Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. - 1Corinthians 14:13-19 (ESV)
There seems to be two prevailing camps when it comes to the charismata, or gifts of the spirit. The cessationist camp says that the gifts are no longer in operation today and ceased at the end of the apostolic age, around 100 AD when the apostle John passed away. There is of course no scriptural support for this and the bible actually shows the opposite just on the smell test alone. The Apostle Paul goes into pained detail about the gifts, for example tongues and how it should be utilized in church services. These instructions were probably penned around 60AD, a mere forty years before John's death. Remember also that the bible would not be cobbled together for another 200+ years at the Council of Nicaea. So, in order for cessationism to be legit, God would have to have chosen to divinely inspire Paul to write about the gifts, for the instruction of the church, knowing full well the gifts would cease in forty years. On top of that, God would then choose to make sure those Pauline letters outlining gifts, which He would have known would be soon expired, would make it into the final canon of scripture. Sorry, that makes no sense. Cessationism is a dog that don't hunt, as the old expression goes.
The second camp is charismania, where anything goes regarding the gifts of the spirit. Charismania has done more to further the cause of cessationism than anything else as people see the abuses of the gifts and run from them. People see the fake healing ministries of Todd White and company and want to run. Growing out shorter leg illusions do not fool anyone and makes a mockery of God. So do psychic cold readings disguised as "words of knowledge" or using smartphone technology to pretend you are hearing from the Lord. Real miracles have been replaced by false signs and lying wonders such as gemstones, angel feathers, and gold dust. For the newer generations raised on this pablum, it is all they know. One of the most controversial gifts has always been tongues. The Charismaniacal spectrum for the gift of tongues is huge. Some postulate that you cannot be saved if you do not speak in tongues. Others claim you have no empowerment of the spirit, like He is indwelt at salvation and then goes to sleep. Go to an average Charismatic service and you will see the rules of scripture regarding tongues mangled beyond recognition. There is a certain "look at me", showy spirit in these services. Tongues often interrupts the pastor so everyone can look at the person speaking in tongues, often without an interpretation, which is forbidden by scripture. The above linked article claims that anyone can speak in tongues at any time, which I know to be absurdly false. So, let us reason once more together to hear what God has to say:
"Speaking in tongues is a matter of the will, according to the apostle Paul. He said, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding" (1 Cor. 14:14-15, MEV). He says that you will either choose to speak in tongues or choose not to. Everyone may do so anytime. Also, this passage proves that God does not speak through people when they speak in tongues and the Holy Spirit does not force people to speak." - James Linzey
There are some major interpretive flaws here to unpack. Let's start with whopper number one. Speaking in tongues is NOT a matter of will. At least not scripturally. It is true that in many charismatic services that people will decide to just start talking gibberish. I have seen pastors even do it in mid-sentence of English! Does this sound familiar?
"Our God can do anything beloved, today He is saying that He wants to...a shantalababa"ohhh that's right!
