Is Speaking in Tongues for Me?
This is the final part of a series on speaking in tongues. To get a better context of this article, we recommend reading the previous parts, Part 1: “Speaking in Tongues is Not Magic”, Part 2: “Tongues: An Ancient Problem”, Part 3: “Putting ‘Tongues’ in It’s Place”, Part 4: “Interpret, or Be Quiet!”, and Part 5: “Just a Corinthian Thing?” My goal is to orient people to this mysterious form of Spirit-speech, and also encourage them to pursue this gift with joy and anticipation.
I mentioned in my last post that many believers I meet are interested in speaking in tongues, but are not sure if it’s something they should expect to experience. There are people who reject speaking in tongues because of a theological conviction, to be sure. But, for others, it’s a practical problem that makes them keep tongues at arm’s length: they are stumped about how to do it. And, because they are unsure about what is supposed to ‘happen,’ they have been frustrated or disappointed when they have asked God for this gift, or when others have tried (even with pure motives) to ‘help them’ speak in tongues without success. The conclusion is often that ‘tongues is not for everyone,’ and that ‘if God wants me to have this gift, He’ll just give it to me, so I’m not going to worry about pursuing it.’
I think both of these conclusions are mistaken. I think this because of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 14:5 and 14:1, which leads me to believe that tongues is something for ‘you all’ and that part of the key to experiencing this kind of Spirit-speech may be the pursuit of it. I think this because of the testimony of Acts, which presents speaking in tongues as a normal expression of the Spirit in the lives of believers. And, I think this because of the experiences of millions of people all over the world today, whose reception and practice of this Spiritual gift reflect these biblical realities.
What if I don’t speak in tongues?
First, you are not ‘second-class’ Christians if you have not yet experienced this gift! Sometimes those of us who speak in tongues can come across as if we are better than those who don’t. I am sorry for that. It’s not a healthy thing, and it’s certainly not true that we have ‘earned’ some kind of merit badge that our brothers and sisters who don’t speak in tongues have not. In fact, speaking in tongues is not a measure of Christian maturity, love for the Lord, or even effectiveness in ministry. There is no biblical author that points to speaking in tongues as a sign of Christlikeness (as far as we know, Jesus never spoke in tongues!) or as an indicator of one’s progress in holiness or piety. Now, to be sure, it is a good gift. But, all of the Spirit’s gifts are good, and you should certainly cultivate a sense of gratitude for those expressions of the Spirit that you are experiencing and stewarding for Christ’s glory!
Second, you can still be led by the Spirit in prayer even if you don’t pray in tongues. Clearly, the Spirit speaks to us and through us in a variety of ways as believers. As I’ve indicated throughout this blog, I believe speaking/praying in tongues is a valid form of Spiritual speech. But, being guided by the Spirit in prayer is a much broader reality than simply speaking in tongues. Open your ‘eyes and ears’ as you pray, and be attentive to other ways that He may want to communicate with you. Some people ‘see’ images or pictures in the ‘eyes of their heart’. Some people land on a particular Scripture passage that seems to be jumping off the pages. Some tend to hear things, either audibly or in the sense of an inner voice. One of the things we learn about God in Scripture is that He loves to communicate! I believe he knows how to speak in a way that you will understand as His child. So, take time to listen carefully, and pray passionately and faithfully in keeping with what you discern.
Third, consider this an invitation from the Lord to renew an “earnest desire” for tongues as an expression of the Spirit’s generosity toward you (1 Cor 14:1)! I don’t think God is a tease. If the Word conveys that his desire is to give a good gift, then regardless of our past experiences, we should press forward in pursuit of His promises. If we take this approach in other areas of our Christian formation (whether it be character, gifting, or calling), then it makes good sense to add perseverance to our approach here as well. So, I encourage you to come to Him with faith and anticipation, and see what He will do!
What does that look like practically?
So, if people aren’t supposed to be psyched up into speaking in tongues by having them rapidly repeat tongue-twisters, how do they actually start speaking in tongues? Part of the problem is that people don’t know what to expect to feel, experience or sound like. I mean, it’s one thing if we all heard a sound like a mighty wind, and noticed fire resting on one another’s heads like in Acts 2 – that in itself might cause us to burst out into incoherent language! But, in the absence of that very visible and extraordinary manifestation of God’s presence (which was never repeated throughout the New Testament), what should we expect to happen?
Here are some practical suggestions to help activate this gift in our lives:
1. God gives the ability to speak in tongues
It is obvious from our discussion of 1 Corinthians 12-14 that speaking in tongues must start with God extending this gift to us by the Spirit. This agrees nicely with Acts 2:4, where the text emphasizes that it was the Holy Spirit that gave the gathered believers the ability to speak in tongues. Now, this means there has to be some prior action on God’s part to position us to receive this gift. In principle, this ‘offer’ is already made to us through the outpoured Spirit at the start of the new age in Christ. But, in practice, each person must appropriate this gift and experience it subjectively (a bit like being born again). That means that divine timing and leadership must be at the core of this experience, just as with other expressions of God’s grace – like salvation, or healing, or prophecy. We are dependent upon his gracious initiative, and for this reason we pursue the gifts, just as the apostle Paul exhorted us to!
2. We must still decide to speak
Although the Spirit must take the initiative, we are also responsible to activate the gift he is providing through our decision to speak. This seems to me to be the clear implication of Acts 2:4, where after having been given the ability, the disciples “began to speak in other tongues.” This seems also to be the clear implication of 1 Corinthians 14:28, where speaking ‘in church’ versus ‘to himself and God’ is a conscious decision the Corinthians are expected to make when they consider whether anyone can ‘interpret’ tongues in a corporate gathering.
A helpful parallel here is the one Paul provides in 1 Corinthians – prophecy. Those who prophesy are not expected to be in a ‘trance’ or non-responsive state when they speak (unlike idolatrous practices in the ancient world). They have control over whether and how they prophesy (14:32). In other words, a prophet might discern something by the Spirit – a message, a vision, a timely word to be shared with the congregation. But, once they have discerned this, they must still speak this word to the community, trusting that they are hearing the Spirit correctly.
Speaking in tongues can be like this. You may sense something happening within – a feeling of warmth, a stirring in your heart, or an urge to praise God. But, you will then have to capitalize on that sense of Spiritual initiative and speak the syllables that emerge out of that inner reality.
3. The “laying on of hands” is a legitimate way to activate this gift
Some passages in the New Testament indicate that the Spirit and His gifts were imparted to believers through the laying on of hands – sometimes people of authority (like Paul in Acts 19), but sometimes by relatively unknown individuals (like Ananias in Acts 9). Of course, there are times when the Spirit simply descends without any ‘help’ from people (like at Cornelius’ house in Acts 10). But, there is value in asking others to pray for you, and to expect that the Spirit’s gifts may be released to you through their physical touch (like Timothy, as Paul noted in 2 Timothy 1:6)!
4. Our speaking is a stewardship
One final note worth considering is the exhortation given by Peter in 1 Peter 4:10 – “As each has received a gift (charisma), use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…” I think it is reasonable to think that speaking in tongues would be included in Peter’s idea of ways to speak by God’s grace here. If that’s true, we can see that he is challenging believers to manage well, or steward, this expression of the Spirit in order to serve others. Again this emphasizes the role of the believer in the development and use of tongues and puts a target before her/his eyes of loving service to others through it.
What shall we say then?
Speaking in tongues is a mysterious and beneficial expression of the Spirit that builds individuals and communities in Christ when it is stewarded well. It’s worth pursuing and it’s worth practicing. It is a good gift from a loving Father who enjoys seeing us trust Him in areas beyond our rational understanding. It furthers God’s Kingdom purposes and enables us to give thanks from the depth of our spirits. In order to speak in tongues, we watch for the Spirit’s initiative, and then respond according to the faith we have. We must steward this gift well, because although it is a manifestation of Spiritual life and power, speaking in tongues is not magic.
I mentioned in my last post that many believers I meet are interested in speaking in tongues, but are not sure if it’s something they should expect to experience. There are people who reject speaking in tongues because of a theological conviction, to be sure. But, for others, it’s a practical problem that makes them keep tongues at arm’s length: they are stumped about how to do it. And, because they are unsure about what is supposed to ‘happen,’ they have been frustrated or disappointed when they have asked God for this gift, or when others have tried (even with pure motives) to ‘help them’ speak in tongues without success. The conclusion is often that ‘tongues is not for everyone,’ and that ‘if God wants me to have this gift, He’ll just give it to me, so I’m not going to worry about pursuing it.’
I think both of these conclusions are mistaken. I think this because of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 14:5 and 14:1, which leads me to believe that tongues is something for ‘you all’ and that part of the key to experiencing this kind of Spirit-speech may be the pursuit of it. I think this because of the testimony of Acts, which presents speaking in tongues as a normal expression of the Spirit in the lives of believers. And, I think this because of the experiences of millions of people all over the world today, whose reception and practice of this Spiritual gift reflect these biblical realities.
What if I don’t speak in tongues?
First, you are not ‘second-class’ Christians if you have not yet experienced this gift! Sometimes those of us who speak in tongues can come across as if we are better than those who don’t. I am sorry for that. It’s not a healthy thing, and it’s certainly not true that we have ‘earned’ some kind of merit badge that our brothers and sisters who don’t speak in tongues have not. In fact, speaking in tongues is not a measure of Christian maturity, love for the Lord, or even effectiveness in ministry. There is no biblical author that points to speaking in tongues as a sign of Christlikeness (as far as we know, Jesus never spoke in tongues!) or as an indicator of one’s progress in holiness or piety. Now, to be sure, it is a good gift. But, all of the Spirit’s gifts are good, and you should certainly cultivate a sense of gratitude for those expressions of the Spirit that you are experiencing and stewarding for Christ’s glory!
Second, you can still be led by the Spirit in prayer even if you don’t pray in tongues. Clearly, the Spirit speaks to us and through us in a variety of ways as believers. As I’ve indicated throughout this blog, I believe speaking/praying in tongues is a valid form of Spiritual speech. But, being guided by the Spirit in prayer is a much broader reality than simply speaking in tongues. Open your ‘eyes and ears’ as you pray, and be attentive to other ways that He may want to communicate with you. Some people ‘see’ images or pictures in the ‘eyes of their heart’. Some people land on a particular Scripture passage that seems to be jumping off the pages. Some tend to hear things, either audibly or in the sense of an inner voice. One of the things we learn about God in Scripture is that He loves to communicate! I believe he knows how to speak in a way that you will understand as His child. So, take time to listen carefully, and pray passionately and faithfully in keeping with what you discern.
Third, consider this an invitation from the Lord to renew an “earnest desire” for tongues as an expression of the Spirit’s generosity toward you (1 Cor 14:1)! I don’t think God is a tease. If the Word conveys that his desire is to give a good gift, then regardless of our past experiences, we should press forward in pursuit of His promises. If we take this approach in other areas of our Christian formation (whether it be character, gifting, or calling), then it makes good sense to add perseverance to our approach here as well. So, I encourage you to come to Him with faith and anticipation, and see what He will do!
What does that look like practically?
So, if people aren’t supposed to be psyched up into speaking in tongues by having them rapidly repeat tongue-twisters, how do they actually start speaking in tongues? Part of the problem is that people don’t know what to expect to feel, experience or sound like. I mean, it’s one thing if we all heard a sound like a mighty wind, and noticed fire resting on one another’s heads like in Acts 2 – that in itself might cause us to burst out into incoherent language! But, in the absence of that very visible and extraordinary manifestation of God’s presence (which was never repeated throughout the New Testament), what should we expect to happen?
Here are some practical suggestions to help activate this gift in our lives:
1. God gives the ability to speak in tongues
It is obvious from our discussion of 1 Corinthians 12-14 that speaking in tongues must start with God extending this gift to us by the Spirit. This agrees nicely with Acts 2:4, where the text emphasizes that it was the Holy Spirit that gave the gathered believers the ability to speak in tongues. Now, this means there has to be some prior action on God’s part to position us to receive this gift. In principle, this ‘offer’ is already made to us through the outpoured Spirit at the start of the new age in Christ. But, in practice, each person must appropriate this gift and experience it subjectively (a bit like being born again). That means that divine timing and leadership must be at the core of this experience, just as with other expressions of God’s grace – like salvation, or healing, or prophecy. We are dependent upon his gracious initiative, and for this reason we pursue the gifts, just as the apostle Paul exhorted us to!
2. We must still decide to speak
Although the Spirit must take the initiative, we are also responsible to activate the gift he is providing through our decision to speak. This seems to me to be the clear implication of Acts 2:4, where after having been given the ability, the disciples “began to speak in other tongues.” This seems also to be the clear implication of 1 Corinthians 14:28, where speaking ‘in church’ versus ‘to himself and God’ is a conscious decision the Corinthians are expected to make when they consider whether anyone can ‘interpret’ tongues in a corporate gathering.
A helpful parallel here is the one Paul provides in 1 Corinthians – prophecy. Those who prophesy are not expected to be in a ‘trance’ or non-responsive state when they speak (unlike idolatrous practices in the ancient world). They have control over whether and how they prophesy (14:32). In other words, a prophet might discern something by the Spirit – a message, a vision, a timely word to be shared with the congregation. But, once they have discerned this, they must still speak this word to the community, trusting that they are hearing the Spirit correctly.
Speaking in tongues can be like this. You may sense something happening within – a feeling of warmth, a stirring in your heart, or an urge to praise God. But, you will then have to capitalize on that sense of Spiritual initiative and speak the syllables that emerge out of that inner reality.
3. The “laying on of hands” is a legitimate way to activate this gift
Some passages in the New Testament indicate that the Spirit and His gifts were imparted to believers through the laying on of hands – sometimes people of authority (like Paul in Acts 19), but sometimes by relatively unknown individuals (like Ananias in Acts 9). Of course, there are times when the Spirit simply descends without any ‘help’ from people (like at Cornelius’ house in Acts 10). But, there is value in asking others to pray for you, and to expect that the Spirit’s gifts may be released to you through their physical touch (like Timothy, as Paul noted in 2 Timothy 1:6)!
4. Our speaking is a stewardship
One final note worth considering is the exhortation given by Peter in 1 Peter 4:10 – “As each has received a gift (charisma), use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…” I think it is reasonable to think that speaking in tongues would be included in Peter’s idea of ways to speak by God’s grace here. If that’s true, we can see that he is challenging believers to manage well, or steward, this expression of the Spirit in order to serve others. Again this emphasizes the role of the believer in the development and use of tongues and puts a target before her/his eyes of loving service to others through it.
What shall we say then?
Speaking in tongues is a mysterious and beneficial expression of the Spirit that builds individuals and communities in Christ when it is stewarded well. It’s worth pursuing and it’s worth practicing. It is a good gift from a loving Father who enjoys seeing us trust Him in areas beyond our rational understanding. It furthers God’s Kingdom purposes and enables us to give thanks from the depth of our spirits. In order to speak in tongues, we watch for the Spirit’s initiative, and then respond according to the faith we have. We must steward this gift well, because although it is a manifestation of Spiritual life and power, speaking in tongues is not magic.
Posted in Tongues