Speaking In Tongues – Why It Is False!

 

Charismatic churches all practice ‘Speaking In Tongues’ or ‘glossolalia’. Dictionaries define glossolalia as “an ecstatic or apparently ecstatic utterance of unintelligible speech like sounds, viewed by some as a manifestation of deep religious experience.”

 

Whatever you call it, the Holy Bible specifically forbids it under certain circumstances. And what is worse, these charismatic churches have taken scripture from the Bible and totally defined the experience out of context! They have done this to excuse some of the absolutely ridiculous practices they exhibit during their services. But where did this ‘speaking in tongues’ come from?

 

In Acts 2:4-11, we read, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance. And there were, dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And now hear we every man in our own tongue, Wherein we were born? Parthinians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mèsopotamia, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphlia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and Proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues, the wonderful works of God.”

 

The above scripture is an account of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Disciples of Christ. Present among the disciples were men from many lands and having as many different languages. God, seeing this a great time for the Gospel to be preached to all nations, sent His Holy Spirit to fill these men and permit them to speak in the tongues of those foreigners present! The scriptural account says that each man heard the word preached in his own tongue, so that he could understand it! Certainly if these men of two thousand years ago were able to understand what was happening at that particular place and time, the intelligent humans of today should understand that episode

for what it was, instead of them speaking in gibberish and claiming that it is the work of the Holy Spirit! What unbelievable hogwash!

 

We are cautioned many times in the Bible against such silly action! 1 Corinthians 14:5-6 tells us all “I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.”

 

How many times have you heard (either on television or at a service) a charismatic supposedly speaking in tongues? When has someone offered to interpret what was being said in that tongue? NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! Why? Because they aren’t speaking in any language, except guttural sounds emitted from a confused mouth that has nothing worth saying!

 

Reading on to verse 9 we find out “So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue, words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For Ye shall speak into the air.” Evidently, the First Century church had the same problem we have today! False preachers and false Christians were putting on nothing more than a show!

 

On to verses 11-14, we read “Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh, a Barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church, wherefore, let him that speaketh in an unknown

tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” 1 Corinthians14:19.

 

“If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned [outsiders] or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?” 1 Corinthians 14:23.

 

“If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course [in turn] and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.” 1 Corinthians 14:27-28.

 

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” 1 Corinthians 14:33.

 

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40.

 

And 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

 

Let’s say you were a preacher, an Evangelist, like Billy Graham. You went to Frankfurt, Germany to hold a series of revivals throughout Europe and when you stepped to the pulpit to speak, you began speaking in German, instead of your native tongue. That would truly be a gift of the Holy Spirit had you never before studied nor learned the German language! Quite certainly those listening to your sermon would be able to interpret! But when you have a few entertainers, claiming to be men of God, uttering gibberish yet claiming that they are speaking in “tongues”, they are nothing more than showmen, defrauding their listeners.

 

Please don’t fall for such nonsense. The Apostles in the First Century church truly spoke in “tongues”, and the gift was a gift from God. Anything outside of that is a lie!