HIBBS’ SPEAKING ‘IN’ TONGUES vs. PRAYING ‘IN’ THE SPIRIT

Answering Bible Questions with Pastor Jack (Praying in The Spirit) | Real Life Talk

The belief that speaking in tongues is indicative of being filled with the Holy Spirit is inconsistent with the teachings of the Word of God.

It expresses the notion that faith alone in Christ’s redemptive work on the cross is insufficient, necessitating a tangible and observable manifestation, such as speaking in tongues, to confirm genuine salvation and the reception of the Holy Spirit.

Consequently, the insistence that faith combined with speaking in tongues serves as the definitive evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit, as an indisputable test for salvation, is false.

Faith in Christ supplemented by anything else ceases to be faith.

Although Jack Hibbs does not contend for speaking in tongues as the evidence of salvation, his views on the difference between speaking in tongues with an audible voice and silently or privately “praying in the spirit” (the mind) are equally flawed.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT AND PRAYING IN TONGUES?

Is there a difference between praying in the spirit and praying in tongues?

The various interpretations of tongues have led to what can be described as a modern-day Babel of confusion.

While the Tower of Babel symbolised the epitome of humanity’s rebellion against God, this contemporary Babel, which has become increasingly prevalent in many churches, is regarded as a Holy Spirit-inspired gathering of praise and worship rather than a medium to convey a message, according to Jack Hibbs.

Indeed, this was the conclusion Jack Hibbs came to in a YouTube video that was aired about five years ago on April 6th 2020. He is the senior and founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, based in Southern California, the Founder & President of Real-Life ministry, and a nationally syndicated TV & Radio host.

The main focus of his video was the question, “Is there a difference between praying in the Spirit and speaking in tongues?” To be fair and avoid misquoting him or adding any unjust implications, let’s hear him address this topic directly in a section of his video.

He says,

Get ready to write these references down. Number 1. Start in Romans chapter 8 and verse 26 to 27. And I’ll paraphrase there, but Paul tells us there that we as believers, we do not always know how we ought to pray, but the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us and He does that in us.

Remember, the Spirit of God dwells in you, but the prayer is directed God that the Holy Spirit makes utterances, words that are not known to us, that He intercedes for us in prayer, because there’s many times we don’t know how to pray, and we run out of our English words, and we feel frustrated.

Don’t panic. Go to Romans 8, read verse 26 to 27 because you can pray in the spirit. What is that? Turn for reference’s sake in your Bibles or mark it down 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 Corinthians 12 gives you the list of gifts given to the Christians and the Christian Church.

“HOW TO PRAY” OR “WHAT TO PRAY”?

Is there a difference between “how to pray” and “what to pray”?

A common yet subtle strategy some teachers use to push their own agendas is to swap one word for another. The King James Version of the Bible translates “τίς προσεύχομαι” (“tis proseuchomai”) correctly (“what” or “which” we should pray for), and not “how we should pray.”

The original Greek translates τίς προσεύχομαι as “for things which or what we should pray for”. The word “for” in the phrase “what or which we should pray for” (“τίς προσεύχομαι”) cannot be separated from the word “προσεύχομαι” so that it may read as “how to pray.”

If one should say “how to pray for”, it would mean there are certain ways to pray before God will answer and provide you with whatever you are praying for.

It suggests that God is waiting for you to offer the right prayer before He can respond accordingly. How to pray is all about the way you practice and approach prayers.

“How to pray” has everything to do with:-

• Posture & setting: Should you kneel, bow, sit quietly, or walk as you pray?
• Method: Are there steps to follow—like praise, confession, thanksgiving, and request (often called ACTS)?
• Attitude: Are you praying with sincerity, humility, faith, or perhaps seeking stillness or focus?
• Tradition or ritual: Different faiths have different practices—Muslims have formal prayer times, Christians might pray freely or recite the Lord’s Prayer, Buddhists and SOME Christians may sit still and meditate.

“What to pray” This focuses on the content—what are you actually saying or asking for?

• Personal requests: For guidance, healing, strength, or blessings for yourself or others.
• Gratitude: Thanking God for specific things in life.
• Confession or reflection: Admitting sins or seeking peace and clarity.
• Intercession: Praying on behalf of others.

In other words: “how” is the form, “what” is the substance. God is always more interested in the substance, as it focuses on others rather than on the self.

Jack Hibbs is more focused on “how to pray” to validate his own practice of praying in the spirit in an unknown tongue. Moreover, He is wading deeper into so-called Christian meditation by focusing on a single word or verse when praying. (Spiritual Disciplines: Devotions | Meditation | Memorization)

TRANSITION FROM ROMANS TO FIRST CORINTHIANS

Jack Hibb’s transition from Romans to 1st Corinthians is rather awkward.

In his analysis, he paraphrases Romans 8:26-27 to support Paul’s explanation of the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. However, his comments deviate from Paul’s actual words in this passage, particularly in verse 14: “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

Before delving deeper into the meaning of 1 Corinthians 14:14, it’s important to understand why Jack Hibbs refers to Romans 8:26-27 to help clarify the difference between praying in the spirit and speaking in tongues.

To start, Romans 8:26-27 has no connection to Paul’s discussion of tongues in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. The passage in Romans clearly states that it is the Holy Spirit who prays, not the believer.

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit’s prayers are expressed not in words or tongues but in groanings, often understood as sighs. The Greek term for groanings is στεναγμός (stenagmos), which is vastly different from γλῶσσα (tongues).

Hibbs stumbles over his words, stammering as he seems to deliberately avoid using the term “groanings” and says,

Paul tells us there that we as believers, we do not always know how we ought to pray but the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us . . . that the Holy Spirit . . . uh . . . makes utterances . . . uhm . . . wo- wo- words that are not known to us. . . because there’s many times we don’t know how to pray, and we run out of our English words, and we feel frustrated. Don’t panic. Go to Romans 8, read verse 26 to 27, because you can pray in the spirit.

The fact is, no one can pray in his/her redeemed spirit, for it is the sole habitation of the Holy Spirit. There is no link between Romans 8:26-27 and 1st Corinthians 12, 13, and 14. Neither can you hear the groanings of the Holy Spirit in your spirit to supposedly enable you to pray in the spirit.

The Bible doesn’t contain the exact phrases “pray in the spirit” or “praying in the spirit.” This can be explained by understanding that the human spirit, the deepest part of a person’s nature (alongside the body and soul), is described as being dead in trespasses and sins before salvation (Ephesians 2:1).

Thus, the unredeemed man lives a “dead-man-walking” existence, taking each step from his prison cell toward inevitable execution.

From a biblical perspective, it can be seen as a life utterly drained and heading down a path toward destruction. It also signifies that humanity cannot breathe life into its own spirit. This leaves people in a completely hopeless state, requiring something or someone beyond themselves to revive their spirit.

THE BELIEVER’S SPIRIT

The believer’s spirit becomes the sole and exclusive property of the Holy Spirit at conversion

Praise be to God, this passage represents only part of Ephesians 2:1. It confirms that the Holy Spirit not only quickens the human spirit at conversion but also becomes the sole Person with exclusive rights to dwell within a believer’s spirit.

Human nature, being entirely flesh and devoid of any goodness (Romans 7:18; Luke 18:19), cannot coexist in the same place with the Holy Spirit, who resides in all His fullness within a believer’s quickened spirit.

As a consequence, Paul wrote,

I say then: Walk in the [power of the] Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:16-17).

How can a man’s natural inclinations, rooted in his flesh (soul), coexist with the Holy Spirit and enable him to “pray in [or from within] his spirit”? How can two entities who ae contray to one another coexist in the same place? It’s impossible.

Some might argue that Paul suggested he could pray in the spirit, or perhaps apart from it, as indicated in 1 Corinthians 14:14.

For if I pray in an (unknown) tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

The phrase “unknown tongue” is found six times in the New Testament, limited to chapter 14 of 1st Corinthians. The translators of the King James Bible incorporated the word “unknown” into every verse, which is not mentioned in the original Greek text.

It’s important to note that Paul is presenting a hypothetical scenario rather than making a definitive statement. The word ἐάν (ean) is a conditional particle, meaning, “If I were to pray in an (unknown) tongue… then such and such would follow.”

He does not confirm that when he prays in a tongue, he does not understand what he is praying. His statement that his spirit prays when he prays in a tongue (the word “unknown” is not present in the original Greek and cannot be assumed to refer to an unknown heavenly language) does not imply that his understanding is ineffective. His comment about it being unfruitful (unproductive) applies not to himself but to the audience listening to him.

To fully understand Paul’s statement in verse 14 of chapter 14, it’s important to explore the earlier referenced passages.

• Verse 5. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
• Verse 6. But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?
• Verse 7. Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?
• Verse 8. For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
• Verse 9. So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.
• Verse 10. There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. (Note carefully, he is not referring to unknown heavenly tongues).
• Verse 11. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.
• Verse 12. Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
• Verse 13. Therefore, let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. (1 Corinthians 14:6-13)

Verse 13 explains why praying for the interpretation of tongues is essential. Paul wouldn’t have emphasized this if he hadn’t possessed the gift of interpreting tongues himself. He uses the conditional word ‘if’ to highlight that without this gift to clarify the meaning of his prayer, he would essentially be praying silently in his mind.

In this context, “spirit” pertains to the mind rather than the believer’s spirit, which is entirely filled with the Holy Spirit. When the saint’s spirit is filled with the Holy Spirit, there is no space left for anyone else, including the saint himself or herself. It completely debunks the idea of praying in the spirit where the Spirit dwells in His fullness. Again, this proves that Paul is referring to his mind (his thoughts) and not his spirit.

Consequently, this distinction suggests that his prayer may be unbeneficial to his audience, although it remains significant to him personally. Paul explicitly clarifies that he is not alluding to the Holy Spirit praying in the spirit; he clearly states, “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit (mind) prays…”

PAUL, AN APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES

Keep in mind that Paul, sent as an apostle to the Gentiles, established churches that brought together people from diverse backgrounds and languages. If these tongues had been unknown heavenly languages, it would have undermined and conflicted with God’s nature as not being a God of confusion.

The word “for” helps clarify the meaning of verse 14 in chapter 14. It appears over 2,000 times in the New Testament, highlighting its importance. This word connects to the points made in the previous verses, emphasizing that the purpose of speaking in tongues—edification, encouragement, comfort, and building up the faith of diverse audiences speaking different languages—would otherwise be unproductive.

This highlights why Paul wished for all the saints in Corinth to speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5). It would have helped spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, who spoke various languages. If speaking in tongues were proof of the Holy Spirit’s infilling, Paul wouldn’t have expressed this desire, as it suggests that most Corinthian saints did not speak in tongues. This alone invalidates Jack Hibbs’ claim that all are able and should pray in an unknown tongue in the spirit.

JACK HIBBS’ INADEQUATE EXPLANATION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO PRAY IN THE SPIRIT

This brings us to the shoddy and unbiblical example Jack Hibbs used to explain what it means to speak in the spirit.

I don’t have the gift of tongues. I’ve never been prompted to ever speak in an unknown language in public, in a prayer meeting, nothing like that, ever, never.

But privately all the time. I can even be teaching a sermon publicly in front of people and I’m just teaching along and I feel something like . . .

Listen, I feel something like, I don’t think this message is working or I don’t know if I’m connecting with the people or I feel like I’m being attacked right now with confusion.

I feel like to stop. I don’t stop preaching. I keep going. My mouth is teaching and my mind begins to pray silently in a language I don’t know.

And nobody knows but God knows. And when that’s happening, I start to feel power; I start to feel boldness; I start to feel conviction; I start to feel clarity, and it passes. And then I’m done with it. . . .

What I’m asking you to look for in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 is the difference between speaking in tongues publicly as a gift and praying in a tongue privately which is not a gift.

It is not a gift to pray in a tongue by yourself alone. That is available to every believer which is called ‘praying in the spirit.’ It’s available to all of us. Someone doesn’t have the gift of prayer.

God wouldn’t give one person a more direct line than somebody else. All of us have the opportunity to pray in the spirit.

Jack Hibbs’ explanation is fraught with contradictions, rendering it difficult to discern his true intentions. The situation resembles a Tower of Babel-style confusion. In 1 Corinthians 14:13, Paul explicitly states that anyone who prays or speaks in tongues should seek the gift of interpretation; otherwise, the spoken tongue may be unproductive for the audience.

Conversely, Hibbs contends that his internal prayers spoken in a tongue are comprehensible solely to God. This perspective places the onus on him for neglecting Paul’s directive to seek the gift of interpretation. Such a gift would enable him and others to benefit from prayers articulated in an unfamiliar language, with their meanings subsequently clarified by the individual praying in tongues.

In his particular case his speaking in an unknown tongue works like a magic wand. It gives him power, courage, boldness, conviction, and clarity.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT IN AN UNKNOWN TONGUE IS NOT A GIFT

A picture is worth a thousand words

Furthermore, Jack Hibbs invites further controversy by asserting that praying in tongues privately is not a genuine gift. This assertion appears rather simplistic, particularly in light of the extensive discussions found in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14—passages that Hibbs frequently cites in his teachings, which elaborate on the spiritual gifts bestowed solely by God.

It is rather peculiar for him to cite three chapters from 1 Corinthians to support the claim that praying in tongues privately is not a gift. This situation can be likened to presenting the impressive engine of a brand-new Mercedes Benz, only to assert, “By the way, this isn’t a car.” One would naturally question, “Who would purchase such an extraordinary engine without it being integrated into an actual vehicle?” This line of reasoning appears not only illogical but also verging on the absurd.

If the gift is not granted by God, the creator of all languages, then where does it come from? The only other possible sources are either the speaker himself or Satan, which would ultimately amount to nothing more than self-created gibberish and nonsensical rambling.

JACK HIBBS IS PROFOUNDLY DELUDED

Jack Hibbs often warns Christians about the widespread delusion and deception taking hold in these last days. He wrote an award-winning book called “Living in the Daze of Deception” to back up his insights.

Ironically, he appears to be profoundly misguided himself and persistently disregards critiques from individuals who genuinely care, as reflected in some comments on his YouTube videos. A selection of these comments is included at the end of this article.

If Jack Hibbs suggests that the phenomenon of praying in tongues in the spirit (mind) is not a gift, he could be seen as disparaging the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Surely, he must be well aware of James’ profound statement in James 1:17.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

I am pretty sure Hibbs wouldn’t call his praying in an unknown tongue or a language in the spirit something that is bad or evil. Indeed, he admits that his English sermons frequently lack effectiveness, stating,

Listen, I feel something like, I don’t think this message is working or I don’t know if I’m connecting with the people or I feel like I’m being attacked right now with confusion.

When this happens, he explains, he starts to pray silently in his mind in a mysterious language known only to God. This prayer miraculously transforms the English words he speaks into ones filled with boldness, conviction, and clarity. Naturally, this can only be seen as a good thing and must be a perfect gift from God the Father, as stated in James 1:17. Yet, Jack Hibbs denies that it is a gift of God.

Jack Hibb’s discussion about his ability to speak in an unknown tongue through the spirit raises several unsettling points. One notable concern is his claim that, even while delivering a sermon in English, his mind is entirely focused on a prayer in an unknown tongue understood only by God.

He easily accepts Paul’s instruction, which allows only three believers with the gift of tongues to speak, provided an interpreter is present. The rule clearly states that if no interpreter is available, the person speaking in tongues must stay silent.

Nevertheless, Hibbs skillfully counters this directive with two insightful remarks, asserting that praying in tongues in a private setting is not considered a gift and that only God comprehends the meaning of the unknown tongue.

THE GROANINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

As mentioned before, the Holy Spirit does not communicate through tongues (languages), words, or utterances, as Hibbs claims, but rather conveys prayers directly to God the Father through groanings (sighs).

If He had, there wouldn’t be a need to give believers the ability to speak in tongues or others the gift of interpretation. Instead, He could have prayed in an unknown tongue within man’s spirit, using man’s vocal cords, like a ventriloquist, to pray or communicate in English or any other language someone might use. This seems to be what Jack Hibbs is suggesting.

Jack Hibbs’ interpretation contradicts Paul’s teachings in 1 Corinthians 14:14. Hibbs suggests his mind is unfruitful (inactive, unproductive, passive) due to an inability to understand the unknown language, but Paul’s mind is unfruitful not because of a lack of comprehension or passivity, but because the tongue is not interpreted (as stated in verse 13). Paul’s understanding, or his mind, does not provide any benefit to his audience. It is like a fruitless tree that offers no value to others. Since they cannot understand his words, they gain nothing from his speech.

The only way Jack Hibbs can conceal his falsehoods is by claiming that his method of speaking in tongues isn’t a gift but rather a beneficial, rewarding, and fruitful practice for those who attend his sermons in English. As the author of this article questioned earlier, if the unknown tongue he speaks isn’t a gift from God (James 1:17), then what enables him to speak it—himself or the devil?

Many pagan traditions that practice speaking in tongues, or glossolalia, often involve reaching a trancelike state to quiet the mind. This altered state is usually achieved through rituals, meditation, ecstatic dance, or intense spiritual focus. Once in this state, practitioners may produce unintelligible sounds, which are thought to be a form of divine or spiritual communication.

COMMENTS

I would like to draw our readers’ attention to a few comments I wrote on Hibbs’ YouTube video, “Do I ever pray in the spirit?”

@thomas-lessing

Jack Hibbs said at about 00:04:30:01,

”There is no such thing. Listen! I’m going to upset some people right now but it’s out of sheer ignorance. Somebody will say, ‘I just heard a message in tongues.’ No you didn’t, because the Bible doesn’t teach that. Tongues in public is always praise and glory of God. It’s never a message. You cannot find a tongue mentioned where the interpretation is a message preached. That’s the gift of prophesying. For example, when I teach on a Sunday morning, I have the gift of prophecy which is exhibited in teaching. It’s holding forth the word of God.”

I too, can rebuke Jack and say, “No, you are wrong.”

If speaking in tongues were meant solely for praising and glorifying God in public, rather than conveying a message, Pentecost would have been a complete failure.

The primary purpose of the gift of known tongues, rather than so-called unknown heavenly tongues, was to share the message of salvation. This stands in stark contrast to the events when nations, once united by a common language, were divided.

First of all, Acts 2:4 distinctly says that the tongues the disciples received as a gift were not unknown or heavenly tongues but “other” known tongues.

How do we know they were speaking in familiar tongues? Verses 6 to 8 provide the answer: when the multitudes came together after hearing the sound, they were bewildered and asked, “Behold, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear each in our own tongue in which we were born?” If these had been unknown heavenly tongues, the crowd could not have said, “in our own tongue in which we were born.” No one is born in or with a heavenly tongue.

If the tongues spoken by the disciples were unknown heavenly languages (and there’s no concept of multiple tongues in heaven), no one would have understood them, and the entire purpose of Pentecost would have failed miserably. Thankfully, it wasn’t, as 3,000 souls were saved on that remarkable day.

@lessingtom

I haven’t heard anyone quote 1 Corinthians 14:22 on this site. Surely it must be important, considering that the topic is speaking in tongues and prophesying. The verse in the NKJV says it thus: “Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.”

A NON-GIFT OF JACK HIBBS (PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT) EMPOWERS HIS DIVINE GIFT (PROPHECY)

If speaking in an unknown tongue (meaning a language unknown to the speaker but known only to God) is a sign meant for unbelievers rather than believers, then how does Jack Hibbs’ speaking in an unknown tongue (whether in his mind or in the spirit, as he claims) benefit God, who is certainly not an unbeliever? Well, that’s quite simple to explain.

Jack Hibbs claims to possess the divine gift of prophecy, enabling him to proclaim and explain the deeper spiritual truths in God’s Word to believers. However, when he feels his prophetic message in English lacks power, boldness, conviction, or clarity, he begins to pray in an unknown tongue (understood only by God) in the Spirit while preaching. Suddenly, 💥BOOM!💥, Jack is filled with power, courage, boldness, conviction, and clarity.

It appears that Jack Hibbs believes he can use a language not gifted by God but accessible to all believers, serving as an energiser to boost, enhance, and magnify God’s gifts. This implies that God’s gifts might be seen as insufficient to fulfil His purposes through spiritual gifts without the assistance of these non-gifts.

The gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 are spiritual gifts, meaning they are guided and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit, making the so-called non-gifts part of the realm of the flesh..

As we’ve learned, the flesh and its actions are completely worthless (Romans 7:18) and are incapable of helping a pastor or Bible teacher gain power, boldness, clarity, or conviction. Worthless things simply cannot produce anything of value.

What Jack describes as a fruitful mind—one filled with power, boldness, conviction, and clarity in his sermons—reveals itself to be a fruitless and barren mind, driven entirely by the flesh.

please read article on speaking in tongues: https://www.discerningtheworld.com/2010/07/18/speaking-in-tongues/