Speaking in Tongues in the Bible

Speaking in tongues is the supernatural gift of speech given by the Holy Spirit, attested from the birth of the church and discussed at length in the New Testament. The phenomenon first appears at Pentecost in Acts 2:4, where the believers "were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." There the tongues were recognizable human languages that allowed pilgrims from many nations to hear the wonders of God in their own dialects, marking the gospel's reach to every people. Jesus Himself had promised such signs would accompany believers, declaring in Mark 16:17 that those who believed would "speak with new tongues." The gift recurs as the Spirit is poured out on new groups of believers. In Acts 10:46 the Gentiles in Cornelius's household spoke in tongues and magnified God, convincing the Jewish believers that salvation had truly come to the nations. Likewise in Acts 19:6, when Paul laid hands on the disciples at Ephesus, "the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." In each case tongues functioned as a confirming sign that the same Spirit had been given. Paul gives the most extended teaching on tongues in 1 Corinthians. He lists it among the gifts of the Spirit distributed for the common good in 1 Corinthians 12:10. He explains its private dimension in 1 Corinthians 14:2, noting that one who speaks in a tongue "speaks not to men but to God," uttering mysteries in the Spirit. Yet because public worship must build up the whole body, Paul regulates the gift in 1 Corinthians 14:27, insisting that it be exercised in order, by two or three at most, and with interpretation. He nonetheless safeguards the gift in 1 Corinthians 14:39, urging the church not to forbid speaking in tongues. The biblical witness thus holds together both the genuine value of the gift and the need for love, order, and edification in its use.