It’s understandable that speaking in tongues is a confusing topic. The Bible has a variety of things to say about it, some of which can be a bit mysterious. Equally confusing can be what many have experienced in local churches. Many of us have seen, either firsthand or from videos, churches full of people running around shouting a confusing babble that they claim is “speaking in tongues”. What’s really happening there? Is all of this the work of God? What is speaking in tongues and who is it for? There are many varying opinions about these things; thankfully the Bible gives us insight.
To begin, it should be clearly stated that speaking in tongues is in no way required for salvation, nor is it necessary that a person speak in tongues after he is saved. In fact, the Bible clarifies that speaking in tongues is not something that all Christians experience (1 Corinthians 12:30), and that the gift of speaking in tongues will cease (1 Corinthians 13:8). Despite these truths, some wrongly teach that tongues are necessary as an initial demonstration that one has been saved, or that tongues are a necessary demonstration that one is maturing in their Christ-likeness. False teachings like these create an incorrect credential for who is a part of the body of Christ. Imagine a non-believer who visits a charismatic church and the pastor says, “We can know if someone is a true Christian because he’ll speak in tongues.” False statements like this might compel the visitor to pray, “God, allow me to speak in tongues, that I too may be saved!” Or, suppose that the visitor is a Christian, but immature in his understanding. He may be tempted to pray, “I thought I was saved, but I can’t be since I haven’t spoken in tongues. Lord, let me speak in tongues so I can trust that my salvation is real!”
Since speaking in tongues is not a necessary evidence of salvation, one might wonder if there are in fact evidences that validate if a person is saved. Thankfully, Jesus teaches us how to recognize a true believer. Here are some examples from Scripture. John 13:35 says, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus also says true believers will bear fruit, “he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,” John 15:5. Fruit refers to the righteous deeds that are experienced when the Lord operates through a believer. As well, true believers are those who acknowledge their salvation is by faith alone and not attached to any work. Jesus says in Matthew 7:22 that on the day of judgement some will try to plea for salvation based on their works, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ But to those who believe in works-based salvation, Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS,” Matthew 7:23.
So, what is speaking in tongues? We first see speaking in tongues by the early church in Acts 2. But backing up a step, let’s understand Acts 1, where Jesus told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). The disciples obeyed, and ten days later on the day of Pentecost (a Jewish feast celebrating the harvest and commemorating the giving of the Law), while the disciples of Jesus were gathered together, the Holy Spirit came, “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance,” Acts 2:4. This was the observable validation that the Holy Spirit had arrived as Jesus had said. It’s critical to know that this event does not imply that every time someone is either indwelt or filled by the Spirit, that something observable will happen.
Acts 2 shows us that speaking in tongues is the special ability whereby the Holy Spirit enables a Christian to utter a known language, yet a language that is unknown to the speaker. More will be said on this in a bit. Outside of Acts 2, speaking in tongues is only mentioned two other times in the book of Acts, and then never again in the rest of the Bible, except in 1 Corinthians 12-14 where Paul speaks of spiritual gifts, his own use of tongues, and where he corrects the Corinthians for their improper zeal for tongues and their abuse of it.
Four Purposes in Speaking in Tongues
Understand that the Scriptures do not teach that every believer will have one or more of these experiences.
1. Private Prayer/Edification – This is a particularly mysterious act of speaking in tongues as the person experiencing this reality is doing so while being unengaged with his mind; the mind being “unfruitful.” Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.” In this experience, the Holy Spirit is directing the persons spirit to communicate with God, all the while the person is unaware of what’s being said. Despite the unengaged mind, this activity brings about a type of self-edification, as 1 Corinthians 14:4 says, “One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.” So, in what sense is the individual being edified, especially as his mind is unfruitful? The sense seems to be that it’s not the mind being edified, but the spirit of the individual that receives the edification. The Bible doesn’t make clear exactly what’s happening here but apparently the person is spiritually refreshed or spiritually animated, which serves to edify (to develop) his faith. 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 affirms this is a private prayer for some who speak in tongues, “If anyone speaks in a tongue…(and) if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.” Does this mean that Christians who don’t have this experience are lacking in intimacy with God or are unable to attain spiritual refreshment? Certainly not! It’s encouraging to know that all Christians can enjoy a rich communion with the Lord and be spiritually refreshed through other things that engage both the mind and spirit; such as prayer, worship, loving others, and being fed by His Word.
2. Public/Church Edification – The public usage of speaking in tongues involves at least two things; the gift of speaking in tongues and the gift of interpretation. When interpretation of tongues is provided, then, “the church may receive edifying,” 1 Corinthians 14:5. The Lord gives specific rules about how this type of speaking in tongues is to be used. This is different from private speaking of tongues, as this publicly speaking in tongues is an act of the will where the mind is engaged, since one cannot obey God’s rules for this type of speaking in tongues if the mind isn’t engaged. The rules are clear; not more than three individuals total can speak in tongues in a gathering and only one at a time may speak and interpretation is always necessary otherwise all speaking in tongues must stop, 1 Corinthians 14:27-28. Again, the speaker will speak in a known language, but one that is unknown to the speaker. This type of speaking in tongues is the spiritual gift spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12:10.
3. A Sign to Unbelievers – Different that edifying the church, here, speaking in tongues, “are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers,” 1 Corinthians 14:22. Speaking in tongues can be evidence to unbelievers that the claims of the gospel are to be taken seriously. We first see this in Acts 2 when foreign Jews were visiting Jerusalem in celebration of Pentecost. These foreigners were hearing locals speaking in various foreign languages which were unknown to the speakers. This supernatural sign compelled the foreign visitors to give heed to Peter’s follow up gospel presentation, and thousands believed! As a demonstrative gift, like miracles and healing, some are given this gift as they advance the gospel to unreached people groups. “Many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles,” Acts 2:43, 5:12, and, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles,” 2 Corinthians 12:12.
4. Confirming God’s Work – Speaking in tongues is mentioned three times in the book of Acts, marking historically transitional times that verify something unique had happened; the Spirit giving a new power to believers (Acts 2), the churches first conversion of a Gentile (Acts 10), and by a small group of men, likely validating the conferring of offices upon them, as the church is newly established in Ephesus (Acts 19). Let’s focus on Acts 10, the conversion of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert through the ministry of the church, by the preaching of the Apostle Peter. Up to this point, Peter wasn’t sure if the gospel was yet for the Gentiles, as Jesus had said the gospel was for the Jews first (Matthew 10:5-6, 15:24). When Cornelius, and others with him, heard Peter’s preaching, they believed and received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These new believers began speaking in tongues as a confirmation to Peter that the gospel was now for the Gentiles (Acts 10:46-47). In no way did this set a precedent that new believers will necessarily speak in tongues, as there are many other conversion stories in the New Testament and none of them report the speaking of tongues at conversion. The book of Acts alone records many conversions, in which there’s no mention of speaking in tongues (8:36; 9:17–19; 13:12, 48; 14:1; 16:14; 17:4, 34). Therefore, it’s wrong to suggest that speaking in tongues is a normal standard at the Spirit’s indwelling, nor is it a norm with His subsequent fillings.
“What about Mark 16:17-18?”
Let’s look at these verses carefully. To set the stage, Jesus is meeting with His eleven disciples. Remember, Judas Isacariot, the twelfth original disciple who proved to be a non-believer, had already hung himself and Mathias had not yet been appointed to fill Judas’ place. These eleven disciples were about to be apostles; disciple: one under authority, apostle: one sent with authority. Right before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the eleven disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation,” Mark 16:15. And next tells them, “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Jesus gives them a list of specific signs and wonders; exorcism, speaking in tongues, poisonous snake immunity, poison immunity, and miraculous healing. Some read this and wrongly assume that all believers who come after this will be able to perform these signs and wonders. The context of the New Testament assures us that signs and wonders was limited to some, and only sometimes.
Consider the word “accompany,” where it says, “These signs will accompany those who have believed.” It means to go along with one as he goes. There’s traveling in view here, as certain believers endeavored in the early church to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” The word accompany doesn’t imply that signs and wonders would be a permanent endowment to settled believers in any given region. What purpose would that accomplish in advancing the gospel? The evidence that signs and wonders was/is limited to some, and only sometimes, is clear in that even the most prominent and trusted Christians in our lifetime haven’t wielded signs and wonders like these. Billy Graham didn’t open any of his revivals by speaking in tongues or doing any other signs or wonders to validate his message. Prominent pastors like John Piper, John MacArthur, and Voddie Baucham have no history of speaking in tongues, working miraculous healings, or casting out demons.
The Scripture clarifies the ones who are doing the signs and wonders, and it’s not the general body of believers, it was the apostles and few others. Acts 2:43, “many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” Acts 5:12, “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people.” Acts 6:8, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.” Acts 14:3, says the Lord granted Paul and Barnabas to do signs and wonders by their hands in the city of Iconium. Again, in Acts 15:12, “All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.” 2 Corinthians 12:12, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.”
Certainly, Paul cast out demons (Acts 16:18), healed people (Acts 14:10), was immune to a poisonous snake (Acts 28:5), but even Paul couldn’t do all these things at all time, as he records that he was unable to heal some, “Trophimus I left sick at Miletus,” 2 Timothy 4:20. On a related note, there’s no Biblical account of any of the apostles or other believers surviving being poisoned, but since Jesus said it would happen, we can trust that at least one of them had been poisoned and survived. In short, a Christian ought never to think that he will necessarily do signs and wonders simply because he’s a Christian. That would be faulty doctrine.
“What’s Happening in Acts 8 and 19?”
The third and final mentioning of speaking in tongues in the book of Acts is found in chapter 19, where Paul is ministering in Ephesus. But before we look at that, let’s briefly explore what we see in Acts 8 where the gospel has newly reached Samaria. Speaking in tongues isn’t mentioned in Acts 8, yet the passage has relevance to this topic. In Acts 8:5-17, Philip had evangelized in Samaria and many accepted Jesus as Lord and were afterwards baptized. This exciting news reached Jerusalem. Keep in mind there was historical hatred between the people of Jerusalem and Samaria, so for the church to have reached Samaria was cause for the apostles Peter and John to come and ratify things between the two people groups.
In Samaria, Peter and John, “prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit,” Acts 8:15-17. There are a few ways these verses are often interpreted. Let’s remind ourselves what verse 8:12 says, “But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” This indicates that after Philips preaching, people believed, and upon their profession of faith in Jesus, Philip was obedient to baptize them as newly professing believers.
When the apostles laid hands on these believers, it was done for one or more of the following three reasons; 1) As Jerusalem representatives, to ratify the unity between the Samaritan and Jerusalem church, 2) To confer offices on those the Spirit had appointed for such tasks. Conferring offices means that the Lord had commissioned some to hold the offices of clergy or deacon for the purpose of establishing the organized church in the community. We read about the conferring of offices by the laying on of hands earlier in Jerusalem in Acts 6:1-6. Or, 3) The Holy Spirit chose to operate in Samaria in a two-part manner. First, by regenerating and indwelling new converts by way of Philips ministry, then secondly providing a greater power post-conversion that was instituted by the laying on of hands of the Apostles. This type of Spirit filling compares to the experience of the original disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 2), who were already regenerate believers, but had a new powerful Spirit filling at Pentecost. One difference to note again though is that speaking in tongues is not mentioned in Acts 8 like it was in Acts 2. This doesn’t mean speaking in tongues didn’t happen in Samaria, we only read in Acts 8:18 that something was “seen” from the ones Peter and John laid hands on. This observable thing could have been prophesying or speaking in tongues, which we saw in Acts 19 after Paul laid hands on some. We should also note that the laying on of hands in Acts 6 was not followed up with any observable demonstration.
Looking now at Acts 19:1-6, Paul, “came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.”
Why does Paul ask, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” We know that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is inferred for believers, given the context of Acts. Keep in mind that Paul adds, “…when you believed?” These words insist that Paul knows he’s talking to Christians. Paul isn’t asking if they’re indwelt, but more so asking if something else, something observable had happened to them. In most prior instances that we see in Acts, the indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit had been marked with various types of evidences. For instance, at Jerusalem there was praising God by speaking in tongues, the power to witness (2:4,11,14), the power to obey the commands of God (5:32), and for a few, to perform wonders and signs (6:8). In Samaria, something that was “seen” (8:18). In Damascus, there was boldness and proclaiming the Word (9:20). In Caesarea there was praising God by speaking in tongues (10:46). On Cyprus there was boldness, discernment, and miracles (13:9-11). In Ephesus there was speaking in tongues and prophesying (19:6). Most demonstrations did not involve speaking in tongues. Jesus’ promise was that the Holy Spirit would give power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8); and that witness can operate through many manifestations of the Spirit. In all cases the power of the Holy Spirit was evident, but not always by a supernatural demonstrative display.
So, when Paul asks, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” The Christians remarked, “No, we have not yet even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.” This doesn’t insist that they’d never heard of the Person of the Holy Spirit, which they’d likely have heard about from the ministry of John the Baptist’s teachings, which had reached them according to Acts 19:3. John the Baptist was well acquainted with the Holy Spirit, as he was uniquely indwelt by the Holy Spirit since his conception and John had seen a manifestation of the Holy Spirit as a dove at Jesus’ baptism. These disciples Paul speaks to may also have known of the promise of the Holy Spirit to come, from Joel’s prophecy in Joel 2:28-29, which Jesus said would come after Him, and which Peter preached had been fulfilled (Acts 2:16-18). Some had heard the Spirit had come at Pentecost and other believers had not heard. Furthermore, it has to be understood that even if these Christians literally meant, “Who or what is this ‘Holy Spirit’ you speak of?”, even then, their lacking knowledge of the Holy Spirit would have nothing to do with them being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as one doesn’t need to understand the Spirit to be indwelt by Him.
Like the believers in Samaria from Acts 8, the gospel had been preached, received, and submitted to by new disciples. Now, these believers in Ephesus were ready to function as a church and needed the bestowing of offices and the gifts that enjoined that calling. When Paul asks “Into what then were you baptized?” The men said they were only baptized “into John’s baptism.” Realizing they had not yet taken the step of obedience to get baptized as born-again believers, Paul sees fit that they are baptized as professing believers in the name of Jesus. John’s baptism, was a confession of sin but didn’t acknowledge the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It was important before Paul conferred offices upon them in verse 6, that they first take an important step in obedience, publicly acknowledging their allegiance to the Father in heaven, and being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which took place in verse 5. After their water baptism as professing believers, then Paul saw it fit to confer offices on some. To demonstrate that these offices had indeed been conferred, those with offices conferred onto them spoke in tongues and prophesied (vs. 6). Paul isn’t imputing the Spirit into them, as some grossly believe. That would be impossible, as no Apostle could ever impute the Spirit into someone.
Before moving on, several things need to be understood. It would be wrong to assert that Samaria, Ephesus, and other nations beyond Judea, had their own separate “Pentecost,” i.e. their own “Acts 2” moment where the Holy Spirit manifested tongues of fire that rested on believers and caused them to speak in tongues. In other words, what happened in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, was the official and global mark of a new type of outpouring of the Spirit onto believers. Pentecost was not simply a regional act for Jerusalem which needed to be replicated elsewhere as the gospel spread. Luke, who writes Acts, expects his readers to know this, given the context he’s provided.
Praying “in” the Spirit vs. Praying “with” the Spirit
Praying “in” the Spirit refers to the manner in which a true believer prays. A person prays in the Spirit when he is compelled by the Spirit to pray, and guided by the Spirit as he prays. In other words, I pray in the Spirit when the Holy Spirit guides my spirit in a time of prayer. This kind of prayer is different than mere words coming from my mind alone. Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit.” Jude 20, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” In both of these verses the deity of the Holy Spirit is in view as we see “Spirit” with a capital “S” in Ephesians 6:18, and “Holy Spirit” in Jude 20. So, the believer is to pray “at all times” in the Spirit, which certainly does not mean a believer is to always pray in tongues.
A believer prays in the Spirit when the Spirit of God guides his spirit in a time of prayer. Jesus teaches on this in John 4. Jesus is having a discussion with a Samaritan woman. Keep in mind that Jesus and the Jews had the temple of Jerusalem as their center of prayer and worship and the people of Samaria built their own temple which was their focal point of prayer and worship. So, the Jews offered prayers and worship in one location, and the Samaritans in another; each believing that where they prayed mattered. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that it’s not about where you pray but how you pray. The woman says to Jesus in John 4:20-24, “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father…But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
To understand this passage, we must realize that every human being has a spirit that governs his soul. Our spirit is the rational disposition or influence by which we feel, think, and decide. In Scripture, our spirit is often referred to as our heart, or the whole inner man where our heart and mind cooperate together. Our mind is the seat of our thinking, where we discern truth from untruth, and our heart is the seat of our feelings, where we trust and love that truth. For example, one can know Jesus with the mind, but not trust Jesus with the heart.
What Jesus says to the Samaritan is that God is a spirit and true worshippers connect with Him by way of their own spirit. With our spirit we must offer prayers; our spirit being the center of who we are, praying from their heart. Currently, the Samaritans, and most Jews, worshipped as a formality, from their head/mind and with their lips, but not spiritually from their heart. Just about everyone prays; Muslims, Mormons, Jews, Hindus, etc. But are all prayers offered by men actual prayers in the spirit, being led by the Holy Spirit? Certainly not. In fact, those who pray to false gods have empty prayers; heard by nobody, answered by nobody. This is why Jesus rebuked the Jews in Matthew 15:7-8 saying, “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.” True worshippers aren’t concerned about praying in this temple or that temple, but are concerned about praying in the spirit, which can be done anywhere. So, praying in the spirit (lower case “s”) is to pray with the heart, the inner self. Praying in the Spirit (upper case “S”) is to be governed and led by the Holy Spirit when we pray. Neither is a reference to speaking in tongues.
The Bible also speaks of praying with the Spirit. Praying with the Spirit is to speak in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:13-16, “Let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen ” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?” Here, Paul continues instructing about how prayer and praising in tongues needs to function in a church gathering. We know this setting is a church gathering since he speaks of a place filled with “the ungifted”: those unlearned who are there to be taught and edified. In verses 14-15, Paul uses himself as an example, speaking of himself in first-person; not because he’s struggled with these things personally, but because the Corinthian church is struggling with it.
In this setting, Paul says that if a person prays or worships in tongues, let that same person, “pray that he may interpret” as well. These two giftings are distinct and a man might have the gift of tongues but not the gift of interpretation. When in public, speaking in tongues must be accompanied by interpretation for it to have any value to others. That way the audience hearing the praise can participate by offering their “Amen” in agreement. To remedy this situation, if no other interpreter is present, then the one speaking ought to “pray that he may interpret” as well. If the Lord grants that Paul can both speak in tongues and interpret, then the situation allows Paul to do both, “pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” In this circumstance, Paul can both pray with the Spirit in tongues while also using his mind to give the interpretation of what he’s just uttered, allowing the people to be edified and respond in agreement, “Amen!” To summarize, praying in the Spirit is to pray in your own language from the heart as guided by the Holy Spirit. Praying with the Spirit is to pray in tongues, in a language you don’t know, as guided by the Holy Spirit.
A Caution to Those Seeking Spiritual Experiences
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the church in Corinth who yearned to experience the showy or demonstrative gifts; healing, miracles, but especially speaking in tongues. Even today, some desire to practice sensationalism; seeking to have “spiritual experiences” by way of a demonstration of the Holy Spirit. This often results in the abuse of speaking in tongues, the manufacturing of tongues, or the manufacturing of other external demonstrations; all of which only serve to excite people into assuming something godly is happening when in fact it’s not. Aside from speaking in tongues, some of these other manufactured demonstrations are things like “fainting in the Spirit,” (not a Biblical reality) or “laughing in the Spirit” (also, not Biblical reality). I say “manufactured”, because a genuine supernatural act is verifiable. For instance, in a church gathering, we can know when the speaking in tongues is a genuine act of the Holy Spirit because it will necessarily meet the criteria given in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28. Public speaking in tongues that don’t adhere to these rules are clearly not of God. Again, the criteria for speaking in tongues in a church gathering are; only up to 3 people may speak in tongues, and only one at a time (vs. 27). After one speaks there must be interpretation (vs. 27). If there is no one with the gift of interpretation, then the speaking of tongues is to cease immediately (vs. 28). “Supernatural demonstrations” that cannot be verified are not from God. God is a God of order, purpose, and clarity; not chaos, meaninglessness, or confusion.
Because speaking in tongues is fascinating, people chase after it, often to the point that they aren’t content unless they believe they’re experiencing it. Satan enjoys manipulating tongues because of people’s zeal for it. As people chase experiences, they tend to abandon the guidelines which govern those experiences. For example, one missionary who served in a country in Southern Africa shared about his time visiting a church in North Africa while traveling back to the United States. This man spoke a particular tribal language that was unique to South African villages where he served. Upon entering a North African church, one that was thousands of miles from his ministry, he observed everyone in the church jumping around and speaking in tongues. It was chaotic. He approached the pastor and asked if he knew what he and the others were saying. The pastor admitted he did not, but believed they were all experiencing something spiritual, so it didn’t matter. The missionary told him the African dialect that they were speaking, which was the native tongue of the southern tribes he ministered to. Understanding what was being said, the missionary told the pastor that ever one of them was blaspheming the Lord! The point is simple, when people crave experiences, but refuse to be governed by the Lord, Satan steps in and gives them “spiritual experiences.”
I’ve personally visited many churches where I saw tongues being abused. I can also find countless videos online that feature people manufacturing a phony version of speaking in tongues. The gibberish being used in these charismatic gatherings isn’t a known language, as the Bible teaches. Instead, it’s a practiced and learned gibberish that has a particular repetitious sound with a certain rhythm and cadence to it. The gibberish sounds something like, “mem sha batta lamo, mana sha batta dado…,” and so on. If you say it quickly it has an easily recitable flow to it. A respectable pastor that I trust, John Piper, says this phony gibberish is “like trying to say banana backwards.” The late John McArthur, when condemning this fake speaking in tongues, said, “It’s as simple as saying, ‘Boughta Honda, shoulda boughta Yamaha.’” In short, anyone can utter this gibberish with a little practice. A former charismatic pastor commented that he had taught many Christians to “speak in tongues” and could teach anyone to do so. According to him it just requires learning a few phrases, getting oneself into the proper emotional state, and releasing one’s inhibitions.
Manufacturing speaking in tongues is easy to falsify and equally easy to give a false interpretation since there’s no way to verify what’s been said. Satan easily uses this to manipulate the masses. Keep in mind, you can’t falsify a real miracle. For example, doctors can validate a true healing miracle, such as a blind man now having sight, or a known paralytic immediately able to stand with strength, etc. Yet, we see fake miracles all the time on television by “faith healers” where there’s no evidence to show that any true miracle ever took place. Zealousness for “spiritual experiences” is what manufactures these deceptions.
Have Demonstrative Gifts Ceased?
It’s impossible for anyone to say that speaking in tongues cannot occur today, as God can use it as He pleases. However, it is argued by some that the gift of speaking in tongues for the purpose of validating the gospel message, has in fact ceased as 1 Corinthians 13:8 says it would. One could argue this gift, along other demonstrative gifts, has no purpose today, at least not in parts of the world that have already received the gospel. Today, we have the complete Bible, churches planted almost everywhere, Christian music and radio shows, etc. We don’t need demonstrative signs when these things have been established. The Word of God is all the validity that one needs.
Consider that when we examine Paul’s ministry in the book of Acts, and we pan out over a period of about 13 years, Paul is averaging only a few miracles a year. We might read the book of Acts and leap to the wrong conclusion that the apostles were simply doing miracles daily. This isn’t the case. The same is true when Peter traveled. The miracles that accompanied Peter’s ministry served to validate that his authority was from the Lord. However, once a region had established the local church, we see a decline of demonstrative gifts recorded in those areas, if we even continue to see them at all. After the apostles established their churches and later wrote letters to them (much of the New Testament consist of these letters), these letters scarcely mention demonstrative gifts.
In our present day and age, where we tend to see demonstrative gifts (healings, miracles, tongues) are in places where the gospel is being freshly preached. We occasionally get stories from missionaries in unreached regions that talk about how God operated miracles through them, which served to give the missionaries credibility to preach the gospel.
Furthermore, Paul puts a “rank” on gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 because of the quarreling over whose gift was more important; verse 28 gives a “first, second, third…”, down to eight gifts listed, where tongues is listed last. Paul adds that even beyond these gifts there is a “more excellent way,” which is love, and to which Paul takes us straight into his famous passage about love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Chapter 13 concludes by saying that the gifts of God’s grace (faith, hope, and love) are more useful than the temporal gifts of the Holy Spirit. “The Tongues of Angels”
Some suggest that speaking in tongues is the speaking of an angelic language, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” The “tongues of men” means any human language spoken in the world and the tongues “of angels” is likely a colloquialism (common expression of that day) where the Corinthians believed that there was an angelic language which was kept mysterious to mankind. Paul isn’t validating this belief, but seems to just be referencing the thinking of the day. Others say Paul could be referring to the heavenly language that he heard when he was caught up to heaven as recorded in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, at which time Paul, “heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” I don’t think Paul is suggesting that speaking in tongues is a demonstration of one speaking this heavenly language, since he makes clear that man is not permitted to speak whatever that heavenly language was. Ultimately, when Paul mentions the tongues of angels, Paul isn’t trying to clarify what speaking in tongues is or is not, he’s simply emphasizing the greater importance of faith and love, as the verses which follow demonstrate