Where is the biblical proof for a private prayer language in tongues?

Bible Highlighter said:

So do you want to understand why I believe the command that says, "forbid not to speak with tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:39) given to the Corinthians and the believers during that time does not apply anymore?

Here are several points in Scripture in defense of the ceasing of the miraculous gifts:

#1. Both 1 Corinthians 13 and James 1 describe something that is “perfect” and “looking into a mirror.” In 1 Corinthians 13, that which is “perfect” fits the reference to the “Perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25). The law of the Lord is “perfect” (Psalms 19:7). All Scripture (the Bible) is profitable so that the man of God may be “perfect” unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). James 1:23 and 1 Corinthians 13:12 both describe the Bible as a mirror/glass that we see our reflection in. Some people look into a mirror and forget their physical appearance. Some people look into the Bible mirror and forget their spiritual appearance. Therefore, Glass / Mirror = Perfect = The Word of God. 1 Corinthians 13:12 describes the "perfect" as a glass mirror, just as James 1:23 does. 2 Corinthians 3:18 also shows the glass, and hence the perfect to be the Word of God, which transforms us. It says: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (Also see verse 15 in the same chapter). As we look into God's Word and we see Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the very image of Jesus Christ. "We all" means all believers, seeing in the Bible/glass, the glory of the Lord. "Open face" means that we can hide nothing from God; We must be open and honest with Him.

#2. The three greatest prophets and miracle workers in the Bible are Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. We see that the miracles that they performed were a way to authenticate them as a messenger from GOD and the Word of God that they provided (that would be immortalized into Scripture). We notice that after each of these prophets, there was a time of silence where no miracles were done. Just like with the prophets Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, miracles authenticated the apostles' message as from God. "And they (apostles) went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs (tongues, prophecies, healing, etc.) following. Amen." Mark 16:20. Today the need for tongues and miracles has ceased. God has authenticated the apostles and the New Testament that they penned. This proves the temporary nature of tongues and miracles.

#3. We can see that after the book of Acts, the gifts no longer operated in Paul’s life like they once had. The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. But when we turn to the letters written after the Book of Acts—the 4 Prison Epistles, and the 3 Pastoral Epistles, we find that the sign gifts either aren’t mentioned at all or we see—as with the gift of healing—that they were no longer operating in Paul’s life. What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. He could heal all the sick on the island in Acts 28:9, but he couldn’t heal any of his closest co-workers—Timothy, Epaphroditus, Trophimus—after the close of the Book of Acts (See this article here for the full explanation).

#4. Believers were built upon the foundation of the apostles. “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;” (Ephesians 2:18-20). We are said to have access by one Spirit unto the Father that is built upon the “foundation” of the apostles and prophets. Being an apostle is a gift (See 1 Corinthians 12:28-31). The qualifications of being an apostle was to have seen the risen Lord Jesus Christ (See Acts of the Apostles 1:22-26). Paul said he met the qualifications as being an apostle because he had seen the risen Lord. 1 Corinthians 9:1 “…Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” Paul called himself the “last prophet.” (1 Corinthians 15:8-9). Paul says that God has set forth the apostles last (1 Corinthians 14:9). This shows the temporary nature of one of the gifts because the gift of apostleship is a foundation that was already laid already with the saints being built upon such a foundation.

#5. Jesus suggested that there would be the kind of believer who would not see, and yet they would believe anyways. For Jesus said, "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:29). This suggests that there would be believers who would not need miracles in order to believe. Jesus showed proof that the miracle of His resurrection was real to Thomas in the fact that he had him feel his side, etc. He wanted to physically have proof in order to believe. But Jesus said there will be those who will not see and yet they will believe. Jesus says they are more blessed because of this. It suggests that believers will not need of the continued operation of the working miracles of God in their life in order to continually believe. In other words, there will be a time when believers will walk by faith, and not by sight.

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Bible Highlighter said:

Groanings which cannot be uttered. Meaning, "cannot be uttered" is they cannot be spoken. So Romans 8:26 is not a defense for tongues.



The various kinds of tongues is not saying that there are different kinds of tongues in the sense that there are private tongues and public tongues. It is saying that there are various kinds of different foreign languages that a person can speak by the Spirit (like Hebrew, Greek, etc.). The point also here is that not all speak with tongues because Paul asks the question "do all speak with tongues?" Paul even wished that they all spoke in tongues, but this clearly was not the case.



Nothing is said here in this passage about how you must speak in tongues and work miracles of some kind. Being devoid of the Spirit means that they do not have the fruits of the Spirit as evidence that they are abiding in the Spirit. Galatians 5 talks about the fruits of the Spirit. It focuses on behavior in Jude. They are worldly minded. That is not something I would endorse. In fact, I am for picking up your cross and denying yourself in all aspects of your life. Do not look to politics, do not look to secular movies, do not love the things of this world that the world loves. Let's get rich. Your best life now. That is what I see being worldly minded is all about. I believe Jude is talking about those who turn God's grace into a license for immorality.



The verse says groanings that cannot be uttered. Meaning they cannot be expressed in words. That is what it is saying. Let me give you another example: Bob was upset and his inner turmoil of feelings of what he wanted to say could not be uttered. Does this mean Bob could speak in some unknown language? No. It means his groanings or feelings within him cannot be uttered or expressed in words.



What does Paul mean when he says that God is not the author of confusion?
Does he not want the church to speak only with an interpreter present?
Is not tongues only for unbelievers according to 1 Corinthians 14:22?
If tongues are only for unbelievers, then why do believers today think they are for believers as a use of private prayer?



I have moved this point to being off topic based on what another poster said (So as to be fair that we should not talk about personal experiences here in this thread). For this thread: I prefer to stick to what the Bible says alone so as to answer the question of the OP.



I believe we can receive the Holy Spirit. But I believe the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him according to Acts of the Apostles 5:32. So we need to know properly what commands apply today and which commands do not apply today. This of course takes careful prayerful study of God's Word and not outside experiences (Which are based on sight and not based on faith).

So I will refer you to post #173 as a means to show you why I think things have changed in regards to the gifting of the miraculous gifts by the Spirit. Surely, we receive the Spirit and surely we still receive gifts from the Spirit, but they are the kind of gifts now that glorifies faith and not sight. The miraculous gifts were temporary in the fact that they were to confirm that Jesus and His apostles were indeed authenticate messengers from God. This was the case with Moses, and Elijah, as well.

The Bible is complete. We need no more words of God to guide us in our walk with the Lord. His Word (the Bible) is self authenticating and there is no need for miracles to keep authenticating that the words of the Bible are true. There are tons of evidences already that back up the Bible.

You can check out my blogger article here (if you are interested):
Love Branch: Evidences for the Word of God

In any event, may God bless you (even if we disagree).

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Bible Highlighter said:

The "perfect" that is yet to come is referring to the Word of God (the perfect law of liberty) being completed with the close of the canon of Scripture (with Revelation).

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Ricky M said:

As Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey, the rulers told Him to silence His followers. He said if He did that, the rocks would cry out. I wonder what language the rocks would have used?

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Bible Highlighter said:

Where is the biblical proof for a private prayer language?

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Bible Highlighter said:

The "perfect" that is yet to come is referring to the Word of God (the perfect law of liberty) being completed with the close of the canon of Scripture (with Revelation).

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CharismaticLady said:

Do you speak in tongues? I'm curious because everything you said is wrong and not correctly interpreted, but out of context, like someone uninformed. I'm not taking if for granted you don't speak in tongues, because many Pentecostals are not entirely right either.

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LittleLambofJesus said:

I have only heard a person speaking in [sounded like gibberish] at a Pentecost church back in about 2005. There was one that spoke and one that interpreted.
Never heard it spoke again.....Unfortunately I didn't record it or remember what was spoken.
I am on the "fence" about this..........

The Gift of Tongues and That Which is Perfect | David A. Green | Preterist Archive

Tongues Have Ceased

Now if we no longer live in the era of covenantal transition wherein God was changing His dwelling from the symbolic, man-made temple to the true, heavenly Temple in the heart of His redeemed people; and if the destruction of unbelieving, old covenant Israel and its imperfect temple took place in A.D. 70, then it is manifest that tongues ceased by A.D. 70.

Does this mean that no one ever speaks in tongues today? Surely, if God wants someone to miraculously speak in another language, then that's what God will cause to happen. God can do whatever He wants. But the question should not be so much whether or not anyone ever speaks in another language by the Spirit of God today; the question should be whether or not Christians speak in tongues en masse as they did in the first century.

It has been taught by some lately that God has re-poured His Spirit upon all flesh and has re-started the first-century tongues movement in our day because we are now, again, in "the last days." But why would God return His people to those imperfect, partial things which were to exist only while the old testament form of worship was still being imposed upon fleshly Israel in its last waning years? Are we to believe that God will return His people to the days of the child (the old testament age; cf. Gal. 4:1-7)? Will we have to go back to the days of transition (from Biblical Judaism to Christianity, from old covenant to New Covenant) when God's people saw Christ as through a mirror in dimness and not face to face as we do now since Christ long ago removed the veil at the Consummation of the old-testament age in A.D. 70 (II Cor. 3:13-16)?

The condemning, old (covenant) things passed away long ago. All (covenant) things were made new. [in AD70] Since the old-testament temple fell, Christ in the heart is forever the true "Tabernacle of God among men." Now in Christ our Redeemer -our Forgiver- the Church is enabled to realize the chief End of mankind: to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and body; and to love his neighbor as himself. Revelation (prophecy, knowledge and tongues) ceased, but the love of God in our hearts remains (II Cor. 3:11). Amen/
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Speaking in Tongues | Mauro Archive

This gift is mentioned last in the list of gifts which "God hath set in the church" (12:28-29). And the apostle’s questions "Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues?" make it clear beyond all doubt that some only of the saints possessed those gifts. Indeed the questions are asked for the very purpose of enforcing the argument that, as in the human body there are many members, each with its own special function, to be exercised for the benefit of all, so in the church there are different gifts and duties as-signed to the several members; yet, inasmuch as all belong to one and the same body, the gifts ail pertain to that one body, regardless of what members have them. According to the inspired argument of that chapter it would be as absurd to expect every member of the church to have the gift of tongues as to expect that every member of the human body should be a tongue endowed with power to speak (v.17).


In chapter 14 Paul shows that the gift of prophecy is far more to be desired than that of tongues, because prophesying—i.e., ministering the Word of God—edifies the church; and this is the work of Love, because "Love edifieth" (8:1), whereas speaking in tongues may be but the vain display of a gift. Paul makes the contrast very strong, saying, "I speak with tongues more than ye all; yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an (unknown) tongue" (14:18, 19). So the relative value is as five to ten thousand.


He then bids those Corinthians to "be not children in understanding," and explains to them that the gift of tongues was a fulfillment of Isaiah 28:11, 12, where God, in foretelling judgments upon Israel in connection with their rejection of His Word (which had always been spoken to them in Hebrew) said, "For with stammering lips and another tongue will I speak unto this people" (the Jews) . Therefore, at Pentecost God began to speak to the Jews in "another tongue." This was a "sign" to that unbelieving people. And this is precisely what Paul declares in the next verse, where he says: "Wherefore, tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not; but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe" (I Cor. 14:21). Thus the gift of prophecy is incomparably greater than that of speaking in tongues. It follows that to say the gift of tongues is a sign to believers that the one so gifted who has received the Holy Spirit, is simply to turn the Scripture upside down.

A Dangerous Delusion

We believe that the modern error regarding tongues, as made prominent by those who call themselves "pentecostals," is one of the most dangerous of these last days. Many true, earnest, and zealous children of God have been deluded by it. The appeal it makes is very attractive to saints who groan and sigh for something different from the shams and dead formalities of religious Christendom. We have had it under observation from the start. Its phenomena—ecstasies, transports, prostrations, yielding to "the power," displaced personality, etc.—are the very same as we had already become familiar with in our previous investigations of hypnotism, spiritism, and other psychic and occult phenomena. We know by personal observation some of the terrible havoc—moral and spiritual—it has wrought. Most earnestly, therefore, do we warn the beloved people of God against it.
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Dave L said:

I'm saying the "prayer Language" has no scripture support.

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Bible Highlighter said:

Groanings which cannot be uttered. Meaning, "cannot be uttered" is they cannot be spoken. So Romans 8:26 is not a defense for tongues.



The various kinds of tongues is not saying that there are different kinds of tongues in the sense that there are private tongues and public tongues. It is saying that there are various kinds of different foreign languages that a person can speak by the Spirit (like Hebrew, Greek, etc.). The point also here is that not all speak with tongues because Paul asks the question "do all speak with tongues?" Paul even wished that they all spoke in tongues, but this clearly was not the case.



Nothing is said here in this passage about how you must speak in tongues and work miracles of some kind. Being devoid of the Spirit means that they do not have the fruits of the Spirit as evidence that they are abiding in the Spirit. Galatians 5 talks about the fruits of the Spirit. It focuses on behavior in Jude. They are worldly minded. That is not something I would endorse. In fact, I am for picking up your cross and denying yourself in all aspects of your life. Do not look to politics, do not look to secular movies, do not love the things of this world that the world loves. Let's get rich. Your best life now. That is what I see being worldly minded is all about. I believe Jude is talking about those who turn God's grace into a license for immorality.



The verse says groanings that cannot be uttered. Meaning they cannot be expressed in words. That is what it is saying. Let me give you another example: Bob was upset and his inner turmoil of feelings of what he wanted to say could not be uttered. Does this mean Bob could speak in some unknown language? No. It means his groanings or feelings within him cannot be uttered or expressed in words.



What does Paul mean when he says that God is not the author of confusion?
Does he not want the church to speak only with an interpreter present?
Is not tongues only for unbelievers according to 1 Corinthians 14:22?
If tongues are only for unbelievers, then why do believers today think they are for believers as a use of private prayer?



I have moved this point to being off topic based on what another poster said (So as to be fair that we should not talk about personal experiences here in this thread). For this thread: I prefer to stick to what the Bible says alone so as to answer the question of the OP.



I believe we can receive the Holy Spirit. But I believe the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him according to Acts of the Apostles 5:32. So we need to know properly what commands apply today and which commands do not apply today. This of course takes careful prayerful study of God's Word and not outside experiences (Which are based on sight and not based on faith).

So I will refer you to post #173 as a means to show you why I think things have changed in regards to the gifting of the miraculous gifts by the Spirit. Surely, we receive the Spirit and surely we still receive gifts from the Spirit, but they are the kind of gifts now that glorifies faith and not sight. The miraculous gifts were temporary in the fact that they were to confirm that Jesus and His apostles were indeed authenticate messengers from God. This was the case with Moses, and Elijah, as well.

The Bible is complete. We need no more words of God to guide us in our walk with the Lord. His Word (the Bible) is self authenticating and there is no need for miracles to keep authenticating that the words of the Bible are true. There are tons of evidences already that back up the Bible.

You can check out my blogger article here (if you are interested):
Love Branch: Evidences for the Word of God

In any event, may God bless you (even if we disagree).

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Bible Highlighter said:

It is saying that there are various kinds of different foreign languages that a person can speak by the Spirit (like Hebrew, Greek, etc.). The point also here is that not all speak with tongues because Paul asks the question "do all speak with tongues?" Paul even wished that they all spoke in tongues, but this clearly was not the case.

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Hillsage said:

Again, I'll provide SCRIPTURE which disagrees with your one sentence 'opinion' based upon nothing but the authority of YOU.

1CO 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

And again I provide the scripture PROVING that speaking this 'PRAYER TONGUE' with my spirit isn't speaking 'to men' like the day of Pentecost....56 years earlier. But the tongue in this scripture speaks "to God" ....just like I do today.

1CO 14:2 For one who speaks in a PRAYER tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit. (his spirit not the Holy Spirit).

Your 'opinion' above, is plainly and simply scripturally crushed.

And, once again, I provide a scripture in four different translations which all tell anyone who is truly seeking the truth, WHY those like you don't believe. You are ALL in the group which scripture plainly says don't have what the Charismatic church had then and has now.

NAS 1CO 14:23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and ALL speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?

KJV 1CO 14:23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?

NIV 1CO 14:23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

I think the NIV is the kindest verse explaining why you don't believe.... you simply "DO NOT UNDERSTAND" what scripture plainly says.

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Dave L said:

Those speaking (Praying) in tongues knew what they were saying.

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