What is “speaking in tongues”?
Speaking or praying in tongues is a form of prayer in which the Christian yields himself to the Holy Spirit and receives from the Spirit a supernatural language with which to praise God.
It is a miraculous manifestation of God’s power, but one which combines both human and divine elements that expresses both human and divine initiative. It is truly a cooperative effort between the Christian and the Holy Spirit.
Many people misunderstand what takes place when they hear someone praying or speaking in tongues. They are apprehensive over what might happen to them if they “let themselves go like that” or “let some other power take over.”
Many people misunderstand what takes place when they hear someone praying or speaking in tongues. They are apprehensive over what might happen to them if they “let themselves go like that” or “let some other power take over.”
They assume the person is completely passive and that the Holy Spirit is doing it all. This is an erroneous impression of what is taking place. The person himself is actively participating in the experience. As someone once put it, “Without the Holy Spirit, you can’t, but without you. the Holy Spirit won’t.”
Simply stated, man does the speaking; the Holy Spirit furnishes the words. Acts 2:4 says, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” A free translation might read, “they…began to speak as the Spirit gave them words to say.”
Speaking in tongues is a way of praying that liberates the spirit within and strengthens the Christian in a wonderful manner. The primary purpose of it is for use in one’s own devotional life. Careful restrictions are placed upon its public use. (See 1 Corinthians 14:18–19, 27–28.)
Simply stated, man does the speaking; the Holy Spirit furnishes the words. Acts 2:4 says, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” A free translation might read, “they…began to speak as the Spirit gave them words to say.”
Speaking in tongues is a way of praying that liberates the spirit within and strengthens the Christian in a wonderful manner. The primary purpose of it is for use in one’s own devotional life. Careful restrictions are placed upon its public use. (See 1 Corinthians 14:18–19, 27–28.)
