Speaking In Tongues

In some churches worship involves an emotional display of movement and sound as participants begin to “speak in tongues.” But is this really what is meant by biblical references to those who speak with the gift of tongues?

The New Testament describes the practice of Christians in the first century speaking in languages other than their own, which is generally referred to as speaking in tongues. The most dramatic episode is described in the book of Acts chapter 2, as mentioned in the previous article Pentecost And Our Need For The Holy Spirit.

We are told that: “At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem...and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers” (Acts 2:5-6). The Greek word here for language or tongue is “glossa,” meaning a known language. The miracle involved speaking in “known languages,” not mysterious babbling no one could comprehend.

These Jews and others who were called ‘God-fearers’ were from various countries in the Roman empire including Parthia, Media, Mesopotamia, Libya and Rome and would comprise the first peoples to begin spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. God showed by this miracle the message of salvation was to go to all nations in the world.

Another notable passage where speaking in tongues is addressed is in 1 Corinthians 14. Scripture suggests the Corinthians lacked understanding regarding spiritual gifts and, combined with the influence of their pagan past, it resulted in the problems Paul had to address.

Their worship services were disorderly, with members speaking with the “gift” of a foreign tongue being shouted down by others (1 Corinthians 14:26). This led to divisions with some feeling spiritually superior to others, and visitors being turned off by the disorder (1 Corinthians 14:23). Paul explains the gift of tongues or speaking in a foreign language was meant to be helpful and edifying, conveying knowledge, understanding and love. Those who spoke in tongues were meant to be instrumental in furthering the work of God, as was the case in the book of Acts.

Paul instructed if anyone spoke in a tongue or foreign language, there must be someone to interpret, so the congregation can understand (I Corinthians 14:6-17). Instead of several people talking at the same time, they were to take turns speaking while the congregation listened (ICorinthians 14:27-31). Finally Paul writes, “God is not the author of confusion,” (I Corinthians 14:33), leading to the obvious conclusion God was not the source of this chaos.

The Apostle Peter in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) outlines how Christians are to receive the Holy Spirit. He told them to repent and be baptized, in order to receive the gift of God’s Spirit (Acts 2:36-38). Some may think charismatic speaking in tongues is a sign of God’s presence,but speaking in tongues is the gift of being able to communicate in “known languages,” which God gives when He deems appropriate, and those who hear are edified and educated by what is said

• Source:

  Beyond Today Television

• https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-television-program/speaking-in-tongues

 

Why does God allow evil in the world?

Perhaps the main reason some people are atheists is they cannot satisfactorily reconcile a good God and an evil world. Julian Huxley wrote that the existence of evil "is a challenge to God's moral character" (Religion Without Revelation, 1957, p. 109), concluding that divine revelation and a divine Revelator do not exist.

In our supposedly enlightened society we've relegated Satan, the Devil, to the status of myth. (Image source: Envato)

English theologian Edwin Hatch queried: "How did a God who was almighty as well as beneficent come to create what is imperfect and evil?" (The Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages Upon the Christian Church, 1995, Peabody, Massachusetts, p. 194). While physicist Paul Davies asked why God, if He truly is all-powerful, does not simply intervene and stop all evil: "Is God free to prevent evil?...If he is omnipotent….Why then does He fail to do so" (God and The New Physics, 1983, p. 143).

In our supposedly enlightened society we've relegated Satan, the Devil, to the status of myth. Through the centuries, people's belief in his existence has waxed and waned. Europeans devoutly believed in him in the Middle Ages and throughout the Renaissance, but in modern times the idea of a deceiving devil went out of style. On this subject, however, the only information that really matters is what the Bible provides, which tells us the devil exists as a powerful, evil being. But if Satan is responsible for evil, why doesn't God stop him?

The Devil is a created angel who rebelled against God and became His—and mankind's—adversary. (See Bible Insights Issue 136: The Origin Of Satan And His Demons for more information.) Once Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they immediately began to experience life on Satan's level. Where God's focus is love and peace, Satan's is hate and violence. His primary purpose is to destroy humankind by enticing them to follow his way of destruction, abuse and murder. Through thousands of years of recorded history, Satan has influenced human beings to perpetrate the unimaginable against each other and, in wartime, against whole nations and peoples.

Jesus confirmed the Devil seduces people into committing atrocities, clearly identifying the source of the evil motivations of those who wanted to kill Him: "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the Truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).

God's gift to us "is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). This is why Jesus Christ came and died. But before we can inherit eternal life, we must resist and overcome the temptation to do evil with the help of God’s Holy Spirit: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:12). (See the following article in this issue: Salvation Is Creation.)

God is all powerful. Yet He allows Satan to carry out his deceitful and destructive activities—within certain limits—for a purpose. God tests the character of every human being. Paul wrote, "We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts" (1 Thessalonians 2:4, NIV). God’s desire is for mankind to learn the only way of life that will work is the way of life He reveals in His Word, the Bible. He wants humanity to learn that "the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23) and that Satan's way leads to misery and suffering.

When Jesus Christ returns to earth, He will immediately expel Satan from his position of influence and deception, and restrain him (Revelation 20:1-3), preparing the way for the establishment of His Kingdom on earth.

• Source:

  The Good News Magazine (Nov-Dec, 2010)

• https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/did-god-create-people-evil

 

Every second counts

There are 24 hours in a day but, for many of us, it sometimes feels like that is not enough. We all have control over how we spend much of our time. The Apostle Paul advised: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Time is such a precious commodity (Image source: Envato)

Three factors may be influencing our decisions relating to how our time is spent.

 

Overcommitment

If we are just too busy and overcommitted we may miss some important opportunities to draw closer to God. Consider Martha, the sister of Mary of Bethany, who was unable to listen to Jesus because she was too involved with food preparation. Her well-intentioned actions denied her the opportunity to learn directly from Christ (Luke 10:38-42).

Distraction

Becoming distracted from what we should be focussing on can also take up our time with less important issues. For example: It’s easy to spend too much time on television, social media, the internet or some hobbies.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus explained various reasons why some failed to follow Him, describing the third of these groups as follows: “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful" (Mark 4:18-19 NKJV).

Some people hear God's Word but get distracted by worldly concerns which can decrease the time we spend studying God’s Word and "choke" our spiritual growth.The writer of Psalm 119 asked God to “turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me [give me life] in Your way” (verse 37).

Priorities

Because time is such a precious commodity, we should ask ourselves, "Is there something else that should be given higher priority at this time?" Sometimes writing a list can help us concentrate on what is most important. At the top of our time priority list should be prayer, studying God’s word and meditation, i.e. reflecting on our studies (Psalm 119:15). We also need to see things from God’s perspective and spend time applying what we are learning. One reason we spend time with God in prayer and study so that we will begin to think as He does. Moses knew that taking each day and making it count for good was man’s real purpose and exclaimed in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Colossians 4:5 tells us:. "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." We must always remember that we can never get back or replace a day that has passed. Our lives on this earth don’t last forever. King David knew this when he wrote in Psalms 103:14-16, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.” I Chronicles 29:15 expounds the same truth: “For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.’”

The key to redeeming our time is to remember the purpose of our life as Solomon concluded: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Although our years of life are few, Jesus assures us that this life is not the end, but the beginning. Jesus said to Martha, before he raised Lazarus from the dead, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die….” (John 11:25-26).

• Source:

  Beyond Today British Supplement (Jul-Aug, 2025)

• https://ucg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Supplement-July-August-2025.pdf

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