Our last study explained that the nine gifts of the Spirit (1 Corin 12:8-10) may be further categorized into utterance gifts (tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophecy), revelatory gifts (word of knowledge, word of wisdom and the discerning of spirits) and power gifts (the gifts of healings, the working of miracles and faith). We shall now delve into a detailed examination of the utterance gifts, beginning with the gift of tongues.
The Bible has a lot to say about this wonderful gift of the Spirit. To begin with, the gift of tongues (and its interpretation) is the ONLY GIFT of the Spirit not found in the Old Testament. Every other gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 by the apostle Paul existed and was manifested, at one point or the other, under the Old Testament.
The gift of tongues (vs. 10) is supernatural utterance, in a spiritual language, which the speaker never previously learnt. This is found nowhere in the Old Testament. The interpretation of tongues (vs. 10) is the ability to say in a known language what has been uttered in tongues (more on this later). This is likewise nonexistent under the Old Testament. Thus, the gift of tongues (with its interpretation) was absent before the Church Era. It appears that God reserves this gift for His New Testament Church (Acts 2:1-4).
Second, the gift of tongues is not the ability to speak diverse human languages. A common misconception about tongues is that it is the ability to speak different dialects, native to different tribes and nations. Some Bible scholars opine that God gave the early Christians the gift of tongues to make transcultural evangelism easier; as they arrived foreign nations, they could immediately start preaching there, supernaturally, in the language of the locals.
Such argument is strange, since nowhere in the New Testament is it recorded that the disciples “preached with tongues.” Everywhere the early Christians preached in Acts, they used human languages; either Hebrew/Aramaic, when addressing Jews (see Acts 3:12-26, 4:8-12, cf. Acts 21:40, 22:2), or Greek, when addressing non-Jews (see Acts 14:11-18, 16:30-34, 17:1-4, 10-12, 22-34, 18:11). Luke (the writer of Acts) NEVER pauses to state that the disciples suddenly spoke an unknown dialect, by miraculous empowerment, while preaching. This is instructive.
Such need (i.e. the gift to preach in different languages) would never have arisen in the first place, as the early Christians were ALREADY multilingual. The Greek empire, under Alexander the Great, conquered most nations of the Eastern Mediterranean in the fourth century BC, including Judah (in 332 BC). Colonizers often required their colonies to learn their lingua franca, as a means of assimilation. Thus, every nation under Greek rule, including the Jews, learnt Greek. This explains why all books of the New Testament were written almost entirely in Greek, even though the majority of their authors were Jewish. This was the official language of the day. By the first century AD (when much of the New Testament occurs), the eastern Mediterranean had been speaking Greek for about 300 years, ever since Alexander the Great conquered the region in the fourth century BC.
When the Romans conquered the Greek Empire and took control of Judea in 63 BC, they did not try to replace Greek with Latin (their own language) in the East. Since much of the colonies already spoke Greek, it was only practical that the Romans continued using it alongside Latin. An abrupt change in language would have been tedious, hence, Latin was not made the principal language, but was instead used exclusively by Roman governors and officials. Thus, in the western half of the Roman Empire (Italy, Gaul, Spain, North Africa), Latin dominated, while in the eastern half (Judea, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Egypt), Greek remained the principal common language. The ministry of the early Church was primarily in the East.
We can therefore say that EVERY nation where the early Christians evangelized (in Acts) spoke Greek (the official language), alongside their own native languages. The early Christians themselves spoke at least four languages; their native Hebrew (when reading the Scriptures and during worship in the synagogues), Aramaic (another Semitic language, similar to Hebrew, which was used in everyday conversation), Greek (the official language, used in commerce, trade, education, travel and communication) and perhaps some Latin (for Jews who worked closely with the Roman Empire, e.g. tax collectors and administrators).
Thus, when the early Christians traveled across the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, they entered cities where Greek already functioned as the primary medium of communication. They themselves also understood Greek. Hence, the early Christians did not require a gift to preach to foreigners—they already understood different languages!
To further buttress this point, note the adjectives used to qualify the gift of tongues in the New Testament. Mark 16:17 says, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with NEW TONGUES.” The phrase “new tongues” (Grk. “kainais glōssais”) literally means “novel languages.” It refers to a kind of speaking which has never existed before.
Similarly, Acts 2 describes tongues this way, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with OTHER TONGUES, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (vs. 4). The adjective “other” translates the Greek “heteros” (ἕτερος). It means “of a different sort.” This word was used by classical Greek writers, such as Plato, to describe things which belong to a different class or category. Obviously, tongues cannot be human languages. The very words used to describe the same imply otherwise.
The gift of tongues is a spiritual language, which only God understands! Man cannot understand it, for it is not man’s language, “For he who speaks in a tongue DOES NOT SPEAK TO MEN BUT TO GOD, for NO ONE UNDERSTANDS him; however, IN THE SPIRIT he speaks mysteries” (1 Corin 14:2).
In vs. 9, Paul likens speaking in tongues to another man, without an interpretation, to “speaking into the air.” He says, “So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, HOW WILL IT BE KNOWN WHAT IS SPOKEN? For you will be SPEAKING INTO THE AIR.” This means man’s mind cannot comprehend what is said in tongues. It SOUNDS unintelligible—it’s supposed to!
Vs. 16 says, “Otherwise, if you BLESS WITH THE SPIRIT (i.e. in tongues), how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say ‘Amen’ at your giving of thanks, since HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAY?”
Evidently, the gift of the tongues cannot be the ability to speak diverse human languages. It is a spiritual language, whose meaning is known only to God. “What about Acts 2 then?” some may ask, “where those from other nations could hear the disciples speak in their native languages?” This is explained elsewhere (our 2023 book “The Christian’s Guide to Tongues.” Send “CGTT” to joshbanksofficial@gmail.com to get it).
Third, the gift of tongues is a sign of unity between Jews and Gentiles. The Bible teaches that at the beginning of the world, all men were one and spoke the same language.
Genesis 11:1 (NKJV)
1 Now the whole earth had one language (ehat sapah; literally “one lip” i.e. they pronounced words the same way) and one speech (ahadim udebarim; literally “same kind of words” i.e. they were united in speech)
We are not sure what language the early humans spoke, but some Bible scholars suggest Hebrew. Now, language is diversified, due to man’s pride and rebellion against God at Babel.
Genesis 11:3-4 (NKJV)
3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Notice that these men sought to idolize themselves. They said “let us make a name for ourselves” (vs. 4). They did not care for God’s name, or to glorify Him.
They also wanted to remain in one place on the Earth, “…lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth” (vs. 4). This went against God’s instruction in Genesis 1:28, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; FILL THE EARTH and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” God’s original intent was for man to fill the Earth, not occupy one part of it.
So, we find tremendous arrogance and defiance at Babel. These men were toeing the same path as those in Genesis 6, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (vs. 5). It was such pride and rebellion that brought the flood in the first place. God has to act.
His solution is to mix their languages.
Genesis 11:6-8 (NKJV)
6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.
After this, the people no longer desired to remain together. They instead grouped themselves by ethnic group and dispersed into all the Earth. Genesis 10 records these people-groups. Scripture therefore teaches that sin brought about different ethnicities, tribes and nations. However, ethnicities, tribes and nations are not inherently sinful. Diversity is not a curse, despite having been introduced by God as a means of curbing humanity’s rebellion.
Now, as with almost every aspect of human life, man began to abuse diversity. Over time, people increasingly regarded those outside their own ethnic communities as inferior. They grew extremely tribalistic and ethnocentric in their thinking.
This, obviously, was not God’s intent. Scripture reveals that He wanted a world filled with diverse tribes, nations, ethnicities and languages, but in a way that humans themselves remained UNITED. God’s instructions to the children of Israel, on how to treat foreigners, clearly reveal this.
Leviticus 19:33-34 (NKJV)
33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, YOU SHALL NOT MISTREAT HIM. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you AS ONE BORN AMONG YOU, and YOU SHALL LOVE HIM AS YOURSELF; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Exodus 22:21 (NKJV)
21 “You shall neither MISTREAT A STRANGER nor OPPRESS HIM, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
But God’s desire for mankind’s unity was continually thwarted by ethnic bigotry (see Gen 43:32, Est 3:6, 8, Jon 4:1-2). God’s intent to have different tribes, yet one people, seemed almost impossible, but is nonetheless achieved in SALVATION. Salvation is what unites ALL men (regardless of ethnicity) together!
Galatians 3:26-28 (NKJV)
26 For YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.
This statement, by the apostle Paul, was culturally significant because Jews and Gentiles despised each other in Bible days. Ancient Jewish males would often pray the Birchot HaShachar (בִּרְכוֹת הַשַּׁחַר), “Blessed are you, Lord our God, Who has not made me a Gentile, a woman, or a slave.” It was perceived as unfortunate (by the Jews, not God) to be any of these three. The Jews would oftentimes call the Gentiles “uncircumcised” (Jdgs 14:3) and also “dogs” (cf. Matt 15:26). The Jews viewed Gentiles as godless heathens; those outside the covenant.
The Gentiles, on the other hand, were brilliant mathematicians and scientists (see 1 Kgs 4:29-34, Dan 2:48, Acts 7:22). Hence, they viewed the Jews as illiterate and barbarian. In Acts 17:18, for example, they call Paul “a blabber”; an extremely derogatory term in the Greek (“spermologos”), used for one who was sparsely learned and whose speech was unworthy of serious attention. They also mocked him when he spoke of the resurrection (Acts 17:32). Thus, both Jews and non-Jews harbored a deep sense of hostility and enmity toward one another (cf. Jn 4:9).
Jesus comes to change this state of affairs! He is called the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). A crucial part of His messianic role is to restore peace; first, between God and man (see Rom 5:1, 10, 2 Corin 5:18-19, Col 1:20-22, 1 Pt 3:18), then between Jews and Gentiles, placing them on equal ground. Observe how Paul articulates this truth in Ephesians 2.
Ephesians 2:11-22 (NKJV)
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off (i.e. the Gentiles) HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. 14 For HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, who has made both (Jews and Gentiles) one, and has BROKEN DOWN THE MIDDLE WALL OF SEPARATION (between Jews and Gentiles), 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself ONE NEW MAN FROM THE TWO, THUS MAKING PEACE, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in ONE BODY through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him WE BOTH (i.e Jews and Gentiles) have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you (i.e. Gentiles) are no longer strangers and foreigners, but FELLOW CITIZENS with the saints and MEMBERS of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Therefore, in Christ, the acrimony between nations is taken away (Col 3:11). Both Jews and Gentiles are heirs of God (Eph 3:6). There is unity in Christ (Eph 4:4-6). Both Jews and Gentiles are united by the finished work to worship God together (Rom 15:8-12). Jews and non-Jews are baptized into the same Body (1 Corin 12:13). The Book of Revelation highlights how God’s salvation reaches men from diverse tribes and nations (Rev 5:9-10, 7:9-10). In Christ, we all receive the same Spirit (Gal 3:14); no one receives a “better Spirit” than another because of his ethnicity (cf. Acts 10:44-46, 15:8-9). The same Spirit received by the Jewish Christians in Acts 2 is the same the Gentile believers receive in Acts 10 (Acts 11:15-18).
Thus, in Christ, discrimination based on ethnicity or tribe is no more—we find men who ordinarily should be separated by the color of their skin, the barrier of language and their diverse cultures now stand together as one.
Now, with this unity of PEOPLE comes a unity of LANGUAGE. God promised in the Old Testament that ALL His people would one day speak the SAME language, “For then I will restore to the peoples A PURE LANGUAGE, THAT THEY ALL MAY CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD, to serve Him WITH ONE ACCORD” (Zeph 3:9). God declares here that He would grant His people a pure language; this language would be for supplication (to “call on the name of the Lord”).
Isaiah 19 says similarly, “In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction” (vs. 18). This foretells Jews and Gentiles one day speaking the same language.
All these are predictions, showing what the New Testament age would look like—in the New Testament, a common characteristic amongst God’s people is that they ALL would speak the SAME language. These prophecies undoubtedly anticipate the gift of tongues!
As earlier stated in the second point above, this language would be unintelligible/strange to the human mind. But God would understand it (cf. 1 Corin 14:2), and we would be able to commune with Him in this language. The gift of tongues is the pure language the Old Testament foretold (Zeph 3:9).
Hence, the gift of tongues is God reversing Genesis 11. In Genesis 11, language was variegated/diversified. By the gift of tongues, God restores a COMMON language to humanity again. The gift of tongues is therefore proof of our unity in Christ—we can all call upon God the same way!
Fourth, there are no “tongues of angels.” A common misconception is that the gift of tongues is the language angels speak, and this misconception comes from 1 Corinthians 13, “Though I speak with the tongues of men AND OF ANGELS, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” (vs. 1).
Now, this is very interesting because the Bible only ever refers to MEN speaking with tongues, not angels. It was men who spoke in tongues, on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), at the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:46) and at Ephesus (Acts 19:6). All of Paul’s instructions on tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 have men, not angels, in view (see vv. 2, 4-6, 13, 18, 27); it is MEN doing the speaking, unto God.
Throughout Scripture, when angels spoke to men (Gen 16:7-12, 19:1-22, Num 22:31-35, Jdgs 13, Dan 8:15-27, 9:20-23, Matt 1:20-24, 2:13, 19-20, 28:2-7, Lk 1:11-20, 26-38, 2:8-14, Acts 1:10-11, 5:19-20, 8:26, 10:3-6, 12:7-8), to each other (Dan 8:13-16, Zech 1:9-11), or to God (Job 1:6-12, Zech 1:12-17, Rev 5:11-12, 7:11-12), it was ALWAYS in a language known to men.
What then does Paul mean by “tongues of angels” in 1 Corinthians 13:1? It is quite simple. Observe that Paul is discussing love in the context of that chapter. In order to explain the importance of love, he uses exaggerations.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Though I speak with the TONGUES OF MEN and OF ANGELS, but HAVE NOT LOVE, I have become SOUNDING BRASS or A CLANGING CYMBAL. 2 And though I have THE GIFT OF PROPHECY, and UNDERSTAND ALL MYSTERIES and ALL KNOWLEDGE, and though I HAVE ALL FAITH, so that I COULD REMOVE MOUNTAINS, but have not love, I AM NOTHING. 3 And though I BESTOW ALL MY GOODS TO FEED THE POOR, and though I GIVE MY BODY TO BE BURNED, but have not love, IT PROFITS ME NOTHING.
This manner of speaking is called a hyperbole; a figure of speech that deliberately exaggerates to prove a point. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul employs hyperbolic language to strengthen his argument. We should not really expect him to literally “give his body to be burned” (vs. 3) or possess omniscience (“…understand ALL mysteries and ALL knowledge,” vs. 2). He is exaggerating.
Paul is simply explaining that doing the greatest imaginable exploits, without love, amounts to nothing. No matter how great what is done is, if it lacks empathy, it is nothing. Thus, there are no “tongues of angels.” Paul is essentially saying: even if such a thing existed, the ability to speak in it, without love, was worthless.
Fifth, the gift of tongues is not primarily the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians, especially Pentecostals and Charismatics, fondly refer to the gift of tongues as “the baptism of the Spirit.” This term must be used with caution. In the New Testament, “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is primarily used to describe salvation.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV)
13 For BY ONE SPIRIT WE WERE ALL BAPTIZED into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Now, this is not referring to speaking with tongues, but how the Spirit of Christ immerses us into His Body, at salvation. Anyone who believes in Christ is “baptized” or PUT INTO His Body by the Holy Spirit.
When referring to the gift of tongues, the New Testament writers prefer to use such phrases as “to have the Spirit upon” (Acts 1:8, 19:6), “to receive the Spirit” (Acts 8:15, 17), “to be given utterance (by the Spirit)” (Acts 2:4), “the outpouring of the gift of the Spirit” (Acts 10:45), for the Spirit “to fall upon” (Acts 8:16, 10:44), to “speak mysteries” in the Spirit (1 Corin 14:2), to “pray with the spirit” (1 Corin 14:14-15, cf. Eph 6:18, Jd 1:20) and “to be filled with the Spirit” (Acts 2:4, 9:17). Occasionally, Luke also uses the phrase “baptized with the Holy Spirit” for speaking with tongues (Acts 1:5, 9:18, 11:16, 19:5-6). But the term “baptism” is used mostly for the salvation experience; to describe the cleansing and immersing work of the Spirit on the man born again (see Matt 28:19, Mrk 16:16, Acts 2:38, cf. Ezek 36:25-27, Jn 3:5, 4:10, 13-14, 7:37-39, Gal 3:27, Tit 3:4-6, Eph 4:5, Rom 6:3-11, Col 2:11-13).
Hence, the term “baptism of the Holy Spirit” must be understood contextually. More frequently, it refers to the
salvation experience (as in 1 Corin 12:13). However, a few other times, it is used to describe the empowerment to speak with tongues, after salvation (as in Acts 1:5, 9:18, 11:15-17, 19:5-6). The Bible reader must therefore be careful to understand the terminology within the individual context of its usage in Scripture.
Sixth, WE speak with tongues, not the Holy Spirit. Many Christians are yet to speak with tongues, because they have been taught that the gift of tongues is the Holy Spirit SPEAKING THROUGH them. Thus, they keep their mouths quiet, patiently anticipating the day the Spirit speaks through them. This is erroneous!
It is the believer who speaks with tongues, not the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God supplies the utterance, YOU do the speaking. Acts 2:4, the first Biblical instance of speaking with tongues, reads, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and (they) BEGAN TO SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Notice, all the Spirit did was to grant utterance (i.e. the words to say). It was the disciples themselves who spoke. We speak in tongues, not the Holy Spirit. Observe the following texts:
Acts 19:6 (NKJV)
6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and THEY SPOKE with tongues and prophesied.
1 Corinthians 14:2 (NKJV)
2 For HE WHO SPEAKS in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit HE SPEAKS mysteries.
Vs. 5
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.
Vs. 14
14 For if I PRAY in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
Vs. 15
15 What is the conclusion then? I WILL PRAY with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I WILL SING with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Vs. 16
16 Otherwise, if YOU BLESS with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at YOUR GIVING of thanks, since he does not understand what YOU SAY?
Vs. 18
18 I thank my God I SPEAK WITH TONGUES more than you all.
Vv. 14, 15 and 18 specifically show that Paul is doing the speaking himself. Thus, the one speaking with tongues remains in full control of his speech faculties. These are not divinely “hijacked” such that he no longer has any control. He can choose when to open his mouth to speak, and when not to speak. The Holy Spirit does not determine this.
1 Corinthians 14:27-28 (NKJV)
27 If ANYONE SPEAKS in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, LET HIM KEEP SILENT in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
Seventh, praying in tongues is praying in the Spirit. The New Testament frequently admonishes Christians to “pray in the Spirit” (see Eph 6:18, Jd 20). Now, what does this mean? Several scholarly suggestions have been made. The most popular view states that to pray in the Spirit means “to pray Spirit-led prayers.” This school of thought opines that “praying in the Spirit” is to be guided by the Spirit on what to pray for.
Now, it is true that the Spirit may sometimes prompt us to pray for certain things. In Acts 13, for example, the Spirit gave direction while the disciples prayed, “Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (vv. 1-2). This prophecy from the Spirit streamlined their prayers, “Then, having fasted AND PRAYED (about Barnabas and Saul’s call to the ministry), and laid hands on them, they sent them away” (vs. 3).
It IS therefore possible that the Spirit would direct God’s children on what to pray for, per time. However, to understand what exactly “praying in the Spirit” refers to, we must let the Bible itself supply such information. The Bible interprets itself. The hermeneutical principle of analogia scripturae states that there is an underlying unity in scripture, since it came from the same divine Author, thus, when we find certain terms we do not fully understand, as we study the Bible, we must allow the Bible itself tell us what they mean. An unclear portion of Scripture is usually explained by a much clearer portion.
Applying this principle here, the term “praying in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18, Jd 20) is clearly explained by Paul to mean praying in tongues.
1 Corinthians 14:2, 14-15 (NKJV)
2 For he who SPEAKS IN A TONGUE does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, IN THE SPIRIT he speaks mysteries.
14 For if I PRAY IN A TONGUE, MY SPIRIT PRAYS, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, and I will also pray with the understanding. I WILL SING WITH THE SPIRIT, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Why is it called “praying in the Spirit”? Vs. 14 tells us; because the words uttered do not proceed from the human mind. Paul says “…my understanding is unfruitful,” that is, it produces nothing! The words spoken in tongues come directly from one’s born-again spirit, which is now in union with the Spirit of the Lord (1 Corin 6:17). Hence, to “pray in the Spirit” is to pray in tongues; using inspired words that the Spirit of Christ Himself supplies to our regenerated spirits.
© Josh Banks Ministries. 2026.
