As to whether the tongues in 1 Corinthians 12-14 refer to human languages, as they do in Acts 2, many cessationists assert that they are different, that 1 Corinthians does not refer to languages, but gibberish, since they seem to think that this helps their position, or at least their agenda in belittling it.

However, Paul says that tongues could be interpreted, which means that tongues, even before interpretation, could convey meaning; otherwise, the interpretation would not really be an interpretation, but it would be an original and standalone message that has no prior basis. Then, Paul cites Isaiah where the prophet refers to “strange tongues” and “lips of foreigners.” The “lips of foreigners” would refer to actual languages used by foreigners, as in the foreigners who invaded Israel, and thus human languages.

Indeed, throughout the discussion on tongues, Paul gives no indication that he is talking about anything other than languages: “Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning” (14:10). The issue has never been whether someone exercising the gift of tongues speaks in a language, but it is whether he speaks in a language that his immediate audience can understand: “If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me” (14:11). Sometimes a seminary professor might speak a minute or two in Greek, or Latin, or German, without translating what he says for the students. I could shout at him in Chinese and call it even. Even though this involves no gibberish, Paul would have been displeased about such a transaction.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul posits several hypothetical scenarios in order to make his point about love, and in the process he assumes the functions of the gifts he mentions, only that he magnifies their usual powers to a higher level without changing what the gifts actually do.

He mentions prophecy. Evidently, pushing this gift to the highest level would enable him to “fathom all mysteries and all knowledge.” The power of prophecy is usually not manifested to this extreme degree, but it is clear that the gift enables one to fathom at least some mysteries and some knowledge, even though not all mysteries and all knowledge.

Next, he refers to a faith that can move mountains. Faith usually does not manifest to this degree, but this is not unrealistic, because Jesus indeed said that faith could throw a mountain into the ocean. In my exposition on Mark 11, I have demonstrated that this cannot be a hyperbole. Again, even as Paul uses a hypothetical scenario in which faith is manifested in a strong degree, he does not change what it actually does.

Then, he talks about giving all he has to the poor and even offering his body to be burned. This is entirely realistic, since even though a person might give only some of what he possesses, it is indeed possible for him to give all of it to the poor. And although offering one’s body to be burned is unusual, and presumably most people can do it only once, it is still possible for someone to do. In any case, sacrifice usually occurs on a less drastic level, but the extreme example does not alter the meaning of giving or sacrifice.

Returning to the beginning of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul refers to speaking in the tongues men and angels, or as the NLT reads, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels.” Given what he does with the other gifts in this passage, the only correct interpretation is that here he talks about a strong and extraordinary manifestation of speaking in tongues but does not change what the gift actually does. Since this hypothetical scenario has him speaking “all the languages of earth and of angels,” we know that tongues can realistically speak in all human languages, not to mention the angels, although the gift usually does not manifest to this degree. Perhaps the gift never speaks in the language of angels, although it can in principle, just as prophecy can reveal all mysteries and knowledge in principle, but perhaps it never does.

What, then, is an ordinary gift of tongues? It must be human language, although it usually does not, and perhaps never, enable a person to speak in all the languages of men and even of the angels. Here we are interested in the definition of the gift, a definition that applies regardless of one’s view on the continuation of the gift. And by this definition, even an ordinary manifestation of the gift could enable a person to speak in one, a few, or more than several human languages by supernatural power.

Paul never belittled any of the gifts of the Spirit. Rather, those who belittle the gifts due to their own unbelief and tradition should themselves be belittled. Let them take care in how they talk about the gifts, lest like the Pharisees who had small faith but big mouths, they persist in persecuting believers in a jealous rage, and in the process even commit the sin of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.