Paul’s Words Concerning Talking in Tongues

The Bible opens 1 Corinthians 12 with the following:1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. [2] Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. [3] Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Remember, the context here is “spiritual gifts” (v1). In fact, 1 Corinthians chapters 12 through 14 cover the operation of and the abuse of ‘spiritual gifts.’ These giftings were various special capacities the Holy Spirit gave the early Christians during the Acts period only.

Paul wrote clearly that these “spiritual gifts” would ceased when Paul’s thirteen epistles, for “the church… the body of Christ,” were completed, just as Paul here said they would.

Charity (love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be (the word of) knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect (Gk. teleios, complete) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

Paul wrote of his complete truth of the “the revelation of the Mystery” (Rom. 16:25, Col. 1:27) and its “gospel of the grace of God” for the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1-5) as it is for us today.

“Whereof I (Paul) am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil (Gk. pleroo, complete) the word of God; 26 Even (which is) the mystery (secret plan) which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” (Col. 1:25-26, KJV)

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” (Rom. 2:16)
“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.(1 Corinthians 14:37)

These ‘knowledge gifts’ for the believers of the Acts period were to speak God’s truth by the Holy Spirit in order to “edify” (build-up) “the body of Christ” during the Acts period. This ministry of the Holy Spirit was then only needed to speak what Paul had not yet spoken and written of in His epistles as “the Apostles to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13). Recall that Paul at that time was in the early years of his ministry, traveling preaching and teaching. So, he had appointed elders in every local assembly and left them to the Holy Spirit... with the guide rules he sets out in these chapters of 1Corininthians.

Upon Paul’s completion of his thirteen epistles (Romans through Philemon) for the church today, the “spiritual gift” ministry of the Holy Spirit came to and end with the end of Acts 28. Consequently, these ‘knowledge gifts’ of prophecy, tongues, interpretation, and the word of knowledge” have “ceased”; they do not operate today and have not for nearly 2,000 years.

Now, Paul’s theme here is speaking in tongues,” which means supernaturally speaking an unlearned existing, known language. Paul dealt with this subject extensively in chapter 14, although chapter 12 here briefly touches on it in verses 10, 28, and 30, and chapter 13 references tongues in verses 1 and 8.

1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3Wherefore I give you to understand, 1) that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and 2) that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

In verse 3 the Holy Ghost through the Apostle Paul issues some understanding as a guideline and test as relates to “speaking” in their meetings. Now note how Paul here in 1Corinthians 12:2 first speaks of “dumb idols” that the Corinthians once worshiped. Paul is saying these idols do not have the ability to speak. Yet, these Corinthians had served these dead idols that work by Demons speaking through them. Satanic deception was common to pagan religionist, having believed they could communicate ‘divine’ words to the worshippers. (cf. Psalm 115:4-8, 135:15-18; Habakkuk 2:18-19).

It is often erroneously claimed that “speaking in tongues” is strictly a Christian practice. For instance, the heathens, the spiritually-darkened, satanically-inspired Gentiles of the Old Testament had their own ‘ecstatic utterances,’ ‘heavenly languages,’ ‘private prayer languages.’ But, the God of the Bible had absolutely nothing to do with these phenomena. Most of us have heard the incantations of pagan religionist as seen in TV documentaries of lost tribes in the Amazon or Africa, etc.

Consequently, we cannot and should not assume a modern-day episode of ‘speaking in tongues’ is the work of God the Holy Spirit. Actually, here again today, Satan is dragging out some of his old trickery of supposed supernatural speaking to draw men away from the message of the cross.

The Charismatic / Pentecostals also claim “speaking with other tongues” is ‘the initial evidence of the baptism with the Holy Ghost,’ this also is a total misconception. Actually, every Christian believer has already received the Holy Spirit when they first believed to be saved…without any tongue speaking. Do you believe Paul’s words here to his Roman grace believers?

“But ye (believers) are not in the flesh, but in (in union with) the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Rom. 8:9).

The “Spirit of God” and the “Spirit of Christ” are other names for the “one Spirit” (Eph. 4:4-5) of the Godhead, called the “Holy Spirit” or “Holy Ghost.”

Now consider Isaiah 8:19-20, where God warned Israel of demonic ‘speaking.’

19And when they (the Assyrians) shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar (demonic) spirits, and unto wizards that ‘peep, and that mutter:’ should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead (seek God by consulting the dead)?

20To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

This pagan “peeping and muttering” involved various guttural sounds, chirping, high-pitched barely audible utterances, incantations that supposedly summoned the dead. Rather, God told the nation Israel to go “to the law and to the testimony,” the “Law of Moses,” the “Word of God,” as the standard.

If Israel encountered any “peeping and muttering” in religious circles, she was to ignore this ‘speaking phenomena and rather, listen to “the Word of God. Satan was attempting to corrupt Israel with witchcraft, devil worship, necromancy, et cetera, to draw them away for faith in the Lord God.

The Bible was and is to take preeminence over the any experience!

It was out of this “peeping and muttering” religious system that the Corinthians came to salvation.

“Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.” (1Cor. 12:2)

These idols are said to be “dumb” to emphasize the fact that they are mute; they cannot talk!

2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3Wherefore (by Contrast…)  I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

So long as we keep verse 2 in mind, then verse 3 is easy to grasp. Apparently, Satan’s cursing of Jesus can come through such unintelligible “peeping and muttering.”

Now, please put aside you past experiences and feelings in this matter when you read the next line. Many of us have been tongues talkers at one time or another, but to engage in tongues speaking today, when it is no longer in effect (1Cor. 13:8), can only be dangerous and a possible curse toward our Lord.

The Corinthians had allowed various religious experiences, supernatural encounters, and emotional highs, to distract and entertain them, but Paul says they were as “babes” in the faith. You can see how this dominates the Charismatic Movement today. The authority in that system is not the Holy Bible, sound Bible doctrine, studied in context. It is all about emotions and experiences. They ‘felt’ a certain way (warm, fuzzy feelings; great love; inexplicable peace; and/or abundant joy) and/or they ‘saw’ a certain event (miracle healing, vision, dream, angelic appearance, speaking in tongues), and this caused them to believe it must be from the God of the Bible.

Sadly, today many (Pentecostal / Charismatics) are “carried away with” believing their supposed supernatural experiences and setting aside the cautions of the Bible. Scripture means nothing to them, unless it teaches something they want to teach or do. They completely disregard verses that are contrary to their claims. Indeed, they may be sincere or kind people, but remember Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

No matter what they say, or believe, they are deceived! Their emotions have misled them! The experience is their authority, not the Bible. Such dangerous ground on which they tread!

The Holy Spirit urges the Corinthians to look beyond their supernatural ‘experiences’ because experiences are not the final authority for our activity or doctrine. We gauge whether or not the God of the Bible is involved with a particular system or activity only by looking at its underlying doctrine. In other words, it does not matter what the phenomenon is, these must align with the word of God “rightly divided.”

All this is not something new with the Apostle Paul. Remember, we can find the idea in the O.T. where Isaiah the Prophet spoke of it, and also Moses talked about seeming miraculous “talkers.”

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 If there arise among you a Prophet, or A Dreamer of Dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after ‘other gods,’ which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

3Thou shalt NOT hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. 5And that Prophet, or That Dreamer of Dreams, Shall Be Put To Death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

The LORD God warned Israel to be extremely careful concerning people who would perform miracles, claim to have supernatural dreams, or say they had received a supposed ‘word from God.’ No matter what the ‘experience’ was, if the message being taught did not conform to the Mosaic Law, the experience was from Satan and thus Israel was not to just ignore that person … but put them to death.

Yes, God Himself commanded Israel to execute that ‘false speaking prophet’ by stoning! When you think about it, such a procedure would rid us quite quickly of today’s ‘false teachers’! So, the standard is not the miraculous or supernatural experience, but the truth of the Holy Bible. This is what God through Paul is teaching in 1Cor. 12:3. The verse provides us a test to expose false teachers.

Speaking in “tongues” does not automatically validate it as the work of the Holy Spirit. The issue is the message’ being conveyed is what matters most. What is being communicated by the speaking in tongues with its interpretation?

Incidentally, Paul says there must be an “interpreter” present, one who knows the known language being spoken, otherwise the tongues-talker must keep silence (cf. 1Cor. 14:28-29); andlet the others ‘judge (Gk. diakrino, discern)’ what is spoken’ (1Cor. 14:29) in tongues or by prophecy.

“But if there be no interpreter, let him (the tongues speaker) keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other(s) judge.” (1 Cor. 14:28-29)

Having at one-time been Charismatic, I must say I often heard whole assemblies of people simultaneously speaking in supposed “tongues” in meetings. This ignores Paul’s instruction concerning speaking by “by two or three” in the presence of an “interpreter.” I rarely if ever heard a supposed “interpreter” speak up to interpret and identify the unlearned known language of today’s supposed tongues-talkers. You can see such performances on so-called Christians TV stations several times a day.

The question is… was Jesus being slandered/criticized or… glorified? “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit will never lead someone to say in tongues that Jesus is accursed, but the Holy Spirit will lead someone to say Jesus is the Lord. What is most important is the test of what doctrine being conveyed, rather than the experience of tongues.

Again, speaking in tongues alone was not necessarily validation of anything! The message is what mattered, and if it did not agree with God’s Word through the Apostle Paul, it was false. Some people in Corinth “speaking in tongues” were frauds, pretenders (like “tongue-speakers” of today). If

By the way, as for “the gift of tongues,” is it operating today? The answer is no! Tongues was a temporary spiritual gift operating ONLY during the Acts period. It ceased when Paul’s ‘provoking ministry’ to Israel ended, when Acts 28 closed, when the Bible canon was completed.

8Charity 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. [9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. [10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. [11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. [12] For now (at that time) we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now (at that time) I (Paul) know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. [13] And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1Corinthians 13: 8-13)

All the “spiritual gifts” of the Acts period were temporary; they were not meant to last forever. When they were operating, God laid out guidelines that were to be followed concerning their exercising (see 1 Corinthians 14, below). God wanted them to focus on the message rather than on the experience. No matter how enjoyable the experience was—awesome, appealing, fascinating, exciting—the words said were most important. If the message could not be understood, then there was no way to ascertain a meaning. It was false, Satan’s counterfeit. If it were gibberish or inaudible sounds (like today), it would profit nobody. There is no edification, no spiritual enlightenment, and no understanding imparted. No sound Bible doctrine is being communicated. It is nothing but a satanic mockery of God’s ministry.

First Corinthians 14 makes that whether there be speaking in tongues or by a word of prophecy that… the issue is to make God’s message clear to its hearers.

“[1] Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. [2] 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. [3] But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. [4] He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth (speaks forth, preach, teach) edifieth (builds up) the church. [5] I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except (unless) he interpret, (so) that the church may receive edifying.

“[6] Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? [7] And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? [8] For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? [9] So likewise ye, except (unless) ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. [10] There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

“[11] Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian [foreigner], and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian [foreigner] unto me. [12] Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying (building up) of the church. [13] Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. [14] For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

15What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also (Gk. kai, cumulatively – at the same time): I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

[16] Else (otherwise) when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? [17] For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.”

Today, with the end of the Acts period and the ceasing of the ‘knowledge gifts,’ and with Paul’s completion of the Bible canon, we have no need of supernatural utterance.