Do all speak with tongues?

Did God give the gift of tongues to every believer? Many people in traditional churches believe the answer is NO. They use the verse fragment from 1 Corinthians 12:30 (do all speak with tongues?) to support their case. They also now have an excuse why they didn’t receive the gift of tongues and shouldn’t speak with tongues. After all:

• It’s not for everybody.
• I guess it’s just not my gift.
• If God wanted me to have tongues, then He would give me tongues.

Let’s take a closer look at this passage to see if that’s what it’s really saying.

1 Corinthians 12:28-30
²⁸ And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

This verse has two lists, a list of ministries that God has appointed in the church, and a list of questions showing that not everybody gets each ministry. If we put the two lists side by side we gain some insight.

Number	Verse 28	Verses 29-30
1	First apostles,	Are all apostles?
2	Second prophets	Are all prophets?
3	Third teachers	Are all teachers?
4	After that miracles	Are all workers of miracles?
5	Then gifts of healings	Do all have gifts of healings?
6	Helps
7	Administrations
8	Varieties of tongues	Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

Numbers 1-5 are on both sides and match well.
Numbers 6-7 “helps, administrations “, do not have a corresponding question.
Number 8 is quite different, and helps to explain the misunderstanding.

God appointed varieties of tongues in the church. And then He asked: Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

The word varieties implies there are many different types of tongues. And the question addresses only ONE of those many varieties. Do all speak in the variety of tongues which is to be followed by interpretation? The answer is NO. But what about the other varieties of tongues?

There are four varieties or diversities of tongues:

1. Tongues for the believer
2. Tongues for interpretation
3. Tongues as a sign to the unbeliever
4. Tongues for intercession

Of these four varieties only the first one – tongues for the believer – is given to every Christian. The remaining three are as God appoints them in the church. Let’s take a look at these four varieties.

1. Tongues for the believer (Mark 16:15-17)

¹⁵ And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (Mark 16:15-17)

This is describing tongues for the believer. It doesn’t say these signs will follow the apostles, or deacons. It doesn’t say it will follow those who receive the special gift meant only for some.  It simply says the sign will follow those who believe. Look at the highlighted part below.

Preach the gospel ...; He who believes  ... will be saved; and these signs will follow those who believe: In My name ... they will speak with new tongues;

Everyone who believes the gospel will be saved. This is an open invitation to every single person not to a select few. And if you believe the gospel then the sign of speaking with new tongues will follow you. The only condition is that you must believe the gospel. This gift of tongues if for ALL believers.

2. Tongues for Interpretation (1 Corinthians. 14:5, 18-19)

⁵ I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

Prophecy edifies the church because it is spoken in a language people understand. But when tongues is followed by interpretation then this is equivalent to prophecy.

¹⁸ I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; ¹⁹ yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul continues his explanation by saying how he uses “tongues for the believer” more than anyone else in the church, but he chooses to do it in private. When he is speaking in church then he always speaks with his understanding (which includes tongues with interpretation as shown in verse 5).

Tongues with interpretation following is not given to all believers. Not all speak in tongues with interpretation.

3. Tongues as a sign to the unbeliever (Acts 2:4-8; 1 Cor. 14:21-22)

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ⁵ And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. ⁷ Then they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? ⁸ “And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?  (Acts 2:4-8)

On the day of Pentecost all 120 believers were filled with the spirit and began to speak with other tongues. They all received variety #1 - tongues for the believer. However God also did a miracle by showing variety #3 - sign to the unbeliever - in that the multitude of Jews from foreign countries could all hear these tongues in their own foreign language.

21 In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” [Isa 28:11, 12] says the Lord. 22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; (1 Cor. 14:21-22)

Only the Holy Spirit can give the gift of tongues in a foreign language and it is entirely at His discretion.

4. Tongues for intercession

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Roms. 8:26-27)
¹⁹ My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you (Gal. 4:19)

The last variety of tongues is that used in intercession. A person cannot manifest this gift by choice, but only when the Holy Spirit joins Himself to the persons prayer. Initially the person may be praying with tongues for the believer but then it switches and gets deeper, and soon becomes groaning and travail very similar to a woman giving birth. This is effective intercession, because it is the Holy Spirit co-labouring with the individual and praying the perfect will of God.

Do all speak with tongues for the believer?

The question has changed now.

Do all speak with tongues for interpretation?     NO.
Do all speak with tongues as a sign to the unbeliever?    NO.
Do all speak with tongues for intercession?         NO.
Do all speak with tongues for the believer?         YES, YES, YES!

Read these three separate accounts of people being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues. Firstly on the day of Pentecost the believers (120 of them) were ALL filled and ALL spoke in other tongues.

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)

Secondly, all the gentiles who believed the Gospel then received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. (Acts 10:44-46)

Finally, at Ephesus, these twelve believers received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.

⁴ Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” ⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. (Acts 19:4-7)

God does not have favorites but He does have variety. He distributes the ministry gifts to individual believers as He chooses. But He offers both the gift of salvation, and the gift of tongues for the believer to ALL who will believer.

God wants all to believe in Jesus Christ, all to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and all to speak in tongues (and continue speaking in tongues until Jesus Christ returns).