There has been considerable confusion and debate within the Christian community regarding what the Bible meant when the disciples of Christ spoke in tongues. The term “speaking in a different tongue” and what it really means from a biblical perspective have been the subject of numerous debate for several centuries, following the release of various translations of the Bible around the world. When the expression “speaking in tongues” is often cited, there are two popular theories that come to mind.
Theory 1
Some Bible scholars or pastors, particularly in Africa, believe that when the disciples of Christ spoke in tongues during the Pentecost festival in Jerusalem, it was an indication that they were speaking in heavenly anointed languages that were not known to others.
Theory 2
Other scholars argue that the disciples’ ability to speak in tongue was a sign that they had been blessed with the ability to communicate and understand numerous languages, which explains why they were able to spread the gospel to various nations.
If we accept the second theory, which I will use as the primary focus of this article, it is important to examine the Book of Genesis to determine the origins of the languages we use today.
According to the Bible, humanity only spoke one language for a while after the flood. The origin of our present language diversity can be traced back to the time of Nimrod, the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, and great-grandson of Noah.
The heinous deed committed by Nimrod in the land of Shinar (Babylonia), wherein he attempted to construct a tower of such immense height that he believed would grant him access to heaven, proved to be a disastrous undertaking. After Nimrod’s failed attempt to sabotage the kingdom of heaven, God fashioned more languages to ensure that mankind would no longer join forces with the devil to undermine His divine order. It is believed that this is why there are many languages spoken by people.
Presently, around 6,500 languages are spoken all over the world. Papua New Guinea boasts the highest number of languages and dialects. At some point in our lives, we all encounter difficulties communicating with someone who speaks a different language than our own. Even talking to someone who uses a different dialect of the same language can be frustrating.
The reason I started by explaining the history of the many languages we use today is to establish a connection between the phrase “speaking in tongue” and why it might have been misinterpreted. The purpose of this article is to clarify the true meaning of the phrase “speaking in tongues,” by using bible passages to guide the discussion.
To begin with, the Bible explains that there was a period when everyone on Earth spoke the same language. That is evident from the Book of Genesis.
1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.
Genesis 11:1
As I previously explained, the ancient humans communicated in one language after the flood. However, the situation shifted when evil arose within the psyches of mankind. All of this can be traced back to Shinar, a city located in Babylon, where mankind decided to construct a massive structure in the hope of overthrowing the supreme power and authority of the Most High God. The Book of Genesis also provides further explanation.
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language, so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the entire earth.
Genesis 11:5-9
The incident that transpired in the land of Shinar, which was later renamed as Babel, was a blatant defiance against the Most High, which was commanded by none other than Nimrod. This event caused God to cause the people to lose their understanding of each other, which prevented them from having any thoughts of committing evil. The conflation in their language was a retribution for their transgressions against God. In his book, The Antiquities of the Jews, Flavius Josephus, a Roman-Jewish historian, provided a more comprehensive account of the events that transpired to the people of Shinar after their transgression against the Most High.
When God saw that they acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly, since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the former sinners, but he caused a tumult among them, by producing in them divers languages, and causing that, through the multitude of those languages, they should not be able to understand one another.
Flavius Josephus, (antiquities of the Jews)
It is the result of man’s pride and sin that led to the creation of so many languages. The place once known as Shinar was later referred to as Babel, as it was that very territory where man had chosen to defy the directives of their creator. Hence, its designation was given the name Babel, as the Lord caused confusion in the language of all the earth. The Hebrew version of the name Babel is attributed to the verb balal in Genesis 11:9. According to the first-century Roman-Jewish author Flavius Josephus, the name derives from the Hebrew word Babel, which means “confused.” This is the reason even the Cambridge Dictionary has defined the term ‘Babel’ as the confusion of sounds emanating from different voices.
The confusing sound of many people talking at the same time or using different languages:
Cambridge Dictionary
The transgressions committed by mankind in Babel made it challenging for everyone to get along. This resulted in a massive exodus from the land of babel, as each man had to seek refuge in a place where they could start fresh and cultivate their dialect and, later on, their civilization. The way God dealt with the people involved in the Tower of Babel made it difficult for everyone to understand each other. As time passed, this explained why the followers of Christ were unable to converse with other nations in a single tongue. This essentially meant that the gospel was unable to be disseminated throughout various nations because they were unable to comprehend one another.
The book of Acts explains how God gave the followers of Christ the ability to speak in one language. This helped everyone understand each other and praise God.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment because each one heard their language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our tongues!”
Acts 2:4-11
The events in Jerusalem, during the Feast of Pentecost, marked a complete opposite to what transpired at the Tower of Babel. The goodness of God once again enabled man to speak in a common, universal language when it came to praising his holy name. The confusion of languages that occurred during the babel period no longer posed a hindrance to the gospel because the apostles were able to convey the word of God without encountering any difficulties. Furthermore, the capacity to speak in various tongues served as a signal to those who don’t believe in God to hear His words. The Apostle Paul made mention of this matter in the book of Corinthians.
22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.
1 Corinthians 14:22
This passage is significant, as Christ instructed his followers to travel to all nations and spread the good news about God. This couldn’t have happened because each country had different languages and cultures. But because the disciples were filled with the spirit of the living God, they were able to speak in different languages. This realization renders the gift of speaking in tongues crucial to the gospel message, as it enabled the disciples to reach a wider audience.
How Christians misunderstood what it means to speak in tongues
Many modern Christians continue to confuse what it means to speak in tongues, and some charismatic churches still teach it the wrong way. I’m sharing this from a personal experience story because I was once part of a group called the Catholic charismatic revival. It required the intervention of God to relinquish certain knowledge that I acquired from those groups. Most catholic charismatic and Pentecostal believers confuse the gift of speaking in tongues with murmuring in an unknown language, which, I believe, is bizarre and devoid of knowledge. I’ll discuss this later in this article.
Furthermore, some sections of Christians seem to hold the belief that speaking in tongues is evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, that is not what the Bible teaches. The book of the Corinthians gives more details about this when Paul attempted to explain what it meant to be filled with the Holy Spirit by asking a rhetorical question to show that not everyone could speak in tongues.
28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues?
1 Corinthians 12:28-30
All the rhetorical questions Paul posed are met with a categorical no. We are not all apostles, prophets, teachers, or miracle workers, and we do not all possess the ability to speak in tongues or interpret it accurately. To emphasize my point, Paul added that gifts are given based on a case-by-case basis, depending on the circumstance.
8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 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. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11
We can learn from this passage that the apostle Paul does not say that everyone receives the gift of tongues. He says, “to one is given the word of wisdom, to another different kinds of tongues.” Additionally, he explains that the gifts are given individually as the spirits will. As the Bible clearly demonstrates the contrary, it is incorrect to assert that everyone is granted the gift of speaking in tongues.
To return to my point, so many modern churches have been conditioned to believe that the gift of speaking in tongues is related to uttering gibberish in unknown languages. According to the Bible, speaking in tongues is a divine gift that allows one to speak and comprehend a known language, which can be interpreted by others. This gift was important because it allowed the followers of Christ to share the message of Christ with everyone in the world. This means that if an African preacher travels to Spain to convey the message of God to the populace, despite his lack of proficiency in the Spanish language, the Holy Spirit can use him to convey that message. The spirit of the living God can inspire believers to speak and pray in any language to help spread the true message of God. It’s a gift that goes along with understanding.
Even though the scripture may be enshrouded in metaphors and clearly crafted as a moral guideline, certain individuals still encounter difficulties in understanding it. Unfortunately, this is the case for most modern-day pastors. Some of them continue to mumble in strange dialects, claiming that it’s the Holy Spirit who gives them the ability to speak in tongues. Sadly, their followers can’t understand much of what they say. This is the reason the apostle Paul stated in the book of Corinthians that:
When we encounter conflicting opinions about gospel truths, it is good to remember that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace”
1 Corinthians 14:33
The purpose of speaking in tongues is to help others understand the message God wants you to reveal to them. When one mumbles in unidentified languages and then moves around in circles to elicit the impression of speaking in tongues, they are no different from the pagan nations. The book of Matthew provides a compelling example of this:
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew chapter 6:7-8
Paul also provided a clear explanation of this in the book of Corinthians.
13 For this reason, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise, when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.
1 Corinthians 14:13-17
Much of what has been labelled as “speaking in tongues” by modern churches is actually just babel because babel causes confusion. The gift of tongues was intended to make the message easier to understand and not harder. Today, a lot of what’s called “speaking in tongues” in most modern churches is actually just babel, which refers to a miscommunication of languages. The gift of tongues was intended to make the message easier to understand and not harder.
My conclusion
Talking in an unknown language you don’t know doesn’t mean you’re filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can possess us for the betterment of others without causing a state of confusion. The only instances in Scripture where someone loses control of their words are when possessed by a demon. This is the reason we were instructed not to trust every spirit, but to examine them to see if they came from the living God.
I’ll say it again, the devil is driven by a desire to cause chaos in the household of God. God is not the one who creates such confusion. The truth is that many people only speak in tongues because they want to feel or appear more spiritually superior to others, not because they are filled with the Holy Spirit. They see it as a way to boost their self-esteem and establish themselves as spiritual leaders in the congregation. This was the exact attitude that Nimrod displayed, which resulted in the confusion in Babel. Nimrod was determined to establish himself as the most powerful man in the world, so God punished him with a life of shame.
It is stated in the Bible that gifts are given to help the church grow, not to make one person feel better than another. The Spirit of the living God gives us gifts to help spread the message of God. We should ask God to give us these gifts. If God gave you a special ability, use it to spread the message of salvation and make his kingdom even bigger.
Makewetalknow 