he says that praying in a tongue involves the spirit while the mind is unfruitful, and he wants both to be engaged. He is also clear that not everyone has this gift. He asks in 1 Corinthians 12:30 whether all speak in tongues, and the answer he expects is no. Nobody needs to feel second class for lacking it.
Do Tongues Continue Today?
This is where thoughtful Christians disagree, and I want to give each view its due.
Some believe the gift has ended. They point to 1 Corinthians 13:8, where Paul says that tongues will be stilled, and they connect that with the perfect in verse 10, which they take as the completed Scripture. Some also note a grammar difference in the Greek: prophecy and knowledge are said to pass away while tongues are said to cease, using a different verb form, which they take to mean tongues stop earlier on their own. Others add that tongues served as a sign of judgment for Israel, citing Isaiah 28:11 and Paul's note in 1 Corinthians 14:22 that tongues are a sign for unbelievers, with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 as the fulfillment.
Others believe the gift continues. They read the "perfect" as the return of Christ, when we will see face to face, and they note that nothing in Scripture states that tongues stopped on a particular date. They point to millions of believers across the world who testify to the gift.
Here is how I read it. The Bible does not clearly say the gift has wholly disappeared, so I cannot honestly tell you it has. But if it is exercised, it has to follow Scripture. It should be a real language or one that can be interpreted ( 1 Corinthians 14:10), it should help share God's message with others, as at Pentecost, and in church it should keep Paul's rules. When I look at what is often called tongues today, many practices do not fit those boundaries. My own sense is that the gift appears less common today than in the New Testament and that it has waned in its role in the church, though God is free to grant it.
How Should Churches Handle Tongues?
I would give a few plain pieces of advice, whichever side of the debate your church is on.
- Start with Scripture. Test every experience and every teacher by the Word, as the Bereans did.
- Follow 1 Corinthians 14. If tongues are practiced, require interpretation, keep numbers small, and leave no confusion.
- Do not make it a badge. Salvation depends on faith in Christ, not on a gift. Nobody should be told they lack the Spirit for not speaking in tongues.
- Do not divide over it. Faithful, Bible-believing Christians sit on both sides. Love comes first.
- Keep the center on Jesus. The Spirit's work is to point to Christ, as I describe in What Does Worship Mean According To The Bible?
If you are unsure whether to stay in a church that practices, or avoids, tongues, my advice is to weigh the heart of the church, its love for Christ and its respect for Scripture, more than its position on one gift. And do not skip fellowship over it; see Is Not Going To Church A Sin?
Key Bible Verses About Speaking In Tongues
- Acts 2:4: the believers are filled with the Spirit and speak in other tongues.
- Acts 2:6: each visitor hears their own language.
- 1 Corinthians 12:30: not everyone speaks in tongues.
- 1 Corinthians 13:8: tongues will be stilled, but love never fails.
- 1 Corinthians 14:19: intelligible words in church beat many words in a tongue.
- 1 Corinthians 14:28: without an interpreter, the speaker keeps quiet in church.
- 1 Corinthians 14:40: let everything be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Jesus say about speaking in tongues?
Jesus says almost nothing about it in the Gospels. The one direct mention is Mark 16:17, where he lists speaking in new tongues among signs that accompany believers. Be aware that this verse sits in the longer ending of Mark, which some early manuscripts do not include, so Christians weigh it differently. What he did promise clearly was the coming of the Holy Spirit.
What are the biblical rules for speaking in tongues?
Paul gives them in 1 Corinthians 14: it should build up the church, two or three at most should speak and one at a time, someone must interpret, and if there is no interpreter the speaker should stay quiet in the meeting. Everything is to be done in a fitting and orderly way. Love, not display, is the point.
Does a person know when they are speaking in tongues?
Paul indicates that the speaker is aware and in control. He writes that the spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets, and he tells speakers when to stop. So the Bible does not describe a trance in which the person loses awareness. Whether someone is truly speaking in tongues is something the church is told to test, not assume.
Do all Christians need to speak in tongues?
No. Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 12:30 whether all speak in tongues, and the expected answer is no. The Spirit gives gifts as he chooses. Salvation rests on faith in Christ, never on a particular gift. See Does God Forgive All Sins?
Is speaking in tongues of the devil?
Scripture does not say that genuine tongues are demonic, and it would be wrong to label sincere believers that way. It does tell us to test every spirit and every claim by the Word. Anything that contradicts Scripture, exalts a person over Christ, or breaks the rules of 1 Corinthians 14 should be set aside.
