Q&A: Spiritual Gift of Speaking in Tongues - DJ Dickerson - 12/21/25

This evening we are visiting our series

of lessons that we have from well every

month again it's usually the third

Sunday or next to last Sunday of the

month in which we are looking at the Q&A

asking for a friend series and as we

have uh of course get those uh questions

in I I uh try to go through them and uh

try to get these lessons at least once a

month uh as much as I in. And since this

one kind of goes handinhand with uh

questions that that come up uh recently

in our in our Bible class, I figured

well, I'll use this opportunity to use

this one for the Q&A. And that is uh

from a question regarding our recent

study in that of Acts chapter 2. In Acts

Acts 2 · chapter mention Acts 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2, it's talking about

specifically uh uh the question about

the spiritual gift of speaking in

tongues.

Friends, there there are few

Bible subjects

uh that create more confusion,

disagreement,

and emotion

than the subject of speaking in tongues.

I'm telling you, uh, for some, the word

tongues

immediately brings to mind

ecstatic utterances,

private prayer languages,

uh, or unintelligible speech.

Uh, others will avoid the topic

altogether

because of the controversy that

surrounds it. Well, but as God's people,

our responsibility is is is not to

define truth by modern experience or

experiences.

Uh popular religious practice or

emotional response. That's not our

responsibility. Our responsibility is to

simply ask

the crucial question,

what does the New Testament say on the

topic? So, I always appreciate the

questions that that I receive. And if we

allow the Bible to simply speak for

itself without adding to it or or taking

from it, the answer becomes quite clear,

consistent, and I would also say faith

strengthening. Uh and as we think about

these Q&As and these questions that that

we we go through in any lesson for that

matter, but a lot of times these topics

that we're looking at are questions that

other people have on their minds. They

just well, they just haven't asked it

yet. is usually how that works. But

when we go and we look at this these

texts and all all of the context that

we're going to consider this this

evening in this lesson, it equips us to

be able to answer these questions when

they come up to us that I mean it's it's

one of those ones we take this and we

learn it and we take it to others

because I promise you if you haven't

already had a conversation with somebody

about this topic of the spiritual gift

of speaking in tongues, you will

[clears throat] have it at some point or

another. Okay. So, let's talk about the

meaning of tongues in the New Testament.

Of course, the first place that we need

to start is we need to also look at

definitions, right? Uh the New Testament

uh word translated tongues comes from a

Greek word glossa g l o ss a which

literally means a language. That's what

it means. It means a language. It is the

same word that's used to describe known

spoken languages throughout scripture.

Now our text again where this derived

this question came from is that of Acts

Acts 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 and we're going to look at

verses 4 through13. Acts chapter 2 and

Acts 2 · chapter mention

verses 4 through13.

If you're able to see that on the wall,

you have better eyes than I do,

but I try to fit all those passages up

there. But Acts chapter 2:es 4-13

made again make sure to prove all things

according to God's word not DJs

beginning in verse four of Acts chapter

Acts 2 · chapter mention

2. And they were all filled with the

Holy Spirit and began to speak with

other tongues as the spirit gave them

utterance. And there were dwelling in

Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every

nation under heaven. And when the sound

occurred, the multitude came together

and were confused because everyone heard

them speak in his own 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?

Parththeians and me and Ilommites, those

dwelling in Mesopotam Mesopotamia, Judea

and Cap Capidia, Pontis in Asia, Fia and

Panilia, Egypt and the parts of Libya,

adjoining Serene, visitors from Rome,

both Jews and proelites, cretins and

Arabs. We hear them speaking in our own

tongues the wonderful works of God. So

they were all amazed and perplexed,

saying to one another, "Whatever could

this mean?" others mocking saying they

are full of new wine.

Now I believe that when we look at the

the word and as I mentioned just a

moment ago the language being translated

that that gloss of word that Greek word

that means language tongues

it's it's unmistakably clear what it's

talking about in Acts chapter 2 when the

Acts 2 · chapter mention

apostles were filled with the Holy

Spirit on the day of Pentecost the text

says that they began to speak with other

tongues as the spirit gave them

utterance. Now, context is important,

right? We see all these clues that are

all in just these few verses. And I'm

going to highlight them as I go through

them, okay? Because immediately Luke is

explaining exactly what that means. That

the tongues speaking with other tongues

began to speak with other tongues as a

spirit gave letters. He goes on explain

that. Look at verse six. Everyone heard

them speak in his own what? Language.

Verse eight. Let's highlight that one.

And how is it that we hear each in our

own language?

Verse 11. Okay. We have all we have that

list of of people that have gathered

there. And what's it say in verse 11? We

hear them speaking in our own tongues

the wonderful works of God.

There there was no confusion about what

was happening, right? The crowd did not

ask what kind of sounds are these? See,

that's the key thing. What kind of

sounds are these?

They asked a question. How are these

Galileans

speaking language they have never heard?

You remember in Bible class what I

mentioned I said they they didn't they

didn't have Rosetta Stone and stuff like

that like we do today, right? Because we

have to we have to learn other

languages. All right. What what do we

deduce from this? Speaking in tongues in

the New Testament always referred to

real known human languages spoken

miraculously without prior study.

They say, "Well, what's the point of

this? what what what is the point? I

think when we look to the purpose of

speaking in tonesues and and you know

obviously first once we understand uh

[clears throat] what tonesues meant what

tonesues were we must understand why did

God do this? Why did God give them?

Miracles were never known and they were

never given for entertainment purposes.

Miracles were never given for personal

excitement nor emotional display. That's

not what the miracles were for. But yet

here you have God again always having a

purpose. So let's talk about what

tongues were doing. Uh the speaking in

tongues in the New Testament. What what

was the point of it? Well, I believe the

first thing that we can certainly note

here is that tongues confirmed divine

revelation.

Few other passages that I I'd like for

us to consider as we go through this is

like Mark 16 and verse 20. You might you

might remember when you think about

miracles and such, you consider how the

the word was confirmed. You know the

word and they went out and preached

everywhere. The Lord working with him

and confirming the word through the

accompany accompanying signs. I want you

to keep that in mind in Mark 16 and

verse 20 or or even consider Hebrews

2:es 3 and 4 for that matter because it

says how shall we escape if we neglect

so great a salvation which at the first

began to be spoken by the Lord and was

confirmed to us by those who heard him.

God also bearing witness both with signs

and wonders with various miracles and

gifts of the Holy Spirit according to

his own will. So what you find from

those verses is how does tongues fall

into this the spiritual gift of speaking

in tongues. It's it it because the Lord

is confirming his divine revelation by

these signs and these wonders, these

various miracles.

And just as Hebrews 2 says that God bore

witness with these signs, wonders, and

miracles,

tongues were a sign gift, evidence that

the message being preached that it came

from a divine origin. It came from God.

In a time before the New Testament was

written and completed, God confirmed his

word through those miracles. How many

times we've heard that miracles are

proving the divine origin of the message

that was being proclaimed. And once the

message was confirmed,

the signs are no longer needed. And

there's a whole another part of lesson

we could get on that from first

Corinthians, right?

So what does these tongues do? I mean,

obviously we we see this confirming

divine revelation, but also we think

about how they were assigned to

unbelievers

here. Wait a second. Why'd you say

unbelievers? Well, look at what the

scripture says in 1 Corinthians 14 and

verse 22. There's a lot that that goes

on when you go back to chapter 13 and

well, actually 12, 13, but 14. You know,

there there's a lot that's that's spoken

of about the tongues in in speaking in

tongues in that in that portion. And

then of course chapter 13 has a lot to

do with what that topic called love.

Remember that series. All right. So Paul

plainly states this about tongues. He

says therefore tongues are for a sign

not to those who believe

but to unbelievers but prophesying is

not for unbelievers but for those who

believe.

Let's let's understand going back to

Acts chapter 2. On Pentecost, those

Acts 2 · chapter mention

gathered were convinced something divine

was happening when they heard God's

message spoken fluently in their own

languages.

Tongues were never designed to impress

believers.

They were meant to convict unbelievers.

And these tongues associated here

assisted in spreading the gospel

in the early church. Think about this

for a moment. Missionaries traveled

without translators.

Okay?

They have the dictionaries or language

training programs I mentioned earlier,

right? Tongues allowed the gospel to

cross language barriers instantaneously.

Isn't that beautiful? It's like God had

a perfect plan here, didn't he? And so,

this shows us again that tongues were

practical,

intelligible,

and purposeful, never chaotic or

meaningless. This morning, of course,

kids a lot of times that's the question.

It's either the day before or sometimes

throughout the week. You know, one of

the kids will ask me, say, "Hey, Dad,

what you preaching on Sunday?" And if I

have them doing tasks like stapling the

handouts and those types of things, they

kind of get a heads up on it. Well, I

did all that this time. So I said, you

know, they asked it on the way. I said,

"What what are you preaching tonight?"

And I told them, you know, about the

gift of speaking in tongues. So I gave

him an example and I just kind of

started rattling off some, you know,

unintelligible words. And I said, "What

did I just say?" And I even said

nothing.

And he's right.

I didn't say nothing. I didn't know what

I was saying. Right? That's the

difference here. Here when we're

thinking about tongues, tonesues here in

the New Testament, it was again

practable, practical, intelligible, and

purposeful. It's not chaotic. It's not

meaningless. It doesn't bring confusion

to what's going on, right? That's that's

not what it is because tongues were

always understandable or interpreted

every time. And that's a point that Paul

makes in 1 Corinthians chapter 14.

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

That really one of the strongest rebukes

Paul gives regarding tongues is found in

1 Corinthians 14. Y'all know that?

Because what Paul is is is hitting home

here is God is not glorified by

confusion.

He's not glorified by confusion.

decent and in order, God will be

glorified in accordance with his will.

Look at verse 9 of 1 Corinthians 14.

[clears throat]

1 Corinthians 14 and verse 9.

So likewise you, unless you utter by the

tongue words, look at this. Are you

ready? Easy to understand,

how will it be known what is spoken?

for you will be speaking into the air.

Let's fast forward to verse 27 and 28.

If anyone speaks in a tongue,

let there be two or at the most three,

each in turn,

and let one interpret. But if there is

no interpreter, let him keep silent in

church, and let him speak to himself and

to God.

Look at verse 33.

For God is not the author of confusion,

but of peace as in all the churches of

the saints.

What is Paul saying? If no interpreter

were present, the speaker is commanded

to

keep silent.

If I start speaking Spanish,

might be one here, right? I think I got

one. Y might somebody else might know

Spanish, right?

The rest of you going to go, "What? What

is he talking about? What is he doing?

That would lead to confusion."

So think about this. That alone,

what Paul is saying, just these few

verses tells us something critical.

critical

unintelligible speech that no one

understands is not biblical tongues.

Biblical worship

was orderly. It was decent. It was

understandable because it was all about

edification and glory to God.

Hm.

Now,

a lot of what you see in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

chapter 14 speaks volumes on this. And I

again encourage you go and read all of

those. There's several chapters because

the the speaking in tongues was was the

big one that a lot of people they were

they were envious over the others that

speak in tonesues. Okay? Now,

tonesues were temporary and they would

cease.

The New Testament clearly teaches that

miraculous gifts and there are several

that that we we know we see in the

scriptures. We're focused here on this

one obviously right now. But the point

is the miraculous bit gifts were not

permanent. They were temporary. Look at

look back to first Corinthians chapter

1 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

13 in verses 8 through10. This is that

remember 1 Corinthians 13 has a lot

talks about love, doesn't it? And it's a

great point that Paul is making here. He

goes on in ver in verse 8 through10 he

says love never fails but whether there

are tongues they will fail whether there

whether I'm sorry whether our prophecies

they will fail whether our tongues they

will cease whether there is knowledge it

will vanish away for we know in part and

we prophesy in part but when that which

is perfect has come then that which is

in part will be done away

I think that says it all right there

that speaking in tongues

That spiritual gift itself were was

partial. It was temporary. A tool used

while God's revelation was still being

delivered. Now when that which is

perfect came, that revelation completed

of God's will, those gifts would would

pass away. They would they would uh

again, as he makes it very clear there,

would cease, would vanish away.

James describes that even as the perfect

law.

Today, we possess the fully revealed

word of God and we no longer need

miraculous signs

to confirm it.

But here's here's what we even get to on

this because when I I start talking

about confusion, I've talked to a lot of

people on this subject over over the

years

and it's always it's very interesting

conversation and and I always enjoy

people that they they sincerely want to

know about this topic and something that

from uh they'll come to me and they're

they're they're concerned. I had one

come to me and said, uh, in the secular

work that I was doing, they came to me

and they they said, "You're a preacher,

right?" I said, "Yes, sir, I am." And

they said, "Well, you know, I haven't

received the gift of speaking in tongues

yet, which means I'm not saved."

I said, "Well, let's talk about that for

just a second. Maybe a minute. We might

need more than a minute."

And what I was trying to impress from

scripture

is tongues were never a sign of

salvation.

That's one of the things that you'll

you'll find when you talk to folks about

speaking in tonesues is he said, "My

wife is able to speak in tongues, which

means she's saved and I'm not."

He was truly concerned

about what was going on there.

So I told him this what we're about to

go through here and in and just these

few points here

that some teach that speaking in tongues

is evidence of salvation or Holy Spirit

baptism.

The New Testament directly contradicts

that idea.

You go to 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

We're kind of working our way back. 14

13. Y'all see I'm not going all the way

to chapter 1, so don't worry. Okay. 1

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 12. Look at verses

29 and 30.

Are all apostles?

Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are

all workers of miracles? Do all have

gifts of healings? Do all speak with

tongues? Do all interpret? Now,

with all of those questions,

what's the implied answer here?

No. That's the implied answer to every

one of those questions.

The point that Paul is is emphasizing.

We're talking about all all the members

of the body. But here's here's what he's

talking about here is that not every

Christian had miraculous gifts.

The point even further is salvation

again has never been based on gifts.

It's always been based on obedience to

the gospel. Salvation is about obedience

to the gospel.

I mean, we know these verses, right?

Acts 2 and:38, Peter said to him,

"Repent, and let every one of you be

baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for

remission of sins, and you shall receive

the gift of the Holy Spirit." Y'all see

that?

Romans 6 3 and 4. Or do you not know

that as many of us who were baptized in

Christ Jesus were baptized into his

death? Therefore, we are buried with him

through baptism death, that just as

Christ was raised from the dead by the

glory of the father, even so we also

should walk in newness of life.

Galatians 3 and verse 27, 26 and 27. For

you are all sons of God through faith in

Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were

baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

You will not find anywhere in the New

Testament

of any apostle

ever telling someone to seek tongues as

evidence or proof of salvation.

Won't find it

because that's not what it was designed

for.

That's not the purpose of it. And again,

it goes to the huge misconceptions

that has

I mean been taught for a long time that

has confused a lot of people.

But we look at what these scriptures

simply say.

We ask the question in conclusion.

What does speaking in tongues mean in

the New Testament?

Well, basically what we have looked at

briefly,

speaking real human languages

given

as a temporary sign to confirm divine

truth.

They were used in an orderly,

understandable

fashion or manner.

It was never emotional babbling or or

private prayer language.

And it ceased when God's revelation was

complete.

How does God speak to us? Well, I

believe you go to Hebrews chapter 1:es 1

and 2. I think you see that very clearly

from the passages here. God who at

various times and in various ways spoke

in time past to the fathers by the

prophets has in these last days spoken

to us by his son whom he has appointed

heir of all things through whom also he

made the worlds.

He speaks to us through his holy and

divine word.

How does he equip us? How does he

instruct us? How does he direct us and

guide us?

Well, the answer to that is 2 Timothy

2 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 16 and 17. All scripture is

given by inspiration of God as profit

for doctrine for approve for correction

for instruction and righteousness that

the man of God may be complete

thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Friends, what I want us to take away in

this,

the greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit

in our lives is not miraculous speech.

It's a transformed life. That's what

that is.

That means faithful obedience. That

means love for truth. That means

Christlike character. How do I know

this? Because the Bible says that the

fruit of the spirit are these things.

Galatians 5:22 and 23. It's love, joy,

Galatians 5:22

peace, longsuffering, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

self-control. Against such there is no

law.

We are called by the gospel.

simple,

profound, the word of God.

We're not called through miracles.

We're called by the gospel message.

All the misconceptions out there and

saying the re whatever revelation that

you know that you know a lot of times,

you know, people have asked me, "How do

you get your sermons, DJ? Do you do you

do you get it as soon as you step in the

pull pit?

That would be dangerous. Okay. No.

You read and you study the word of God

and I'm able to prove everything

according to book, chapter, and verse.

And you're able to look and to prove

where those things are. So, just like

the Bereans, you're able to do that. You

search the truth to prove whether what

I'm saying is in accordance with God's

word. I don't get up here and say all

kinds of different things or or or or

unintelligible language or words or

whatever.

It's the gospel. I don't put the Bible

on my chest and let so hopefully osmosis

will take effect into my heart or in my

head. It doesn't work that way. I tried

it in college. It don't work. Family

does not work that way. Promise you

because I fell asleep on my book. That's

basically what happened.

But we have to look at this and

understand. We we can understand what

this means. And and it's very simple.

You if you believe Jesus is the son of

the living God,

we have to ask ourselves questions. Am I

willing to repent, confess his name, and

obey him? That's where salvation's at.

Obey him in baptism and rise to walkness

of life. That's what we saw in all those

passages from Acts 2:38, Romans 6 3 and

Acts 2:38

4, Galatians 3 26 and 27. We saw that.

And if you're willing and able, you you

want to do that. You you want to do

that. We will make all things stand

ready.

As Christians, we have to keep in mind

the goal that Paul emphasized to the

Corinthian brethren. And again, I only

got a c several of those verses for time

sake this this evening, but you go read

and even in the first 25 verses of 1

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 14. Do you know what

he was emphasizing to those brethren?

The same thing that's been emphasized

this evening is that all are built up or

edified through the words that are

understood by all. If you don't

understand

what's coming out of my mouth,

are you going to be built up or edified?

No, you will not.

Otherwise, it's just unintelligible

noise that is profitless. Isn't that

what Paul says in First Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13? Clanging symbol. That that's

that's all we are there. There there's

nothing there's no fruit to it. And our

goal is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

chapter 14 and what we have looked at

briefly this evening. Our goal today

should be the same as what Paul was

making mention there. That when we

assemble together, it is for

edification, exhortation, and

consolation. That's verse three of 1

1 Corinthians 14 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 14.

And we must be certain to use words in

our prayers, in our Bible classes, in

our lessons and sermons, in our songs,

and partaking in the Lord's supper that

are understandable, which will result in

edification, that which will increase

our faith. And as verse 24 says of 1

Corinthians 14, convince and convict

those who are uninformed and

unbelievers.

Because God is not the author of what?

He's not the author of confusion.

And that's the lesson. I certainly do

appreciate you. Appreciate the questions

that are submitted and the understanding

we have from the holy and divine word.

How thankful we are that we have of have

his word to look and to prove all these

things according to his word. And to

spend this time on this Lord's day

evening to study another portion of

God's word and to encourage and be

edified one another as we worship our

great God in spirit and in truth. This

evening, the lesson is yours. The song

invitation is being given. If you're

subject to the invitation call, whatever

your spiritual need, won't you come as

we stand and we sing the song that's

been selected.