Christians: do you believe that tongue-speaking is a necessary sign of salvation?

Question

I know some extreme Pentecostal groups (e.g., Oneness Pentecostals) actually teach this. They say that if you don't speak in tongues, then you are not really saved. I think this is totally false. The evidence that you are saved is that you bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-24). Those Pentecostals who believe in this nonsense are heretics. They should not be considered true Christians.

Answer 1

I absolutely do NOT believe that one must speak in tongues in order to be saved. I was raised in the Baptist Church and have attended Baptist, Nazarene, Methodist, Assembly of God and Non-Denominational churches. None of these churches believed that one must speak in tongues in order to be saved.

If is by faith that we are saved - not works. Did the guy on the cross next to Jesus speak in tongues? No. He merely believed that Jesus was the Son of God and asked Jesus to remember him when He got to Heaven. Jesus replied to the man that "surely, today you will be with me in Paradise". The Assembly of God church I attended believed in speaking in tongues, but they regarded it as a spiritual gift that is free to all, but one which should be treated with respect and not abused. They strongly discouraged it from being spoken during church services or around others unless there was someone available to translate. Church services were never interrupted by someone speaking in tongues, but rather on occasion were interrupted by someone speaking in what they considered to be a revelation by God to their heart. They spoke in plain English, everyone listened, and then the service went on as usual.

I personally believe that the gift of tongues is interpreted differently by some Protestant Christians than it is by many Pentecostal Christians. Many Christians interpret this gift as merely an ability of the early disciples of Christ to speak to those from other countries in their own language. Others interpret speaking in tongues as a prayer language wherein a unique language is spoken which makes no sense to those who hear it but which can glorify God if someone is able to translate what is being said. It is regarded by many to be an added gift to enhance one's worship as well as to increase the growth in one's personal relationship with God.

This is merely something that is a difference in the way many Christians interpret Scripture, but is not the basis for salvation as a whole. Anyone claiming that one is not saved if they don't speak in tongues is speaking blasphemy, and anyone claiming that one is not as close in their walk with God if they don't speak in tongues is sadly mistaken. We each walk our own walk and have our own gifts. It is WHO we follow that causes us to be saved - not HOW we follow.

Answer 2

I don't believe tongues is necessary for salvation.I believe faith in Christ is our salvation. I was raised pentecostal and was taught to be filled with the holy spirit you had to speak in tongues. I do not believe that. The bible says to be filled with the Spirit is an endowment of power to make you a better witness for Christ. They get this belief from the day of Pentecost. But it kind of contradicts the bible because they say it is an angelic prayer language that only God understands. But the bible says that the men around the disciples understood what they were saying. I imagine God used this for them to testify to the people listening. I do believe however tongues is a gift of God that is still used today. But, I think alot of people abuse it. So many times when I was growing up someone would get saved and the preacher started telling them to start trying to receive the baptism and start saying what they heard around them. That makes people start speaking in false tongues.This is not the gift God intended.My husband wrote a book "The Unbiased Truth" that actually addresses this and other tough questions that people don't like to discuss.

Answer 3

I certainly do not want to start deciding who is and who is not a true Christian; I'll leave that up to God, who judges the heart (mind).

As to the tongues question, there are two types spoken of in Scripture:
One is simply that if you go to preach somewhere and they do not understand the language (tongue) you speak, take an interpreter. It also says not to take more than two or three interpreters to such an event, because it is very hard for people to follow all those interpreters - it just takes away from it; people hardly know when to say "amen";
Okay, now the other in the Book of Acts and describes a cloven tongue. This tongue is evidence of the Holy Spirit, HOWEVER:
The time when it is to come is not yet;
It describes as in Mark 13 when Christ says that his Elect will be delivered up before Antichrist as a witness against him, and as a testimony for Jesus Christ; we are told not to premediate what we will say, because it is not us that will speak, but the HOLY SPIRIT THAT WILL SPEAK THRU US.
This will NOT be an unknown or non-understandable speech; quite the opposite:
it will be understood by every single persons language - by all languages - at the same time, with NO INTERPRETER needed; it will be understood even right down to the dialect from the community where each person is from.

If you hear any "tongues" that is speech that is not understood by the entire congregation, all at one time, then one of two things are true:

1. the person is a liar and a fake.

2. Its Satan himself.

There is no grey area here; it will not be some gibberish that is not understood. God is NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION.
Thats Satan's role.

Answer 4

Foxtrot gave a good answer, but left out two important facts:

1. The fist instance is not one of the apostles speaking in tongues, but rather the listeners hearing them each in their own (native) language.

2. To claim one must demonstrate the ability to speak in tongues as a proof of being saved actually declares a false gospel as a result. A false gospel is any claim regarding salvation that was not stated as a part of the gospel by Christ or the apostles.

It should also be noted that speaking in tongues was nothing more than the ability to converse in a language other than one's native tongue.


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Answer 5

I agree! This whole business of speaking in tongues is a total farce. Firstly, the gift of tongues was given to enable the speaker to preach the Gospel to an unbelieving Jew in his own native language without the speaker ever having learned the language. The Holy Spirit is the one who determines who gets which gift. Paul clearly stated in his writings that "where there are tongues, they shall cease" The modern tongues movements have got the cart before the horse as they claim that speaking in tongues is a sign that they are saved. Not so says the Bible! Tongues are a sign, not to them that believe but to them that believe not. Who are the "them" ? The Bible actually points out that the "them" are the Israelites. What we see on operation today is definitely not the gift of tongues as spoken of in the Bible. it would appear that these people are uttering some ecstatic gibberish which is unknown to be any language on earth so obviously this ability is definitely not coming from the Lord accordingly I must assume it is coming from the other source. The Lord knows that Satan can have a field day with anyone who fails to study the Word of God as the Lord Himself stated that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. So guess who decides to involve himself in the act, Satan of course. He has these people convinced that they are speaking in tongues so therefore they must be saved. Tongues are of no value in this day and age and moreover Paul declared that tongues were the least of all gifts.
Interesting to note also that tongues were only to be used when there was an unbleieving Jew present and then only if there was an interpreter present. Why an interpreter? to tell the church what was being said. the unbelieving Jew understood perfectly as he was hearing the Gospel in his own language. If there was no interpreter present, tongues were not to be used. Further to this, at any one meeting there was to be no more than 3 people speak in tongues and then it was to be one at a time. But this is not what we see happening in the so-called modern tongues movement. It seems that they all get up and babble all at once however there is no unbelieving Jew present and no interpreter. Satan must be sitting back laughing at this fiasco.
Paul even warned the church concerning the use of this gift as he said what happens if one comes in amongst you (unbelieving Jew) and you are all babbling in tongues? will he not think you are all mad?
I certainly agree that watching these people is a total turn off.
We are warned in the Bible not to believe everything that appears to be a miracle as we are to try the spirits to see whether they are of God or not as the Lord knows Satan can perform all manner of "lying wonders" and because people are not so prone to in- depth Bible study, it's easy to deceive them.
I have actually encountered someone who told me that they had been in one of these tongues movements and eventually realised that all this was coming from Satan and they quit the movement and went to another church. I hope all this helps! God bless!

Answer 6

So according to their beliefs if I dont speak a language which is what tongues mean I will go to hell. You know what that really says of there beliefs, that Jesus's blood wasnt good enough. I wonder what they would say if the question came up by someone in Heaven on how they got here. Here is what I can see them saying well Jesus, and speaking in tongues.
Speaking in Tongues is a language and was used to witness to the lost. This jibber jabbering like a squirrel does nothing for anyone and is of the devil. To those who believe in tongues please start in Acts 1 and look up the meaning of tongues and why tongues was even used.

Answer 7

I do know some "pentecostals" who hold that extream position... they are incorrect of course... but that does not mean they are not saved... God has no part of any "denomination"...

All who come to God in The Way He prescribes will receive His free gift of Salvation. Those become part of The Body of The Church of which Jesus The Christ is The Head. Those are the ones of The True Christian Faith... and those can be found in most "denominations"... it is not the "denomination"... it is God who determins who is and who is not a Christian.

Answer 8

No. The bible says there are many gifts and not everybody has the same gifts.

1 Cor 12:27-31 "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues]? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. "

I also don't believe that the extreme Pentecostals interpretation of speaking in tongues is the tongues that the bible speaks of, because the bible says the disciples started speaking in tongues by speaking in the foreign languages of the surrounding countries.

Acts 2:8-11 "Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"


It also says that nobody should speak in tongues unless there is an interpreter present.

1 Cor 14:13-16 "For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?"

Answer 9

I would not be quick to label anyone a heretic.
I agree with you.
Who can say what is truly in their hearts concerning God?
I know and am convinced that even I can make a theological mistake, if I am not careful.
I give thought to those people involved in such a group. Surely, there must be some faking it, and I'm certain there must be guilt, apprehension, even fear. Surely THAT doesn't come from God!
That should be their BIG CLUE that something is WRONG.
But, will they have the guts and backbone to say what they think, and risk being ostracized, condemned, maybe judged and shunned?
We can only hope.

Answer 10

Yes to both questions. The Apostles spoke in tongues when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, so they could spread the Word on a global level. Edit: See Acts 2

Answer 11

I speak in tongues, but I consider the Apostolic doctrine that says you must speak in tongues to be saved a grave heresy.
One receives the Holy Spirit when one is born again through faith in Christ (John 20:22 - here the apostles get saved)
There is an endowment with power in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, a subsequent experience available to all believers (Acts 2:1-4)