What is the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues?

from the old testament

• The Old Testament does not describe the gift of tongues, but it does set the background for understanding why such a gift would one day be needed. At Babel, God divided human language as judgment against mankind’s pride, scattering the nations and creating barriers between peoples (Genesis 11:7-9). This scattering shows how sin fractured human unity and made communication across nations difficult. While the Old Testament never presents the solution, it prepares the way for what the New Testament reveals: God Himself would one day overcome this barrier by His Spirit.

from the new testament

• The New Testament shows how God began to reverse the confusion of Babel through the gift of tongues. At Pentecost, the Spirit enabled the apostles to proclaim “the mighty works of God” in the native languages of the gathered nations (Acts 2:4-11). What sin divided, God overcame by His Spirit, so that people from every tongue could hear the gospel clearly. This event shows that the gift of tongues was clear and purposeful communication, directed by God for the advancement of His kingdom in the early church.
• Paul later explains the use of tongues within the church, emphasizing that the gift must serve to build up the body. In 1 Corinthians 14, he gave rules for speaking tongues: “If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). Without interpretation, the gift only benefits the speaker and, thus, doesn’t help the church. Paul’s point was that tongues, like all gifts, was given to serve others.
• In the New Testament, tongues also served as a sign to confirm the spread of the gospel beyond the Jewish people. In Acts 10, when the Spirit fell on Cornelius and his household, they spoke in tongues, and Peter was amazed. He responded by saying, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Acts 10:47). Peter recognized that this gift meant that Gentiles were also to be included in God’s saving plan.
• Similarly, outside of Jerusalem Paul met Gentiles who were disciples of John the Baptist but had not yet heard the full message of Christ or received the Holy Spirit. Paul explained the gospel to them, and when they believed in Jesus, “the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying” (Acts 19:6). This event paralleled Pentecost and the conversion of Cornelius’ household, showing that even those once outside the full message were now united into Christ’s body by the Spirit. Tongues were visible confirmation that the same Spirit was at work across different people groups.
• These events confirmed Jesus’ comments that His gospel would extend beyond Jerusalem to Samaria and the rest of the world (Acts 1:8). Because tongues were signs intended to help the young church begin to form, Paul had to remind the Corinthians that tongues, along with other temporary gifts, would one day cease (1 Corinthians 13:8). Instead of coveting speaking in tongues, they needed to desire what would last forever: love.

implications for today

Scripture defines “tongues” for us. Today, many elevate tongues in a way that Paul warned against. Modern movements often claim a “private prayer language” or unintelligible ecstatic speech, but these practices do not match the biblical description of tongues as real languages interpreted for the church’s edification. Claims of tongues should not confuse the church and shift focus away from Christ to personal experiences.

In the end, the lesson is to prize what the Spirit truly gives: gifts that build up the body and exalt Christ. Rather than seeking the more dramatic gifts, we should desire clarity in worship, gospel proclamation, and mutual love. Even if genuine tongues still exist today, Paul’s instructions remain: they must be interpreted, orderly, and subordinate to the edification of the church.

Above all, Scripture reminds us that the gospel itself—not tongues—is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). Tongues served a temporary role in that mission, but the enduring call is to preach Christ faithfully, love one another deeply, and trust that the Spirit is at work through His Word.