One of the greatest misconceptions among those unfamiliar with speaking in tongues is that it was or is ecstatic.

     Unfortunately, those who speak in tongues sometimes confuse the term "ecstatic" with "inspired," and agree with the erroneous claim that speaking in tongues is an ecstatic experience when in fact it is nothing of the sort.

     The Bible clearly teaches that tongues are inspired.  For example, the Scriptures describe the type of speaking in tongues the believers experienced on the Day of Pentecost in these terms: 

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."--Acts 2:4. 

     The Amplified Bible translates this as: 

"...and began to speak in other [different, foreign] languages, as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression (in each tongue in appropriate words)."--Acts 2:4 (Amp). 

     This term "as the Spirit gave them utterance," or "as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression," means that the believers were not speaking by natural promptings or abilities.  The Holy Spirit was inspiring them, giving them the supernatural ability to speak words in other tongues.

     This is one of the many aspects of the Holy Spirit--He inspires.

      He frequently inspired the prophets of the Old Testament.  For instance, Jeremiah wrote of being inspired by the Spirit to go and prophesy in the ears of the men of Jerusalem.  He described this inspiration as "the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying..."  From the Book of Jeremiah: 

"Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord:  I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousels..."--Jeremiah 2:1, 2. 

     Jeremiah did not sit down, compose a three-point sermon, and decide, "I believe I will begin it by saying, 'Thus saith the Lord...'"

     Instead, there was a specific and tangible inspiration that came from God, to speak a specific prophetic word to a specific group of people.

     All legitimate Christians believe that God's written Word is inspired.  In other words, the letters and Gospels contained in the New Testament, and all the writings of the Old, were written by holy men of God who wrote exactly what they were inspired of the Holy Spirit to write.  The Bible says: 

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..."--II Tim. 3:16.

      We also believe that many times the Holy Spirit inspires sermons, songs, works of art, and the authorship of some Christian books, among other things.  This does not mean that these sermons, songs, or books are the equivalent of Scripture.  They are not.  The Scriptures are complete, and nothing inspired since their completion is equal in the level of inspiration to the Scriptures of old.  

     To this list of things inspired of the Holy Spirit, the Bible also adds spiritual gifts: 

"Now concerning spiritual gifts...the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another diverse kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:  But all these worketh that one and self same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he wills."--I Cor. 12:1-11. 

     So God's written Word, genuine miracles, and speaking in tongues are all inspired--meaning that these are not produced by the will of man.  These can occur only as the Holy Spirit inspires them to happen by giving His anointing to do them.

     Ecstatic is entirely different than inspired.

     The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ecstatic or  ecstasy as: 

1 a: a state of being beyond reason and self-control.

 

2: a state of overwhelming emotion; especially: rapturous delight. 

     This description describes neither the occurrences of speaking in tongues in the Scriptures, nor the experience of speaking in tongues today.

     When believers speak in tongues, they are not "beyond reason and self-control."  Nor is speaking in tongues produced by "a state of overwhelming emotion."

     Critics of speaking in tongues wrongly refer to it as "ecstatic tongues, by which they erroneously depict it as occurring when someone has worked himself up into some kind of psychological or emotional frenzy, and that the person loses all self-control and reason and mindlessly slobbers out unintelligible and meaningless sounds.  This is a complete mischaracterization of speaking in tongues occurring among Christians in the Bible and today.

     I have been in Charismatic Churches for 25 years.  I have seen speaking in tongues tens of thousands of times.  I have never seen "ecstatic tongues," nor have I ever heard any reports of ecstatic tongues occurring elsewhere.  Not one single report has reached me of any speaker in tongues being beyond reason, lacking self-control, or in some sort of frenzied emotional state.

     On a personal note, I have spoken in tongues in prayer for 25 years, and I have also given messages in tongues and interpreted tongues publicly for the last 17 years.  None of these experiences have been ecstatic--meaning that I or anyone else spoke in tongues in any sort of religious frenzy.  Nor have I or anyone else I've seen lost "reason and self-control."

     Quite the Contrary! 

     I have found praying in tongues, for instance, to be a deeply quieting experience. 

     Along with 537 million other Charismatics, I can pray, worship, or speak at will in other tongues.  I could not speak in tongues at all until the pastor and elders of my church laid their hands on me and prayed for me to be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  Upon the ending of their prayer, I was able to speak later that day in other tongues in a quiet time of prayer at home.  The Holy Spirit inspired, or gave me utterance, and from that moment to this I have been able to speak in tongues any time I want to.

     I do not need to enter into any kind of highly emotional state to be able to speak in tongues.  Nor do I lose my reason or self-control.  Speaking in tongues--the prayer language--is not "ecstatic" in any way.

     Giving messages in tongues and publicly interpreting them, again, are entirely inspired, but not at all ecstatic. 

     Quite the Opposite!

     When the Holy Spirit gives me a message in tongues that I am to speak to an individual or congregation, there is absolutely no emotion involved.  In fact, as that message in tongues is flowing through me to the hearers, I have found that strong emotions distract me and actually hinder the giving of a message in tongues.  A message in tongues inside me produces a profound spiritual concentration and clarity of thought.  I am in full control of myself and in full possession of my faculties as I am giving a message in tongues, or interpreting one.  

     The manifestation of tongues, public or private, is never ecstatic.  Never is the speaker "out of control," or "beyond reason," or "overwhelmed by emotion."

     And the opposite is true too.  No amount of wild behavior, illogic, or explosions of emotion will produce speaking in tongues. 

     Speaking in tongues is inspired but not ecstatic.

Copyright 2006 Mel C. Montgomery All rights reserved.  Material may be copied and shared with others if done so in entirety, without charge, and if attribution is given.