Welcome to
www.kneillfoster.com

Home	Books by the Fosters	AW Tozer	True&False Prophets	Glossolalia	Small Miracles
eBooks	Editorials	AB Simpson	Academic Articles	Spiritual Warfare

Status: is logged in The Third View of Tongues Intro Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Epilogue Appendix A Appendix B Notes

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Some of the material that immediately follows is, for want of a better word, heavy. But it is necessary and part of a complete thought. Therefore consider the next three chapters as part of a whole. Please do not lift one chapter out of its total context. If you can possibly read all three chapters at one sitting, it will contribute greatly to the balanced view I seek to present. Necessarily, I use some negative illustrations but even these should be weighed against the positive emphasis of earlier and later chapters.

On one occasion in Guatemala I was preaching in a conference where one group of young people was isolating itself and speaking in tongues. Whenever the young people talked with me, I kept insisting that they keep things in biblical order (see chapter 12).

But their excitement made them very difficult to restrain, and the tensions on both sides of a divided conference made the preaching difficult.

On the final Sunday, the afternoon ministry of the missionary speaker was especially blessed - but the tongues-speaking teenagers were not there. I learned later that they were out on a hillside practicing their gifts.

When one of the fellows came to me later, he was breathless with excitement. I asked him where they had gone and what had happened and why they had not been in the scheduled service.

"Well," he said. "we went out and had a service of our own."

"How many spoke in tongues?" I asked, and he knew by my question that I wanted to know if they had gone beyond the biblical limit of three.

"Three spoke in tongues," he said, "but then some more girls came." I gathered that more tongues-speaking had taken place.

Then I asked, "What was the message given through the tongues?" He looked at me a bit sheepishly and replied, "The message was, 'What are you kids doing out here? Why aren't you in the meeting?' "

What must one conclude from an incident like that? Can one conclude anything? Surely God must grant His church wisdom and discernment. I still have not drawn any clear conclusion about the incident I have related above. Because there was no opportunity to apply the tests we are discussing here, I remain uncertain, doubtful. Are you surprised that I do not immediately accept such an incident as prompted by the Holy Spirit? Read on.

There are scriptural tests which can be applied to tongues and prophecy and the other less abused spiritual gifts. And with these scriptural tests we are able to be discerning, even in the most amazing and confusing circumstances.

The biblical tests

Does the tongue or other manifestation measure up to Paul's corrective passage in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14? If the biblical order is ignored, for example, by everyone speaking in tongues at once, by tongues without interpretation, or by more than three speaking in tongues, then the manifestation is out of order biblically. Other examples could be cited. Disregard for biblical order is probably the easiest aberration to detect - and correct.

The practical tests

There are times when the discerning child of God may witness manifestations that are apparently in biblical order but still something appears to be wrong.

The question to ask then is, "Does this manifestation adorn the doctrine of Jesus Christ?" The Holy Spirit, we may be sure, will always desire to do so.

A second question: Is pride involved here? Such pride was the curse of the Corinthian church, and today it readily reappears when the emphasis on Christian love diminishes. Charismatic pride is consistently stimulated by erroneous teaching which leads new or immature Christians to believe they have attained great spiritual heights because spiritual gifts are manifested.

A third question: Is the result of the manifestation divisive? The Holy Spirit struggles always to maintain the harmony of the local congregation of believers, but a divisive spirit is not from God. (An exception to this general rule should be noted: When spiritual renewal is experienced by part of a congregation and opposed by another part, division may ultimately be forced by those who reject renewal.)

A fourth question: Is there order? Paul's instruction was certainly clear enough, "Let everything be done decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14:40). He also said, "God is not the author of confusion" (1 Cor. 14:33).

Charismatic testing

The discerning of spirits, as we have already noted, is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit so sorely needed in our day. Since speaking in tongues is a spiritual manifestation and involves spirit-speaking, the discerning of spirits is one of the means God uses, enabling earnest Christians to distinguish between the true and the false. Discerning of spirits is part of the protection Christ has given to His church, no doubt because it is continually under attack. Indeed, there will be many occasions when the function of the gift of discerning of spirits will be all that is needed to determine the source and inspiration of a spiritual manifestation.

That the church is lacking this gift seems painfully obvious. Some believers, on the one side, vigorously assert that there just never are false tongues. Others, at the other end of the spectrum, are certain that all utterance manifestations are demonic and never from the Holy Spirit. A functioning gift of the discerning of spirits, in my view, would considerably temper both attitudes.

Nevertheless, a complete reliance upon discerning of spirits is not really wise. And there are reasons why this is so. If it exists in an atmosphere where it is psychologically impossible to admit the possibility of spurious gifts, no false manifestations will ever be detected. There are charismatic Christians who apparently have excellent deliverance ministries but have never encountered false charismatic manifestations.

Also, since discerning of spirits is subjective; that is, someone is going to say "This is of God," or "That is not of God," there is always the possibility that subjective impressions will take precedence over biblical tests.

Also, discerning of spirits will not be available in every situation. Since it is a charismatic manifestation that God sovereignly distributes in His will, only some of God's children will have it. Were it a universal characteristic of all Christians, or even all groups of God's children, the need for the other tests we mention here would be considerably reduced.

Apparently, also, it is not a gift that can be operated at will. It seems that the Holy Spirit wants to use His children, not be used of them.

So we are saying, thank God for discerning of spirits. It is a valid part of the Christian arsenal. But it is not intended to be the only resource for believers who wish to "prove all things."

Theological tests

Nothing should be received which is not correct doctrinally, especially with tongues and prophecy, but with other manifestations as well. If, as is often the case, the Trinity is denied, dates are set for Christ's return, or small groups retire to isolated places to await the tribulation, there can be no doubt that the tongues and prophecy are false. False prophecies, under the guise of false purity, also tend to seek to sever the sexual relationships of marriage. Mature Christians with a good knowledge of the Word will not likely have any difficulty in detecting prophecy or tongues that are false theologically. New or weak Christians may be victimized. Most often, the victims have motives without reproach; they want only all that God has. But they are deceived.

Another question to ask, Does this manifestation glorify Christ and draw attention to His person, or does it focus attention elsewhere?

The Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit does not speak of himself (John 16:13) but glorifies Christ (14). The Christian who becomes a Holy Spirit or charismatic "buff' is following a deflected compass.

The love test

For a considerable period of time I felt that the ultimate test for any spiritual operation was the love test. I still feel that way if the love manifested is genuine. But sadly I have come to learn that there is a spurious love as well as the real. In A Revolution of Love I wrote about what I have every reason to believe was the genuine love of the Holy Spirit. But later, in an overseas trip, I was confronted with false love. The words and actions were proper but the spirit was wrong. I found myself wanting to run out of the church in which divine love was being prostituted.

The key, I feel, to a true manifestation of God's love among Christians is that the love must spring from a "pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned" (1 Tim. 1:5). "The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 5:5).

Where attempts are made to experience, demonstrate or show God's love apart from obedience and holiness, the results are certain to be unhappy.

Sadly, too, I have come to the conclusion that joyful and radiant countenances are not always reliable evidences of what is of God. People can have great experiences and look as though they have swallowed light bulbs but still have a false gift. The enemy of our souls is an angel of light, and we forget it at our own peril.

Love, then, which springs from holiness of life, which is demonstratively of God and results in obedience to God, is another indication that a spiritual gift may be genuine.

Love can be imitated, can be false, and for that reason is not the last test in my list.

Spiritual tests

The Bible describes these spiritual tests in the following passages:

 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. -1 Cor. 12:3.

Despise not prophesyings.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.-1 Thess. 5:20, 21.

 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.-l John 4:1-3.

The spirits are to be tried, and I have come to the conclusion that this means far more than just to examine the utterance in biblical, practical, theological and charismatic ways.

John does not say we should try the prophet or what the prophet says. John says, "Try the spirits."

Every spirit that continually says" Jesus Christ is come iri the flesh" is of God. Silence on that, refusal to answer, reluctant admission, or an open denial of that fact - all demonstrate that the spirit is not of God. It was particularly enlightening to me to realize finally that grudging or deceptive admission, silence and denial are all proofs that the spirit is not of God.

One of the greatest pains I have suffered in the ministry was to have a dear friend who had been deceived by a false prophet listen carefully to my exhortation to leave the man. I had withheld my exhortation for months and when I finally shared, I sensed that my words were exploding in his heart.

Then he began to speak in tongues because he wanted to know whether or not it was of God. It was rough and abrasive. He said, "What do you think, Neill?" I didn't know.

The truths I am sharing here about testing tongues were clarified later. But if ever my friend was ready to forsake the prophet it was then. Lack of knowledge on my part was so very costly because he could have been freed that day.

The spirit that is of God, whether manifesting in tongues or prophecy, must invariably and repeatedly confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. To confess means to say.

In testing utterances it is important to distinguish between the person and the spirit manifesting. The Christian worker should make it clear to the person involved that he is addressing the spirit and not the individual.

It goes nearly without saying that the person who wishes to have a manifestation tested must be completely cooperative with the one who applies the test. The individual should clearly understand that he as a person is not to respond.

If, for example, testing is forced upon unwilling tongues-speakers, the result may be confusing.

On one occasion a pastor friend came to me asking for assistance. He had two young fellows preaching in his church, one of whom he knew spoke in tongues, and he was uneasy about their ministry. He wanted the test to be applied.

We discovered that they both spoke in tongues, but they of course were not anxious to be found false prophets. We applied the test to both, but we were unsatisfied with the results. It appeared that the fellows spoke in tongues, switched off the manifestation to answer positively to the question, "Did Jesus Christ come in the flesh?" and then shifted back into their tongues. I realize now that we found out only if the fellows believed that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. We did not succeed in trying the spirits at all. But the experience was not wasted; we learned what not to do.

The manifestation must be allowed unhindered and uninterrupted expression while the test is being made, and no effort must be made by the person involved to supply the "right" answer.

The repetition of the question, "You spirit now manifesting, is Jesus Christ come in the flesh?" may be important. I have come to expect a spontaneous affirmative answer when the tongues manifestation is genuinely of the Holy Spirit, especially when the test question is put several times.

If the enemy is involved, repetitious questioning (like repetitious commanding, Mark 5:8, Amplified New Testament) will often shake the enemy loose and provoke abrasive or antagonistic reactions - and of course clarify the case.

Sometimes the spirit may respond with a positive answer that is at the same time equivocative and/or evasive. For example, a spirit might respond, "Of course I believe in Jesus." But which Jesus is not specified. If there is any hint of subterfuge, stick to the biblical test. Repeat it. Enlarge upon it by requiring answers to such questions as these: Is Jesus Christ Lord? Is Jesus Christ anathema? Does all the fullness of the Godhead dwell bodily in Jesus Christ? This procedure is likely to clarify the issue fully.

In 1 John 4:2 and 3 the verb forms used indicate that every spirit that continually and genuinely confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. Therefore reluctant admissions or occasional positive declarations that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh are not sufficient. The confession must be continual. A superficial understanding of this principle can short circuit the whole procedure of testing.

(Demons can and do lie. Thus, the words continually and genuinely in the paragraph above are of utmost importance. Also, as we have just noted, the Greek verbs used in 1 Corinthians 12:3 and 1 John 4:2 and 3 do come down strongly on the continuous idea.)

Illustrations of deceitful positive affirmations are not hard to come by. In the Dominican Republic I met a Christian woman who habitually twitched and shuddered in prayer meetings. She had a tongues manifestation which seemed to take over when she wanted to praise the Lord. But when the manifestation was confronted, the confession of Jesus Christ, though positive, was accented, even faintly humorous or mocking, and in English which the woman definitely did not know. I believe in retrospect that it was a false confession.

A friend who wrote to me during the writing of this book related an incident where invading spirits named one of their co-inhabitors, "Jesus." So of course they all knew and loved "Jesus." The spirits had to be confronted with "which Jesus?"

Another friend added yet another illustration. In the process of a deliverance a spirit claiming to be the Holy Spirit manifested itself in the victim. All tests were applied with positive results. When my friend returned home from a trip, he found his colleagues persuaded that the Holy Spirit indeed had taken control of the person. All he had to follow was a discerning witness that something was wrong. He initiated a confrontation and the phony "Holy Spirit" was uncovered.

Thus, as we have said elsewhere in these pages, there are four possibilities with spirit-testing: (1) a positive affirmation which is genuine and continual, (2) a positive affirmation which is not continual but is intended to deceive, (3) a denial, and (4) silence. 1 John 4:2 and 3 lays a four-sided trap for the enemy, and the Christian worker must know where the biblical lines are drawn.

There is also the possibility of inner responses, both negative and positive. In such a case the willingness and absolute cooperation of the person involved is vital. He or she will know what the inner response is and be able to pass it on to the Christian worker conducting the test.

The material we include here is definitely for the use of mature Christians, pastors and elders. And anyone who might take this material as authorization for a belligerent ministry of "tongues-testing" would be very foolish.

And nowhere is the exhortation to let everything be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses more pertinent than here. The pastor or Christian worker who has one or two discerning elders who can assist him in trying the spirits is fortunate indeed.

If a pastor observes doubtful manifestations in his congregation, as a shepherd of the flock, I feel personally he has every right to ask to be permitted to test the manifestation. But he should be ready for the fireworks and to proceed with exorcism in the event of false manifestations. He should also be prepared to instruct the inquiring person if the manifestation proves fleshly. If the person himself is creating the "tongue" and no spiritual manifestation is involved, it may be judged fleshly.

Also, before the test is applied, one should prepare the person involved for the possibility that there has been deception. To admit that one has been deceived is a very high hurdle indeed.