Speaking in Tongues

By Sidharth Mohandas

Introduction

When I was baptized in the Spirit, I spoke in an unknown tongue that I had never learned before. My purpose of writing this article is to share with you the various functions of speaking in tongues.

As I have experienced this, I am writing this article so as to share with you the genuineness of speaking in tongues and to expose the counterfeit speaking in tongues that is seen in many churches today. And this I do by using Bible as my only manual.

As I related before when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit it was as though a river gushed out of my belly with no other way to come out but my mouth and I spoke in a language I had never learned before. The Lord told me that every manifestation I came across in my life, I was to test it with His Word and see if it agrees hundred percent with His Word, if it didn't I was to discard it. He told me His Word would be my safety. Was what I experienced biblical? Does the bible speak about such an experience? The answer to this is a definite "yes".

Speaking In Tongues As An Evidence

We see this being experienced by believers ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven. Jesus commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until and unless they received the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. The disciples had been waiting together for ten days in Jerusalem, praying. The disciples were determined to stay in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Ghost. On the tenth day, which is on the day of Pentecost, about 120 believers were in one place and suddenly there was a sound of a violent wind that filled the whole house, and then these believers saw what seemed to be tongues of fire come and rest on each of them. Then the bible goes onto say, "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."(Acts 2:4). The disciples received the Holy Spirit and they spoke in languages they had never learned before. I wonder what many churches today would consider this as, if this were to happen today. They would have pushed it off as emotionalism and fanaticism for sure. These believers were ready for anything and everything God had for them. They didn't care how they looked or what others would think about them, for they were consumed with the desire to receive that which Jesus commanded them to receive. I don't know how many backed away, but the bible tells us that about 120 heeded to this command of Jesus and they were blessed. The unbelieving Jews were amazed and perplexed, and some even thought that this group was drunk with too much wine!

After about 8 years, we see Cornellius and his household receive the same experience when they received the Holy Spirit. Peter was preaching to this Gentile family, and while Peter was still preaching, the Holy Spirit came upon all who heard the message. How did Peter and the others know that they were filled with the Holy Spirit? The bible says, the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles, FOR they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.(Act 10: 45-46).

About 15 years later, we see a group of 12 men receive the Holy Spirit and as they were filled with the Holy Spirit they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. When Paul placed his hand on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.(Act 19:6) You may ask, But did they not also prophesy? Yes, but speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the Spirit baptism, though not the only evidence. To make this statement clear I wish to show you some biblical principles.

Some Biblical Principles

The first principle, I take from the verse "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34) When the heart of a man is filled to overflowing, it overflows through speech through the mouth. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit fills a person�s heart to overflowing, the overflow takes place in speech through the mouth. As the infilling is supernatural, the overflowing is supernatural as well. The person will speak in a language he or she has never learned and does not understand.

The second principle, I take from the verse which is found in Romans 12:1, "Therefore brethren, I beseech you by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and it will be acceptable in the sight of God.� God's requirement here is for us to present our physical members to Him. What for? Romans 6:13 gives us the answer to this: for presenting our bodies as "instruments of righteousness". However, there is one member in the body that the bible says "no man can tame", and is said to be �a world of evil among the members of the body�. This member is the tongue.

Now, you must realize that whenever a sacrifice is presented to God, God puts out His fire upon it approving of the sacrifice. So, as we bring our bodies as living sacrifice to Him, He will put out His fire, His Spirit upon us. This is exactly what happens in the Holy Spirit baptism. As the person yields to God and presents himself to be used by God, God will pour out His Spirit and as the Holy Spirit makes His abode in that person, He speaks through the person, symbolizing the tongue has been tamed, and that now God's on the driver�s seat. The tongue is the only member in our body that the bible says directs our life as a rudder directs the course of a ship. When receiving the Spirit baptism, this is what happens, we yield the rudder over to God so that He can direct our lives, and the takeover is made evident through supernatural utterances.

Speaking In Tongues As A Gift

We read about the Gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. The Corinthian church was misusing the Gift of tongues, as they were speaking in tongues loudly in public services without the operation of the sister-gift, the Gift of interpretation. Like many churches today, these people were "tongue-possessed". Paul was in no way speaking against the usage of tongues, but he said it was all to be used to edify the Church, and that the order in the Church was not to be disturbed.

Speaking in other tongues is useful for both private devotion and public ministry. In private devotion, tongues can be used for prayer, praise and worship. While for public ministry, tongues must be accompanied by the Gift of interpretation so that all may benefit from what is said.

Tongues In Prayer, Praise And Worship

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:2, "He who speaks in an unknown tongue, does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no man understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit."
In personal devotion, tongues can be used for prayer. Paul says here that one who speaks in an unknown tongue speaks to God. Then Paul goes onto to say, "He who speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself..."(verse 4). The Greek word used for "edify" here means "to build up". How does praying in an unknown tongue build the person up, if the person does not understand what he's saying? We find the answer to this in Romans 8:26 where it says, "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches the hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance to the will of God". When we confront with situations and circumstances in our life where we don't know what to pray for, the bible tells us, the Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Many a times when I reach a place when I don't know what to pray for, I cease to pray in words I know and pray in an unknown tongue. The Spirit in this way makes intercession for us in accordance to the will of God. This is a place where our spirit blends with the Spirit of God, and out flows from our mouth divine utterances. These utterances are prayers raised to God by the Spirit so that we stand in the complete will of God in the situation we are facing. That's why it builds us up!

Paul says the following in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15,"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also". What does it mean to pray in the spirit? Let the bible speak for itself! Paul says, if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays. Paul makes the difference between praying in a known language and praying in an unknown tongue. Yes of course, both kinds of prayers must be inspired by the Spirit, but in case of praying in tongues the mind has no play, as only the spirit is involved in prayer. The spirit intertwines with the Spirit of God, and prays to God without going through the realm of the mind. But in case of praying with the understanding, the mind is involved.

Paul instructs believers to pray in the spirit in various places:

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit....for all saints"(Ephesians 6:18a). It is impossible for a believer to pray with understanding for all saints. We don't know all the saints in the world first of all, and needless to say we don�t know their various needs. But God made praying for all saints possible through this gift. We can pray in the spirit for people we have never known, we have never seen and we have never heard of. The Holy Spirit knows every saint on the face of this earth and He knows their various needs. As He prays through us, He not only intercedes for us, but also intercedes for other saints.

The next place where Paul instructs believers to pray in the spirit is found in Jude 20, building your self up in the most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Praying in the spirit and praying in the Holy Spirit are the same as the Spirit prays through our spirit. As the Spirit prays through us, He builds us up in the most holy faith. Do you see that this is exactly what Paul said when he spoke about the praying in an unknown tongue in 1 Corinthians 14:4?

Tongues can also be used in praise and worship. Paul says, "I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing the understanding also."(1 Corinthians 14: 15b). Paul then says, "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?". Paul here is not discouraging believers from praising in tongues, but he was instructing them to use this gift wisely. If some of us agree together in prayer and if one person raises his voice and starts praying in tongues, how can the others agree with him and say "Amen"? Paul here was not speaking against use of tongues in praise and worship. In fact Paul said, "I thank God that speak in tongues more than ye all"(1 Corinthians 14:18). Paul prayed in tongues, he praised God and worshipped Him in tongues. But here Paul is speaking about a public set up, where believers come together in agreement. Even in public set up, it's permissible to praise and worship God in tongues but it must be done without disturbing the person beside you. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14: 19, but in church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than a ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Even though Paul spoke in tongues a lot during his private devotion, he says he would rather speak five words in the tongue known to all, that an unknown tongue.

From scripture I have come to the conclusion that at the time of the Spirit baptism, the Holy Spirit inaugurates the baptism with what He was sent to do: to glorify Jesus. As Jesus spoke of the coming or entry of the Holy Spirit, He spoke two very important tasks the Holy Spirit would do: He would testify or speak (John 14: 26), and He would glorify Jesus (John 16: 14). We find this is exactly what took place each time people got filled with Him. The Spirit testified through them the wonderful works of Jesus and in turn glorified Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, the bible tells us, the disciples spoke in tongues declaring the wonderful works of God (Act 2:11b). At Cornellius' house, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues and glorified God (Act 10: 46).

Many a times when I am praising God in a known tongue, a place reaches where words can no more contain the praises that burst within my soul. At this point, I often start praising Him in an unknown tongue.

Tongues In Ministry

The gift of tongues in the church edifies those assembled together only when there is an interpretation of the tongues. Paul instructs believers who had the gift of tongues to pray for the gift of interpretation for this very reason. The main purpose of all the gifts is to profit withal (1 Corinthians 12:7). Often in assemblies one person speaks in an unknown tongue and then another person gives the interpretation of the message given in the unknown tongue. Or in other cases, one person speaks in an unknown tongue and the same person gives the interpretation of tongues. Both these gifts are meant to operate together in order to edify other believers.
The ministry of tongues and interpretation has the some what the same effect as the gift of prophecy.

Paul gives some instructions of how to use the Gift of tongues and interpretation in 1 Corinthians 14. He says, �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 (one who speaks in tongues) should keep quiet and speak to himself and God.�(1 Corinthians 14: 27-28) Paul instructs believers who had the Gift of tongues that two or three could speak in tongues, but one by one, not all together. He also says that someone should interpret. Now notice, Paul is speaking about the ministry of tongues, not devotional tongues. When no one in the assembly has the Gift of interpretation of tongues, the one who has the Gift of tongues must speak in tongues to himself and God. Paul is permitting devotional tongues here in the Church. But he does not permit the public use of tongues without interpretation. I have been to countless Pentecostal assemblies, where everyone starts operating in only the Gift of tongues, and there would be no interpretation. This is exactly what Paul was speaking against. If an unbeliever or an unlearned came in, he would think these people were mad, and they would go out feeling out of place and disgusted. We must use the gifts wisely in the Spirit and not foolishly in our flesh.

Counterfeit Tongues

Just as satan counterfeits all the other gifts of God, he also counterfeits the gift of tongues. I come from a Hindu background and I know people who really have supernatural abilities. There are people who can tell you things about you without any previous knowledge of you, which is somewhat a counterfeit of the Gift of knowledge. There are astrologers and seers who can predict your future to a certain extent, which is the counterfeit of the Gift of prophecy. There are people who can perform miracles, which is a counterfeit of the Gifts of miracles. But this may amaze you: many years back I read about a witch doctor who spoke in tongues! Take this statement deep within you: Everything supernatural is not God. We are living in a time of great deception, where satan is counterfeiting the works of God. There is one category who gets deceived and falls aside and there's another category that goes to the other extent of denying even the genuine gifts. Remember, dear friends, there has to be real money for there to be counterfeit. Will you stop using real money, just because there is counterfeit money? We can't bother about the counterfeiters; we must go ahead and bless others with the real things of God.

I read couple of years back in a book by a famous evangelist, that we were to tap into praying in tongues by using our own will. Remember, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a baptism of yielding to the Spirit of God. You yield your will to the Holy Ghost and out comes from your spirit words you had never learned before. This happens as He wills, not as the person wills. Bible-speaking in tongues must be only as the Spirit gives utterance. There are preachers today who say, "Speak in tongues as I do, and you will receive the Holy Ghost. Repeat what I am saying!� Did the disciples imitate someone else speaking in tongues? Do you read of such things in the bible?

Another group goes onto say that we can receive the Spirit and speak in tongues by way of yoga. They say "Jesus breathed over the disciples and asked them to receive the Holy Spirit. And so we can receive the Spirit by breathing in.� Jesus did breathe over the disciples to make them new creatures in Him, but He never commanded them to breathe in the Holy Spirit. Instead He commanded them to tarry in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit in Person.

There is another group that lays hands on people and asks them, �Do you hear something in your mind? Just speak it out!� And the devil works with them to bring some unintelligible words. However, the bible says speaking in tongues does not operate through the mind, but through the spirit. The apostles did lay hands on the newly converted believers to receive the Holy Spirit, but they never asked them to speak out something that came to their minds. When I received the Holy Spirit, the utterance came from Him; I didn't do any of the speaking. He used my vocal cords and my tongue and He spoke through me.

I often hear people say this, "I couldn't control myself as I spoke in tongues.� This is however not true. The Holy Spirit speaks through an individual only as the individual yields to Him, and even then his spirit is subject to himself. It is a glorious blend of man's spirit and God's Spirit. It's beautiful to be at this place of perfect blend.

Lately a man of God related that as he prayed for a woman she started "speaking in tongues". The Lord revealed to this man that an evil spirit was behind it and he immediately cast out the evil spirit in the name of Jesus.

One time Smith Wigglesworth, the Apostle of faith, was in a meeting and a lady stood up and started speaking in tongues loudly. Mr. Wigglesworth said, Save your strength and sit down, lady. That is not of God! We must come to this place where we will know who is speaking: whether its God's Spirit, the evil spirit or the human spirit. How important to have the Gift of discernment of spirits!

Tongues Have Ceased! *

The doctrine "Tongues have ceased� is a doctrine that is robbing many of the greatness of God that is offered through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They take this doctrine from 1 Corinthians 13:8 "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they shall cease; where there is knowledge, it shall vanish." Those people who believe this doctrine interpret this Scripture somewhat like this: "The gifts are no longer valid as God used it through the early disciples to confirm His Word. Now that we have the whole Word, we don't need the gifts anymore. The perfect has come and the imperfect has been done away".

Wow! I'll have to eliminate a lot of Scriptures in the New Testament if this were true! For those who believe this junk, I've got news for them: Paul said the spiritual gifts were meant to operate till Jesus comes the second time. "Therefore, you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed"(1 Corinthians 1: 7)

Then why does Paul say tongues would cease here? First of all we must realize that the whole chapter is dealing with divine love. With this in mind let�s read verse 10, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. Can you think of a place which is perfect in love? There�s only one place I know of and that�s heaven. The earth we live in is imperfect in love. But when Jesus, the perfect One comes for His Bride, He will rapture her to that place perfect in love.

Paul speaking about the Gift of knowledge and Gift of prophecy says, for we know in part and prophesy in part (verse 9). The Gift of knowledge does not give all knowledge, but it offers only knowledge of a certain situation. However in heaven, we shall know fully, even as we are fully known. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (verse 11). In heaven we will have full knowledge of all things; we won�t need the Gift of knowledge. The same goes for the Gift of prophecy, we won�t need it heaven. It is meant to operate on earth.

All the nine gifts are for today, they have not ceased and will not cease until Jesus comes to take His true Bride.

* Did Tongues Die With The Early Apostles?

Many people believe that tongues ceased when the early apostles died, but this is not true. Many writings of the early church fathers are available to us today, sharing about the gifts of the Spirit in their ministries and in the churches. Tertullian, Hilary, Cyril, Basil, Gregory, Nazianzus, John of Apamea, Joseph Hazzaya and others down through the centuries. St. Augustine , the great Catholic bishop from 396-430 A.D., near the end of his life, wrote in his famous work The City of God, "We shall do what the apostles did when they laid hands on the Samaritians and called down the Holy Spirit on them by the laying on of hands. It is expected that new converts speak with new tongues."

Tertullin(155-230 A.D) believed that believers did not receive the Person of Holy Spirit at the time of being born again, but he believed that the born-again experience prepared one to receive the Holy Spirit.

The eleventh edition of Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 27, pages 9,10 states that speaking in tongues recurs in Christian revivals of every age. It names many groups from the different ages.

In 1906 we had the Azusa Street, California revival that spread worldwide. From this revival, many Pentecostal denominations were formed. Then in the 1970's and the 1980's the Charismatic renewal broke out in all major denominational churches.
David Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia gives an estimate of 523,700,000 as the Pentecostal / Charismatic Christian World population (Second Edition, Oxford, 2000).

Final Exhortation

The Gift of tongues is a priceless gift, if used rightly. Do not back away if you have had some bad experiences with people who misused tongues. I have spoken to many Christians who have stood against Speaking in tongues, because they had been exposed to Churches that misused this gift. I know cases where people who once believed Speaking in tongues was not for today, spoke in tongues as they received the Holy Spirit, and even started operating in the Gift of tongues.

I know there are many books written against speaking in tongues, but I want to know only what �the book,The BIBLE� has to say about it. And I have shared with you what �the Bible� says about Speaking in other tongues. Now it�s up to you to analyze it and see if all that I said is Bible or not.

As I conclude this Faith Article, I wish to say with Paul: Forbid not speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:39b)