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.
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Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
58-0207 §49
Each day they come down just in order to get somebody here before me, to get started. Now, He's never failed me. He might not do it tonight. I don't know. Because it's just a gift. And how many believes that gifts and callings are without repentance? Do you believe that? Does the Bible say, that in the church there's first apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, pastors? How many knows there's five ministering gifts? Certainly there is. An apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a teacher, and a pastor. God set these...
Questions and Answers
54-0515 §107
Now, this tree of God bears nine spiritual fruits. Is that right? All right. There's all different... Said, "One is given teach, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues," nine different spiritual gifts grow on this tree of God. Is that right? Well, now, just speaking in tongues isn't the only one; there's others in there too. Now, you can speak with tongues and still not have the Holy Ghost. Now, just remember that. I've been right... I've seen witches and wizards come u...
Questions and Answers
61-0112 §55
QUESTION: I believe that was number four: "Do all Holy-Ghost-filled people speak with tongues sooner or later? I find where Paul said, "I speak with more tongues than them all." Now, what I think now, to finish the brother's question: "Paul, speaking with more tongues than all." Paul was a smart man. He knowed many languages, himself, see. He could speak with... Remember when he'd get in trial, he could speak with this kind of a tongue or that kind of a tongue, or whatever it was. That's unknown tongues to the peop...
Seals 1: God hiding and revealing Himself in simplicity
63-0317M §125
Now, others go so far as to be fanatics. Now, they go on the other side. And they think just because that they jump up and down, or get some kind of a sensation or emotion, speak with tongues, or give a prophecy that happened to be right, or something like that, they think that's it, they've got it. But it isn't. Jesus said, "Many will come to me in that day and say, 'Lord, have not I prophesied in your name; in your name done many works and cast out devils?'" He'd say, "Depart, I never knew you," see. That isn't i...
Church Order
63-1226 §22
Let those who have ministries that has to be part of someone else, like one to speak with tongues and another one to interpret, they wait together on their ministry. They cannot stay in a private study and speak in tongues and then come tell the other one what he said, because he'd have both tongues and interpretation, see. Now, if he has that, very well, we want to receive it like that. And we want the church to benefit by these gifts that's in our church. God sent them to us, and it's ... we want our church to be...