Can You Teach Someone To Speak In Tongues?

Whether one believes tongues is for today, or if you believe the gift has ceased, no one can teach another how to speak in Biblical tongues. One can claim to teach someone to speak in the “tongues” of today because it is gibberish masquerading as authentic tongues. The word for tongues is the Greek word glossa where we get the English word glossary which means language or speech. For some bizarre illogical reason those that engage in this practice believe they are praying to God in their “heavenly or private prayer language” (1 Cor 13:1). There is no support for that in scripture.

What about 1 Corinthians 14:2?

The above verse says that those that speak in a tongue speak not unto men but unto God. Many cite this verse to prove that we can speak to God in tongues privately. There are a couple of views regarding what this verse could mean:

1. Some scholars say the tongues spoken in verse two is a pagan Corinthian ecstatic utterance and not the genuine gift of tongues. The reason may be because of the verse that says, “those that speak in a tongue do not speak to men, but to God. (Some say that it should be translated a god instead of God). That is the opposite of Acts 2 – the speakers on the Day of Pentecost spoke in tongues so that the Jews travelling to Jerusalem from different parts of the world could hear them speak the wonderful works of God. Why would the gift change from public to private use?

2. Some believe this tongue is separate from the gift in Acts 2. All Christians can exercise this gift described in 1 Corinthians 14:2 as a private prayer language. I disagree. Tongues have no benefit to those who hear it if it is not interpreted. That is why the gift cannot be used for private use to edify oneself. When tongues are interpreted or translated all can be edified (1 Cor 14:13).

1 Corinthians 12:30 says all do not have the gift of tongues. It does not make sense to believe someone can teach others to speak in tongues when 1 Corinthians 12:11 says it is the Spirit that distributes the gifts to all as He chooses (italics added for emphasis).

1 Corinthians 13:8 says that tongues will cease to operate. Those that are Cessationists[1] believe tongues ceased after the apostolic age. The following quotes are from men in Church history that declared the gift of tongues has ceased with the death of the apostles. I will cite the source of these quotes.

1. Augustine (354-430) – In the earliest times, The Holy Spirit fell upon them that believe and they spoke with tongues, which they had not learned, as the Spirit gave them utterance. These were signs adapted to the time. For there was this betokening of the Holy Spirit in all tongues to show that the gospel of God was to run through all tongues over the whole earth. That thing that was done for a sign, and it passed away.[2]

2. Martin Luther (1483-1546) – In the early Church the Holy Spirit was sent forth in visible form. He descended upon Christ in the form of a dove (Matt 3:16), and in the likeness of fire upon the apostles and other believers (Acts 2:3). This visible outpouring of the Holy Spirit was necessary to the establishment of the early Church, as were also the miracles that accompanied the gift of the Holy Ghost. Paul explained the purpose of these miraculous gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 14:22, Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. Once the Church had been established and properly advertised by these miracles, the visible appearance of the Holy Ghost ceased.

Whenever you hear anyone boast that has something by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and it has no basis in God’s Word, no matter what it may be, tell them that this work is of the devil. Whatever is not from the scripture is from the devil himself.[3]

3. Arthur W. Pink (1886-1952) – As there were offices extraordinary (apostles and prophets) at the beginning of our dispensation. So, there were gifts extraordinary; and as successors were not appointed for the former, so as continuance was never intended for the latter. The gifts were dependent upon the officers: see Acts 8:14-21; 10:44; 19:6; Rom 1:11; Gal 3:5; 2 Tim 1:6. We no longer have the apostles[4] (italics mine) with us and therefore the supernatural gifts (the communication of which was an essential part of the sign gifts of an apostle: 2 Cor 12:12) are absent.

[5]

There are many other men of faith that agree with the above, fyi.

Now because these men from the past are well respected and venerated, does not mean they are right, but I added their quotes for your consideration.

The gift of tongues in the Bible were actual languages supernaturally spoken. The speaker did not know the language. It was a miraculous sign gift – meaning since tongues were for a sign, what did it signify in the first century Church?

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:22 said tongues were for a sign to unbelievers (Especially Hebrews). Why did he say that? When an unbeliever or the uniformed entered their assembly and they heard someone speak in their native language praising God and speaking of His wonders, the uninformed or the unbeliever would realize that something miraculous was going on and declare that God was truly among them. For those that did not believe, tongues signified judgment (1 Cor 14:21).

There is this idea that those who speak, sing, or pray in tongues are more spiritual than those who do not. They believe they have reached another dimension in the Spirit higher than those of us who do not speak in tongues. If a linguist were to record what they hear at a Charismatic Church service where everyone is speaking in “tongues” at the same time which violates scripture (1 Cor 14:26-28), because they are caught up and feel they can’t speak in their native tongue anymore, how much of those “tongues” would the linguist be able to translate into an actual language? I would say the chances are slim and none. Why? The majority of what we hear is gibberish, non-intelligible speech. It’s a learned behavior that is not beneficial at best and could be very dangerous at worst as some people may be unwittingly speaking incantations or unknown curses that certainly are not from the Holy Spirit, but a demonic spirit.

Please be careful!

Remember, Paul had to write to the Church of Corinth regarding tongues and the other sign gifts because they were abusing the gifts and not exercising love to one another (1 Cor 13:1; 14:1). The gifts of the Spirit are not to be flaunted as if you acquired them on your own, but rather use them for the benefit of His body since God sovereignly granted them to the Church.

The YouTube clips below are examples of what people are doing today and saying it is the gift of tongues.

https://www.youtu2be.com/watch?v=HEvOXCMvA5E&t=15s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paXSB1g7XkM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHECI-ZHP6A&t=13s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XAK0K0z-hA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLisL4DPXCs&t=50s

Older blog posts I have written on tongues:

https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2011/10/speaking-in-tongues-part-i.html?view=sidebar

https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2011/10/speaking-in-tongues-part-ii.html?view=sidebar

https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2013/07/has-gift-of-tongues-ceased-second-look.html?view=sidebar

https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2017/11/is-there-such-thing-as-heavenly-language.html?view=sidebar

https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2014/12/continuationism-vs-cessationsim.html?view=sidebar