To answer this important question, we need to focus on several biblical revelations.

• First, we need to understand that God IS a Family.

Jesus Christ—the Word or Logos or Son of God—was “WITH” God (Greek: theos) since all eternity, and He also “WAS” God (Greek: theos) (John 1:1-2). That means there were two God beings—Christ, the “Word of God” (Revelation 19:13) and God the FATHER.

Christ was clearly God before He came to this earth! Paul explains in 1 Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD was manifest in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”

Philippians 2:5–7 reads: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of GOD, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, TAKING THE FORM OF A BONDSERVANT, and coming IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN.”

The Bible is also very clear that Christ IS God now! Notice Titus 2:11–14: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

The word “God” is a NAME that can refer to both the Father and the Son. It is, in fact, a FAMILY name. Ephesians 3:14–15 confirms this truth, telling us that it is “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole FAMILY in heaven and earth is NAMED.”

Note, too, how the New International Version renders Hebrews 2:11: “Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy ARE of the same FAMILY.”

In addition, the German Menge Bible includes in the annotation to Ephesians 2:19 that the term “household of God” means “members of the FAMILY of God” (in German, “Mitglieder der Gottesfamilie”).

In the Hebrew, the word for “God” is many times Elohim, but it is a word with plural meaning. That is the reason why we read that God (Elohim) said in Genesis 1:26: “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness.” And God also said in Genesis 3:22: “Behold the man has become like one of US, to know good and evil…”

The word Elohim or “God” can refer to either one of the two beings in the God-Family. When in Genesis 1:26, God or Elohim says, “Let US make man in OUR image,” one God being speaks to the other God being, referring to both of them as “Us.” And we know from the New Testament that God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ (compare Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:1-2; Colossians 1:16).

It was Christ, then, who did the actual work of creating man, and He created man in His image. Christ is also the image of the Father (compare 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 and Colossians 1:15). Therefore, when Christ created man in His image, He also created man in the image of the Father. God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son look the same. Man, then, was created in the image of GOD—in the image of both God the Father and God the Son.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 reads, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth.” In the original Hebrew, the word for “Creator” is in the plural, which should be translated as “Creators.” Both the Father and the Son are Creators. God the Father created everything, including man, through Jesus Christ. We find a similar statement in Job 35:10, “But no one says, Where is God my Maker…?” In the original, it says, “Where is God my Makers?…”

Jesus Christ was the “I am”– the Eternal or Ever-living One. HE was the God of the Old Testament, dealing directly with the people, speaking to them and even manifesting Himself to them. It had to be Christ who did this, because He Himself said that no one has ever seen the form of “God” (the Father) or heard the voice of “God” (the Father). (compareJohn 1:18; 5:37; 6:46; 1 John 4:12).

The Jews thought that they worshipped the Father, erroneously thinking that He was the God of the Old Testament. That is why we read that Christ came to REVEAL the Father to them (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22). The Jews thought they knew the Father, not realizing that the God of the Old Testament was Jesus Christ—not God the Father.

Much more about the nature of the God FAMILY can be found in many of our free booklets, including God Is a Family; The Gospel of the Kingdom of God; and The Book of Zechariah—Prophecies for Today.

We also explain therein that God the Father was always the Father and that Jesus Christ was always the Son of God—showing that God was ALWAYS a Family, as the terms “Father” and “Son” signify at one time, the Church implied erroneously [and some still teach this misleading concept today] that God BECAME the Father and Jesus Christ BECAME the Son when Christ was conceived in Mary’s womb through the power of the Father’s Holy Spirit. This mistake or lack of clarification was because no distinction was made between Christ as the Son of God and Christ as the Son of Man. Christ was ALWAYS the Son of God, but when He became a human being in Mary’s womb, He BECAME the Son of Man. At that point, God the Father—the Father of Christ as the Son of God—became the Father of Christ as the Son of MAN.

• It is the potential of man to become God—to be IN the God FAMILY.

Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) to ultimately become God (1 Corinthians 15:49). The book of Psalms speaks of men as (potential) gods. Psalm 82:6 reads: “I said, ‘You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High.’” Jesus used this passage to prove that He was the Son of God (John 10:31-39). We read in Psalms 17:15 that David was looking forward to the time, when God would resurrect him from the dead and when he would “awake in Your likeness.” We also read that in the future, men will come to worship true (glorified) Christians (Revelation 3:9). No man nor powerful angels, but only God is worthy of worship (Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9).

True converted Christians are already part of the God Family. They are not yet glorified and born again, but they have been begotten into the Family of God. They ARE already the children of God (1 John 3:1-2), and they will be LIKE or by nature EQUAL WITH God and Jesus Christ, when they will be born into the God Family at the time of Christ’s return. They will be fully Spirit, fully God—no more flesh and blood (Romans 8:19-30).

Jesus Christ is the FIRSTBORN among many brethren, to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29).The Bible tells us that those who are called today to salvation and remain faithful, will be what Christ is today. We will be like Him, as He is. We will share the Father’s and Christ’s very divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Romans 8:32 also clarifies this point: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

“All things” means exactly that—it includes God’s nature and glory (Romans 5:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:14); and it includes rule over the entire universe AND the unending future of God’s Kingdom. Man is to become a “joint heir” with Christ in “all things.”

We will become members of the God Family—God beings. We will be “like Christ”—sons and daughters of God, with Christ being our elder brother.

That is what it says in Ephesians 3:19. Paul wants us “to be filled”—ultimately—“with all the fullness of God.” What does this mean? It means that we will be glorified God beings (compare John 17:5; 22).

• We will be IN the Kingdom of God.

When we will enter and become part of the God Family, as born-again Christians; that is, when will be IN the God Family, then we will also be IN the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 tells us that we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, as long as we are flesh and blood. We must be changed to incorruptibility and immortality to be in God’s Kingdom.

John 3:3, 5-8 explains that we must be born again to be able to “see” and “enter” the Kingdom of God. We must BE BORN of the Spirit and BE Spirit in order to be in God’s Kingdom. Then, man cannot see us anymore (unless we materialize ourselves), as one cannot see the wind, even though one can most certainly hear the sound of the wind and notice it effects. When we make ourselves visible, we will appear as shining as the sun IN God’s Kingdom (Matthew 13:43).

It is our destiny to receive entrance into the “everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11), as Christ is God, and so the Kingdom of God the Father is also the Kingdom of Christ (Matthew 26:29; Ephesians 5:5)—both are members of the Family of God.

• The God Family IS the Kingdom of God.

Since God is a Family; since we are going to be part of and IN the God Family; and since we are going to be part of and IN the Kingdom of God, it logically follows that God must BE the Kingdom of God.

This conclusion is clearly taught in Scripture.

Christ is the KING of the Kingdom (under God the Father), and the terms King and Kingdom are often used interchangeably in the Bible (compare Daniel 2:37-39, where Nebuchadnezzar, the first king in the statue, is identified with his kingdom).

Christ, the King (John 18:37), rules in and over the Kingdom of God but not this world which is now ruled by Satan the devil (John 18:36). Christ, being part of God’s Kingdom, is and rules under God the Father who is the HIGHEST in the Godhead (John 14:28; Ephesians 1:17; Luke 1:32; 1 Corinthians 11:3).

In Matthew 12:25-26, Christ answered the evil and malicious accusation of the Pharisees claiming that He was casting out demons with the power of Satan, by identifying Satan (the ruler over the demonic realm) with his demonic kingdom (as Satan is the head of his kingdom; being part of it), saying this:

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation… If Satan casts out Satan… how will his kingdom stand?”

Clearer still in Mark 3:23-24: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom (Satan) is divided against itself (Satan), that kingdom cannot stand.”

As a human king rules in and over his kingdom and is part of that kingdom; and as Satan rules in and over his demonic kingdom and is part of it; so God rulesin and over His Kingdom and is part of it. In other words, God beings constitute or are the Kingdom of God, ruling over creation.

In Herbert Armstrong’s booklet, Your Awesome Future, the following was stated very succinctly on page 15:

“… the kingdom of God will be dual:

• A GOVERNMENT. A government—or kingdom—is compared to four things: (a) a KING, ruling over (b) people, subjects or citizens within (c) a definite jurisdiction of territory, with (d) laws and an organized system of administering them.
• A FAMILY (as the kingdom of Israel was a family of the children of Israel)—in this case the Family of God—a family into which humans may be born, which shall be a GOVERNING or RULING family that shall have jurisdiction over ALL NATIONS—that is, the WHOLE Earth—and later, the entire universe.”

We read earlier that we are to inherit God’s glory. Notice what else we are to inherit: In 1 Thessalonians 2:12, Paul charges the brethren “to walk worthy of God who calls you into His own KINGDOM and glory.”  Not only into His glory—the glory that He has—but also into His Kingdom; that is, the Kingdom of which He is a part of and its Head.

Jesus told His disciples that prior to their death, some of them would “see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mark 9:1). Six days later, He took Peter, James and John and went with them to a high mountain, where they saw in a vision (Matthew 17:9) that He appeared in a glorified state, together with Elijah and Moses.They saw future events, when the Kingdom of God would rule on earth. Matthew 16:28 explains even more clearly what exactly Christ told the disciples prior to the vision: “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming IN His kingdom.”

Many read over verses like these without catching their full meaning: Christ announced that some disciples would see, in a vision, the Kingdom of God in its power—not just the glorified Christ—but the glorified Christ IN His Kingdom. They would see the Kingdom of God coming and Christ in it as a member of the KINGDOM OF GOD.

The same is expressed in Luke 23:42, where the repentant thief on the cross said: “Lord, remember me when you come INTO Your kingdom.” In other words, when you enter the Kingdom of God as a glorified Being.

It is a mystery to many people as to WHAT the Kingdom of God is (Matthew 13:11).

We are today co-workers for the Kingdom of God (Colossians 4:11); that is, we are co-workers for God—the Kingdom or ruling Family of God—and for His government which will be set up on earth soon.

We are to preach the gospel OF the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14)—the good news, which comes from God and which includes the message as to what God IS; that Christ will rule soon on earth; and that man can become God by inheriting, entering and becoming a part of the Kingdom or Family of God.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The concept of “speaking in tongues” has been grossly misunderstood. However, in setting aside any human “traditions” and misinterpretations and just reviewing the Scriptures, there is really no reason for such confusion.

For instance, when Christ’s early apostles and disciples received the Holy Spirit AFTER Christ’s ascension on the Day of Pentecost, in 31 AD, they saw and heard a rushing wind and divided tongues as of fire, and they spoke with other clearly understood or understandable tongues or languages—not some kind of unidentifiable “gibberish.” As we will explain more fully below, Acts 2:7-11 reveals that the assembly heard the apostles speak “EACH IN OUR OWN LANGUAGE IN WHICH WE WERE BORN… Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—WE HEAR THEM SPEAKING IN OUR OWN TONGUES THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF GOD.”

The confusion regarding speaking in tongues is not only academic. As we point out in our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” “Angels speak their own language, a language that is different from the languages of man. In 1 Corinthians 13:1, Paul says: ‘Though I speak with the tongues [languages] of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become [as] sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.’” As God’s holy and righteous angels have their own language, so do the fallen angels or demons. When people speak in “languages” that are unknown to man, expressing words which they themselves do not understand and being ignorant as to what they are actually saying, they might very well be under demonic influence, uttering words of demons.

We address the “tongue” question in great detail in our free booklet, “Baptism—a Requirement for Salivation,” where we say the following under, “Speaking with Tongues”:

“There are only three recorded events in the Bible when people spoke with tongues after receiving the Holy Spirit. These special events occurred to provide evidence that the people had, in fact, received the Holy Spirit…

“The first event is recorded in Acts 2, when the New Testament Church was born. God wanted to make it very clear that His disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The second event occurred in Acts 10, when, for the first time, Gentiles received the Holy Spirit. God did not want to leave any doubt that He had now opened the door of repentance and faith to the Gentiles (Acts 10:45–46; 11:15–18). The third event is the one in Acts 19… Here, God wanted to make it very clear that ONLY the baptism into Christ is sufficient to receive the Holy Spirit (and not, as in that case, the baptism into John)…

“We need to understand, too, what actually happened when people spoke with tongues in these given instances. Some claim that baptism with the Holy Spirit causes the baptized person to fall backwards, begin rolling on the floor, and speaking and screaming in an unintelligible way, allegedly showing that he or she has received the gift of the Holy Spirit and can now ‘speak in tongues.’

“However, that kind of conduct is not what is meant when the Bible talks about speaking in tongues. Acts 2 explains that speaking in tongues means speaking in another language. In Acts 2:4 we read: ‘And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ Beginning in verse 6 and continuing in verses 8 and 11, we find the explanation of ‘speaking with tongues.’ Verse 6: ‘…everyone heard them speak in his own language…’ (verse 8) ‘And how is it that we hear, each in our own language [Authorized Version: ‘tongue’] in which we were born?’… (verse 11) ‘We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.’”

“The Greek word for ‘language’ in verses 6 and 8 is ‘dialektos,’ from which our word ‘dialect’ is derived. The Greek word for ‘tongue’ or ‘language’ in verses 4 and 11 is ‘glossa.’

“To speak in tongues, then, simply means to speak in a different language or dialect—but it is still a language or dialect ‘in which people are born.’ They speak in a dialect or language, which other people understand due to their background, environment or upbringing…

“Paul said specifically that ‘speaking in tongues,’ or speaking a different language, should not be done unless someone is present to interpret what is said… Note 1 Corinthians 14:4–5: ‘He who speaks in a tongue [Greek: ‘glossa’] edifies himself… he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues [Greek: ‘glossa’], unless he indeed interprets, that the church may receive edification.’

“In other words, if a minister preaches to the audience in a foreign language, the audience won’t understand him… Unless he or someone else who knows both languages interprets what he says, the audience is not benefited.

“Paul continues, in verses 9: ‘So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue [Greek: ‘glossa’] words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.’

“In the Greek, the word for ‘tongue’ and ‘language’ is the same; i.e., ‘glossa.’ The translator decided to sometimes use the English word ‘tongue’ and sometimes ‘language’… The Living Bible, for example, translates verse 9 this way, ‘In the same way, if you talk to a person in some LANGUAGE he doesn’t understand, how will he know what you mean?’ Clearly, speaking in a foreign tongue means speaking in a foreign language.

“Let’s note Paul’s command in 1 Corinthians 14:27–28: ‘If anyone speaks in a tongue [or foreign language; Greek: ‘glossa’; the Living Bible translates here, ‘No more than two or three should speak in an unknown LANGUAGE…’], 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 the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.’”

In addition, the Nelson Study Bible writes under “word focus”:

“tongue… The Greek term glossa means ‘tongue’ or ‘language.’ When the early believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they were given the ability to speak in many different languages, so that those visiting from all around the Roman world could hear the glories of God being uttered in their native tongue (Acts 2:4-11). The household of Cornelius also spoke in different languages when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:46). And the same happened with the new disciples from Ephesus (Acts 19:6). From then on, some members of the early church regularly spoke in different languages as a way of praying to God, and others spoke in different languages in church meetings. When the languages were spoken in private, interpretation was not needed; when they were spoken in the meetings, Paul required interpretation so that others could understand and be edified (14:2-27).”

We need to emphasize again that the foreign languages which were spoken were not “unknown” to man; they were “known” languages, but not all the hearers present would be familiar with and understand the foreign language; hence, an interpreter was needed who was fluent in both the native and the foreign languages and who could convey to the hearer what the speaker had just uttered.

Unnecessary confusion has arisen because the Authorized Version added the word “unknown” several times in 1 Corinthians 14, translating, for example, verse 2 as, “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue…” As the Ryrie Study Bible explains, “The word ‘unknown’ is not in the original text and has been supplied by translators throughout this chapter. Though many understand these tongues to be ecstatic speech, it may well be that they were languages, as in Acts 2:4, 6, 8, 11.”

If we let the Bible interpret the Bible, it is clear that these “unknown” tongues were in fact known languages. They were NOT ecstatic speech. The Greek word is “glossa” in all instances, and this word always describes known languages, when applied to humans, and it never refers to any ecstatic speech.  The word “glossa” is used fifty times in the New Testament. It is rendered “tongue,” when describing the human organ as such (Mark 7:33; Luke 16:24); and it describes the use and utterance of the tongue (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:11; James 1:26; 3:8; 1 John 3:18)—that is, speaking in a familiar language (Romans 3:13; 1 Peter 3:10) or a newly learned or acquired language (Mark 16:17; 1 Corinthians 14:18).

Many years ago, the (now defunct) Worldwide Church of God published a reprint article, titled, “What the New Testament Teaches about ‘Tongues.’”  It stated the following regarding the events in Acts 2:

“There can be no doubt that the ‘tongues’ of Acts 2 were real, intelligible foreign languages… The disciples ‘began to speak with other languages [glossa],’ so that… the crowd came together and were astounded [or confused] [sugcheo].’ These same root words are found in the Septuagint version (Greek translation) of the Old Testament in Genesis 11—the account of the confusion of languages in Babel! According to the Septuagint, in Genesis 11 God said, ‘Come, we will go down and confuse [sugcheo] their language [glossa] so that they will not understand one another’s speech… they were human languages in Babel—they were also human languages at Pentecost…”

The above-mentioned article also discusses in detail Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians 14, showing that Paul is speaking exclusively about known human languages. We are giving you the following excerpts.

In addressing 1 Corinthians 14:1-3, it is stated that “Speaking in a language, although one of God’s gifts, is one of the lesser ones. It is not as important as speaking or preaching under inspiration.” In referring to verses 20-24, it is stated, “… tongues indeed function as a sign. This is also clear from Acts 2. But… they have the reverse effect if done in confusion and disorder…”

In this context, it is also interesting that in verse 21, Paul talks about people speaking with “other tongues and other lips”, quoting from Isaiah 28:11-12, which says that God will speak “with stammering lips and another tongue.” In both cases, the reference is clearly to human languages; continuing that even then the people will not hear. How true this is today for especially the stiff-necked and arrogant nations of the USA, the UK and Canada.

Addressing verses 29-33, the above-mentioned article points out that “the speakers must also be in control of themselves… No ‘seizure by the spirit’ here. No giving of one’s mind up to an outside force. The person under God’s inspiration is still able to control what he says and does.”

Concluding with verses 34-37, the article states that “women are to keep silent in the churches… women are not to participate, either as ‘tongue’ speakers or as speakers of any kind in the service.” This alone would disqualify many Pentecostal groups which allow women in their services to “speak in tongues.”

The Bible makes it very clear that speaking in or with tongues simply means, speaking in another language which is known to man. There is no record in the Bible that a human being ever spoke the language of an angel. 1 Corinthians 13:1 does not say something differently. There, Paul just states a theoretical proposition, without claiming that he could speak with the “tongue” of an angel. The Living Bible renders the meaning of this verse quite accurately: “If I HAD the gift of being able to speak in other languages… and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth…”

In conclusion, the Bible does in no way endorse the false concept that a righteous person can or should speak in ecstatic “tongues”; fall backwards; begin rolling on the floor; and scream in an unintelligible way. Nor is the idea biblical that one can speak in a “tongue” which he or she does not know, while being ignorant as to what is being uttered. Rather, these would be symptoms of demonic influence.

The biblical concept of speaking in tongues means, speaking in a foreign human language. The speaker knows what he or she is saying, and the listener is able to understand the translator. God may have given the translator the “natural” talent to translate, but in some, if not many cases in God’s Church, He might give him or her additional and unusual abilities to fulfill the necessary and required task of a translator. Still, those who receive and are able to use those gifts must realize in humility that these are not the greatest gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1-5), even though they must be thankful to God that He does bestow such gifts on them, especially for the edification of His people.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link