I’ve witnessed many who claim to have the gift praying over or for sick people in tongues, believing that in so doing they are more likely to be healed. I’ve seen no evidence that they’re right.

As I’ve already demonstrated, the gift of tongues-even supposing it’s the real, Biblical gift-does not come as if it were a Platinum credit card with unique perks. It has no special power of its own. It’s not a powerful spirit language; neither is it a prayer language guaranteed to get The Lord’s attention more effectively than our ordinary language does.

Having the feeling that something is more likely to happen with tongues-speaking is bordering on superstition and even idolatry. It’s faith-in who the Lord is, and what He is able to do-which gets results, when it’s His will.

This is seen over and over again in Scripture. I’ve covered references to the use of tongues by Paul as being nothing but “speaking into the air” if no-one understands what’s being said (1 Corinthians 14:9). Five words which are understood are more powerful than ten thousand words in a tongue (1 Corinthians 14:19). This means that if you speak in tongues in the church, and nobody knows what you’re saying, your speaking will not at all be healing or helping those with genuine problems. It will be accomplishing nothing at all. If it was, Paul would surely have encouraged its open use in every situation. He would have counselled tongues-speaking or tongues-praying in order to achieve the maximum good among the saints-but he didn’t.

HEALING IN ACTS

We can look at specific healing situations, involving the actions of apostles which were known to have been filled with the Spirit, and at what they taught in relation to sickness. For example, in the chapter of Acts immediately after the great Day of Pentecost in which the Church became infilled and empowered, we see Peter and Andrew heal a man at the temple gate. Interestingly, this lame man didn’t even know he was about to be healed: he thought Peter would give him some money. This means he didn’t even need to have the faith to be healed. It was Peter’s authority as a true apostle, and his faith in Jesus and the power of God, which healed the man. Notice that Peter’s command to get up and walk was in every-day language-not in tongues:

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk (Acts 3:6-8).

Do you have great faith? Are you a Spirit-filled believer? Are you a prayer warrior? If so, you should be able to raise the sick without the use of tongues. Notice that in the following Acts chapter in which Peter addresses teachers of the law Peter, though filled with the Spirit, did not speak in tongues. This is seen several times in Acts:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!  If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed… (Acts 4:8-9).

There can be no doubt that Peter had special and unique authority to heal. When he did so, there is no mention of any use of tongues:

As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed (Acts 5:15-16).

Paul also had such authority, as noted by Luke’s account in Acts, and Luke mentions not one word about Paul or anyone using tongues to heal:

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them (Acts 19:11-12).

When Paul was bitten by a snake, he didn’t pray in tongues:

But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god (Acts 28:5-6).

BIBLICAL DIRECTIVES ON HEALING

The teaching given by apostles on healing involve prayer, but never once mention the need for tongues. Surely, if tongues really could provide that extra bit of leverage in the spiritual realm, or if it had given the apostles any extra power-even as a rule-we would be told so in the pages of Scripture. It would be a serious negligence to leave such advice out. James gave very clear instructions on Biblical prayer for healing:

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:14-16).

Your righteousness and your faith will aid your prayers for the sick, says James: not tongues. Where is the command or even suggestion in Scripture that tongues will provide healing? There is none.

• APOLOGETICS
• FAITH
• THE HOLY SPIRIT