Many believers today boast more in their ability to speak in tongues than in their ability to live by the Word. Yet the same apostle Paul who spoke in tongues more than all (1 Corinthians 14:18) made it clear that tongues is the least among the spiritual gifts because it edifies only the speaker and not the body of Christ.
Speaking in Tongues — A Gift of the Holy Spirit |
The Rules for Speaking in Tongues |
Why Did the Disciples Speak in Tongues at Pentecost?
Many Christians ask, “What does God truly say about speaking in tongues?” This question is important because gifts are not given to glorify the believer but to edify the church. The Word of God provides clear, direct, and practical instructions — not to condemn the gift, but to place it in its rightful order among other spiritual graces.
What does God say about speaking in tongues?
God says that tongues is a spiritual gift that edifies the speaker, but prophecy — the ability to speak God’s Word clearly — edifies the church. Therefore, in the order of spiritual usefulness, tongues is the least when compared to gifts that build others in understanding.
Main Text
“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” — 1 Corinthians 14:1–3 (KJV)
Tongues Edifies the Speaker, But Prophecy Edifies the Church
Paul begins by urging believers to “desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.” This exposes a powerful truth — the purpose of every spiritual gift is not to promote the one who possesses it, but to build others in the faith.
When a person speaks in tongues, he speaks mysteries by the Spirit, but only to God. Others around him gain nothing except curiosity or confusion. This is why Paul draws a clear line between private edification and public usefulness. He said in 1 Corinthians 14:4:
“He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.”
A spiritual gift that benefits only the individual cannot rise above the one that builds the entire body. God is more concerned with the unity and growth of His people than with the personal excitement of a single believer.
Even in the Old Testament, whenever God spoke, He spoke to be understood. Whether through Moses, the prophets, or the psalmists, God’s voice was always clear, purposeful, and directed toward the community. This divine pattern shows that God has always valued understanding over emotional expression.
Understanding Is Greater Than Expression
Paul strengthens his argument with a blunt comparison:
“Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” — 1 Corinthians 14:19 (KJV)
Revelation: Five words that bring understanding are more powerful than ten thousand that generate confusion. God values clarity, not noise. Even at Pentecost, where tongues first appeared, the miracle was not that the disciples spoke mysteriously, but that “every man heard them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6). The Spirit aimed at communication, not confusion.
Understanding has always been God’s strategy. When Jesus taught, He used parables, but He also explained them to His disciples so that truth, not mystery, would shape their lives. When the prophets spoke, they cried aloud and spared not so the people would repent. Everything God does leans toward illumination.
The Spirit of God Seeks Unity, Not Mystery
The reason tongues became the least of the gifts is simple — when misused, it divides. Paul warned that when unbelievers walk into a gathering where everyone speaks in tongues without interpretation, they will say, “They are mad.” (1 Corinthians 14:23)
Where there is no clarity, there can be no unity. Where there is no understanding, there can be no conversion. This is why Paul instructs that tongues in public must either be interpreted or silenced, because:
“God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” — 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)
The Spirit desires fellowship, unity, and edification. These are threatened when believers compete with expressions that cannot be understood by those around them. The early church grew because believers continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching — not in endless utterances no one could interpret.
Conclusion
The greatest gift is the one that builds others in faith, not the one that draws attention to the individual. Speaking in tongues is real and has its place, but it remains the least because it does not bring others into the knowledge of Christ unless it is interpreted.
If we truly desire to walk in the fullness of the Spirit, we must hunger for gifts that reveal Christ, teach others, strengthen faith, and draw people closer to the truth. God is pleased when our gifts bless His people — not when they magnify our spirituality before others.