'Tongues' Deception

Bible teacher Michael Pearl shows the difference between what the Bible teaches about speaking in other tongues versus the phenomenon of glossolalia or ecstatic utterance practiced by many Christians today.

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[c.retana-holguin]

Thanks Mr. Pearl for your in-depth and insightful lecture on speaking in tongues. Your lecture was the best I've seen. I was born Catholic and later in my teens and a university student attended a Christian church where all of this nonsense took place; I never fell for it. I knew it was not biblical but possessed no way of explaining this phenomenon.

I also speak Spanish fluently and have studied French and Italian--teach English as a second language and have an understanding of basic linguistics and the International Phonetic Alphabet. And, yes, the Greek word for languages is "tongues, " exactly like in French and Italian. And in Spanish we say "lengua" which translates into not only "language, " but also the tongue in your mouth.

[humblewatchman]

As a 19 year old, God saved me in the backseat of a car on the ride home from the hospital that I had just left after being treated for overdosing. I told him if he would help me stop using drugs, I would serve him. For 2 weeks I prayed daily in my living room on my knees, but I had no idea how to pray or even what to say. Despite my lack of understanding, He radically changed my life. A few months later I was visiting churches, asking Him each time if this was home. I wondered into a church and immediately felt God’s presence the minute I crossed the threshold. After a couple services, I thought I heard someone singing in a different language during worship….of course I had no idea what I was hearing. During an altar call, I made my way up to the front, and God did a thing that I was absolutely unaware of, a thing I had no words for and zero understanding of. The Holy Spirit came over me like a flood. I slowly dropped to my knees with my hands raised, and I quietly began speaking in a language that wasn’t my own.

That night I went home, asking God what on earth just happened. As I was on my hands and knees in the quietness of my bedroom, it happened again. Except this time, I started weeping and weeping and weeping. As I finally got up and made my way to the bed, I happened to look at the clock on my nightstand, utterly shocked when I noticed 4 hours had gone by…..I genuinely thought I had been praying for no more than 30 minutes.

20 years later I find myself praying for my 5 kids that God would do the same thing in them, unbeknownst to them - that He would impart a radical, life-altering love to them that would sweep over every ounce of their being. I’ve never spoken in tongues in front of people, but I do daily in my secret place. Although the gifts have been perverted by man, it’s so very worth exploring the depths of the Holy Spirit - with the only cost being the relinquishing of preconceived notions, pride, and the acknowledgment that maybe it’s okay if we don’t have all the answers.

[billlebrave]

I was hypnotized once. It is real but dangerous. As Christians we want to keep in touch with reality at all times.

[audreyhentz]

I also speak in tongues. I was born again in 1978, filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues about a year later, and have been praying in tongues ever since. Please everyone, read 1st Corinthians 14. Read the entire chapter, especially verse 2. Please, please ask God for an understanding. He will give it to you. No need to depend on someone else’s interpretation. The skeptics always seem to omit this passage of scripture when they debunk speaking in tongues.
I pray for Michael Pearl to receive the fullness of Jesus Christ with a full understanding of his Word.

[CP-]

Amen. I’ve witnessed this for quite awhile in many churches. It freaks out those seekers/nonbelievers coming to church for the first time. As believers in Christ we don’t have to do any weird stuff to prove we have The Holy Spirit, just display his fruits (Galatians 5 22-23). And focus on doing our job…spread the gospel to all that will listen. God bless

[lastdayshomesteading]

Brother Mike I have friends that will defend this gift to their grave. They will say forbid not speaking in tongues as the scripture says, or we are commanded to pray in the Spirit which they interpret speaking in tongues. Anyway many years ago I felt pressured to seek God for this gift because I was told I needed it. Well the Lord never gave it to me. Take care brother

[tonyacarlton]

I was the girl babbling like a barbarian..but God convicted me to study and learn what i was doing was not approved worship to Him. I brought strange fire to worship...and i was guilty of the sin.. thank God i repented, ,

[TLA-mllg]

Glad you pointed out about the hypnotists. In the past I have been in one of those type of prayer lines where the pastor lays his hands on you but I guess I was unhypnotizable because I never passed out or even felt a tinkle. It is either in people's minds or it is demonic. Either way God has blessed me from being affected by that nonsense. Because there is a real danger in stuff like the transference of spirits through the laying on of hands.

[TokiPonaFan]

1:01 he he ho ho it's off to work we go we go

[cynthiarogers]

Mike as a 2nd grader. I went to a Church with my cousins. They wanted me to walk with them to the alter to Pray . As.I was on bended knees 😳 the adults around me started speaking in tounges. I had never knew of such a thing. I knew it was real & it frightend me. One of the men speaking put his hand on my head. I was Terrified. It felt Very Dark to me. I am now 47. This happened almost 40 yrs ago & it is still one of the scariest moments of my life. I had to sleep in my parents room that night. To me it felt Very Strange &. Dark .

[raerae]

I have always been uncomfortable with tongues and you have confirmed what I felt to be true. Thank you.

[tlgf]

Michael, thanks for the video. I’ve been a Christian for 30 odd years and tongues was a normal part the churches I’ve attended. You make some interesting points which I tend to agree. Im of Greek background and speak the language also. In my early years I was sharing the gospel with an Arab mate and prayed for him in tongues briefly. And to my surprise he understood some of the words I was saying in Arabic. He translated that God was telling him to “not fear and follow God”.

[LD-qokf]

Ive been speaking in "quote tongues or in the tongue of Angels since I was baptized in my bedroom all alone by the Lord himself and he instructed me to open my mouth. Then He led me to Acts and shared that This was the power I needed to remain a HOT Believer. I've been HOT for 34 years...and many times I am given the interpretation of the prayers I am praying. I pray in tongues bc Most times I dont have words to pray in Gods will. 💛💛💛
Those people are frauds. I am NOT a fraud to God. Dont use tongues in public. Rarely. Only twice and Then intepreted it.

[MrCouvade]

WOW the best explanation i have ever seen...i went to a church that tried to teach me to speak in tongues before i was born again.(1978 feb).. Now when i see it the Holy Spirit in me says no no not of God.

[matthayes]

"The biggest problem missionaries have in Africa is Benny Hinn getting there ahead of them" wow man that's brutal. There is no insult like the truth.

[ssstults]

I remember bring taken to a Pentecostal church as a young person and being frightened by the people speaking in tongues and thrashing around. I never wanted to go back there and couldn't wait until it was time to go! I'm certain I'm not the only one to be turned off of religion by seeing this strange and unnerving spectacle.

[neilbeckett]

I came to faith some 9 years ago. I have prayed and asked for the gift and never felt it was given to me. Evey person I've heard speaking "tongues" has been speaking jabbering to me. As you mentioned, language has a structure and in the 9 years I've been a believer I've yet to hear one that actually resembles the structure of a language. Sad so many insecure Christians feel they have to speak tongues. The most important thing for me is an authentic relationship with our creator. The likes of Benny frankly make my skin crawl.

[shanejones]

When this used to happen in my church as a younger person I can remember thinking " This is ridiculous and fake"

[-ForSuch-A-TimeAsThis]

I asked God for the gift of tongues. I asked for a few years. The day I received tongues I felt a direct connection from my heart like a beam that’s connected my heart to the heavens. I know I received the gift. I felt like crying with love when it happened in my living room. Sometimes it sounds like Arabic, sometimes it sounds like Chinese, sometimes it sounds like of a Spanish origin. It’s different, it’s never the same language

[allgems]

Thank you for this. Left a church 15+ years ago that did this and said if you didn’t you weren’t saved. It makes me alternatively angry and amused but you’re right…overall it’s an embarrassment to the Lord :(