Speaking in Tongues: 7 Errors

I suppose I did figure this one would be slightly controversial. Jim Johnson of Bethel encourages everyone to pray in a heavenly language and watch it change the atmosphere in the

Holy Nope episode 294. Now in the caption of this episode, I mentioned that I counted seven errors and we're going to go through them in this breakdown.

This is not an exhaustive study on tongues, it's just a response to this video, so it likely won't answer all of your questions or objections, but I do hope that it is somewhat helpful.

Since we're dealing with a gift of the Holy Spirit, let me first introduce you to Jim Johnson by getting a little more insight into how she views the

Holy Spirit. Alright, let's get into it.

Does Paul ever refer to the power of speaking in tongues as an encouragement to do so?

Tongues was a revelatory gift for the building up of the body, not a personal tool used to make you feel better.

Paul's exhortation in 1 Corinthians 14 .12 highlights the theme of the chapter.

So also, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.

Yet, in the comments, so many people claim they do it when they are feeling down and it makes them feel better. And what are they doing?

Speaking gibberish while working themselves up into having an emotional experience. This is not biblical tongues and this was not the purpose of tongues.

There is no instruction from Paul to pray in a heavenly language at home by yourself because it's powerful to lift your spirits or get you through tough times.

When Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14 .4 that one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, first, he's not talking about private prayer.

He's contrasting that self -edification with the right purpose of exercising spiritual gifts, the edification of the body, which is the main point of the passage.

When Paul says that one edifies himself, he's saying that's not a good thing. You're misusing the gift.

You're not using it properly. You're not building up the body. Sometimes we don't even know how to pray or what to do.

So here's a loose reference to Romans 8 .26 and 27. And many people in the comments were quoting this verse as some kind of proof text, but spiritual gifts is not the subject in Romans 8.

Paul is talking about the spirit given as the guarantee of our eschatological hope in Christ and of our final victory in him and having this guarantee and this hope in the midst of suffering.

The weakness Paul mentions and the not knowing how to pray as we should are in reference to the will of God, which becomes plain if we just read it.

In the same way, the spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

And he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Here's two reasons why this isn't talking about tongues besides the context that we've already touched on. First, speaking in an unknown language involves words, but the idea here is that no words are involved in the spirit's intercession.

Second, Paul is speaking to all Christians here in Romans 8, but not all Christians speak in tongues.

And we'll get to that. So, this passage cannot be talking about speaking in tongues, much less babbling and gibberish.

This also isn't talking about Christians sighing in prayer not knowing what to say. I think I'll make a whole video about it because this text is actually pretty fascinating and we don't have time for it right now.

And speaking in tongues is just an amazing communication where you speak this heavenly language.

Heavenly language. This idea comes from 1 Corinthians 13, 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. Does Paul here introduce the concept of believers praying in an angelic language?

Nope. This verse is the beginning of a series of hyperbolic statements with the purpose of correcting the church's loveless exercise of gifts.

What is hyperbole? An exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally. So, verse 2, if I have the gift of prophecy, and here's the exaggeration, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, it's hyperbole.

It's an exaggeration. Verse 3 contains two more exaggerated statements, and if I give all my possessions to feed the poor and if I surrender my body to be burned but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Paul is using hyperbole to make a point. He is not saying that he prays nor speaks in a heavenly language.

Besides, whenever angels talk in the Bible, it is with intelligible speech. You speak this heavenly language that God gives all of us?

Heavenly language that God gives all of us? In 1 Corinthians 12 .30, Paul asks, all do not speak in tongues, do they?

A rhetorical question with the obvious answer being, no, they don't. Paul is actually addressing the superiority complex of those who did speak in tongues, a vice which is alive and well today with comments like this, show me a

Christian who doesn't speak in tongues and I'll show you a weak Christian. My comment section is full of crap like this, and it is so painfully ironic that people who babble incoherently and call it a heavenly prayer language adopt the very superiority complex

Paul is rebuking using those very passages to support their unbiblical practice. And it is how we pray what

God's praying. Praying in tongues is how we pray what God is praying. Well, the Son and the Spirit both intercede on behalf of believers, but the idea that praying in tongues is praying what the

Spirit and the Son are praying also is unfounded. Instead of rationalizing, we're praying from our head knowledge or even what we're going through.

Instead of rationalizing, we're praying from our head knowledge, also known as using your brain. Paul disagrees and teaches that our minds should be engaged when we are praying.

So speak in tongues today and watch it just change the atmosphere and change your situations.

Nowhere does the Bible teach speaking in tongues, and remember she's talking about private prayer in a heavenly language, a concept totally absent from Paul's mind, has the power to change situations or atmospheres, as if you unlock some spiritual door or attain blessing that you otherwise would not.

It just goes back to making yourself feel better about a situation because you've turned your brain off to babble for a little while.

So there's the seven issues, and I know that many people will see this video and it will not be enough for you to rethink your experiences or how you've been taught to understand certain scriptures, and that's okay.

I do not hate people who speak in tongues. I do not think that people are heretics for believing in tongues as a heavenly prayer language.

I think some people fake it, and I think some people don't realize that they are faking it. A fellow pastor of mine spoke in tongues for 15 years before he realized that it was a work of his flesh.

When you're in a difficult situation, don't turn your brain off and speak gibberish. Engage your mind by meditating on God's word, and you will be blessed.