Where In The Bible Will I Find:

The Purpose Of The Gift Of Speaking In Tongues?

Of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit the one most misunderstood and falsely taught today is the gift of tongues, which actually means the ability to communicate the truth in an unlearned language. During the first century it was a gift to be desired and Paul found some at Corinth that were desiring this gift for selfish reasons rather than for a spiritual desire in serving the Lord by edifying the church (I Cor. 13).

He taught them that "LOVE" should be first and that their desire should be the gift of prophecy, whereby the church could receive the greatest benefit (I Cor. 14:5). In those days, during the assembly of the church, tongue speakers would address the church (v. 27), the rule being that there also be an interpreter for the church's benefit.

This accomplished (1) Through an interpreter, tongues (unlearned languages) would edify, teach truth, spiritually feed and develop the church; (2) They would be a sign from God (miraculous manifestation) to the unbelieving; and (3) Through this interpretation, the church would receive instruction and the unbelieving would be taught, convicted and converted. Tongues were necessary in the first century due to the many different languages that were spoken in the areas in which the apostles traveled in teaching the Word of God.

In most cases these men were unlearned in these languages and so by the miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit they were able to speak in any language in any part of the country in which they went. Gifts imparted to the first century church lasted about fifty years, as stated by Paul in I Corinthians 13:8-10. The miraculous means of communicating the truth, that is, prophecy, tongues (unlearned languages), and knowledge (by miraculous means) would cease.

All these gifts were classified as being in "PARTS" and would give way to the "PERFECT", a full, complete, revelation of truth (I Cor. 13:10). Which would be the written Word, the New Testament, and when placed together with the Old Testament would be one great Book - the "BIBLE". The apostle John writes about the transition of truth from inspired men to the inspired Book, "But these [signs-miracles of Jesus, v. 30] are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life in His name" (John 20:30-31).

We, those of us who are members of the Lord's church today, are the product of the inspired Book. It is the means of our existence and our survival. The inspired written Word has endured for almost two thousand years, it is complete, nothing lacking, and it is the final Word of God to us in this life. As we now have the complete revelation of God written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we have no reason to return to the primitive means of communicating the truth through the miraculous gift of tongues as that gift has served its purpose and has ceased.