My desire is to speak for Christ and to speak forth Christ. Nevertheless, especially as a help to the young people, I am burdened to make it clear why I do not encourage tongue-speaking. Although I do not oppose speaking in tongues, I do not encourage it. My reasons are based on my experience and observation.
I do not encourage today’s tongue-speaking because it can be compared to opium or morphine. Medical doctors know that opium and morphine can be useful in dealing with certain kinds of pain or illnesses, but the dosage has to be limited and the use restricted. Used under proper direction with adequate limitation, opium and morphine can be helpful. The danger is in becoming addicted to these drugs. Once a person is addicted to either opium or morphine, the result is dreadful. Many may practice tongue-speaking for a period of time and then give it up. Others, however, become addicted to speaking in tongues. They may become addicted to such an extent that when they meet together they do not care for anything else. They are so much for tongue-speaking that they are not concerned even if the so-called tongue is not genuine.
Second, for the long run, tongue-speaking does not help believers to grow in life. On the contrary, addiction to tongue-speaking may lead to the indulgence of lust. Yes, some have testified that speaking in tongues stirred something within them to seek after Christ. This is a proper result of tongue-speaking. But those who become addicted to tongue-speaking care only for their ecstasy. They do not care for sobriety. As a result, there are many cases of fornication among them.
Third, those who have become addicted to tongue-speaking have no ear to hear the word of the cross and the deeper things concerning Christ. They are not interested in how the cross of Christ deals with the flesh and the self. They do not care for such a sober word of righteousness. They are like a piece of wood that has been ruined by poor carpentry and cannot be used in making better furniture. They have no heart for the deep things of Christ or the life in resurrection. For example, they would have no ear for all the messages we have given on 1 Corinthians and on the four books that make up the heart of the divine revelation—Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Instead, they like to pay their attention to Acts 2, and 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. However, they misuse these portions of the Word. They have no heart to hear a sober word.
Due to the burden I have received from the Lord and to His commission, I am concerned that Pentecostalism may creep into the Lord’s recovery. If this happens, the recovery will be damaged. This does not mean, however, that I oppose genuine tongue-speaking. Genuine tongue-speaking is of God, and I do not oppose it. Nevertheless, I do not encourage today’s tongue-speaking. Furthermore, even the leaders in the Pentecostal movement have made adjustments throughout the years. They realized that without certain adjustments they would not be able to carry on their work. I have learned that at the Assembly of God school in Springfield, Missouri, the students are taught to emphasize teaching, not tongue-speaking, in congregational meetings, and to encourage the people to speak in tongues privately. Nevertheless, the practice of tongue-speaking has still frustrated many of those dear saints in the matter of the growth in life.
Fourth, no other Christians are as independent and divisive as those who promote tongue-speaking. Every tongue-speaker is independent, individualistic, and divisive. Each one cares only for himself. By this we see that the enemy creeps in to use something which may be of God to damage God’s administration. In Pentecostalism and in the charismatic movement there is no building, no Body life, no care for oneness, and nothing of the divine administration.
Now we can understand Paul’s concept in 1 Corinthians and know the burden in his spirit and on his heart when he was writing this book. Paul was deeply concerned for the Body of Christ and for God’s administration. He knew God’s heart and God’s plan. He knew that God’s purpose is to have a Body to grow Christ and express Christ and also to have the church to carry out the divine administration. Today’s tongue-speaking has been used by the enemy to frustrate the growth of the Body and to damage the building up of the church for God’s administration. Therefore, I cannot encourage this practice. But I want to say again that I do not oppose genuine tongue-speaking. I do not follow J. N. Darby in saying that speaking in tongues is dispensationally over. No, it is still possible for there to be genuine tongue-speaking, but this must be practiced in a proper way.
Tongue-speaking causes much more loss than profit. Each of the three times we tried to adopt this practice in the church life, we suffered loss. Our hope is that the Lord’s recovery will be preserved from the damage that can be caused by today’s tongue-speaking and go on in a pure way of life, not damaged by any mixture.