Speaking in tongues?

Question

Hopefully people will realize I am not attacking anyone here. Just asking a question.

I have seen people say things that Pentecostals do is of the devil. Things such as speaking in tongues and slain in the spirit. I am not asking whether you think these are for today or not. Nor am I asking you to support them or disprove them Biblically. However I think most Christians would admit Pentecostals are Christians. If you agree Pentecostals are Christians and say these things are of the devil are you not being similar to the pharisees who accused Jesus of casting out evil spirit by the devil. Isn't it close to blasphemy? What do you think? It seems to me they are accusing Pentecostals in the exact same way Pharisees accused Jesus.

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mat 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Hieromedius - you will rarely hear tongues given in my church without an interpretation. The person who is supposed to interpret can refuse to do it though. Thus the interpretation is not given.

pissdownsatansback - read in 1 Corinthians where Paul gives instructions on speaking in tongues. He makes it clear that it is sometimes and unknown tongue and someone must interpret by the Holy Spirit.

Midge - Seriously? I never knew that.

Mean Gene - anyone who says you must speak in tongues to be saved has not read the Bible.

Answer 1

Catholics speak in tongues and Catholics are slain in the spirit as well.

Answer 2

While it is not ours to judge, one cannot help but have an opinion on such things.

First of all, yes, I do believe Pentecostals are Christian. That being said, I also believe they are mislead. Tongues is definitely a gift of the Holy Spirit, the Bible tells us this. But tongues also is no good unless the ones hearing it understand it. Or can interpret it.

In Acts, when the Apostles begin to speak in tongues, they are given the gift of speaking in the many native languages that were present with them. Each person was able to hear their words in their own tongue.

While they may not do it purposely, or with malcontent, I do not believe that the "tongues" spoken are of the Lord.

I hope your evening is blessed and full of the Lords joy and peace.

Answer 3

1 Corinthians 13:8 mentions the gift of tongues ceasing, although it connects the ceasing with the arrival of the "perfect" in 1 Corinthians 13:10. Some point to a difference in the language in prophecy and knowledge "ceasing" with tongues "being ceased" as evidence for tongues ceasing before the arrival of the "perfect." While possible, this is not explicitly clear from the text. Some also point to passages such as Isaiah 28:11 and Joel 2:28-29 as evidence that speaking in tongues was a sign of God's oncoming judgment. 1 Corinthians 14:22 describes tongues as a "sign to unbelievers." According to this argument, the gift of tongues was a warning to the Jews that God was going to judge Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah. Therefore, when God did in fact judge Israel (with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70), the gift of tongues would no longer serve its intended purpose. While this view is possible, the primary purpose of tongues being fulfilled does not necessarily demand its cessation. Scripture does not conclusively assert that the gift of speaking in tongues has ceased.

At the same time, if the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God's Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6-12). It would be in agreement with the command that God gave through the Apostle Paul, "If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God" (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). It would also be in submission to 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

Answer 4

I think Pentecostals are Christians but the church service just isn't for me. I don't have a problem with people speaking in tongues. The Bible says that Christians do it. But, I do have a problem with the Pentecostals (some anyway) who say that if you don't speak in tongues, then you aren't filled with the Holy Spirit and also are not saved. Speaking in tongues is just one of many spiritual gifts. Some do, some don't. I also have a problem with churches that say you should believe in Jesus AND speak in tongues or worship on a Saturday, etc.... I believe this diminishes the importance of Christ's death on the cross.

Answer 5

merely accusing them of a false doctrine in my book. nothing to do with the kenites/pharisees. those things are not of the devil, just a pathetic doctrine taught by pathetic scholars.

"Wherefore tongues are for a witness Unto NON BELIEVERS" 1 Corinthians 14:22.

in other words. NON Believers who do NOT speak the same lingo as the witness who the holy spirit is speaking through. the bible is clear what tongues are for.

Acts 2 also describes the use of tongues. it was to witness to NON Believer who did not speak the same lingo as the deciples. to say speaking in tongues is for christians to witness to each other as a "sign" is just pure idiocy and somehow an entire church has been made from idiocy and non biblical doctrine.

if speakers of "tongues" really think they speak in tongues, i suggest they go to a chinese budhist house of worship and try to speak in tongues and communicate with the non believing non english speaking budhists. they would be laughed at as complete idiots.

Answer 6

Yes, you are right. These things cannot be of the devil. It says specifically in the NT that speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift that is given to some, also the gift to interpret these tongues is given to others. Why would people say that that is of the devil?

Answer 7

1 Corinthians 12 clearly says that speaking in tongues is a Gift from The Holy Spirit. Paul says however, that if you don't have anyone to interpret the tongues, it isn't doing anybody much good. I would like to see someone interpret them.
Instead of just making a big show!

Answer 8

You might be interested to know that these phenomena,
are not limited or restricted to Pentecostals alone.
They are prevalent among Charismatic Catholics as well.
Although not publicized, they've been evident for 2000 years.
Some people (in modern times) have a negative opinion,
of anything which seems super-natural, i.e. unexplained.
And yes, to answer your question, they're modern pharisees.

Answer 9

There is great interest in the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, including speaking in tongues, divine healing, prophecy, and the ministries of Christian prophets today.

Speaking in tounges, in the Holy Spirit, is labeled “manifestations of the Spirit”, in the Pentecostal movement.

In the Bible, when the phrase “the manifestation of the Spirit” occurs it refers to the list of the GIFTS of the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Most Christians who speak in tongues believe that they are speaking in an existing language.

Some, on rare occasion, have experienced the confirmation of others who DID know that language and happened to be there as witnesses!

An Assembly in Michigan has a pastor fluent in college level Latin, who was present when an unschooled, spirit-filled "prayer warrior" praised God in better Latin than he could speak, at a church he just happened to visit.

However, it is not always similar to any known human tongue ... although noteably, it often IS a known human language, although unknown to the speaker.

Many speculate that it is a "heavenly tongue", perhaps a language spoken by angels (and God), and does not have to correspond to any human language as critics claim.

In Bible times, speaking in a tongue (glossolalia) by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was common among Christians in the first-century Church (example: in the church at Corinth), then seemed to fade out gradually in succeeding centuries.

In the very early twentieth century there came a resurgence of this biblical practice, most notably in Topeka, Kansas, and in revival meetings on Azusa Street in Los Angeles.

Subsequent movements in which speaking in tongues was a prominent feature included the Latter Rain revival, the mid-20th-century healing ministries, the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship, and the Charismatic Renewal.

In this latter movement especially, the biblical doctrine of the baptism with the Holy Spirit, with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, spread broadly into both the Roman Catholic Church and many Protestant denominations.


I have prayed for people in tounges, and they seemed to be affected by God's Holy Spirit! PG! To God the glory!!!

Without touching them at all, they've fallen to the floor, "as happy as a lark" ... or started speaking in tounges too ... or LAUGHED hillariusly ... or, more often, CRIED (a cleansing & comforting cry) completely unexpectedly. PG!

Now, in the 21st century, "speaking in tongues" (the theological term is glossolalia), languages unknown to the speaker, given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has become broadly if not universally accepted within worldwide Christianity.

I cannot guarantee that my words were not "gibberish" as critics claim, but God judges the heart, and gives us the heart's desire!

God's Holy Spirit translates our growns and gibberish, knowing our needs even better than we ourselves!!!

Answer 10

Speaking in tongues is a scam.
I am constantly amazed at how stupid people are to believe such things are from 'god'.
I've seen Benny Hinn 'speak in tongues' in his act on 3.30am TEEvee.
Fundies do the best comedy; I come here for the laughs cos I don't have cable.