The Gift of Tongues in the Early Church
I. The View of Tongues
a. Pagan
i. One common view is to see Paul’s use of the word “tongue” (glōssa) against the background of first-century pagan religions and thus define it as ecstatic speech similar to that expressed by the sibylla, or female prophetesses.
1. The Cumaen sibyl (Virgil Aeneid 6. 77-102) was the most famous of the 10 female prophetesses claimed by various regions.
2. Others see the tongues-speaking in 1 Corinthians as ecstatic speech similar to that of Pythia, the female oracle at Delphi (Plutarch Moralia 5. 409e)
3. Or similar to the maenads of Dionysus in their ecstatic frenzy (Ovid Metamorphoses 3. 534, 710-30; cf. Euripides Bacchae).[1]
b. Scriptural view or Scripture Interpreting Scripture
i. This is evident by Paul’s use of glōssa outside of these three Corinthian chapters. He used the word 21 times in 1 Corinthians 12-14 but only 3 other times in his other letters. Each of Paul’s other uses was either in a quotation from the Old Testament (Ps. 5:9 in Rom. 3:13; Isa. 45:23 in Rom. 14:11) or in an allusion to it (Isa. 45:23 in Phil. 2:11). In all three instances he used the word “tongue” as a figure of speech for the statement or confession made. Whether good (Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:11) or bad (Rom. 3:13) the statement was clearly intelligible.
ii. The same may be said of the meaning of the word glōssa elsewhere in the New Testament. Whether it was used literally of the physical organ (e.g., Mark 7:33; James 3:5; Rev. 16:10) or figuratively of human languages (e.g., Acts 2:11; Rev. 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15), it nowhere referred to ecstatic speech.[2]
Another big problem is the aspect of who “has” the gift of tongues. Some denominations today say it is possible for all to speak in tongues because of the following verse:
1 Cor. 14:5
5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.
However, Paul also said the same thing of celibacy:
1 Cor. 7:7
7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
This also contradicts Paul’s own words in 1 Cor 12:
1 Corinthians 12:28
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
Given the fact that the controversy over speaking in tongues nearly always occurs within the bookends of 1 Corinthians 12-14, the best way to understand the meaning is a proper exegesis of these chapters and verses.
When all is said and done, chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians is dealing with the issues of a proper order service.
Illustration:
I once had a visitor in our congregation that came from a charismatic background and he asked if I believed in the gift of tongues. My answer was, “of course I do”. It is in the bible and to say anything contrary would deny the Word of God. However, he was in fact referring to ecstatic speech and not the biblical gift of languages and interpretations.
I immediately took him to 1 Cor. 14 and walked him through the text and explained the emphasis on prophecy:
1 Cor 14:22-25
22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
He then went on to tell me that his former pastor would often stop the sermon in order to speak in tongues. This is absolutely contrary to what Paul says here in scripture. This pastor had exalted a gift above the proclamation of the Word of God.
It is also critical that we remember that those in the church of Corinth at the time of Paul’s writing did not have a canonized volume of God’s Word like we have today.
1 Cor 14:29-32
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
This means that the congregation would have to discern from the words given to determine if it was of God.
“The words weigh carefully translate the verb diakrinetōsan, related to the noun diakriseis in 12:10, which speaks of distinguishing “between spirits.” It was their responsibility to ascertain if the message delivered was indeed from God (1 John 4:1).”[3]
[1]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:537.
e.g. exempli gratia, for example
[2]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:537.
[3]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:540.
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