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 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

 

 

 

Articles on tongues from www.gotquestions.org   

https://printer.gotquestions.net/GeneratePF?articleId=21448

https://printer.gotquestions.net/GeneratePF?articleId=60454

https://www.gotquestions.org/gift-of-tongues.html

Here are blog posts regarding who qualified as an apostle and prophet:

https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2015/02/apostles-and-prophets-part-i.html

https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2015/02/apostles-and-prophets-part-ii.html

 

 

---

[1] A Cessationist is one that believes the sign gifts such as tongues, healings, miracles, revelatory prophecy and

Knowledge have ceased.

[2] From the book Strange Fire, John Macarthur (Thomas Nelson 2013), pg 252-253

[3] Ibid, pg 253-254

[4] The original apostles were the foundation of the church so there are no modern day apostles (Eph 2:20)

[5] Ibid, pg 260-261

Has the gift of Tongues ceased - a second look

There are many that are convinced the gift of tongues is operative today. They are engaged in the practice of it everyday. What many will say is that it’s a private prayer language to God that, a deeper communion with the Father on a higher spiritual plane. Those that supposedly have the gift in some people’s eyes are the haves, and those who do not speak in tongues are the have nots.  The proponents of this gift are called Charismatics and Pentecostals hence the phrase Charismatic or Pentecostal movement.

Those that are convinced the gift has already ceased are called Cessationists. They are the ones that believe the gift ended by the end of the first century beginning of the second century. They insist these sign gifts were for the apostolic era only. Once the apostles died, and God’s revealed word was complete, the gifts ceased. 

What do you believe? Are you a Charismatic-Pentecostal or a Cessationist? Who’s right and who’s wrong? 

Does it matter?

One thing the writer has learned is that our traditions and the way we have been taught has an extraordinary influence on the way we think and act. Our traditions create biases in our lives. When those traditions and cultural biases are challenged or threatened, our defenses go up. What’s disturbing to me is that we do this (i.e. defenses go up) even when the scripture is clearly presented in a particular area.

As a result, our cultural biases and traditions subconsciously take precedent over God’s word. This happens in our churches all the time. The word of God takes a back seat to our traditions; that is our traditions make the word of God of no effect. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for this very sin (Matt 15:3-6).

All traditions in the church are not bad. Some of them however need to conform to the word of God so that they do not militate against it.

I provided the small aforementioned disclaimer to come to the main subject of the article: Has the gift tongues ceased already or does it continue to this very hour?

Scripture provides the clear answer.

In I Corinthians 13:8-10 we read, “Charity or love never fails, but whether prophecies they shall fail, whether tongues they shall cease , whether knowledge it shall vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away.”

The first part we need to look at is the phrase tongues shall cease.  The word cease is the Greek word pauo; means to stop, to make an end, a willing cessation. It is used in what is called the middle voice in Greek language. That means the subject (tongues) is acting upon itself in some way. In this verse the apostle Paul, the biblical writer is telling us that tongues will stop on it’s own, by itself. Nothing will force it out of existence. It  is a temporary sign gift.

So we see tongues has a built in timer; once the sign gift mission is complete, it will end.

Next, we have prophecy and knowledge. The Greeks words are propheteia and gnosis respectively. Prophecy means to speak forth; in particular divine truth never revealed before. Knowledge means to know, understand, to perceive; supernatural insight to explain that truth. Another way to describe prophecy and knowledge is revelation and illumination. Revelation declares God’s truth.  Illumination enlightens, brightens, makes the revelation clear to one’s heart so they understand what they have heard. The text says  both of these gifts will fail or vanish away. The Greek word for this is katargeo. This is a compound word; kata which means down, and argos which means inactive. Regarding prophecy and knowledge, in the text  is in the passive voice meaning the subject (prophesy and knowledge) receives the action of the verb (vanish, fail).  Prophecy and knowledge’s  force was from the outside; that being the abolishing of it by that which is perfect.[i]  These two gifts will not always abide.

                                                         

                                                  Why was tongues a sign to unbelievers?

In the first century tongues was a supernatural gift of languages the speaker never learned, but the unbeliever understood when they were in the assembly of believers. This phenomenon was first manifested on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit gave the believers the utterance to speak (Acts 2:4). As a result of this event and Peter’s sermon, three thousand souls (unbelieving Jews) were saved that day (vs. 41). They knew something special had happened. They were hearing men speaking in their native tongue having never learned the language praising God (Acts 2:11). Tongues was also manifested among those at Cornelius’ house in Acts 10:44-46, and lastly with Paul and 12 disciples of John the Baptist in Acts 19:6. The only other chapters that mention tongues are I Corinthians 12-14. After this, tongues is never mentioned in any other N.T. book.

Paul in I Corinthians 14:22 said that tongues was a sign to unbelievers, in particular to unbelieving Israel.

               

  Why, and what did the sign mean?

Paul goes back to the law in Isaiah 28:11, 12b, “With stammering lips and other tongues He will speak to this people…yet they will not hear.”

In this text the prophet Isaiah was making reference to Israel’s enemies, the Assyrians. This nation who’s language they did not understand would capture them. So we see that tongues was a judicial sign of judgment and destruction. Since the Israelites wouldn’t listen to the prophet in their own tongue, God sent foreigners with other tongues to judge his people for their rejection of the Lord.

In like manner tongues in the N.T. was a miraculous sign to those who did not believe God’s word. But , tongues was also a blessing to the unbeliever in that when they experienced the hearing of tongues, and it’s interpretation they declared that God was truly among the believers in that day and so they fell down and worshiped God (I Cor 14:25). Tongues was also manifested among the Gentiles in Acts 10:44-46 signifying that repentance of sins and salvation was made available for them as well not just for the Jews. So in this instance tongues was a sign to believing Jews that God was moving in a brand new way (Acts 11:18).

It’s also believed the final judicial sign of tongues was the destruction of Israel and the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. Once this event took place, the sign gift of tongues ended for good. Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple twice in Matthew 23:38; 24:2.

So according to Cessationists the gift of tongues served it’s purpose: It was initially prophesied by Isaiah as a sign of judgment on unbelieving Israel by the Assyrians (and others believe the sign includes  the Babylonians also. They destroyed the first/Solomon’s temple in 586 B.C.) From there, it became a sign gift for unbelievers in the early church age that God was supernaturally working through the saints to reach the unsaved with the gospel message. Tongues ceased as a final judicial sign against Israel as the temple was  destroyed by the Romans. This was a judgment against Israel for rejecting their Messiah.

I know for many that will read these conclusions regarding tongues may be considered a “stretch” because you never  heard it before. Charismatics and Pentecostals have been always taught tongues is something we do to enhance our spiritual lives. Go deeper with the Lord, speak in phrases that the devil can’t understand, because we’re speaking to God (I Cor 14:3). We were also told speaking in tongues was evidence that a person was filled with the Holy Spirit.  If a person is honest what we are hearing today is not the real gift. Cessationists  believe Tongues ceased at the end of the first or beginning of the second century after the death of the apostles.  

The gifts of Prophesy and knowledge I believe also were ended with completion of scripture (i.e. the perfect). Once God completed His revelation to the last author of Bible the Apostle John, God’s written word was complete which ended these two gifts.

What we here today is babbling, unintelligible gibberish can never help anyone because it’s utter nonsense. If the genuine gift survived until the present age, all men wouldn’t have it anyway for all did not speak with tongues (I Cor 12:30). Genuine tongues was not a gift to be sought after; for it was the Holy Spirit who sovereignly distributed the gifts as He saw fit (I Cor 12:11).

Concluding, I know that despite all I have explained, people will continue to do what they have always done, babble in non biblical tongues. Why? Because tradition and bias dictate they do. But, I would like to lovingly challenge the reader of this article in two things: 1. Be like the noble bereans and search the things I’ve said whether they are so (Acts 17:11). 2. When you discover a truth in the Bible that is against your tradition will you stop your tradition and bow your knees to His word?

I realize this is never easy, but if you want to grow in the grace and knowledge of your Lord Jesus Christ, you must submit to His lordship and renew your mind with the word of God.  Believe me, I’m trying everyday and it’s most difficult at times.

Be encouraged beloved, the word of God is all powerful to give you victory in your walk and continued pursuit of Him.

                                                                     Notes

---

[i] The word Perfect in this text has a variety of possible meanings. Some say this makes reference to the return of Jesus Christ. That’s possible, but an argument against this view is that the word Perfect in the Greek is neuter, not gender specific. Jesus is a male so grammatically Jesus being labeled as the Perfect in I Cor 13:10 would rule this view out.  Others say that it means the canonization of scripture since God’s revelation to man was finished with the apostle John around 95 A.D. when he recorded the book of Revelation. That is also plausible. The argument against the second view is that special knowledge and prophecy will be in effect in the future, during the Great Tribulation (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17; Rev 11:3), but the difference with the gifts here is that they will not be utilized as a source to record more scripture. Then there are those that say the Perfect  makes reference to the eternal state, when all things are made new; new heavens and new  earth and there will be at that time absolutely no need for prophesying or knowledge. The writer leans toward this view and the second view.