SPEAKING IN “ TONGUES “
Revised 9-07-2014
Recently I met some people and we started talking about spiritual things and the question was asked to me, “ Have you received the Holy Spirit and had the evidence by speaking in Tongues?" My response was probably like most people’s . Uhm, I don’t know, I really don’t believe in that. But I wasn’t really sure why I responded like I did. As I have thought about my answer to them it came to me that I really didn’t know for my self, all I knew was the traditional belief passed on to me from my parents and my former church association. So, I knew that I had to study this in the Scriptures on my own. My contention is that what is done today in the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement does not match what we see in Scripture. Charismatic Christianity teaches that “You must speak in Tongues to show the proof that you have received the Holy Spirit “.. I don't find this "teaching" anywhere in Scripture, and that is what this writing is going to present.
The 2nd Chapter of Acts during the Feast of Pentecost is where we find the first instance of speaking in tongues..
Acts 2:3 - 4 says, “ And there appeared unto to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ”
First, we should find out what the word “ tongues “ really means, in the Strong’s Concordance #1100 is “Glossa”, which means, the actual tongue in a man’s mouth, or a language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations. It simply means another language different from the person’s original language... We have to look at every time in the Bible the word “Tongues“ is used... Look these up. In every case you can say “a different language“ instead of saying the word “Tongues“. Except in Acts 2:3, Romans 3:13, in these text it would be appropriate to use the word “Tongue“, like the one in your mouth...
We find in 1 Corinthians 12:4, that “ there are diversities in gifts, but the same Spirit “ and then in 1 Cor. 12:8-10 we find the list of gifts that can be given to us by the Holy Spirit. They are as follows: Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, Tongues (languages), Interpretation of Tongues (languages), and in verse 28 it lists: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healings, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues/glossa. Notice that in verses 10 and 28, tongues is listed last. Why? I believe it is because tongues is least among the list of Spiritual Gifts, but in today's time it has become the first or most important. It has it's place, but it has been "mis-placed". Today, "tongues" is out of place and given too much concern or attention.
I have made an observation concerning the churches that teach the doctrine “ you must speak in tongues as proof of receiving the Holy Spirit “. They all seem to believe this teaching without really studying on their own, therefore I believe they are simply following a traditional belief passed down from generation to generation... They are going on feelings and tradition instead of "sound doctrine" based solely on Scripture and Scriptural examples written in The Bible. One of my other observations is that this "speaking in tongues" happens to those that are part of a Charismatic, Pentecostal, Assembly of God, type "church". Generally we don't see this in the other denominations, unless someone with a background in a charismatic church brings it in. Everyone that I have ever talked with about this, who says that they have recieved this "gift" has a background in one of the charismatic type denominations. This should make us question it's legitimacy. Does God only give this "gift" to those in a certain denomination?
Another thing that happens in the instances of what I believe is a False “Holy Spirit“ encounter is people shaking, and their eyes quivering, flaying themselves on the floor, crying, laughing, babbling, crawling around on the floor, "slain in the spirit", running and jumping around in an excited state, basically uncontrollable..completely out of control. They say that all of these things are the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit.. But, if we look at all of the examples of people in the Bible receiving the Holy Spirit, do we get a picture of them babbling uncontrollably or any of the other things that I previously stated? The answer is NO. How about the instances of Yeshua healing someone that was sick or had a demon, we see that these people, when they where healed, “stood to their feet and praised and thanked him” They did not jump around and act like a mad man. The ones that jumped around, babbled, and quivered etc. were the ones that had a demon spirit in them. When the demon spirit was cast out they were calm and peaceful.
Now don’t get me wrong and do not misunderstand, I do believe that there is a gift of Speaking in Tongues.. But, I believe that there is enough evidence to say that Speaking in Tongues is simply speaking in another language that is foreign to the person speaking... It could also mean that the speaker was speaking in his own language and the hearers heard in their language.
In 1 Corinthians 14:2 the phrase "For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in spirit he speaks mysteries." This leads us to believe that there is possibly an unknown language that no one knows, except our Heavenly Father. This is definitely possible, I am not about to put GOD in a box and try to say that he doesn't have an unknown language. However, I think if we look at the other key statements made in 1 Corinthians 14 we can put together a pretty good idea of what Sha'uwl/Paul is trying to convey to the reader of this letter to the Assembly of Believers in Corinth. First we need to acknowledge verse 1 and let it set the tone for the rest of the chapter. "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."
We should next look at v.4 which says "one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church". Before we go any further let's look at the word "edifies". In Greek it is "oikodomeo" which means build, builders, building, built, edified, edifies, edify, rebuild, or strengthened. It gives the idea here that the person speaking a tongue builds himself up, but one who prophesies builds up the assembly of believers.
Now lets look at verse 5 and 6. He wishes all spoke in tongues, but more so wishes that they would prophesy and the one who prophesies is greater than the person speaking in a tongue, unless he interprets so that the Assembly of Believers would be built up. He states that if he was to come to them speaking in tongues, what would it profit them unless he would speak by way of revelation, knowledge, prophecy or teaching. In verse 9 he states that unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, you will be speaking into the air and how will it be known what is spoken? Now in verse 10 and 11 he makes a statement that we need to remember because it challenges the idea that the "tongues" that are spoken today in the churches is unknown and directed to God. "There are perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning and if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be the one who speaks like a Barbarian." Verse 12 then goes on to say that they should seek to abound for the edification of the church. Remember, edification means to Build up or Strengthen.
In verse 13 the speaker of a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if he prays in a tongue, his spirit prays, but his mind is unfruitful or unproductive. (v.14.) The outcome should be that of praying with the spirit and mind also; and sing with the spirit and sing with the mind also (v.15.). Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the "ungifted" say "amen" since he wouldn't know what you are saying? Yes, it is good to give thanks, but the other person (who doesn't understand what you are saying) is not edified or built up. (v.16-17). It is very likely that Paul knew that what they were doing was uninterpretable, therefore "closing" the door on this practice?
Paul goes on to say in verses 18-19 that he is thankful that he speaks in tongues (languages) more than you all; however, in the Assembly of Believers (Church) he desires to speak five words with his mind or understanding so that he may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
He goes on and makes a statement that I think pretty much sums up the idea that he is trying to teach. In verse 22 he says that tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers.
If we read the rest of Chapter 14 we continue to get the idea of order, not confusion and that everyone in the Assembly of Believers should be conscious of edifying or building up the Assembly.
On the website of The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America they make the following statement concerning "Glossalalia".
"Corinth was greatly influenced by Greek paganism which included demonstrations, frenzies and orgies, all intricately interwoven into their religious practices. In post Homeric times, the cult of the Dionysiac orgies made their entrance into the Greek world. According to this, music, the whirling dance, intoxication and utterances had the power to make men divine; to produce a condition in which the normal state was left behind and the inspired person perceived what was external to himself and the senses.
In other words, the soul was supposed to leave the body, hence the word ecstasy (ek stasis). They believed that while the being was absent from the body, the soul was united with the deity. At such times, the ecstatic person had no consciousness of his own.
The Corinthians of Paul's time were living under the influence of Dionysiac religious customs. It was natural that they would find certain similarities more familiar and appealing. Thus the Corinthians began to put more stress on certain gifts like glossolalia. No doubt the Apostle was concerned that their ties and memories of the old life should be reason enough to regulate the employment of Glossolalia." www.goarch.org
In other words, the soul was supposed to leave the body, hence the word ecstasy (ek stasis). They believed that while the being was absent from the body, the soul was united with the deity. At such times, the ecstatic person had no consciousness of his own.
The Corinthians of Paul's time were living under the influence of Dionysiac religious customs. It was natural that they would find certain similarities more familiar and appealing. Thus the Corinthians began to put more stress on certain gifts like glossolalia. No doubt the Apostle was concerned that their ties and memories of the old life should be reason enough to regulate the employment of Glossolalia." www.goarch.org
This statement gives good support for what I am trying to teach in this writing. We need to realize the pagan influence that surrounded the Believers in Corinth. We also need to understand that New Corinthians converts, would bring their "pagan baggage" with them. I believe that this is what Paul is dealing with when he is writing to them about "Tongues" or "Glossais"(plural form of Glossa/Tongue). At this point I want to tell you that the word "Glossalalia" does NOT exist in the Greek Text. Glossalalia is the "modern" word to describe the "speaking in tongues" that we hear of today. It is man-made and of no Biblical origin.
With all of this being said we must remember that Paul/Sha'uwl was a Hebrew, an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, schooled under Gamaliel and of "the Way"(believers in Messiah Yeshua). He was a "Lawyer" of the Law/Torah and Torah was his "checks and balances". His primary language was Hebrew, but also spoke Aramaic, Greek and possibly Latin. He may have spoke other known languages that we are not aware of. When he says that tongues are for a sign, we need to remember what is said in 1 Corinthians 1:22 and Hebrews 2:3-4. We need to look at this as the gift of tongues enables a person to speak to and understand those who need to hear the Besorah/Good News/Gospel. We need to see that the gift of tongues was meant to reach the unsaved Jews. When unbelievers heard men speak languages that they ordinarily would not know, and heard them witness in their own native tongue; it would be a sign to them that they should listen to the message. We are not supposed to be thinking of ourselves and how we can build up ourselves. We should be "mature" and consider the "babies" and how we can "edify" or build them up in the Truth! Just imagine a Hebrew, speaking fluent Japanese, would sure get the attention of people who speak Japanese. This is really an unending line of thinking because you can come up with many scenarios that fit with what I am trying to say. Each situation would be different, but the outcome should be to share the good news to someone of a different language so the Assembly of Believers would be built-up!
Speaking in a “Tongue” is a Sign for those that are NOT believers and they speak a different language than the person witnessing to them. 1Cor. 14: 21-23... Notice that Paul includes a little hint of what they should have seen or understood because they hear "strange tongues". Verse 21 quotes Isaiah 28:10-13 which states: "For He says, Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there. Indeed, He will speak to this people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to them, Here is rest, give rest to the weary, and, here is repose, but they would not listen. So the word of the LORD to them will be "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, a little here, a little there" that they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive." But, within this quoted scripture is a little known fact that you have to be shown or else you won't know. The translators made up a translation to try and give meaning to "Sav lasav, sav lasav, Kav lakav, kav lakav, Ze'er sham, ze'er sham". These words are Hebrew gibberish. It means nothing, just like a Baby's Babble or a Drunk man's words. If we look at the verses previous to and after these, we see the context and are able to easily see what is being said. Those who are Babies or Drunks will only be able to Hear words that make no sense, that they may go and stumble backwards, be broken, snared, and taken captive. Contextually, we see that Yahweh (The LORD) responds to their scoffing of the Truth by imitating their mockery to represent the unintelligible language of a conquerer. This is prophetic of what those in Jerusalem would have heard from the foreign soldiers/people who would come in and destroy The City and take them captive while speaking a different language that they don't understand. This is speaking to the Babylonian captivity as well as the Roman seige on Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Isaiah 29:13 is very profound and fits into this topic very well. When someone speaks a language that you don't understand it might as well be "childish babble". We can also see the Gentile connection here, knowing that non-jew, non-hebrew speaking people will speak the Good-News of Yeshua the Messiah and the coming Restoration of All Things to those of the "Jews" who don't know the Good News. With that being said we can also see the connection with Acts 2 and the Jew/Galilean teaching the "Gentile" the Good News. This is where the "Gift of Tongues" comes into play because instead of people hearing babbling, they Hear in their own language and understand. Truly a Miracle!
In Acts 2, when the disciples recieved the Gift, they were speaking The Good News to those gathered for Shavuot/Pentecost. They were heard in the listener's own language. Acts 2:4 says they "began to speak with other languages (tongues/glossa), as the Spirit was giving them ability to speak out (utterance/apophtheggomai). Then we see in verse 5 that the "hearers" were Jews living in Jerusalem, cautious (devout/eulabes) men from every nation (race/ethnicity/gentile/ the nations distinct from Israel) under heaven. Verse 6 states that the "hearers" were bewildered because each one of them was hearing the speaker speak to them in his (the hearer) own language. The people hearing these men speak like this were amazed and astonished, because the men speaking were Galileans, but in verse 8 we see that "we hear them in our own language in which we were born". They couldn't believe their eyes and ears. They had never experienced anything like this before. These men were all of Known Tribes/Nations, with Known languages. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Judeans, Cappadocians, also from Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans and Arabs. They all heard this going on and say to the others with them of their nation "we HEAR them in our own language(s) speaking of the mighty Works/Deeds of Elohim/God."(v.11) They were amazed and greatly perplexed, asking, "What does this mean?", but the ones with "no ears to hear" the message of the Good News, mocked them and accused them of just being drunk. (v.12-13).
What example do we have from this account of Acts 2? Do we see anyone doing what we see being done in the "Churches" today? The answer is a resounding NO! I have talked with people that have experienced this so called receiving the “Holy Spirit” and it is interesting that it comes up from their feet, and wells up in them and then they start speaking uncontrollably. Read all of 1 Cor. 14 again... There is to be order, and the speaking in a different language (tongue) is useless to the "church", unless someone can interpret what is being said. What is done today is not translatable. The witness of Scripture shows us that they should and could control it and not speak if there was no translator or unbeliever present to hear and understand the message.
Speaking in “Tongues” is a gift to those that will be witnessing to the unbelievers of other Languages. Sha’uwl/Paul makes it clear that “ Prophecy” is of MORE value to the Believers, because this gives valuable instruction to the Church... The Believers should not need a sign. There is no need for an English speaking church member to speak in a foreign language unless there are unbelieving visitors from another country and/or language.
I also want to touch on the fact that I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears, how these groups of people put so much pressure on their members to speak in “Tongues” that they are led into it and they are literally pushed into it by coercion to the point where this person looses control and does what they are being pressured in to. I have also been told that they will tell a person who has not "received" it yet, to practice what they have heard from others. PRACTICE ???? This should be a HUGE Red Flag, warning them to get out of there. These groups put people into a state of mind which I believe opens them up to deception. We all want to fit in and we want to please our peers, so all of this sets up the person to become what they behold. I believe we should consider Second Thessalonians 2:10-11 here and really consider the fact that not having a love for the Truth will set you up to believe what is False. "they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved and for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false". What is done (by most if not all) today is not scriptural. In all of the scriptural examples of a person either receiving the “Holy Spirit” or speaking in a tongue, it just happens without the person or the church even knowing it is about to happen. And it happens without chanting, dancing, peer pressure, coercion, or practicing!
Remember that “speaking in tongues” and interpreting tongues is last on the list of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:8-11), so its importance is only when it is needed to witness to someone of another language. We need to realize that just because we experience or feel something, doesn't mean it is True. Part One of the Bible gives us 3 Tests that we need to apply to what is going on today. Deuteronomy 13:1-18; Deut. 18:22 and Isaiah 8:20. These rules/instructions can be applied to Prophets, Teachers, Evangelists, and anyone that acts as or says they are representatives of the Word of GOD. It is to be a "Checks and Balances" to what is happening before our eyes. I will say here to all of the "Old Testament Nay-Sayers" who say that the "Old Testament" isn't for us today, that they need to consider 1 Corinthians 10 and especially verses 6 and 11. We are the people upon whom the ends of the ages have come and we need to look back at previous examples in Scripture so that we don't fall as they did. How are we to know what is Counterfeit, if we are not taught what is REAL? People today live their lives on Entertainment, Feelings and Experiences and the "Highs" that come with it. Entertainment is what I see happening in most congregations. The leaders of these congregations are competing with TV, Internet and Video games and people will not stick around for anything less than the "high" that they get from all the other forms of entertainment. Hopped up of hype is the order of today!
I want to share a story that I believe exemplifies what I believe to be True Speaking in Tongues. There was a pastor who traveled to Africa to share the Gospel with a large group of people who did not speak the pastor's language, which is English. This pastor had no knowledge of their language and was to rely on a translator to Interpret for him. The evening came and it was time to begin, but the pastor's interpreter did not show up. They waited for a while and it was clear that he was not coming. There was no one else to interpret. Most would have cancelled the meeting, however this pastor prayed for help and he decided to go ahead and speak to the people in English and hope that they would some how understand. When the pastor got on stage and began to speak, to everyone's amazement, they heard fluent Swahili, their native tongue. Can you imagine the amazement of the African people to hear this man witness to them in their language. Can you imagine how much more meaningful his words were to them when they found out that the pastor had not studied or learned their language before coming to them? Now, I don't know if he was given the ability to speak Swahili, or if he spoke in English but they heard in Swahili. Either way, I believe, gives a True Biblical example of what Speaking in Tongues would look like today.
I believe that we have enough evidence to know that what happens in the groups that believe that you have to speak in tongues to prove the receipt of the Holy Spirit, is simply NOT the same thing that is taught in the Scriptures. It is a deception.
It seems clear to me that the proof of someone receiving the Holy Spirit is revealed by the Fruits that they Produce. A goodly tree is known by it’s Fruit..
We must come out of Error and Tradition and follow what is taught in the Scriptures Only... Friend, you must think for yourself while studying the Bible.... We are to be a Workman that need not be ashamed. Rightly dividing/handling the Truth... 2 Timothy 2:15
Thank you for reading this, I hope that you will Pray and ask our Heavenly Father to guide you in your study of his word !!
Maranatha, John
© 2009 Common Law Copyright John Dandridge, All Rights Reserved Without Prejudice. Can be reprinted ONLY if NO Changes are made to the Text. Revised 9-07-2014.