500 words or less: Speaking in tongues

I recently received an email from one of the College students at our church asking about speaking in tongues. As a Pentecostal Church, the gift of tongues is something we believe in and practice, but I’ve found that younger Pentecostals often struggle with this issue, as many of them have come from churches that have not modeled a healthy understanding or expression of this gift.

The following is my response (edited for this blog) to a question about whether to expect tongues as a part of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. There is much, much more to say about this, but it’s what I can do in 500 words or less:

Hey Denise,

That’s a GREAT question! I think our tribe (Foursquare) has sometimes made too much of tongues and other times not enough of it.

I say too much because some have been so aggressive about this that they have scared others away who often end up thinking that God must not want to give them this gift at all.

And that’s too bad, because Biblically there is great reason to believe that God would make this gift available for Christians who are open to it. For instance, in Acts when the Gospel is taken to any new people group (Jews; Gentile converts to Judaism; “Secular” Gentiles) spiritual language is a clear sign of initial transformative encounter with the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore 1 Corinthians 12-14 makes us believe this isn’t just for some. Paul, inspired by God, says he would like everyone to speak in tongues (1 Cor 14:5).  This isn’t simply hyperbole; this section of Scripture teaches us that all of the spiritual manifestations are available to work through any Spirit-filled believer as the Lord sees fit for His purposes.

When Paul asks, “do all speak in tongues?” he is referring to public Body-life in the local church, where all ministry is to be done for the benefit of others (1 Cor 12:7-30). In this context he seems to be asking, “Does everyone publicly speak in tongues with accompanying interpretation when we gather?” The answer to that question would, of course, be “no”.

Then in chapter 14 we find the gift of tongues that isn’t interpreted is intended for private use, and that it is the one spiritual manifestation given to us for self-edification. This isn’t a gift God gives through us for others, but one He gives to us for us. Any believer would benefit from this grace that allows them to build themselves up in the Lord, which is one of the reasons I carry a general expectation that those who are baptized with the Spirit will have access to spiritual language.

Regarding your question about why some who seek don’t “get” it? One reason (not the only one) I’ve discovered is that some believers struggle with thinking they sound foolish. I like to remind them that our Christian life is based on the reality that we are dead to ourselves, and that God lives through us; the gift of tongues is a great reflection of this reality. In tongues, God is pleased to pray things through us that we wouldn’t know to pray on our own and in a way we could not do on our own.

So continue to seek God for this gift—remember, it’s OK to ask God for specific gifts (14:1). Instead of grasping for the gift, though, boldly and thankfully approach the Giver and be prepared for a special encounter with Him in His time. Ultimately, it’s not something to stress out over, but press into God, be open and expectant for all He has, and joyfully embrace your journey with Him wherever He takes you.