ISRAEL IN BIBLE PROPHECY | home
Demons in the Church | Publisher's Note | Dedication | Contents | Proverbs 24:11-12 | Introduction | The Battleground | First Encounter | Old Testament Typology | Battle Doctrine | Who Says It's Legalistic? | Hazardous Theology | Spirits In My House | Lying Spirits | Magic Show | Witchcraft | Mediums & Psychics | Deceiving Spirits | Satanic Visions | Facing Reality | Epilogue
Demons in the Church
Witchcraft
CHAPTER TEN
Witchcraft
By now, the delusions we have talked about in previous chap-
ters have taken the brethren so far from the Word that they
are ready to swallow a really big lie, like: "If you don't speak
in tongues, you're not saved." If your stated intent was to rob
the glory from the cross of our Savior Jesus Christ, and give it
to some false spirit, that doctrine would be the way to do it!
Besides, it is Satan's old trick of "faith plus something." There
is so much Scripture to refute that insanity, that the author is
tempted to say, just go read your Bible. But additionally, let's
take a little look at 19 centuries of church history. Fox's Book
Of Martyrs records hundreds of accounts of the giants of the
faith, who died for the Lord in tortures beyond imagining.76
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76 Two other works are must reading for every Christian who really
wants to know what being a Christian is all about: Martyrs Mirror,
(Scottdale, PA, Herald Press, 1950) and The Pilgrim Church,
(Pickering & Inglis, Basingstoke, Hants, UK, 1931)
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104 Demons in the Church
While being burned at the stake, saint after dear, suffering
saint, with faces charred beyond recognition, kept committing
themselves "unto Him who is able," asking for the forgiveness
of their sins, and the sins of their tormentors. Oh, those
blessed, steadfast brethren. While their own smoking fat
fueled the flames, they were holding burning arms toward
heaven, praising God.
To suggest that these brethren were not filled with the Spirit
is absurd... but not one of them is recorded as having "sought"
for the Holy Spirit, or spoken in "tongues." Read the Book of
Martyrs yourself. Most of those dear saints had complete
victory over their pain. Is that not the gift, of miracles, or
perhaps the gift, of faith? Listen to what happened to the
much beloved preacher John Hooper of London, when he spoke
out against the corrupt abuses of the mainline churches of his
own day:
On February 9th, 1555, at about eight o'clock, John Hooper
was led forth, and many thousands of people were collected,
being market day. He smilingly beheld the stake and prepa-
ration made for him.
Command was given that the fire should be kindled. But
because there were not more green fagots than two horses
could carry, it kindled not speedily, and was a pretty while
before it took the reeds upon the fagots. At length it burned
about him, but the wind having full strength at the place,
and it be a lowering cold morning, it blew the flames from
him, so that he was in a manner little touched by the fire.
A few dry fagots were brought, and a new fire kindled with
fagots (for there were no more reeds), and those burned at
his lower parts, but had small power above because of the
wind, saving that it burnt his hair and scorched his skin a
little. In the time of which fire, even as at the first flames,
he prayed, saying mildly, and not very loud, but as one
without pain, "O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy upon me,
and receive my soul!" After the second fire was spent, he
wiped both his eyes with his hands, and beholding the people
he said with an indifferent loud voice, "For God's love, good
people, let me have more fire." And all this while his lower
parts did burn: but the fagots were so few, that the flames
only singed his upper parts.
The third fire was kindled which was more extreme than
the other two. In this fire he prayed with a loud voice, "Lord
Jesus, have mercy upon me! Lord Jesus receive my spirit!"
Witchcraft 105
And these were the last words he was heard to utter. But
when he was black in the mouth, and his tongue so swollen
that he could not speak, yet his lips went until they were
shrunk to the gums: and he knocked his breast with his
hands until one of his arms fell off, and then still knocked
with the other, while the fat, water, and blood dropped out
at his fingers ends, until by renewing the fire, his strength
was gone, and his hand clave fast to the chain upon his
breast. Then immediately bowing forward, he yielded up his
spirit.77
Oh my God, how far we have fallen from the faith. We don't
even know what it means to take the name of Christian. Can
you imagine some arrogant, so-called "filled with the Spirit"
zealot, with his hands in his pockets, presumptuously saun-
tering up to one of those precious burning brethren and
sneering, "you aren't saved, you aren't speaking in tongues."
Monstrous!
Yet today, there are evangelists with their hands in YOUR
pockets, presumptuously sauntering up to a microphone and
making similar heretical statements on nationwide television.
The only difference is 400 years. There are still saints out
there who are suffering for the Lord Jesus, and one would be
hard-pressed to come up with a doctrine that would test their
faith more:
2PE 2: 1-3 ...there will also be false teachers among you, who will
secretly introduce destructive heresies... And many will follow their
sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
and in their greed they will exploit you with false words.
(NASB)
These same television "prophets" are recklessly advising
Christians to leave sound Bible-teaching churches if the "full-
ness" and "tongues" doctrines are not taught. They need a
history lesson. No one told that to the estimated 4,000,000
saints who were killed by the Roman empire, or the countless
millions martyred by the Roman church. Those true saints
just put their trust in Jesus. Matter of fact, if we need a
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77 John Fox, Fox's Book of Martyrs (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1967)
pp214-215.
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106 Demons in the Church
"tongue" (or some other spiritual marvel) to bolster our faith,
then we haven't got faith at all.
HEB 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen. (KJV)
It isn't faith when we rely on some charismatic phenomenon
we have seen, or on some "tongue" we have uttered. That's
sight, and "...we walk by faith, not by sight," 2CO 5:7 Faith is
when one stands in a truth despite the odds, just like the
martyrs did:
HEB 11:6 ...for without faith it is impossible to please him.
So again: Faith is when one stands on the truth despite the
odds! The martyrs didn't "seek for the filling," or plead for
some charismatic phenomenon to help them stand against the
attacks of the enemy. They knew they were indwelt by the
Holy Spirit because that's what the Bible told them. They
went to the stake just trusting in Jesus; and brethren, what
more is there to trust in than Him? If a saving faith in the
Lord Jesus (which invariably leads to obedience to God's
Word), and that faith alone, were sufficient to keep those
brethren walking in the Lord, even at the cost of their lives,
then an obedient faith alone is still good enough to keep the
church standing against the terrible "persecutions" and "trials"
we have today. Trials like staying out of topless bars, movies,
T.V., and too much frolicking on the beach. We are tragically
spoiled spiritual babies, and God's discipline will be upon us
shortly. Past, present, and future, "The just shall live by
faith," just as ROM 1:17 says.
The issue here is not whether we can be filled with the Spirit
subsequent to salvation, or even be given a greater gift. While
teaching, I myself have been aware of the blessing and
guidance of the Holy Spirit (because of its misuse, I don't use
the term full or filling much anymore). What true Bible
teacher hasn't? The real question is whether the Holy Spirit
will continue to minister through us with signs and wonders
when we disregard God's statutes, and openly display to the
fallen angelic majesties that the church is not in submission to
the Lord.
For instance: Will the Holy Spirit give a spiritual manifes-
tation to a woman who does not have her head covered, is
teaching or holding authority over a man, or is speaking out in
church? If He were to do so, He would be going against His
Witchcraft 107
own inspired Word, which He also tells us is unchanging and
everlasting.78 If we conclude that the Holy Spirit will not go
against His own Word, then where are these spiritual phenom-
ena coming from? From whence cometh the charismatic sense
of euphoria? A very good question. If it is not the Holy Spirit,
there is only one other option: the enemy, a demon.
Some will ask, "Well, what about some poor woman who
doesn't understand these submission commands, and doesn't
realize that they could be binding to her?" That was covered
in footnote No.41. God will forgive an unintended misunder-
standing of His Word, but this is something totally different.
We are claiming that the Holy Spirit Himself is giving out
these "tongues," and the Holy Spirit knows the Bible backward
and forward. He inspired it! If He were to empower a woman
to speak a tongue or prophecy in church, in opposition to what
His inspired Word states, He would be speaking against
Himself, and empowering someone to sin. That is impossible,
JAM 1:13.
Incantations
Somehow, false doctrines feed on themselves. Churches
rarely repent of their errors. Instead, new false rituals are
added to support existing fables. In some congregations, there
are all kinds of mediumistic procedures to help one "receive"
the gift of "tongues"; anointings and special teachings on how
to form tongue "words"; and special spirit worshipping seances
called "fullness" conferences. You realize that all religious
rituals not commanded by Scripture border on the practice of
magic, don't you?79
The Holy Spirit is not a performing puppet, giving gifts on
demand at some Sunday evening service. We forget that fire
came forth from the Lord, and slew Nadab and Abihu for
worshipping in a false spirit. We worship a holy and awesome
God who is greatly to be feared. Moses, one of the most
sanctified men who ever lived, was in great fear when he
beheld Him.
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78 ISA 40:8, PSA 119:60, 2TI 3:16, 2PE 3:2, 15-16.
79 DEU 4:2, DEU 12:32, PRO 30:6, and REV 22:18 warns us not to
add to God's commands. 1SA 15:21-23 shows us how God views such
excesses in worship.
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108 Demons in the Church
ACT 7:32 I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob. And Moses shook with fear and would not
venture to look.
HEB 12:21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am full
of fear and trembling." (NASB)
Look out at those millions of stars, some of them thousands
of light years away. Look at the awesome fury of a hurricane,
or the boiling atomic cauldron of our own sun. The Lord God
made them all. God Most High is the creator of the universe,
who could snuff out this sinful planet with a thought. The
Lord is not at our beck and call, casually handing out favors
here and there, when we (without even the fear or wisdom to
spiritually cast our shoes from off our feet) ring the Sunday
evening "come get your tongues" bell. This awesome God,
through His Spirit, gives gifts to whom He wills, when He
wills. Our irreverent craving "for the filling" must be a stench
in his nostrils.80
Come Holy Spirit
Sometimes in these meetings, special invocation songs are
sung like, "Come Holy Spirit, I need you," followed by a period
of silence, during which spiritual phenomena are sometimes
observed in the congregation. Women have their hands raised
and waving, and you hear people "praying in tongues" all over
the place. Brethren, that is counter to the Scriptures, which
state, "I want men in every place... to pray, lifting up holy
hands... let women receive instruction with entire submissive-
ness," and, "tongues... should be by two, or at most three."81
On the surface, these services look so godly that the open
heresy is not readily apparent. However, asking the Holy
Spirit to come denies His presence! It denies the indwelling of
the Holy Spirit in the individual believer! It denies that the
Holy Spirit has already been given to the believer by God the
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80 ISA 65:5, 1CO 12:7, 12:11
81 1TI 2:8,11, 1CO 14:27.
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Witchcraft 109
Father! It denies that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto
the day of redemption!82 Let me say that again:
Asking the Holy Spirit to come to us is an out-and-out
denial that He is already indwelling the believer. This
is calling God a liar, and totally disregarding a basic
attribute of His divine nature. Calling up the Holy
Spirit is an incantation, and that is witchcraft!
Saul fell into the same sin. He asked the witch of Endor to
call up the spirit of Samuel. Saul wasn't calling up some evil
spirit, but a prophet of the Lord. So it is not the kind of spirit
we wish to contact, but the incantation itself, the calling up of
any spirit, that is sin.83 If we obey God's Word, the Holy
Spirit will be given to us in full measure. We don't need to go
looking for Him. He is the Spirit of God, and He is sent to us
by the Lord Jesus, just as Scripture declares.84
In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, calling
for Him is directly counter to how the Bible says we receive the
Holy Spirit.85 There are many more proof texts, but those
cited in the footnote should be enough to satisfy all but the
most hardened skeptic. Praise God, the Holy Spirit is always
in the heart of the Christian. How do we know for sure? The
Bible tells us so:
JOH 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not
behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides
with you, and will be in you.
HEB 13:5 ...for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor
will I ever forsake you:" (NASB)
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82 ISA 57:15; JOH 7:38, 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:7; ACT 5:32, ROM 5:5, 8:1,
8:16; 1CO 3:16, 6:19; 2CO 1:22, 6:16; GAL 3:2, 4:6; EPH 1:13,4:30;
1TH 4:8; 2TH 2:13; 2TI 1:7; TIT 3:5; 1JO 2:20,3:24.
83 LEV 19:31, 20:6, 27, DEU 18:11, lSA 28:8-25, ISA 8:19, 19:3.
84 JOH 14:16-24, 16:7-15, ACT 5:32
85 NEH 9:20, ISA 44:3, JOH 14:16, 26, 16:7, ACT 5:32, ROM 14:17,
15:13-16, 100 2:12, EPH 2:18, 1:13
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110 Demons in the Church
Secret Languages
As if the foregoing errors were not sufficiently heretical, also
claimed by many charismatics is a "prayer language." Paul
refers to praying in tongues (in his spirit, 1CO 14:14-15) but
this special "secret" prayer language, which all are taught to
seek, is in theory some totally unintelligible heavenly tongue
undecipherable to any hearer.86 Supposedly, this "secret
language" permits the individual's spirit to communicate with
God.87 There is neither biblical support, nor early church
writings that suggest that believers would receive such a secret
language; and from the following verse, the concept is openly
unbiblical:
1CO 14:22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe,
but to unbelievers. (NASB)
The purpose of the genuine gift of tongues is mandated by
Scripture. It was given as a witness to the unsaved. It's
pretty hard for tongues to be a sign to unbelievers, if they are
uttered in some "heavenly language" that the unbeliever can't
understand. In fact, just as Scripture says, an unsaved person
would think you needed psychiatric help if you started witness-
ing to him in some "secret language," 1CO 14:23.
However, "secret languages" do have historic support, but
guess where? In the ecstatic speech practiced by the mystery
religions (particularly Mithraism) which were popular among
the Roman soldiers of Jesus' time. Scripture shows those cultic
practices to be demonic, 1CO 10:20.
But this is exactly the kind of clever scheme the enemy
would like to get into the church. Why? Well, since "secret
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86 For a more detailed exposition of 1CO 14, see the exegetical note at
the end of this chapter.
87 Sometimes this "secret language" is received after the spirit seeker
falls backward into a trance. This second phenomenon, called "slain
in the spirit," is claimed to be the power of the Holy Spirit overwhelm-
ing the individual and rendering him unconscious. There is neither
biblical nor apostolic support for this phenomenon.
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Witchcraft 111
languages" are a secret, and a total mystery to all, who on
earth can test them for authenticity?88 The only New Testa-
ment tongues defined for us in the Bible, were composed of
known languages of men, understood by one or more of the
hearers, ACT 2:6-11. In fact, the Greek word glo_88a (Strong's
No.1100g) which we translate "tongue," really means a lan-
guage of man. Are "secret prayer languages" genuine spiritual
phenomena? Some seem to be, but since they are not autho-
rized by Scripture, whose spirit do you suppose is inspiring
them?
Hot Line Doctrine
Further claimed by some, is that this "secret prayer lan-
guage" is a direct Hot Line to God in heaven with which Satan
cannot interfere. An unbelievable myth, with no scriptural
support whatever. This again denies the indwelling Holy
Spirit, or suggests that He is deaf, or that He has no communi-
cation with the rest of the Godhead, or that God does not know
the thoughts and intents of our hearts, or that Jesus and God
the Father have not made their abode with us as JOH 14:23
states. More blasphemy!89
The prayer language "Hot Line" doctrine again denies the
omnipresence of God, which is directly against more Scrip-
ture.90 Additionally, there are only two ways mentioned in
the Word by which our prayers can be hindered, "If I regard
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88 This "secret language" fabrication is probably inferred from, "If I
speak with the tongues of men or of angels," 1CO 13:1. The KJV
translates the Greek ean (Strong's No.1437g) as "Though I were to
speak...." But regardless of translation, ean, is a conditional particle.
Paul did not state that he spoke in the tongues of angels, only what
"if he were to do so. Sort of like saying, "If I were to jump over the
moon..." A hyperbole. This is a good example of a widespread
spiritual deception based on a faulty interpretation of Scripture.
It might be thought that Paul prayed audibly in tongues from 1CO
14:14-15, but a careful analysis of context seems to indicate otherwise.
See exegetical note on pp113-116.
89 Here are a few of the Scriptures: PSA 94:11, 139:23, ISA 66:18,
MAT 9:4, LUK 11:17, HEB 4:2.
90 JOB 38:4-33, PSA 139:7-16
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112 Demons in the Church
sin in my heart," PSA 66:18, or if a man mistreats his wife,
1PE 3:7.
Fullness Seance
It never seems to stop. New heresies continue to crop up.
So-called "fullness" conferences are held, ostensibly for one to
receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. They didn't get that
idea from the Word of God! There is no instance of such a
conclave, for such a purpose, anywhere in the Bible. If we
ought to have such a meeting, we would have a scriptural
record of one, as an example. Furthermore, the Word states
that the Holy Spirit was poured out when Jesus was glorified,
ACT 2:33, and when we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are
complete in Him, COL 2:9-10. Again, God the Father already
has given us the Holy Spirit.91
What then is the outcome of striving after the Spirit, counter
to what Scripture directs, while also being in disobedience to
the ordinances which show the fallen angels that the church is
in submission to the Lord Jesus? The result is obvious. We
have opened the church to direct satanic attack, and the
judgment will fit the sin perfectly. We will get a "spirit"
alright... lots of them!
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91 I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, I know, but that is what
the Bible says: JOH 14:16, ACT 5:32, 2CO 1:22, 1TH 4:8.
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Witchcraft 113
Exegetical Note
1 Corinthians 14
To find truth, one must set prejudices aside, approach the Word of
God with humility, and ask the Lord for the wisdom to discern His
intent in a given Scripture. Affirmation from many brethren leads me
to believe that the following is probably the correct exegesis of 1CO
14. However, this is a complex passage of Scripture, and some verses
could be interpreted differently.
After Jesus was glorified, a new mode of worship was introduced.
We know this new system as the New Testament church. 1CO chs.11-
14 contain the regulations for church assembly, 12:17, 14:26. The
ordinances of head-covering and communion are explained in ch.11.
Spiritual gifts are described in ch.12-13. The rules for assembly, and
the proper use of the gifts are inaugurated in ch.14. The Corinthian
church was factious, 11:17, and it appears that the primary purpose
of 1CO 14 was to bring unity to the Corinthian church, particularly
in its exercise of the spiritual gifts.
Understanding ch.14 hangs on two questions: (1) What was Paul's
intent in his use of the phrase "in the spirit"? (2) Why was
proseuchomai, "praying" in tongues mentioned only twice,92 while
laleo, "speaking" in tongues was discussed 15 times?93 All of 1CO
14:2-13 and 14:18-39 address speaking in tongues, while praying in
tongues appears in only vs.14-15. Why?
1CO 14:5 Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you
would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in
tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.
(NASB)
It is apparent from v.5, that tongues and prophecies were both
spiritual revelations. Prophecy was a revelation in a language
understood by the assembly, while a tongue was a revelation in a
language not understood by the assembly. Again from v.5, an
interpreted tongue was equal in value to a prophecy; both edified the
body. Despite charismatic doctrines to the contrary, from v.5 it seems
that a tongue is a message from God's Spirit to man, and not a
message from man's spirit to God!
1CO 14:13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may
interpret.
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92 Greek, proseuchomai, defined to pray, Strong's No.4336g.
93 Greek: laleo, defined to talk, Strong's No.2980g.
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114 Demons in the Church
If v.5 is studied in conjunction with v.13, it appears that the tongue-
speaker was to pray for the interpretation of his own tongue, and
interpret his utterance himself. This is strengthened by "...and let one
interpret" of v.27 (i.e, his own tongue). The phrase is not, "and let
another interpret." Note also the continued use of the singular
personal pronoun "him" in v.28.
1CO 14:27-28 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the
most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret (i.e, his own tongue); but
if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak
to himself and to God. (NASB)
That a person should interpret his own tongue is in keeping with a
major theme of the Bible: A prophet was accountable for what he
spoke "in the name of the Lord," DEU 18:20, JER 23:30, JAM 3:1, etc.
We, too, are accountable before God for anything our mouth utters in
His name (plain language or in a tongue). V.32 declares this
accountability, "...the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets." The
assumption that we can carelessly blurt out something we don't
understand, from an unknown spirit, while claiming that it is from
God the Holy Spirit, is not only unbiblical; it is presumptuous and
spiritually dangerous:
ISA 2:25 "If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but
if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?" (NASB)
Though Greek was the common language spoken during apostolic
times, the Roman Empire was a highly mobile society, as evidenced
by ACT 2:9-11, where speakers of at least 12 different languages were
present. When we recognize that the saint should routinely interpret
his own utterance, the separate gift of "the interpretation of tongues,"
1CO 12:10, was probably the supernatural ability to translate for a
foreigner who spoke in the assembly, rather than the ability of one
Christian to divine the utterance of another member of the church
who was speaking in some unknown "secret prayer language."
But the real key to 1CO 14 is in vs.14-15. Here we read about the
spiritual activity taking place within two aspects of man's nature. A
clear distinction is made between what is happening in: (1) the
pneuma, or spirit,94 and (2) the nous, or mind.95 If a man prays in
a tongue, he does so in his pneuma, "in the spirit," which can be
understood to mean in his heart! If he receives no interpretation in
his nous or mind, his mind is inactive, "my mind is unfruitful" v.14.
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94 Greek: pneuma, defined as spirit, Strong's No.4151g.
95 Greek: nous, defined as mind, reason, or understanding, Strong's No.3563g.
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Witchcraft 115
1CO 14:14-15 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is
unfruitful. What is the outcome then? I shall pray with the spirit and I shall
pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the
mind also. (NASB)
Nothing is said here about speaking aloud in tongues! We are
reading about Paul's spirit and the mind, not his mouth. So how does
a person pray and sing with the mind, v.15? Would that not be
because he received the interpretation for his tongue in his mind?
Simply stated, it seems that the tongue-speaker hears the tongue in
his pneuma, or spirit, and receives the interpretation for it in his
nous, or mind, v.15. When he both hears and understands his tongue,
he prays and sings in both mind and spirit... and who wouldn't?
Paul, in his very precise use of proseuchomai (pray), and laleo
(talk), appears to be making a distinction between what is happening
in his heart, and what he is saying with his mouth. He did NOT
speak his tongue out loud, unless he interpreted, v.16, because a
person without his gift would not have understood what he was
saying. It seems that the man granted an unknown tongue did not
speak it aloud in the assembly; but instead, spoke a common language
which could be understood by all. If a tongue-speaker did not
understand his spiritual message, he was commanded to remain silent
in the church, and "speak to himself and to God," v.28.
1CO 14:16-17 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who
fills the place of the ungifted say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since
he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well
enough, but the other man is not edified. (NASB)
Pentecostals interpret the "my spirit prays" of 1CO 14:14-15, as
license to pray audibly in tongues in the church. From this notion,
many go on to teach that anytime praying or speaking "in the Holy
Spirit" is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, it also refers to praying
audibly in tongues. A dubious concept at best, because vs.16-19
discourage such a practice. It seems that Pentecostals do not
recognize that within the context of 1CO 14, proseuchomai (praying)
refers to something taking place in the heart, while laleo (talk) refers
to what is being spoken out loud!
The concept of silent prayer is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture. In
Ephesians, Paul defines praying "in the spirit" as silent: "Speaking to
yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody in your heart to the Lord," EPH 5:19 (KJV). The
phrase "in your heart," is just another way of saying "in the spirit;"
and there is no way that the "in your heart" of EPH 5:19 can be
construed to mean audible prayer. Furthermore, "in the spirit"
appears 16 more times from the epistles to Revelation, and all refer
to an activity taking place within the heart.
So where is the scriptural support to interpret the "my spirit prays"
of 1CO 14:14-15 as audible prayer? Nowhere! Try as he might, the
116 Demons in the Church
author could not find a single verse that even hinted at audible prayer
in an unknown tongue (or in a so-called "secret prayer language"), in
the church, or anywhere else for that matter.
How saints should act when they assemble is the central theme of
1CO chs.11-14. These four chapters contain the only place in the New
Testament where the order of worship is set forth, 14:26-88. It is
within this setting that the overall intent of ch.14 becomes evident.
1CO 14 regulates what should take place silently, in an individual's
heart, and what should be voiced audibly to the whole church. The
Lord, through Paul, commanded the church to show some maturity in
its exercise of audible tongues, v.20, and stated that tongues were not
given for the believer's edification (though some took place 14:4), but
as a sign to unbelievers, v.22.
So why has Satan gone to such an effort to get this false "praying
in tongues" doctrine into the church? Because the enemy knows the
true value of prayer. Praying is one of the strongest weapons the
Lord has given us in our fight against the forces of darkness. If the
saints can be deceived into believing that hours of meaningless
babbling is prayer, then the church's effectiveness before the throne
of grace can be destroyed.