Afraid of "Counterfeit Tongues"?
There's a lot of fear in the non-Pentecostal Christian community, about possibly speaking in demonic tongues, by accident. Everyone has heard a "story" to prove that it's dangerous to speak in tongues. These stories say things like... a Christian thought he was worshiping God, but found out from someone who understood his tongues, that he was blaspheming God instead.
So these stories are told to strengthen the anti-Pentecostal warning against speaking in tongues, for fear you just might be opening yourself up to demonic powers.
What does the Bible say about this?
First off, it is true that demonic tongues exist!
Even in New Testament times, in Greek pagan temples, speaking in tongues was a well-known phenomenon. In fact, the girl that followed Paul, crying out, "these men are servants of the Most High God..." was most likely possessed by a serpent spirit, which was associated with Apollo-worship. This was a pagan cult that practiced speaking in tongues.
As far back as 400-500 BC, pagans were speaking in tongues, as was documented by Plato. And they were actually speaking foreign languages they had never learned, not just making up babbling sounds. So, the demonic definitely exists.
In the New Testament, we have more than one warning about demonic tongues.
Paul says,
1 Corinthians 12:1 Now 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.
On the surface, it looks like no one can even call Jesus, "Lord," unless the Holy Ghost empowers them to do so. But this cannot be, because Jesus said many will call Him, "Lord" claiming to have done many things in His name, and will be unsaved.
So, what was Paul talking about here?
He was introducing the subject of spiritual gifts.
Paul was reminding them how in their past, there was idol worship... and possibly spiritual experiences... and perhaps speaking in tongues or prophesying. Because those things were happening in pagan temples around there!
But Paul said this is how you can know it's the Holy Ghost, and not a demon:
When someone is speaking in tongues, they will either proclaim Jesus is Lord, or they will curse Jesus. No one can be miraculously speaking in tongues by the Holy Ghost, calling Jesus accursed. And no one will be speaking in tongues by a demon, calling Jesus, "Lord!"
Paul is expecting there will be someone in the church who has the gifts of interpretation and/or discernment. (Not the gift of being judgmental! There's a big difference!)
If there is no one in a church who has the gift of discernment of spirits, the church is already in deep trouble, whether or not tongues are being spoken!
I've personally heard demons speaking in tongues. In one case, it was a religious spirit, masquerading as a super-spiritual, very prideful, attention-grabbing "Christian." This person thought he was a Christian. But he was actually trying in his own strength to act like a Christian in public, while loving secret sin in private. (Actually, this demon can operate in a person whether or not they speak in tongues!) This person actually began to manifest the demon, and began cursing God.
Which is why it's very dangerous to try to seek for (or claim) a spiritual experience, if you aren't truly born again.
It's extremely important to first repent completely from sin, and turn to God with all your heart, before asking for the baptism of the Spirit.
But once you're a child of God, is there a danger of getting the wrong kind of tongues?
What does the Bible say?
Luke 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
This entire passage is about that last sentence.
First, Jesus illustrates persistence in petition.
"Ask, and keep on asking" is what it literally means in the Greek.
"Seek, and keep on seeking!" "Knock, and keep on knocking!"
Because whoever keeps on asking, seeking, and knocking will eventually obtain what they desire from their Father!
And then, Jesus tells us what to ask for.
IF you are a child of God, you have standing to ask for the Holy Spirit.
Because God is a good Father.
What kind of earthly father would allow his son to receive a serpent, if he were hungry?
Now, an earthly father is not perfectly good. Nor is he perfectly strong.
An earthly father may not be able to protect his child from an evil person, who might want to give the boy a snake!
But God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient!
What kind of a God would He be, if He couldn't - or wouldn't - protect his child from the devil, when His child pounds on the door of heaven, asking and seeking for the Holy Spirit?
Jesus gave you an iron-clad promise: if you are a truly born-again child of God:
You CANNOT receive an evil spirit, when you ask for the Holy Spirit!
But if you still believe the stories you've heard, saying a Christian CAN speak in demonic tongues if he asks for the Holy Spirit... then you are doubting Jesus' own words.
It's your choice: fear and unbelief, or faith in God's word. You can't have both.
So these stories are told to strengthen the anti-Pentecostal warning against speaking in tongues, for fear you just might be opening yourself up to demonic powers.
What does the Bible say about this?
First off, it is true that demonic tongues exist!
Even in New Testament times, in Greek pagan temples, speaking in tongues was a well-known phenomenon. In fact, the girl that followed Paul, crying out, "these men are servants of the Most High God..." was most likely possessed by a serpent spirit, which was associated with Apollo-worship. This was a pagan cult that practiced speaking in tongues.
As far back as 400-500 BC, pagans were speaking in tongues, as was documented by Plato. And they were actually speaking foreign languages they had never learned, not just making up babbling sounds. So, the demonic definitely exists.
In the New Testament, we have more than one warning about demonic tongues.
Paul says,
1 Corinthians 12:1 Now 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.
On the surface, it looks like no one can even call Jesus, "Lord," unless the Holy Ghost empowers them to do so. But this cannot be, because Jesus said many will call Him, "Lord" claiming to have done many things in His name, and will be unsaved.
So, what was Paul talking about here?
He was introducing the subject of spiritual gifts.
Paul was reminding them how in their past, there was idol worship... and possibly spiritual experiences... and perhaps speaking in tongues or prophesying. Because those things were happening in pagan temples around there!
But Paul said this is how you can know it's the Holy Ghost, and not a demon:
When someone is speaking in tongues, they will either proclaim Jesus is Lord, or they will curse Jesus. No one can be miraculously speaking in tongues by the Holy Ghost, calling Jesus accursed. And no one will be speaking in tongues by a demon, calling Jesus, "Lord!"
Paul is expecting there will be someone in the church who has the gifts of interpretation and/or discernment. (Not the gift of being judgmental! There's a big difference!)
If there is no one in a church who has the gift of discernment of spirits, the church is already in deep trouble, whether or not tongues are being spoken!
I've personally heard demons speaking in tongues. In one case, it was a religious spirit, masquerading as a super-spiritual, very prideful, attention-grabbing "Christian." This person thought he was a Christian. But he was actually trying in his own strength to act like a Christian in public, while loving secret sin in private. (Actually, this demon can operate in a person whether or not they speak in tongues!) This person actually began to manifest the demon, and began cursing God.
Which is why it's very dangerous to try to seek for (or claim) a spiritual experience, if you aren't truly born again.
It's extremely important to first repent completely from sin, and turn to God with all your heart, before asking for the baptism of the Spirit.
But once you're a child of God, is there a danger of getting the wrong kind of tongues?
What does the Bible say?
Luke 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
This entire passage is about that last sentence.
First, Jesus illustrates persistence in petition.
"Ask, and keep on asking" is what it literally means in the Greek.
"Seek, and keep on seeking!" "Knock, and keep on knocking!"
Because whoever keeps on asking, seeking, and knocking will eventually obtain what they desire from their Father!
And then, Jesus tells us what to ask for.
IF you are a child of God, you have standing to ask for the Holy Spirit.
Because God is a good Father.
What kind of earthly father would allow his son to receive a serpent, if he were hungry?
Now, an earthly father is not perfectly good. Nor is he perfectly strong.
An earthly father may not be able to protect his child from an evil person, who might want to give the boy a snake!
But God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient!
What kind of a God would He be, if He couldn't - or wouldn't - protect his child from the devil, when His child pounds on the door of heaven, asking and seeking for the Holy Spirit?
Jesus gave you an iron-clad promise: if you are a truly born-again child of God:
You CANNOT receive an evil spirit, when you ask for the Holy Spirit!
But if you still believe the stories you've heard, saying a Christian CAN speak in demonic tongues if he asks for the Holy Spirit... then you are doubting Jesus' own words.
It's your choice: fear and unbelief, or faith in God's word. You can't have both.
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