Some Christians talk in tongues. So do some Mormons, some
devil-possessed spiritists, heathen witch doctors in Africa and Asia.
Ages ago many heathen religions talked in tongues. It is not of itself
necessarily of God.
In his book, New Testament Teaching on Tongues, Dr. Merrill
Unger calls attention to this fact, on pages 163-165:
That tongues can be and are counterfeited by demon spirits is
evidenced by the fact that spiritistic mediums. Muslim dervishes, and
Indian fakirs speak in tongues. It must be remembered by those who try
to make tongues a badge of spirituality or a status symbol of saints
who have attained the height of spiritual experience, that speaking in
tongues and their interpretation are not peculiar to the Christian
church but are common in ancient pagan religions and in spiritism both
ancient and modern.
The very phrase "to speak with tongues" (Greek glosais lalein, Acts
2:4; 10:46; 19-6; 1st Cor. 12-14; cf. Mark 16:17) was not invented by
New Testament writers, but borrowed from the ordinary speech of
pagans. Plato's attitude toward the enthusiastic ecstasies of the
ancient soothsayer (mantis, diviner,) recalls the Apostle Paul's
attitude toward glossolalia among the Corinthian believers.
Virgil graphically describes the ancient pagan prophetess "speaking
with tongues." He depicts her disheveled hair, her panting breast, her
change of color, and her apparent increase in stature at the god
(demon) came upon her and filled her with this supernatural afflatus.
Then her voice loses its mortal ring as the god (demon) speaks through
her, as in ancient and modern necromancy (spiritism).
Phenomena of this type are common among savages and pagan peoples
of lower culture. Ecstatic utterances interpreted by a person in a
sane state of mind have been verified, In the Sandwich Islands, for
example, the god Oro gave his oracles through a priest who "ceased to
act or speak as a voluntary agent, but with his limbs convulsed, his
features distorted and terrific, his eyes wild and strained, would
roll on the ground foaming at the moth, and reveal the will of the god
in shrill cries and sounds violent and indistinct, which the attending
priests duly interpreted to the people."
So, intelligent and concerned people will want to find out what is of
God and what is of evil spirits.
The matter is so important, let me call to the witness stand again
the assistant professor in Grace Theological Seminary, Dr. Charles R.
Smith. He says on pages 20-22 of his book, Tongues in Biblical
Perspective:
IN NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS.--Tongues occupied a significant place in
ancient Greek religion. The seeress at Delphi, not far from Corinth,
spoke in tongues. According to Plutarch (A.D. 44-117), interpreters
were kept in attendance to explain her incoherent utterances. Many
scholars have stated that tongues were experienced in the mystery
religions (Osirius, Mithra, Eleusinian, Dionsyian, and Orphic cults).
Some have concluded that the unintelligible lists of "words" in the
"magical papyri" and in certain Gnostic "prayers" are records of
ecstatic utterances. About A.D. 180 Celsus reported ecstatic
utterances among the Gnostics. Lucian of Samosata (A.D. 120-198)
described tongues speaking as it was practiced by the devotees of the
Syrian goddess, Juno.
Today shamans (witch doctors, priests, or medicine men) in Haiti,
Greenland, Micronesia, and countries of Africa, Australia, Asia, and
North and South America speak in tongues. Several groups use drugs to
aid in inducing the ecstatic state and utterances. Voodoo
practitioners speak in tongues. Buddhist and Shinto priest have been
heard speaking in tongues. Moslems have spoken in tongues, and an
ancient tradition even reports that Mohammed himself spoke in tongues.
According to his own account, after his ecstatic experiences he
found it difficult to return to "logical and intelligible speech"
(Kelsey, p. 143).
IN MENTAL ILLNESS.--The fact hat nonreligious tongues speaking often
occurs in association with certain mental illnesses is well
documented. Psychiatrists have reported it in association with
schizophrenia, neurosis, and psychosis. Probably all psychiatrists and
psychologists are aware of the possibility of psychic damage resulting
from tongues speaking (Kelsey, p.227). It was reported that following
the extended tongues meeting held by Aimee Semple McPherson, founder
of the Church of the Foursquare Gospel, mental institutions in the
area of her meeting were overburdened. The Episcopalian church
financed a study commission which concluded that tongues are "not per
se a religious phenomenon" and may appear among those "who are
suffering from mental disorders as schizophrenia and hysteria"
(Jennings, p.11)
IN SPIRITISM.--Tongues speaking occurs among anti-Christian
spiritistic mediums. Contrary to popular belief among tongues
speakers, a few years ago the European Pentecostal Conference admitted
that "tongues might occur apart from the Spirit's action" (Brown,
p.151)
IN THE DEMON POSSESSED.--Even Pentecostal authors grant that there are
cases where demonic influence is apparently responsible for tongues
utterances. Some feel that this is why "the gift of discernment of
spirits" is necessary.
Again on
page 38 Dr. Smith says:
In extra biblical literature this word was used to describe the
"inspired" utterances of diviners. Moulton and Milligan cite three
occurrences of the word in Vettius Valens where it designates
irrational or unintelligible speech. It is stated that the speakers'
minds had "fallen away," they were overcome with "madness," and they
spoke in "ecstasy" (p. 72). Apoptheggomai was almost a technical term
for describing the speech of the oracle-givers, diviners, prophets,
exorcists, ecstatics, and other "inspired" persons (Kittel, I, 447;
Arndt and Gingrich, p. 101). The basic idea is "an unusual utterance
by virtue of inspiration." Though the word obviously cannot be limited
to unintelligible speech, it is certainly appropriate for such. Its
usage in Greek literature, in fact, definitely suggests a connection
with ecstatic, often unintelligible, utterances.
If a Mormon talks in tongues with his false religion, is that speaking
with tongues the Bible gift of tongues? I think not. If an unconverted
Catholic who prays to Mary, confesses to a priest, hopes to get out of
purgatory if enough people pay for masses and if he hasn't sinned badly,
talks in tongues, is that the Bible gift of tongues? I think not.
Evidently Satan can have people talk in tongues also, and we need
to carefully consider that when we talk about the gift of tongues.
End
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