What Does the Bible Say About Speaking in Tongues?
A Biblical Guide to the Gift of Tongues
Few subjects in Christianity generate as much discussion and disagreement as speaking in tongues. Some Christians consider tongues one of the clearest signs of the Holy Spirit. Others believe the biblical gift refers primarily to the miraculous ability to speak languages one had never learned. Still others understand some passages as allowing a form of Spirit-inspired speech that may not be understood by the speaker or congregation.
So, what does the Bible actually say?
A careful reading of Scripture shows that speaking in tongues was a genuine gift of the Holy Spirit, but the Bible also places important boundaries around its use. The purpose of spiritual gifts is not to elevate an individual but to glorify God, communicate the gospel, and build up the church.
From an Adventist perspective, the strongest biblical evidence indicates that the gift of tongues normally refers to real human languages miraculously spoken by people who had not learned them. This is especially clear in Acts 2. At the same time, Paul's reference to "the tongues of men and of angels" in 1 Corinthians 13:1 deserves consideration. It leaves open the possibility that Paul was acknowledging a heavenly or angelic mode of communication, although the passage does not necessarily establish that believers regularly receive an "angelic language" as the gift of tongues.
What Is the Gift of Tongues?
The Bible lists tongues among the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit.
Paul writes:
"For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit... to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues."
—1 Corinthians 12:8–10
Notice that tongues are one gift among many.
Paul does not teach that every Christian will receive the same gift. In fact, he asks:
"Do all speak with tongues?"
—1 Corinthians 12:30
The obvious answer is no.
This is important because Scripture never presents speaking in tongues as the required evidence that a person has received the Holy Spirit. God gives spiritual gifts "as He wills" (1 Corinthians 12:11), and the gifts are given "for the profit of all" (1 Corinthians 12:7).
The Biblical Research Institute likewise notes that tongues is only one of several gifts and is not presented as an essential sign that a person possesses the Holy Spirit.
Speaking in Tongues at Pentecost
The clearest biblical example of the gift of tongues occurs at Pentecost.
Acts 2 describes the disciples being filled with the Holy Spirit and beginning to "speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4).
What happened next is particularly significant.
Jerusalem was filled with people from many different nations. They heard the disciples speaking and said:
"We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."
—Acts 2:11
The miracle was not simply that the disciples made sounds nobody understood. The remarkable feature was that people from different linguistic backgrounds heard the gospel in their own languages.
This makes perfect sense in light of Christ's command to take the gospel "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
The gift of tongues therefore served a clear missionary purpose: people who spoke different languages could hear the message about Jesus.
This understanding is also reflected in Adventist biblical scholarship, which regards Acts 2 as the clearest biblical example of tongues and understands the languages there as genuine human languages.
What About the Tongues in Corinth?
The most difficult passages concerning tongues occur in 1 Corinthians 12–14.
The Corinthian church had many spiritual gifts, but the members were not always using them properly. Spiritual gifts had become associated with competition, status, and disorder.
Paul therefore spends considerable time correcting their understanding.
His central principle is simple:
Spiritual gifts should build up the church.
He says:
"Let all things be done for edification."
—1 Corinthians 14:26
That principle should guide our understanding of everything Paul says about tongues.
If someone speaks in a language that nobody in the congregation understands, the church cannot benefit unless the message is interpreted.
Paul therefore says:
"Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret."
—1 Corinthians 14:13
And later:
"If there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God."
—1 Corinthians 14:28
This is one of the strongest principles in the entire discussion.
Paul does not encourage public speaking in tongues when nobody can understand what is being said.
"No One Understands Him"
Some readers point to 1 Corinthians 14:2:
"For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him."
At first, this sounds as though Paul is describing a mysterious spiritual language.
However, there is another reasonable explanation.
Imagine a person who speaks Chinese in a congregation where nobody else understands Chinese. The speaker is communicating meaningful words, but the congregation cannot understand them. To the congregation, the message sounds mysterious because they do not know the language.
That fits Paul's emphasis throughout the chapter. He repeatedly contrasts understandable communication with speech that cannot be understood by the congregation.
Paul asks:
"If I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?"
—1 Corinthians 14:6
His concern is not whether the language is supernatural. His concern is whether anyone is being helped by it.
"Tongues of Men and of Angels"
There is, however, an important passage that deserves careful attention.
Paul says:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."
—1 Corinthians 13:1
This verse is sometimes used to argue that Paul specifically taught the existence of an angelic prayer language.
That conclusion is possible, but it should not be stated more strongly than the text allows.
Paul is making a powerful rhetorical point about the supremacy of love. He says, essentially, even if I possessed the most extraordinary ability to communicate imaginable—even human languages and angelic languages—without love, it would mean nothing.
There are at least two ways Christians have understood this passage.
One possibility is that Paul is using "tongues of angels" as a hypothetical expression to emphasize the greatest imaginable form of communication. In this interpretation, Paul is not defining a special angelic language for Christian worship.
Another possibility is that Paul is acknowledging that there can be heavenly or angelic communication beyond ordinary human languages. Scripture certainly portrays angels communicating with human beings, and heaven is not limited by human linguistic boundaries.
The important point is that 1 Corinthians 13:1 does not by itself establish that modern believers should seek or practice an unintelligible "angelic language." Even the Adventist Biblical Research Institute acknowledges that this verse is central to the discussion, while concluding that the broader biblical evidence strongly favors languages when describing the spiritual gift of tongues.
Therefore, it is reasonable to acknowledge the possibility of heavenly or angelic communication without making it the foundation of a doctrine that Scripture does not clearly establish.
Does "Tongues" Always Mean Known Human Languages?
The evidence is strongest for understanding the biblical gift as languages, particularly in Acts 2.
The Greek word commonly translated "tongue" is glōssa. It can refer to the physical tongue, but it is also used for languages.
Acts 2 makes the meaning especially clear because the people present identified the languages they were hearing.
The same general terminology appears in the passages describing tongues in Acts 10 and Acts 19.
For this reason, an Adventist understanding generally sees the gift as the Spirit-given ability to communicate in a language previously unknown to the speaker, particularly for the purpose of spreading the gospel.
This also fits the larger biblical purpose of spiritual gifts.
God does not give gifts simply to make someone appear spiritually impressive. He gives them to accomplish His mission.
What About "Unknown Tongues"?
Some Bible translations use the expression "unknown tongue" in 1 Corinthians 14. This can sometimes create the impression that the Bible explicitly teaches a special category of heavenly or ecstatic speech.
However, the word "unknown" in some older translations does not necessarily mean that the speaker was using a supernatural language. It can mean that the language was unknown to the people hearing it.
That distinction matters.
A language can be perfectly meaningful to the speaker while being completely unintelligible to the congregation.
This explains why Paul repeatedly emphasizes interpretation.
If a person speaks in another language and nobody understands it, someone needs to interpret so that the congregation can benefit.
Paul Does Not Forbid Tongues
It would also be incorrect to say that Paul rejected the gift.
He did not.
Paul himself says:
"I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all."
—1 Corinthians 14:18
And he concludes:
"Do not forbid to speak with tongues."
—1 Corinthians 14:39
This is important.
The biblical position is not "tongues are always wrong."
Instead, Paul's position is:
Use spiritual gifts properly, intelligently, and for the benefit of others.
He places prophecy above uninterpreted tongues in a public worship setting because prophecy communicates directly to the congregation.
"He who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men."
—1 Corinthians 14:3
If tongues are interpreted, however, they can also contribute to the building up of the church (1 Corinthians 14:5).
"Let All Things Be Done Decently and in Order"
One of Paul's most important statements comes near the end of his discussion:
"For God is not the author of confusion but of peace."
—1 Corinthians 14:33
Then he concludes:
"Let all things be done decently and in order."
—1 Corinthians 14:40
This principle applies far beyond speaking in tongues.
A genuine work of the Holy Spirit does not require chaos, manipulation, competition, or spiritual showmanship.
The Holy Spirit produces a life centered on Christ.
Therefore, if someone claims to possess a spiritual gift, the biblical questions should include:
- Does it glorify Jesus?
- Does it agree with Scripture?
- Does it build up other believers?
- Does it communicate truth?
- Does it produce spiritual fruit?
- Is it exercised with self-control?
- Does it promote love rather than spiritual superiority?
- Is there interpretation when public tongues are used?
These questions are much more important than simply asking whether an experience feels supernatural.
Speaking in Tongues Is Not the Same as Being Filled With the Holy Spirit
Another important biblical correction concerns the idea that every Spirit-filled Christian must speak in tongues.
The Bible does not teach this.
Paul describes many gifts:
- wisdom
- knowledge
- faith
- healing
- miracles
- prophecy
- discernment
- tongues
- interpretation
- helps
- administration
(See 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, 28–30.)
Then he asks:
"Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? ... Do all speak with tongues?"
—1 Corinthians 12:29–30
The expected answer is no.
The Holy Spirit distributes gifts individually.
A Christian who does not speak in tongues is not therefore spiritually inferior.
In fact, Paul deliberately places the emphasis elsewhere.
After discussing the gifts, he begins 1 Corinthians 13 with the words:
"And yet I show you a more excellent way."
—1 Corinthians 12:31
That more excellent way is love.
The Greatest Evidence of the Holy Spirit
It is possible to become so fascinated with supernatural gifts that we overlook the character God wants to develop in us.
Paul could speak about tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, and miracles, yet he says that without love they amount to nothing.
Jesus also emphasized the fruit produced in a person's life.
The evidence of God's work is not merely a dramatic spiritual experience. It is a transformed life.
Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit as:
- love
- joy
- peace
- longsuffering
- kindness
- goodness
- faithfulness
- gentleness
- self-control
These qualities should never be pushed aside in the pursuit of spiritual gifts.
The Holy Spirit gives gifts, but He also produces Christlike character.
What About Modern Speaking in Tongues?
Modern forms of speaking in tongues should not automatically be equated with the biblical gift.
There are sincere Christians who practice tongues today and believe they are experiencing a genuine work of the Holy Spirit. Christians should therefore approach the subject with humility rather than ridicule.
At the same time, Scripture gives us permission—even the responsibility—to test spiritual experiences.
John writes:
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God."
—1 John 4:1
Paul likewise tells believers to "test all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
The question is not simply, "Was this an intense spiritual experience?"
The better question is:
"Does this experience agree with Scripture and produce the kind of spiritual fruit that points people to Jesus?"
The Adventist Biblical Research Institute concludes that the biblical evidence for tongues as languages is strong and cautions against automatically identifying modern glossolalia with the New Testament gift.
A Balanced Biblical View
A biblical view of speaking in tongues avoids two extremes.
The first extreme is saying that tongues are meaningless or that God could never use such a gift. Scripture clearly says that tongues were a genuine gift of the Holy Spirit.
The other extreme is saying that everyone must speak in tongues to demonstrate that they have the Holy Spirit. Scripture clearly does not teach that.
Instead, the Bible presents tongues as one spiritual gift among many.
At Pentecost, the gift enabled the disciples to communicate the gospel across language barriers. In Corinth, Paul addressed problems caused by the misuse of the gift and insisted that public worship remain understandable and orderly.
And when we encounter Paul's remarkable reference to "the tongues of men and of angels," we should acknowledge the possibility that he was referring to heavenly communication while also recognizing that the passage does not clearly establish a modern practice of speaking an angelic language.
The safest approach is to let the clearer passages interpret the more difficult ones.
What Should Christians Learn From Paul's Teaching?
Perhaps the greatest lesson about speaking in tongues is not actually about tongues.
It is about why God gives spiritual gifts.
Spiritual gifts are not trophies.
They are not evidence that one Christian is more important than another.
They are not opportunities to draw attention to ourselves.
They are gifts given by God for service.
Paul says:
"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all."
—1 Corinthians 12:7
That should settle the central question.
If a spiritual gift helps people understand God's Word, draws them closer to Christ, advances the gospel, strengthens the church, and operates according to biblical principles, it is fulfilling the purpose for which God gives spiritual gifts.
But if a supposed spiritual experience produces pride, confusion, competition, disorder, or spiritual superiority, it should be carefully examined.
Final Thoughts: Seek the Giver, Not Just the Gift
The Bible does teach speaking in tongues. It presents tongues as a genuine spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit.
The clearest biblical example, Pentecost, involves recognizable human languages miraculously spoken by people who had not learned them. The evidence in 1 Corinthians also strongly supports understanding tongues in terms of languages, although some passages are more difficult and Paul's reference to "the tongues of men and of angels" allows room for discussion about heavenly communication.
But Paul ultimately directs our attention somewhere more important.
Love.
Faithful Christian living is not about collecting spiritual experiences. It is about knowing Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our lives.
We should therefore seek the gifts God chooses to give, but we should seek the Giver even more.
And whatever spiritual gift God gives us, Paul's instruction remains:
"Let all things be done for edification."
—1 Corinthians 14:26
That is the biblical standard.
Does it build others up? Does it glorify Christ? Does it agree with Scripture? Does it operate in love and order?
Those questions should guide every Christian discussion about speaking in tongues.
