What Actual Harm Does Speaking in Nonsense Tongues Do?

Even some who don’t speak in nonsense tongues don’t believe that speaking in them necessarily does a lot of harm. However, nonsense tongues are not innocent. They are very harmful. Here are some practical examples of how nonsense tongues cause real damage.

Babbling in nonsense tongues is madness and causes confusion.

Anyone can babble nonsense and claim that it has significance. Anyone can claim to interpret nonsense which another is babbling in. None of this can be verified. It could not logically do anything but cause confusion. The Bible makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 14:33 that God is not the author of confusion. Nonsense tongue speakers literally do not know what they are saying. They speak less coherently in their nonsense tongues than drunks speak. In Acts chapter 17, the Apostle Paul was falsely accused of speaking strange things and of being a babbler. Yet when it comes to those speaking in nonsense tongues, these would be true accusations. This is shameful.

Nonsense tongues in the name of Jesus falsely identify the true God with a Pagan practice.

Pagans have been known to speak in nonsense tongues from ancient times. Speaking in nonsense tongues and labeling that as spirituality originates in Paganism. Identifying the God of the Bible with this misrepresents Him badly by connecting Him with Paganism. God not only gives many warnings in the Bible regarding not worshiping others gods, He also gives many warnings about mixing Pagan elements into His worship.

Nonsense tongues are a cheap imitation of the real work of the Holy Spirit.

Babbling nonsense in reality stems from human contriving, human conditioning, or possibly even demonic influence. Hypnotists have induced people to speak in nonsense tongues. Little children and parrots can be taught to speak in nonsense tongues. You can actually find videos online of parrots speaking in nonsense tongues. Young children are among the easiest to get to speak in nonsense tongues. This happens a lot. Some would even call that child abuse. I would not say that they are wrong. There was a documentary in the 1970s about a preacher named Marjoe who admitted that he was a fraud. It shows footage of Marjoe laying hands on people (people who thought Marjoe was genuine at the time). They fell over backwards and spoke in nonsense tongues. Rather than being a mark of godliness, speaking in nonsense tongues is actually a mark of being too impressionable and susceptible to deception.

Nonsense tongues provide an occasion for people to show off and seek attention.

Many use counterfeit spiritual gifts to gain power, prestige, and persuasive power with others- especially within church settings. People obviously do not need nonsense tongues in the equation to show off and seek attention since there are other ways to do this. However, introducing this practice and labeling it the work of the Holy Spirit provides a notable way for people to do this which shouldn’t have even been on the table at all. Introducing a foreign element to Christianity will obviously unnecessarily complicate things and cause problems which should have never been problems at all.

Nonsense tongues cause people to have an improper estimate of their own spiritual status.

When nonsense tongues are seen as genuinely being from the Lord, people will think they are better than others for speaking in them. Though spiritual pride is a potential problem for everyone anyways, the nonsense tongues issue produces a black and white contrast among those who believe in them which is not from the true God. This inevitably promotes spiritual pride. It also inevitably causes unnecessary division and cliques among groups which get seduced by teachers of nonsense tongues. The exaltation associated with them does not even stem from anything real. Any achievement in authentic Christianity happens through submitting to dealings and learning lessons which militate against spiritual pride. Yet the false achievement of nonsense tongues does nothing but promote an improper estimate of one’s spiritual status. The perception of glory which people receive from nonsense tongues is glory in their shame.

The promotion of nonsense tongues causes some to have a perception of inferiority which isn’t rooted in reality.

When people believe that the nonsense tongues are from God, yet they are not speaking in them, they will often perceive themselves as trash. The Bible certainly teaches that there are times when it is right for people to be ashamed of themselves. However, when this happens on a basis which isn’t even rooted in reality, it can be nothing but destructive. People will be discouraged from really seeking the Lord and doing the things which He has actually prescribed in the Bible. If people are ashamed because of sin in their life, there is a clear path to repent and be restored in Christ if they are willing to take it. Yet the nonsense tongues are perceived as being granted or not based on nothing but partiality.

Nonsense tongues falsely portray God as partial.

The one who believes the nonsense tongues are genuine, yet still can’t speak in them, thinks they have been left out with no clear recourse which they can take. This portrays God as partial. Speaking in nonsense tongues is actually a mark of susceptibility to psychological manipulation and perhaps even to the workings of the demonic realm. If otherwise, it is a mark of being willing to do something stupid to fit in with a group. Those who can’t tell that the nonsense tongues are fake, yet still cannot speak in them, are actually demonstrating greater psychological stability in spite of their lack of discernment. They are also practicing the important discipline of not compromising common sense for the sake of conformity.

The true God is impartial. He always has a righteous basis for giving or withholding gifts which are actually of Him. Moreover, since real spiritual gifts are given for the edification of others (as 1 Corinthians 12:7 teaches), then they always have the potential to edify others. Labeling something a spiritual gift from God which can’t really edify others will inevitably result in strife and vainglory. That describes an obvious harmful effect of nonsense tongues. Since they cannot possibly really edify anyone, they could not be from the true God.

Nonsense tongues in the name of Jesus are an unnecessary stumbling-block and inconvenience to others.

1 Corinthians 14:23: “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”

Nonsense tongues also stumble others when only one person is speaking in them publicly.

1 Corinthians 14:26: “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”

All things are to be done unto edifying. Nonsense tongues don’t actually edify anyone at all- including the one speaking in them.

1 Corinthians 14:27-28: “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.”

Whoever is able to interpret should be identified beforehand. This also implies that the language is a real language which can be objectively identified. The one who speaks a language that the congregation generally can’t understand should not speak to the congregation in that language at all if no one present is able to interpret that language for the congregation. Otherwise, they should just pray privately to God in that particular language. There is nothing here validating some alleged mystical prayer language which even the speaker doesn’t understand.

Earlier in the chapter, it is written in 1 Corinthians 14:4: “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.”

The nonsense tongues people get excited here and think this is justifying their babbling. However, it had already been established back in 1 Corinthians 12:7 that real gifts from the Holy Spirit are given for the profit of others. Nonsense tongues cannot profit anyone. Claiming to be edified by them means nothing. The admitted Pagans babbling nonsense in the Pagan temples of Corinth probably also claimed to be edified by what they were doing. Along with 1 Corinthians 14:2, 1 Corinthians 14:4 is a reference to one praying out loud in a language which they understand but the rest of the congregation does not understand.

1 Corinthians 14:14 says: “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

In light of all the truths which have already been established, this is referring to the one who is praying with understanding in their own language while that understanding is obviously unfruitful to those who don’t understand the language they are praying in. Those who speak in nonsense tongues, thinking that’s the gift of the Holy Spirit, have no understanding at all of their own words. Their nonsense is no better able to edify themselves than others.

Then 1 Corinthians 14:15 says: “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”

If anyone had any doubts about what Paul meant before, he has now left no doubt that he is not validating the speaking of nonsense prayer language. He has also utterly destroyed the alleged legitimacy of praying in such a language in private by the principle set forth in verse 15.

1 Corinthians 14:16-17: “Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.”

And since spiritual gifts are given for the edification of the church, exercising them in private is ruled out of bounds here too. Genuine spiritual gifts from the true God are for edifying others. Anything else which is labeled as a spiritual gift must be deceitful. Yet there are over half a billion Charismatics, Pentecostals, and others in the world who speak in nonsense tongues and call it the work of the Holy Spirit in utter opposition to this lesson.

Nonsense tongues are a massive waste of time.

Besides being rude and confusing, it is also wasting other people’s time to subject them to nonsense tongues. Speaking in nonsense tongues in private is still a massive waste of one’s own time.

Nonsense tongues hinder real prayer and reflection on Scripture.

Even worse than taking time away from these things, they also function as a counterfeit for actually seeking the Lord as one ought to.

Viewing nonsense tongues as a genuine spiritual gift from the true God produces a phony definition of righteousness.

If nonsense tongues are the baptism of the Holy Spirit or at least a valid spiritual gift from the true God, then anyone who speaks in nonsense tongues would have to be right with the Lord. Yet since nonsense tongues are not from the Holy Spirit, they actually do nothing to prove that one is born again in Christ at all. Many tongue-promoting preachers actually persuade people that they are right with the Lord because they told them that nonsense tongues are the work of the Holy Spirit and they were able to get them to blabber nonsense.

What is the actual baptism of the Holy Spirit then?

1 Corinthians 12:13 says: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit being poured out upon an individual through an authentic faith in Jesus Christ is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is not marked by tongues. The Apostles’ speaking in tongues in Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit was first poured out upon them, describes their own experience. It is not the experience prescribed for everyone who receives the Holy Spirit.

The people who use Acts chapter 2 to say tongues are the evidence of the Holy Spirit don’t even speak in tongues like the people did in the Book of Acts. Those who had a valid spiritual gift of tongues in the Book of Acts spoke in actual languages rather than nonsense. Every instance of the gift of tongues from God being exercised in the Bible involved the speaking of a language of earth. Natural speakers of the languages which the Apostles were speaking in Acts chapter 2 understood what they were saying. They verified that the tongues which they spoke in were real languages. Likewise, the gift of interpreting tongues from God would involve translating a language of earth into another language of earth. Natural speakers of both languages would be able to verify that this was really happening accurately if they were to hear an audio recording of the exchange.

The Spirit of Christ is given to them that repent and obey Him (Acts 2:38-39 and Acts 5:31-32). No one needs a separate “baptism in the Holy Spirit experience” afterwards. There is no such thing at all. Speaking unintelligible nonsense is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is not a valid spiritual gift, and it does not prove that one is in Christ at all.

Viewing nonsense tongues as a genuine spiritual gift from the true God produces false security.

Speaking in nonsense tongues, while believing that this is the work of the Holy Spirit, causes one to find security in them. This is truly dangerous. Not only are nonsense tongues a false basis for security, they are also something that one can always resort to after they have begun to jabber in nonsense while believing that is of the Holy Spirit. The most dangerous false securities are those which are always available to resort to. Even if the one who acquires nonsense tongues has already been born again through exercising a living faith in Christ, speaking in the nonsense tongues persuades them that they must be abiding in Christ no matter how they are living. This also hinders them from becoming anchored in Christ through taking quality time to reflect on the Word of God and better understand how to implement its guidance in their practical decisions.

Speaking in nonsense tongues easily causes people to be governed by feeling rather than Biblical truth.

Nonsense tongue speaking begets a mindset in people which causes them to believe that anything which doesn’t feel good to them must be evil. The Pentecostal, Charismatic, Word of Faith, and NAR movements which have popularized nonsense tongue speaking are feeling and experience oriented instead of being rooted in the Bible’s counsel (which often doesn’t feel good to hear). Extreme displays of emotion, ostentatious show, and other forms of attention grabbing are typical in the gatherings associated with these movements. It is also no surprise that sensual dancing and highly repetitive, hypnotic choruses are prevalent in the same circles where these nonsense tongues are said to be the work of the Holy Spirit. The reality that those in these circles typically believe women can be pastors over men further demonstrates that they are guided by feeling and emotion rather than by the Word of God.

Strongly emphasizing the experience of speaking in nonsense tongues in the name of Christ is in itself preaching a false gospel.

False gospels condemn those who preach them as well as those who believe them.

Nonsense tongues open up a door for attack from the demonic realm.

1 Corinthians 14:39-40 says: “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order (or, an arrangement).”

“Forbid not to speak with tongues”only applies when the tongue is an objective foreign language and there is an interpreter present to verify that language and relay it to the congregation in the language which it understands. Paul had made it clear beforehand in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 that tongues should not be allowed otherwise since that would be disorderly and God is not the author of confusion. To say that alleged spiritual gifts shouldn’t be regulated and policed within a church paves the way for infiltration from the demonic realm and for much disorder and confusion overall.