Speaking in Tongues Defined

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.   (Acts 2:4, NET)

Speaking with (or in) tongues is “the supernatural gift of speaking in another language without it having been learnt.” The Greek word underlying this phrase is “glossa”, which means a tongue, either as the organ of the body or as a language. Hence, a modern theological term for speaking in tongues is “glossolalia”. Some modern translations render the KJV phrase “speak with other tongues” as “speak in foreign tongues” (Moffat), “speak in foreign languages” (Good speed), and “speak in different languages” (Phillips).
Click here to read the rest of, What does the Bible say about speaking in tongues? – Part 1

Comparison of the Accounts in Acts

We have investigated all five cases recorded in Scripture where people received the Holy Ghost. In three cases (Pentecost, Cornelius, Ephesus) those who received the Spirit immediately spoke in tongues. A fourth case (Samaria) does not explicitly describe any particular external manifestation but it clearly requires the presence of a miraculous, immediately identifiable outward sign, and most commentators agree this was speaking in tongues. In the fifth case (Paul) the Bible gives no description of the Spirit baptism, but later reveals that the recipient spoke in tongues throughout his Christian life. Click here to read the rest of, What does the Bible say about speaking in tongues? – Part 2

Image by: Paul M. Walsh

Not a Sign of the Spirit’s Abiding Presence

Speaking in tongues is the initial sign of receiving the Spirit, but by itself it does not prove the abiding presence of the Spirit. Many more important evidences of the Spirit’s abiding presence exist, such as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). In particular, love is the ultimate test of true discipleship (John 13:34-35). The true child of God will love God, obey His commandments, walk after the Spirit, and be led by the Spirit (I John 2:3-5; Romans 8:4, 14). In the absence of these characteristics, speaking in tongues does not guarantee that the Spirit dwells in one and controls his life.

Click here to read the rest of, What does the Bible say about speaking in tongues? – Part 3 (Final)