Debunking recent article claiming anyone can speak in tongues whenever they want...

::::::::

Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. - 1Corinthians 14:13-19 (ESV)

Click Here

There seems to be two prevailing camps when it comes to the charismata, or gifts of the spirit. The cessationist camp says that the gifts are no longer in operation today and ceased at the end of the apostolic age, around 100 AD when the apostle John passed away. There is of course no scriptural support for this and the bible actually shows the opposite just on the smell test alone. The Apostle Paul goes into pained detail about the gifts, for example tongues and how it should be utilized in church services. These instructions were probably penned around 60AD, a mere forty years before John's death. Remember also that the bible would not be cobbled together for another 200+ years at the Council of Nicaea. So, in order for cessationism to be legit, God would have to have chosen to divinely inspire Paul to write about the gifts, for the instruction of the church, knowing full well the gifts would cease in forty years. On top of that, God would then choose to make sure those Pauline letters outlining gifts, which He would have known would be soon expired, would make it into the final canon of scripture. Sorry, that makes no sense. Cessationism is a dog that don't hunt, as the old expression goes.

The second camp is charismania, where anything goes regarding the gifts of the spirit. Charismania has done more to further the cause of cessationism than anything else as people see the abuses of the gifts and run from them. People see the fake healing ministries of Todd White and company and want to run. Growing out shorter leg illusions do not fool anyone and makes a mockery of God. So do psychic cold readings disguised as "words of knowledge" or using smartphone technology to pretend you are hearing from the Lord. Real miracles have been replaced by false signs and lying wonders such as gemstones, angel feathers, and gold dust. For the newer generations raised on this pablum, it is all they know. One of the most controversial gifts has always been tongues. The Charismaniacal spectrum for the gift of tongues is huge. Some postulate that you cannot be saved if you do not speak in tongues. Others claim you have no empowerment of the spirit, like He is indwelt at salvation and then goes to sleep. Go to an average Charismatic service and you will see the rules of scripture regarding tongues mangled beyond recognition. There is a certain "look at me", showy spirit in these services. Tongues often interrupts the pastor so everyone can look at the person speaking in tongues, often without an interpretation, which is forbidden by scripture. The above linked article claims that anyone can speak in tongues at any time, which I know to be absurdly false. So, let us reason once more together to hear what God has to say:

"Speaking in tongues is a matter of the will, according to the apostle Paul. He said, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding" (1 Cor. 14:14-15, MEV). He says that you will either choose to speak in tongues or choose not to. Everyone may do so anytime. Also, this passage proves that God does not speak through people when they speak in tongues and the Holy Spirit does not force people to speak." - James Linzey

There are some major interpretive flaws here to unpack. Let's start with whopper number one. Speaking in tongues is NOT a matter of will. At least not scripturally. It is true that in many charismatic services that people will decide to just start talking gibberish. I have seen pastors even do it in mid-sentence of English! Does this sound familiar?

"Our God can do anything beloved, today He is saying that He wants to...a shantalababa"ohhh that's right!

Now if you think that brief interlude into the unintelligible is God then you just do not understand scripture. What was the point of the tongue in this sentence other than to make it impossible to understand what was being said in English too! What is the overall context of this chapter in Corinthians that he references and we have made the key verses for today? That prophecy is greater than tongues! Read the key verses slowly today. Do not read the MEV version the writer quotes. James Linzey actually was the editor for the MEV version, which is why I suppose he uses it for reference. The ESV is clearer and you can easily see that nowhere does the scripture indicate that speaking in tongues is a matter of the will. Nowhere! Also, whose "gift" is this? It is the Holy Spirit's! The bible says that HE decides what gifts go to what person, for what purpose. Only a Charismaniac can reference scriptures that clearly state that it is better to speak five words with our mind than ten thousand in tongues into direction that everyone can speak in tongues whenever they want. The other whopper here is at the end where Linzey declares that God does not speak through people when they speak in tongues and the Holy Spirit does not force people to speak. Note the combative tone Linzey uses to try and win support to his side of the argument. It is not a matter of "forcing" but of intercession:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. - Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)

In our weakness, when we no longer know what to pray, the spirit of God will intercede on our behalf, praying in wordless groans. Now, I think the word force misses the point but surely this is done by the Holy Spirit through us. Once again however, James Linzey gives up the truth unwittingly. When you hear those people bellowing out gibberish please realize that it is not God speaking through them or to them at all. They are in fact choosing to pretend they are speaking in tongues, when all they are doing is speaking nonsense.

"Since speaking in tongues is a matter of one's will, it is therefore a faith operation. What helps our faith is the realization that it is impossible to speak gibberish when speaking in tongues according to 1 Corinthians 14:10, which says that every utterance has meaning with God. And unless we know all 6,000 languages in the world today, we ought not tell people who are speaking out by faith to be careful not to speak gibberish. That's a sure way to deceive and mislead them and destroy their faith." - James Linzey

Given the fact that Mr. Linzey edited an entire new bible translation I will assume he is not stupid. Therefore, he knows better than what he wrote here. Let's take a look at 1Corinthians 14:10:

There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, - 1Corinthians 14:10 (ESV)

Does this verse declare it is impossible to speak gibberish? Of course not. It says that the languages of the earth all mean something, which by the way is why it always needs interpretation! Not only is it wholly possible to speak gibberish but it happens every single Charismaniacal service. What Linzey does here to protect the gibberish brand is reprehensible. If we know that someone is speaking in an incoherent babble, it is not damaging to their faith to correct them. Well, other than their faith in babble. The speaking of the gibberish is deception to begin with because they think it is of God when it most certainly is not. By reinforcing this ungodliness is to mislead them even further away from Christ.

"On the contrary, here are ways to truly help people understand the baptism with the Holy Spirit and to confirm their reception of the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues: First, have a Bible study. Read aloud the following passages and either answer questions about each passage as you read it or ask your initiates to bring notepads and pens to write down questions that you answer at the end of the study. The relevant passages are as follows: Joel 2:28-29, Matthew 3:11, Luke 24:49, John 7:37-39, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-18, Acts 2:38-39, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:1-7, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Corinthians 12:13, and 1 Corinthians 14:10 and 14." - James Linzey

Wait, did Linzey just move the goalposts? Are we now talking about the baptism in the Holy Spirit doctrine? Note by the way that Linzey is teaching that the confirmation of receiving the indwelt Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. I knew a powerful Pentecostal pastor who did not speak in tongues for the first 20 years he was in ministry. According to this teaching, he never received the indwelt Holy Spirit and thus was never saved. Talk about wrecking someone's faith! Let's examine some of these verses he cites:

Joel 2 - this is a prophecy that God will pour out His spirit and we will prophesy and see visions. Absolutely nothing about tongues at all. Ironic that Linzey would choose this since it is clear that GOD is the one pouring His spirit out as opposed to Linzey's beliefs that we can control the gifts of the spirit.

Luke 24 - this is just a reference to the promise of the coming Holy Spirit and how we will be clothed with power from on high. No one disputes this. It just is not the power to speak incoherently for no particular reason.

Acts 2 - this is the story of the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was delivered to the world. The disciples all spoke in tongues that day but none of those tongues were gibberish. They were all known languages, contrary to the beliefs of James Linzey. We can do the same with every verse he references here. So, by all means, have a bible study so you can free yourself of self-centered doctrines that are not scripturally supported.

"Second, after reading these passages and explaining them as necessary, inform the initiates that you and others in the room who already speak in tongues will begin to pray and worship God together. Remind them what Oral Roberts said: "Get with those who are praying in the Spirit and enter in." It's that simple." - James Linzey

Initiates? Wow. Oral Roberts was heretical as well and care not what he had to say for he will answer when standing before Christ. Just keep asking yourself, whose gift is this to give? Why should you need to stand in a circle with people crying out in the ignorance of incoherence? Realize these people believe in teaching the gifts of the spirit. That is what this is. The gift belongs to God, not James Linzey.

"Third, inform them that when you lay your hand on their heads, they are to enter in with you in praying in the Spirit at that moment. Remind them that they already have the Holy Spirit because they are saved, according to Romans 8:9. So all they are going to do is manifest the indwelling Holy Spirit as a river of living water flowing out of them, according to John 7:37-39." - James Linzey

Beloved, the bible says that forces in this world are either drawing people to Christ or scattering them away from Him. There are other spirits in this world besides the Holy Spirit. Be very careful who you let lay hands upon you. I mean this very sincerely. You are not an "initiate." You are a child of the living God and if He really wanted you to babble uncontrollably, He would not need anyone's help to have hands laid upon you in order to impart such. Romans 8 merely confirms that when saved we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit without any mention of the need to confirm such through speaking like a baby. John 7 does reference rivers of water but no mention of tongues whatsoever. Are we sensing a theme yet?

"Fourth, inform them to speak out by faith. There is no such thing as gibberish, for every utterance has meaning with God, according to 1 Corinthians 14:10, which says, "There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance." If they worry that there may be a counterfeit tongue on the basis that they think Satan speaks in tongues, inform them that is not true. If Satan spoke in tongues, and if this was an issue with which we should be concerned, Jesus or Paul would have warned us. But nowhere in Scripture did they say Satan spoke in tongues. Therefore, Satan does not speak in tongues. Since they were not concerned about it, neither should we be." - James Linzey

There most certainly is something called gibberish, which is NOT a language. Linzey thinks he is slick here and you won't bother to check the scripture. 1Corinthains 14:10 does not say the word utterance but rather language. So, all language has meaning to God because He created them all after the story of the Tower of Babel. This verse does not say that all utterance has meaning because it does not. The issue of Satan speaking tongues is what is known as a strawman argument. Linzey erects the strawman, and argument no one is making, so he can knock it down and hope by doing so his central argument sounds more reasonable - it does not.

"Fifth, after believers speak in tongues, they should be encouraged to do so daily. Inform them that their prayer language will grow just like any other language. Believers who do not speak in tongues at the laying on of hands should not be made to feel guilty nor told they do not have faith. Rather, be encouraging and willing to pray with the initiates again at any time. Or encourage them to speak out by faith when they pray alone with God. With scriptural teaching, more people will begin manifesting the indwelling Holy Spirit and become powerful witnesses for Christ. Please join us for more teaching on how anyone may speak in tongues anytime." - James Linzey

The gibberish of fake tongues does not grow like any other language. I have never met anyone who can recall what a specific tongue was let alone what it meant. Any scriptural analysis shows this teaching for what it is - false. Now, I understand some may read this and assume I am a cessationist but as a said earlier, that dog don't hunt. I ascribe to a third position. I believe in the gifts of the spirit but believe they are being wildly abused in Charismaniacal churches today. I have "spoken in tongues" before, like any good former Assemblies of God preacher. Contrary to the teachings of places like Bethel however, scripture must trump my personal experience. I can accept the fact that my experience was a combination of poor teaching and the emotionalism that usually drives many Charismaniacal church services. I understand full well how crushing to the ego it is to admit to yourself that you had something so wrong, for so long but in the end the only thing that should matter is God. Amen?

Reverend Anthony Wade - June 22, 2022

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.