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We live in a confused religious world, no doubt. In assessing error, Reinhold Niebuhr, a 19th century theologian and philosopher noted: “All false doctrine originates with only a slight deviation from the truth”. However, the deviation from biblical thinking as it relates to tongues speaking, is almost hopelessly irreparable. Oh, that all men would realize without reservation, that modern-day tongues speaking is not only delusional and theatrical, but also contrary to the Bible.
When you come into contact with a tongues speaker today, clearly he speaks something other than English, Mandarin, Swahili, Dagarti or any language known to man, past or present. This begs the question, “does this meet the biblical definition of tongues?” Answering this question only demands little. That is to allow the Bible instead of our theology, our pastors or even ourselves to define this biblical terminology. What saith the scriptures then (Rom.3:4)?
Biblical tongues is an intelligible language like Greek, Latin, or Frafra, spoken by a person who has been endued with the ability, by the Holy Spirit. On the Pentecost day, Luke records; “…then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?…Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:4-11). How clearer can a thing get? The apostles are reported to have spoken intelligible human language they had not learnt hitherto.
Nearly 3 decades later in Acts 10:44-46, the record has; “…for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God…” How can men hewn from these plain, unambiguous illustrations, the chattering, rambling and wrangling we see today in cathedrals, open spaces and even in shared rooms?
The charismatics and supposed tongues speakers think they rid themselves of this clear teaching by coughing up a defense in saying that the tongues they speak are “angelic tongues” (1 Corinthians 13:1). We are glad to respond to this, not argumentatively but in love.
We first ask, which angel is recorded in the Bible as ever speaking gibberish? None! When angels themselves spoke, it was always intelligible. Not even the book of Revelation records them as speaking gibberish. Surprisingly, proponents of this argument are humans and not angels. If people will see that Paul used hyperbole to heighten the necessity of love in the life of the Christian (1 Corinthians 13:1-3), the problem is solved.
Another defense appeals to 1 Corinthians 14:2, which reads; “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries”. First of all. “unknown” as used in the KJV, is a translator’s insertion and is clearly not in the original text. 1 Corinthians 14:2 in the context, simply means when a person in a congregation(Corinth in this case) speaks in a foreign tongue (foreign to the speaker), no one among the Corinthians would understand it without an interpreter and as such, what he is speaking (an intelligible but foreign dialect) is hidden from the hearers (mystery) but only God understands. Paul is not teaching tongues speaking as an ecstatic utterance or gibberish for in the same context he wrote, “There are, it may be many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without meaning“ (v10).
Charismatics, clearly see tongues speaking as a sign of being born again, a label of being a Christian. That explains why everybody is a tongues speaker or is at least encourages to speak in tongues. As fellow mortals, we do not impugn the motives of our brethren but it is without doubt that they are mistaken in their assessment of this teaching? Did you know that not all Christians had the gift of tongues speaking in the early church? Consider the evidence; “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:28-30).
Are we not forced to conclude that men today are violating divine injunctions if we do not see them practice 1 Corinthians 14:27-28? “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God”. We are in agreement with Paul; “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord“ (1 Corinthians 14:37).
Kildahl concluded several years ago, “Tongues-speaking does not look very uniquely spiritual to me after many experiences of watching people teach other people how to speak in tongues. I have observed the same routine everywhere I have been: (1) a meeting devoted to intense concentration on tongues-speaking, followed by (2) an atmosphere of heightened suggestibility to the words of the tongue-speaking leaders, after which (3) the initiate, is able to make the sounds he is instructed to make. It is the same procedure that a competent hypnotist employs. Like the hypnotist, the tongue-speaking leader succeeds with some subjects and with other does not. I have reached the conclusion that tongue-speaking is a learned phenomenon” (The Psychology of Speaking in Tongues, 1072, p.74). Unless Kildahl’s observation can be proven false, he observes rightly and we agree with his conclusions.
Friends. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 teaches the cessation of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, tongues speaking being one of them. Scripture and history attest that tongues and all other miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit ended in the first century. Heed the wise man’s saying; “Buy the truth, and do not sell it…”(Prov.23:23).
Visit the churches of Christ for further studies on God’s word.
Work Cited
John Philip Kildahl. The Psychology of Speaking in Tongues. (Reproduced.). London, Etc.: Hodder & Stoughton, 1972.
