Deion Sanders prayed in tongues. The Bible does not say that you should forbid it
The viral prayer of Deion Sanders has once again sparked an old debate within Christianity. However, anyone who argues that speaking in tongues is simply “not biblical” must face the fact that Acts, the letters of Paul, Pentecostal Christianity, and the present-day charismatic movement all contradict that view.
When Deion Sanders had just seen Colorado beat Weber State 52 to 21, he sat down before the reporters and carried out an action which very quickly took centre stage instead of the football match. Before responding to the questions, the head coach of Colorado uttered some words which the reporters could not understand. When it was shared online, Christians began to debate whether Sanders had actually prayed in tongues or had instead taken part in something not based on the Bible. The University of Colorado’s official game report verifies Colorado’s 52-21 win, together with Sanders’s subsequent explanation of what had taken place.
According to reporting on Sanders’ September 15 press conference, Sanders stated that he had given his team a strong briefing and needed to calm down before making a public speech. “The only way I know how to calm down is to pray in the spirit,” Sanders said, and he dismissed the notion that it was a gimmick, adding that he loved the Lord with all his heart. That makes the main question change. Sanders states that he was praying. The more significant point is whether Christianity has a biblical basis for what he described. When it comes to that question, Scripture should receive more attention than social media.
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The practice of speaking in tongues did not originate with modern televangelists or Pentecostal churches; it is already mentioned in the New Testament. The best-known instance was at Pentecost. As stated in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ text and commentary on Acts 2, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and “began to speak in different tongues” thanks to the Spirit. Then people coming from various nations heard the disciples declaring God’s mighty deeds. The phenomenon is clearly linked with the Holy Spirit; Luke does not regard it as merely meaningless noise or spiritual confusion, but sees it as an action carried out by God.
Tongues do not vanish after Pentecost. In Acts 10, the household of Cornelius receives the Holy Spirit and begins to speak in tongues while glorifying God; in Acts 19, another group receives the Holy Spirit after Paul has laid his hands on them and then speaks in tongues and prophesies. It leads to a difficulty in maintaining the usual response to Sanders. Although Christians may discuss whether Sanders’ particular experience was genuine, the Bible itself encourages discernment. Yet the general assertion that speaking in tongues is against the Bible goes against several accounts in the New Testament. Paul thus strengthens his argument.
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The book of First Corinthians is important since Paul does not just give an account of tongues as a matter which took place in the past; he shows Christians how the gift should function. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul states that a person who speaks in tongues is not speaking to other people but to God and that such a person “utters mysteries in spirit”; he also says that the person who speaks in tongues is edified. The passage is particularly relevant to Sanders’ explanation. Sanders never stated that he was giving the reporters a prophetic message; instead, he said that he was praying. Paul speaks about praying “in a tongue” and then adds that he will pray with the spirit as well as with the mind.
It doesn’t follow that each unexplained utterance should be automatically regarded as supernatural. Christianity doesn’t demand gullibility; what it does require is recognition that prayer in tongues has a clear basis in the New Testament. Paul also sets limits on the practice. The Bible states in verses 26 to 28 of 1 Corinthians 14 that there should be interpretation and order when speaking in tongues in a church meeting; and if there is no interpreter, Paul advises that the speaker should be quiet in the church and speak only to himself and to God. That is no prohibition. It is regulation.
Paul ends the chapter with an unusually direct command: “do not forbid speaking in tongues.” He then stresses that all things must be carried out in an appropriate and orderly manner. A biblical view therefore involves both of these ideas: Christians must not fabricate spiritual gifts, cause chaos, or use tongues in order to draw attention to themselves, but they should also not automatically condemn a gift about which Paul explicitly instructs believers not to forbid.
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Sanders’ experience seems no more to have been made up for one press conference that went viral. In 2022 Sanders stated that he had spoken in tongues while going through a terrifying hospital experience caused by serious blood clots. According to The Christian Post’s report on Sanders’ testimony, Sanders recalled praying and praising Jesus and also speaking in tongues at a time when he was suffering from serious health problems. The history is important because it does not demonstrate that each of the spiritual experiences Sanders describes is supernatural; no outsider could establish that on the basis of a video clip. Yet it does indicate that the practice was already an element of his Christian life well before the most recent press conference.
Tongues are also far more extensive than Sanders’. The official Statement of Fundamental Truths of the Assemblies of God refers to speaking in tongues as being connected with the work of the Holy Spirit and gives Acts and First Corinthians as support for this. Charismatic prayer is also found within Catholic Christianity. In his 2014 address to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Pope Francis remembered celebrating Mass with charismatic Catholics in Buenos Aires and spoke about instances of “adoration in tongues.” He called the charismatic renewal a current of grace within the Church. It doesn’t mean that all Christian traditions interpret tongues in the same way; in fact, they don’t.
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The most forceful objection ought still to be taken seriously. A number of Christians think that miraculous gifts like glossolalia were mainly meant for the apostolic era, while others hold the view that glossolalia could still continue, though they argue that contemporary practices generally do not resemble the situation in Acts 2, where people were able to understand real human languages. Paul also cautions against disorder; and if a person delivers a message in tongues to a congregation, as First Corinthians 14 states, it must be interpreted and it must be insisted that Christian worship should remain understandable and orderly.
Those concerns matter. However, they do not remove the rest of Paul’s teaching. In Acts 2 languages which are recognizable are described, while in 1 Corinthians 14 Paul speaks about prayer in a tongue, personal spiritual edification, interpretation, public worship and private speech to God. Even though there are disagreements among Christians about how those passages apply in today’s world, the discussion in the New Testament goes beyond the idea that every valid case of speaking in tongues must be exactly like what happened at Pentecost. Which is why Sanders’ explanation should be subject to serious theological consideration rather than being ridiculed immediately.
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It is also interesting to note how quickly Sanders’ prayer became controversial. A coach playing football might scream from the sidelines, argue with the officials, or give an emotional speech to his team without triggering a nationwide theological discussion. But a few seconds of clear Christian spiritual expression can instead produce a completely different response. The discomfort in question is nothing new. At the time of Pentecost some people ridiculed the disciples and said that they were drunk. Instead of apologising for the supernatural character of Christianity, Peter explained what he thought God was doing through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
That does not establish that Sanders actually underwent the same experience as the apostles at Pentecost. It is wrong for Christians to base their theology on a celebrity. Christians have no reason to believe that tongues are possible merely on the basis of Sanders. Scripture is the basis. The book of Acts frequently gives accounts of believers speaking in tongues. Paul regards the gift of tongues as one of the spiritual gifts. He also talks about praying in a tongue and he sets out rules concerning the practice so that order is maintained in Christian worship.
Then, after all his warnings and instructions, Paul leaves Christians with a remarkably clear command: “do not forbid speaking in tongues.” Deion Sanders might be the reason the internet is once again sparking a debate about an ancient Christian practice; if that controversy leads Christians to turn back to Scripture, the situation could ultimately be significant for reasons that go well beyond football.