Many in the religious world falsely claim to have the gift of speaking in tongues. This spiritual gift was among the most popular in the first century (cf. 1 Corinthians 14), and is apparently sought after today. However, by “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) an honest heart comes to the realization that tongue speaking, along with other spiritual gifts, has ceased.

The tongue speaking claimed by those today is completely foreign to that read about in the Bible (merely gibberish). In Acts 2, the apostles “were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). A tongue is a language. “Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?’” (2:7). The spiritual gift of tongue speaking is the supernatural ability to speak a language which you do not know, and have not studied.

Tongue speaking, along with all other spiritual gifts, was given for a purpose – to edify the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:12). It was associated with Holy Spirit baptism, which occurred only twice (cf. Acts 2:1-4; 10:44-46). In addition, tongue speaking could be bestowed through the “laying on of the apostles’ hands” (Acts 8:14-18; 19:6). Due to the fact that there are no apostles today – for there can’t be any qualified persons (cf. Acts 1:21-22) – all spiritual gifts have ceased. This is in accord with the divine plan – “Whether there are tongues, they will cease…but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:8,10).

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