Bible verses about "tongues" | WNT

¹⁷ And signs shall attend those who believe, even such as these. By making use of my name they shall expel demons. They shall speak new languages.

⁸ Love never fails. But if there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if there are languages, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be brought to an end.

¹⁰ to another the exercise of miraculous powers; to another the gift of prophecy; to another the power of discriminating between prophetic utterances; to another varieties of the gift of 'tongues;' to another the interpretation of tongues.

⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling the majesty of God. Then Peter said,

²⁸ And by God's appointment there are in the Church--first Apostles, secondly Prophets, thirdly teachers. Then come miraculous powers, and then ability to cure diseases or render loving service, or powers of organization, or varieties of the gift of 'tongues.'

²⁷ If there is speaking in an unknown tongue, only two or at the most three should speak, and they should do so one at a time, and one should interpret;

¹ At length, on the day of the Harvest Festival, they had all met in one place; ² when suddenly there came from the sky a sound as of a strong rushing blast of wind. This filled the whole house where they were sitting; ³ and they saw tongues of what looked like fire distributing themselves over the assembly, and on the head of each person a tongue alighted. ⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages according as the Spirit gave them words to utter. ⁵ Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every part of the world. ⁶ So when this noise was heard, they came crowding together, and were amazed because everyone heard his own language spoken. ⁷ They were beside themselves with wonder, and exclaimed, "Are not all these speakers Galilaeans? ⁸ How then does each of us hear his own native language spoken by them? ⁹ Some of us are Parthians, Medes, Elamites. Some are inhabitants of Mesopotamia, of Judaea or Cappadocia, of Pontus or the Asian Province, of Phrygia or Pamphylia, ¹⁰ of Egypt or of the parts of Africa towards Cyrene. Others are visitors from Rome--being either Jews or converts from heathenism--and others are Cretans or Arabians. ¹¹ Yet we all alike hear these Galilaeans speaking in our own language about the wonderful things which God has done." ¹² They were all astounded and bewildered, and asked one another, "What can this mean?" ¹³ But others, scornfully jeering, said, "They are brim-full of sweet wine." ¹⁴ Peter however, together with the Eleven, stood up and addressed them in a loud voice. "Men of Judaea, and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem," he said, "be in no uncertainty about this matter but pay attention to what I say. ¹⁵ For this is not intoxication, as you suppose, it being only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But that which was predicted through the Prophet Joel has happened: ¹⁷ "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS, GOD SAYS, THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL HAVE DREAMS; ¹⁸ AND EVEN UPON MY BONDSERVANTS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, AT THAT TIME, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT, AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY. ¹⁹ I WILL DISPLAY MARVELS IN THE SKY ABOVE, AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD AND FIRE, AND PILLARS OF SMOKE. ²⁰ THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, TO USHER IN THE DAY OF THE LORD-- THAT GREAT AND ILLUSTRIOUS DAY; ²¹ AND EVERY ONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.' ²² "Listen, Israelites, to what I say. Jesus, the Nazarene, a man accredited to you from God by miracles and marvels and signs which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know, Him-- ²³ delivered up through God's settled purpose and foreknowledge--you by the hands of Gentiles have nailed to a cross and have put to death. ²⁴ But God has raised Him to life, having terminated the throes of death, for in fact it was not possible for Him to be held fast by death. ²⁵ For David says in reference to Him, "'I CONSTANTLY FIXED MY EYES UPON THE LORD, BECAUSE HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND IN ORDER THAT I MAY CONTINUE UNSHAKEN. ²⁶ FOR THIS REASON MY HEART IS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTS. MY BODY ALSO SHALL REST IN HOPE. ²⁷ FOR THOU WILT NOT LEAVE ME IN THE UNSEEN WORLD FORSAKEN, NOR GIVE UP THY HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. ²⁸ THOU HAST MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE: THOU WILT FILL ME WITH GLADNESS IN THY PRESENCE.' ²⁹ "As to the patriarch David, I need hardly remind you, brethren, that he died and was buried, and that we still have his tomb among us. ³⁰ Being a Prophet, however, and knowing that God had solemnly sworn to him to seat a descendant of his upon his throne, ³¹ with prophetic foresight he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, to the effect that He was not left forsaken in the Unseen World, nor did His body undergo decay. ³² This Jesus, God has raised to life-- a fact to which all of us testify. ³³ "Being therefore lifted high by the mighty hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out this which you see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he says himself, "'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND ³⁵ UNTIL I MAKE THY FOES A FOOTSTOOL UNDER THY FEET.' ³⁶ "Therefore let the whole House of Israel know beyond all doubt that God has made Him both LORD and CHRIST--this Jesus whom you crucified." ³⁷ Stung to the heart by these words, they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, "Brethren, what are we to do?" ³⁸ "Repent," replied Peter, "and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, with a view to the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For to you belongs the promise, and to your children, and to all who are far off, whoever the Lord our God may call." ⁴⁰ And with many more appeals he solemnly warned and entreated them, saying, "Escape from this crooked generation." ⁴¹ Those, therefore, who joyfully welcomed his Message were baptized; and on that one day about three thousand persons were added to them; ⁴² and they were constant in listening to the teaching of the Apostles and in their attendance at the Communion, that is, the Breaking of the Bread, and at prayer. ⁴³ Fear came upon every one, and many marvels and signs were done by the Apostles. ⁴⁴ And all the believers kept together, and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold their lands and other property, and distributed the proceeds among all, according to every one's necessities. ⁴⁶ And, day by day, attending constantly in the Temple with one accord, and breaking bread in private houses, they took their meals with great happiness and single-heartedness, ⁴⁷ praising God and being regarded with favour by all the people. Also, day by day, the Lord added to their number those whom He was saving.

³⁹ The conclusion, my brethren, is this. Be earnestly ambitious to prophesy, and do not check speaking with tongues;

² For he who speaks in an unknown tongue is not speaking to men, but to God; for no one understands him. Yet in the Spirit he is speaking secret truths.

¹ Be eager in your pursuit of this Love, and be earnestly ambitious for spiritual gifts, but let it be chiefly so in order that you may prophesy. ² For he who speaks in an unknown tongue is not speaking to men, but to God; for no one understands him. Yet in the Spirit he is speaking secret truths. ³ But he who prophesies speaks to men words of edification, encouragement and comfort. ⁴ He who speaks in an unknown tongue does good to himself, but he who prophesies does good to the Church. ⁵ I should be right glad were you all to speak in 'tongues,' but yet more glad were you all to prophesy. And, in fact, the man who prophesies is superior to him who speaks in 'tongues,' except when the latter can interpret in order that the Church may get a blessing. ⁶ But, brethren, as things are, if I come to you speaking in 'tongues,' what benefit shall I confer on you, if the utterance is neither in the form of a revelation nor of additional knowledge nor of prophecy nor of teaching? ⁷ Even inanimate things--flutes or harps, for instance--when yielding a sound, if they make no distinction in the notes, how shall the tune which is played on the flute or the harp be known? ⁸ If the bugle--to take another example--gives an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? ⁹ And so with you; if with the living voice you fail to utter intelligible words, how will people know what you are saying? You will be talking to the winds. ¹⁰ There are, we will suppose, a great number of languages in the world, and no creature is without a language. ¹¹ If, however, I do not know the meaning of the particular language, I shall seem to the speaker of it, and he to me, to be merely talking some foreign tongue. ¹² Therefore, seeing that you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in them so as to benefit the Church. ¹³ Therefore let a man who has the gift of tongues pray for the power of interpreting them. ¹⁴ For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is barren. ¹⁵ How then does the matter stand? I will pray in spirit, and I will pray with my understanding also. I will praise God in spirit, and I will praise Him with my understanding also. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you bless God in spirit only, how shall he who is in the position of an ungifted man say the 'Amen' to your giving of thanks, when he does not know what your words mean? ¹⁷ Rightly enough you are giving thanks, and yet your neighbor is not benefited. ¹⁸ I speak in a tongue, thank God, more than all of you; ¹⁹ but in the Church I would rather speak five words with my understanding--so as to instruct others also--than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. ²⁰ Brethren, do not prove yourselves to be children in your minds. As regards evil, indeed, be utter babes, but as regards your minds prove yourselves to be men of ripe years. ²¹ In the Law it stands written, "'BY MEN OF UNKNOWN TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF AN UNKNOWN NATION WILL I SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, BUT EVEN THEN THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME', says the Lord." ²² This shows that the gift of tongues is intended as a sign not to those who believe but to unbelievers, but prophecy is intended not for unbelievers but for those who believe. ²³ Accordingly if the whole Church has assembled and all are speaking in 'tongues,' and there come in ungifted men, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are all mad? ²⁴ If, on the other hand, every one is prophesying and an unbeliever or an ungifted man comes in, he is convicted by all and closely examined by all, ²⁵ and the hidden evils of his heart are brought to light. And, as the result, he will fall on his face and worship God, and will report to others that of a truth God is among you. ²⁶ What then, brethren? Whenever you assemble, there is not one of you who is not ready either with a song of praise, a sermon, a revelation, a 'tongue,' or an interpretation. Let everything be done with a view to the building up of faith and character. ²⁷ If there is speaking in an unknown tongue, only two or at the most three should speak, and they should do so one at a time, and one should interpret; ²⁸ or if there is no interpreter, let the man with the gift be silent in the Church, speaking to himself and to God. ²⁹ But if there are Prophets, let two or three speak and let the rest judge. ³⁰ And if anything is revealed to some one else who is seated there, let the first be silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged: ³² and the spirits of Prophets yield submission to Prophets. ³³ For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace, as He is in all the Churches of His people. ³⁴ Let married women be silent in the Churches, for they are not permitted to speak. They must be content with a subordinate place, as the Law also says; ³⁵ and if they wish to ask questions, they should ask their own husbands at home. For it is disgraceful for a married woman to speak at a Church assembly. ³⁶ Was it from you that God's Message first went forth, or is it to you only that it has come? ³⁷ If any one deems himself to be a Prophet or a man with spiritual gifts, let him recognize as the Lord's command all that I am now writing to you. ³⁸ But if any one is ignorant, let him be ignorant. ³⁹ The conclusion, my brethren, is this. Be earnestly ambitious to prophesy, and do not check speaking with tongues; ⁴⁰ only let everything be done in a becoming and orderly manner.