Speaking in Tongues: What the Bible Actually Teaches

Speaking in Tongues: What the Bible Actually Teaches

Few topics in modern Christianity stir as much excitement—and confusion—as the gift of tongues. In some churches, it’s elevated as a badge of spiritual superiority. In others, it’s written off entirely as first-century relic. The truth, as always, is not found in our experiences or emotional responses but in the Word of God. So, what does the Bible actually say about speaking in tongues?

Not Babel, But Purpose

Let’s begin with this: the gift of tongues was never meant to be a chaotic free-for-all or a litmus test of your salvation. It was not an ecstatic display for attention, nor a universal experience for all believers. The biblical gift of tongues had a clear purpose, a clear audience, and clear limitations. And it looked a lot more like translation than incantation.

The first time we see the gift of tongues in action is Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:4–6“And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.”

The Greek word used here is γλῶσσα (glōssa – Strong’s G1100), which simply means “language” or “tongue.” This wasn’t gibberish. This wasn’t a private prayer language. These were known human languages miraculously spoken by Galileans for the purpose of evangelism. It was a reversal of Babel—not a new confusion, but supernatural clarity.

The Corinthian Correction

So why does Paul spend so much time addressing tongues in 1 Corinthians 12–14? Because the Corinthian church, much like modern charismatics, was abusing the gift. What began as a miraculous tool for gospel proclamation had become an ego-fueled performance act—no interpretation, no edification, just noise.

Paul doesn’t encourage it. He reins it in. He defines strict parameters and urges order, interpretation, and edification as the only acceptable framework.

1 Corinthians 14:9 “It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.”

1 Corinthians 14:27–28“No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.”

This is not a license for a room full of people to shout in unintelligible syllables. Paul outright prohibits that behavior. The gift must be interpreted, or the speaker must remain silent. And more importantly, not everyone has the gift:

1 Corinthians 12:29–30“Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!”

That’s a rhetorical sledgehammer. The answer is no. Tongues are not for everyone.

“He Who Speaks in Tongues…”

One of the most misused verses is 1 Corinthians 14:2:

“For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you.”

This is often twisted into support for “private prayer language,” but context crushes that argument. Paul is making a corrective point: If no one can understand you, only God hears you—which defeats the purpose of the gift. That’s not an endorsement of private gibberish. It’s a rebuke of useless public displays.

Tongues without interpretation edify no one but the speaker’s pride. Paul even says:

1 Corinthians 14:19 “But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.”

The numbers don’t lie. Edification trumps ecstatic utterance every time.

Tongues as a Sign—But for Whom?

Another overlooked detail comes from Paul’s citation of Isaiah 28:11 in 1 Corinthians 14:21–22:

“I will speak to my own people through strange languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me.”

“So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers.”

Paul calls tongues a sign for unbelievers. Specifically, for Jewish unbelievers—a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy where God would speak to His people through foreign tongues as a sign of judgment. In other words, tongues are not a badge of the believer but a wake-up call to the unrepentant.

This directly contradicts the charismatic teaching that tongues are a sign of personal holiness or spiritual maturity. Biblically, the opposite is true: tongues are a sign of disbelief and warning, not spiritual superiority.

What About the “Heavenly Language”?

Some argue from 1 Corinthians 13:1, where Paul says:

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

But this is a hypothetical “if.” Paul is exaggerating to make a point about love. He’s not teaching angelic languages exist or are accessible. It’s no different than saying, “Even if I could leap buildings in a single bound—it would mean nothing without love.” It’s rhetoric, not revelation.

Biblical Tongues vs. Modern Chaos

Let’s summarize the biblical pattern:

• Acts 2: Tongues are known human languages used to share the gospel.

• Acts 10 & 19: The gift confirms the inclusion of Gentiles (again, understandable languages).

• 1 Corinthians: Paul rebukes the misuse of tongues and sets strict order.

The modern phenomenon seen in many charismatic and Pentecostal churches—entire rooms speaking incoherently, without interpretation, as a supposed act of praise—is nowhere in Scripture. It more closely resembles pagan ecstatic speech or psychological suggestion than the gift described in the Bible.

The early church didn’t babble. They proclaimed. They didn’t repeat meaningless syllables—they preached the gospel, supernaturally enabled to speak in the language of the listener.

Final Word: Clarity Over Chaos

The Holy Spirit is not the author of chaos. The true gift of tongues brought understanding, not chaos. Clarity, not showmanship. Conviction, not entertainment.

1 Corinthians 14:33“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.”

When evaluating any spiritual gift or practice, ask:

Does this glorify Christ or elevate self?

Does this edify the church or confuse it?

Does this align with Scripture or with man’s traditions?

Speaking in tongues—when biblical—is a beautiful, rare, and powerful sign. But when hijacked by emotion, ego, or error, it becomes the very opposite of its intent.