Many have the idea that every time the gift of
tongues is mentioned in the New Testament, it is always the supernatural
phenomenon experienced at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-11. This is not correct. In the
New Testament two different types of supernatural manifestations are referred
to as “Gift of Tongues”.
THE GIFT AT PENTECOST – ACTS 2:1-11
This phenomenon was unique in fulfilment of the
prophecy in Joel 2:28 and Isaiah 28:11; and served as testimony for the
beginning of the New Covenant of Grace based on the salvific work of Jesus.
Until then, the idea of true worship and religion was tied up to the revelation
given to Israel in the Torah and the Prophets, the circumcision and to the
descendants of Jacob (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6-8; 14:2); but now, the New
Covenant was opened to all nations of the Earth, and God was calling everyone
in their own language (Acts 2:5-6).
In this opportunity, the Holy Spirit had descended
on humans as it had never happened before (John 14:16-17; Joel 2:28); and the
gift of tongues gave the capability to the 120 and more disciples present at
the upper room to proclaim the opening of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every
nation, Hebrew or Gentile (Acts 1:8, 15). These were by necessity, intelligible
known languages of the time.
There is a debate whether the Spirit gave the
disciples the capability to speak in other languages, or they spoke in Aramaic
and were understood in all languages; and whether this phenomenon can be
repeated.
To the fist observation, that is something no one
will ever know for certain, but the main point is that a miracle happened there
of great symbolic significance, and the Gospel was heard by many people in
their own languages.
About the second observation, there is nothing in
the Bible that suggests this miracle cannot be repeated under similar
circumstances. In Pentecost there was a specific reason for it, and it
happened; however, God is powerful to make this happen again if He sees it
necessary.
THE GIFT OF TONGUES IN CORINTHIANS –
1CORINTHIANS 14:2
The gift of tongues that St Paul speaks in 1
Corinthians 14; however, is of a totally different modality.
Paul recognizes the legitimacy of the gift
(1Corinthians 12:4,10), and mentions that it is not understandable to humans
and that it requires interpretation (1Corinthians 14:2, 5, 9), not even by the
very person who is experiencing the gift (1Cortinthians 14:13-14).
The reason for this gift, is no more to evangelize
as it was in Pentecost, but to pray to God and praise Him, directly from our
spirits, through the Holy Spirit, with sounds and groans that bypass the
limitations of the intellect (Romans 8:26-27; 1Corinthians 14:2, 14, 28).
CONCLUSION
The Gift of Tongues is one in nature. It is a gift
from the Holy Spirit, but it can be manifested in the form of intelligible
human languages, as it happened in Pentecost, or it can be manifested in
unknown forms of speech and sounds, as St Paul says in First Corinthians, with
the purpose of expressing feelings and ideas that cannot be expressed properly
through everyday language.
Omar Flores.
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