We have developed the proposition that modern Pentecostal practice is basically a form of self-hypnosis. It is not surprising therefore, to find examples which are no more than the training of the subconscious. Koch gives two examples which illustrate this. He writes of an American Minister at a meeting of Missionaries who —
“… had spoken and sung in tongues for a long time without anyone interpreting. One of the missionaries had had the courage to ask him personally how one could receive this gift. The answer was typical, and it showed the kind of ‘spiritual gift’ the minister had. He said, ‘You must think of a short prayer, perhaps the phrase Lord help me — and repeat this prayer five to eight hundred times. Then your tongue and consciousness will get used to it and suddenly you will speak in tongues.”[1]
In another example he speaks about the leader of a girls’ class who persuaded some of the girls to try to speak in “tongues”. She explained a procedure based upon the “constant repetition of certain phrases.”[2] The parallel between this and the practices of primitive peoples is self-evident. Just as one example, Anthropologist Nina Epton writes of certain ancient Japanese religious ceremonies she witnessed:
“After the clapping of hands… a purification service begins: chanting of special prayers sinking every now and then into a guttural grunt not unlike the stressing of the last syllable of the word ‘Allah’among North African brotherhoods. This sound seems to suggest the blankness of mind necessary to induce the receptive trance-state.”[3]
An acquaintance recounted an intriguing experience of his, about four years ago. He became involved with the local Pentecostal group and was persuaded to attend a “tarrying” meeting at which a visiting Pastor was going to help the “unblessed” to receive the “Spirit”. There were about six of these “seekers”. The Pastor explained that since the human vocal chords were unused to being channels to receive “God’s gift”, some encouragement was helpful. He likened it to the practice of pouring some petrol straight into the carburettor in an effort to start a cold motor. He said they had to stand up and open their mouths and simply utter sounds without trying to form words of normal speech. He explained that if they kept doing it long enough they would find the “spirit” taking over. Our acquaintance said he felt “an utter gig” but he, along with the others, did as they were told. After keeping it up for about 20 minutes he gave up and sat down. One by one the others followed suit. The Pastor commended them for their efforts and said that all but one had succeeded in getting the spirit to take over. Our friend said he knew it was him and was just beginning to mentally berate himself for his failure when the Pastor went to a chap at the end of the line and said he was the one who had not succeeded. Our friend immediately protested to the Pastor that he was sure the Spirit had not taken control of his vocal chords. He received a reply to the effect that the devil was trying to prevent him realising this. This was a quick cure for him at the time; but unfortunately his personality was attracted by an ecstatic type of religion and he finally became entangled in it. These examples all demonstrate the training of the subconscious; but, it will be said, there are many examples where this is not the case. It is agreed there are some. Koch, as a result of his researches, cites six cases which he considers “good” inasmuch as the whole mode of the practice of “tongues” in these cases has the surface appearance of being Scripturally and spiritually healthy. Yet he says these are “countered by innumerable negative examples from all over the world”.[4]
We propose to look into this later. Suffice it to say at this stage that we should not satisfy ourselves with sweeping assertions, but make sure that all our conclusions are firmly based. We are considering, then, the great mass of Pentecostalism as it is manifested today; and the ungodly nature of it all is overwhelming. George B. Cutten, a recognised authority on this subject, stated, “As far as I know there is no case of speaking in strange tongues which has been strictly and scientifically investigated that cannot be explained by recognised psychological laws.”[5]
There is also a failure of control of “tongues” on occasions. A brother told me of an experience after he had given a lecture at a city in U.S.A. A lady asked him to help her in her problem with tongues. Her story was that she had been brought up a Salvation Army adherent but had become involved with the Pentecostals and had learnt to speak in tongues. She now wanted to be rid of this “gift” — as it broke out at times when she was shopping etc., and caused her embarrassment. Koch recounts something similar,
“A preacher belonging to the tongues movement was in the habit of praying first in tongues before giving his message. It has happened several times now that he has been unable to cease from speaking in this foreign tongue. He has had to have a towel given to him to stop his mouth. What powers are these, if the preacher cannot end his own prayers?”[6]
There is an interesting book by Dr. Calley, a social anthropologist who spent more than two years in intensive study of Pentecostal sects in Britain of West Indian background. It was commissioned by the Institute of Race Relations. He documents many instances of talking in tongues. The “gift” is practised as a weapon of authority. It is all so terribly human. Each church is centred upon a leader. He records the case of a member who challenged the authority of the leader, who, in turn retaliated by accusing him of adultery. ‘Both contestants then talked in tongues at the same time, one against the other, each trying to demonstrate to the congregation that he was the more holy, that God was on his side.”[7] He records an occasion when “a woman City Mission leader instructed the congregation to fast for two days, saying that God had told her to do this in a revelation while she was praying. When she found out that few members had fasted, she admonished them for their lack of faith, and, to emphasise her point, engaged in the longest spate of speaking in tongues I have witnessed. Her authority had been questioned and doubt thrown on the genuineness of her revelation; therefore it was necessary to impress the congregation with her holiness.”[8]
It could be reasonable to make some comparison of tongue speaking with the process of dreaming. One writer suggests,
“When a person dreams, images stored in the brain come to the surface of consciousness and are combined in arrangements that are often ludicrous. The reason seems to be that a short-cut process occurs wherein rationality does not control the manner in which the images are combined. Just such a process seems to occur in glossolalia.”[9]
“Glossolalia” is Greek for “tongue-speaking” and this word is frequently used by modern writers when referring to the modern practice, but whether we can presume that 1st Century practice is identical is obviously another matter. The unfortunate thing is that some modern writers appear to. This writer goes on to quote a psychiatrist who suggests that what physically happens in glossolalia is
“The speaker takes the shortcut of reflex action, bringing a dissociation upon himself, by which words do not go before the rational cerebral cortex for inspection, reflection and judgment as to whether they make sense, but are sent out directly via the efferent nerves as speech.”[10]
The conclusion of this writer is interesting,
“In reality, if the explanation suggested above is reasonably consonant with the facts, the experience of glossolalia is one of temporary abnormality. The brain is not functioning according to its normal pattern. A kind of short circuit has been produced and the rational area has been temporarily blocked out of the mental network. Although it would be inaccurate to say that such an occurrence is a form of mental illness, yet certain temporary similarities are apparent.”[11]
Faith Destroyed
One of the greatest tragedies of all this is that the faith and belief of God-fearing people can be shattered. One Pastor, who led preaching and healing Campaigns for the Apostolic Church for 15 years, has written a compelling little booklet on the main faults of the Pentecostal attitude as he now sees it. He writes,
“Hundreds of ‘seekers’ have not only been puzzled but also spiritually distressed because their faith and obedience to the word of God (Acts 5:32) have not been honoured. As far as they know their lives are right with the Lord, but His failure to implement the promise with tongues following, infers that sin of some kind is hindering the work of the Spirit… the believer is tormented to such a degree that there results a loss of faith in God, His Word and His servants… a situation of this kind reflects seriously on the character of the Holy Spirit, Who seemingly will favour one with tongues now and again, and leave others floundering in the throes of disappointment and perplexity.”[12]
Most Pentecostals (there are a few exceptions) are sure that “tongues” is THE sign of having the Holy Spirit and they feel second-rate Christians until they get it. It is not difficult to imagine the frustration of mind when every effort is bent to this end, but to no avail. Koch tells of a case of a doctor’s daughter who, influenced by friends who spoke in tongues, prayed for the “gift” herself. “For weeks she begged earnestly for this so-called proof of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When her prayer went unanswered, in desperation she tried to commit suicide.”[13]
It is interesting to note the comment of Paul as he introduces the subject of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. The point is much clearer in the R.S.V. than the A.V. in the translation of verse 2. “You know that when you were heathen, you were led astray to dumb idols, however you may have been moved.” They had been moved in some way in their worship of idols — and it was because of this that Paul goes on immediately to stress, “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God…” It was a warning of claims of false spirits or causes of being “moved”. The N.E.B. renders it “however you happened to be led” and supplies an alternative in the footnotes, “you would be seized by some power which drove you to those dumb heathen gods.”
When we look at the heathen practices of today in idol worship, with the trances of the worshippers, we find a disconcerting similarity to the ‘movings” of the “Spirit” in Pentecostal circles. We have the feeling that modern forms of tongue-speaking are far from modern.
In his second letter to Corinth, Paul complains, “For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different Gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough.” (11:4 rsv). We see what Paul means by preaching another Jesus — spiritualising his humanity — another Gospel is also clear from similar comments in other letters — but a different spirit seems only explainable in the light of similar manifestations which “moved” those under their influence in a manner that at least in part could appear as a counterfeit to the real thing. The case of Moses before Pharaoh comes to mind when Pharaoh’s magicians could successfully counterfeit the signs of Moses (Exod. 7:11).
Can it be possible that some possess genuine gifts of the spirit today? It is a question which needs to be fairly looked at. There are other questions involved which are begging for our attention; these include the matter of interpretations and a number of claims that foreign languages have been actually spoken. If the Lord wills, we will look into these in future issues.
Sources
[1] The Strife of Tongues, K. Koch, p.24
[2] Ibid., p.23
[3] TRANCES by Wavell, Butt and Epton, p.231
[4] Op cit., p.21. Actually he lists seven “good” instances but in a footnote at the end cancels out one of these because further information had revealed an unscriptural trend.
[5] SPEAKING IN TONGUES, G.B.Cutten, p.181, as quoted by A.A. Hoekema in “What about Tongue Speaking”.
[6] Op.cit., p.46
[7] GOD’S PEOPLE, Dr. M.J.C.Calley, p.46
[8] Ibid., p.46
[9] TONGUES: TO SPEAK OR NOT TO SPEAK, D. Burdick, p.78, Moody Press.
[10]Ibid., p.78, of Bergsma, Speaking in Tongues.
[11]Ibid., p.79
[12] THE PENTECOSTAL ERROR, C.H. Maskrey, p.6, Light Publishing Co.
[13] Op.cit., p.30.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One