Is The Modern Tongues Movement Biblical?

Have you ever been to a church where they spoke in tongues?  What did you think?  Some people will immediately embrace the practice as a gift from God.  They will proclaim that they know it must be real because they experienced it for themselves.  Others will quickly tell all who will listen that these tongues must be an evil deception because they found them to be confusing.  Before you gear up for a fight, let us take a collective breath and approach this from a Biblical perceptive.  You see, if you are using your personal experience as the primary source of truth, you have lost sight of the Biblical compass that should be your guide. 

There are many people, claiming the Bible as their source of faith, doctrine, and practice, who believe that the evidence of being filled with the Spirit is the speaking of a language known only to God.  There are church services where people pray for the ability to speak in this unknown mysterious language.  I have heard it happen, I have seen it happen.  There is something to this experience, and we must examine it from Scripture.

            To assume that one's experience serves as a test of truth is a dangerous assumption.  Today we will examine the characteristics of Biblical tongues and compare them with modern practices.  Then we can answer the question, "Is the modern tongues movement biblical?"

1.               The term for "tongues" means a known language.

Acts 2:5-11 - 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome,  Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

The context of the passage shows that there were people who did not know the language spoken by the Apostles.  The original tongues miracle then was not a mystery language, only known to God.  It was a miracle that enabled soul winners in the Church of Jerusalem to cross language barriers.

2.               Tongues were very rare.  We only have three specific occurrences in the Bible.

Acts 2:4 - And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 10:44-46 - 44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

Acts 19:6 - And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

If you examine the context of each of these events, there were unbelievers who were hindered by language barriers.  They needed to hear the Gospel in their own language, therefore God granted this great miracle.

3.               Tongues are a sign to unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 14:22 - Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Once again, in this passage written by the Apostle Paul to the Church at Corinth, the clarification has been made that tongues should not be done in church unless for some reason you have unsaved people in church who do not speak the language of the church.  Even then, it is not for the believers, but for the lost.

4.               Tongues do not edify the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 14:23-26 - 23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. 26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

This rebuke penned by Paul shows that the folks in Corinth were much more interested in getting credit for having some sort of gift than actually accomplishing something for the church.  We must remember too that Prophecy was still going on because the Bible had not yet been completed.

5.               Tongues must be controlled and done in order.

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. 

When I was a teen, I had the chance to go to many different tongues speaking churches.  I can tell you that what I witnessed was a cacophony of simultaneous sound, everyone trying to be louder than the other.  There was no order in that kind of modern tongues.

6.               Tongues must be interpreted.

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.

So think of it this way.  One person claimed to have a gift of speaking in German.  There were no Germans in the audience.  There is no reason to speak German in church unless someone could interpret that German.  If he speaks German to himself, God will understand it, because God of course, speaks German.  Remember, there is no evidence of this being a secret prayer language.

7.               No one should lose control of their bodies.

1 Corinthians 14:32 - And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

So the idea of people going into convultions or passing out has nothing to do with the Bible concept of tongues of being filled with the Spirit.

8.               There should be no confusion or chaos in church.

1 Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 

9.               Under no circumstances should women speak in tongues in church.

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 - 34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

1 Timothy 2:9-12 - 9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Wow!  In the middle of this detailed rebuke dealing with the misuse of tongues in church, Paul tells the women to be silent.  The context then shows that if women speak in tongues in church, it is automatically not Bible tongues!

10.            Truly spiritual people will submit to these standards.

1 Corinthians 14:36-38 - 36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37 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. 38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

11.            God will never replace order with chaos.

1 Corinthians 14:40 - Let all things be done decently and in order.

Conclusion:

            There are many evangelicals who are being misled by an improper understanding of Biblical tongues.  The Southern Baptist Church is divided on the issue of whether or not there is such a thing as a mystical prayer language and whether or not it should be spoken in church.  More and more television evangelists focus on emotion and tongues as a sign of one’s true spirituality. We must not only know what we believe, but why. 

            There are many born again, spirit filled Christians who have not come to this same conclusion.  One stumbling block is that they have had an experience of speaking in tongues.  Once again, let me caution you.  Never run the Bible through your experience in order to understand the Bible.  Run your experience through the Bible in order to understand your experience.

            Why is the devil interested in causing so many Bible believing Christians to misunderstand this issue?  When people are using the speaking of tongues as their measure of spirituality, then the emphasis is not placed on winning the lost or on clean living.  May God be with you all as you answer the question, “Is the modern tongues movement Biblical?”   No, it is not.