Does the Gift of Tongues Continue Today?

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“One who speaks in a tongue… utters mysteries in the Spirit.”

1 Cor. 14:2

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Speaking in Tongues
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The Overflow of Acts

​Sometimes you can’t squeeze everything into a sermon.  So what do you do with these precious gems?  I’ve decided to put these items from our current series in our newsletter and entitle it the “Overflow of Acts.”

One of the issues that comes up with the initial chapters of Acts is the contemporary debate regarding speaking in tongues.  Does this gift, along with the other miraculous gifts, continue in the church today?

Historically, the Reformed church has said no.  While there have been some recent groups who fall under the Reformed umbrella who have argued for the continuation of certain gifts, they have been a minority.  

Of course, the Assemblies of God churches, and other groups that identify as Pentecostal or Charismatic, have strongly advocated for their continuation.  Some of these have even gone so far as to say that to have the (so called) second blessing and live the higher spiritual life God calls us to, you must speak in tongues.

Why has the church traditionally been against such a view though?  The answer is found in the text of Scripture.

First, most Christians (even those who advocate for continuationism) readily recognize that there are temporary expressions of gifts and gifts that were temporary.  For instance, miracles did not happen all the time in the history of redemption.  The performance of miracles came in spurts, typically surrounding epochs where God’s revelation was coming forth in a new and significant way.  One might think of the time of Moses, Elijah/Elisha, and Jesus and his apostles.  Outside these particular moments of time, we do not have record of any miracles being performed (including, interestingly, the time of the great patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob).

In sum, Scripture recognizes that the performance of miracles was usually a relatively brief expression of God’s power.

Furthermore, the gift of apostleship is ordinarily seen as a temporary gift.  While there are some who would champion the continuing gift of apostleship today, those are usually fringe groups who often stand outside the bounds of orthodoxy.  Most Christians understand that the qualifications of apostleship (i.e. seeing the Lord Jesus and being with him during his earthly ministry) disqualifies everyone today.  

All in all, much of what we see in Scripture is what we might call “ordinary ministry”  The things that were extraordinary were often limited in their scope of activity.

But what about speaking in tongues?  What evidence do we have that its practice has ceased?  

There are four basic texts to consider:  The book of Acts, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and the Book of Hebrews.

THE BOOK OF ACTS
First, it is important to understand the book of Acts and the place of tongues in it.  Many will say that the Pentecost event, along with the subsequent instances where people received the Spirit and were recorded as speaking in other languages, is normative for the Christian life.  The Bible says they did it, so that’s the way it must be today.

Yet, one of the rules of proper Bible interpretation is that narrative passages are descriptive, and not always prescriptive.  Events are described, but not necessarily to be regarded as laying down a pattern that is to be universally followed.

Follow that up with the fact that not everyone who converts in Acts is said to speak in tongues.  Tongues speaking seems to occur only in special instances.

It is also important to understand the structure of Acts and the purpose of the tongues speaking in the book.  The Book of Acts shows how the gospel breaks through boundaries and spreads to far off lands and divergent peoples.  The theme of the book is that the apostles would be Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (1:8).

It is not without significance that the first outpouring of the Spirit comes in Jerusalem and the second occurs in Samaria.  Add to this the fact that, Cornelius, a God fearing Gentile, speaks in tongues (Acts 10).  Then, finally, some Ephesian converts speak in tongues in Acts 19.  

It should be noted that the outpourings of the Spirit and the tongues speaking seems to follow a pattern.  It was designed to confirm the expansion of the church.  As the gospel moves from traditional Jews to people living in pagan lands, the Spirit gives His affirmation of the change in a dramatic fashion.

Again, the issue does not seem to be normative.  It seems to be a particular display of miraculous activity.  God’s purpose was not showing us what we must do.  Rather it was designed to confirm the radical expansion of God’s kingdom as it reached beyond the typical boundaries it had up to that point.

1 CORINTHIANS
The book of 1 Corinthians has a rather lengthy section devoted to tongues speaking and prophecy.  Paul’s main point in chapters 12-14 can be summarized this way:

1. The gift of tongues exists.  Various people may have it as the Spirit so blesses (chapter 12).
2. All gifts are to be subservient to our love for one another (13).
3. Tongues (and other miraculous gifts) will cease at some point (13:8).
4. Tongues should not be an individual expression in the context of corporate worship.  They should be accompanied by an interpreter so that the rest of the congregation can be edified.

Angelic Speech?
You may notice that I did not list the notion that there are “tongues of angels” per 1 Cor. 13:1.  Some take this to be an unknown human language that one may speak by divine utterance.  It is, so they say, a special heavenly language used only by angels.

In regards to this, it should be noted that whenever angels speak in the Scripture it is always an understandable language.  What’s more, we do not have any other Scriptural teaching that angels have their own language.  

More importantly, the first several verses of chapter 13 lists exaggerations that probably were not meant to really exist (e.g. faith that moves mountains, understanding all mysteries, giving away all I have, delivering up my body to be burned).  It is hard to make a case that angels have their own mode of communication from this passage.  It may more likely be a figurative way of saying “if I have really eloquent and persuasive speech.”

Does Regulation Imply Continuation?
In 1 Cor. 14 Paul gave some instruction on how the gift of tongues should be expressed within the corporate gatherings of worship.  Some people today take this to mean that tongues speaking ought to continue today.  Paul regulates the practice, he does not stop it, so the argument goes.

But regulation does not necessarily imply continuation.  As a matter of fact, in the very same letter Paul puts some regulations in place regarding women who were publicly praying and prophesying.  If they were going to be doing that, they need to be wearing a head covering.  But, later in the epistle, Paul circles back and says that a woman ought not to speak at all in worship.  His initial regulation is ultimately eclipsed by the latter prohibition.

There is no doubt that the gift of tongues had a proper place in the early church’s worship.  Those who had the ability to do so could speak in tongues individually on their own, or in public worship when they had an interpreter.  The question needs to be asked whether it was to continue.

Tongues will Cease, but when?
The proponent of speaking in tongues will note that Paul does say that tongues will cease.  However, they will point out that this cessation will occur when Jesus returns and we see him “face to face.”  This, they point out, is an obvious prooftext for the continuation of the gift through the New Covenant era.

While we appreciate the interest of looking to the text of Scripture, we must make sure we look at the text in the appropriate way.  The question must be asked whether Paul is truly concerned with tongues speaking (and the continuation of prophecy and knowledge).

The focus of Paul in 1 Cor. 13:8-12 is on the knowledge we have of the Lord and the enduring notion of love.  Presently, we see through a glass darkly.  That is to say, we live by faith in what has been revealed, trusting that this minimal understanding of Christ we have is legitimate.  Our knowledge (however it may come, be it via the miraculous power of tongues, prophetic utterances, or special gifts of knowledge) is not everything that it should be.  

But, one day, it will be a full knowledge.  When we see Christ face to face, our limitations will be lifted and we will know Christ in the ultimate and most satisfactory way.

All in all, Paul’s argument in these verses isn’t so much with the duration of the gifts as it is with the limitation of them.  There is something more that we have to look forward to; something that these silly gifts you Corinthians are arguing about cannot begin to fathom.  Thus, the greatest concern we should have is love, which is so much superior to these other fleeting things.

Tongues as a Revelatory Gift
When it comes to the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians, one must focus on what Paul says in 14:2.  He says that the one who speaks in a tongue “utters mysteries in the Spirit.”  O Palmer Robertson notes that a brief study of the Greek word mysterion will show that it has a particular meaning in the New Testament.  It is expressive of the gospel, which was once hidden and has only come to be made known in the appearing of Jesus.

In sum, the word mysterion has to do with the revelation of God.  The one who speaks in a tongue utters mysteries in that they are speaking a message which God is imparting.  Thus, in Paul’s eyes, the one who speaks in a tongue is speaking a prophetic message.  That’s why he needs an interpreter.

EPHESIANS
Why does this notion that tongues is a prophetic gift matter?  It is because of what Paul says in Ephesians 4:20.  The apostle says that the church is built “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.”

The comparison to a house’s foundation is important.  Once a foundation is laid, the house is built upon it.  One does not lay any further foundation.  The house is, rather, constructed upwards from it.

This then implies that any ongoing revelation is not possible.  The apostles and prophets have laid the foundation.  They have revealed all that is needed for the church to be built.  All the doctrine that God’s people require for life and faith is completed with the apostles and prophets.  

So, it may be concluded, that there is no further need for these revelatory gifts to continue.

HEBREWS
Lastly, we turn to Hebrews 1.  The opening line of that epistle reads thus: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”

This line is significant for several reasons.  First, Hebrews is recognized as being one of the last New Testament books written.  The author begins his epistle by noting that God had spoke by the prophets, but he indicates that those prophets are now finished speaking.

Second, the author notes that the prophets are finished speaking because that God has, in these last days, spoken in His Son.  The clearest and fullest message has been given.  The Word made flesh is, in many respects, is the last word; the fullest revelation that God could ever give.

It is true that the apostles and prophets spoke after Jesus came, but their work was an interpretive one.  Their job was to clarify who Jesus was, what he had done, and what that means for us now.  Once they had provided that corpus of truth, there would be no further need for anything more.  God’s Son who is revealed in the Scriptures of the New Testament, would be the final word.  No further prophetic utterance or tongue would need to be spoken because the Redeemer of God’s elect has been revealed.

Conclusion
As a recap, we can note that there is no one verse that says, “Tongues will end at 3:30 pm Saturday afternoon in the year 55 AD.”  However, as we look at the totality of what the New Testament says, we can make a case for the cessation of the gift of tongues (and the other miraculous gifts).  

As we think about the purpose of tongues in Acts we can see that tongues was not to be a normative gift for the church.  Furthermore, when we factor in the details in 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and Hebrews we gain a fuller understanding of the revelatory nature of the gift and how it would eventually be eclipsed by the New Testament canon.

Our interest, then, as Christians, is not to be the pursuit of tongues speaking or a concern for an unintelligible, supernatural gift.  Our focus is to be on what God has clearly revealed and how we might conform ourselves to it more faithfully.