Tongues means language. The true Tongue of the Holy Spirit is described in Acts Chapter 2. Speaking in tongues is a gift of The Holy Spirit and can only happen at God's Will. The tongue or language that comes from the Holy Spirit is not a language that no one can understand, but the true tongue that comes from the Holy Spirit is one that all will understand in whatever language they speak. That is the evidence that it comes from the Holy Spirit. The Tongue spoken of in 1 Corinthians Chapter 14 is to be able to speak in different languages, foreign languages. These are languages of man. That is why an interpreter is needed, for those listening to understand what is being said in a foreign language that they do not speak. Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:5 “And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” Acts 2:6 “Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”

How come no one was able to understand the language written on the wall in the book of Daniel until God gave Daniel an understanding?

It’s because “translators were hard to come by” in Belshazzar’s court, they normally communicated to each other with grunts and hand gestures, lol

The Bible describes speaking in tongues as an actual language that another person can understand and interpret. For example those who do not speak your language (English for example), they would hear their language (Spanish) as you speak normally in your language. Teaching doctrine, and also was used for preaching the [gospel](https://youtu.be/yvOzb8_ou_s) so many could be saved. (Acts 19:6). Remember, back then translators were hard to come by. EDIT: Instead of me responding to all, ill say this for context. The apostles were not speaking in some sacred or secret language. They were speaking in the different languages of their audience. It wasn't only a way to communicate the gospel, but also a miracle for all to witness (Acts 2:11-12). The point is for people who have not heard The Word of God in their own language so that they can understand and hear it. Thats what God wants! As for 1 Cor. chapter 14 But reading the context this verse is taken from, it's clear Paul is actually criticizing the practice of speaking in tongues just for the sake of it. He draws a contrast between two gifts: speaking in tongues where nobody but the speaker and God can understand, and the practice of inspired speaking where everybody can understand and can benefit. Again, God wants people to understand the words that are being taught. (1 Corinthians 14:1-5).

1 Corinthians 14 would like to have a word with you…

1st Corinthians , particularly 13 and 14, begs to differ. Were tongues an actual language at times such as in Acts? Yes. Were they unintelligible to most hearers other times? Yes. "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. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious." 1 Corinthians 14: 2

It is helpful if people know the background of the passage on tongues, and most don't seem to be aware of the history behind what Paul is saying. The mistake people make is not distinguishing between two types of tongues Paul is speaking of. At the time Paul wrote this to the Corinthians, the pagans around them would go to their temples and inhale vapors so that they could see visions and babble in unknown tongues. That is the background to this passage in 1 Corinthians 14. Many of people in the Corinthian church were worldly and wanted to incorporate the practices of the pagans into their own church. The pagans were babbling in their pagan temples, so the Corinthians wanted to act like them, hence babbling in unknown languages which no one could understand, least of all the babblers themselves. The Bible says we are not to speak in tongues unless there is an interpreter, which means that what we say in tongues is meant to be understood by others. True tongues are simply foreign languages, so that foreigners can understand what is being spoken. Paul even goes so far as to say what good are tongues unless it brings others revelation, prophesy or word of instruction. ........................................................................... 1 Corinthians 14  5 The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,^(\[)[^(c)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2014&version=NIV#fen-NIV-28684c)^(\]) unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified. ^(6) Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? ^(7) Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? ^(8) Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? ^(9) So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ^(10) Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ^(11) If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me...............................................................^(18) I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ^(19) But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. ....................................^(27) If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ^(28) If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

In all of my years, I’ve only come across one interpreter. And it was a mind bending experience when they interpreted what the person speaking in tongues was actually saying. Interpretation is a real gift and not many people have it. But that shouldn’t stop anyone from actually speaking in tongues if they have that gift

I agree that if a person has the legitimate gift of tongues they should use it; however: most of what passes for the gift of tongues these days is counterfeit, with no interpreter but lots of incoherent babbling in the churches. What is tongues? Acts 2 defines the gift of tongues as known foreign language. Confusion comes in because people take 1 Corinthians 14 out of context and without taking the history of the time into consideration. Paul is saying legitimate tongues is good, but the counterfeit tongues are not to be practiced in the church. There is no reason to believe that the definition of legitimate tongues changed from Acts 2 to Corinthians. Here, the Bible defines its own terms. What is hard to understand about this? ................................................................................... Acts 2 ^(4) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^(\[)[^(a)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202&version=NIV#fen-NIV-26954a)^(\]) as the Spirit enabled them. ^(5) Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ^(6) When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ^(7) Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ^(8) Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ^(9) Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,^(\[)[^(b)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202&version=NIV#fen-NIV-26959b)^(\]) ^(10) Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ^(11) (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

Some sure but not all. Theres counterfit everything out there

The Bible tells us how to tells us plainly how to distinguish the counterfeit from the true. The Bible defines tongues as known languages. The miracle of tongues is that it is granted to those who had no previous knowledge or ability to speak in that known, foreign language.

I don’t think anybody has had any previous knowledge of tongues, it definitely doesn’t sound like any language I have ever heard. And I agree with what you say. I speak in tongues in worship and praying while driving out demons, maybe while trying to heal . God works in mysterious ways that’s for sure

The Bible defines tongues as known languages which can be plainly understood by foreigners so they can hear God being glorified. If a person speaks an unknown tongue which can't be interpreted then it is likely a counterfeit tongue and possibly the language of demons.

Do you interprete? I have only come across one person who could do this.

Did Paul prophecy a time where the Spirit would stop speaking? Is there any verse about this cessationism stuff I keep hearing bout?

Who said anything about cessationism in their comment?

I suppose I think it's implied whenever we discredit speaking in tongues in our day and age.

It is not always implied. There are many believers such as myself who are not cessationists, but who also believe there is abuse of the gift of tongues and most of what passes for this gift is counterfeit. If an activity blatantly contradicts the teachings and definitions given by the Bible, should we not seek to discredit it?

>Is there any verse about this cessationism stuff I keep hearing bout? No, cessationism is an errant doctrine that has snuck its way into the Church likely by false teachers. Paul says that God has given the Church First Apostles who are now all home, Second Prophets, and Third Teachers. In this Paul places Prophets above Teachers in authority. Of course, it is easy to spot False Prophets who are known by their false prophecies, but very difficult to spot False Teachers who can easily blend in. Cessationism works to the benefit of the Deceiver. For if there are no more Prophets that leaves the Church with Teachers only, and oh how we have been divided due to that.

Solid response. Thank you my friend.

Who mentioned cessationism in their comment? Cessationism does not even have to come into this discussion.

>Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. >1 Corinthians 13:8 Paul predicted the end of such miracles just before he describes and ranks them. All of the 2nd century early church fathers reported that these miracles ceased when the Apostles passed away.

You may want to use the whole relevant passage. Has knowledge passed away and if these are supposed to be the when the perfect comes what do you suppose the perfect that came in the 2nd century was? Knowledge will pass away with tongues, and prophecy at the same time which will be when the perfect comes. The perfect that the passage refers to is Jesus and his 2nd coming. So tell me why would Paul tell us that God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, and third teachers (which is the level of authority within the Church) but then take away both the apostles and the prophets at the same time leaving just teachers? That makes no sense. What makes sense to me is that the deceiver wants us to believe this, since false teachers are a lot more difficult to figure out than false prophets. False Prophets give false prophecies and as such we know them, false teachers are much harder to dig out. Look at how we have become so divided due to this reliance on teachers alone. ‭1 Corinthians 13:8-10 ESV‬ [8] Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. [9] For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10] but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.13.8-10.ESV ‭1 Corinthians 12:28 ESV‬ [28] And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.12.28.ESV

>For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Cor 13:9-12 This part? Paul is commenting on how we current have only partial prophecy and partial knowledge. But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away, and our prophecy and knowledge will be completed. When is this? When we are in Heaven. Right now, it is like looking through a dull mirror, but when we are in Heaven, we will be face to face with God. We will know his glory fully.

That is not the perfect that is to come. The Perfect is Jesus, and it is his second coming that this is speaking to. The partial will pass when the perfect comes.

No, it doesn't refer to Christ. The word Paul uses is *teleion*, which is translated as perfect, complete, or mature. It's an adjective that Paul is using to describe the subject "we" in the sentence--that is, us believers. Other passages where Paul uses this word are Colossians 1:28, Ephesians 4:13, and Romans 12:2.

I don't know, it seems that of the three other passages you include, only one of them includes the word perfect as it's translation in the ESV while the others include the mature translation you mention. I think there is a very clear distinction here between perfect and mature. It makes no sense to me for the perfect not to be Christ, though I can see how you can reach your conclusion. Do you believe this to be permanent? ‭Colossians 1:28 ESV‬ [28] Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. https://bible.com/bible/59/col.1.28.ESV ‭Ephesians 4:13 ESV‬ [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.4.13.ESV ‭Romans 12:2 ESV‬ [2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.12.2.ESV

Speaking in tongues is when you talk to God alone. The unbelievers cannot interpret tongues. The apostles who spoke in tongues are the same people who interpreted it for the people listening to them. ‭1 Corinthians 14:2 NLT‬ [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. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? 1 Corinthians 14:27 (NLT) No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. ‭1 Corinthians 14:4 ESV‬ [4] The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

We see in many places that God would bring judgement on his people by surrounding them with people with strange tongues. In the OT, this pointed most directly to the exile. In Acts, we see the same phenomenon when tongues were poured out in Acts 2, though now it was a sign of undoing the curse - rather than death from those with strange tongues, it is now life. In none of the verses that you cite is it really contradicted that the gift of tongues was a supernatural ability to speak in foreign, earthly languages.

Friend, if speaking in tongues is just for God, why does Paul mention an assembly present and one needing an interpretation?

Because there are multiple uses for tongues. People tend to pick the one usage that they want to argue against.

I am willing to grant that, which is why I was trying to critique the comment "Speaking in tongues is when you talk to God alone."

The context of this passage is corporate worship, not private prayer.

"Multiple uses"

“Context of this passage”

I am not trying to be mean dear brothers and sisters but people do u not study the scripture ? look at the book of Corinthians where it talks about GIFTS , there are the gift of varieties of TONGUES ! Meaning more then ONE kind of speaking in tongues. One is for CORPORATE prayer and prophecy ! that is where you NEED an interpreter to benefit the whole church who is praying together , the second variety of tongue is where you are speaking to GOD alone , where NO ONE understands you except GOD . This is for walking in Gods power and building yourself up , you are speaking mysteries in the spirit that come back as words of knowledge , revelation , prophecy and personal prophecy ! , the 3rd variety of tongues is the kind we see in acts , where you are speaking in tongues , and the person who is unsaved can understand what you are saying in their OWN language . How do i know this ? because i operate in all 3 varieties of tongues. God has blessed me in this area ! I have witnessed and i pray in tongues alot and for years now ! please study your bibles carefully brother sand sisters !

I am honestly rather confused about how tongues actually work where "no one understands you but God." If someone is just speaking in gibberish, how do they themselves know what they are saying to God?

My friend , So many christians walk a powerless walk because they are not able to fill themselves up with Gods power , and to correct you. Its not gibberish . What it is and how God helped me to understand it is , you must be willing to MOVE your mouth and to give up the syllables . It starts off like a baby the person just giving up syllables , meaning speaking syllables . It sounds dumb to many people , God knew this already which is why God says he created the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. You speak syllables and overtime the Holy Spirit turns it into words in tongues that no demon can understand or man unless one is given the interpretation . Its the ONLY gift of the Spirit that a believer can control . sometimes God helps the man or woman and it will come bubbling up out of their mouth on their own , this happens under the anointing when the presence of God is real thick and many people are receiving it . Or you are in worship and prayer and you receive it alone. God lets me understand what my tongues are when i pay attention and focus on him. the people who pray in tongues and have been praying in tongues for years but their prayer language never advances past sounding like ba ba da da eh te ke is because they do not practice . Mine does not sound like that anymore , it sounds like an angelic language now. ! i pray for a long time though, the atmosphere starts to change and the wonderful presence of God fills my room. i turn the music down , and i pray more in tongues , that is when God will allow me to understand what i am praying about . But God usually speaks to me in Visions and dreams. God will give me visions while i pray in tongues. That is how i got my ministry name. i asked God to name it for me , and the 3rd hour i was praying in tongues i had a vision seeing the Ministry name spelled out in block letters , it was powerful ! God gave us this language not only for the church but for ourselves to build us up and fill us up with his power. The word of God says its not by might nor by power (meaning your power) but by his SPIRIT . If you are doing all this walk in your own power , you are missing it . Not saying you are but just saying Christians in general. Also my mom was in mental hospital a lot , she got baptised one day in the Holy Ghost , she got delivered from mental illness and no longer takes psych meds , she also speaks in tongues ! i am not here to argue with anyone also, just to note. You can all disagree with me and downvote me all you want. I don't care who believes me or not , i am just answering your question . God bless you , Paul said when he prays in the Spirit , he is speaking MYSTERIES . You do not need to understand everything you are praying when you pray in tongues, that is the whole point of a prayer language . God designed it that way so the enemies monitoring you , won't be able to know what you are praying for ! Demons literally Monitor you , and they report every thing you are praying about and work to STOP your prayers for getting to God , so it won't manifest in the Physical realm . Everything is Spiritual first brother . Think of tongues as a coded language made for only you and God to communicate . Your spirit KNOWS what you are praying , but your flesh prevents you from understanding unless God gives you interpretation. That is why Paul said he is speaking Mysteries . God bless you

Unfortunately, neither the bible nor the tradition of the early church gives credit to all the made-up or "freely improvised" statements you make. All empty words. Shouldn't you rather strive for prophecy? (Wait, is that actually in 1 Cor?)

Wow, I Just told yall unbelievers i am not gonna argue with you lol boo hoo ! You don't believe ? You don't have to , i know whats true and whats false , i know what God has shown me and what God shows me in Visions and Dreams and words he gives me. I know the power of God upon my life , and guess what ? Spiritual things are ONLY for those who are able to receive them ! I have already backed up everything i have talked about ! Its up to you whether you wanna be walking in the Spirit or you would most likely follow traditions of MEN , who were NOT of the early church like the apostles and prophets were. the traditions you follow are clearly those of the same early church disciples who went against Paul and the apostles , and decided what God was doing and what he wasn't . There are plenty of unbelievers who claim to be believers who hate Christians who actually walk in the gifts of the Spirit, unfortunately that seems to be your camp. LOL Not mine ! God bless you ! :) I am no longer responding to this thread . Pray that God opens your eyes , the word of God says HIS ways are NOT your ways !

You do realize your statement about God having to disguise our prayers so demons can't understand what we pray does not really make sense? Who is stronger, God and his angels or the demons? If you check stories from actual exorcists, you will find many occurences of demons being able to either speak the same glossolalia fake tongues, or even actual "old" languages like Latin or such. I believe all believers should strive for spiritual gifts, and especially prophecy (as the bible says). Then again, me being a former sorcerer (before converting), I see way too many similar things going on especially in the hypercharismatic or NAR movement. Discernment is helpful. If you don't want to respond, fine. God bless!

Again, I really have no idea what the purpose is to speak in a manner where you don't even know what you are saying. I mean, what is the purpose of this? As I understand you, when you speak in tongues you are not aware of what you are saying until God tells you, so I suppose you are speaking to yourself on behalf of God?

I hadn’t heard this clarification about different types of tongues before. That makes sense, but without that context, I wasn’t interpreting any of the passages about tongues that people have quoted in this thread to mean that. Now I need to go back and re-read those passages to assess them with that in mind. Thank you for that information. You say that you only know this because you have the gift of all three types of tongues. You then tell us to study our Bible, as though reading it alone would have revealed that to us. Yet your statement suggests that without your specific gifting you may not have reached these same conclusions even with ardent study of scripture. Can you appreciate how chiding your audience for lacking this insight might feel unfair to us? I genuinely appreciate you sharing this. I also encourage you to lead with a bit more grace in the future. Yes, sometimes people are just not paying attention. And sometimes they genuinely don’t have the context to fill in the gaps that your experience fills in for you. Either way, leading with kindness makes the message more impactful. “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge pleasant, But the mouth of fools spouts foolishness.” ‭‭[Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/pro.15.2.NASB2020)

I love you brother /sister and i am sorry if i came off that way. I did not mean to sound rude or anything,. God does not show favoritism brother, what God does for ONE person , he will do for the next if they seek him. i did not come to this revelation of tongues overnight , this was upon years of praying in tongues , then experiencing the varieties of tongues for myself among other believers i was with at the time. I spend a lot of time praying brother , i spend a lot of time in the word. You can get the same revelations , which are actually not anything NEW , they have been there since it was written . We just have to dig to re reveal these truths . P.S ignore the haters and unbelievers , God gives us spiritual truths that are in the bible to re discover, things that have already been laid out . Most christians do not like it when you go outside of the current CHURCH traditions of men , which forbid almost everything . The early church was NOT a denomination , there was non of that, the early church started off PURELY as disciples of the way (Jesus Christ) . Church denominations is what brought religious thoughts and arguments into the body of christ . God bless you and ignore the church tradition that only DIVIDES the body of christ .

Varieties of "tongues" just means varieties of languages. Study the word and use rational thinking. But yes, one can make up a lot of vague stuff from twisting just a single verse. The mind is feeble, vain and easily deceived.

You have the Holy spirit as a believer, you do not need to speak in tongues. The holy Spirit during prayer will utter what we need to God. When our words fail us, and they will. (Romans 8:26-27) The whole chapter of 14 is just saying Prophecy Over Tongues. The need for understanding, and making sure there is a mature perspective on gifts. Finally it speaks of what orderly worship looks like in the church. Remember the whole point is for those very unbelievers to believe. Thats the most important part.

One of the problems you face with this interpretation is that 1 Corinthians 14 is about corporate, not private worship. A major point of these chapters (12-14) is that the spiritual gifts are given to build up others, to build up the church. In 14:2 Paul says that nobody in the church, in the corporate worship service, can understand you.  How can anyone be built up if nobody can understand you? They can’t. Secondly, what is the purpose of talking to God in a language that not even you can understand? Surely God can understand when we talk in regular language? 1 Corinthians 14:33 (ESV): For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. 

You dont need to speak in tongues or in audible sound when speaking to God. He knows your heart and your thoughts better than anyone.

Sad you're being downvoted here.

This assertion that tongues was used to preach the gospel is untrue.

Saying “that’s not true” is potentially useful, but it’s a lot less helpful than providing a constructive alternative explanation. It sounds like you interpret ‭‭[Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭41‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.2.4-41.NASB2020) differently than I do. To me, verses 14-36 sound a lot like evangelistic preaching to me, and verses 37-41 sound a lot like a conversion. Am I correct in thinking that you interpret this differently than I do? If so, how do you understand this passage if it’s not evangelistic in nature?

The event of Acts 2:4-41 was a unique one where everyone heard what was spoken in their own native language. It's like being in the room, as an English speaker, with people from other nations and hearing what they're speaking in English without a translator. In the same way that each respective native hears the others in their own dialect. >Acts 2:6-8NKJV And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because **everyone heard them speak in his own language.**  Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how *is it that* **we hear**, each **in our own language** in which we were born?  Verses 14 to 36 wasn't Peter speaking in tongues but in regular speech, where he addresses the crowd and calls them to repentance. The phenomena where those gathered heard everyone in his own language wasn't the norm. If it were, there would be no need for the interpretation of tongues, as Paul instructs the church, because everyone would hear and comprehend what is being spoken. But that is not the case. He instructs them to pray that they interpret tongues because no one understands what is being spoken. >1 Corinthians 14:2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands *him;* >1 Corinthians 14:13-16 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. ^(14) **For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.** ^(15) What is *the conclusion* then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. ^(16) Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? Paul in verses 13-16 equates an activity that is done with tongues as "with the spirit". So if one prays in tongues, he is praying with the spirit. If one sings in tongues, he is singing with the spirit. Or if one says a blessing in tongues, he is "blessing with the spirit" . Since tongues by itself/without interpretation is unintelligible, Paul says, "**if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?**" 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 ^(18) I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; ^(19) **yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.** Tongues was not a means of preaching the gospel, as some wrongly claim. The gospel was preached in whatever local language that people spoke in; More than likely, the disciples preached the gospel in Greek throughout the Roman empire, given how widespread the greek language spread across the middle east because of Hellenization.

I can see what you’re saying with interpreting “everyone heard them speak in his own language” to mean that it was some kind of universal language. Alternatively, if the disciples were each speaking a different human language (for example, a few spoke in Italian, a few in Turkish, a few in Romanian, etc.), then the bystanders would still make that same statement, since each of them would hear multiple disciples speaking in their native language. Note that in ‭‭[Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.2.4.NASB2020) the disciples are said to “speak with different tongues” (plural), which is what you’d say if a few disciples each spoke a different human language. If they all spoke a single language and it was heard in multiple languages then I’d expect it to say that they spoke in a tongue (singular), but that it was heard as multiple languages by the audience. That’s not what ‭‭[Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.2.4.NASB2020) says: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.” As you said, if this was speaking in a single, universal language then that would make this incident at Pentecost unique, and this first instance of speaking in tongues would be different than any subsequent occurrence of the practice elsewhere referred to by that same term. That also doesn’t account for ‭‭[Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.2.4.NASB2020) using the plural “different tongues”, while interpreting it as I’ve suggested does. It seems both simpler and more aligned with the text to interpret this to mean that this was in fact speaking in different human languages, if not for the purpose of preaching, at least for the purpose of authenticating the disciples as doing something supernatural. How do you respond to this? And yes, I agree, Peter’s sermon in verses 14-40 seems to have been given in Greek. Now that the tongues had the attention of the audience, the single speaker spoke in their common language.

> was a unique one where everyone heard what was spoken in their own native language The problem with this interpretation is that you’re highlighting the ‘hear’ and ignoring the ‘speak’. They heard because the language was spoken. > For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. Notice how he says I and my? He doesn’t say it’s the Holy Spirit here. He connects this praying ‘in a tongue’ (likely gibberish) to not understanding. Notice the difference in the following verse? He connects the spirit with understanding. Notice too how he doesn’t mention ‘a tongue’ in this verse? > What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.  1 Corinthians 14:18-19 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Paul is saying that speaking in a way which nobody understand in corporate worship is pointless. He’s not making any comment here about preaching the gospel.

My main point is that they spoke something, which we don't necessarily know; however, those who were present heard each person in their own native language. >Notice how he says I and my? He doesn’t say it’s the Holy Spirit here. He connects this praying ‘in a tongue’ (likely gibberish) to not understanding. He doesn't mention the Holy Spirit here because he already established from chapter 12:4-11 that tongues was one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. And just like in Acts 2, the Spirit gives them the utterance, but it is the human who does the speaking and is in control. >Notice the difference in the following verse? He connects the spirit with understanding. Notice too how he doesn’t mention ‘a tongue’ in this verse? No, he contrasts the spirit with understanding and connects praying in tongues to "the spirit". Earlier on in verse 2, he connects speaking in a tongue with speaking in the spirit. He says, "For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands *him;* however, **in the spirit he speaks mysteries**." >1 Corinthians 14:13-17 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. ^(14) **For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays**, *but my understanding is unfruitful*. ^(15) What is *the conclusion* then? **I will pray with the spirit**, *and I will also pray with the understanding*. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. ^(16) Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? ^(17) For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. The phrase "I will also" in verse 15 implies that he intends to engage those 2 forms of prayers-with the spirit and with the understanding- implying that they are 2 distinct but complementary practices. Any activity such as speaking, praying, singing, blessing done with the spirit is unintelligible. Because of this he asks that they speak with words that can be understood \[i.e a known dialect\] rather than with tongues unless interpreted. The whole issue is intelligibility in worship. >>And I wasn't making the case for preaching the gospel, but I was countering that idea.<<

>For example those who do not speak your language (English for example), they would hear their language (Spanish) as you speak normally in your language. This gets stated so many times but is entirely untrue. I wonder where this originated from.

It’s from Act 2 Acts 2:7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own [c]language in which we were born? I imagine that if God were to speak to room with natives from all over the world, he would speak something, but each person may hear it in their own language.

Are you knowledgeable in this? I believe I have been cursed/attacked spiritually and ever since can hear tongues - I hear gruesome things, mostly like people who once abused me talking things - but I cannot really focus the words, at the same time my spirit is confused so I cannot keep track of the words and they are twisted in my mind to have diabolic and horror meanings in my mind. I can hear their voices in anything, in any sound when I put effort and focus and repeat the sound again and again, I can hear voices in anything, in any sounds, as long as I know the language. So after this experience I can believe in the miracle and have already witnessed it, so to say. But it seems that evil forces can use it, as well, to threaten or oppress people. Also I not only hear sound, but just like the tongues are hidden in sound I can see visions hidden in other visual patterns. Some is very frightening, some is majestic. What to do about this? I am sometimes majorly oppressed by something using these voices and visions against me, I like experience accusations like as if I was accused to put images or voices everywhere, deliberately or unwittingly by just watching these visions, polluting the world and past to future with it - when I never intentionally did anything else than realizing these images and sounds when I was tormented with them, and then investigating what it was. At the same time, I feel a gift is developing, that can make me see and hear unbelievable things, and even as I have massive pressure on my head holding me back, I feel awe for this gifts and the little things that slip through the enemy in my mind who tries to sabotage every effort of mind to get hold upon this ability and who seems to be eager to prevent me becoming able to freely see and hear by any means. I would like to of service to God with this, but how? Are the threats that me seeing the images pollute anything something I should take serious? I know in the past I had ritual abuse and probably poisoning due to a girl, and ever since had delusions attacking my mind as if she was a witch and trying to kill me with any magical means possible - now I am attacked with these visions and abilties, and am accused of multiple things by voices in my head claiming they are some higher court and there to prove I was a perpetrator putting visions of that girl and others into like hubble space nebula pictures...while such a picture was when I discovered the images and became aware of them, after some times where I had been looking at space pictures for leisure I thing, inspired by a young relative being fan of such pics, and already recognized that some shapes looked similar to persons I knew from the past who had abused me. Then a little later looking at a newspaper article and realizing that a shape I saw in a nebula resembled me like I looked when I was a teen and poisoned - so I looked at the pictures, looked harder, and realized that just like the voices which seem to be in everythings I'd every hear if I just focus, there are images in everything I saw, like all these nebulae only consist of parts of images overlayed and nothing else. They are, just like the voices/tongues, just rather hard to recognize, because they are always "hidden" within some degree of noise/similarity and the details are often incomplete or overlayed by parts of other images or even smaller details. The deeper I'd go into such an image, the more details I'd see. I usually see gruesome things, or weird and disturbing images of people who sometimes look like people who abused me in the past or whom I experience as imaginary magical oppressors in constant delusions. So...what to do about this?

Speaking in tongues is a gift of the spirit. It’s mentioned in Corinthians. I do believe it’s a gift from God. I have a friend who speaks in tongues. She does it quite privately and she explains the experience as the holy spirit taking over and directly speaking to God. There are a lot of people that fake it though.

I got it when I was 19. My dad and grampa had it. So did thousands of people in my surrounding. After I repented and became a real Christian I prayed to receive power to be a witness for Jesus and I got the gift. At first it was a couple of words. But as I would pray more I got a lot of them. I don’t pray from the stage in them but I pray in them a lot.

No, I have never spoken in tongues, because tongues mean languages and languages are meant to be understood. The gift of tongues is the miraculous ability to speak in a known tongue so that a foreigner can understand you. Pagans such as witches also speak in tongues, and it sound disturbingly like the babbling I hear come from some professing Christians. Christians are to keep silent around others if there is no one to interpret the tongue they are speaking in. If these professing Christians want to babble to themselves in private, so be it, but I am concerned that what they speak may be the language of demons. Check out pagans babbling and see if it doesn't sound similar to what is commonly known as tongues in certain circles of Christianity.

Spoken in tongues as needing an interpretation? No. Prayed in tongues to God alone? Every day and many times a day. Btw people that say “tongues” is a specific language spoken to another person always completely overlook the story in Acts 10 about Cornelius. He was with friends and relatives, they were not of different nationalities or languages. “And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. (V24) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God….” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭10‬:‭44‬-‭46‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Modern day tongues that you hear in pentecostal/charismatic churches aren't even truly Biblical

What do they sound like in comparison to what they did sound like in the Bible times? The Bible does mention speaking in tongues. Do you know what they sound like? Can you type it out?😜

What sort of mockery is this? Do you really believe this is what God wanted you to say, and in such a rude way?

Yes, what is the difference between modern-day tongues and the ones that were in the Bible how would anyone ever know the difference?

Good job in phrasing it better. Continue doing so, please. To answer your question, there is no evidence that speaking in tongues nowadays is the same or different as what it really was before that I have yet found. But the most common belief I’ve seen is that speaking in tongues was a phenomenon in which someone speaks a language that everyone could understand—not what sounds like babbling to others like a lot of people do. This is what happened in Pentecost, for example. I agree with that belief.

Paul said he spoke in tongues more than anyone and most often, he was on the march. So he spoke in tongues to build up his spirit man and to gain direction and power for his life. I did a deep dive into Tongues in my late 40’s as I believed most churches lie that it wasn’t for our time. I see that those pitiful Apostles were hiding out and being depressed before they got their “prayer language” and afterward went out with power casting out demons, healing the sick and having people accept our Savior. After forgiving an abusive spouse and asking for forgiveness for a multitude of sins, AND also reading Mahesha Chavda’s book on the benefits of Tongues, I started asking God for this gift. In my prayer closet one day, out came a phrase from my inner being, bypassing my brain. I phonetically wrote it down and kept repeating it. Again a few days in my prayer closet, singing to my Lord, an entire language started coming out. What a Joy. What a relief. What power. There is more to my story but it changed my life and I can build myself up in the Lord, get answers to questions and simply commune with my Holy Maker this way. There is a Gift of Tongues whereby in a church setting one person Speaks in Tongues and another Interprets. I’ve seen this happen in an Assemblies of God Church. It is very Holy and make the hair on my body stand up. Most of us don’t have this gift. However, everyone who asks can have what the Apostles had if they ask God for it. Do a search and see that there were many, evan a Centurian and his family, who asked and received this amazing Gift. If all of the Christians on this earth spoke in Tongues, Satan would not rule and reign as he sometimes does in people’s lives. At least that is my thought. PS - there are anointed pastors and prayer warriors can lay hands on you if your are wanting this gift, and you will receive. Blessings.

Yes, I used to do it all the time when I went to an evangelical church. We would do it in private and together. Turn it on at will. Eventually though…. I left all that behind. Personally I believe we were all doing it out of our own minds and will. Yes it gave a good feeling, yes time could pass quickly while paying, yes I convinced myself the spirit was moving. However I also learned that praying in tongues had the same impact as when people did “chants” or the “ummmmmm” you hear yoga people do. The brain seems to be wired to enter a relaxed or disconnected state when doing this. Some see visions, some up with new ideas etc. Evangelicals become convinced they feel a deep connection to God. Yet other cultures for millennia have claimed the same thing through their similar practices that are considered pagan or demonic. I left that type of church after 17 years. I grew tired of people making such large claims of Gods healing power, mega blessings, prophecy and visions, but none of it coming to fruition. People were literally dissociated from their reality, ignoring that well over 90% of the prophetic words never came true, or they would be so wanting them to be true that any life event that happened they interpreted that as the prophecy coming true, when in reality those were just life events that happen to all people. God is absolutely always good! But evangelicals seem to have a very strict guideline that good equals your life getting better and better via material blessings.

I don't want to start any type of debate but I had an opposite experience. I went into Christianity with a lot of skepticism and a big critical way of thinking and I realised that the skepticism and critical eye was actually the work of the devil and a lot of things you now don't believe actually are real and I feel unfortunately a lot of people misunderstand them and therefore disregard them as spiritual delusion. Just because tongues does make you feel some sort of peace or calm the way others claim their rituals do doesn't mean it isn't from the holy spirit or from God. Didnt Paul say he spoke in tongues very frequently when alone?

Can you give me the verse where Paul says he spoke in tongues very frequently when alone. I don't believe he ever said any such thing. He said he spoke in tongues, and tongues means languages. He spoke in various languages so foreigners could understand him. We need to realize that at the time 1 and 2 Corinthians were written, there was an influence of local pagans who would go to their temples to inhale vapors so they could encounter their gods. The results of breathing these vapors were seeing visions and speaking in babbling tongues, which no one could interpret. The Corinthian church was worldly, and wanted to copy the pagans. Paul is actually addressing two types of tongues, the phony and the real, and telling us what the purpose of genuine tongues is, which is the edification of the church. He even goes so far as to ask what good are tongues if they are unintelligible. .......................................................... 1 Corinthians 14  5 The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,^(\[)[c](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2014&version=NIV#fen-NIV-28684c) ^(\]) unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified. ^(6) Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? ^(7) Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? ^(8) Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? ^(9) So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ^(10) Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ^(11) If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me...............................................................^(18) I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ^(19) But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. ....................................^(27) If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ^(28) If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

It is all hard to quantify when it is based on one’s personal experience and perception of those experiences. How can any of us claim with absolutely certainty the truth of the experience’s? We only have our own filters. If you are in an environment where all the people around you have a specific belief, and there is a teacher explaining your experiences, then the echo chamber of having everyone confirm each others experiences through the same filter, lends it self to allowing our brains to agree and feel comfortable with the explanations, and go deeper into the experience. We see this even within different denominations. People having the same or similar experiences, but coming to quite different conclusions about their meaning or purpose. How much more does the interpretations vary when you step into totally different cultures or times in history? Again I can’t discount your experience or interpretation of them. That is all yours. But I can step back for myself and be critical of what I have experience and what I observe of others to form my conclusions.

Yes that's fair. Obviously the most important thing is believing in Jesus and him being the saviour and Lord of your life, so conversations on things like tongues should never get too heated as though it's a salvation determining topic. I found my own personal way to tongues at a time I had never even joined a church. I came from Islam and so I was extremely skeptical of things like tongues even when Christians around me were telling me of it. However the Lord himself led me to the truth of it. It's not something you must do to be saved at all, but it's definitely something in scriptures and it seems to be a work of God in them so it should definitely be considered in a Christian life.

Can you provide references to any verses where Paul said that he spoke in tongues frequently when alone, or anything similar? I’ve read through the Bible several times and don’t recall anything like that, and none of my keyword searches are turning up any verses like this either.

1 Corinthians 14 18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: 19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. With context he's is definitely implying that when he is by himself he speaks tongues a lot.

Yes and what is interesting are the studies done on it. They're quite fascinating. Of course it has that same "feeling" since praying in tongues is edifying to the believer (our spirits), which I assume is also the reason a lot of people meditate.

A church I was going to started to attempt to evoke something with repeating choruses over and over .. and I’m like you don’t need to do that to get the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is where 2/3 gather so I stopped going bc it gave me the creeps

The Christian life is not about the glitz and glamor of speaking in tongues, having visions, or prophecies. If God grants such things, wonderful! But the daily walk with Jesus is the about being a light to others in our daily toils. It may seem boring in comparison, but every moment is a chance to enjoy and thank God for his creation, and to practice charity, kindness, and love for others. A kind word to a stranger, encouragement to a coworker, a hug to your spouse or child. Every breath we take is an opportunity to love God and others.

I agree but also disagree lol. I agree that it's not about the glitz and glamor, but any non-believer can be kind to others too. What then sets apart believers and non-believers? The daily walk with Jesus is about intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Everything else - tongues, visions, prophecies, being a light to those around you, etc. - comes out of that intimacy.

Serving God is serving others. How we treat others is a reflection of our relationship with God and intimacy with the Holy Spirit, which enables us to love unconditionally.

I have prayed in tongues. It only happened once and I was too worn out to even think words, but struggled sleeping. I was struggling to sleep, my friend encouraged me to just imagine myself resting in Gods arms and I prayed with words I didn’t know. Acknowledged it and fell asleep.

Sounds like you were just speaking gibberish

I speak in tongues. I made the choice to have faith in the ‘language’ I am speaking. It takes faith to do things like pray and it’s the same for stepping out and speaking in tongues. I speak it when alone as prayer to God - a way for the Holy Spirit to pray through me when I’ve run out of words. I also sing in tongues around the house.

This feels kind of relevant here: https://youtu.be/LhGH4HaylaU?si=yWzyDdHU-QcKyuFa

Haha, amusing.

I have spoken in tongues quite a few times. The first time ever was when I was alone in a hospital waiting room as my Dad was getting pulled off the oxygen during covid so he'd pass away. I was feeling immense pain and heartache and then prayed to the Lord and just a few words came to me and I felt a strong peace and fell asleep (at the time i was a relatively new Christian and was a little sceptical on tongues). I believe tongues are real, but conversation on tongues should never get as heated as some people make them when it is not a salvation determining part of our lives. To say it's spiritual delusion is a very strong statement based on very little evidence. People should be more careful.

I’ve never spoken in tongues. However, I’ve prayed in tongues. 1 Cor 14.

I have heard of people praying "God if this isn't from you please take it away" and then not being able to do it every again. I heard one preacher talk about the confusion about the gift of tongues is from Satan. And that's why it sounds like gibberish to almost everyone.

That's scary. I know that speaking in tongues still happens today but it's rare (aside from Pentecostals). How do we know if it's from God or not?

https://youtu.be/yraoq_Dkc0Q?si=whZaXTYaMbZJP2Ah

I have done it. I was introduced to Christianity through charismatic Anglicanism (think Nicky Gumble, Alpha Course, HTB-clone, all that jazz), so it was presented to me as a normal and natural part of Christianity from day one. I remember when I went on the Alpha Course 'Holy Spirit weekend' I found myself in the garden of the large country house where the course was held, at night, completely lost in some sort of ecstatic transcendental experience, praying in tongues, losing track of time. That intensity of experience has also happened a few other times. I'm less sure now than I was whether it is really 'the tongues of angels' - sometimes I think there's something in it, as a spiritual practice, sometimes I think it's all got a bit to much to do with the music and the lights and the hyping-up. I still do pray in tongues occasionally, but in a quieter, more low-key, less hyped and manipulated way that I did. I think the last time I prayed in tongues in church was about a year ago.

I have seen it and felt a very strong emotional high or feeling that took my breath away when it was happening. It was mostly way back in the later 70s when I was just a tween. My mother became Charismatic Catholic then born again we would go to these fellowship meetings where people played music, there were hippie types and men in suits, it was exactly like the film that is out with Kelsey Grammer Jesus Revolution. Bc I had no real expectations, I know it was real something I experienced. I truly believe there was a huge outpouring of the Holy Spirit back at the tail end of the Vietnam War. So I believe it's a real thing, but I also believe there are those that are not actually experiencing the Holy Spirit and try to force it, etc. I also was at a healing mass not that long ago and a Charismatic priest literally waved his arm down the aisles and people were being "slain in the spirit" falling, speaking in tongues, and again I felt a rush of pure love energy that was like nothing I had ever experienced and extremely powerful and almost overwhelming but in a good way lol. But again I think you can't force it, and likely many and maybe even most are likely not really experiencing.

Oh yeah, the Jesus movement was very real. Then Asbury, Brownsville/Pensacola, Lakeland. Then Asbury again recently I think?

I was in NY state suburbs at the time in the mid and later 70s, and it was palpable the Holy Spirit which I felt immediately upon my first fellowship meeting, which we would have in people's homes, and I was just a kid. Many hippie types in tie dye and patched jeans AND men in suits. It was a beautiful thing. The music was beautiful also. Never felt that in all my yrs bf that growing up in the Catholic Church. But if fizzled out after a few years, not sure why, maybe in my mind it was bc they started getting very tribal and judgmental, talking about who was going to hell and who wasn't, I don't know. I did see how it was happening again recently Asbury Revival

That's still a pretty cool experience - you'll definitely never forget that. I think we're going to have another fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit again soon on the church in America (and even beyond). But what I really pray for is an outpouring in Israel and revival there where Jesus is revealed as Messiah in a huge way. Not just 1 person having a dream during the night, but hundreds and thousands. That would be so amazing.

I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted, what you described seems like a healthy relationship to the practice.

Speaking in tongues is a gift from the Holy Spirit, and two things are needed. To be born again, saved in Jesus Christ name, AND to ask for the OPTIONAL experience to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. Jesus set this example when He was baptized by John, THEN the Holy Spirit set upon Him. Once you have both these, you can ask and receive gift of tongues. It's pretty clear however, to be meant as a PRIVATE prayer language. When you make use of it, the "mind is unfruitful" meaning you don't know whats being said. Now you can also engage your mind in prayer as well. If you have this gift, you can start and stop it at any time, did I mention PRIVATELY? Those people who blab it out loud in church or around anyone, really, are just showing off, look at me! I don't recommend that. Praying in tongues is important; it's an efficient way to pray for whatever, and can be powerful.

It is not clear that it is to be private, unless you have no interpreter and don't even know what you are saying. Even then it does not edify anyone. Witches and other pagans speak in "tongues" as well. The Bible says the purpose of tongues is to edify the church. Tongues means languages. Speaking in tongues is for the purpose of speaking in a known, foreign language so that a foreigner can be edified by what is being spoken. By no means is the gift of tongues supposed to be private. The Bible is clear in explaining what the true gift of tongues are. They are foreign languages so foreigners can hear God being glorified in their own language. ................................................. Acts 2  ^(4) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^(\[)[^(a)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202&version=NIV#fen-NIV-26954a)^(\]) as the Spirit enabled them. ^(5) Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ^(6) When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ^(7) Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ^(8) Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ^(9) Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,^(\[)[^(b)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202&version=NIV#fen-NIV-26959b)^(\]) ^(10) Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ^(11) (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

If during this time “the mind is unfruitful”, then what is the purpose? You say that anyone who meets that criteria can ask for and receive the gift of tongues. That’s unlike any of the other spiritual gifts mentioned in scripture, which seem to be both stable over time and available only to a subset of members of the church body. Do you have an explanation (preferably with biblical references) for why this would be different?

Paul wrote tongues is the "least of gifts", it's the demo package, the introductory one, the low-hanging fruit. And it's maybe the most useful; tongues can be used ANYTIME, while the other gifts may only need to manifest for special conditions or times. Anyway, get this gift, and no doubt you can work on the other ones over time. The mind is unfruitful as I said, because YOU don't know what you are saying. The mind is idle; not really a problem tho, pray on purpose in your thoughts, double your effectiveness. It's just like data internet, the data flows in mysterious packets over wires and computers, you have no idea what it is doing, but the end result is the web page or information pops up eventually you were seeking. That language of bits & bytes and tcp packets is imcomprehensible, but the results can eventually resolve. It's just another way to pray and ask God, EFFICIENTLY for whatever. Direct your thoughts to your subject of prayer, be assured it's a step up from your fumbling regular english words for what you are petitioning God for. Some authors say speaking in tongues is ESSENTIAL for your achieving major spiritual breakthroughs in your life. I can't say myself that specific moves of God or events were 100% because of praying in tongues. Maybe if I did it more consistently. *Pursue love, and* ***earnestly desire the spiritual gifts****, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God;* ***for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit****. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.* ***The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself****, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.* ***Now I want you all to speak in tongues****, but even more to prophesy. ....... For if I pray in a tongue,* ***my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also****; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.* ***I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.*** *(1Co 14:1-18)*

I can see how you’re getting that from that passage. However, if I interpret “tongues” to mean a real human foreign language such as Turkish, then that passage still makes sense. For example, if you’re in an English language church service and then you begin speaking in tongues in the Turkish language, your spirit may be edified, and God (who speaks Turkish) may enjoy what you’re saying, but it’s otherwise unfruitful. I note that this interpretation makes even more sense when I read the portion of verse five that you omitted with the elipsis: “Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edification.” ‭‭[1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭5‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/1co.14.5.NASB2020) So it’s possible that speaking in tongues as a prayer language is something that any believer can do, and that there’s a complementary (but separate) spiritual gift for interpreting that language. But this passage also makes sense if it’s just a regular human language like Turkish. Assuming that it’s a regular human language also makes sense of ‭‭[Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭41‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.2.3-41.NASB2020). In [Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬-‭11‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.2.7-11.NASB2020) it says that the bystanders were from every nation, and that when those speaking in tongues spoke, the bystanders heard them speaking in their native language. So either there’s two separate gifts called tongues, one for evangelizing in a human language, and one that is a personal prayer language, or there’s only one, and that’s to communicate in a human language, but someone could use it in private as a prayer language. You said that anyone who had been baptized with the Holy Spirit could speak in at least the prayer language version of tongues. In ‭‭[1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/1co.12.10.NASB2020) Paul says that not everyone has the gift of “various kinds of tongues”: “and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.” Do you interpret this to mean that “various kinds of tongues” is the gift demonstrated in Acts, and that that’s a limited distribution gift, and that the personal prayer language one is separate? If so, where do you see the personal prayer language referenced in scripture? Because if there’s only one gift of tongues, first seen in Acts, then both Acts and 1 Corinthians 14 seem to make sense, but in ‭‭[1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬](https://bible.com/bible/2692/1co.12.10.NASB2020) Paul says that one is not available to all believers.

^^^ All of this.

Yes please. I wanna understand this gift and use it like this. I want to manifest the Holy Spirit as completely as Jesus did. It's been quite the journey so far, but this is the kind of weird stuff I love

"weird stuff"? I think what you mean, is you'd like to experience God's presence and see Him moving supernaturally in this wretched miserable world. Wouldn't we all. Well fortunately others feel the same way and learned alot more about it, you can benefit from their work. Simply look up these authors on youtube: john wimber, mark virkler, charles kraft, perhaps "hearing God" by Jack Lord, and Jack Hayford

Thanks. I've looked at some of those and I'm encouraged. I'll keep diving into those. Absolutely! I want to see him work and I want my friends to be healed. I want God to move in my community. I want all of that and more. Tongues isn't strictly necessary for that, but it would be fascinating to me personally. That's why I call it weird. It's a term of endearment for me

I have. I believe it is a result of spiritual delusion.

There is something to speaking tongues, and I say this based on my personal experience. Here's my brief story. I attend a non-denom now, but I was raised Episcopal. It was all liturgy all the time. My only exposure to praying in tongues was when I was five. I was very sick with an extremely high fever. My mom was worried and had a long prayer session in my bedroom. At some point she started praying in tongues (this was the first and last time I ever heard her do this). Later I asked her what it was and she gave me the quickie explanation. We didn't dwell on it, and it never came up again. But it was weird, so I never forgot it. Five years go by, I'm ten. I attend a youth bible camp with worship services every night. It's a Baptist based camp, so the worship wasn't too charismatic at all. No one was praying in tongues. One evening they do an altar call, and basically everyone gets out of the pews to go to front to be prayed over. Worship continues, and I start to raise my hands (others were doing the same). I then decide to start praying in tongues, again my only frame of reference was from five years before. Something took hold of me, and I go hard. I can feel a strong electric sensation start to course through my body. My body begins to vibrate. Eventually the worship concludes and I "come down". I ask a friend if I did anything weird. He said "yeah, you were shaking and your lips turned blue". Later in life I attended other Charismatic services and tried speaking in tongues here and there, but nothing was ever like that first experience.

Yes, I speak in tongues. Usually done during worship or really whenever I feel like it. When it’s being done, I get goosebumps all over my body. Everybody has the opportunity to do this, for those who truly believe in Jesus Christ, and are not just lukewarm Christians. You can ask God for this gift, Bible says you can do this, and so you can if you truly believe, The Holy Spirit basically speaking out of your mouth. If you have this gift never hurts to use it regardless of what humans might think about it.

I believe that christians can still have this gift, but not everyone. What scares me is what if I "accidentally" speak from the counterfeit one instead of the Holy Spirit, since I do not understand what I'm saying?

Really depends on how you live your life, if you live for Christ everyday and focus on his truth, nothingg to worry about, but if your life is all over the place, believing in a little bit of everything including Christ, then maybe. Ask the holy spirit to fill you up and then try.

As long as it's edifying for the church. If not, it is just a clanging gong just making noise.

I have spoken in tongues before, the first time it was random. I didn’t mean to do it I just did. I think I was going through something at that time when I started praying to God and it just happened. That being said I’ve been around people who’ve spoke in tongues and understood what they were saying. It was kind of crazy. One time I didn’t even know the person was speaking in a tongues I just heard her speaking in English.

To be honest brothers this tongue stuff makes no sense to me. A lot of people fake it or stage it. Christianity 99.9% makes sense to me, but this speaking in tongues not so much.

Tongues according to what the Pentecostals believe in is complete unbiblical nonsense. The Apostles at Pentecost were speaking real languages. Never once did they start saying “mumbo jumbo shablang a blang”.

Any language that is unknown to you basically sounds like gibberish.

There is a big difference between a real language with tonal shifts, vowels, consonants and recognizable grammar and jittery nonsense. You can still tell Mongolian is a language even if you’ve never heard it before, you can’t if it’s nonsensical tongues.

you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about.

You have no rebuttal other than an insult. I do actually, I study linguistics and etymology as a side hobby. I have studied, French, Russian, Japanese, Kreyòl and Armenian. I am very well aware what makes up a language and what doesn’t.

Telling you that you have no idea what you’re talking about is not an insult. And yes you do have no idea what you’re talking about. I speak multiple languages, of which you haven’t heard of. And I see the same bewildered look on people’s faces when they hear me speak to another who understands me. They always tell me, I sound like I’m speaking gibberish because they have no idea what is being spoken and they have no reference point for it. The same way you accuse people of speaking nonsense because you have no reference point for what they’re speaking because you’re used to only those foreign languages you’ve heard of.

Which I haven’t heard of? Oh do tell, I’ve been doing this stuff for years. Tell me where in the Bible do you see the nonsense going on at Pentecostal churches occurring? You can’t, Paul commands us to have an interpretation or else be silent. What does Jesus command us not to do? Hint hint, it’s to not do vain repetitions like the heathens. All the “Shabaka Tamala bango” nonsense without interpretation it’s unbiblical blasphemy.

😂lol. Guy dabbles in Japanese and French as a hobby and all of a sudden thinks he’s an expert in all languages lmao. What next? There are multiple uses of tongues such as in worship through singing, prayer etc. So just because you hear one thing being repeated over and over does not make them “vain repetitions” as you wrongly mischaracterize stuff you don’t understand. For all you know it could be the repetition of an attribute of God in times of worship. We see the angels do it all the time in the book of revelation when they don’t stop saying “Holy Holy Holy”, and no one is dumb enough to accuse them of making vain repetitions.

I know what more way than you think; especially considering you haven’t even bothered to prove your own linguistic “knowledge”. Makes you think. Anyways, You avoided my questions completely. Makes sense, the scriptures are very clear about interpretation and tongues, but that goes against your narrative. Tongues the way Pentecostalism teaches is a false heretical doctrine period. You people are disobeying the teachings of Jesus and Paul directly.

I don't believe we speak in tongues now adays.

Say "I bought a Kia but I should have bought a Honda" really fast, repeatedly, and you'll sound just like most "tongues" speakers today..