What Is the Gift of Speaking in Tongues? Is It for Today? What About Praying in Tongues?
1) Direct answer
- The gift of tongues is a real work of the Holy Spirit where a believer speaks a language unknown to them as the Spirit gives utterance.
- Yes, it is for today.
- Praying in tongues is the Spirit praying through a believer; it edifies the individual and should be kept in order when in a public service.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says, “These signs shall follow them that believe… they shall speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17). In Acts 2:4-11 they spoke languages they did not know as the Spirit gave utterance.
- Tongues are one of the gifts God set in the Body (1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28). The same chapter asks, “Do all speak with tongues?” (12:30). The obvious answer is no—so tongues are not the evidence of having the Holy Ghost; they are a gift given as God wills.
- In the church, tongues must follow order: “If any speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). God is not the author of confusion (14:33).
- Tongues with interpretation equals edification for the church; tongues without interpretation edifies the speaker (1 Corinthians 14:4-5). That’s why Paul said he would rather speak five words with understanding in the church than ten thousand in an unknown tongue (14:19).
- Praying in tongues: “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue… in the spirit he speaketh mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2). “If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful… I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also” (14:14-15). This shows private devotion in the Spirit is right, and in public we seek understanding for the sake of others.
- Do tongues cease? The Bible says tongues “shall cease… when that which is perfect is come” and then we shall see “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:8-12). We have not yet come to that face-to-face, so the gifts remain. The same chapter commands, “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts” (14:1) and “forbid not to speak with tongues” (14:39).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- It’s not three Gods; it’s one God who sent His Spirit into the Church, and that same Spirit divides gifts as He wills. Not every member does the same thing (1 Corinthians 12:14-21).
- If tongues were the proof of the Holy Ghost, Paul would not ask, “Do all speak with tongues?” Nor would he limit public messages to “two or three.” The new birth is evidenced by the life of Christ and obedience to the Word; gifts are tools for service, not badges of salvation.
- If tongues had ceased, the clear New Testament instructions for their use would be meaningless. But the Bible says, “forbid not,” and “let all things be done decently and in order.” So we receive it, but we keep it Scriptural.
- Praying in tongues is right when the Spirit leads. In a gathering, if there’s no interpreter, keep it between you and God so the Body is not confused. The Spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32); the Holy Spirit does not force disorder.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice, the Bible sets the balance: love first, the Word as the absolute, desire spiritual gifts, and keep the operation of tongues under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and in harmony with Scripture.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Trying to do God a service without it being God's will
65-1127B §107
Now, my brethren, while you're getting your paper ready, can you understand now why? Now remember, you've all thought, and have been taught among you, not (see, I'm speaking across the nation) ... that I did not believe in speaking in tongues. I do believe in speaking in tongues, but you can still speak in tongues and not have the Holy Ghost. I Corinthians 13 says, "Though I speak with tongue of men and angels, I ain't nothing yet." See? That's the anointing of the Holy Ghost, that has nothing to do with the soul i...
The Unchangeable God working in an unexpectable way
62-0120 §92
But, brother, if you do speak with tongues, and then you continue to live the life that you once lived, then there's something wrong with your experience, see. If you have got that ... just only thing you're leaning upon is speaking with tongues, don't you try that. You'll go over the falls, and that boat will never stand up to it. But with a... Where there is tongues they shall cease. Where there is prophecies it shall fail. But when that which is perfect is come... Oh, "that love of God so rich and pure, fathomle...
Questions and Answers on Hebrews, part 3
57-1006 §70
A young man asked me this morning about spiritual gifts, about speaking with tongues. A young fellow, very sincere, I believe he's to be a minister some of these days. About the church, I said, "There's so much of it that's flesh. We don't want that, but we want the real thing. We long to have it." You can't go to teaching it in the church; the first thing you know, you get, one's got a tongue, one's got a psalm, then you have to battle the thing out. But when God has give a gift sovereignly, it'll manifest itself....
Identified with Christ
59-1220E §19
Now, many of my most precious people... I've told you I'm Pentecost. Now, most of my people believe that when they receive the Holy Ghost they just get up and speak in an unknown tongue. That's exactly contrary to the Scripture; then the people don't know what they're saying. But on the day of Pentecost, every one knew what they were saying; that was a going forth to every nation, see. Jesus said the Gospel must be preached to all the world, beginning at Jerusalem. There's where it had to be that way. Now notice. P...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 4:E-111
I know it is a great temptation to refer back to the day of Pentecost and also to the day when the Holy Ghost fell in the house of Cornelius and then set those two identical experiences as the evidence of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. But on each occasion the tongues were understood by the listeners. This is a far cry from the modern babel of confusion of Pentecostal meetings. And if this were not enough to persuade us to leave off such reasoning, what will we do when we are confronted with the fact that people...