The truth about speaking in tongues

Speaking in tongues is probably in the top 3 issues that Christians disagree on.  Speaking in tongues, I hope to show you, is not what many Christians think it is and not what is happening in many churches today.  The Bible, not our experience, must always be our highest authority in doctrine and practice. 

Disclaimer

This is article is for Christians, dealing with an in-house issue.  If you are not a Christian, you may not know what I’m talking about!  Please do read the article if the subject interests you.

Charismatic definition

According to “charismatic” Christians, tongues is a heavenly or angelic prayer language and is a sign that you are filled with the Holy Spirit.   You use this ecstatic prayer language (that you don’t understand) to pray to and praise God (in a language that apparently devil doesn’t understand either).   “Charismatic” and Pentecostal Christians use 1 Corinthians 12-14 as justification for this practice.  

Here are six simple points I hope will help clarify this thorny issue:

1. The church in Corinth was not a model church

1 Corinthians  3:1-3 says,

1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh.

The church was full of spiritually immature, childish and selfish Christians.

1 Corinthians 14:20 says, 

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

The Christians in Corinth were children in their thinking and mature in evil!  The clear implication is that when thinking about spiritual gifts and how churches ought to conduct themselves – don’t use the Corinthian church as a model.

2. The evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work is conversion, not speaking in tongues

Some people in the Corinthian church were saying, like some misled churches today, that speaking in tongues was the evidence, the proof, the verification that you have received the Holy Spirit.

In chapter 12:1-3, Paul says that your conversion, the fact you can say Jesus is Lord, is the proof of the Spirit’s work and your conversion.   Paul goes on to say in chapter 12 that speaking in tongues is but one of the spiritual gifts and the Spirit gives different gifts to different Christians.

3. Many passages in 1 Corinthians should be read ironically and sarcastically, not as positive instruction.

Irony is the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Sarcasm is the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

In 1 Corinthians Paul often uses irony to convey the opposite meaning to emphasis what he saying.

Note the irony in 1 Corinthians 4:8

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 

The Corinthians did not have all things, they were not spiritually rich and they were not spiritual kings.  The Corinthians were the exact opposite.  They were lacking in basic Christian fundamentals, spiritually bankrupt and spiritual paupers.

So when Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:2

For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

Paul is being ironical.  Because of their misuse of the gift of tongues, as in many churches today, they are uttering “mysteries” because the meaning is incomprehensible! They are speaking to “the gods” not people, for no-one understands them!

4. Tongues were real languages meant to be understood

1 Corinthians 14:1 says, 

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

In Chapter 12, Paul said that God the Holy Spirit determines who gets what gift – no matter whether you desire it or not.  In other words, Paul says: “As a church, earnestly seek after the gifts – they are good things – and especially that as a church you may have the gift of prophecy.”

The Corinthian church was placing an unhealthy emphasis on one particular gift – tongues.  They said that tongues was the measure of spirituality and frowned on those who did not speak in tongues as being spiritually inferior.  What was worse, they spoke in tongues in a wrong, unhelpful and ecstatic way.

Pentecost

The first occurrence of tongues in the early church in recorded in Acts 2.   

Jesus had ascended to heaven and it was the feast of Pentecost.  The followers of Christ were gathered in Jerusalem and God poured out his Holy Spirit into the world in a radically new way.   The believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other tongues.   Gathered in Jerusalem were also people from all over the known world.  As these believers spoke in tongues the foreign visitors heard the gospel in their own language.  

Thus, speaking in tongues is the supernatural gift or ability to speak in an unlearned known foreign language.  Speaking in tongues should be called speaking in languages.  The same word for “tongues” is used in Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 12-14.

1 Corinthians 14:2 says, 

For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

As we have seen, Paul is rebuking the Corinthian practice of speaking in tongues. The Corinthians were imitating the pagan mystery religious of the day, where adherents would go into trance like states accompanied by ecstatic, incomprehensible speech.

Felicitas D. Goodman, a psychological anthropologist and linguist, engaged in a study of various English, Spanish, and Mayan speaking Pentecostal communities in the United States and Mexico made the following observations:

when all features of glossolalia were taken into consideration– such as sounds, syllables, phrases and other elements (namely, rhythm, accent, and especially overall intonation)– she concluded that there is no distinction in glossolalia between Christians and the followers of non-Christian (pagan) religions.”

The speaking in tongues in many churches today is no different from the ecstatic speech in non-Christian religions. 

The same thing was happening in Corinth.   In 14:2, Paul is rebuking the Corinthians, not instructing them.  The word “Spirit” in v2 should not be a capital “S”, but “spirit”.   Paul is clearly against any kind of speech that is not intelligible (v 9).   Sounds and syllables without meaning are of no use.   “There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning” (v 10).   

Throughout the chapter, Paul is talking about real languages with real meaning – that’s the proper gift of speaking in tongues.  The ecstatic utterances of the charismatic movement do not correspond to the New Testament’s definition of tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:11 says, 

…if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner (“Barbarian”) to me.

All true language has meaning and if the meaning cannot be understood it is of no value.  If the speaking in tongues is merely gibberish or free vocalization and has no translatable message, it is useless. Therefore the Bible insists that whenever tongues are spoken, they should be translated.  V13 says, “Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.”

1 Corinthians 14:27-28 says,

27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.

In other words, if someone is authentically speaking in tongues the speech has a message and the message must be translated for those who hear.   Even if the tongues-speaker is praying alone and no one else is around to hear, he is to pray that he may interpret.  Unfortunately this guideline is not what we observe in many  churches.

Maturity

Rather than a sign of maturity or the Holy Spirit, misuse of the spiritual gifts is a sign of immaturity, according to Paul.  Paul was not arguing for the use of tongues as a private prayer language, but rather emphasized that when tongues is spoken, whether in public or private, or in prophecy or prayer, an interpretation is always to be required.

5. Speaking in tongues is not meant to be a mystical experience that bypasses the mind.

Paul’s overriding message throughout this whole chapter is that everything done in the corporate worship service is supposed to be edifying, up-building and encouraging to the hearers.  

Paul is calling for intelligibility and understand-ability. 

When we say something in a church service, the people in the congregation need to understand what’s being said.   Many Christians in our “spirituality” era have the totally wrong notion that true spirituality is something that bypasses the intellect and rational thought and operates mysteriously in the soul.   However, this sounds more like Hinduism than true Christianity.

Hinduism

Genuine Christianity is not anti-intellectual.  We do not believe that the mind is harmful to spirituality.   In fact, we believe true spirituality involves being transformed “by the renewing of our minds”. (cf. Romans 12:1-2)  We are sanctified by the truth, and truth is something we understand primarily with our minds.

1 Corinthians 14:13-14 says, 

13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.

Paul is not positively teaching, but negatively rebuking the Corinthians for their mindless practices.

1 Corinthians 14:15-17 says, 

15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.

The notion that the mind or intellect is to be switched off while we seek some form of intellectually detached spiritual ecstasy is a completely wrong and immature thought.  In v17, Paul is telling us that the primary purpose of spiritual gifts is for building-up or edification.  This means the building up of the mind through a better understanding of the truth and this why utterances in other tongues must be translated.  What good is a message that bypasses the minds of the hearers?

Mind games

We don’t grow spiritually through trances, dreams, meditation or emptying our mind. 

Rather, we grow spiritually when the truth is applied to our minds and our minds are transformed.  The Holy Spirit does not gift people with languages just to make weird noises.  There is always a message to be conveyed, just as at Pentecost in Acts 2, when the mighty works of God were proclaimed in the hearer’s own language.

If you are in a Charismatic church and you want to speak in tongues, you should remain silent, unless the message you have is going to be interpreted and understood.

1 Corinthians 14:28 says, 

But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.

What happens in many charismatic churches is that there is a time of “open” prayer and worship.  Just about everyone is speaking, praying or praising in tongues.  Result is a chaotic noise and incomprehensible babble.

1 Corinthians 14:23 and 33 says,

23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

The so-called “Toronto blessing” with uncontrolled laughter and falling is the exact opposite of what Paul was arguing for.

6. Tongues are a sign to unbelievers, not believers

1 Corinthians 14:22 says ,

Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is (a sign) not for unbelievers but for believers.

Here Paul contrasts tongues with prophecy, which he says is meant for believers.  Prophecy involved a message from God in a language everyone understood.   The message conveyed in tongues was intelligible only to those who understood the language.  

For unbelievers, foreign or uninterpreted tongues are a sign of judgment.

Invasion

Isaiah 28:11 has this promise about the Christ: “For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people”

When the Babylonians invaded Judah in 587BC and ransacked Jerusalem, and the Jews heard the Babylonian soldiers speak in foreign tongues, they were to remember that this was God’s judgment.   Uninterrupted tongues (the gift of speaking in foreign languages) were a sign of judgment to unbelievers.  On the other hand, interpreted tongues were a token of divine grace to those who heard the message of the gospel in their own language.

Speaking in tongues was never intended to be an out-of-control ecstatic noise that no one understood.

Clarity

What does Paul mean in v18-19?

v18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 

Paul is not against the true gift of languages, he does that himself!

v19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul is arguing for clarity; intelligible meaning that you can understand with your mind. This is how you become a Christian – when you understand the gospel – and how you grow as a Christian – as you understand the gospel and its implications more and more.

What is happening in charismatic churches today?

Felicitas D. Goodman concludes that glossolalia “is actually a learned behaviour, learned either unawarely or, sometimes consciously.”

We know that because often in charismatic churches people are taught to speak in tongues.

Implications

If you speak in tongues and you’re convinced its right, don’t make a big deal out of it.  It’s not a mark of spirituality.  

What is a mark of true spirituality is conversion and growing to be more like Christ.  

What if you are in very charismatic church?  Ask yourself: do they follow the guidelines of insisting on interpretation of tongues or is it a free for all?  If they are not following the guidelines, you need to leave that church because if they are not obeying God’s word in that area I guarantee there are other areas also where they are not following God’s word.  

The Apostle Paul says that we as Christians, especially teachers of the Bible, we must correctly divide the word of truth.   If you are part of a church that’s not doing that, you need to challenge the leadership to explain the conduct and if necessary leave that church for a church where God’s word is being taught and obeyed.  

The Bible must be the Christian’s highest authority. 

 

PS I’m relying heavily on the teaching of John MacArthur of Grace Community Church and that of Phil Johnson.

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2 comments

  1. Hi Mayada
    Thank you for your informed and constructive feedback and apologies for my late reply (I have been on holiday). As you know, the issue of tongues has created much discussion and debate over the years with many godly people on both sides of the debate. I have no doubt that my post won’t settle the issue! I think we would have to agree to disagree with each other – which is fine – because tongues is an open-handed issue in my opinion.
    I appreciated your comments and I think all tongues-speakers and non-tongues-speakers should work through the biblical text, as you have done, do arrive at a clear position.
    May you continue to grow in the Lord and have a very Christ-filled Christmas.

  2. 1. The church in Corinth was not a model church- agreed, but this does
    not mean we can skip over everything in the books of Corinthians! The
    book of Acts is full of people who were baptized in the Holy Spirit and
    who spoke in tongues- the Word either says so directly or by implication
    reading the context.

    2. The evidence of the Holy’s Spirit’s work
    is conversion not speaking in tongues- agreed that tongues is not THE
    evidence of conversion, but we cannot deduct from that that tongues are
    NOT the work of the Holy Spirit. Both conversion and speaking in
    tongues, when genuine, are the work of the Spirit. (I agree there are
    false tongues also)

    3. Irony and Sarcasm- Yes there is sarcasm
    such as in 1 Cor 4:8, but I think it is academically dishonest to carry
    that through to a completely different scripture – in this case 1 Cor
    14:2. The pastorfish author must be careful here because he is saying
    tongue-speakers speak “mysteries to gods”.(lowercase “g”). This could
    be blasphemy if I speak to the TRUE God. And yes it is
    “mysteries”because man does not understand it and is not suppose to
    understand it. 1 Cor 13: 1 refers to the “tongues of men AND angels” In
    1 Cor 14: 15 it said that ” I will pray with the spirit and I will pray
    with the mind also”- the previous part of the verse referring to
    tongues. This clearly means I can pray in an “angelic” tongue “in the
    Spirit”or I can pray with my mind. Both exists. Both are acceptable.

    4.
    Real languages- Acts 2 yes but not always and not in 1 Cor14. It is
    irresponsible to say Paul was rebuking the Corinthians for imitating
    tongues (and could be blasphemy!) This is not a good exegesis of
    Scripture. Yes false tongues may sound similar because the devil is a
    copy-cat. He can never be original. And to say that language spoken
    that cannot be understood is “useless” is plain wrong. It is praise to
    God! It is worship just like simply being in God’s presence and waiting
    on Him can be worship- even if I say nothing. It is worship like the
    birds chirping away or nature simply being there. The book of Psalms is
    full of verses that say they worship God- without an intelligible word
    being spoken. Why not for man?
    The exegesis of 1 Cor 14:27-28 is also
    wrong. It is far-fetched to read into this that it means that
    Interpretation in the church refers to people speaking other human
    languages, since it appears in the context of people exercising their
    gifts – tongues and interpretation were defined as two of the
    “official”gifts. When I know Spanish and English and can translate what
    you say in Spanish in an English church I am not using a gift- it is
    simply that I learnt both languages!

    5. Hinduism and bypassing
    the mind- yes false mystical experiences are found in Hinduism and other
    New Age religions and beliefs, but again- we must never forget Satan
    can NEVER be original. He is a copycat and twists what God has created
    and done. If fake mystical experiences are being had in Hinduism one
    cannot make the deduction that therefore in the Christian faith mystical
    experiences are taboo! This is very bad exegesis. Being born again in
    itself is extremely mystical since we do not understand exactly what
    happens, only that it happens by God’s grace. Besides, I can choose when
    to start and stop speaking in tongues at any given time, my mind is not
    out of order altogether. It is just that I do not understand what I
    say, but I do sense that I am worshiping God, just like when I sense I
    am worshiping God when I read my Bible, even though I may not verbatim
    say “I worship You” Same goes for meditating (a mystical “word”) on Gods
    Word. Its a mystical
    experience, yet my mind IS in control. It is when you are NOT in control when I will question your tongues as possibly false.

    6.
    Tongues are a sign for unbelievers. Again it is poor exegesis to say
    this refer to foreign speakers speaking to you. Come on! There are many
    documented cases of people hearing glossolalia in the Church or
    elsewhere, and so stood in awe of God’s supernatural- being drawn to
    Him. God is supernatural- why is it so strange that he gives man
    supernatural experiences? (as long as we guard as I said to make sure
    about the Source). 1Cor 14:19 Why should it be a problem to speak in
    tongues in the church if it refers to human languages, if there are
    those who can interpret? Interpretation was given as option. It is again
    bad exegesis to read this into this scripture.

    Felicitas D.
    Goodman concludes that glossolalia “is actually a learned behaviour,
    learned either unawarely or, sometimes consciously.” It is true that
    many in pentecostal churches are being “taught”” to speak in tongues. It
    is just as true that there are many who were NOT taught but simply had
    an experience with God. I for one attended a Baptist church camp where
    they did NOT talk about or exercise tongues when I felt the Spirit
    coming upon me and as I prayed in English it simply went over into
    tongues- I felt very close to the Lord full of his peace and joy! Prior
    to this experience I cannot remember having had any contact with
    Pentecostals or charismatics!

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