David Diga Hernandez - 8 Myths Christians Still Believe About Speaking in Tongues

We are going to expose eight myths—eight lies that many Christians still believe about the gift of speaking in tongues. Now, this will equip two different types of people. Number one, it will equip the individual who believes these lies about the gift of speaking in tongues and therefore has trouble allowing that gift to flow through them. The second person this will help is the one who believes in the gift of speaking in tongues, who uses the gift of speaking in tongues, and also wants to help others remove these mental blockages to allowing that gift to flow.

Now, listen to what the Scripture says in Psalm 139, verses 23 and 24: «Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.» Here in the book of Psalms, we see that this prayer is being offered to God—a prayer saying, «Search me and lead me; remove those things from me that are not of You.» We need to learn to humble ourselves before the Word. We need to learn to correct our thinking according to what Scripture says and to align ourselves in the light of truth.

So, if you want the Holy Spirit to show you what the Bible truly says about this beautiful spiritual gift, I want you to type these three simple words in the comment section: «Lead me, Lord.» That is your prayer. I want you to say it boldly; I don’t want you to be ashamed of making that prayer: «Lead me, Lord.» All of us are being led by the Holy Spirit; all of us are seeking truth; all of us are trying to get a better grasp on what Scripture says, and we must be led by the Lord. So write those three simple words: «Lead me, Lord.» Even if you’re watching on the replay, this is the commitment that you’re making now. Put it on record to say, «Lord, I want you to search for those things in me that are against Your truth. I want you to search for those things in me that are contrary to Your will and Your nature, and I want You to lead me in the way everlasting.»

With that said, let’s lay some foundational truths. Now I am going to get into the eight myths. I know that often when we click on videos like this, we want the information to come at us instantly, and usually, I get right into the topic. I only lay foundations when I see it as absolutely necessary, and in this case, this particular foundation is absolutely necessary before we can cover these eight myths because it will help you understand the gift of speaking in tongues in greater depth. With that greater understanding concerning the gift of speaking in tongues, you are now equipped to see the myths and the lies for what they actually are.

So, I want to begin by briefly sharing with you the three expressions of the gift of speaking in tongues. Number one, there is the personal expression. Number two, there is the proof tongue. Number three, there is the prophetic tongue. So, the personal tongue, the proof tongue, the prophetic tongue. Although you won’t find these terms in Scripture, you will see these realities in Scripture. There are many different concepts in Scripture, like, for instance, the rapture or the Trinity. Those words aren’t in the Scripture, but you will see the principles very clearly laid out, and because those principles are there, we use terms that are biblically consistent to describe them so that we understand what we mean when we communicate with each other concerning these realities.

So, number one is the personal tongue, number two is the proof tongue, and number three is the prophetic tongue. Let me show you these three different expressions and how they look in Scripture. First, go to 1 Corinthians chapter 14. I’m going to read verses one through four: «Let love be your highest goal, but you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the ability to prophesy. For if you have the ability to prophesy or the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. The one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.»

Here, the Apostle Paul is not speaking negatively of the gift of speaking in tongues, as we will cover in one of the myths shortly. For now, I just want to highlight this simple reality that when you pray in tongues, there is an expression of the gift of tongues that is self-edifying. We see that very clearly in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, verses one through four, where the Apostle Paul clearly writes that when you’re praying in tongues, you’re speaking by the power of the Spirit, and you are strengthened personally. So, that’s number one: the personal tongue. That is one expression of the gift of tongues, and that is for the edification or the strengthening or the spiritual growth of self.

Number two, we see the proof tongue in Acts chapter 2, verses 4 through 6. The Bible says, «And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time, there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.»

Number two, we see the proof tongue in Acts chapter 2, verses 4 through 6. The Bible says, «And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.» At that time, there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. So here we see the proof tongue; this is heard as an earthly language. This occurs when someone supernaturally speaks an actual earthly language. This is an amazing reality, and I’ve heard many stories from missionaries regarding this particular expression of the gift of speaking in tongues. When they begin to pray in tongues by the Spirit, an incredible, actual earthly language is heard by the listener. The listener will sometimes receive a prophetic word or hear the gospel message in their own native tongue, spoken by someone who doesn’t even know the language and, in many cases, has never heard that language before. So that is a supernatural expression of this gift, and we call this the proof tongue.

Number three, the prophetic tongue. This is the expression of the gift of tongues used in a church setting or a public assembly of believers. Believers gather together from all over the region to worship, sing spiritual songs, hymns, and psalms, and they come to hear the Word and share encouragement with one another. They exercise their gifts; this is the gathering of the saints. This is where this particular expression is used, and it’s found in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. I’m going to read verses 26-28. The Bible says, «Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize: when you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. No more than two or three should speak in tongues; they must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.»

Here we see that in the church setting, what is to happen when this particular expression of the gift of tongues is used is for an individual to stand and gather the collective attention of those assembled in that body of believers. That person is to speak aloud in tongues, and when they do so supernaturally, someone else is to listen to that message being spoken aloud and then share that message with the rest of the believers. I’ve actually seen this happen, and it’s a very powerful and moving thing to witness. I remember several times in my church while growing up, sitting in the church service when a holy hush would come over the room. Suddenly, the worship is done, the pastor’s speaking has finished, and there’s just this moment of pause—you can’t really manufacture something like that. It’s just something that, by the Holy Spirit, people are moved to do. A beautiful, weighty presence becomes manifested, and there’s a great reverence that comes over the room; the air becomes thick with the manifested presence of the Holy Spirit.

Then, someone will stand up in their seat and begin to speak in tongues. I remember when this would happen; I would sit in my seat, and this great reverence, this great fear of the Lord, would come over the people, and this great weight would settle upon the room. Then, this person would begin to speak in tongues, and as they did, it was as if that weight intensified. I remember feeling chills all over my body when that person would stand and begin to speak in tongues aloud. It wasn’t disruptive, chaotic, or self-centered; it was beautiful, Christ-centered, God-glorifying, orderly, and elegant. There was a majesty about it—a real classy way that it was carried out—because it was all orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. This individual would stand, pray out in tongues, and then sit down. There would be another great moment of pause, then another individual would stand and give the interpretation. As they gave that interpretation, they would speak prophetically with such weight behind their words that you could sense the words piercing your heart. That is the beautiful expression called the prophetic tongue, and that’s how it’s to look in a church service.

Now let me clarify the distinctions here, and then we’re going to get into myth number one. The first myth, by the way, is one of the more common myths. This is for those of you who are struggling to receive the gift, helping others to receive this gift, or simply wanting to know how to better explain the gift of speaking in tongues to those who ask you. Let’s clarify the distinctions between the three expressions as we see in scripture. First of all, let’s look at how these three expressions benefit the individuals or the people receiving the benefits from this gift. As I go through these, you will see very clearly that there are indeed three expressions in relation to the gift of speaking in tongues. I just briefly showed you the three expressions of the gift of speaking in tongues as examples of how they work.

And now we get into how they are more distinct from one another, so watch this: Number one, the benefit of the personal tongue benefits the individual. That’s 1 Corinthians chapter 14, verse 4. The prophetic tongue, the one I just described, benefits the entire church, and we see an example of this mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7, and 1 Corinthians chapter 14, verse 26. Then we see the proof tongue, which benefits the unbeliever; that’s 1 Corinthians chapter 14, verse 22. Now, this is very different from the private personal tongue because in 1 Corinthians 14:22 we see that the gift of tongues can benefit the unbeliever. Then, in 1 Corinthians 14:2 and 4, we see that the gift of tongues can benefit the individual in one expression.

Again, in 1 Corinthians 14:26, we see that the gift of tongues can also benefit the church. But again, we see the three expressions very clearly here when we look at how they benefit the individual or individuals receiving the benefit from each expression. Next, we see interpretation requirements. There are different requirements for interpretation for each of the expressions of the gift of speaking in tongues. I’ll show you. First of all, we see that the personal tongue, which is self-edifying, requires no interpreter or interpretation to be beneficial to the individual. Notice that in 1 Corinthians 14:2 and 4, Paul the Apostle writes that no one understands them, yet they are still personally strengthened. So, there we see that the interpretation requirement is different for the personal tongue than, say, the prophetic tongue, which requires an interpreter in order to benefit the church, as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:26. There, we see that someone must interpret what is being said in order for there to be any benefit at all. That right there shows a very clear distinction between the prophetic tongue and the personal tongue.

Number three, we see the proof tongue. The proof tongue requires—watch this—no interpreter for the interpretation to be understood by the unbeliever. An example of this is found in Acts chapter 2, verse 8. No one stood up and interpreted; no one stood up and said, «Hey, wait a minute, one at a time! We shouldn’t all be doing this!» But everyone who was present, or at least most of them, received benefit from hearing a message in their own languages. That really is a supernatural interpretation, which did not require someone to exercise the gift of interpretation. So, when we look at the interpretation requirements, we clearly see some distinctions. How many of you, as you’re listening to this right now, let me know in the comments, are having lightbulbs go off, saying, «Aha! I think I’m starting to see this very clearly»? Let me know if you also know of other distinctions in these expressions. Number three, we look at how it’s understood. Now, watch this: the personal tongue is understood by no one but God. Now, this is slightly different from interpretation requirements, but it’s very similar. Still, I think it shows us these distinctions, so I’m going to share these with you. The personal tongue is understood by no one but God.

First Corinthians 14:2 says only God understands you, so that particular expression is understood only by the Heavenly Father. Number two, the prophetic tongue is understood by the church with the aid of an interpreter; that’s First Corinthians 14:27. Finally, the proof tongue is supernaturally understood by the unbeliever; that’s Acts 2:8. So, there are very obviously three different expressions of one particular gift. Now that these distinctions are in place, let’s begin to look at some of the myths that many Christians believe about the gift of speaking in tongues. I’m going to equip you now. I don’t want you to use this knowledge to bully people or show off how much you know about the Spirit; rather, I just want you to be grounded. I want you to be prepared to gently give an answer to those who ask about the gift of speaking in tongues, and I want to equip you to help others receive this beautiful expression of the gift. Sometimes, these mental barriers prevent people from stepping into what God has for them simply because they can’t get past what they think about it, or what they’ve been taught, or the myths they’ve come to believe.

Now, myth number one: Paul discouraged believers from praying in tongues. Often, when you talk to someone who doesn’t want you to use the beautiful expression that is the gift of speaking in tongues, they’re going to cite First Corinthians 14:1-4 to try to discourage you from using this gift. Let’s take a look at this particular portion of Scripture to see if, in fact, Paul the Apostle was discouraging believers from praying in tongues. «Let love be your highest goal, but you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the ability to prophesy. For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. The one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.»

This is an often misunderstood portion of Scripture, particularly because people use it to claim that Paul the Apostle wasn’t a fan of the gift of speaking in tongues or that he didn’t want people speaking in tongues. However, if you examine First Corinthians 14:1-4 carefully, you will see that Paul the Apostle is not condemning the gift of speaking in tongues; he is comparing it to the gift of prophecy. He is not by any means saying that the gift of speaking in tongues is bad; he is simply saying that the gift of prophecy is better. So, when compared to one another, yes, you should choose to prophesy. Why? Because that benefits everyone—everyone can understand what is being spoken prophetically. However, when you speak in tongues, or at least use that uninterpreted version of the gift, not everyone can receive from that. Still, in this particular portion of Scripture, we do see that Paul admits that speaking in tongues is speaking by the power of the Spirit and that it personally benefits the individual by strengthening their spirit man. So, he’s not saying there’s no benefit whatsoever; he’s saying that the gift of prophecy has more benefit, especially in the context of a church setting. If you read First Corinthians 12, 13, and 14, you will clearly see that Paul the Apostle is talking about our interactions with one another. In First Corinthians 12, you see the gifts of the Spirit mentioned, which pertain to our interactions with one another.

First Corinthians 13, the love chapter, addresses our interactions with one another. First Corinthians 14 begins to establish order regarding spiritual gifts, which also pertains to our interactions. The Apostle Paul speaks specifically about the expression of the gift of tongues used in public assembly. Of course, one should not go to a public assembly of believers and begin to speak in tongues without interpretation in a manner that captures their entire attention. You should use things that will benefit those who are gathered. Paul was not against the gift of tongues, but he clearly favored the gift of prophecy, at least for the purpose of the assembled believers. He was comparing, not condemning. He was not stating that the gift of tongues has no purpose; he was saying that prophecy has a greater purpose. If that’s not enough, we see in First Corinthians 14:5 and First Corinthians 14:39 that Paul actually encourages the use of this gift. First Corinthians 14:5 says, «I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more, I wish you could all prophesy.» There again, we see he wishes for all to speak in tongues, but even more for them to prophesy—again, comparing, not condemning. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church, in the context of public assembly, will be strengthened. First Corinthians 14:39 says, «So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy and don’t forbid speaking in tongues.» Very clearly, we see myth number one put to rest: that Paul discouraged believers from praying in tongues is simply not biblical; it is a misreading of First Corinthians 14:1-4. People impose their own biases, their own interpretations, on that particular text because they are anti-speaking in tongues. They attempt to declare that the Apostle Paul was, too, when in fact he was in favor of it, as we just read.