Yoboyoo Sotoyoo! What Does It Mean?

It is not enough that we speak in tongues; we need to make meaning of what we speak. This is the subject of the 14^th Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Spend some time considering it, improve your prayer and make your gifts more beneficial to others.

A.     Ten (10) Facts about Speaking in Tongues

1.      Jesus promised that speaking with new tongues will be one of the signs that will follow those who believe in Him (Mr 16:17)

2.      Speaking in tongues is a sign that the promised Holy Spirit has come (Acts :

3.      Speaking in tongues signified Holy Spirit baptism (

4.      It has been referred to as New Tongues (Gk. kainos glossa, See Mr 16:17), then, simply, Tongues (Gk. glossa, See 1 Co 12 and 14) when not interpreted and Diverse Tongues (Gk. heteros glossa) usually when interpreted? It is mystery until it is interpreted (1 Co 12:10).

5.      It is prayer to God, yet the speaker must seek to understand it(1 Co 14:13,14)

6.      One who speaks in tongues builds himself up (1 Co 14:3)

7.      It is Prophecy that can be interpreted (1 Co 14:3, 5, 13)

8.      As prayer, it must not be merely repetitive, though it is the Spirit that gives the utterance (1 Co 14: 7-9 cf. Mat 6:7 )

9.      Meaningless tongues can be a stumbling block to the Unsaved (1 Co 14:23)

10.   Speaking in tongues must not be Forbidden (1 Co 14:39)

B.     When to Speak in Tongues

a.      More During Private Prayer: you may speak in tongues extensively as the Spirit gives you utterance (1 Co 14:18-19). This may easily be in line with the subject that you may be praying on, yet for which the known language you may be using is insufficient to fully express what ought to be said. The Holy Spirit at work in you supplies both utterance and groans to complement your prayer. (Ac 2:4, Ro 8:26). Even in this case, you must seek to understand what the Spirit is saying.

b.      With Care During Fellowship With Other Believers:  You should focus more on how what you say will benefit others rather than on your personal struggles. You are not forbidden to speak in tongues when praying along with many other people, especially when it is not a prayer about collective needs. (In such prayer, you are still in a kind of private closet, since one praying does not pay attention to the other’s prayers, but concentrates on his. Up to this point, it is just like private prayer). However, if it is about a common thing that the congregation is praying, the tradition of the early church was to speak in intelligible language (so that each overhearing the other’s prayer is edified or encouraged that they pray with one mind, see also Ac 4: 24). In these circumstances, if any begins to speak in an unknown tongue (new or diverse), the church is expected to keep silent and wait if another may interpret, since it may be a prophecy. If two or three persons spoke in tongues, and even that, one after the other, and no one interpreted, all others who feel the Spirit’s impulse to speak in unknown tongues need to be silent (or at least lower their voices to themselves alone) so that the service can continue (See 1 Co 14:27, 28).