Can speaking in tongues be faked or learned?

[Heatman]

During the Pentecost, the apostles spoke in tongues understood by people of many languages. It's actual human languages which others people understood and it's backed by the fact that it's not the rambling most people do today all in the name of speaking in tongues.

In my opinion, I would say that if the speaking in tongues lacks interpretation, clarity, and love, it's just a rambling of nonsense. Paul in 1 Cor. 13:1 have the same assessment on the same subject.

How can one tell if a particular speaking in tongue is real or fake?

 

[NewCreation435]

There is little way to tell if it is truly speaking in tongues if there is no interpretation of what the person said. I think that most of what passes for speaking in tongues today is just rambling nonsense, but that is just my opinion and I could be wrong

 

[Frankj]

Speaking something that no one can understand, including the person speaking it, is hardly something that can be relied on as coming from God. It could come from any source ranging from the persons own unconscious mind to Satan himself and no one would know the difference.

At least for an adult, babies being excepted IMO.

 

[Edward429451]

During the Pentecost, the apostles spoke in tongues understood by people of many languages. It's actual human languages which others people understood and it's backed by the fact that it's not the rambling most people do today all in the name of speaking in tongues.

In my opinion, I would say that if the speaking in tongues lacks interpretation, clarity, and love, it's just a rambling of nonsense. Paul in 1 Cor. 13:1 have the same assessment on the same subject.

How can one tell if a particular speaking in tongue is real or fake?

By the peace of God in your spirit.

I've heard plenty of tongues on youtube videos. I remember Sid Roth speaking in tongues...and, either it was fake or the Holy Spirit has one heck of a sense of humor!

You asked a good question, because people don't believe in hardly anything nowadays, even Christians!

I'll tell you how speaking in tongues happened to me. I had heard about it and heard it preached on and so forth, and it was sriptural so I wanted it and had never spoken in tongues before.

Now the way I learned it, is that it is the Holy Spirit speaking throgh us praying to God for us, because we don't know how to pray effectively anyway. I voiced my interest on a forum or two and a couple times IRL to people. I got as many different answers about it as there are flavors of pop. A couple people actually suggested that, they could teach me how to speak in tongues...and that didn't sit right with me. Because if tongues is the Holy Spirit praying for me...who am I to put words into His mouth?! I can not speak for the Holy Spirit on demand!

So I prayed about it and talked about it, and read about it, and listened to it and it went on and on, with no good answers. Then one day I was sitting at my desk thing and not even thinking about tongues. I was preparing to pray about something. I forget what, but as I began to speak in prayer, I spoke but the words that came out were in tongues! Not by me in the least!

Now i'm pretty quick on the uptake so I knew immediately what was going on, so I stood down in my mind and did not speak of mine own, until after He was finished. I guess it was about 5 or 8 minutes? Not long and when the Holy Spirit stopped, then I prayed my feeble prayer, lol.

So I spoke in tongues, but I didn't try to. It just happened. It didn't happen again for quite a while. and that didn't bother me, for I now know, I do not put words in His mouth, He puts words in mine! Until one morning when I woke up speaking in tongues. And that started happening as I was waking up quite a bit, and that wasn't me either! It still happens sometimes. Always early in the morning as I wake up, I'm already speaking!

It sounds Twilight Zone, but that's what happened. so Tongues is real and it is a thing to be desired according to scripture, so I'm at peace about it now. And if it happens, I praise God and keep on trucking!

It also seems like, when I hear tongues on a video, I can get a feel for it if it is real or not. I've never been able to (be given) interpretation of tongues, but that's ok, I trust the Lord.

 

[Lamb]

You know what God has put into my mouth? Scripture

If "tongues" can't be interpreted, then how could it be useful?

 

[Edward429451]

You know what God has put into my mouth? Scripture

If "tongues" can't be interpreted, then how could it be useful?

It's right in front of you in the word of God. Scripture talks a lot about tongues but you have to read it.

It says that when we speak in tongues it is the Holy Spirit praying to God on our behalf since we do not know how to pray the way that we ought to. So how useful is that? Very very useful!

You've never spoke in tongues because the Holy Spirit hears your prayers and they are perfect already so you don't need Him?

There. Nothing to upset a sensitive woman there.

 

[Lamb]

It's right in front of you in the word of God. Scripture talks a lot about tongues but you have to read it.

It says that when we speak in tongues it is the Holy Spirit praying to God on our behalf since we do not know how to pray the way that we ought to. So how useful is that? Very very useful!

You've never spoke in tongues because the Holy Spirit hears your prayers and they are perfect already so you don't need Him?

There. Nothing to upset a sensitive woman there.

Please don't call me a "sensitive woman" and stop being so condescending on this board. I really don't need to ask again.

 

[WandererAtHeart]

Yes tongues can be and are faked most of the time. Do I think there is a time and a place for them? Absolutely. But only as outlined in the Scriptures, and only for God's purpose. None of the crazy babbling you hear. I used to be completely against tongues, but have grown to understand that God can use tongues, however I don't think it is in the way the Pentecostals think. I have faked tongues to make the pentecostals happy. I'll never do that again.

 

[tango]

It's easy to fake tongues, especially when among the uber-charismatic types who talk a lot about discernment but wouldn't know it if it jumped up and bit them.

All you need to do is whisper "shundai, shundai, kushanda" or some such and nobody will know the difference.

Of course God will know the difference, but if you're trying to fake it the chances are you're trying to impress men rather than God, right?

 

[torial]

Tongues can be useful for strengthening oneself: 1 Co 14:4

I do not speak in tongues, but am open to it in the Spirit's timing.

Tongues, like many things that God does with people, have Satanic copycats. There are spirits of divination that mimic prophecy for example. There is a limit with what can be copied (think the Egyptian Magicians) but Tongues is in the range. This can be mimic'd by pretend as tango suggested, it can also be done by the soul (if you have ever seen people hypnotized to speak moon speak, and then another person hypnotized to be a translator), and it can also be done by evil spirits.

Also making discernment difficulty, is the reference to speaking in the tongues of angels in 1 Cor 13.

 

[Faith]

You know what God has put into my mouth? Scripture

If "tongues" can't be interpreted, then how could it be useful?

I have a friend who speaks in tongue or at least she used to. I don’t know if she still does. And she doesn’t do it in front of me. SHE said that she doesn’t even know what she’s saying.

 

[tango]

You know what God has put into my mouth? Scripture

If "tongues" can't be interpreted, then how could it be useful?

I can see it being useful in prayer. There have been times when my heart has been incredibly heavy for a specific situation but when it comes to pray I just don't know what to say. When my native language fails me I can see how it could be useful to let my spirit pray even if I don't understand what I'm saying.