The DeGRAFF FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH 

 State Route 235/ 100 East Miami Street

DeGraff, Ohio   43318 

Phone:  (937) 585-4463  

James R. Roby, Pastor

 

"What About Speaking In

Tongues?"

by Pastor James Roby

The topic of speaking in tongues is one of those ‘lightening rod’ issues that is always sure to stir great controversy wherever it is discussed. The charismatic movement makes some great claims about this "gift." The question is, "Do their claims match what they Bible says?" Let’s look and see...

1) The charismatics say that tongues is the initial sign to the believer that he has been filled with the Holy Spirit. Notice that wording carefully. According to them, when you are filled with the Spirit, God will give you the sign of speaking in tongues so that you can know for sure. What does the Bible say about this? "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not" (1 Corinthians 14:22). Look at this! The Bible is saying exactly the OPPOSITE of what the charismatics are teaching! They are saying that tongues are a sign to the believer, while the Bible is saying that tongues are a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not! A good example of how tongues were a sign to unbelievers is found in Acts 2. Many Jewish unbelievers from all over the world had gathered, and on the day of Pentecost, God gave a supernatural sign...they heard the unlearned Galilean Christians speaking in languages they had never learned! This obvious miracle was such an effective sign that three thousand people repented of their sins and got saved! Tongues were a sign to UNBELIEVERS... not BELIEVERS, as the modern charismatic erroneously teaches.

2) The charismatic teaches that every believer should speak in tongues. In fact, it seems to be their primary mission to get every- body to speak in tongues! Again, the Bible says the exact opposite: "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" (1 Corinthians 12:29-30). The obvious answer to every one of these questions is "NO!" When

the Bible asks, "do all speak with tongues?" the answer is an emphatic NO. If the Bible is true (and we know that it is!), then there has to be millions of charismatics running around talking nothing but gibberish because someone has convinced them that they must have the gift of "tongues." The Bible condemns this... "avoid profane and vain babblings." (1 Timothy 6:20

). "But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness." (2 Timothy 2:16). The vain (empty, non- productive) babblings of many who think they are speaking in tongues is a sad but true occurrence! Read this very carefully: "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain." (Proverbs 25:14).

3.) Witches and Satanists speak in tongues. Now, don’t get me wrong with this statement. I am certainly not saying that everyone who claims to speak in tongues is a witch or a Satanist! What I did discover, however, several years ago, was that the same doctrine being espoused by the charismatic movement was being taught in witchcraft and Satanism. I was totally unaware of this until I began doing research on the occult for a series that I was teaching at the church. I had gone to several libraries, perused scores of occult books, and found that the subject of speaking in tongues was quite popular among witches and Satan worshippers. As I read their explanations of tongues, I was shocked to find that they were teaching PRECISELY what the charismatics were teaching on this subject! While charismatic tongues did not match what the Bible said, their teaching was identical to the satanic counterfeit being espoused by those in the occult! That should cause great concern to those who are involved in the tongues movement today! "Be not deceived; God is not mocked" (Galations 6:7). The only way to keep from being deceived is to compare what you are being taught with what the Bible says. "...they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11). We must be led by the Bible, not by feelings, impressions, or emotions.

4). The charismatic says that tongues is a ‘private prayer language’ to be used just between him and God. There is no hint of this anywhere in the Bible! Think of that...no statement made that even remotely supports this popular idea. In fact, once again the Bible says the exact opposite! While the charismatic is taught that through private tongues speaking he "edifies himself," the Bible teaches that all spiritual gifts are to edify the church! "Even so, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church." (1 Corinthians 14:12). Using a gift to edify self is wrong! We should never try to build ourselves up. Instead, we are called to use spiritual gifts to edify our brothers and sisters in Christ! That is why the Apostle Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that speaketh prophesieth (speaks in a tongue known to those present!) edifieth the church." (1 Corinthians 14:2-4). All of this was stated to prove the superiority of speaking so that men could under- stand and be edified. "...desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." (1 Corinthians 14:1). The idea in all of the statements about speaking to yourself and God, edifying self, etc. is that this is an improper use the spiritual gifts. They are not for personal gain...but for the blessing and edification of the whole church body. There is selfishness in the charismatic idea of a ‘private prayer language.’ This was not the purpose of tongues...EVER!

Over and over again, as you compare what the charismatic teaches with what the Bible says... it becomes obvious that CHARISMATIC TONGUES are not the same thing as TONGUES IN THE BIBLE! We should beware of that which is counterfeit.