Truth, Error, and Discernment
A comprehensive biblical guide for understanding, testing, and responding to teachings about tongues.
“But test everything; hold fast what is good.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21
1. The Biblical Definition and Purpose
2. The Temporary Nature of the Gift
3. How False Teachings Twist the Truth
4. Why Some Teach This Way
5. The Questions of Discernment
6. The Harm These Teachings Cause
7. The Biblical Evidence of the Holy Spirit
8. The Healthy Way to Respond
9. The Unifying Message
10. The Bottom Line
11. Our Desire: Holiness, Not Religious Display
12. A Final Note: Salvation by Grace, Not Speech
1. The Biblical Definition and Purpose
What Scripture Actually Says
The word “tongues” (glōssa in Greek) literally means languages.
Acts 2:4–6 explains it clearly:
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance… each one was hearing them speak in his own language.”
Tongues were known human languages given supernaturally by the Holy Spirit — not learned, not practiced, and not emotional babbling.
Why God Used Tongues
- To proclaim the gospel to many nations (Acts 2).
- To confirm inclusion of Gentiles and others into God’s kingdom (Acts 10; Acts 19).
- To fulfill prophecy of Isaiah 28:11–12, where foreign tongues were a sign to unbelieving Israel.
- To authenticate the apostles and the early Church’s message (Hebrews 2:3–4).
Tongues were always a sign, never a secret.
2. The Temporary Nature of the Gift
1 Corinthians 13:8–10 says:
“As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease… when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.”
Tongues served a foundational role until the message of the gospel and the written Word were complete. Once God’s revelation was fully given and confirmed, the need for sign gifts faded.
Hebrews 2:3–4 speaks of them in the past tense — they attested to the apostles’ message.
3. How False Teachings Twist the Truth
| False Claim | Twisted Logic | What Scripture Actually Says |
| “Tongues are a private prayer language.” | Makes tongues self-focused, not Spirit-led. | Gifts are for edifying others, not self (1 Cor 12:7; 14:5). |
| “Angels have their own language.” | Uses poetic exaggeration as doctrine. | Angels always speak in human language when addressing people. |
| “There’s a second baptism of the Spirit.” | Separates believers into two classes. | All believers receive the Spirit at salvation (Rom 8:9; Eph 1:13). |
| “Everyone can speak in tongues.” | Redefines the Spirit’s sovereign will. | “Do all speak in tongues?” Paul answers no (1 Cor 12:30). |
| “You can learn or activate the gift.” | Makes gifts man-initiated, not Spirit-given. | The Spirit gives as He wills (1 Cor 12:11). |
| “Tongues prove God’s power.” | Equates emotion with evidence. | The real evidence is fruit (Gal 5:22–23). |
4. Why Some Teach This Way
A. Emotional Appeal
People crave a tangible experience of God. Leaders use tongues to provide that “feeling” of closeness.
B. Spiritual Pride
It creates a hierarchy — “Spirit-filled believers” vs. “ordinary Christians.” That’s unbiblical and divisive.
C. Control and Loyalty
Movements that rely on visible signs keep followers emotionally tied to leaders who “activate” those experiences.
D. Ignorance of Context
They mistake Paul’s rebuke in 1 Corinthians 14 for instruction on how to practice tongues.
E. Fear of Dry Religion
Some equate quiet reverence with lack of life, so they seek visible excitement as proof of the Spirit’s presence.
5. The Questions of Discernment
Use these to test any teaching or experience:
- Where does Scripture say angels speak a different language?
- Where does it say there is a second experience of receiving the Holy Spirit?
- Where does the Bible show anyone learning or practicing tongues?
- Why would Paul regulate tongues for order and interpretation if they were meant for private use?
- Do all believers have the same gifts (1 Cor 12:29–30)?
- If tongues edify self, how does that fit with 1 Cor 12:7 (“for the common good”)?
- What fruit or understanding results from this practice?
- Does it unite or divide believers?
- Does it glorify Christ, or the person speaking?
- Does it align with the character of the Holy Spirit — clarity, peace, self-control (1 Cor 14:33; Gal 5:23)?
6. The Harm These Teachings Cause
A. Spiritual Division
When one group claims a higher spiritual status, others feel second-class. That’s exactly the problem Paul corrected in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 12:21 — “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you.’”
B. Emotional Confusion
Sincere believers start questioning their salvation, worth, or faith because they don’t have the same experience.
That guilt is not conviction — it’s condemnation. Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
C. Manufactured Experiences
Some imitate what they hear to “fit in,” turning what should be spiritual authenticity into social pressure.
D. Open Door to Counterfeit Spirits
When people seek manifestations instead of truth, they become vulnerable to deception.
2 Corinthians 11:4 warns of “another spirit” and “another gospel.”
E. Erosion of Biblical Authority
The moment experience outweighs Scripture, the door opens for any doctrine to pass as divine.
7. The Biblical Evidence of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s work is not measured by noise but by fruit and truth.
| The Spirit’s True Evidence | Scripture Reference |
| Convicts of sin and points to Christ | John 16:8–14 |
| Produces godly character | Galatians 5:22–23 |
| Teaches and reminds believers of truth | John 14:26 |
| Unites believers in peace | Ephesians 4:3–4 |
| Gives power for witness, not performance | Acts 1:8 |
| Confirms we belong to God | Romans 8:16 |
If the “manifestation” of the Spirit divides, confuses, or exalts man — it’s not the Holy Spirit.
8. The Healthy Way to Respond
If someone in your church or study group claims tongues as proof of spirituality:
- Affirm their salvation — “If you believe in Christ, the Spirit already dwells in you.”
- Refocus on Scripture — “Let’s see what God’s Word says this gift is for.”
- Address comparison gently — “The Spirit’s gifts differ, but His presence is equal in all believers.”
- Encourage fruit over fireworks — “It’s better to love deeply than to speak loudly.”
- Invite questions, not judgment — “Let’s study this together instead of competing for experiences.”
9. The Unifying Message
The miracle of tongues was never about who had it — it was about who heard it.
At Pentecost, the real miracle wasn’t in the speaking but in the understanding — every nation heard the same gospel in their own language.
Today, the Spirit still speaks — not in chaos, but in clarity.
Not to elevate us, but to exalt Christ.
10. The Bottom Line
False teaching says:
“Do this and you’ll have more of the Spirit.”
The Bible says:
“When you received Christ, you already received all of Him.”
The Holy Spirit doesn’t make some Christians special —
He makes every Christian spiritual.
And the most powerful language any believer can speak isn’t in syllables —
it’s in love, truth, unity, and obedience.
11. Our Desire: Holiness, Not Religious Display
Religion says, “Look what I can do for God.”
Holiness says, “Look what God is doing in me.”
The misuse of tongues—and many other external rituals—often comes from a sincere desire to feel closer to God. But when that desire becomes focused on experience rather than obedience, it becomes religious performance instead of spiritual growth.
The Danger of Religious Pursuit
- It focuses on appearance, not character.
- It elevates emotion, not truth.
- It breeds comparison, not compassion.
- It seeks validation, not sanctification.
Jesus rebuked this same spirit in the Pharisees: they did everything in public to look spiritual, but their hearts were far from Him. The danger today is no different—when the goal becomes looking Spirit-filled rather than being Spirit-led.
The Call to Holiness
1 Peter 1:15–16 says,
“As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
Holiness means set apart — not louder, not flashier, but different in heart, mind, and motive.
It’s the evidence of a Spirit-filled life that doesn’t need to prove itself.
When believers pursue holiness:
- Worship becomes reverent, not reckless.
- Prayer becomes communication, not performance.
- Service becomes selfless, not self-promoting.
- Unity becomes natural, not forced.
The Real Measure
You can speak with passion, sing with fire, and shout in prayer—but if there’s no humility, purity, or love, it’s just religious noise.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:1:
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
The true mark of the Spirit isn’t in how high we raise our hands; it’s in how low we bow our hearts.
Our desire should never be to “look spiritual.”
Our desire should be to be holy—to reflect the heart of Jesus, to walk in obedience, and to love truth more than experience.
Holiness doesn’t need a spotlight.
It shines brightest in humility, purity, and truth.
And that’s what the Holy Spirit came to produce — not rituals, not rivalry, but righteousness.
12. A Final Note: Salvation by Grace, Not Speech
This topic can stir strong opinions, and that’s understandable. But we must never let a secondary issue become a salvation issue.
The gift—or claimed gift—of tongues has nothing to do with being saved.
Ephesians 2:8–9 makes it unshakably clear:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Salvation doesn’t depend on what language you pray in, whether you’ve spoken in tongues, or how emotional your worship is.
It depends entirely on the finished work of Jesus Christ.
You could pray in English, Portuguese, or even broken, fumbling words—God doesn’t measure eloquence; He measures sincerity of heart.
Romans 10:9 says,
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
That’s it. No syllables to master. No ritual to prove.
Just faith in Christ alone.
Grace Over Gift
It’s important to remember: gifts can be misunderstood, misused, or even faked—but grace cannot.
Grace is pure, permanent, and personal.
The thief on the cross never spoke in tongues, never joined a church, never got baptized—and yet Jesus said, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Why?
Because he believed.
Final Reflection
Let this truth settle deep:
- Tongues are a topic. Grace is the truth.
- Gifts differ. Salvation doesn’t.
- We may disagree on manifestations—but we must agree on the Messiah.
If someone loves Jesus, trusts His death and resurrection, and follows Him as Lord—
then they are your brother or sister, whether they pray in words, whispers, or tears.