Right Priorities I believe that all the gifts of the Spirit, including the true gift of tongues, are needed and available to the church today. But the Scriptures teach that some of the gifts are more important than others and that we should focus on the most important ones. But covet earnestly the best gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31). In fact, when the Bible lists spiritual gifts, tongues is usually found at the bottom of the list. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28). Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5). Yet some charismatic preachers have turned the list upside down and made the gift of tongues the primary emphasis of their preaching. They would have us think that a Christian who does not speak in tongues is a second-class citizen. But Paul makes it clear that different gifts are given to different people, and no one is expected to have all the gifts. He asks in 1 Corinthians 12:29, 30: Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? The answer is obviously NO! The Bible says, The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22, 23). But these same preachers would have us believe that the fruit of the Spirit is tongues or that every person who is filled with the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues. Yet out of more than 50 examples in the Bible where God filled His people with the Spirit, only three times is tongues connected with the experience. Furthermore, Jesus is our example. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, yet He never spoke in tongues. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mothers womb (Luke 1:15), but there is no record that he spoke in tongues, either. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, only three make any reference at all to the gift of tongues. There are about 39 Bible authors. Of the 39, only three-Luke, Paul, and Mark-mention the subject of tongues. In other words, we should put the emphasis where God puts the emphasis. Creative Counterfeit The genuine gift of tongues is a powerful tool for the proclamation of the gospel. But remember, the devil has a counterfeit for every truth of God. Glossolalia (glô´se-lâ’ lê-a) is the word often used to describe the popular experience found in most charismatic churches. It is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as: fabricated and non-meaningful speech, especially such speech associated with a trance state or certain schizophrenic syndromes. Contrast that with the same dictionarys definition for a language: The use by human beings of voice sounds, and often written symbols representing these sounds, in organized combinations and patterns in order to express and communicate thoughts and feelings. By any definition, the disjointed sounds of glossolalia are not a language. Believe me, I have seen this practice many times. In one charismatic church I used to attend, the pastor and his wife were a tongues team. Every week in the middle of the pastors sermon, his wife would jump to her feet, throw her arms in the air, and break out in ecstatic utterance. But she always said the same thing. Handa kala shami, handa kala shami, handa kala shami... . Over and over again. This instantly seemed suspicious to me because Jesus said, But when ye pray use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do (Matthew 6:7). Each time this happened, the womans husband would stop preaching and provide a dubious English translation for her so-called message. Usually it began with Thus saith the Lord. Yet in spite of the fact that she always repeated the words handa kala shami, the pastors vague interpretation was different each time-and sometimes three times longer than the utterance. I used to wonder why, if this was a message from God, wouldnt He give it to us in English the first time. Baptized Paganism My exposure to this charismatic tongues team reminded me of some things I had read in my history books growing up. This modern manifestation of tongues finds its roots not in the Bible, but rather in ancient pagan spiritualistic rituals. In the sixth century B.C., the Oracle of Delphi was housed in a temple built near the foot of Mt. Parnassus. Delphi was also sacred to Dionysus, the god associated with wine, fertility, and sensual dance, and to the nine Muses, patron goddesses of music. While exhilarating music was played, the chief priestess named Pythia would breathe intoxicating vapors, go into a frenzied trance, and then begin jabbering. The weird sounds the priestess muttered were then interpreted by a priest, who usually spoke in verse. Her utterances were regarded as the words of Apollo, but the messages were so ambiguous that they could seldom be proven wrong. While living with the Native Americans in New Mexico, I witnessed a similar ritual several times. The Indians would eat the hallucinogenic peyote, then sit in a circle and chant and pound drums for hours. Before long, several were spasmodically muttering as they experienced their tormenting visions. Today the charismatic churches are by far the most popular among the Native Americans because it is such an easy and natural transition from their old religions. Among many heathen African tribes in order to invoke the blessing of their gods, the people would sacrifice a chicken or goat and then dance around a fire for long hours, chanting songs to the hypnotic rhythm of a pounding drum. Eventually some of the people would become possessed by their gods and begin speaking the eerie languages of the spirit world. Then the local witch doctor or priest would translate the messages. This ritual is still practiced today among the Voodoo Catholics in the West Indies. This pagan practice first found its way into the North American Christian churches in the early 1800s. Many of the African slaves who were brought to America and forced to accept Christianity were unable to read the Bible for themselves. Even though they came from a variety of tribes in Africa, one practice most tribes held in common was the Spirit Dances with the spirit-possessed person muttering. The slaves mistakenly associated this with the Christian gift of tongues and began to incorporate a modified version into their meetings. These frantic services, which were accompanied by heavy rhythmic music, began to spread at first only in the South and the participants were mocked by the mainline denominations as Holy Rollers. Some even went so far as to grab venomous serpents during their possessed trances as a means of proving that they had the spirit. (This was a misuse of Mark 16:18, which says, They shall take up serpents, in reference to the time Paul was accidentally bitten by a serpent but was unharmed by the venom. See Acts 28:3-6.) For people to hunt down and pick up deadly snakes in order to prove that they have the Holy Spirit is, in reality, tempting God! The national expansion of the Pentecostal movement among Caucasians began in Los Angeles at the Apostolic Faith Gospel Mission on Azusa Street in 1906. The leader was a black former holiness preacher named William Seymour. From there, leaders continued to refine the doctrines and make them more attractive and palatable to other mainline Christians. Then in about 1960 the charismatic movement began attracting followers within traditional denominations. From then it continued to have explosive growth until now there are several million charismatics in Protestant and Catholic churches throughout the world.2 It is important to note the prominent role music plays in all the pagan religions that practice glossolalia. This counterfeit gift of tongues first found its foothold in mainline churches through baptized pagan music and worship styles. The dominant, repetitious rhythms and syncopated beat disarm the higher reasoning powers and put the subconscious mind in a hypnotic state. In this vulnerable condition, the spirit of ecstatic utterance finds easy access. Now the devil is using this counterfeit gift of tongues, like a Trojan horse, to introduce pagan worship styles into Christian churches with a frightening degree of success. Satan wants to shift the attention of Christians from faith to feeling. Some of these charismatic churches go so far as to say that the Bible is the old letter, and that messages which come through tongues are fresh revelations of the Spirit and therefore more dependable. So now the stage is set for Satans final performance! How Gods Spirit Affects Us The concept that a person who is slain in the spirit should fall to the ground and wallow and mutter is an insult to the Holy Ghost. The reason God gives us His Spirit is to restore in us His image-not to rob us of all dignity and self control! On mount Carmel, the pagan prophets of Baal jumped on the altar and shouted and moaned. They prophesied and cut themselves. By contrast, Elijah quietly knelt and prayed a simple prayer (1 Kings 18:17-46). For God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). If God is not responsible, then who is? The idea that we lose control when we receive the Spirit is not consistent with Scripture. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32). Heres another case in point. After Jesus saved a berserk, demon-possessed man by the sea, the healed man was seen sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind (Luke 8:35). The invitation of God is Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord (Isaiah 1:18). He wants us to use our heads. Some of you reading this study are no doubt thinking: How dare you say these things? I have spoken in tongues for years and know it is from God! As Christians, we should never base our conclusions on how we feel. After all, the devil can certainly make us feel good. Rather, we must base our beliefs upon the sure Word of God. A friend of mine was an active charismatic who often spoke in tongues. When he studied these things, he began to question if this gift was from the right spirit. So he sincerely prayed and said, Lord, if this is not Your will and if I am not experiencing the true gift of tongues, then please take it away! He told me that from that day on, the experience of glossolalia never returned. A true Christian should be willing to surrender every cherished view and practice on the altar of Gods will and forsake any practice that may be questionable-no matter how popular, accepted, or beloved among other Christians. There are some things that are highly esteemed among men but are an abomination in the sight of God (Luke 16:15). amazingfacts.org
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 15:56:25 +0000
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