Many churches are teaching the need to speak in tongues as evidence of the Holy Spirit. This teaching is not biblical.
Holy Spirit in us when we believe
When we believe in Jesus for our salvation and repent of our sins, we have the Holy Spirit living in us regardless of whether we speak in tongues or not.
The Bible clearly tells us that we receive the Holy Spirit when we believe, not depending on any evidence of speaking in tongues:
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Furthermore, the Bible says that not every Christian who has the Holy Spirit would speak in tongues:
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of 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? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:27-31)
So where does the teaching of needing to speak in tongues come from?
The gift of languages
Many people point to what happened in Acts 2 as evidence for needing to speak in tongues. However, this was the gift of languages.
The disciples preached the gospel in different languages in order for people from many nations to believe.
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs —- we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.'” (Acts 2:4-11)
So Acts 2 tells us that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, enabling them to receive the gift of other tongues or other languages. These languages enabled Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Judeans, Cappadocians, Asians, Egyptians, Libyans, and many other people groups to understand what was spoken. This was very useful to early Christians who were mostly Jewish believers from Galilee.
God had confused the language of men at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) thousands of years earlier. But when the Holy Spirit came to the early Christians, God gave the gift of languages so that the early disciples could start making disciples of all nations.
Today, however, we have many native speakers and translators who are Christians in their own countries. We do not need the gift of languages as much as we did 2000 years ago.
Different kinds of tongues
When the apostle Paul wrote letters to the Corinthian church, he spoke about different kinds of tongues.
In fact, he distinguishes between the languages of men and the languages of angels: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).
So there are two kinds of tongues. One is the tongues of humans. The other is the tongue of God and angels (or tongue of the Spirit).
The Bible says regarding the tongue of the Holy Spirit: “For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.” (1 Corinthians 14:2).
Every language has meaning. God and angels speak a different language than we do. When a man learns the language that God and angels speak, he learns to talk to God in a way that speak mysteries.
However, the Bible tells us we need to be careful and not misuse this gift.
How the tongue of the Spirit can be misused
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
God gives the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the common good so that believers can be strengthened and non-believers will believe.
But if we use any gift in the wrong way, it will turn people away from God.
The apostle Paul tells us we should refrain from speaking in the tongue of the Spirit in church unless there are interpreters, because no one understands.
“…however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.” (1 Corinthians 14:19)
The main intent of spiritual gifts is to help other people and edify the church. Speaking in the tongue of the Spirit is not encouraged in church, because it does not edify the church, unless there is an interpreter.
“If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28)
So churches that encourage tongue-speaking en masse is not doing so according to God’s word.
In fact, Paul says: “Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?” (1 Corinthians 14:23).
The entire church assembling together to speak in tongues creates a kind of unintelligible chaos that causes outsiders to not want to be in church. But the Bible emphasizes doing everything in an orderly manner (1 Corinthians 14:40), and if there is no interpreter, the tongue speaker should keep silent (1 Corinthians 14:28).
Bad tongues of nonsense words
In some churches, people speak in one or two syllables of non-sensical words repeatedly. Or they cobble syllables from different words together and call it a tongue. But every language has many unique syllables and language rules. These false tongues are non-sensical babbling that dishonor God.
People try to speak this way because they have been told that if they don’t speak in a tongue, they don’t have the Holy Spirit!
But clearly we see from the Bible that the Holy Spirit is given to us regardless of whether we speak in tongues (Ephesians 1:13-14). Furthermore, tongues are the least of the gifts of the Spirit, because it is placed last in this list:
“And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:28)
We should “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31) instead of focusing on tongues.
Evil tongues
We need to be careful. There are good tongues, and there are evil and deceiving tongues (e.g. those spoken by demons).
Because there are tongues of angels which are mysterious languages, it is important to understand what is being said. What if instead of praising God or speaking Godly mysteries, we end up cursing God in a tongue we don’t understand?
Unfortunately, some people do this knowingly or unknowingly. They speak blasphemies in a demonic tongue and open the door for more demonic activities.
If we blindly seek for a sign, which is what many so-called “Spirit-led” churches promote, we open ourselves up to the work of evil spirits.
Jesus said, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign” (Matthew 12:39).
Churches that seek spiritual signs, such as “evidence of the Holy Spirit through speaking in tongues”, are falling into sin. If people want to see a sign at any cost, they open themselves up to the work of spiritual enemies.
It is known that evil spirits disguise themselves as angels of light to deceive people (2 Corinthians 11:14 and 1 Timothy 4:1).
Jesus warned us to be careful:
“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24)
We should not gather in church to seek for a sign. We should gather together to worship God, listen to His word, and do His will.
Conclusion
God understands and knows us no matter what language we speak. We do not need to communicate to God in a special tongue.
We need to go back to what’s important. What comes after we believe is not to immediately focus on speaking in tongues or working great miracles. What’s more important is to obey God in everything we do. This is common to all Christians. If we learn to obey God, then we would see God’s wonderful works in our lives.
Jesus says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21).
If we want to know and experience God more, we need to obey God, being a doer of His word instead of merely a hearer (James 1:22). We need to go back to God’s word and practice it in our lives daily.
Brothers and sisters, stay away from false teachings.
Read 1 Corinthians 12-14 in the Bible.
See other false teachings Christians should avoid.