A lot of people get caught up in speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is, in fact, extremely demonic.
When one speaks in tongues, the devil can take advantage of the person. This statement is likely to incur many emotional reactions but, understand that the devil works through emotions. Doctrines which are focused on feelings are very dark, and Christians have to watch out for them.
Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 14. If one approves of speaking in tongues, they have to follow these rules.
1 Corinthians 14:4 “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.”
A Bible believer who prophecies helps the church, but a charismatic who speaks in tongues is selfish. A Christian prophesies through sharing their testimony through Jesus Christ and by preaching the Word of God. Why? Because the Word of God predicts the future, and one’s testimony shows their future to people.
If one prophesies, it edifies people. If one speaks in some unknown tongue, who does it edify?
1 Corinthians 14:5 “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.”
Note that it is more important to prophesy than to speak in tongues. Being a Bible believer is better than being a charismatic. This is because a Bible believer goes by the Bible and does everything by the Bible including visions, signs, and tongues. We insist on following the Bible and not experiences. That’s why Bible believers believe that signs and wonders are gone because where the Bible is silent, it’s silent. Where the Bible speaks, it speaks.
1 Corinthians 14:6 “Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?”
All of these things are based on the Bible.
1 Corinthians 14:7-9 “And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or hard, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?”
This makes it clear that words should be easily understood, not mysterious and secretive.
As a review so far,
- Verse 4 tells us that speaking in tongues is based on selfishness. Does this not play into knowing people by their fruits? If one’s fruit is selfishness, what does that say?
- Verse 5 tells us that being a Bible believer is better than being a charismatic.
- Verse 6 tells us that one speaking in tongues is wasting his breath. Look at the text, and this is what it is saying! Don’t let your emotion and experience take priority over the Word of God.
1 Corinthians 14:10 “There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.”
Tongues are supposed to bear meaning. Bible believers believe speaking in tongues is understandable in a knowledgeable language.
1 Corinthians 14:11 “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.”
This charismatic practice has become barbaric. This is what the text is saying.
1 Corinthians 14:13 “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there comes in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”
Don’t we see this happening when people look at charismatic revival meetings? It shames the testimony of Christianity and people start seeing Christians as mad barbarians.
1 Corinthians 14:27 “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.”
Notice that this should be done individually, or at the most with two or three persons. The text also says that if no one can interpret, then the person speaking in tongues should be quiet.
1 Corinthians 14:28 “But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.”
Authentic speaking in tongues can be interpreted. If there is no one to interpret, then that person should be quiet.
Verses 5, 13, and 27-28 say that the speaking of tongues must be interpreted. This means that it must be some audible language. It isn’t some random, inaudible sounds put together.
What proves that this is not of God in verse 33.
1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
Paul warns us that this all causes confusion. If God is not the author of confusion, who is? The devil is the author of confusion. Speaking in tongues in this way is demonic. It should be avoided at all costs.
Stop speaking and tongues and start praying and surrendering yourself to God to see some change. Something is going to be different in your spirit. Until a Christian obeys God and does what He says, he won’t understand and will be run by the emotions of the flesh.
We have to go strictly by the Bible here. What is wrong with that? We must speak out when the Bible speaks out. We must uphold truth to the utmost.
If you refuse to listen to all the arguments above, all we can do is this.
1 Corinthians 14:37-38 “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.”
These are the rules of speaking in tongues. We do not deny the existence of speaking in tongues, but we must follow God’s rules when doing it.