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TONGUES
Bblica! Spenking in Tonques and
Contemperan' Glossolalia
Gerhard F. Hasel
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
Biblical Speaking in Tongues ai
Contem porary G lossolalia
Gerhard F. Hasel
Cover design by
Giselle Sarli
ISSN 1059-7905
CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
Chapter I
11
Chapter II
17
20
24
27
31
35
35
37
41
43
47
49
51
52
54
55
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Historical Setting
Jess' Prediction of Speaking in New Tongues
The Meaning of the Word "Tongues"
The Meaning of the Word "New"
The Purpose of Speaking in New Tongues
59
60
61
61
63
Endnotes
64
67
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
67
68
69
74
75
Historical Setting
The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
The Nature of Speaking in Tongues
The Purpose of Speaking in Tongues
The Scoffers' Reaction to Speaking in Tongues
Speaking in Tongues and Modern Source
Hypotheses
7. Conclusions
Endnotes
Chapter V
Chapter VI
59
76
82
83
91
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Historical Setting
Linkages Between Acts 2 and Acts 10
The Nature of Speaking in Tongues
The Purpose of Speaking in Tongues
Conclusions
91
92
93
94
94
Endnotes
95
97
1. Historical Setting
2. Ephesian "Disciples," Christian Baptism
and the Holy Spirit
3. Speaking in Tongues and Prophesying
4. Does Spirit-Baptism Result in Glossolalia?
5. Conclusions
97
Endnotes
98
101
103
104
105
Chapter Vil
109
111
112
113
115
115
116
118
122
123
126
129
133
136
141
144
145
147
150
154
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
165
INDEX
174
PREFACE
There s nothing more pervasive n contemporary Christianity than "speaking in tongues," technically designated as
glossolalia. This topic s part of the larger context of the
charismatic movement. It has held the attention of the author
of this book for about three decades. He has studied this
topic over the years from the Scriptural evidence as well as
the mltiple and variegated aspects in contemporary discussions in church commissions, scholarly investigations, and
personal contacts around the world.
In the last thirty years the charismatic movement has
experienced three "waves" of development. The "first wave"
appeared around 1900 and manifested itself in the traditional
Pentecostal churches in which "speaking in tongues" is
perceived as the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the key to
greater spiritual power.
The "second wave" showed up in the 1960s when
"speaking in tongues" entered most traditional churches of
Christianity, including Methodism, Presbyterianism, Lutheranism, the Baptist denominations, the Romn Catholic Church
and so on. This wave is known as neo-Pentecostalism or the
charismatic renewal movement.
The "third wave" developed in the 1980s. It too is part of the charismatic movement
worldwide. It is characterized, among other things, by an
emphasis on so-called power evangelism where the forc of
prayer is utilized, particularly for the purpose of miraculous
healing. A significant part of the current "third wave" of the
charismatic renewal movement is the celebration church
movement. The inspiration of the latter is charismatic church
renewal as is noted by "third wave" writers.
It is mportant to recognize that these three "waves" are
a part of the charismatic movement in Christianity at large.
By means of these "waves" nearly every Christian denomina
ro n is being penetrated with the charismatic movement in its
various shapes and forms. The forces of the charismatic
movement are immense and often quite adaptable to new
settings. Thus there is this larger contemporary context of
"speaking in tongues" in the charismatic movement in
Christianity.
10
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INTRODUCTION
12
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INTRODUCTION
13
14
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
INTRODUCTION
15
16
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
CHAPTER I
18
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20
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22
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24
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26
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3. GLOSSOLALIA IN CONTEMPORARY
LINGUISTIC STUDY
The highly respected 1972 study of John P. Kildahl
concludes that "from a linguistic point of view, religiously
inspired [glossolalic] utterances have the same general
characteristics as those that are not religiously inspired."50
We should be reminded at this point that Kildahl compares
religious glossolalia w ith non-religious glossolalia. We have
not considered non-religious glossolalia, because t would lead
us into another area of study that we do not wish to pentrate
at this time. While our study cannot consider non-religious
glossolalia at this time, we are cognizant of the fact that
glossolalia is also practiced by non-religious people, including
atheists and agnostics.51 In other words, the modern
practice of glossolalia is not restricted to religious persons
alone. It is a "human phenomenon, not limited to Christianity
or even to religious behavior."52
Modern linguistics is a subject area for scholars and
researchers to study of what is and what makes a language.
Experts in the field of linguistics have taken much pains to
study the phenomenon of glossolalia over a period of many
years. One of the early investigations was made in the early
1960's by Eugene A. Nida. He provided a detailed list of
reasons why glossolalia cannot be human language.53
Another early study, that of W. A. Wolfram in the year 1966,
also concluded that glossolalia lacks the basic elements of
human language as a system of coherent communication.54
Professor William J. Samarin of the University of Toronto's Department of Linguistics published, after more than a
decade of careful research, a massive study of glossolalia
from a linguistic perspective.55 In this 1972 study Samarin,
together with other linguists, rejected the view that glossolalia
is xenoglossia, i.e. some foreign language that could be
28
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
30
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32
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34
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
36
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
and holding fast that which is good has to be aware that there
is no sure way to test tongues. Dr. Kildahl has run such tests
based on a tape recording of a tongue-speaker which he
played ndependently before several persons who were known
to have the supposed gift of interpretation. Here are the
results of his experiment:
In order to investgate the accuracy of these interpretations, we undertook to play a taped example of tonguespeech privately for several different interpreters of
tongues. In no instance was there any similarity in the
several interpretations. The following typifies our results:
one interpreter said the tongue-speaker was praying for
the health of his children; another that the same tonguespeech was an expression of gratitude to God for a
recently successful church fund-raising effort.77
When the interpreters were confronted with their disharmonious responses they offered "the explanaron that God gave to
one person one interpretation and to another person another
interpretation."78 This evidence of variety of interpreta
tions79 indicates that tongues-speaking and tongues-interpretation is beyond the realm of verifiability.
An interpreter of glossolalia responded to the Lord's
Prayer that was spoken in a Pentecostal meeting by one who
wished to test the interpretation. The Lord's Prayer was
spoken in an African language. The interpreter said that "it is
a message about the imminent second coming of Christ."80
Here again there is no consistent correlation in the testing
process of interpretation. Is this not another indication that
glossolalia is no normal human language and that the nterpretation does not correspond to what has been said?
The Biblically-oriented Christian will hold on to what the
Bible defines as "speaking in tongues". What does the New
Testament language mean? Is the expression "speaking in
tongues" used outside of the New Testament for a glossolalic
experience? Did ancient religions, which were in existence
when the early Christian community developed, such as the
Delphic oracle, practice "speaking in tongues"? Is there
anywhere in the New Testament any clear definition of the
"speaking in tongues" that derives from the Holy Spirit? Is t
perhaps provided in Acts 2 where it is a supernatural gift and
6 . From now on in this study we will use the term "glossolalia," a term used in much
modern literature on the subject. We do not imply with the usage of this term that
it is identical or not identical with "speaking in tongues" as practicad by New
Testament believers on various occasions.
7 . J. R. Williams, "Charismatic Movement," Evanglica! D ictio n a ry o f Theology, ed.
W alter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1 9 8 4) 2 0 5 -2 0 8 .
8 . V. Synan, "Pentecostalism," Evanglica/ D ictionary o f Theology, ed. Walter A.
Elwell (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1984) 8 3 6 .
9 . John P. Kildahl, The Psychology o f Speaking in Tongues (New York: Harper & Row,
1972) 18.
10.Sarah E. Parham, The Life o f Charles F. Parham. Founder o f the A p o sto lic Faith
M ove m e n t (Joplin, MO, 1930) 3 8 .
11 .Watson E. Mills, "Glossolalia: An Introduction," Speaking in Tongues. A Guido to
Research on Glossolalia, ed. Watson E. Mills (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986) 5.
1 2 . William W . Menzies, A n o in te d to Serve. The S to ry o f the Assem blies o f God
(Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1971) 50.
1 3 . Charles S. Gaede, "Glossolalia at Azusa Street: A Hidden Presupposition?"
W estm inster Theological Jo u rn a l 51/1 (1989) 77.
14.lbid.
1 S.lbid., with primary sources.
38
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
3 7 . R. P. Spittler, "Glossolalia," D ictio n a ry o f Pentecostal and Charismatic Movem ents, eds. Stanley M. Burgess and Gary B. McGee (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
1 9 8 8), p. 3 3 6 .
38.
Goodman, "Glossolalia, p. 56 4 .
50.
Kildahl, p. 81.
60.
40
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
Goodman, "Glossolalia," p. 5 6 4 .
71 .Ibid.
72.Referred to by Spittler, p. 3 4 0 .
73.Spittler, p. 3 4 0 .
7 4 . "Charismatics on Evangelism," C hristianity Today (16 Sept., 1991) 52.
7 5 . Edgar, "The Cessation of Sign Gifts," p. 38 5 .
7 6 .In an editorial n R enew ai (June/July, 1974) Michael Harper asked Pentecostal
Romn Catholics, "Is there anything whlch the Holy Spirlt has shown you which is
at variance with the infallibility of the Pope?" Cited in Williams, Tongues o fth e Spirt,
p. 103, who notes that Catholics who are tongues-speakers customarily testify that
they have "a new appreciation of the liturgy of their church and a profounder
experience of the sacraments" (ibid.).
7 7 .Kildahl, p. 63.
7 8 .Ibid.
7 9 . Malony and Lovekin, pp. 2 6 -2 7 .
8 0 . Kildahl, p. 63.
CHAPTER II
42
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43
44
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
45
46
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
47
48
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
49
50
SPEAKIG IN TONGUES
51
52
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
53
54
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6. CONCLUSIONS
There is no consensus among modern scholars as to the
origin of an alleged glossolalia that Paul supposedly has in
mind in 1 Cor 12-14. To the present time there is no
evidence for the phenomenon of glossolalia from any of the
available written Greek or other sources. Neither is there
evidence to charge Paul with an invention of something,
namely glossolalia, in a form similar to or identical with what
is practiced today in certain Christian and non-Christian
religions. From the point of view of interpretaron, it does not
seem to be sound to read into the New Testament a modern
55
ENDNOTES
1 .See, for example, standard dictionaries such as Johannes Behm, "glssa,"
Theologica/ D ictio n a ry o f the N e w Testam ent, ed. Gerhard Kittel (Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans Publ. Co 1964) 1 :7 1 9 -2 6; J. B. Tyson, "Tongues, Speaking with,"
H arper's Bible D ictionary, ed. Paul J. Achtemaier (San Francisco: Harper & Row
Publisher, 1 9 8 5) 1 0 8 1-8 2 .
56
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
1101.
8.See among the many expositors, Barclay M. Newman and Eugene A. Nida, A
T ransiator's Handbook on the A c ts o f the A p o stie s (London: United Bible Societies,
1972) 3 4 -3 6 .
9.lbid., p. 3 5 (emphasis in the text).
lO.lbid.
11 .William G. MacDonald, "Glossoialia in the New Testament," Speaking in Tongues,
ed. Watson E. Mills, p. 129.
12. Johannes P. Louw, Eugene A. Nida et al., Greek-English Lexicn o f the N e w
Testam ent Based on Sem antic Domain (London/New York: United Bible Societies,
1988) 1 :3 8 9 -9 0.
1 3 . Edward Robinson, Greek and English Lexicn o f the N e w Testam ent (rev. ed.;
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1858) 149.
1 4 . Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich, p. 162.
1 5 .Louw and Nida et al., pp. 3 8 9 -9 0 .
16.Christopher Forbes, "Early Christian Inspirad Speech and Hellenistic Popular
Religin,' Novum Testam entum 2 3 /3 (1986) 2 5 7 -7 0 .
57
17.lt s typical that interpraters by the soore assert that there was "eostatio speech"
or "speaking n an ecstatic manner" at the Delphic Oracle and/or in Pythian religin.
See, for example, C. M. Roebeok, Jr., "Tongues Gift of," The International Standard
Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1988) 4 :8 7 2 , and the
discussion in Forbes, pp. 2 6 9 -7 0 , who cites as typical examples such scholars as N.
I. J. Engelsen, L. T. Johnson, T. W . Gillespie, P. Roberts among others.
18.The widely quoted articleby F. Behm, 'g l ssa ," T he o lo gicalD ictionary o f the N ew
Testam ent, ed. G. Kittel (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 19 6 4), l:72 2 , also refers to
Plato's reference to the Delphic Oracle in Phrygia, quoting the Greek text in extenso.
See als above n. 17.
1 9 .50 Behm, "glssa," p. 7 2 2 .
2 0 . Forbes, p. 2 6 0 .
2 1 . Joseph Fortenrose, The Delphic Oracle (Berkeley: The University of California
Press, 1 9 7 8) 2 0 4 -2 1 2 .
2 2 . Forbes, pp. 2 6 2 -6 3 .
23.lbid pp. 2 6 7 -6 8 .
2 4 . Cited from Dio Chrysostom by Forbes, ibid., p. 268.
2 5 . Typical for this is N. I. J. Engelsen, Glossolalia a nd O ther Forms o f Inspired
Speech A c c o rd in g to 1 Cor. 12-14 (unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, Yale University,
1970), who arges extensively that Paul distinguishes between intelligible and
unintelligible speech. He has been followed uncritically by many writers. Forbes
concludes, "Engelsen's attempt to parallel Christian glossolalia in Greek and
Hellenistic religious phenomena is, however, marred by many errors of both method
and interpretation, and his conclusions are largely to be rejected" (p. 2 69).
2 6 . Friedrich Preisigke, W rterbuch der griechischen Papyrusurkunden (Heidelbergr
Selbstverlag, 1924) 1:299.
2 7 . Friedrich Preisigke, W rterbuch der griechischen Papyrusurkunden
Selbstverlag der Erben, 1925) 2:3 "sprechen, mitteilen, erzhlen."
(Berln:
2 8 . James Hope Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary o f the Greek
T estam ent lllu s tra te d from the Papyri and o th e r N on-Literary Sources (London:
Hodder & Stoughton, 1952) 128.
2 9 .Ibid., p. 3 6 8 .
3 0 .50 correctly Robert H. Gundry, "'Ecstatic Utterance' (N.E.B.)?" Jo urnal o f
Theological S tu d y 17 (1969) 3 0 4 .
3 1 . G. W . H. Lampe, A P atristic Greek Lexicn (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press,
1962) 3 1 6 .
3 2 . Harold Hunter, "Tongues-Speech: A Patristic Analysis," Jo u rn a l o f the Evanglica!
Theological S ociety 2 3 /2 (1980) 1 3 5 . See also Currie, p. 105, with slightly different
conclusions. He points out, however, that t is not possible to determine whether the
Greek phrase glssa lalein in the NT "can be used appropriately to describe the
current 'speaking in tongues' phenomena" (ibid.).
3 3 . Engelsen, p. 2 0 . This is supported by Harrisville, p. 4 1 .
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3 4 . Harrisvlle, p. 41, has found one instanoe of glssa lalein in profane Greek. It is
found in a reconstructed line of a hymn to Imouthes-Asclepius from the library of the
Oxyrhynchus Papyri citad in Harrisville, p. 41 n. 34.
3 5 . Harrisville, Speaking in Tongues, 39.
36.lbid., p. 41.
37-lbid., p. 43.
38.So
Behm, p. 7 2 2 .
CH APTER III
1. HISTORICAL SETTING
The first individual to speakabout the gift of tongues was
Jess Christ himself. He referred to this matter only once,
according to the gospel record.
The passage under consideration is Mark 16:17. It
belongs to the so-called "longer ending"2 of the Gospel of
Mark. This "longer ending" has been the subject of study for
a long period of time. There are good reasons for this section
to remain in our modern Bible translations.3 It would be too
technical a matter to pursue in some detail the issues relating
to the debate about the "longer ending" of the Gospel of
Mark. For our purposes we consider it to be a genuine word
of the Risen Lord.
The setting of this prediction puts it in the context of
several statements made by Jess to His disciples after His
resurrection and shortly before His final ascensin. The
context reveis that it is spoken by Jess when He commanded His disciples to preach the gospel in all the world (vs. 15)
and when He promised them the power to perform miracles
(vs. 17). One of these miracles is the ability "to speak in new
tongues."
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2. JESUS' PREDICTION OF SPEAKING IN
NEW TONGUES
Jess predicts the following:
And these signs will accompany those who have believed:
in My ame they will cast out demons, they will speak
with new4 tongues (Mk 16:17, NASB).6
61
e)
The nature of the "sign" which would accompany the
future proclamaron of the Good News by believers, consisting
of an experience which would enable them to "speak with
new tongues" (Greek g/ossais la/esousin kainais).
What does the crucial phrase "new tongues" mean?
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63
64
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ENDNOTES
1 .We do not mean the chronology of the documents in which these passages are
found but the chronology of the development of the NT church.
2 . Mk 1 6 :9 -2 0 is found in the majority of Greek manuscripts, but are omitted by
Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Bobiensis (Od Latn), Sinaitic (Od Syriac) and some other
manuscripts (cf. E. Nestle, N ovum Testam entum Graece [25th ed., Stuttgart, 1963],
p. 1 36). Both Eusebius and Jerome attest that these verses were wanting in almost
all Greek MSS known to them. There are traces of these verses in Justin Martyr
(A p o l. i 45), but the earliest definite witness to this longer ending of Mark is in
Irenaeus (iii.10.6). Although many commentators hold that this longer ending of
Mark is not an original part of the gospel, M .-J. Lagrange, Evangile saln S aint M aro
(5th ed.; Paris, 1 929), pp. 4 5 6 -4 6 8 , affirms the canonicity of this passage.
According to the Seventh-day A d v e n tis t Bible Com m entary, ed. F. D. Nichol
(Washington, D.C., 19 5 6), V, 6 5 9 , the "Textual evidence favors the so-called Longer
Ending over the "Shorter Ending."
3 . For discussions on the longer ending of Mark, see B. F. Westcott and F. J. A. Hort,
The N e w Testam ent in the O riginal Greek, With Introduction a nd A p p e n d ix (London:
Macmillan & Co., 1882) Appendix, 2:28-51; B. H. Streeter, The Four Gospels (New
York: Macmillan and Company, Limited) pp. 3 3 3 -3 6 0 ; B. B. Warfield, A n Introduction to the Textual Criticism o f the N e w Testam ent (London: Hodder & Stoughton,
1886) pp. 1 9 9 -2 0 4 ; C. S. C. Williams, A lte ra tio n s to the Text o f the Synoptic
Gospels and A c ts (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1951) pp. 4 0 -4 4 ; R. G. Bratcher and E.
A. Nida, A Translator's Handbook on the Gospel o f M ark (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1961)
pp. 5 1 7 -5 2 2 ; W . F. Farmer, The L a st Twelve Verses o f M ark (London/New York:
Cambridge University Press, 1974) pp. 1-124.
4 . The adjective "new (kainais) is omitted from certain MSS (Ephraemi Rescriptus
[original reading], Regius, St. Gall [037], Athos [044], Coptic Sahidic, Coptic Bohairic,
Armenian) but is attested in most of the best manuscripts and should be accepted
as original (so among many C. E. B. Cranfield, The Gospel A cco rd in g to S t.M ark
[CGTC; Cambridge, 1963], p. 4 7 4 ).
5 . KJV: "new tongues; RSV:new tongues"; JB: "new tongues"; NEB: "strange
tongues"; TEV "strange tongues"; NAB: "new languages"; NIV "new tongues"; NRSV
"new tongues."
65
CHAPTER IV
1. HISTORICA!. SETTING
The Day of Pentecost took place on the 50th day after
the Passover (Lev 23:15f.; Num 28:16; Deut 16:9-12),2
placing the events of Acts 2 seven weeks after the crucifixin
of Jess. The Risen Lord appeared to His disciples over a
period of forty days (Acts 1:3; cf. 1 Cor 1 5:3-7)3 and spoke
to them about the "kingdom of God."
On the day of His ascensin Jess Christ gathered His
disciples together and in His last conversaron with them He
enjoined them to stay in Jerusalem (Acts 1:4) until the
promised Holy Spirit (John 14) would come upon them.
The last words of the Risen Lord to His disciples were:
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
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69
that fire fell down from heaven, but that the "tongues"
(g/ossais) looked lkeu flames of fire, forking in such a way as
to touch each one of them. It provides "visual evidence that
the Spirit is given them as individuis."13
Luke endeavored to avoid giving the mpression that the
noise from the sky (heaven) and the fire-like tongues were
mere natural phenomena. In each case he made the point that
the noise was "like" (hosper) that of a strong rushing wind
and the tongues were "like" (hose) flames of fire. That "the
wind and fire he mentions were not those known to
nature"14 is evident from the use of these tw o comparative
partiles.15
This emphasis of the report of Acts shows that the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit was no mere subjective
experience.16 This is further supported by the verb translated
"appeared" (ophthesan) in vs. 3a. This term was deliberately
chosen to suggest that what the followers of Jess witnessed
w ith their own eyes had a corresponding reality. The
experience cannot be explained away as the product of their
imagination.
The report in Acts 2:3b emphasizes that the Holy Spirit
"rested" (ekathisen) on each of them.17 The subject of the
verb "rested" could be either "tongue" (understood from
"tongues" earlier)18 or less possibly "fire ,"19 or most likely the
Holy Spirit of the next verse.20 Although the Greek is not
clear on the subject of the verb, the verb itself (kathizo)
means "to sit down, rest." It indicates through its meaning a
permanent settling down, while the aorist tense21 here
suggests the inception of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The phrase "and it rested on each one of them" implies
(a) that the Holy Spirit was received by each one individually
present in the house and (b) that this was no momentary
experience restricted to the Day of Pentecost. It was a
permanent endowment lasting throughout the lifetime of the
person who had received this g ift.22
70
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71
72
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
73
74
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manner supplied the deficiency of the apostles. The Holy
Spirit did for them that which they could not have
accomplished for themselves in a lifetime. They could
now proclaim the truths of the gospel abroad, speaking
with accuracy the languages of those for whom they were
laboring. This miraculous gift was a strong evidence to
the world that their commission bore the signet of
Heaven.48
75
76
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
crowd were able to accuse those who first received the Spirit
of having had too much sweet wine appears to be related to
the charge of "outsiders" that church members speaking with
tongues n Corinth must be out of their minds (1 Cor
14:23).58 If a non-Christian comes into a congregation, the
unbelieving non-Christian may be led to conclude that the
Spirit-filled tongue-speaker is mad. In Corinth, however, there
was an additional confusin caused by the disorderiy way in
which things took place.
77
78
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79
80
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81
82
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
7. CONCLUSIONS
Let us summarize our major findings on the origin, nature,
function, and purpose of "speaking in tongues" in Acts 2:113 :
1)
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was a
fulfillment of the coming of the Spirit promised by Jess
Christ himself (Lk 24:36-51; Mk 16:15-17; Acts 1:1-11; cf.
Jn 14:15-17, 25f.; 15:26f.; 16:5-11, 12-15).
83
ENDNOTES
1 .We agree with other Interpreters in maintaining a cise relationship between all five
NT passages referring to speaking in tongues (cf. J. Behm, "g lssa," Theological
D ictonary o f the N e w Testam ent [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964], 1 :7 2 2 ). Acts
2 is the second passage to be considered in chronological order, because the
Pentecostal experience was the first manifestation of the gift of speaking in tongues.
"Whatever the date of Acts, its early pictures of the Church and her doctrine are prePauline," States C. S. C. Williams, A Com m entary on the A c ts o f the A p o stle s (New
York, 1 9 5 7), p. 61. See also W . L. Knox, The A c ts o f the A p o stle s (Cambridge,
19 4 8), pp. 8 0 ff. There is still much difference of opinin on the date of Acts. The
"age of tendency-criticism" which compromised the historical reliability of Acts and
argued for a 2nd cent. A.D. date is now over and its thesis refuted (cf. Ernest
84
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85
86
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
2 9 .Supra, n.21. In Patristic literatura these two meanings are also the only ones
known.
Sea G. W . H. Lampe, A P atristic Greek Lexicn (Oxford, 1968), p.
3 1 6 .2 9 .2 2
30.Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-Engiish Lexicn, p. 184; of. R. Munz, "ber glotta
und dialektos," G lotta, 11 (1 9 2 1 ), 8 5 -9 4 .
3 1 .50 correctly Haenchen, A c ts , p. 169 n. 2.
3 2 . H. E. Edwards, "The Tongues at Pentecost; A Suggestion," Theology, 16 (19 2 8 ),
2 4 8 -2 5 2 ; R. O. P. Taylor, "The Tongues at Pentecost," Expository Times, 40
(1 9 2 8 /2 9 ), 3 0 0 -3 0 3 ; R. F. Stoll, "The First Christian Pentecost," Ecclesiastical
Review, 108 (1943), 3 3 7 -3 4 7 .
3 3 . A. Wikenhauser, Die A po ste lg e sch ich te (4th ed.; Regensburg, 1961), pp. 3 9 f.,
who follows Wendt.
3 4 . E. Trocm, Le Livre des A c te s ' e t Thistoire (Paris, 19 5 7), pp. 2 0 2 ff.
3 5 .50 first G. J. Sirks, "The Cinderella of Theology: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit,"
HTR, 50 (19 5 7 ), 8 5 f., followed by C. S. Mann, "Appendix III. Pentecost in Acts," in
Munck, The A c ts o f the A p o stle s, p. 2 7 5 .
Mann himself admits that "this
hypothesis,... must remain sub ju d ic e , because there is no evidence for the kind of
liturgical readings presupposed for the hypothesis.
36.There is a general consensus of opinin among scholars of all schools of thought
that Luke wishes us to understand that those endowed with the gift of tongues were
enabled to make themselves understood in all languages.
3 7 .50 again Schille, Die A po ste lg e sch ich te des Lukas, pp. 9 3 -9 6 .
3 8 .Simn J. Kistemaker, N e w Testam ent Commentary, Exposition o f the A c ts o f
A p o s tle s (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1990) p. 8 1 .
39.lbid.
40.A rndt and Gingrich, A Greek-Engiish Lexicn, p. 3 1 5 .
41 .So the NAB and F. J. Foakes-Jackson, The A c ts o f the A p o stle s (London, 1945),
p. 10.
4 2 . H. W . Beyer, "heteros," Theological D ictlonary o f the N e w Testam ent (Grand
Rapids, MI; Eerdmans, 1964) 2 :7 0 3 .
4 3 . Among the large number of scholars who have interpreted the speaking in
tongues at Pentecost as referring to intelligible, foreign languages are: D. Brown,
"The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter ii, The Day of Pentecost," Expositor, 1 (1875),
3 9 2 -4 0 8 ; J. Behm, "glssa," Theological D ictio n a ry o f the N e w Testam ent (Grand
Rapids, Mich., 1964), I, 7 2 5 ; A. Beel, "Donum linguarum juxta Act. Apost. i. 1-13,"
Collationes Brugensis, 3 5 (1 9 3 5 ), 4 1 7 -4 2 0 ; S. Lyonnet, "De glossolalia Pentecosts
euisque significatione," Verbum Dom ini, 2 4 (1 9 4 4 ), 65 -7 5 ; E. Andrews, "Tongues,
Gift of," In te rp rete r's D ictio n a ry o f the Blble (Nashville, 1962), IV, 671; F. W . Beare,
"Speaking with Tongues. A Critical Survey of the NT Evidence," JBL 83 (1964), 237;
J. D. Davies, "Pentecost and Glossolalia," Jo u rn a l o f Theological Studles, 3 (19 5 2 ),
2 2 8 -2 3 1 ; R. H. Gundry, "'Ecstatic Utterance' (N.E.B.)," Jo u rn a l o f Theological
Studies, 17 (19 6 6 ), 2 9 9 -3 0 7 ; S. Aalen, "Zungenreden," Biblisch-historisches
H andw rterbuch (Gottingen, 1966), III, 2 2 4 9 f.; Th. Zahn, Die A p o ste lg e sch ich te des
Lukas (2nd ed.; Leipzig, 1 9 1 9), pp. 9 3 ff.; A. Steinmann, Die Apostelgeschichte
87
88
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
5 5 .lt may be suggested that some with vastad nterest were eager to explain the
miraculous natura of the observable phenomenon in a natural way. Cf. Bruce, The
Book o fA c ts , p. 65.
5 6 . Ths means that there are two opposlng groups among the hearers: one defending
the miraculous experience of the early believers as recognizing their glft as foreign
languages and the other hostile to the gift. Luke frequently introduces two opposing
groups, see Acts 5 :3 4 ff.; 14:4; 1 7 :1 8ff.; 23:6ff.; 28:2 4 .
5 7 . John Albert Bengel, Gnomon o f the N ew
(Edlnburgh: Clark, 18 7 7), 2 :5 2 6 .
5 8 . This parallel is further suggested on the basis that in the pagan mystery religions
the prophetic oracle was believed to come through the "Spirit" but manifestad itself
as if the "inspirad" person were full of wine. Ecstasy and drunkenness are important
aspects in the interpretaron of pagan ecstatic phenomena. Cf. H. Conzelmann, Der
erste B re f an die K ornther (Gttingen, 1969), p. 2 86 n. 25.
5 9 . Friedrich Spitta, Die A p ostelgeschichte, ihre Quellen u nd deren g e schichtlicher
W ert (Halle, 18 9 1).
6 0 . Recently Haenchen, A c ts , p. 29, expressed his amazement to "how ingeniously
the whole of Acts has been dismembered into these two sources without leaving too
much of a surplus to be attributed to the editor.... Spitta's skill in dissection is as
astounding as his trust in the editors skill in comblnation."
6 1 .0 tto Bauernfeind, Die A po ste lg e sch ich te (Gttingen, 1939), p. 55.
6 2 Jbid., p. 56.
6 3 . H. Wendt, Kritisch-Exegetisches Handbuch ber die A p o stelgeschichte (7th ed.;
Gttingen, 18 8 8), pp. 6 4 f. Cf. Haenchen, A c ts , p. 172.
64.
89
73.This was the problem against which the reformer Martin Luther fought. The sola
scrip tu ra principie refuted the Catholic hermeneutical principie which claimed that the
revelation to which Scripture bears witness cannot be rightly understood apart from
the Tradition representad in the Church and its Magisterium.
74.See Gerhard F. Hasel, "The Totality of Scripture versus Modernistic Limitations,
Jo u rn a l o f the A d v e n tls t Theological S ociety 2/1 (1991) 3 0 -5 2 .
75.Beyer, "h a te ro s," 2:703.
7 6 .In NT times Arabia referred to the kingdom of the Nabataean Arabs, then at the
height of their power under Aretas IV (9 B.C.-A.D. 4 0 ), with its famous capital Petra.
7 7 . The reference to the fact that the infant church in Jerusalem was made up of
Galilean disciples is interesting from the point of view that the Eleven were all from
Galilee (Mk 3:14). The Risen Lord appeared to the disciples in Galilee as well as in
Jerusalem. The Galileans were known to have had peculiarities of speech (cf. A.
Neubauer, "The Dialects of Palestina in the Time of Christ," Studia Bblica, 1 [1885],
51), and could therefore be easily identified (Mt 2 6 :7 3 ). The stressing of the Galilean
origin of those who now spoke foreign languages meant to guarantee that they could
not have learned the different foreign languages as their mother tongues (cf.
Haenchen, A c ts , p. 169 n. 3).
7 8 . E. G. White, A c ts o f the A post/es (Mountain View, Calif., 1 911), p. 40: "The
priests, determined to account for the miraculous power of the disciples in some
natural way, declared that they were drunken from partaking largely of the new wine
prepared for the feast."
7 9 . The present writer's translation.
8 0 .On this problem, see Hull, The H o ly Spirit, pp. 62ff.
81 ,C. K. Barrett, Luke the Historian in Recent S tu d y (2nd ed.; London, 1970), pp.
2 6 ff., contains a useful summary of the views of a number of modern scholars.
Attention should be given also to H. J. Cadbury, The Book o f A c ts in H isto ry (New
York, 1 955). On the subjects of historiography and sources in Acts, see D. Guthrie,
The Gospeis and A c ts . N ew Testam ent intro d u ctio n (London, 1 965), pp. 3 2 1 -3 4 4 .
8 2 .See particularly, W . Ward Gasque, A H isto ry o f Criticism o f the A c ts o f the
A p o stle s (Tbingen: Mohr, 1975); Jacques Dupont, The Sources o f A c ts (New York:
Herder & Herder, 1964); Conrad H. Gempf, ed., The Book o f A c ts in the S etting o f
H ellenistic H isto ry (Tbingen: Mohr, 1989).
8 3 . Dupond, The Sources o f A c ts , p. 166, writes, "Despite the most careful and
detailed research, it has not been possible to define any of the sources used by the
author of Acts in a way which will meet with widespread agreement among critics.
8 4 . N. Adler, Das erste christliche P fingstfest, Sinn und Bedeutung des
Pfingstberichtes, A g 2, 7-f3(Neutestam entliche Abhandlungen, 18,M nster, 1938),
pp. 3 2 -3 5 .
8 5 . Lohse, "p en te ko ste ," 6:51.
8 6 . Haenchen, A c ts , p. 173.
CHAPTER V
1. HISTORICA!. SETTING
The first baptism of Gentiles is mentioned in Acts 10 as
taking place in the city of Ceasarea. It was performed after
the conversin of Cornelius, a Romn centurin (vs. 48), and
only after many difficulties had been overeme in breaking
down the barriers which Judaism had built up between Jews
and non-Jews.
An ngel appeared to Cornelius, a pious man who as a
"God-fearer" (vs. 2)1 took part n synagogue Services.2 In
the eyes of the Jews such people were still considered
unclean and profane and could not associate w ith Jews in
normal life.3 Therefore, Jews would not fellowship at a table
with such non-Jews, even a God-fearer. It is not that they
were unclean or profane from the point of view of the Hebrew
Bible, the Od Testament, but from the perspective of Rabbinic
traditions which separated Jews from their non-Jewish
contemporaries.4
The ngel ordered Cornelius to send for the apostle Peter
who was in Joppa. In the meantime Peter, still steeped in
traditional Jewish taboos regarding non-Jews, was prepared
through a visin to overeme his inherited Jewish Rabbinic
prejudices and consent to visit a Gentile (vss. 10-16). When
the Holy Spirit ordered Peter to go with the messengers, he
willingly obeyed and entered the house of Cornelius (vss. 2325). After Peter had reported his experience (vss. 26-29) and
Cornelius his (vss. 30-33), Peter "opened his mouth" (vs.
92
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
93
94
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
5. CONCLUSIONS
Acts 10 reveis the following points:
1) The barriers developed in Jewish tradition between
Jews and Gentiles are removed in the church. The Holy Spirit
s no respecter of persons.
2) As Peter and the other Jewish believers had experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pente
cost, in the same manner the Gentile but "God-fearing"
Cornelius and his household experienced the outpouring of the
same Spirit in the same way. Both outpourings, one on
Jewish believers and the other on Gentile believers, belong to
each other in terms of their origin, nature, and purpose.
3) Speaking in tongues in Acts 2 and Acts 10 consists of
the same gift of which the apostle Peter is a witness. It s the
miraculous speaking of foreign languages for the purpose of
proclaiming the Good News to everyone.
4) The Holy Spirit comes to Gentile "God-fearers" in
95
96
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
o f the A c ts , p. 230.
9 . The same verb is used for the descending of the Ho|y Spirit both at Pentecost n
Jerusalem (Acts 11:15) and here in Caesarea (10:44).
1 0 . Cf. W . H. Lampe, The Seal o f the S p irit (London, 1951), p. 66.
11 .So correctly Wendt, Handbuch ber die A postelgeschichte, p. 254; Zahn, Die
A postelgeschichte des Lukas, p. 3 6 1 .
1 2 . Bruce, The A c ts o f the A p o stle s, p. 22 8 .
1 3 . Munck, The A c ts o f the A p o stle s, p. 95: "The talking n other languages is
described in terms similar to those in ii 11; . .
1 4 . F. H. Chase, The C redibility o f the A c ts o f the A p o stle s (London, 1902), p. 79,
has made the suggestion that the experience of the bestowal of the Holy Spirit in
Caesarea was the "Pentecost of the Gentile world." This will have to be qualified.
In spite of the many distinct parallels between Pentecost and the experience in
Caesarea, the bestowal of the Holy Spirit in Caesarea is subordnate to Pentecost and
intimates the significance of Pentecost for the salvation of the Gentiles (cf. N. B.
Stonehouse, "Repentance, Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Spirit," W estm inster
Theological Journal, 13 [1 9 5 0 /5 1 ], 8) and signifies that the Gentile believers are also
included in the Great Commission to evangelizo the whole world.
1 5.See above, n. 8.
16.Kistemaker, A c ts , p. 3 9 9 .
CHAPTER VI
SPEAKING IN TONGUES IN A C T S 19
1. HISTORICA!. SETTING
Christianity seems to have gained a foothold in Ephesus
through Aquila and Priscilla, staunch friends of Paul (Acts
18:1-3; 1 Cor 16:9), who had to leave Rome when all Jews
were expelled by the edict of Claudius (ca. A.D. 49).2
Paul made a short visit to Ephesus on his Second Mission
ary Journey (Acts 18:18-21). While Paul was prevented by
the Holy Spirit on an earlier occasion from entering Asia (Acts
1 6:6), there is ampie evidence that Paul considered Ephesus
an important city for spreading the Good News.
Paul carne again to Ephesus on his Third Missionary
Journey and stayed there for over tw o years (Acts 19:8, 10).
During that time the experience of speaking in tongues took
place.
Ephesus was a major city of the ancient world. Ephesus
had surpassed Pergamum in significance when the Romans
made it the capital of the province of Asia. It was the province's most important city, on the west coast of what is now
Asiatic Turkey.
Ephesus was located on the Cayster River and was a
crossroad for the Coastal highway that went from south to
north. This highway stretched east to Laodicea and to the
regin of Phrygia where Pisidian Antioch was located.
Ephesus was the leading commercial center; just three miles
98
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
from the city was a large harbor. A t one time the sea had
reached Ephesus but in Paul's day silt had closed the city's
original harbor to ships. Ephesus served both as a great
export center at the end of the Asiatic caravan route and also
as a natural port for ships from Rome.
The goddess Diana made the city famous (Acts 19:27,
35), but the emperor cult was not neglected. The goddess
Artemis, identified by the Romans as Diana, was the goddess
of wild animis, wild nature, and particularly of fertility and
childbirth. Artemis, or Diana, was the Anatolian Magna
Mater, the Great Mother, and she is also known as Cybele,
the goddess of fertility and fructification.
The temple of Artemis was the most important structure
in Ephesus. It is reported that it took 120 years to build and
was destroyed and rebuilt seven times. It was one of the
seven wonders of the ancient world. It had 127 columns,
each of which was 60 feet in height and represented a king.
The complete temple was 425 feet by 225 feet in size.
Contributions and visitors to the temple carne from all of Asia
Minor and beyond.
A second major building in Ephesus was the amphitheater, which seated an estimated 24,000 persons on sixty-six
tiers of seats. The stage area measured 115 feet by 70 feet.
The population of Ephesus at the time of Paul is estimated
to have been more than 200,000. Ephesus contained a large
colony of Jews.3 Ephesus was of strategic importance as a
commercial, political and religious center in the ancient
world.4
99
100
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
(Acts 1:8; 2:1 f f .), so Gentile believers were drawn into the
missionary activity at Caesarea in Judah (Acts 1:8; 10:46f.),
and then it proceeded to Samara (Acts 1:8; 8:13 ff.) wth
Samartan Christians jonng the task.
Now Ephesus was to be "another decsive moment n the
missionary history"13 w ith the gift of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon these twelve newly baptized disciples. Under
the endowment of the Holy Spirit the mission of Christianity
advanced as predicted by the Risen Lord along the line of
Jerusalem-Judea-Samaria-beyond (Ephesus) to the end of the
earth (Acts 1:8).
A t various major centers (Jerusalem, Caesarea, Ephesus)
the Holy Spirit was manifested in a special way. This
progression in evangelizing the world demonstrates the basic
continuity of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the book
of Acts. F. F. Bruce notes incisively that Ephesus s "the new
center for the Gentile mission."14
There s another link between the manifestation of the
Holy Spirit in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7) and the manifestation of
the Holy Spirit earlier. The first time the Holy Spirit carne
upon Gentile believers (other than Samaritans) was in connection w ith the work of an apostle.15 As Peter was instrumen
tal for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius, his
household and friends (Acts 10:44-46), so Paul dispenses the
Holy Spirit upon the twelve Christians in Ephesus (Acts
19:1 ff.).16 This linkage of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
with the apostles is summarized as follows, "The four
outpourings of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts are confirmed
by the apostles: in Jerusalem by the Twelve, in Samara by
Peter and John, in Caesarea by Peter, and in Ephesus by
Paul."17
It should be made clear that the Holy Spirit was mparted
in the Caesarea experience without the laying-on of hands. It
is evident from the book of Acts that the Holy Spirit could be
mparted without the laying-on of hands (Acts 2:1 ff.; 9:10 ff.;
10:46ff.).18 There is no evidence that all the believers in
Ephesus received the gift of the Holy Spirit when Paul laid his
hands on the twelve disciples. Thus it is not a biblical
teaching that the Holy Spirit can only be mparted by the
laying on of hands. Furthermore, the New Testament lacks
101
support for the contention that the reception of the Holy Spirit
results n speaking in tongues.19
102
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
103
104
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
5. CONCLUSIONS
Briefly summarized, the spiritual gift of speaking in
tongues in Acts 19:1-7 has the following characteristics:
1) The gift of tongues appeared in Ephesus, the most
mportant city of Asia, as it had appeared before in Jerusalem
and Caesarea. Each city was a center of evangelism and
outreach ministry.
2) The gift of tongues was an audible outward sign of the
reception of the Holy Spirit.
3) The gift of tongues carne through the apostle Paul,
similarly to the earlier manifestations of the Holy Spirit
through Peter and John (Acts 8:14 f f 10:45f.). This links the
three leaders of the early church together.
4) The gift of tongues is the miraculous gift where
baptized believers speak foreign languages.
5) The spiritual gift of speaking foreign languages is not
non-repeatable but permanent.
6) The gift of tongues is not given to every believer.
There were other believers in Ephesus who did not have the
gift of tongues.
7) The purpose of this spiritual gift was to enable the
recipients to evangelize the city and its hinterland.
8) The spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy appear
together in cise proximity, as in Acts 2 and 1 Cor 14.
These characteristics demnstrate the confluence of
deas, concepts and motifs which link into an inseparable
Chain the several passages on the manifestation of the gift of
tongues in the book of Acts.
105
ENDNOTES
I.E . M. B. Green, "Ephesus, The N e w Bible D ictionary, ed. J. D. Douglas (2nd ed.;
Grand Rapids, Mich., 1965), p .381.
2.S. H. Horn, Seventh-day A d v e n tis t Bible D ictionary (Washington, D.C., 1960), p.
61; M. J. Schroyer, "Aquila and Priscilla," In te rp rete rs D ictio n a ry o f the Bible
(Nashville, TN; Abingdon Press, 19 6 2), 1:176.
3.Josephus, A n tiq u itie s, xiv. 10. 12, 25.
4 .0 n Ephesus, sea F. V. Filson, "Ephesus and the NT," BA 8 (1 9 4 5 ), 73-80; M. M.
Parvis, "Archeology and St. Paul's Journeys in Greek Lands. Part IV: Ephesus," BA
8 (1 9 4 5 ), 6 6 -7 3 .
5 . William M . Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and the Romn Citizen (3rd ed.; Grand
Rapids, Mich., 1965), pp. 2 6 5 f., 2 6 9 -2 8 2 , believes that Paul could have arrived in
Ephesus as early as October A.D. 5 3 . The date of autumn 53 is also suggested by
G. B. Caird, "Chronology of the NT," IDB, I, 60 7 . There are those who place it in the
fall of A.D. 5 4 , so G. Ogg,"Chronology of the NT," The N e w Bible D ictionary, p. 228,
and many others.
6 . Many commentators have pointed out that for Luke the Greek term mathetes,
"disciple, invariably signifies "Christian." Cf. J. Wellhausen, K ritische Ana/yse der
A p o ste ig e sch ich te (Berln, 1914), p. 39; A. Loisy, Les A c ta s des A p o tres (Pars,
19 2 0), p. 7 1 8 ; Zahn, A posteigeschichte, p. 673; Lake and Cadbury, The Beginnings
o f C hristianity, 4 :237; E. Ksemann, "The Disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus,"
Essays on N e w Testam ent Themes (London, 19 6 4), p. 136; Bruce, The A c ts o f the
A p o stle s, p. 353; Haenchen, A c ts , p. 5 5 3 .
7 . This phrase is a translation of the Greek aorist participle pisteusantes which,
according to J. H. Moulton, A Gram m ar o f the N e w Testam ent Greek (3rd ed.;
Edinburgh, 19 0 8), I, 131 n., is a "coincident aorist participle" which "is doctrinally
important." Accordingly the idea is that the Holy Spirit would come upon them when
they would become believers and be baptized. The relation between receiving of the
Holy Spirit and believing is indicated better by ERV, RSV, NEB, NAB, NASBthan by
AV: "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed." Robertson, A Grammar
o f the Greek N e w Testament, pp. 8 6 0 f., 1113, explains that "the tw o aorists point
to one definite occasion," the aorist participle pisteusantes expressing "simultaneous
action."
These grammatical and syntactical observations do not support the
Pentecostal interpretation of the teaching of "the second blessing." See Hoekema,
W hat A b o u t Tongue-Speaking?, p. 66; M. F. Unger, N e w Testam ent Teaching on
Tongues (2nd ed.; Grand Rapids, Mich., 1972), pp. 68-7 3 .
8 . Ksemann, "The Disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus," p. 144. See also F. W.
Norris, "Christians only, but not the only Christians (Acts 19:1-7)," Restoration
Q uarterly 28 (19 8 5 -8 6): 9 7 -1 0 5 .
9 . To cali this "the only account of re-baptism that we find in the NT" (so Bruce, The
Book o f A c ts , p. 3 8 6 ) seems to be claimlng too much. The baptism by John was
certainly a baptism by immersion but an anticipatory baptism. The baptism by Paul
was not a "re-baptlsm of someone who had already been baptized into the ame of
Jess previously. It was the first Christian baptism experienced by the "disciples."
106
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
Thus one cannot speak of re-baptism in an unqualified sense, because the first
baptism was not identical in ts natura to the baptism into Jess.
lO.Kistemaker, A c ts , p. 6 8 0 .
11 .White, A c ts o f the A p o stle s, p. 28 3 .
12. White, Early W ritings, p. 101.
1 3 . Lampe, The Seal o f the Spirit, p. 76.
1 4 . F. F. Bruce, The Book o f A c ts (rev ed.; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988), p.
36 5 .
1 5.When the Samaritan believers received the Holy Spirit both Peter and John were
involved. The Samaritan converts, however, had a share in the Jewish faith, which
was not true of the Romn centurin Cornelius, who was a true Gentile although he
was a "God-fearer."
1 6.Luke manifests the desire to point to parallels between the ministries of Paul and
Peter. Compare for Paul Acts 13:6ff.; 14:8ff.; 16:18; 1 6:25ff.; 2 0 :9 ff and for
Peter 8 :1 8ff.; 3:2 ff.; 5:16; 12:7ff.; 9 :3 6 ff.
17.Kistemaker, A c ts , p. 6 8 1 .
18.See Bruce, The Book o f the A c ts , p. 182 n. 35, for authorities who support the
view that the imposition of apostolic hands was necessary to the gift of the Holy
Spirit. This view is correctly criticized by Lampe, The Seal o f the Spirit, pp. 69ff,
19.See A. A. Hoekema, H o ly S p irit Baptlsm (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1972), pp.
4 4 -4 5 .
2 0 .The translation of the NEB, "they spoke in tongues of ecstasy and prophesied,"
supplies the words "of ecstasy" which are in no known manuscript. This is pur
interpretaron without any textual support. The translation known as TEV (or Good
News Bible) renders this part of vs. 6 as follows: "they spoke in strange tongues and
also proclaimed God's message." The word "strange" is not in any G reektext. The
last phrase "and also proclaimed God's message" is a free expansin of the literal
words, "and prophesied." Both NEB and TEV are examples of dynamic translations
which do not seek to give a word-for-word translation, but use a thought-for-thought
method that does not intend to be literal.
21 .Moule, A n Idiom-Book o f N T Greek, pp. 8f.
2 2 . The attempt to capture the linear A k tlo n s a rt of the imperfect is manifestad by the
NAB and NASB with the translation: "and they began to speak in tongues."
2 3 . Here we have an ellipsis of the adjective heterais ("other) as also in Acts 10:4b
according to Blass-Debrunner-Funk, A Greek G ram m ar o f the NT, p. 2 5 4 # 4 8 0 (3).
The adjective heterais has only weak support from ancient versions both in Acts
10:46 and 19:6. See Zahn, A p o stelgeschichte, p. 361 n. 8 4 .
2 4 . This view is supported by Zahn, A p o stelgeschichte, p. 102; Davies, JTS, 3
(19 5 2 ), 2 2 8 ff.; Unger, N T Teaching on Tongues, p. 79; S. L. Johnson, "The Gift of
Tongues and the Book of Acts," Bibliotheca Sacra (Oct., 19 6 3), 3 1 1 ; and others.
2 5 . White, A c ts o f the A p o stle s, p. 2 8 3 , States, "They [disciples of John] were then
baptizad in the ame of Jess, . . . they received also the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
by which they were enabled to speak the languages of other nations and to
107
prophesy. Thus they were qualified to labor as missionaries in Ephesus and its
vicinity and also go forth to proolalm the gospel in Asia Minor."
26.This s an mperfect form of the Greek verb whioh ndicates that this gift was of
a continuous nature as well.
2 7 .So A. Loisy, Les A c te s des A p o tre s (Pars, 1920), p. 7 2 3 .
2 8 . With Wayne A. Grudem, The G ift o f Prophecy in 1 Corinthians (Washington, DC:
University of America Press, 1982), p. 174.
2 9 . Terrance Callan, "Prophecy and Ecstasy in Greco-Romn Religin and 1
Corinthians," Novum Testam entum 27 (19 8 5 ), 125-40; see also Robert H. Gundry,
"'Ecstatic Utterance' (N.E.B.)? Jo u rn a l o f Theological S tu d y 17 (1966), 299-307;
Grudem, The G ift o f Prophecy in 1 Corinthians, 1 7 4-76.
3 0 . Kistemaker, A c ts , p. 682.
CHAPTER Vil
110
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
111
1. HISTORICAL SETTING
In order to reach a measure of clarity in this extensive
discussion of 1 Cor 12-14, t is necessary first of all to
attempt to orient oneself to the general historical situation
prevailing in Corinth and its Christian community.
It is particularly striking that "speaking in tongues" is
once more manifested in another major metropolitan city of
New Testament times. Corinth is located in Europe. It is one
of the famous ancient Greek cities.
Corinth was the capital of the Romn province of Achaia.
Thus Corinth is joined to Ephesus, Caesarea and Jerusalem as
the fourth metropolitan city in which "speaking in tongues"
was manifested in the New Testament record.
Corinth commanded the trade route between Northern
Greece and the Peloponnesus, and through the harbors of
Lechaeum on the west and Cenchreae on the east it became
an emporium of Mediterranean trade. Its maritime commerce
brought great prosperity and luxury. Corinth became
proverbial for sexual license.
Sevearl centuries before Paul's time the temple of
Aphrodite had been staffed with 1,000 female slaves
dedicated to licentious worship.6 In 46 B.C. Julius Caesar
founded Corinth anew as a Romn colony. As such its
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common good" (12:7). No gift is for prvate use; all gfts are
ntended for the "common good" of the body of believers (cf.
1 Cor 6:12; 10:23). Paul comes back to this emphass15 n
1 Cor 14 where he stresses repeatedly that all spirtual gfts
must serve for "upbuldng and not for self-edfcation.
In 1 Cor 12:8-11 Paul provides a lst of nne forms of
manifestations of the Holy Sprit. The theme s many gfts
(charismata) of one Holy Sprit. The last tw o spirtual gfts are
"varous knds of tongues" and "interpretaton of tongues".
Dd Paul menton them last because "tongues" was the gift
most hghly regarded by the Cornthans? Dd he menton
"tongues" last because it sthe least sgnficant spirtual gift?
After Paul dwells upon the subject of the unty of the
body of Chrst, despte the diversity of offices and Services of
the members of the church body (1 Cor 12:12-31), he
focuses upon eight types of members, each of whom is
endowed wth a particular spirtual gift. It is strking that
"knd of tongues" (vs. 28) and "interpretaton" (vs. 30)16
agan come at the end.
Paul concludes ths unt wth the exhortaron that the
believers should strive for the "greatest gfts" (1 2:31). These
are the ones toward the top of the lst and are especally
emphaszed by the numbers "first. . . , second. . . , third
(12:28). The emphass is clear. Paul attempts to show the
Cornthans believers that what they consder to be the most
important gift, namely, speakng in tongues, is really not at
the top of the lst.
Paul uses the seven questons (vss. 29, 30) to inclcate
the principie of the diversity of spirtual gifts among various
members while stressing the unity of their source. He also
refutes any tendency toward claiming that all Spirit-filled
persons must manifest speaking in tongues.
It is noteworthy that among the four New Testament lists
of spirtual gifts the gift of tongues is listed in only tw o (1 Cor
12:10; 12:28, 30) and always last. On the contrary, the only
spirtual gift which appears in all four lists is "prophecy" (Rom
12:6; 1 Cor 12:10; 1 2:28f.; Eph 4:11). In one list prophecy
has first place (Rom 12:6), in tw o it has second place (1 Cor
12:28f.; Eph 4:11), and in one list it appears in the middle of
the list (1 Cor 12:10). The early place of prophecy and the
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3. TONGUES-SPEAKING LANGUAGE IN
MODERN TRANSLATIONS
English translations as well as those of other modern
languages reveal the complexity of the matter of "speaking in
tongues" in 1 Cor 14. We find time and again that translators
insert words into the translation that are not present in the
original text, or that they use different words for the same
Greek word in the original text.
There are also other
variations. They deserve our attention now.
The adjective "unknown" which the King James Versin
(KJV) supplies in 1 Cor 14:2, 4, 14, 19, 27 has no support in
the original Greek text. It is supplied by the translators. The
New King James Versin (NKJV) is correct in omitting this
adjective as is the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and
the Revised Standard Versin (RSV) and the New Revised
Standard Versin (NRSV).
The New English Bible (NEB) renders the Greek term
"tongue(s)" w ith "ecstatic utterance/speech/language"18 or
"speech/language of ecstasy."19 There is likewise no textual
support for the words "ecstatic" or "ecstasy."20 These
terms are problematical interpretations of the word
"tongue(s)."
The Jerusalem Bible (JB) has another variation. In every
nstance when the Greek original uses the term "tongue(s)"
the Jerusalem Bible uses "the gift of tongues." Thus the
words "the gift of" are supplied and the distinction between
the singular usage of the term "tongue" and its plural usage
"tongues" is obliterated in this translation.
The Good News Bible, also called Today's English Versin
(TEV), w ith counterparts in many other modern languages,
also insers a word which does not appear in the Greek text.
The adjective "strange" is inserted every time before the word
"tongue(s)" in 1 Cor 14. This word puts the subject of
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4. TONGUES-SPEAKING TERMINOLOGY
Does the language that is employed by Paul in describing
the phenomenon of tongues-speaking differ from that of other
New Testament descriptions of "speaking in tongues"? Is the
language that Paul employs for tongues-speaking dentical
with religious ecstatic speech in surrounding Hellenistic pagan
religions? Does Paul describe a phenomenon in 1 Cor 12-14
that has been adopted by the Christians in Corinth from their
pagan surroundings? These are the kinds of questions and
issues that are in the mind of the discerning reader of these
chapters in 1 Corinthians. It is necessary, therefore, that we
give heed to the language that Paul uses when he refers to
tongues-speaking. It needs to be compared to the language
in the remainder of the New Testament and in the culture
surrounding the Corinthian church.
The word "tongue(s)" is used four times in 1 Cor 12,23
tw o times in 1 Cor 13,24 and seventeen times in 1 Cor
14 ,25 making a total of twenty-three times. Significantly, in
each case without any exception, the word for "tongue" is the
Greek word glssa, the very word which is used in Mark for
Jess' prediction of "new tongues," and in Acts by Luke
when he describes the Pentecostal experience and the
manifestations of this gift of tongues at Caesarea and
Ephesus.
Another observation is in order. Every time the phrase
"to speak in tongues" appears (12 times)26 the verb "to
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speak" s a form of the same Greek term lalefn, the very verb
which is used by Luke n Acts for "to speak" n tongues and
by Mark n Mark 16:17. This means that there is full and
complete identity of language in every New Testament
passage that treats the subject of "speaking n tongues."
Some scholars interpret the Greek term glssa,
"tongues," in terms of antiquated, strange, or mysterious
utterances of an ecstatic nature.27 In the Greek language
the term glssa can refer to an "obsolete or foreign w ord."28
This, however, is still different from what is meant by the
supporters of this hypothesis. As a matter of fact, the use of
the term glssa as a designaron for understandable,
intelligible language far exceeds its use in non-biblical Greek
for strange and obsolete speech.29
What is the evidence of the Greek Bible (Septuagint and
New Testament) in support of the hypothesis of glossolalia as
a form of speech that is unintelligible? As was demonstrated
in Chapter II above, an investigaron of the usage of the term
glssa throughout the New Testament, shows that it is only
used for the "tongue" as an organ of speech30 and for
intelligible human language.31 This is true also for the usage
of this term in the Septuagint. Even in Isa 29:24 and 32:4,
where the term glssa seems to refer to stammering, there is
no indication of ecstasy or the like.32 Even in these tw o
cases "it refers to language."33 Thus there is little doubt
that the Biblical use of the noun glssa does not support the
idea of ecstatic utterance.
It has been noticed that the Greek adjective heteros,
"other" (Acts 2:4), is lacking in 1 Cor 12-14. Some scholars
have, therefore, argued that the language of Paul differs from
Acts. Is this lack of the adjective "other" so decisive that the
tw o phenomena of speaking in tongues have to be separated?
We have to keep in mind that heteros, "other," is not found
in 1 and 2 Thess, Titus, in John (except in 19:37), Mark
(except 16:12), 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John. It is not
necessary that it be used again after Acts 2:4 in the
expression "speaking in tongues" because in this text it
dentifies the tongues-speaking as something that is "other"
in the sense that those who had received the gift at Pentecost
were "speaking in various languages which were different
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127
1 Cor 14:9 States, "If in a tongue you utter speech that is not
intellgible, how will anyone know what s being said?"
(NRSV). The first part of the sentence is more correctly
translated "unless you utter by the tongue speech" (NASB,
NKJV), indicating that the "tongue" is the organ in the mouth
of the speaker67 by which words or speech comes forth.
The "speech" is said to be "unintelligible" (NRSV, NIV,
etc.) or not "clear" (NASB), not "easy to be understood"
(KJV) or not "easy to understand" (NKJV). The Greek word
eusemos, which is used in this text, appears in no other place
in the New Testament. In the Greek language outside of the
New Testament it means, "easily recognizable, clear,
distinct."68
Is this "speech" of which Paul speaks, which literally
translated means "word" (Greek lgos), glossolalia in the
sense of "unintelligible babblings of nonsense syllables thrown
together in meaningless combinations by the subconscious
workings of man's mind?"69
Is the "speech/word,"
"unintelligible," or difficult "to understand" or not "easily
recognizable," or not "clear," because only God understands
it and it is inaccessible to human understanding? Is it not
understood because the "speech/word" is unintelligible in
itself?
These questions focus on the nature of the unintelligibility
of the "speech/word." There is no evidence that would
suggest that the Greek term lgos, normally meaning
"w ord,"70 used by Paul here and normally translated
"speech" in this text, ever has the connotation of being
unintelligible in itself. It may be suggested on the basis of the
usage of the term lgos that the "speech/word" is not
"unintelligible" in itself as if it were garbled speech. But it is
not "recognizable" and "clear," because the hearer does not
understand it to be part of his native language. He hears
something, a "sound" (Greek phon), as vs. 11 states--and
the same word means "language" in vss. 12-13--but unless the
"speech/word," which is a phon in the sense of
"language,"71 is nterpreted in the sense of being translated,
it is not understood and remains unclear and unintelligible to
the hearer.
These considerations lead to the conclusin that the
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matter of understanding is hearer-based and not speakerbased. What the tongues-speaker speaks s n itself neither
garbled babbling or nonsense syllables. It is speech in a
language which is not understood by the hearer. This concept
seems to assist further in clarifying the issue of the nature of
tongues-speaking. The unintelligibility rests with the hearer(s)
and not necessarily in what is spoken by the tongues-speaker.
The verb translated "understand" in 1 Cor 14:2 is the
Greek term akoo. This Greek term has special connotations
which throw much light on the issue of understanding. It
contains the thought that the "people" actually heard the
"speech/word" (lgos) and
"language" (phon) of the
tongues-speaker, but they were unable to understand its
meaning. It is correct to conclude that the Greek phrase
"does not mean that tongues were inaudible, or that no one
listened to them, but that no one found them intelligible."72
The intelligibility of what was spoken did not seem to rest in
the nature of the "sound" (phon) or "speech/word" (lgos),
but in the nature of the people's ability to understand them,
as we have already seen.
The same Greek terms, that is, the verb akoo,
"understand," together with the nouns "tongues" (glssa) and
"language" (phon), are used in the Septuagint, the oldest
translation of the Od Testament into the Greek language, in
a very important passage. These combinations of words are
used together in Gen 11:1-9 in connection with the story of
the confusin of tongues at the Tower of Babel. In Gen 11:7
the Septuagint reads that God "confused their tongues (Greek
glssa), in order that they shall not understand (Greek akoo)
each the language (Greek phon) of his neighbor."73
The fact that Paul used terminology employed in his own
Greek Bible in this unique combination and in this special
manner seems to demnstrate that the unintelligibility of what
was spoken does not mean that human languages were not
used. As a result of the confusin of "tongues" (glssa) at
the Tower of Babel the new "language" (phon)7* of each
neighbor was simply not "understood" (akoo) by others. For
hearers to be unable to "understand," then, means that they
particpate n an audible hearing without perceiving the
meaning of the language spoken. This parallel from the Tower
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147
Holy Spirit which s n him] and I shall pray with the mind
also; I shall sing with the spirit [i.e. Holy Spirit which is n him]
and I shall sing with the mind also" (vs. 15).
The term "mind in these texts is a translation of the
Greek word nos, a rich term with twenty-four usages, of
which twenty-one are in Paul's letters. The point that Paul is
making in 1 Cor 14:14, 15 is that the person who speaks in
a tongue/language is not "out of his mind," rather he "retains
his nos [mind] even though he is seized by the pnema
[Spirit]. The nos [mind] is present, though inactive."161
Does Paul not stress the idea that when complete
communication takes place, the mind is to function? It has
been emphasized that "it must not be overlooked that
speaking with the mind is also a work of the Holy S pirit."162
There is thus no contrast between the work of the Holy Spirit
and the functioning of the human rational capacity of the
mind.
It appears that the context of 1 Cor 14:14, 15 is again of
primary significance in the understanding of these texts. It is
unwise to interpret them by means of philosophical or
Hellenistic religious backgrounds.163 In vs. 13 Paul writes,
"Therefore let the one who speaks in a tongue pray that he
may interpret." Paul says that speaking in a tongue is from
the Spirit. "For f I pray in a tongue, my spirit [the Holy Spirit
which is in me] prays, but my mind is unfruitful." For the
"mind" to become fruitful, it seems, means that
interpretation/translation is to take place.
Through
"interpretation/translation" thechurch is edified (vs. 12). This
is precisely the point of vs. 16 also, where the ungifted is to
say "Amen," but is unable to do so, because "he does not
know what you are saying. If there is "translation" of the
tongue/language, then "the other man" is "edified" (vs. \7).
In the context, the issue remains the matter of understanding
what is said and the matter of the edificaron of the church.
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SPEAKING IN TONGUES
"at most three" (vs. 27). This restriction indicates that there
were larger numbers of tongues-speakers in Corinth. Paul
scales down the number of tongues-speakers n the church
Service to at most three.
3) Tongues-speaking should by done "by course" (KJV),
or "each [shall speak] n turn" (RSV, NRSV), or "one at a
time" (NEB, NIV), or "one after the other" (TEV) as vs. 27
indicates. Paul establishes a regulation that there shall be
sequential order and not simultaneous tongues-speaking.
There shall not be more than one tongues-speaker at one
time.
4) There should be an nterpreter/translator present so
that the matter spoken in a tongue/language in the church
may be translated and all be blessed and edified by it (vs. 27)
5) If there is no transistor available, tongues-speakers
should keep silent in the church, and speak to themselves and
to God (vs. 28).
Evidently the orderliness of the Service is to contribute to
the worship attitude of the entire congregaron. The God to
be worshiped is a God of order (1 Cor 14:40). He is "not a
God of confusin but of peace" (vs. 33). This instruction on
liturgical order in worship is given for "all the churches of the
saints" (vs. 33). It is universal for all early Christian churches
and for all churches in the future. Paul's teaching is still valid
and carries its own Biblical authority for today.
15. CONCLUSIONS
The contextual study of 1 Cor 12-14 which we have
engaged in throughout this chapter gives full support to the
identity of terminology and usage of tongues-speaking in the
entire New Testament. The above study has shown that it is
sound to consider speaking in tongues as the same spiritual
gift throughout the whole New Testament.
It is most
reasonable to conclude that tongues-speaking throughout the
New Testament is the same gift of miraculously speaking
unlearned foreign languages.169
Undeniable links bind together the entire New Testament
phenomena of speaking in tongues nto one unbreakable
151
chain.
1. Jess predicted that believers "will speak with new
tongues" (Mark 16:17).
This was fuifilled not only at
Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, but also in such other
metropolitan centers as Caesarea n Judah, Ephesus n Asia
Minor, and Corinth in Greece. Each of these cities was made
up of inhabitants and visitors that were separated by language
barriers. People from many countries and regions, each
having their own native tongues, would pass through these
places. Jess not only commanded that the Good News
should be preached to all mankind but He also provided
through the Holy Spirit the gift of miraculously speaking
foreign languages to accomplish this goal and teach these
people of different language backgrounds the way of Christ.
2. According to Mark 16:17 Jess stated that among
other things the speaking of new languages would be a "sign"
(Greek seme/oo) in the sense of an occurrence that is contrary
to the usual course of nature for those who would thus hear
the gospel message. It was to be a "sign" of a miracle for
unbelievers that the commission was of divine origin. In 1
Cor 14:22 Paul explains that "tongues are a sign (semeion)
not for believers but for unbelievers." He makes the point
that the gift of speaking foreign languages is to convince the
unbelievers with overwhelming power that the proclamation
of the kerygma bears the signet of heaven. Anyone who will
be convinced can gain salvation; for the person who derides
this manifestation it will mean judgment.
3.
- In Acts 2:13 some contemptuously mocked the
disciples who were speaking in foreign languages by charging
that they were drunk. Unbelieving outsiders might react
similarly, if they were to attend the disorderly tonguesspeaking meeting of the church at Corinth. Paul notes that if
the tongues are not understood by the outsider, he may think
that the speakers are mad (1 Cor 14:23). False impressions
could arise and the genuine manifestation of speaking foreign
languages could be misinterpreted.
4. This bring us to another link in the chain that connects
and unifies the New Testament phenomenon of speaking in
tongues, i.e., its purpose. The Risen Lord had connected the
speaking in tongues w ith the Great Commission to evangelize
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153
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SPEAKING IN TONGUES
ENDNOTES
I.S e e above Chapter I for details of these modern investigations.
2.The reader may wish to consult the representativo bibliographies in the following
dissertations: N. I. J. Engelsen, Glossolalia and Other Forms o f Inspirad Speech
A c c o rd in g to 1 Cor. 12-14 (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Yale University, 1970);
W illiamE. Richardson, L it rg ica ! Order and Glossolalia: 1 Corinthlans 14 :2 6 c -3 3 a and
Its Im plications (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Andrews University, 1983).
3 .See P. C. Millar, "In Praise of Nonsense," in C lasslcalM editerranean S pirituality, ed.
A. H. Armstrong (London, 1986); A. C. Thiselton, "The 'Interpretaron' of Tongues;
A New Suggestion in the Light of Greek Usage in Philo and Josephus," Jo u rn a l o f
Theological S tu d y 3 0 (1979), 15-36.
4 . For a penetrating study on this by a former historical-oritioal scholar of major
standing, see Eta Linnemann, W issenschaft oder M einung?
A n fra ge n und
A lte rn a tlv e n (Neuhausen-Stuttgart: Hnssler Verlag, 1986); Engl. translation by R. W.
Yarbrough, M s to ric a l Criticism o f the Bible. M ethodology o r Ideology? (Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker, 1990).
5 . For a representativa listing of scholars holding to this view, see the final note in this
chapter.
6.Strabo, Geography, VIII, vi, 20.
7 . H. S. Robinson, "Excavations at Ancient Corinth, 1 9 5 9 -1 9 6 3 ," Klio, 46 (19 6 5 ),
2 8 9 ff.
8 . H. Conzelmann, D ar erste K o rin th ar (Gdttingen, 19 6 9), p. 139; F. F. Bruce, 1 and
2 C orinthians (New Century Bible; London, 1971), p. 66.
9 . This is the most widely held date and is adoptad by Hom, Seventh-day A d v e n tis t
Bible D ictio n a ry, p. 224; D. Guthrie, The Paulina Epistles. N e w Testam ent
In tro d u ctio n (2nd ed.; London 1 963). Earlier dates have been suggested recently by
C. K. Barrett, The F irst Epistle to the Corinthians (New York, 1968), p. 8; "early
months of 5 4 , or possibly even 53"; Conzelmann, D er erste K orinther, p. 16 n.31,
spring of 55; Bruce, 1 and 2 Corinthians, p. 25, "probably A.D. 55."
10.So
155
13.See W alter F. Otto, Dionysius (2nd ed.; Leipzig, 1939). Christian Wolff, Dererste
B rie f des Paulus an da K o rin th er "Theologischer Handkommentar zum Neuen
Testament, 7/II" (Berln: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 1 9 8 2), pp. 9 8 -9 9 .
14.See above Chapter II.
15.Conzelmann, D ar erste K orinther, p. 2 4 6 , rightly points out that in vs. 7 Paul's
emphasis is placed upon the words "common good."
16.lnterpreters of "tongues" are not included separately in this list, but they are
mentioned in 12:30.
17.1 Cor 12:10a, b, 28, 30; 1 3 :1 ,8 ; 14:2, 4, 5a, b, 6, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 26,
2 7 , 39.
18.1 Cor 12:10, 28; 14:6, 9, 13, 19, 26, 27, 39.
19.1 Cor 12:30; 13:8; 14:2, 4, 5a, b, 23.
20.Robert H. Gundry, "'Ecstatic Utterance' (N.E.B.)?" Jo u rn a l o f Theological Study,
N.S. 1 7 (1 9 6 6 ), 2 9 9 -3 0 7 .
21 .C. M . Robeck, Jr., "Tongues, Gift of," The In ternational S tandard Bible
Encyclopedia, ed. G. W . Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 19 8 8), 4 :8 7 2 .
22.See E. A. Nida and C. R. Tabor, The Theory and Practica o f Translation (Leiden:
E. J. Brill, 1969); Gerhard F. Hasel, Understanding the Living W ord o f God (Mountain
View , CA: Pacific Press, 1 980), pp. 1 0 0-105.
23.1 Cor 12:10a, b, 28, 3 0 .
2 4 .2 4 .1 Cor 13:1, 8.
25.1
Cor 14:2, 4, 5a, b, 6, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 26, 27, 3 9 .
26.1 Cor 12:30; 13:1; 14:2, 4, 5a, b, 6, 13, 18, 23, 27, 3 9 .
2 7 . Among those who have interpreted the term glssa as ecstatic unintelligible
utterance are: C. Clemens, "The 'Speaking in Tongues' of the Early Christians,"
Expository Times 10 (1 8 9 8 /9 9 ), 3 4 4 -3 5 2 ; Lindsay Dewar, "The Problem of
Pentecost," Theology 9 (1924), 2 4 9 -2 5 9 ; W . S. Thomson, "Tongues at Pentecost,
Acts ii," Expository Times 38 (1 9 2 6 /2 7 ), 2 8 4 -2 8 6 ; F. C. Synge, "The Spirit in the
Pauline Epistles, Church Q uarterly fe v ie w 119 (1 9 3 4 ), 7 9 -9 3 ; Ira J. Martin,
"Glossolalia in the Apostolic Church," JBL 63 (19 4 4 ), 1 2 3 -1 3 0 .
2 8 . Lddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicn, I, 3 5 3 . On this point, see F. Lbker,
Reallexikon des klassischen A lte rtu m s (8th ed., 1914), 4 1 8f.
2 9 . Robert H. Gundry, "'Ecstatic Utterance' (N.E.B.)?" Jo u rn a l o f Theological Study
17 (19 6 6 ), 2 9 9 -3 0 7 .
3 0 . Lk 1:64; 16:24; Mk 7:3 3 , 35; Acts 2:26; Ro 3:13; 1 4 :11; James 3:5f.; 1 Jn
3:1 8 ; 1 Cor 14:9; 1 P e t3 :1 0 ; Rev 16:10.
31 .Acts 2:6, 11; Phil 2:11; Rev 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15.
3 2 . Gundry, "'Ecstatic Utterance'," 2 9 9 -3 0 2 .
3 3 . Ford, "Toward a Theology of 'Speaking in Tongues'," p. 2 7 7 .
3 4 . H. W . Beyer, "heteros," Theological D ictionary o f the N e w Testam ent, ed. G.
Kittel (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1983), 2 :7 0 3 .
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
156
Bruce,
1 a n d 2 C o rin th ia n s ,
p.
1 2 5 .
157
156
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
. So
Bruce,
1 a n d 2 C o rin th ia n s ,
p.
1 2 5 .
157
158
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
7 4 . The Greek term phon s the word used for "language" at the introduotion of the
Tow er of Babel experienoe in the sentenoe, "And all the earth was of one lip, and
there was one language (phon) to all (Gen 11:1, Septuagint).
7 5 . R. Reitzenstein, Poim andres (Leipzig, 1904; repr. Darmstadt, 1966), p. 5 8 .
7 6 . Behm, "glssa," Theological D ictio n a ry o f the N ew Testam ent, 1:722.
77.lbd.
7 8 . Wolff, Dar erste B rie f des Paulus an die Korinther, pp. 9 8 -9 9 .
7 9 . Conzelmann, D er erste Korinther, p. 276.
8 0 . Dellng, Worship in the N e w Testam ent, p. 3 2 (talics his).
81 .H. Kleinknecht, "pne um a ," Theological D ictionary o f the N e w Testam ent, ed. G.
Kittel (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1968), 4 :346; so also S. Eitrem, "Orakel und
Mysterien am Ausgang der Antike, A lbae Vigiliae 5 (1 9 4 7 ), 4 2 .
8 2 . Kleinknecht, "p n e u m a , 6 :3 4 5 .
8 3 . Plato, Timaeus, 7 1 e -7 2 a .
8 4 . Plato, Timaeus, 71 e-72: No man, when in his mind Inous], attains prophetic truth
and insplration, but when he [the divlner] receives the nspired word elther his
understanding [phroneseos] is bound with sleep or he is changad by distemper or
some possession [enthusiasm on]. But he who would understand what he remembers
to have been said, whether in a dream [onar] or when he was awake, by the
divinatory [m antikes] and enthusiastic [enthusiastikes] nature, or what he has seen,
must first recovar his reason [logism o], then he will be able to explain [semaines]
rationally what all such words and apparitions mean and what indications they afford
to this man or that, of past, present or future good and evil. But while he contines
in frenzy Imanen tos], he cannot himself judge the visions which he sees or the words
which he utters....And for this reason t is customary to appoint diviners or
nterpreters of the true inspiration. Most of the Greek text of this section is found
in Behm, "glssa," 1 :72 2 . The above translation largely follows the one of Jow ett
as quoted by F. C. Conybeare, "Tongues, Gift of," Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11 th ed.
(New York, 19 1 1), XX VII, 9 f.
8 5 . Ford, "Toward a Theology of 'Speaking in Tongues'," p. 2 7 8 .
8 6 .So J. Moffatt, The F irst Epistie o f Paul to the Corinthians (London, 19 3 8), p. 21 5.
8 7 . Wayne A. Grudem, The G ift o f Prophecy in 1 Corinthians (Washington: University
of America Press, 1 9 8 2), pp. 150-52.
8 8 . Plutarch, Morada, 4 3 2 , 4 3 8 , 7 5 8 .
8 9 . C. M. Robeck, Jr., "Tongues, Gift of," In ternational S tandardB ible Encyclopedia,
ed. G. W . Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1 988). 4 :8 7 2 .
9 0 . Christopher Forbes, "Early Christian Inspirad Speech and Hellenistic Popular
Religin, Novum Testam entum 2 3 /3 (19 8 6 ), 2 6 0 .
91 .Ibid., pp. 2 6 2 -6 3 .
92.lbid., pp. 2 6 8 -7 0 ; see also Joseph Fortenrose, The Deiphic Oracle (Berkeley:
University of California Press, 19 7 8), pp. 2 0 4 -1 2 .
159
9 3 .So still Johannes P. Louw, Eugene Nida, et al., Greek-English Lexicn o fth e N ew
Testam ent Based on Sem antic Domain (London/New York: United Bible Societies,
1 9 8 8), 1 :3 8 9 -9 0.
94.See also above Chapter II.
9 5 . Conzelmann, D er erste Korinther, p. 27 6 .
9 6 . Grudem, The G ift o f Prophecy in 1 Corinthians, p. 138.
97.lbd p. 139.
9 8 . Morris, The F irst Epist/e o f Paul to the Corinthians, p. 192.
9 9 . Arndt and Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicn, p. 326.
1 0 0 . Gerhard Delling, Worship in the N e w Testam ent (Philadelphia, 19 6 2), p. 33.
101 .Ovidius. Naso, A m . I. 6, 42: "dar verba in ventos." Cf. A. Otto, S p rich w rte r
der Rm er (Leipzig, 1890), p. 3 6 4 .
1 0 2 . Robertson and Plummer, F irst Corinthians, p. 3 1 0 .1 0 2 .
1 0 3 . The Greek word here is phone which is by many translated as "language" (RSV,
NAB, NASB; Conzelmann, Barrett, Bruce, H. Lietzmann and W . G. Kmmel, K o rin th er
i, ii [Tbingen, 1969], p. 7 1 ). However, the meaning of "language" is doubtful in the
only other NT text where it is suggested, i.e., 2 Pet 2 :16, by Arndt and Gingrich, A
Greek-English Lexicn, p. 8 7 9 . The regular meaning of this term is "sound, tone,
noise, voice." It is used with these meaning consistently in the frequent NT
passages. The LXX reads in Gen. 11:7, in the context of confusin of languages,
that God said, "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their languages [glossan],
that they may not understand one another's speech [phonen]."
1 0 4 . The Greek expression ka io u d e n is inexact so that commentators have suggested
that Paul intends that the word ethnos, "race," is to be understood (cf. Lietzmann
and Kmmel, Korinther, p. 71; Conzelmann, Der erste Korinther, p. 2 7 4 n. 8) where
he points out that genos, "kinds," does not fit. He is correct in this, because "to say
that nothing is without a voice of some kind would hardly be true," Robertson and
Plummer, F irst Corinthians, p. 3 1 0 . Barrett, The F irst Epistle to the Corinthians, p.
3 1 9 , foliows also Lietzmann, Kmmel, Conzelmann.
10 5 . This term is in paranomasia with the term phone. Some interpret it as indicating
"unintelligible" on the basis of vs. 11, but this idea comes only in the following
sentence.
1 0 6 . H. Windisch, "b arb a ro s," Theological D ictio n a ry o f the N e w Testam ent, ed. G.
Kittel (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 19 6 4), 1 :5 4 6 -5 53 .
107 .0 v id , Tristia V. x. 37 f.
1 0 8 . This plural is here used for pneum atikon of 14:1. The term in 1 4 :1 2 "stresses
a little more the truth that the gifts for which the Corinthians were 'zealots' had their
origin in the Holy Spirit, writes L. Morris, The F irst Epistle o f Paul to the Corinthians
(Grand Rapids, Mich., 1963), p. 194.
1 0 9 . The Greek conditional clause ("more probable futura condition") makesclear that
we always must distinguish between the fact and the sta te m e n t of the fact. The
conditional clause deais only with the statement. See Robertson, Gram m ar o f the
Greek NT, p. 1005.
160
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
and
Kmmel,
Schlier, Conzelmann,
161
127.Arndt, Gingrich and Danker, A Greek-EngHsh Lexicn, p. 194. Polybius (ca. 2101 20 B.C.), the greatest historian of Hellenism, employs the same verb with the
meaning "transate" (III. 2 2 ,3 ). In the famous Letter of Aristeas the Septuagint is
said to have been "translated from the Hebrew, with the same verb used (lines 15,
3 0 8 , 3 1 0 ).
1 28.lbid.
12 9 . This is again the olear meaning in the Letter of Aristeas ( 1 1 .3 , 11, etc.).
130. Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, A Greek-EngHsh Lexicn o f the N e w Testam ent by
W . Bauer, p. 194.
131.See, for instance, [S. Bagster], The S eptuagint Versin o f the Od Testament
w ith an English Translation (London: S. Bagster and Sons, 18 7 9), p. 57.
132.W e have also to consider herm eneuo, which is used in all instances in the LXX
and the NT with the meaning of "transate (Job 4 2 :18; 2 Esdr 4:7; Esdr 10:3; and
in John 9:7; Heb 7:2; Arndt, Gingrich and Danker, A Greek-EngHsh Lexicn, p. 310)
and the cognate m etherm eneuo which always means "transate in the LXX and the
NT (Prologue of Sirach, 1. 23; Mt 1:23; Mk 5:41; 1 5 :2 3 f.; John 1:38, 42; Acts
4:3 6 ; 13:18; Arndt, Gingrich and Danker, A Greek-English Lexicn, p. 498).
1 3 3 .Once reference is made to a satire or figurativo saying (Sirach 4 7 :17) and
another time the meaning is "to expound" (Lk 24:27).
1 3 4 . This point receives attention in every single study by scholars of various
persuasions because it is of considerable significance.
1 3 5 . J. G. Davies, "Pentecost and Glossolalia, Jo u rn a l o f Theological Studies, 3
(1 9 5 2 ), 230.
1 3 6 . Behm, "g lo ssa, 1:722.
137.lbid.
1 3 8 . This is the hypothesis of R. P. Spittler, "Interpretaron of Tongues, Gift of,"
D ic tio n a ry o f P e n te co stalan d Charism atic M ovem ents, eds. Stanley M. Burgess and
Gary B. McGee (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1988) p. 4 6 9 .
1 3 9 . This is the expression used by Plato, Timaeus, 71 e.
1 4 0 . Plato, Timaeus, 72a.
141 .Ibld.: proseiken.
1 4 2 . Pollux, O nomasticon, VIII, 124: "exegetai d ekaiounto h o i ta p e ri ton allon
hieron didaskontes. Pollux from Nauticratis in Egypt was professor of rhetoric in
Athens in 178 A.D.
1 4 3 . Cf. Behm, ''g lo ssa , 1:722ff.
1 4 4 . Grudem, The G lft o f Prophecy in 1 Corinthians, p. 176.
1 4 5 . Eurpides, Bacchae, 2 9 8 -3 0 0 . Eurpides lived from 4 8 0 -4 0 6 B.C.
1 4 6 . Eurpides, Bacchae, 161.
1 4 7 . Delllng, Worship in the N e w Testam ent, p. 3 9 .
162
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
1 4 8 . Cf. Reitzenstein, Poimandres, pp. 21 9 ff.; H. Weinel, Die Wirkungen des Geistes
und der G eister (Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1899), pp. 7 2 ff.; Lietzmann
and Kmmel, Korinther, pp. 6 8 ff.
1 4 9 . Cf. K. Latte, "The Corning of the Pvthia," H arvard Theological fe v ie w 33
(1 9 4 0 ), 9 -1 8 .
150.See the description by Virgil, Aeneis, vi. 46, 9 8 .
1 5 1 . E. R. Dodds, The Greeks and the Irrational (Berkeley: University of California
Press, 1959), p. 7 0 .
1 5 2 . G. Bornkamm, "Faith and Reason in Paul," Early Chrstian Experience (New York:
Harper & Row, 1969), p. 3 8 , and others.
1 5 3 . Engelsen, Glosso/alia, p. 189.
1 54.lbid., pp. 20-2 1 , 60, 1 3 9 -4 0 , 2 0 4 -2 0 5 .
1 5 5 . Grudem, The G ift o f Prophecy in 1 Corinthians, pp. 155-76; Terrance Callan,
"Prophecy and Ecstacy in Greco-Romn Religin and in 1 Corinthians," N ovum
Testam entum 27 (19 8 5 ), 1 2 5 -4 0 .
1 5 6 . G. Bornkamm, Gesamm elte A u fs tze (Mnchen, 1959), II, 134.
1 5 7 .50 correctly Barrett, F irst Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 3 2 2 .
1 5 8 .R. C. Dentan, "M ind, /OS (19 6 2 ), 3:3 8 3 .
1 5 9 .50 Barrett, F irst Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 320; cf. Bruce,
Corinthians, p. 131.
1 and 2
1 6 8 . The Greek of 1 Cor 14:18 does not read that Paul speaks "in more tongues," but
that he speaks in tongues either "more than all of you put together" or "more than
any of you." The latter translation is sufficient for Paul's argument.
163
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Reicke and L. Rost (Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1966), 3:
2249-2250.
Adler, N. Das erste christliche Pfingstfest, Sinn und Bedeutung des
Pfingstberchtes, A g 2, 1-13. Neutestamentliche Abhandlungen, 18.
Mnster: Aschendorff, 1938.
Aland, K., M. Black, B. Metzger and Alien Wikgren. The Greek New
Testament. Stuttgart: Wrttembergische Bibelgesellschaft, 1966.
Andrews, E. "Tongues, Gift of." Interpreter's Dictionary o f the Bible
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962), 4: 671-672.
Anisimov, A. F. "The Shaman's Tent of the Evenks and the Origin of the
Shamanistic Rite." Studies n Siberian Shamanism. Ed. Henry M.
Michael. Toronto: Artic Institute of North America, 1963.
Arndt, W. F. and F. W. Gingrich. A Greek-EngHsh Lexicn o f the New
Testament. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957.
____ , F. W. Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker. A Greek-EngHsh Lexicn o f
the New Testament and Other Eariy Christian Literature. 2nd ed.
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1979.
Bagster, S. The Septuagint Versin o f the Od Testament with an English
Translation. London: S. Bagster and Sons, 1879.
Baker, David L. "The Interpretaron of 1 Corinthians 12-14." Evanglica!
Quarterly 46 (1974), 224-234.
Barker, G. W. "M ystery." The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Ed.
G. W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986), 3: 451-455.
Barrett, C. K. A Commentary on The First Epistle to the Corinthians. New
York: Harper & Row, 1968.
____ . Luke the Historian in Recent Study. 2nd ed. London: Epworth Press,
1970.
Bauer, Walter. Griechisch-deutsches Wrterbuch zu den Schriften des
Neuen Testaments und der frhchristlichen Literatur. Ed. Kurt and
Barbara Aland. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1988.
Bauernfeind, Otto. Die Apostelgeschichte. Gttingen: A. Deichert, 1939.
Beare, Frank W. "Speaking in Tongues: A Survey of the New Testament
Evidence." Journal o f Bblica! Literature 83 (1964), 229-46.
Beel, A. "Donum linguarum juxta Act. Apost. i. 1-13." Collationes
Brugensis 3 5 (1 9 3 5 1 ,4 1 7 -4 2 0 .
Behm, Johannes. "nos." Theological Dictionary o f the New Testament. Ed.
G. Kittel (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1967), 4: 951-960.
____ . "apotheggomai." Theological Dictionary o f the New Testament. Ed.
G. Kittel (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964), 1: 447.
____ . "glssa." Theological Dictionary o f the New Testament. Ed. G. Kittel
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964), 1: 719-26.
____ . "kainos." Theological Dictionary o fth e New Testament. Ed. G. Kittel
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965), 3: 447-450.
Bellshaw, W. G. "The Confusin of Tongues. Bibliotheca Sacra 120
(1963), 145-153.
Bengel, John Albert. Gnomon o f the New Testament. Ed. A. R. Fausset.
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Bertrams, H. Das Wesen des Geistes nach der Anschauung des Apostles
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Neutestam entliche Abhandlungen,
IV/4.
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Aschendorffsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1913.
166
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
10.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
167
168
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
169
170
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
171
172
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
173
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INDEX
Africa 29
agnostics 27
angelic dialect 1 22
anthropologists 18
Aphrodite 111
Apollo 112
apostleship 34
Assyrians 139
athelsts 27
Azusa Street 21
Azusa Street Mission 20
babbllng 4 8 , 125, 128
baptlsm 9 1 , 9 8 , 99
of the Holy Splrlt 2 2 , 55, 103
Splrlt- 103
barbaran 135
barrlers 153
Bereans 153
black magician 29
Borneo 29
broken speech 4 7 , 121
Catholic charlsmatlo renewal 23
Catholics, Romn 23
Ceasarea 9 2 , 151
charismatlc(s) 103, 109
movement 20, 55
renewal 1 2 , 1 3 , 2 0
renewal movement 23
Cho, Paul Vongi 13
church 133
assembly 136
up buildlng 110, 134, 136, 138,
1 5 2 , 153
circumcision 95
common good 114
communicatlon 27, 136
compromiso 153
confusin 137
of tongues/languages 129
consciousness 146
altered State of 32
conversin 9 1 , 139
Corlnth
51, 110, 11 1 , 112, 144,
15 1 , 152
Cornellus 9 2 , 100
Cult
of Appolo 131
of Delphi 144
of Dlonysus 1 3 1 , 144
enthuslastic 130, 1 44
dancing religin 25
Delphi 4 8 , 130, 13 1 , 144
Oracle 4 8 , 4 9 , 132, 145
dialects 71
angelic 122
Diana 98
dionysus 130
disciple(s) 98, 9 9 , 152
INDEX
hearing 128
Hellenism 1 2 9 ,1 4 4
Hellenistic religions 4 8 , 132
historical-critical
method 109
scholar 7 5 , 8 1 , 129
history of religions 109
holy 144
holy rollers 13
Holy Spirit 3 2 , 9 2 , 100, 113, 147,
152
baptism of 22
hyperbole 132
hypnosis 11
hypothesis 78
Identification 1 53
idols 112, 113
Indonesia 29
ingot 50
insanity 137
intelligibility 128
intelligible 128, 134
interpretaron 3 5 ,5 5 , 114, 126, 141,
142
Interpretar 3 6 , 109, 141, 142, 150
Irvingltes 20
Isis 112
Japan 25, 29
Jerusalem 55, 93
Jewish tradition 94
Jews 9 8 , 112, 139, 152, 153
Judaism 91
judgement 151
knowledge 124, 133, 136
lalen 4 4
lalo 50
lalling 120
language(s) 27, 44, 7 1 , 117, 128,
134, 135, 143
angelic 109
barrier 9 4 , 151
fagade 28
forelgn 28, 73, 7 5 , 7 7 , 80, 81,
83, 9 3 , 102, 110, 137, 140,
142, 150, 151, 152
human 2 8 , 117, 121, 126
intelligible 20, 42, 49, 5 5 , 77
living 46
native 142
of a nation or regin 71
own 72
strange 135
unintelligible 4 8 , 49
unlearned 143
-pseudo 28
latter rain 12, 1 6
laying-on of hands 99, 100, 101
175
learned behavior 33
go 50
Levantinas 112
lexicography 47
linguists 2 8 , 3 1 , 4 1
literary criticism 82
love 115
mantic 143, 144
manticism 131
M ants 131
marriage 112
medium(s) 25, 32
-possession 145
mind 146, 147, 149
miracles 13, 7 5 , 151
miraculous gift 7 2
mission 101
musical instruments 1 34
mysteries 123, 124, 125
mystery 124, 125, 126
religions 129, 132
nature 153
nonsense syllables 1 2 5 ,1 2 6 ,1 2 8
oracles 49
order 150
orderliness 153
otherTongues 7 2 ,8 3
outsider(s) 136, 137, 138, 151
Ovid 135
Oznam, Agnes 20
paganism 144
papyri 49
parallels 131, 132, 143
Parham, Charles 2 0 , 2 1 , 2 2
Paul 104
peace 150
Pentecost 4 5 , 68, 151
pentecostalism 12, 17, 148, 149
denominational 22
neo- 12, 22
pentecostalists 109
Peter 104
philosophy 7 9 , 80
possession 25
prayer 146
priestess 48, 132
Pythian 48
priests 32
proclamation 7 4 , 75, 93
prophecy 34, 102, 113, 114, 115,
132, 133, 136, 144, 145, 152
prophesying 136, 144
prophetic ecstasy 102
psychiatrists 18
psychologists 18
purpose 153
Pythia 131
176
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
Qumran 5 4
Rabbinic traditions 91
religions
enthusiastio 143
Greek 143
pagan 111
restad 69
revelation 7 9 , 103, 124, 133, 136
Roberts, Oral 13
Romans 112
sacred 144
salvation 151
Sanhedrln 104
Satan 1 1 ,3 2 , 33
Science 7 9 , 80
Scripture 22, 153, 154
seances 25
Second coming 12
second wave 22, 24
secret language 25
self-edification 1 1 4 ,1 3 6
Septuagint 51, 52, 11 9 , 128, 141,
1 42
Serapis 112
Seymour, William J. 21, 22
shakers 20
Shamans 18, 25, 32
Sibyls 1 3 0 , 145
sign 9 4 , 1 0 1 , 102, 139, 140, 151
ot judgement 140
of salvation 140
singlng 146
Sola S crptura 79
soothsayer 131
sorcerous seances 32
sounds 135
source(s) 7 5 , 8 2 , 153
source-hypotheses 82
speaking in tongues 22, 30, 3 4 47,
53
speech 1 2 7 , 1 3 4 , 1 4 5 , 1 4 9
angelic 123
automatism 30
behavior 19
bold 7 0
intelligible 5 0 , 51
Latn 135
rational 31
spiritual 31
unintelliglble 49, 51, 52, 7 1 , 80,
8 1 , 121, 1 2 7 , 143, 145
Spirit 1 4 4 , 146
Spirit-mediumship 145
Spirit-worship 25
spiritual
gift 11 0 , 1 1 2 , 113, 125, 136,
1 4 4 , 152
power 153
spiritualism 145
spiritualistic glossolalia 25
Stephen 104
subjective experience 69
sweet wine 75
taboo 91
tarrying meetings 70
teaching 133, 136
thong 50
tongue(s) 44, 101, 102, 115, 118,
119, 142, 149, 152
(as) of fire 4 4 , 68
foreign 140
gift of 116
of angels 1 22, 1 23
strange 139
tongue-speaker 76
Tower of Babel 128
tradition 80
trance 3 0 , 32
experience 145
-State 11
transate 143
translation 142, 143
dynamic 118
formal 118
translator 142, 150
tribal religions 25
Trinity 32
trumpet 134
truths of God 1 25
Twelve 100
unbelievers 136, 137, 140, 151
understanding 1 26
unintelligibility 128, 134
unintelligible ecstatic utterances 130
unintelllgible utterances 20, 4 3 , 5 3 ,
54
upbuilding 1 1 4 ,1 1 5 , 1 2 9
Upper Room 67, 83
utterances, mysterious 119
Voodoo 25
wind 68
witch doctor(s) 18, 25, 32
witnesses 68
word 127
of God 80
World Council of Churches 23
worshlp 148, 150
xenoglossia 28
xenolalia 50
Yanagida Genji 25
ABOUT THEBOOK
Speaking in Tongues is an up-to-date discussion of contemporary "speaking in
tongues" as practiced by millions of Christians. This book reveis that speaking n
tongues s also carried on in non-Christian (pagan) religions. The issues raised by
}
this common practice are immense for the Christian believer.
It is the purpose of this book to investgate the nature of speaking in tongues by
Christians and non-Christians. Based on the conclusin that both phenomena in the
contemporary world are the same linguistically, the crucial question is raised whether
contemporary speaking in tongues is to be identified with "speaking in tongues" in
the New Testament. Five of seven chapters are devoted to a penetrating study of
the New Testament evidence for "speaking in tongues."
This volume investlgates the relationship of the contemporary usage of tonguespeaking, technically called glossolalia, in non-Christian usage, from the angle o1
linguistic and other studies and compares it with New Testament "speaking in
tongues" as a gift of the Holy Spirit. It addresses tough questions such as whether
tongue-speaking is from God, the demonic, or other sources, whether tonguespeaking will unite all churches and religions, whether all Christians need to "speak
in tongues," whether Paul in 1 Cor 12-14 is referring to the same gift of tongues as
that manifested at Pentecost in Acts 2, whether there is one "speaking in tongues"
in the Bible or two different tongue-speaking phenomena, and so on. Anyone
interested in the fast-growing charismatic tongue-speaking phenomena will greatly
benefit from this detailed and well-researched book.