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INTRODUCTION
A minister at Kids Adventure Camp called a girl to the front because she claimed to have the gift of tongues. About 33 percent of the Pentecostals in the U.S. claim to speak in tongues. One in 4 Christians identify to be Pentecostals in the States. The girl’s name was Eden. “Eden, 6 years old, interpreting a word of tongues.” The minister, whose name is not given, called her because she had picked a “spiritual gift” as a tongue of interpreter in the camp. Since then, her family had been praying for Eden to have this gift that she chose. The minister had confessed that he himself did not have this gift of interpretation. After a small discussion, someone from the crowd prayed in tongues and Eden claimed to know the meaning of that prayer. Eden, who wore a black dress with a pink prize award on her left shoulder, throughout the video picked her nails, scanning the crowd with a smile, and raising herself up by stepping on her toes. Eden looked nervous, but with her consistent smiled, she made it look like she was enjoying herself. “What did she pray?” the minister asked. “Yes, God please heal all the people that I seek,” Eden said. Someone from the crowed gave a similar interpretation and that gave the minster the opportunity to call someone to the front. Karen, who had been diabetic for ten years since she was five, came forward. Karen seemed shy, the minister noted. So, the minister, Eden, and couple of ladies came forward to lay their hands-on Karen and pray. The minister prayed: “Lord, we just expel, we take authority over it. Break its power over Karen, over her body. Cause healing to her, all over the body Jesus.” There was no way to follow up with Karen and to see the results of this prayer, but this makes you wonder: what are the gifts of tongues that Pentecostals claim to have? Are they the same tongues that the book of Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 write about? In this study, we will look carefully at the tongues that are exhibited during the Apostles’ days and that are present today.
Definition
The word “tongue” (γλῶσσα) used by New Testament writers means “speech, language.” The first time language came into existence in the Bible was in the Tower of Babel story. People spoke “the same language and the same words” (Gen 11:1). When they decided to build a city, a tower that would reach to the heavens, and a name, God confused their language, so they did not understand each other (Gen 11:4–6). This marked the beginning of the languages. When Acts 2 happened, it was the reversal the Babel curse.
Today, those who defend the idea of continuation of Acts 2 are dealing with numerous tongue expressions. The most common implication of tongue speaking is to understand the speech (excludes the speaker) when prayed in tongues. Another tongues element produces“great ecstasy in their souls and spirits.” Tongues are given to produce spiritual therapy.
Finally, speaking in tongues can be expressed in laughter or a poem. Literally, the person laughs until he folds over. All these behaviors are attributed to the Holy Spirit by the continuations of speaking in tongues.
Foundation for the Interpretation
Human experience (in the Pentecostal movement) becomes the basis for how the story of Acts 2 interpreted today. John Sherrill, in his book They Speak with Other Tongues, writes about his journey of how he became a tongue speaker. He mentions story after story that convinced him to speak in tongues. Sherrill’s first experience took place when he was in the hospital and a light appeared to him in the form of Christ:
Human experience (in the Pentecostal movement) becomes the basis for how the story of Acts 2 interpreted today. John Sherrill, in his book They Speak with Other Tongues, writes about his journey of how he became a tongue speaker. He mentions story after story that convinced him to speak in tongues. Sherrill’s first experience took place when he was in the hospital and a light appeared to him in the form of Christ:
My roommates were still tossing, still coughing and groaning. ‘Christ,’ I said moving my lips only, ‘would you help that boy?’ The light did not leave me, but in some strange way it was now at the bedside of the boy in pain. A little‘Ohhh...’ came from him and he was silent. ‘And my other friend?’ The light was instantly centered on the bed of the old man who was in the middle of a spasm of coughing. The cough stopped. The old man sighed and turned over.
At the end of his book, Sherrill draws the conclusions from all the stories he mentions as genuine and biblical view of speaking in tongues and said it was Christ who came to him in the hospital; he said it was Christ in the form of a light who came to meet him.11 “Experience becomes the foundation of how the Bible verses are viewed,” Joyce Meyer said, after defending the modern phenomenon merely because ‘there are millions of people on the earth today’ doing it.” Well, how did today’s tongue speaking movement in the States begin?
Tongues Coming to the States
The modern experience of speaking in tongues started from Charles Fox Parham when he began teaching this idea in Topeka, Kansas (1901). He “became convinced that every instance of baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts was accompanied by speaking in tongues.” Parham later came into contact with William J. Seymour, “who was instrumental in the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles in 1906.” It was that moment that led churches to connect speaking in tongues to the book of Acts 2. The census was, what we see here today is the work of the Holy Spirit that began in Acts 2.
The modern experience of speaking in tongues started from Charles Fox Parham when he began teaching this idea in Topeka, Kansas (1901). He “became convinced that every instance of baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts was accompanied by speaking in tongues.” Parham later came into contact with William J. Seymour, “who was instrumental in the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles in 1906.” It was that moment that led churches to connect speaking in tongues to the book of Acts 2. The census was, what we see here today is the work of the Holy Spirit that began in Acts 2.
Psychiatry Research
A study of measuring the regional cerebral related to speaking in tongues refutes the idea that those who speak in tongues are mentally crazy: “glossolalia was related to some form of psychopathology by the biomedical community” but acknowledges that there are mentally ill people who do exhibit glossolalia. Interesting to note that glossolalia “when spoken byschizophrenics... is recognized as gibberish” and when spoken by a religious person is recognized as a gift of the Holy Spirit. John MacArthur notes, “A common practice in numerous cult groups and false religions––from the voodoo doctors of Africa to the mystic monks of Buddhism to the founder of Mormonism” practicing glossolalia. Thus, when you step back, and look at today’s Pentecostal and charismatic movement, you have to wonder why non- religious people speak in tongues. You have religious, non-religions, mentally ill and non- mentally ill experience speaking in tongues. Perhaps, looking what Christ said about praying, clarifies the confusion. Christ said not to pray as the heathen do. “Glossolalia (ecstatic unintelligible speech) is common in pagan communication with their gods but was not common in the church until modern times.” Why do defenders of glossolalia contribute the speaking in tongues to the gift of the Holy Spirit ? Non-Christians do not have the Holy Spirit, so that refutes their statement..
A study of measuring the regional cerebral related to speaking in tongues refutes the idea that those who speak in tongues are mentally crazy: “glossolalia was related to some form of psychopathology by the biomedical community” but acknowledges that there are mentally ill people who do exhibit glossolalia. Interesting to note that glossolalia “when spoken byschizophrenics... is recognized as gibberish” and when spoken by a religious person is recognized as a gift of the Holy Spirit. John MacArthur notes, “A common practice in numerous cult groups and false religions––from the voodoo doctors of Africa to the mystic monks of Buddhism to the founder of Mormonism” practicing glossolalia. Thus, when you step back, and look at today’s Pentecostal and charismatic movement, you have to wonder why non- religious people speak in tongues. You have religious, non-religions, mentally ill and non- mentally ill experience speaking in tongues. Perhaps, looking what Christ said about praying, clarifies the confusion. Christ said not to pray as the heathen do. “Glossolalia (ecstatic unintelligible speech) is common in pagan communication with their gods but was not common in the church until modern times.” Why do defenders of glossolalia contribute the speaking in tongues to the gift of the Holy Spirit ? Non-Christians do not have the Holy Spirit, so that refutes their statement..
Speaking in Tongues for All
Today Charismatics and Pentecostals insist that all believers should receive the gift of tongues. “Scripture declares that the gift of the Holy Spirit is for every Christian believer during the whole age of the mortal Church... The gifts are still for every present-day believer.” Yet Apostle Paul speaks otherwise. Paul asked a question: “All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?” (1 Cor. 12:30) The implication then is no, not all speak in tongues.
Today Charismatics and Pentecostals insist that all believers should receive the gift of tongues. “Scripture declares that the gift of the Holy Spirit is for every Christian believer during the whole age of the mortal Church... The gifts are still for every present-day believer.” Yet Apostle Paul speaks otherwise. Paul asked a question: “All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?” (1 Cor. 12:30) The implication then is no, not all speak in tongues.
Grudem’s Defense
Wayne A. Grudem, a respected theologian among evangelicals, takes a different approach towards speaking in tongues. He says, “The abuse of a gift does not mean that we must prohibit the proper use of the gift, unless it can be shown that there cannot be proper use—that all use has to be abuse.” But the abuse takes place not on the level of application, but on the level of interpretation––a wrong interpretation leads to wrong application. If Grudem defends Acts 2 in today’s present world, he needs to show that people who do speak in tongues, have those who can interpret them, and also understand them. “Today, nonlinguistic, irrational gibberish remains the de facto explanation for charismatic babble... there is absolutely no evidence to confirm the notion that modern glossolalia comes from the Holy Spirit or aids his work of producing holiness... there are very good reason to avoid the practice”
Cessationists vs Continuationists
The argument between cessationists vs continuationists based on the gifts that are given to the Apostles continues to this day. It would be much easier to discuss this issue if there was an interpreter present or those who speak that language can vouch for true speech and message.“Those who heard tongues in Jerusalem already possessed the key for their interpretation: they understood the foreign language since they were their native tongues (Acts 2:11).” In fact, just in the second century, the church declared speaking in tongues heresy. Montanists “came forward to declare a continuance of the miraculous gifts of the apostolic Church and proclaimed that the age of the Holy Ghost and the millennial reign had been established in the village of Pepuza, in Western Phrygia.” Montanists were not just focusing on the gift of tongues, other gifts also. Yet Montanists were declared a heretical movement.
The argument between cessationists vs continuationists based on the gifts that are given to the Apostles continues to this day. It would be much easier to discuss this issue if there was an interpreter present or those who speak that language can vouch for true speech and message.“Those who heard tongues in Jerusalem already possessed the key for their interpretation: they understood the foreign language since they were their native tongues (Acts 2:11).” In fact, just in the second century, the church declared speaking in tongues heresy. Montanists “came forward to declare a continuance of the miraculous gifts of the apostolic Church and proclaimed that the age of the Holy Ghost and the millennial reign had been established in the village of Pepuza, in Western Phrygia.” Montanists were not just focusing on the gift of tongues, other gifts also. Yet Montanists were declared a heretical movement.
Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14
The heart of the discussion ties to Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14. Yet before we go there, it would be wise to answer the quotation related to Peter preaching at the house of Cornelius. Often the story of Cornelius is used as a defense for speaking in tongues, because it says: “For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God” (Acts 10:46). People say, see, Peter spoke in tongues. Of course, Peter clarifies: “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). Peter ties Acts 2 to Acts 10:45. To understand what happened in Acts 10:45, we need to understand what happened in Acts 2.
The heart of the discussion ties to Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14. Yet before we go there, it would be wise to answer the quotation related to Peter preaching at the house of Cornelius. Often the story of Cornelius is used as a defense for speaking in tongues, because it says: “For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God” (Acts 10:46). People say, see, Peter spoke in tongues. Of course, Peter clarifies: “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). Peter ties Acts 2 to Acts 10:45. To understand what happened in Acts 10:45, we need to understand what happened in Acts 2.
Acts 2
Speaking in tongue, begins in Acts 2. It says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance” (Acts 2:4). This has happened on the day of Pentecost. What followed was those people understood the speech in their own language. “And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6). People were astonished hearing the preaching in their own language (Acts 2:7). They were asking this question: “How is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?” (Acts 2:8). The book of Acts names all the languages Apostles spoke on (Acts 2:9–11). Surprise came from hearing their own language not from seeing disciple laughs, expressing unrecognized noise. This is important to distinguish between people speaking in tongues today versus people speaking in tongues during the day of Pentecost.
Speaking in tongue, begins in Acts 2. It says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance” (Acts 2:4). This has happened on the day of Pentecost. What followed was those people understood the speech in their own language. “And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6). People were astonished hearing the preaching in their own language (Acts 2:7). They were asking this question: “How is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?” (Acts 2:8). The book of Acts names all the languages Apostles spoke on (Acts 2:9–11). Surprise came from hearing their own language not from seeing disciple laughs, expressing unrecognized noise. This is important to distinguish between people speaking in tongues today versus people speaking in tongues during the day of Pentecost.
When the Apostle Paul mentions tongues in 1 Corinthians 12-14, he has the events of Acts 2 in mind! Nathan A. Busenitz gives compelling reasons that Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 12- 14 are the same basis phenomenon that are described. Here are his five reasons:
- They use the same terminology.
- Both directly associate speaking in tongues with foreign languages.
- The languages spoken were translatable.
- The unbelievers reacted similarly to those who spoke in tongues.
- Both draw a close connection between tongues-speech and prophecy.
To separate 1 Corinthians 14 from Acts 2 would be creating something different than what the Bible describes on the gift of tongues. “There is no evidence that ‘tongue’ is ever used of unintelligible ecstatic utterance.” Those who defend speaking in tongue separate Acts 2 from 1 Corinthians 14. Yet one biblical conclusion can be drawn on the gift of tongues: “there is only one gift of tongues: namely, the Spirit-endowed, miraculous ability to speak authentic foreign languages that one had never learned.” Speaking otherwise can be confusion, heretical.
CONCLUSION
We have established that the gift of tongues is not for everyone. There is no evidence that tongues were used as unintelligible ecstatic utterance. Jesus taught how to pray and praying in tongues was not one of the things he taught. “Therefore, there is no basis to assume an ecstatic state, nor any accompanying physical phenomena, such as jerking, convulsions, foaming at the mouth, shouting, abnormal voice tone or pitch, or unusual rate of speech.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Allison, Gregg R. Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine.Grand Rapids:nZondervan, 2011.
Barrick, Audrey. “Survey: 1 in 4 U.S. Christians Identify as Pentecostal.” The Christian Post. March 29, 2010. Accessed July 5, 2018. https://www.christianpost.com/news/survey-young-christians-embrace-spiritual-gifts-lack-theological-depth-44505/.
Busenitz, Nathan A. “Are Tongues Real Foreign Languages? A response to Four Continuationist Arguments.” The Master’s Seminary Journal 25, no. 2 (Fall 2014): 63–84.
Carroll, Robert T. The Skeptic’s Dictionary: A collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions.Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2003.
Edgar, Thomas R. Satisfied by the Promise of the Spirit: Affirming the Fullness of God’s Provision for Spiritual Living. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1996.
Ferguson, Sinclair B. The Holy Spirit. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Hamon, Bill. Seventy Reasons for Speaking in Tongues. Shippensburg: Destiny Image, 2012.
Heimlich, Russell. “Speaking in Tongues.” Pew Research Center. December 27, 2007. Accessed July 5, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2007/12/27/speaking-in-tongues/.
Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004.
Renewal, Lutheran. “Eden, 6 years old, interpreting a word of tongues.” YouTube. January 19, 2015. Accessed July 5, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieFUcaXW5LE.
MacArthur, John F.Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship.Nashville: Nelson Books, 2013.
Ryrie, Charles C.The Holy Spirit.Chicago: Moody Press, 1997.
Sherrill, John. They Speak with Other Tongues. Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 2004.
Silva, Moisés, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis.1 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014.
Newberg, Andrew B., Nancy A. Wintering, Donna Morgan, Mark R. Waldman. “The measurement of regional cerebral blood flow during glossolalia: A preliminary SPECT study,” Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging148, no. 1 (November 2006): 67-71.
Waldron, Samuel E.To Be Continued? Are the Miraculous Gifts for Today?Merrick: Calvary Press, 2005.
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