The Tongues That Many Christians Speak Today Without Meaning, Was That What Obtained in the Early Church in the Bible?
1) Direct answer
No. Tongues that have no meaning and no interpretation in the assembly are not what the early church practiced. The Bible gift of tongues had meaning, purpose, and order.
2) Scriptural explanation
- At Pentecost, “every man heard them speak in his own language” (Acts 2). That was not meaningless sound; the hearers recognized the languages and the mighty works of God.
- In the church, Paul said an “unknown tongue” (unknown to the hearers) must be interpreted: “If there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church” (1 Corinthians 14:28). He also said, “by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret” (v. 27).
- “God is not the author of confusion” (v. 33). If all speak out at once with no interpretation, “will they not say that ye are mad?” (v. 23).
- Praying in a tongue can edify the individual—“he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself” (v. 4)—but in the congregation it must edify the church, which requires interpretation (vv. 5, 12–13).
- Paul’s balance: “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 I might teach others also” (vv. 18–19).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- God doesn’t speak nonsense. When the Spirit gives utterance, there is a message with meaning. If people cannot understand, God provides interpretation; if no interpreter is present, the speaker is to be quiet in the service and speak to himself and to God (1 Corinthians 14:28).
- The same Spirit who inspired the Word will never lead contrary to the Word. So disorderly, uninterpreted tongues in a meeting are out of line with Scripture.
- Tongues are real and still a gift, but they are a sign with purpose, not a display without understanding (1 Corinthians 14:22).
4) Reinforcing statement
You see, the Bible standard is simple: tongues with interpretation in the assembly for edification; otherwise, keep silence. Seek that the church may receive edifying, and let everything be done “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). The true evidence of the Spirit is a life that agrees with the Word.
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Debate on tongues
60-0807 §25
I said, now ... so, I said, "You see, sir, that even the moderators has already chalked up there that they spoke in languages that everyone understood." There was not one word minced, see. "So your version of Pentecost has already been condemned, see, because you'll have to put your version of Pentecost in Babylon, because you can't put it in Acts 2:4, see. Because they heard every man in his own language wherein he was born, and at Babylon no one understood nothing. So you see, your Pentecostal version is already...
Perseverance
62-0218 §87
Now, you people that believe you have to speak in tongues to have the Holy Ghost, I want you to listen to this just a minute. When the Holy Ghost came down, upon the day of Pentecost, it was tongues of fire. That was the pillar of fire that led the children of Israel, had separated itself and was upon each one of them, God in His church. Yes, sir. the Holy Ghost. That's right. There's where they received the Holy Ghost, when they spoke in tongues. It wasn't an unknown tongue, they was speaking to people out there w...
Debate on tongues
60-0807 §10
...wrong. And I better be right here, because it's too late when I get there, you see. You want to, as the old colored brother said, "I don't want no trouble at the river." So that's right. When it's going to be a foggy morning and an awful time, I sure want my ticket in my hand---it correctly signed---because it's too late then, see. So, and I... In discussing anything, I go at it to learn something. I want to know; and if I'm wrong, I certainly want to know that I'm wrong (see), so I can be right. I wish I could agr...
Shalom
64-0119 §61
...h a thing! Turn to Christ! And He is the Word. Turn to Christ. Get away from creeds, get back into... I don't care, you might start into your creeds five hundred years ago. That ... you just... That don't mean one thing to God. Them Sadducees and Pharisees started long before you did, and were condemned. Oh, you've tried to place your evidence of the Holy Spirit upon different actions. I believe in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. What does it do? The Pentecostal says, "Speaking in tongues is the initial evid...
Debate on tongues
60-0807 §7
Then that's the twelfth chapter. Now, if you go on over to where I struck my debate to take the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost, I took it to be love; and the other man taken it to speak with tongues (see), to have tongues as the evidence. Now, Paul said in I Corinthians thirteen, the next, he said, now that "Though I speak with tongues as men and angels [that's both kinds] and have not love, I am nothing. Though I have wisdom [Now, he's talking about these gifts up here in the body, see---have these gifts witho...