Weekly Update |   September 7, 2023

Why We Don’t Speak in Tongues

Dmitriy Zherebnenkov

The topic of tongues is not difficult to explain from a biblical point of view, however, since many people first encounter this experientially instead of through a biblically informed study, discussions inevitably become accusatory in nature. Over the years, due to the harsh dialogue which came from a lack of a balanced biblical understanding, both sides of the aisle have agreed to just be silent. But a new generation of young believers is growing up, and they’re asking questions; they want a more thorough explanation. This article is not written to convince the pentecostal movement in their commitment to speaking in tongues, but rather it’s for the baptist youth which desires to have a biblical explanation regarding this topic.

We live in a time where people have become much too sensitive and every point of view that they don’t like is taken with offense, however, we must still explain both our personal and opposing views of this controversy. We believe that God gives salvation and sanctification not only to baptists, but to all who confess the full Gospel—the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ for sinners is received by sinners through faith, and if they confess Him to be their Savior and Lord, as a gift by grace, they receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, moving from death to life, waiting to spend eternity in God’s presence.

Another thing to consider is the topic of authority. Especially when talking about tongues, there’s often a battle between authorities. On the one hand, Scripture, and on the other, personal experience. Unfortunately, both from baptists and others, personal experience often wins as the ultimate authority and various bible passages are simply gathered to support that view. We believe that for any person interested in any topic, only Scripture must be the ultimate authority. Apostle Peter clearly argued for Scripture over personal experience in 2 Peter 1:16-20.

The context of the whole Bible

Firstly, unknown tongues appear in the Bible in Genesis 11 as an expression of God’s judgment over the people who were trying to “make a name for themselves” (Gen. 11:4). God mixed the languages of the people so that they were not able to understand each other (v. 7). As a result, the building of the tower ceased and the people dispersed over the whole earth. It’s important to emphasize that the appearing of unknown tongues is tied with God’s judgment over the nations. Jumping ahead, this phenomenon will play a double role at the Day of Pentecost, when on the one hand, the era of the fragmentation of people will end through salvation in Jesus Christ, but on the other hand, judgment will again be pronounced over those who do not submit themselves to God.

In Deuteronomy 28:49 we read the following, “The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand…”

Some time later both Isaiah and Jeremiah will say the same thing almost word for word to unfaithful Israel.

“For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people…” (Is. 28:11).

“Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, declares the Lord. It is an enduring nation; it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say” (Jer. 5:15).

Towards the end of the Old Testament, the picture becomes pretty clear to the one studying Scripture that the appearing of tongues is tied to God’s judgment over unbelievers.

The New Testament continues in this same fashion.

“In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers” (1 Cor. 14:21-22).

In order to explain one of the functions of tongues, Apostle Paul cites the prophet Isaiah and comes to the same conclusion—this is a sign for unbelievers! This is judgment for their hardening and rejection of the good news of the Gospel.

The ceasing of tongues in 1 Corinthians 13:8-11

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

This text is found between two chapters that talk about spiritual gifts. Without love, spiritual gifts are useless. In chapter 13, Apostle Paul develops his argument that love is more important than anything else, concluding that it will be the most important thing in eternity (vv. 12-13). But in the middle of his explanation, we find an interesting assertion that when the “perfect” comes, that which is temporary will cease. Prophecy, tongues, and special knowledge (revelation) will at one point stop. When?

To answer this, we must first consider the meaning of the word “perfect” and its usage in the context of the letter. The Greek word τέλειος can be translated as “perfect, mature, or complete.” Depending on the context, the word can slightly differ in meaning.

This is the point where different interpretations come about:

1. This is the complete Scripture. Once the canon was put together, special, confirming gifts of the minister no longer became necessary.

2. This is the perfect condition of believers when they come into God’s presence after their death or during the second coming of Christ.

3. This is the spiritual maturity of the church when it becomes able to distinguish the truthfulness of those who preach and serve.

This third interpretation is the one we’ll consider below, since it is the most probable based on the context of the letter.

If we look at the verse following this word, it presents this same idea in talking about the speech of a child.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways” (1 Cor. 13:11).

For the first two interpretations this verse is the most difficult to explain. But for the position where “perfect” is also understood as “mature,” this verse harmoniously fits into the developing argument. The mature one is he who has grown up and left his childish ways.

But this position also has another strong point—the context of the whole letter! Paul uses the word τέλειος three times in the letter. We are trying to understand the meaning of the word in its second occurrence, but let’s look at the first and third usages of this word. Every time the word is used in the letter, the context is speaking about spiritual childhood and spiritual maturity.

We first encounter this word in chapter 2 where Paul first mentions spiritual maturity and then further down, spiritual immaturity.

“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away” (1 Cor. 2:6).

“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1).

In chapter 2, Apostle Paul explains what he teaches the spiritually mature Christians, but in conclusion he says that the Corinthian believers are still spiritual infants. This is why he had to preach to them spiritual “milk” (1 Cor. 3:2). We conclude here that Paul is contrasting two groups of believers, those who are spiritually mature and need solid food, and infants in the faith who need lighter food. As a result, they need confirming signs and gifts (chapters 12 and 14).

The last time the word τέλειος is used is also in reference to spiritual immaturity.

“Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Cor. 14:20).

The word is again translated as “mature,” in contrast to being children.

From the context of the letter we must conclude that Apostle Paul uses the word τέλειος in reference to maturity. We must notice that in all three occurrences of the word there is a contrast between those who are mature or childish in their faith. If this is so, then the context determines our interpretation to be as such:

Various spiritual gifts were given to the church for a time as signs to confirm that a person is a true Christian and is worth listening to, until the church would mature (grow out of childhood). But when the church became spiritually mature, the need for temporary signs and confirmations of true preachers and ministers fell away, since the church was now able to distinguish by itself the truthfulness of various teachings. This is why Apostle Paul only writes about tongues to the Corinthian church, since they were the only ones remaining in spiritual immaturity! All the other churches were growing normally and the need for the teacher to have confirming gifts was not necessary. At some point even the church in Corinth grew up and the need for supernatural gifts ceased. When the canon of the New Testament was formed, any new church already had an established platform and with Scripture there was no need for special, confirming spiritual gifts.

Thus, tongues have played a double role in God’s plan for the forming of the church. On the one hand, they indicated God’s judgment both on unbelieving Israel and other unbelievers. And on the other, these gifts temporarily kept the church safe from false teaching and helped the church grow up from the season of “childhood.”

In this article we can’t answer every question and consider all the texts that mention the gift of tongues. The purpose here is to present the argument of the general position of baptists. This is not an attempt to discredit or defame other positions. We are ready to humbly continue to study this topic and engage in dialogue to have a better understanding of Scripture, and as a result, to correctly apply the truth in the life and ministry in the church of Christ.

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