WHAT WAS THE GIFT OF TONGUES?

WHAT WAS THE GIFT OF TONGUES?...and is it still biblical today?

First let's see what it was and why it was before answering the second question. The word "TONGUES" in the bible means LANGUAGES. This can clearly be seen, not only by the context of Act 2, but also in its continued use such as Rev 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all NATIONS, and KINDREDS, and PEOPLE, and TONGUES..." Tongues is used the exact same as Language, which here is identifying what kind of people were standing saved from the whole world during the tribulation period. Now let's look at what was happeing in the book of Acts 2:1-13.

1. 
   
   First the reason why this miracle was done by the Holy Spirit: So that the word of God would be preached to these Jews of other languages coming to Jerusalem, but also that the words of the Apostles would have added authority due to the miracle. You see, even Jesus' miracles were done to give his word authority from God...Lazarus was raised from the dead, but Lazarus died a mortal death later on anyway. So why do the miracle? So that Christ' words would have authority from God and be believed! Everything God does toward man is meant to bring sinners to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to Glorify God, period. God doesn't do things for no reason.


2. 
   
   Secondly, we find that these men were Gallileans who were speaking--vs.7


3. 
   
   Next we find what languages these men were speaking: vs.9-11 "Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Judeans, Capadocians, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, Rome, Jews, Crete, and Arabians. These may have only been varying dialects, but nevertheless they were languages not spoken by the Gallileans so they recognized that a miracle was taking place...yet the miracle gave authority to their message which was the Gospel!

Many people today claim to speak in tongues, but it bears no resemblance to the miracle performed by the Holy Ghost that day, neither does it revolve around the same purpose. Consider that once the Canon of Scripture was complete, that these signs and wonders, done to add authority to those who would be 1.) establishing the church and 2.) laying down part of those scriptures we have in our bibles today, were no longer necessary. Now the Word is complete, forever settled and miracles are not necessary to show these words as coming from God.

Also consider that the tongues gibberish does not speak any human language...some would say that they speak in "unknown" tongues, but did you realize that ANY LANGUAGE you don't speak naturally is "unknown" to you? These languages spoken by the Apostles in Acts 2 were unknown to them...that was the miracle. Today's gibberish bares no resemblance.

Is it biblical? Frankly, since it bears no resemblance to what we find in the bible, I would put little to no confidence in the phenomena we see today. Also, the movement tends to place emphasis on something that the bible never put emphasis on. Many in the "Tongues Movement" claim that tongues speaking must accompany salvation or you've not been saved...That is clearly a False Teaching!! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, never spoke in tongues, neither is it recorded that any other Apostles did except those present in Acts 2. I know there are references to tongues by Paul, but he never claimed to have spoken in tongues but rather said, that he would rather speak few words of understanding to edify the church than many which could not be understood by those present. Likewise, he never mentions this gibberish speak we see today. The churches work is still the same: Preach the Gospel unto every Creature!