SPEAKING IN TONGUES: 21st CENTURY GIBBERISH? WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - Stanley O. Emejulu, Esq.

"...Having brandished these threats they then go on to add incomprehensible, incoherent, and utterly obscure utterances, the meaning of which no intelligent person could discover: for they are meaningless and nonsensical, and give a chance for any fool or sorcerer to take the words in whatever sense he likes."
- Celsus, Greek philosopher.

DOES CELSUS' OPINION CAPTURED ABOVE REFLECT TRULY THE CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES?

Find out!

EXACTLY WHY DID I SET PEN TO PAPER ON THIS TOPIC?
Well, precisely because many a Christian relishes the religious braggadocio accompanying speaking in tongues, and in most cases, brazenly invent their own "tongues"!


Glossolalia (speaking in tongues) according to linguists, is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables that lack any readily comprehensible meaning, in some cases as part of religious practice in which it is believed to be a divine language unknown to the speaker.
The term derives from glōssais lalō, a Greek phrase used in the New Testament meaning "speak in, with, or by tongues.
Glossolalia consists of strings of syllables, made up of sounds taken from all those that the speaker knows, put together more or less haphazardly but emerging nevertheless as word-like and sentence-like units because of realistic, language-like rhythm and melody.
Felicitas Goodman, a psychological anthropologist and linguist, also found that the speech of glossolalists reflected the patterns of speech of the speaker's native language.

The phenomenon of tongues (or glossolalia) is identified by many as the supernatural utterance of foreign human languages.
Others contend that it includes speaking an angelic language or some other verbal expression requiring interpretation.
For many years, speaking in tongues was seen as the distinguishing characteristic of the Pentecostal and charismatic traditions within the church. Some Pentecostal Christians, in particular, laid heavy emphasis on speaking in tongues as "initial evidence" of baptism in the Spirit.

Speaking in tongues occurred in ancient Greek religion. It is also mentioned in the The Act of the Apostles in the New Testament, which says that it first occurred among followers of Jesus at Pentecost.
Xenoglossyis often mistakenly used to refer to tongue-speakers. However, xenoglossy is a paranormalphenomenon in which a person is able to speak a language that he or she has never heard, read, or been exposed to in any way.

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*HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS SPEAK IN TONGUES?

1 Corinthians 14:27-28 answers thus:
"If any man speak (That is, be moved to speak) in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or, at the most, three (Let not above two or three speak at one meeting) and that by course (That is, one after another) and let one interpret (What is said, into the vulgar tongue. It seems, the gift of tongues was an instantaneous knowledge of a tongue, till then unknown, which he that received it could afterward speak when he thought fit, without any new miracle). But if there be no interpreter present, let him (The person speaking in a foreign language) be silent in the church (Where he can do no manner of service by uttering what none but himself can understand) and let him speak in that tongue to himself and to God (Make use of his gift in his own private devotions, if he find it profitable so to do)".
From the foregoing scripture, if no interpreter were present, the person who spoke in a foreign language must be silent.
Now even if the inspired person were able to interpret the foreign language in which a revelation was given to him, he was not permitted to do it because, to have delivered the revelation first in the foreign language, and then in a known tongue, would have been an ostentation of inspiration, of which the church would not approve; not to mention that it would have wasted much time to no purpose. Whereas, when one spake a revelation in a foreign language, and another interpreted what he spake, the church was edified, not only by the things spoken, thus made known to them, but also by having an undoubted proof of the inspiration of the person who spake, given them in the inspired interpretation of what he spake.

CONCLUSION:
It is therefore without a doubt unscriptural, for anyone to "speak in tongues" publicly when no one is there to interpret.
Those who have the gift of speaking in tongues were not all to speak together, and so cause confusion; only two, or at the most three, were to speak in each assembly, and each of such group was to speak in turn, one at a time. There was to be with each group one who had the gift of interpretation, and he was to interpret to the listeners.
Remember, in 1 Corinthians 14:23, Paul warned:
"
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 you are mad"?
To avoid this confusion in a Christian gathering, it is advised therefore, that speaking in tongues be done in orderly manner.
In 1 Corinthians 14:2 Paul said:
"
For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men, but to God: for no man understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries".

Here, Paul reprehends the perverse judgment of the Corinthians concerning the gift of tongues.
For why was it given?
So that the mysteries of God might be the better known to a greater number!
By this it is evident that prophecy, which the gift of tongues ought to serve, is better than this: and therefore the Corinthians judged incorrectly, in that they made more account of the gift of tongues than of prophesying: because no doubt the gift of tongues was a thing more to be bragged of.
And hereupon followed another abuse of the gift of tongues, in that the Corinthians used tongues in the congregation without an interpreter. And although this thing might be done to some profit of him that spoke them, yet he corrupted the right use of that gift because there came by it no profit to the hearers. And common assemblies were instituted and appointed not for any private man's commodity, but for the profit of the whole company.

* SO ARE THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SPOKEN IN TONGUES WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Mark 16:17-18 explains it.
"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Here, it is not meant that a believer must speak in tongues.
Such evidence (signs) were necessary in the first dawn of Christianity, to attract attention to the doctrine; but our Lord's words do not mean that they were to be in perpetuity, as a continually recurring evidence of the truth of Christianity.
These signs were necessary in the beginning of Christianity. In order that faith might take root and increase, it must be nourished by miracle; for so even we, when we plant shrubs, only water them until we see that they are taking root, and when we see that they have rooted themselves, we cease to water them. And this is what St. Paul means where he says 'Tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to the unbelieving.'

Only those who have the Holy Spirit can truly speak in tongues. To be a Christian is to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11), whether one speaks in tongues or not.
Indeed, many believers in Christ, including those from Pentecostal and charismatic traditions, have never spoken in tongues.

For many believers, speaking in tongues continues to be an evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence.
There are, however, many other pieces of evidence of the Spirit's activity:
the other gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) and, most important, the expression of the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).
The church in our time needs a healthy balance of all these pieces evidence.

*SHOULDN'T TONGUES BE UNDERSTOOD?


It is no use to speak in tongues when there is no one around with the gift of interpretation of tongues.
The first to speak in tongues were the disciples. This occurred on the day of Pentecost. People often think that on this day the disciples were speaking human languages, because the people could understand what they were saying.

I don't believe this is true because there was a two-fold miracle taking place on this day: the miracle of speaking and hearing: The first miracle was the speaking in tongues. The second miracle was the enabling of some to understand the tongues (here there was no need of an interpreter, as the spirit interpreted. It was a miracle in deed).
Not everyone understood the tongues, because some onlookers made fun of the disciples and accused them of being drunk (Acts 2:13); this clearly shows that they did not understand the tongues.

And the ones who did understand the tongues were perplex because each one heard only their own native language not the languages of the other people (v. 6). The Bible tells us that there were over fourteen foreigners representing many nations, speaking different languages. Yet each person heard the disciples praising God in their own language. They exclaimed, "How is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?" (v. They could not figure out how this was possible.

*IS SPEAKING IN TONGUES ASSOCIATED WITH BEING POSSESSED BY GOD AND LOSING PHYSICAL CONTROL OF OUR BODIES?

In church services sometimes, people suddenly start babbling sounds and flopping about on the floor. This embarrassing scene happens all too often in certain churches that believe they are possessed by the spirit of God and give over their physical bodies to roll around and do all sorts of contorted movements.

The True God and Father of our Lord and Savior performs all things decently and in order. He expects us to do so, as well, see I Corinthians 14:40:
"Let all things be done decently and in order".
God loves us and would never put us in awkward situations that would not bring glory to Him.

When someone speaks in tongues, it is by the freedom of will of that individual. They start and end when they so choose. The evil one tries to trick people into giving over their minds and bodies to his control. That is why someone may be speaking in tongues and yet possessed by the devil doing weird things. An example of this is when someone handles poisonous snakes while speaking in tongues. The tongue is probably genuine, but the handling of the snakes is either wrong teaching or devil spirit possession. As we operate this manifestation, our actions should be with the love of God.

Why do we seek to speak in tongues as if the whole of Christianity depended on it?
In 1 Corinthians 13:8 Paul said:
"Charity (love) never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away".
Do we "speak in tongues" simply out of pride?
Remember that in 1 Corinthians 14:19, Paul declared:
"Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that [by my voice] I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [unknown] tongue."

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal".

PRAYER:
Lord, help us to only desire the things which are of great value, and not things that satisfy our curiosity.
AMEN.

- Stanley O. Emejulu, Esq.

READ ALSO MY PREVIOUS FRONT PAGE ARTICLES:
1. https://www.nairaland.com/2705132/alcohol-good-evil-what-bible

2. https://www.nairaland.com/2960906/tithe-not-tithe-whole-truth

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Most people use this speaking in tongue of a thing to intimidate and make other people feel like chronic sinners.......
I've seen a church sister who kaboshes at everything including just to chop food nd she expects me to wait for her while she kabosh??
Hell no!!

tomtween:
Most people use this speaking in tongue of a thing to intimidate and make other people feel like chronic sinners.......
I've seen a church sister who kaboshes at everything including just to chop food nd she expects me to wait for her while she kabosh??
Hell no!!