Resultados

Supernatural tongues occur in a way impossible by natural law.

Many Bible miracles consisted of acts that might occur naturally, if done in a different way. What made them supernatural or miraculous was the way they occurred.

Examples:

* People can be healed of many diseases naturally (by medicines, exercise, etc.), but Jesus and the apostles healed instantaneously just by speaking, etc.

* Storms can calm naturally (by change of weather), but Jesus calmed a storm immediately by speaking to it.

* Food can grow over a period of months from seeds planted in the earth, but God provided manna from heaven that lay on the ground, and Jesus fed thousands from a boys’ lunch.

* People can learn God’s word when taught it, but supernatural gifts of revelation involved direct knowledge of things one had not studied.

* God today can work by providence through natural processes to bless people, answer prayer, etc. It is God’s power, but involves no miracles. Miracles were acts impossible by natural law.

In the same way, the word “tongue” refers to native languages that can be learned naturally. But what made them miraculous was the fact the Spirit empowered people to speak them suddenly without ever studying or learning the language.

Modern tongues can be explained by natural processes. One does not have to be a glossolalist to produce glossolalic speech. Al Carlson at the University of California recorded the speech of glossolalists during their spiritual exercise; Later he recorded the speech of non-glossolalist volunteers whom he asked to speak spontaneously in an unknown language. Glossolalists were asked to rate the different recordings. They were unable to distinguish them. A similar test was made by Werner Cohn of the University of British Columbia with identical results — Glossolalia, Jividen, p 163

Incidents of glossolalia can be multiplied from religions ancient and modern; eastern and western; established and heretical. The glossolalia experience is to be found in all different cultural strata from non-Christian priests to medicine men. The experience is to be found among the Hudson Bay Eskimos, North Boreno pagans, ‘demoniacs’ in China and east Africa as well as Christianity. Burdick concludes:

“This survey has shown that speaking-in-tongues is widespread and very ancient. Indeed, it is probable that as long as man has had divination, curing, sorcery, and propitiation of spirits, he has had glossolalia … Whatever the explanation, it is clear that pagans as well as Christians have their glossolalia experiences.” — Jividen, p. 74,75

I have observed the same routine everywhere I have been: (1) a meeting devoted to intense concentration on tongue-speaking, followed by (2) an atmosphere of heightened suggestibility to the word of the tongue-speaking leader, after which (3) the initiate is able to make the sounds he is instructed to make. It is the same procedure that a competent hypnotist employs. Like the hypnotist, the tongue speaking leader succeeds with some subjects and with others does not – Kildahl, op cit, p 74 (via HRQ, p 171).

The Moslem claims miracles. He believes that these miracles show God’s favor and confirms the correctness of his faith. Tongue speaking is one of the miracles which is claimed. Hudjwiri describes the miraculous powers of an

Islamic saint. He says that “he can transform himself, transport himself to a distance, speak diverse tongues, revive the dead…” Other examples are cited in Kenneth Morgan’s book entitled, Islam the Straight Path. — Jividen, p.75

All these experiences have left me with the conviction that glossolalia especially can be psychologically explained, and is not, in general, a “spiritual” phenomenon – Stuart Bergsma, “Speaking with Tongues, Part II,” Torch and Trumpet, XIV, No. 10, p.10 (via HRQ, p. 170).

As far as I know, there is no case of speaking in strange tongues which has been strictly and scientifically investigated that cannot be explained by recognized psychological laws — George B. Cutten, Speaking with Tongues: Historically and Psychologically Considered, New Haven, Yale University Press, 1927, p. 181 (via HRQ, p. 170).

So modern tongue speaking is not a supernatural phenomenon incapable of natural explanation. Speakers do not speak an existing language. What they do speak is based on what they have learned, and the means used to teach it are known. The methods are similar to

hypnotism.

The same conduct has been duplicated around the world by people who are clearly in error, including pagans and people who are deliberately “faking it.” If what tongue speakers do can be duplicated by people in error, then how can the tongue speakers know they have a genuine gift? How can they use their gift (as they often do) to prove they are pleasing to God?

Clearly modern “tongues” are not supernatural or miraculous.

Conclusion

A topic for future study would be the purpose of miracles. We will see that modern tongues also fail to accomplish the Biblical purpose of true tongue speaking.

When compared to true Bible tongues, modern “tongue speaking” fails on every count. It is a counterfeit, a fake, sent by Satan to fool people into accepting false doctrines. So why study it?

First, so we are not misled to accept false practices or false doctrines (1 John 4:1).

Second, so we can help other people avoid false practices and false doctrines.

Third, by understanding what the Bible says, we can appreciate the nature and purpose of true spiritual gifts. These gifts existed to reveal God’s will and give proof the message was from God. That message is now recorded in the Bible, so we today can learn the truth by studying it. And we can know that it is the truth from the eyewitness

testimony of the miracles recorded in the Bible to confirm that it truly is from God. Fake “miracles” undermine the power of true miracles.

Studies like this should help us avoid error and at the same time appreciate truth.

The Purpose of Spiritual