"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (Ephesians 6:18)

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1:20)

1. Speaking in tongues is not for today. It's a gift of the Spirit that only operated in the first century.

2. Speaking in tongues is a supernatural gift of speaking in human languages that the speaker never learned.

3. The purpose of tongues was for sharing the Gospel with foreigners in their native languages.

• Mark 16:17-18

  "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mark 16:17-18)

  Sometimes people refer to Mark 16:9-20 as a "disputed" passage because it's not clear who wrote it. But chapter 1 in the free PDF of my book called "Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today" explains that it doesn't really matter who wrote Mark 16:9-20, just as it doesn't really matter who wrote the Gospels (all of which are anonymous) or any other books of the Bible (most of which are anonymous). What matters is that God caused this passage to be included in the canon of Scripture (see my book above), and therefore it should be believed and obeyed.
  
  Notice in Mark 16:17-18 (above) that according to Jesus, speaking in tongues is not a subject of controversy, but instead it's for every believer. Neither Jesus nor the writers of Scripture ever canceled this promise or limited it to the first century, and therefore this promise is still in effect (see Objection #5 in chapter 2 of my book above). Obviously not every Christian speaks in tongues, but this doesn't change the fact that Jesus' promise is still available to those who believe.
  
  In addition, Jesus specifically said that those who believe will speak in new tongues, using the same Greek word that's used numerous times throughout the New Testament to mean "new." For example, that same Greek word is used in reference to the New Covenant (e.g., Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 8:8, 9:15). So when Jesus said that those who believe will speak in "new" tongues, it's possible He meant that there are times when Christians will speak in languages that do not exist on earth. Acts 2:1-4 (below) says that the disciples spoke in "other" tongues on the day of Pentecost, which were understood by people who were visiting from other countries (Acts 2:4-12, below), so the disciples were speaking in languages that exist on earth. They were speaking in "other" tongues, not "new" tongues. We can't be certain because the Bible doesn't make it clear, but perhaps there's a distinction between "new" tongues (Mark 16:17-18) and "other" tongues (Acts 2:1-4).

• Acts 2:1-4 (Pentecost)

  "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Who spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost? Acts 1:15 tells us that there were a total of about 120 believers, and from Acts 1:15 to Acts 2:1 the words "they" and "them" most likely refer to the 120 believers. We'll see throughout this article that there were many average, ordinary Christians who spoke in tongues in the New Testament, so there's no reason to assume that only the apostles spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost.
     
     In Acts 2:9 (below) we see a list of specific groups of people who heard their own languages being spoken, and we can see that there are more than 12 languages listed. This is perfectly reasonable if more than 12 people (i.e., more than the 12 apostles) were speaking in tongues.
     
     Beginning in Acts 1:15 the focus is on "the believers," and we're told that they were a group numbering about 120. Peter stood up among them as a spokesperson and said that a new apostle must be chosen from among them (obviously not from among the remaining 11 apostles, but from among the rest of the believers). Then Acts 2:1 says, "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place," which is referring back to a group that had previously been mentioned. What group was the focus of the preceding passages? The 120 believers. The 120 believers were all together in one place, and they all spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost.
     
     In Acts 2:14, Peter explained the phenomenon of tongues by quoting from the prophet Joel, who said that in the last days God will pour out His Spirit on all people, both men and women (Acts 2:16-18). We know that some of the 120 believers were women (e.g., Acts 1:14), and therefore Peter's statement agrees with the view that all of the 120 believers spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost.
     
     In addition, a number of Bible commentaries agree that probably all 120 believers spoke in tongues on that day, as in these examples:

     "They were all...in one place. Not only the apostles, but the hundred and twenty disciples." (People's New Testament commentary, Acts 2:1, emphasis added)
     
     "3. cloven tongues, like as of fire, &c. - "disparted tongues," that is, tongue-shaped, flame-like appearances, rising from a common center or root, and resting upon each of that large company" (Jamiesson, Faussett, Brown commentary, Acts 2:3, emphasis added)
     
     "They were all with one accord in one place - So here was a conjunction of company, minds, and place; the whole hundred and twenty being present." (Wesley's commentary, Acts 2:1, emphasis added)
     
     "They were all - Probably not only the apostles, but also the 120 people mentioned in Act 1:15." (Barnes' commentary, Acts 2:1, emphasis added)
     
     "They were all with one accord in one place - It is probable that the All here mentioned means the one hundred and twenty spoken of Act 1:15" (Clarke's commentary, Acts 2:1, emphasis added)
     
     "Though this need not be restrained to the twelve apostles, but may be understood of the hundred and twenty" (Gill's commentary, Acts 2:1, emphasis added)

     What it boils down to is that all of the scriptural evidence is consistent with the view that all 120 believers spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost.

  2. Who were the 120 believers talking to when they spoke in tongues? Notice that they were all sitting together in a house, and then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and then they all began speaking in "other" tongues (not "new" tongues). Since they were all speaking in tongues, it's unlikely that they could have all understood each other, yet there was no one else around at this point for them to be talking to. We'll see in a moment that they were talking to God and praising Him in tongues by the Holy Spirit.
     
     So on the day of Pentecost the disciples were talking to God in tongues by the Holy Spirit. In Bible dictionaries, praying is defined as communicating with God, which means that when the disciples were communicating with God by speaking in tongues in the Holy Spirit, they were praying in the Spirit.

• Acts 2:4-12 (Pentecost continued)

  "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs - we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"" (Acts 2:4-12)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Notice the sequence of events: 120 believers all began declaring the wonders of God in tongues at the same time. This noise drew a crowd. The people in the crowd recognized their native languages being spoken.
     
     Many Christians assume that when the disciples spoke in tongues at Pentecost it was for the purpose of sharing the Gospel to this crowd in their native languages, but in reality the disciples were not talking to the crowd at all. In fact, this crowd did not come together until after they heard the sound of 120 people all talking at the same time. The disciples were all together in a house, talking to God and declaring His wonders in different languages.

  2. The people in the crowd said, "we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" (Acts 2:11, above). In other words, the disciples were praising God as in these Psalms:

     "Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." (Psalm 40:5)
     
     "Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you."" (Psalm 66:3)

     The disciples were praising God in tongues because that's one of the two purposes for tongues (we'll see the other purpose later):

     "If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?" (1 Corinthians 14:16)

     In context, Paul was saying that the Corinthian Christians were praising God in tongues as we'll see.
     
     So on the day of Pentecost the disciples were talking to God in the Holy Spirit (i.e., they were praying in the Spirit); they were not sharing the Gospel in tongues.
     
     Even non-charismatic Bible commentaries agree that the disciples were praising God in tongues rather than sharing the Gospel in tongues. For example, The Bible Knowledge Commentary says this:

     "The topic the people discussed in all these languages was the wonders of God. It seems they were praising God. Their message was not one of repentance; it was not the gospel." (Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Acts 2:5-13, emphasis added)

     The disciples were praising God in the Holy Spirit. The purpose for tongues at Pentecost was not for sharing the Gospel with foreigners in their native languages, and in fact nowhere does the New Testament ever say that speaking in tongues is for communicating with foreigners in their native languages as we'll see throughout this article.
     
     This doesn't mean that God will never use the gift of tongues for enabling a Christian to communicate with foreigners. My point is simply that there's not a shred of evidence for such a purpose throughout the entire New Testament.

  3. Now let's take a close look at the crowd that had gathered in the above passage. These were Jews from other nations who were in Jerusalem during the festival of Pentecost, and they were able to speak to one another in a common language because they said to each other, "how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?" Many Bible commentaries suggest that these Jews all spoke Greek, the common language of the time. These Jews were living in Jerusalem for some period of time and they all spoke a common language because they were able to talk to each other and understand each other. These people did not need to be told the Gospel in their own native languages.

  4. In the 1984 NIV, Acts 2:7 (above) says, "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?" The word "men" in this verse has caused some people to assume that only the apostles spoke in tongues at Pentecost because the apostles were men from Galilee (as were most of the 120 believers, according to Bible commentaries). However, this is a case where the Bible translators made an interpretation of a verse as we can see by comparing this verse in several other versions of the Bible:

     "and they were all amazed, and did wonder, saying one unto another, 'Lo, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?'" (Acts 2:7 YLT)
     
     "And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?" (Acts 2:7 KJV)
     
     "They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?"" (Acts 2:7 NASB)
     
     "Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?"" (Acts 2:7 NRSV)
     
     "They were completely astonished, saying, "Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans?"" (Acts 2:7 AMP)
     
     "And they were astounded and amazed, saying, "Look, aren't all these who are speaking Galileans?"" (Acts 2:7 HCSB)

     It turns out that the word "men" is not in this verse in the original Greek. The NIV translators used unfortunate wording that has caused some people to assume that only the apostles spoke in tongues at Pentecost (this has been corrected in the 2011 NIV).

• Acts 2:12-15 (Pentecost continued)

  "Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine." Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!"" (Acts 2:12-15)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Notice that Peter stood up and addressed the crowd, which was the first time that any of the disciples actually spoke to the crowd at Pentecost. Bible commentaries generally agree that Peter spoke in one language, and that the crowd was able to understand him.
     
     Some people have assumed that when Peter addressed the crowd, there must have been a "miracle of hearing" that allowed the crowd to understand Peter (because the crowd was made up of people from different countries). However, the Bible doesn't say that there was a "miracle of hearing" at Pentecost. In fact, the above passage says that the people in the crowd were talking to each other and were able to understand each other, so they would have been able to understand Peter as well.
     
     The people in the crowd knew a common language and they did not need to be told the Gospel in their native languages. The disciples were not sharing the Gospel with the crowd when they spoke in tongues, and it's not until Acts 2:22 that Peter began bringing the Gospel message to this crowd.

  2. As we've seen, sharing the Gospel with foreigners in their native languages was not the purpose for tongues at Pentecost. In fact, there's not a single example in the entire New Testament of anyone speaking in tongues in order to communicate with foreigners as we'll see throughout this article.

• Acts 10:44-46 (the household of Cornelius the Gentile)

  "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised [Jewish] believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God." (Acts 10:44-46)

  Here's an important point in this passage:

  1. While the apostle Peter was teaching these Gentiles (Cornelius and his household) about Christ, the Holy Spirit came on everyone who heard the message. They all began speaking in tongues, but they were not sharing the Gospel with anyone because every non-Christian within hearing distance had just gotten saved (i.e., there was no one else present who needed to hear the Gospel). As Bible commentaries sometimes point out, they were praising God in tongues by the Holy Spirit, just like the disciples did on the day of Pentecost. For example, when Peter later described this event (the Gentiles in Cornelius' household speaking in tongues) to the other apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-18), he specifically said that those Gentiles had received the same gift of the Holy Spirit that the original disciples had received in the beginning (on the day of Pentecost), which involved praising God in tongues by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-12, above).
     
     Cornelius and his household were talking to God (praising Him) in the Holy Spirit. They were praying in the Spirit.

• Acts 19:1-7 (the disciples in Ephesus)

  "While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all." (Acts 19:1-7)

  Here's an important point in this passage:

  1. When the apostle Paul laid hands on these twelve men, the Holy Spirit came on them and they all began speaking in tongues (and they also prophesied). There's no mention of anyone else being present, so there's not a shred of scriptural evidence that these men were sharing the Gospel with foreigners in tongues.

• Summary of speaking in tongues in Acts
  
  The three examples of speaking in tongues that we've examined (the day of Pentecost, the household of Cornelius the Gentile, and the disciples in Ephesus) are the only examples of people speaking in tongues in the entire New Testament. There are a number of passages in the New Testament that talk about speaking in tongues (and we'll examine all of them), but no other passages describe people doing it.
  
  What conclusions can we draw from these examples? Here are some thoughts:

  1. In every passage where people spoke in tongues in the book of Acts, notice that every person spoke in tongues after the Holy Spirit came on them.

  2. In the first two examples of tongues, the purpose was to praise God in the Holy Spirit. In the third example, the twelve men "spoke in tongues and prophesied." They were praising God in tongues (based on the other examples of people praising God in tongues), and they also prophesied in their native language (based on passages in 1 Corinthians that we'll see later).
     
     Notice that there was not a single example of anyone speaking in tongues for the purpose of communicating with foreigners. Keep this in mind throughout the rest of this article because there's never even a hint of such a purpose in Scripture.
     
     Consider that if the apostle Paul had encountered someone in his travels who spoke Greek, then Paul would not need to speak in tongues because Paul spoke Greek. But if Paul encountered a woman who only spoke a foreign language that Paul didn't know, for example, then for the sake of discussion let's assume that he could have spoken in tongues to her for sharing the Gospel. Paul would not have understood what was coming out of his mouth, and he would not have understood anything that she said to him, or any questions that she asked him, because nowhere in the entire New Testament is there such a thing as "hearing in tongues" or "miracles of hearing." There's not a shred of scriptural evidence that Paul would have been able to understand anything she said, so he wouldn't have any idea if she was making a proper confession of faith in Jesus, for example. Therefore, speaking in tongues is actually useless for sharing the Gospel, and no one in the entire New Testament ever spoke in tongues for this purpose. In chapters 12 and 14 of 1 Corinthians we see the spiritual gift of interpretation, which is always used in combination with the spiritual gift of tongues "so that the church may be built up" (1 Corinthians 14:26). The gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation are specifically for receiving messages from God to a group of people such as a church congregation as we'll see. There's not a shred of scriptural evidence, not even a hint, that the gift of interpretation has anything to do with understanding people who speak foreign languages. Again, speaking in tongues is actually useless for sharing the Gospel with foreigners in their native languages.

  3. In the passages we've been examining, people were speaking to God in tongues. This is what Paul meant when he said:

     "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God." (1 Corinthians 14:2)

     So when people spoke in tongues in the above passages, they were praying directly to God in the Holy Spirit. In other words, their message was going from earth up to heaven.
     
     Now take a look at another statement that Paul made:

     "He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified." (1 Corinthians 14:5)

     Here Paul said that when a person speaks a message in tongues to a church congregation, the message must be interpreted so that the congregation can be edified (i.e., so that the message will benefit them, instruct them, and build them up in their faith). This describes a form of tongues in which a message is delivered from heaven down to earth, which must then be interpreted into the local language through the Holy Spirit (using the spiritual gift of interpretation as we'll see) so that the church congregation can be edified.
     
     So there are two purposes for tongues in the New Testament, which is something that many Christians don't seem to realize. One form of tongues is for delivering a message from God to a group of people (which must then be interpreted into the local language using the spiritual gift of interpretation), and the other form of tongues is for speaking to God (praying to Him in tongues). Each form of tongues has a different purpose and a different audience, and there's no form of tongues for communicating with foreigners in their native languages.

1. A person delivers a public message in tongues from God to a church congregation or other group, which is then interpreted through the Holy Spirit either by the speaker or by someone else in the group. The Bible refers to this as the spiritual gift of tongues, and it's used in combination with the spiritual gift of interpretation. People sometimes refer to this as the "public" use of tongues.

2. A person prays in the Spirit (in tongues) to God, which does not need to be interpreted into the local language because God always understands what the Holy Spirit is saying. The Bible refers to this with expressions such as "pray in a tongue" (1 Corinthians 14:14), "pray with my spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:15), "pray in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18), and "praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 1:20). People sometimes refer to this as the "private" use of tongues or a "prayer language."

• 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

  "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-2)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Notice that Paul mentioned the tongues of angels, which are not likely to be human languages because angels were created before humans existed (Job 38:4-7). Paul might have heard the languages of angels when he was temporarily taken up to heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-7. Also see The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, 2 Corinthians 12:2).
     
     Many people believe that speaking in tongues refers to speaking in unlearned human languages, but this passage casts doubt on that view. We have no way of knowing whether the Holy Spirit will choose to speak through us in a human language or an angelic language, so we can't be dogmatic that tongues only refers to human languages. In Mark 16:17-18 (above), we saw that people might sometimes speak in new languages, so again, we can't be dogmatic that tongues only refers to existing human languages.

  2. Paul said that if we're not speaking in love then we're just making a bunch of noise. This means that when we're speaking to other people we should do it in love. This is a reference to the public form of tongues because the public form of tongues (and prophesying, which is also mentioned in this passage) is for the purpose of edifying (instructing and building up) other people as we'll see.

• 1 Corinthians 13:8-10

  "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Paul was speaking of spiritual gifts in this passage (prophecies, speaking in tongues, and words of knowledge - see 1 Corinthians 12:7-11), and therefore this passage refers to the public form of tongues. Again, the private form of tongues refers to praying in the Spirit, and the public form of tongues refers to the spiritual gift of tongues.

  2. Some people assume that tongues died out during or shortly after the first century because they assume that the "perfection" (1984 NIV) or "completeness" (2011 NIV) in the above passage was achieved when the New Testament was completed. However, the free PDF of my book called "Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today" (see Objection #5 in chapter 2) shows that all of the evidence indicates that the "completeness" or "perfection" that Paul described is our transformation from mortal, corruptible bodies to perfect, immortal, incorruptible bodies when Jesus returns for us. There's no suggestion in the context of the above passage, nor anywhere else in Scripture, that the completed New Testament is the "completeness" or "perfection" that Paul spoke of.
     
     Paul said that some or all spiritual gifts will pass away when completeness or perfection comes because the church will no longer need these gifts after Jesus returns for us. Since Jesus has not yet returned, all of the gifts of the Spirit are still functioning in the body of Christ, including tongues (see my article called All Gifts of the Spirit Are Available Today). This means that God still wants us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit for the assignments that He needs us to do. There are no other passages anywhere in the New Testament which tell us that any gifts of the Spirit will ever cease or die out. In the above passage, Paul was very specific that some (perhaps all) gifts of the Spirit will cease when Jesus returns for us. That is when they will cease; therefore they will continue until He returns. Again, this is explained in detail in the free PDF of my book (above).

1. A person delivers a public message in tongues from God to a church congregation or other group, which is then interpreted through the Holy Spirit either by the speaker or by someone else in the group. The Bible refers to this as the spiritual gift of tongues, and it's used in combination with the spiritual gift of interpretation. People sometimes refer to this as the "public" use of tongues.

2. A person prays in the Spirit (in tongues) to God, which does not need to be interpreted into the local language because God always understands what the Holy Spirit is saying. The Bible refers to this with expressions such as "pray in a tongue" (1 Corinthians 14:14), "pray with my spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:15), "pray in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18), and "praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 1:20). People sometimes refer to this as the "private" use of tongues or a "prayer language."

• 1 Corinthians 14:1-3

  "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort." (1 Corinthians 14:1-3)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Since Paul described speaking to God in tongues, this is a reference to the private form of tongues. When we're speaking to God in the Holy Spirit (in tongues), we're praying in the Spirit.

  2. Notice how 1 Corinthians 14:2 (above) is translated in different versions of the Bible:

     "he utters mysteries with his spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:2 NIV - 1984 edition)
     
     "they utter mysteries by the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:2 NIV - 2011 edition)
     
     "and in spirit he doth speak secrets" (1 Corinthians 14:2 YLT)
     
     "Yet in the Spirit he is speaking secret truths" (1 Corinthians 14:2 Wesley's New Testament)
     
     "but in spirit he speaks mysteries" (1 Corinthians 14:2 Pocket Interlinear New Testament)
     
     "but he utters mysteries in the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:2 RSV)
     
     "but in his spirit he speaks mysteries" (1 Corinthians 14:2 NASB)
     
     "in the (Holy) Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding]" (1 Corinthians 14:2 AMP)
     
     "howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" (1 Corinthians 14:2 KJV)
     
     "but in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" (1 Corinthians 14:2 ASV)
     
     "because he is speaking secrets in the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:2 ISV)

     In all of these versions of the Bible, the translators had to decide whether or not the word "spirit" should be capitalized as "Spirit," and we can see that different translators made different decisions. However, the overwhelming agreement among these scholars is that when a person is praying in tongues then he or she is praying in the spirit or praying in the Spirit. These phrases can be used interchangeably because the Holy Spirit puts words into our spirits, not into our minds (as we'll see in a moment).
     
     Therefore, "praying in tongues" and "praying with my spirit" and "praying in the spirit" and "praying in the Spirit" are simply different ways of saying the same thing.

• 1 Corinthians 14:4

  "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church." (1 Corinthians 14:4)

  Here's an important point in this passage:

  1. Paul said that speaking in tongues edifies the speakers (encourages them, benefits them, builds them up in their faith), but he implied that speaking in tongues by itself does not edify a church congregation in the way that prophesying does. Therefore, this verse is referring to the private form of tongues (praying in tongues) because the public form of tongues is the one that edifies the church congregation (as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:5, below).

• 1 Corinthians 14:5

  "I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified." (1 Corinthians 14:5)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Paul wanted everyone to speak in tongues because there's a personal benefit that we receive when we pray in tongues (the private form of tongues), as Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 14:4 (above). All Christians, even in modern times, benefit from praying in the Spirit, and that's why the Bible tells us to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions" (Ephesians 6:18). This is a command from God that all Christians need to obey, even today.

  2. Paul also said that when we speak in tongues to a church congregation (using the gift of tongues, meaning the public form of tongues) and what we said is interpreted by the Holy Spirit (using the gift of interpretation), this has the same benefit as prophesying. Using the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation together results in the same benefit and edification for the church congregation as the gift of prophecy does, according to this passage. Paul said that this has greater value for edifying the church congregation than speaking in tongues without an interpretation from the Holy Spirit.

  3. Notice that in 1 Corinthians 14:4-5 (above), Paul has fully endorsed both the private and the public forms of tongues as long as they're used properly.

• 1 Corinthians 14:6-12

  "Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church." (1 Corinthians 14:6-12)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Paul was continuing to explain that an uninterpreted message given in tongues to the church congregation does not edify them (build them up in their faith) because they can't understand what's being said. On the other hand, an interpreted message in tongues does edify the congregation because it results in a revelation or a word of knowledge or a word of prophecy or a word of instruction.
     
     In other words, the public form of tongues needs to be interpreted into the local language (by the Holy Spirit), otherwise the speaker is just speaking into the air and not doing anybody (other than himself or herself) any good. Paul was saying that using the private form of tongues in a public fashion is a waste of people's time.

  2. Paul's comment that there are all sorts of languages in the world has led some people to assume that speaking in tongues always refers to human languages. However, we can't be dogmatic about this because Paul had earlier mentioned speaking in the tongues of angels (1 Corinthians 13:1, above), and because Jesus said that we might speak in new languages (Mark 16:17-18, above).
     
     Paul's point was simply that a language has meaning, so if we speak in tongues in public then the audience needs to be able to understand the meaning. This can only happen when someone publicly provides the interpretation through the Holy Spirit (using the spiritual gift of interpretation).

• 1 Corinthians 14:12-13

  "Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say." (1 Corinthians 14:12-13)

  Here's an important point in this passage:

  1. Speaking to a church congregation in tongues does not edify anyone by itself (1 Corinthians 14:6-12, above), which means that the speaker should pray to receive the interpretation so that the church can be instructed (and we've also seen that someone else might receive the interpretation). Speaking in tongues (and receiving the interpretation from the Holy Spirit) to build up the church congregation is a reference to the public form of tongues.

• 1 Corinthians 14:14

  "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful." (1 Corinthians 14:14)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Paul said that when he prayed in tongues, it was his spirit that was praying (by the Holy Spirit), not his mind (because his mind was unfruitful).

  2. The Amplified Version of the Bible is often a useful study tool because it brings out various shades of meaning that might otherwise be lost in the translation from Greek to English. Here's this same verse in the Amplified Version:

     "For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive - bears no fruit and helps nobody." (1 Corinthians 14:14 AMP)

     When we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit provides the words to our spirits and we speak them out of our mouths. This bypasses our minds, which is why Paul said that his mind was unproductive when he prayed with his spirit.
     
     So one type of praying (our normal way of praying) is done with our minds, but there's a different type of praying that's done with our spirits. In the above passage, Paul specifically said that the way he prayed with his spirit was by praying in tongues (by the Holy Spirit). Again, "praying in tongues" and "praying with my spirit" and "praying in the Spirit" are simply different ways of saying the same thing.

  3. Paul spoke about prayer in this verse, so he was referring to the private form of tongues (praying in the Spirit).

• 1 Corinthians 14:15

  "So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind." (1 Corinthians 14:15)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Once again we can see two different types of praying: with the spirit and with the mind. Paul said that sometimes he prayed with his spirit (i.e., by the Holy Spirit), and sometimes he prayed with his mind. These are two different forms of praying. This is brought out more clearly in the Amplified Version:

     "Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit - by the Holy Spirit that is within me; but I will also pray intelligently - with my mind and understanding" (1 Corinthians 14:15 AMP)

     In the above verse, Paul said that he prayed in two different ways. Sometimes he prayed with his spirit by the Holy Spirit within him, and sometimes he prayed with his mind and understanding. We saw in the previous verse (1 Corinthians 14:14) that when Paul prayed with his spirit he was praying in tongues by the Holy Spirit. Again, "praying in tongues" and "praying with my spirit" and "praying in the Spirit" are simply different ways of saying the same thing.

  2. Paul said that sometimes he would sing with his spirit. In other words, he sometimes chose to sing (in tongues) the words that the Holy Spirit was giving him in his spirit. We're supposed to be following his example of praying in tongues (Ephesians 6:18), so we're also supposed to be following his example of singing in tongues sometimes.

  3. Paul spoke about prayer in this verse, so he was referring to the private form of tongues (praying in the Spirit).

• 1 Corinthians 14:16-17

  "If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified." (1 Corinthians 14:16-17)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Notice that the word "tongues" is not used in this passage, yet it's clear from the context that "praising God with your spirit" means the same thing as "praising God in tongues (by the Holy Spirit)" because no one can understand what we're saying. So once again we can see that "praising God with your spirit" and "praising God in the Spirit" and "praising God in tongues" are simply different ways of saying the same thing.

  2. Paul was speaking of praising God and giving thanks to God in tongues, so this is a reference to the private form of tongues (because the private form of tongues is for speaking to God). This is exactly what we saw in all of the examples of people speaking in tongues in the book of Acts. They were praising God in tongues (the private form of tongues).

• 1 Corinthians 14:18-19

  "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue." (1 Corinthians 14:18-19)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. Paul was thankful that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else. This is a reference to the private form of tongues (praying in the Spirit) because in the very next sentence Paul said, "But in the church." Therefore, Paul spoke in tongues more than anyone else outside of church, praising God privately in the Spirit. Paul was thankful that he spoke in tongues frequently because he had a high regard for the personal benefit that people can receive through the private use of tongues (recall that a few verses earlier Paul said that he would like for everyone to speak in tongues).
     
     Some Bible commentaries assume that Paul meant that during his missionary journeys he could speak more languages (in tongues) than any of the Christians in Corinth could. However, this assumption makes absolutely no sense because speaking in tongues is not based on anything that Paul or the Christians in Corinth could or could not do. It's based entirely on whatever language the Holy Spirit chooses to speak through us at any given moment. There's not a shred of scriptural support for the assumption that speaking in tongues was ever used when communicating with foreigners as we can see throughout this article. We can confirm this by noticing that Paul's statement about speaking in tongues more than anyone else immediately follows his comments about praying to God in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:14, 15, and 16-17 (above), so the context indicates that he prayed in tongues (the private use of tongues) more than anyone else. This is further confirmed by the fact that after his statement about speaking in tongues more than anyone else (praying privately in tongues), he immediately contrasted it with the public use of tongues by saying "But in the church." Paul's statement about speaking in tongues more than anyone else has nothing to do with speaking to foreigners in tongues during his missionary journeys.

  2. Paul said that in church he would rather speak words of instruction (that people can understand), rather than an uninterpreted message in tongues (that people can't understand). In other words, it doesn't edify the church congregation when we use the private form of tongues in a public fashion as if it's a message from God.
     
     Consider that if someone in a modern church service stands up and delivers a true message from God in tongues, this doesn't guarantee that an interpretation will come forth. People who receive an interpretation from the Holy Spirit might not be spiritually discerning enough to hear it, or they might not know that they're supposed to stand up and deliver the message, or they might keep it to themselves simply out of fear or nervousness. At a previous church I attended, occasionally people would stand and deliver a message in tongues, and then the pastor explained to the congregation what that was all about, then he would stand quietly for a couple of minutes to see if anyone received the interpretation from the Holy Spirit (usually someone did). It was all new to me at the time, and part of me was hopeful that I might hear from God, but another part of me was reluctant to be the one to stand up and deliver the message because what if I got it wrong? This is one reason why it's important for pastors to foster an atmosphere in which everyone in the congregation feels comfortable exercising their spiritual gifts because pastors are meant to equip their people for doing the works that God calls them to do:

     "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)

• 1 Corinthians 14:21-25

  "In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord. Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"" (1 Corinthians 14:21-25)

  Here's an important point in this passage:

  1. Paul seems to have contradicted himself in this passage. First he said that tongues are a sign for unbelievers, but then he said that if unbelievers see people speaking in tongues then the unbelievers will think that the Christians are out of their minds.
     
     During Israel's history, "uninterpreted tongues" had sometimes been used as a sign to the unbelieving Israelites that God's judgment had come upon them (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:49-52, Isaiah 33:19, Jeremiah 5:15). In the above passage, Paul was paraphrasing this prophecy from Isaiah:

     "Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose" - but they would not listen." (Isaiah 28:11-12)

     This prophecy was fulfilled when the Assyrian army conquered Israel in 722 BC, speaking a foreign language (an uninterpreted tongue). The Israelites were carried off into captivity and have never been heard from again to this day, becoming "the ten lost tribes of Israel" (Jewish Virtual Library ). Paul was using an example from Israel's history to show that uninterpreted tongues have sometimes been used by God as a sign that judgment has come upon the unbelieving Israelites.
     
     Then Paul pointed out that if everyone in a church is speaking in tongues, and any unbelievers enter the church, they won't see the uninterpreted tongues as a sign from God that judgment has come upon them (as in Israel's history), they'll just think that the Christians have lost their minds. This is why Paul said that prophecy is much more beneficial during a church service, because it might have an impact on any unbelievers visiting the church. And as we saw earlier, a message given in tongues to a church congregation, which is then interpreted through the Holy Spirit into the local language, is just as beneficial as prophecy.

• 1 Corinthians 14:26-29

  "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two - or at the most three - should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said." (1 Corinthians 14:26-29)

  Here are some of the important points in this passage:

  1. There's a big difference between this description of first-century church services and most modern church services. Paul said that when these people came together for church, everyone had gifts to be used for the strengthening of the church. Modern churches tend to believe that all Christians receive one or more gifts of the Spirit, yet it seems that few churches encourage their members to actually use all of their gifts to edify and minister to one another. As we saw earlier, it's important for pastors to foster an atmosphere in which everyone in the congregation feels comfortable exercising their spiritual gifts because pastors are meant to equip their people for doing the works that God calls them to do (Ephesians 4:11-13, above).
     
     Many Christians believe that the so-called miraculous gifts of the Spirit such as tongues and prophecies ceased or died out during or shortly after the first century, but their view (known as cessationism) is completely unscriptural and completely wrong. All of the gifts of the Spirit are available today, and we are meant to be using all of the gifts of the Spirit that God wants to give us (see my article called All Gifts of the Spirit Are Available Today and see chapters 2 and 5 in the free PDF of my book called "Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today").

  2. Sometimes Christians use the above passage to denounce charismatic meetings or church services in which many people pray in tongues all at once (using the private form of tongues, i.e., praying in the Spirit). They say that this is an unscriptural practice because the above passage tells us to speak in tongues one at a time. However, that argument demonstrates a misunderstanding of this passage and a misunderstanding of what's happening in the charismatic services.
     
     In this passage, Paul was referring to people who stand up and deliver a message in tongues from God to the church congregation. These messages must be done decently and in order, and an interpretation from the Holy Spirit must be given so that the congregation can be instructed. Paul was describing the public form of tongues here (i.e., the gift of tongues plus the gift of interpretation as we've seen).
     
     That situation is entirely different from a group of Christians praying together, and some or all of them are praying in tongues at the same time. When Christians are praying together and some of them are praying in tongues, they're using the private form of tongues (which is specifically for praying to God). No messages from God to the congregation are being given in tongues in that situation, and therefore that situation does not fall under Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 14:26-29 (above).
     
     Notice that the Bible specifically describes a group of people all praying in tongues together on the day of Pentecost:

     "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:4)

     As we saw earlier, these 120 disciples were all praying out loud together, praising God in tongues. This is a scriptural example of corporate prayer being done in tongues, so it does not violate any other Scripture such as speaking one at a time (1 Corinthians 14:26-29, above), because Scripture does not contradict itself.
     
     In the entire New Testament there are only two other descriptions of people speaking in tongues. In both of these situations (just as at Pentecost), we saw that everyone prayed in tongues, with no indication that they were speaking in order, one at a time:

     "The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God." (Acts 10:45-46)
     
     "When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all." (Acts 19:6-7)

     In every description of people speaking in tongues in the entire New Testament, it was always a group of people praying in tongues out loud, with absolutely no indication that they were required to speak one at a time. Therefore, it's completely unscriptural and completely wrong to claim that a group of Christians must not pray in tongues all at the same time because that view contradicts every scriptural example of first-century Christians praying in tongues.

  3. Notice that in this passage Paul summed up his position on tongues:

     • He fully endorsed the public use of tongues as long as it's done one at a time, and as long as someone receives the interpretation from the Holy Spirit.

     • He fully endorsed the private use of tongues by saying that if someone stands up in church and speaks publicly in tongues but no one receives an interpretation from the Holy Spirit, then the speaker should sit down and continue to speak quietly to God in tongues.

• 1 Corinthians 14:39

  "Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues." (1 Corinthians 14:39)

  Here's an important point in this passage:

  1. Paul's final instruction on tongues, and in fact the final instruction on tongues in the entire New Testament, is that speaking in tongues must not be forbidden. Christians today should be speaking in tongues just as they did in the first century (following Paul's guidelines) because when it's done properly then it benefits the speaker and/or the church. Unfortunately, many (if not most) churches today would frown on or outright forbid people from interrupting the church service by publicly speaking in tongues, in violation of the above passage.
     
     As we saw, many Christians believe that the so-called miraculous gifts of the Spirit such as tongues and prophecies ceased or died out during or shortly after the first century, but their view (known as cessationism) is completely unscriptural and completely wrong. In fact, my article called All Gifts of the Spirit Are Available Today shows that cessationism is a form of last-days apostasy (a falling away from proper beliefs) because the apostle Paul said that it's a very specific sign of the "terrible times in the last days." My article called End-Times Prophecies Are Coming to Pass Right before Our Eyes (see sign #19) shows even further that cessationism is a form of last-days apostasy.

"I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way - with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge - God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed." (1 Corinthians 1:4-7 NIV)

"I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:4-7 KJV)

"I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus; that in everything ye were enriched in him, in all utterance and all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:4-7 ASV)

"I give thanks to my God always concerning you for the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus, that in every thing ye were enriched in him, in all discourse and all knowledge, according as the testimony of the Christ was confirmed in you, so that ye are not behind in any gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:4-7 YLT)

"How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!" (2 Corinthians 12:13)

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." (Romans 12:4-8)

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts." (1 Corinthians 12:27-31)

"What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two - or at the most three - should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said." (1 Corinthians 14:26-29)

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:11-12)

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (Ephesians 6:18)

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1:20)

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27 NKJV)

• 04/20/2024 - Slightly modified my comments under "Mark 16:17-18." Slightly modified my comments under "Acts 10:44-46." Slightly modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:26-29."

• 01/06/2024 - Slightly modified the last paragraph under "1 Corinthians 14:39." Modified the second paragraph in the Conclusion section.

• 09/24/2023 - Slightly modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:21-25."

• 03/10/2023 - Added a paragraph under "1 Corinthians 14:39."

• 01/22/2023 - Added a paragraph in the Introduction section.

• 01/03/2023 - Slightly modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:18-19."

• 12/04/2022 - Added a paragraph under "Acts 2:4-12 (Pentecost continued)." Modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 13:8-10."

• 11/01/2022 - Modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:16-17." Modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:18-19."

• 09/30/2022 - Modified the Introduction section.

• 07/31/2022 - Added a link to my article called "All Gifts of the Spirit Are Available Today" under "1 Corinthians 13:8-10." Modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:15." Modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:21-25." Modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:26-29." Modified my comments under "1 Corinthians 14:39."

• 07/23/2022 - Modified my closing statement.

• 04/14/2022 - Changed the title of my book because I discovered a couple of existing books with "Healing Is for Today" in their names.

• 11/12/2021 - Modified the section called "Spiritual Gifts."

• 11/03/2021 - Made the font size a bit bigger and added a fish symbol as a favicon (which is displayed in the browser tab).

• 08/13/2021 - Modified the Introduction and Conclusion sections.

• 08/06/2021 - Added a link to my series called "How to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit" under "1 Corinthians 14:14." Added Ephesians 4:11-13 under "1 Corinthians 14:18-19." Modified the section called "Groaning."

• 12/01/2020 - Deleted some of the information under "Mark 16:17-18" and "1 Corinthians 13:8-10" because they're fully explained in the free PDF of my book called "Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today." Added several references to my book.

• 02/22/2019 - Added a comment under the "Summary of Speaking in Tongues in Acts" to show that speaking in tongues is actually useless for sharing the Gospel.

• 02/14/2019 - Clarified some of the wording throughout the article. Added some information about "new" tongues in the section called "Speaking in Tongues in Mark's Gospel."

• 02/16/2009 - Added more information in the section called "1 Corinthians 13:8-10."

• 08/11/2006 - Modified the section called "Acts 2:1-4 (Pentecost)."

• 08/02/2004 - Added a section called "Groaning." Modified the "Conclusion" section.

• 05/17/2001 - Modified some of the wording.