Selie Visa
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues, is rightly considered the most controversial among the spiritual gifts. What exactly is Speaking in Tongues?
1 Corinthians 12:10
"To another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues."
In the context of 1 Corinthians 12:10, the word 'tongues' simply means languages.
Tongues here are one of the spiriritual gifts. So it is the supernatural gift of speaking in another language without its having been learnt. It is recorded in Act 2:4-13 that to those in whose language the utterances were made it appeared as a supernatural phenomenon. To others it is compared to the stammering of drunkards.
The instruction for the interpretation of tongues concerning the use of the gift is for the edification of the church. The gift of prophesying is a superior gift. Speaking in tongues, if interpreted, will have the same value as prophecy. Silence is required if there are no interpreters.
Tongues, a spiritual gift, is the ability to speak in the dialects or languages of people, communities, races, and nations one has not learnt.
Is the gift of tongue relevant or prevalent today? There is no evidence of the continuance of this gift after apostolic times. It was not practiced even in the later times of the Apostles themselves. This cessation confirms the fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 13:8 (this gift would cease in the churches, just as would prophecies and knowledge received by immediate supernatural power).
With the completion of the Holy Scriptures, the Church has been provided with all that is necessary to teach, instruct, guide, and edify. No matter your status or qualification, the word of God will show you the way, the truth, and the life.
Must everyone speak in tongues or only some certain people?
The one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.(1 Corinthians 14:2-4)
Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it. And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, gifts of leadership, different kinds of tongues. Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they? Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they? Not all interpret, do they? (1 Corinthians 12:27-30)
If then I do not know the meaning of a language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. (1 Corinthians 14:11)
When a prayer starts, lots of people start speaking in tongues and even sing songs in tongues. And that’s all there is to it. Except for Paul none of the disciples are mentioned as speaking in tongues after the Pentecost. Paul said one must seek the higher gifts. He went on to say that if someone speaks in tongues and nobody understands, then it is nothing but mere sound, just plain gibberish.
