Biblical questions in regard to speaking in 'tongues' ?
1. Was there ever an instance in the Bible where someone spoke in 'tongues' where a Jew was not present? (no) 1 Corinhians 1:22
2. What language do you speak in when you speak in 'tongues'? It was always a real language. Acts 2:6, 8-11
3. Did you know that 'tongues' were also called voices in 1 Corinthians 14:10 which says: "There are, ... so many kinds of voices in the world, and NONE of them is without signification." ?
4. Why do you want to speak into the air? 1 Corinthians 14:9 says: "So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. "
5. Why do you want to cause confusion in church? "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." 1 Corinthians 14:33
6. Do women speak in 'tongues' in your church? Right in the middle of 'tongues' passages, the Bible says women are commanded not to. "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak: " 1 Corinthians 14:34
7. Why do you speak in 'tongues' in the church when 1 Corinthians 14:19 says: "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also" ?
8. If 'tongues' and prophesies did not cease upon the canonization of the Bible in AD 397, then what is stopping anyone from adding to God's Word whenever they want? Revelation 22:18 says: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."
9. Let's say that you did have a genuine gift of 'tongues', then why are you not out in the foreign mission field preaching the gospel to foreigners? According to the Bible, tongues was always a real language, so why not go to where that language is spoken and tell them of Christ in their own language?
Websters dictionary states that 'tongues' is "The power of communication through speech'.
The best illustration that I can give concerning genuine tongues is considering when world leaders meet for a summit. Voice translators are used. A voice translator is a piece of equipment that when a person speaks into it, another person of a different language can then understand what is said in a different language. For example, if someone was of the Egyptian language and wanted to communicate with someone of the Arabic language, all he would have to do would be to speak into the voice translator, then they could understand each other.
God used the apostles as 'voice translators'. In Acts 2, the Bible tells of the day of Pentecost. This portion of the Bible shows clearly how God used the apostles to convey the gospel to different people of different languages. They did not have a 'voice translator' machine. God opened the ears of understanding of the people of that day to understand what was being said in their own language.
Just look at all the different nationalities that were there that day of Pentecost. They are listed right there in Acts 2. Let me list them: Verse 5 says "And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." Then we go on to see more of the listed nationalities in verse 8: "And how we hear we every man in our own tongue where we were born."
Verses 9-11 of Acts 2 lists these languages:
Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamplylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, Rome, Jews, Cretes, Arabians
Acts 2:11 says: "...we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God"
In conclusion, tongues were given before the completion of the Bible to spread the gospel to our world of different languages about our wonderful Saviour. Today, we have the completed Word of God in our different languages. 1 Corinthians 13:8 says: "whether there be tongues, they shall cease;" Tongues ceased when God gave us His Complete Word through the Bible. God's Word is complete and perfect. We do not, nor should not, add to the Word of God. Remember the warning of doing so in Revelation 22:18. Tongues is adding to the Word of God. That's wrong.