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In Greek, gossolalia, is the word often translated as "tongues," in
the Bible. The modern translation of that word would be "languages." So,
the gift of tongues is the gift of being able to speak in, and sometimes
to understand and interpret, other languages. That is not normally anything
special or supernatural, but the scripture talks about this gift of new
languages as instantaneous and immediate – i.e., without having
gone to school or lived in foreign lands. Let us look as the first instance
of this gift with a contemporary translation:
And when the day of Pentecost arrived, the disciples were all in
one place in one accord. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven
like
that of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were
sitting. And there appeared to them diverse languages in the likeness
of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit
gave them utterance. And living in Jerusalem there were Jews, devout
men, from every nation under heaven. Now when this report went forth,
the multitude came together, and were astounded, because every man heard
the people speak in his native language And they were all amazed and
marveled, saying one to another, Look! Aren't all these people who are
speaking Galilaeans? Then how can we all hear what's being said in our
own language from where we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites,
and residents of Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus,
and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya
near Cyrene, and strangers from Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and
Arabians, we hear them speak in our languages the wonderful works of
God. – Acts 2: 1-11
[Acts chapter 2 is widely considered to be the beginning of the reverse
of the curse of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, where God separated
humanity into separate people groups by confusing their languages. He
did this deed to prevent human attempts to reach heaven without attaining
righteousness ]
Creative people long for inspiration. Jazz musicians strive
for unique and creative improvisation – that unplanned and unrehearsed
venture into the creative stratosphere which reaches into heaven for
the something
beyond itself. It reaches into the heavens to pull down the golden apples
of life. It is often called 'the zone,' or 'the flow,' and musicians
reach it when they are taken over by something larger than themselves
in the service of music. It is spontaneous. It is "IT."
If all creativity comes from God and God is the author of creativity,
then allowing the Holy Spirit to lay hold of you allows you to become
a vessel of something larger than yourself. When musicians are in the
zone, they are lost to themselves and are entranced by the music and
the sounds and the joy takes over. You are no longer "self-conscious;" you
are free from self-concern. And when you hit the high note, everyone
in the audience knows if you've hit the zone or not. The beat and the
flow are a bit of transcendence marked by meter and melody. It produces
a shout, a clap, and a dance in those around who share in the experience
while the musician ascends the air currents of his craft and touches
the heights. If you've never heard and appreciated a group of musicians
when they hit the zone together, then you've really missed the best part
of modern music.
Tongues are like that. The gift of tongues is when you are yielded in
thought and in mouth to the movement of the Holy Spirit. It is when the
Holy Spirit gets a hold of you and speaks his words through you. The
gift of the Spirit in languages is the Spirit himself in the midst of
the congregation moving among the people.
Yielding control of yourself
to God is a risky and scary thing. It goes against the grain of self-preservation.
It assaults the human desire to look good in the eyes of others. It attacks
the root of our insecure humanity and causes us to yield
to God's control over our lives.
This freedom in God is the difference
between playing
the
notes
as written
on the page of music and being free to take those notes as a jumping
off point for a journey into the unknown territory of true inspiration.
It is launching into the creative nature of the Almighty and yielding
to him your desire for self-preservation. How can you think and speak
in a language you do not know unless you let God do it through you? How
do
you hit
the high note unless you let your fingers go and play notes not written
on the page? Tongues represents not caring what anyone thinks of you
anymore. It is launching yourself off the diving board into the arms
of God and letting him take control.
For this reason, tongues is the most resisted of all the gifts of the
Holy Spirit. It is resisted viscerally because it represents the most
serious threat to pride and social standing. It puts you in a place
where you feel foolish and where your image in the community may be at
risk. Paul talked about this extroverted abandon when he spoke of his
poor reputation. He was considered nearly crazy by his opponents. To
which he replied:
"If we are our of our minds, it is for God; if we are in our
right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us…"
- 2 Corinthians
5:13,14
When King David danced before the Ark of God in worship [2 Samuel 6:12-23],
his wife, Michal, was ashamed because it made him look "lower class," but
David replied, that he was not ashamed to look like a fool before God.
He was not concerned about himself; he was so lost in worship of God's
goodness. Too often today, we see the religiously minded who care more
about their appearance before men than they do about the glory of God.
They sit frozen in their pews afraid to raise their hands in worship,
to express praise of God with all their strength or to worship God with
all their might [Deut. 6:5]. Not only do they not show exuberance when
worshipping God, but they look down upon those who, like David, worship
God with
all their emotions, minds, and bodies unleashed. Yet these very religious
statues, who refuse to praise God with all their strength in church,
are the very same ones who will clap and shout and raise their
hands at football games. They give more praise and honor to sports heroes
and idols of men than they give to God. And one wonders why they resist
the gift of languages? Isn't it obvious? They care more how they appear
to men than the do to God.
The gifts of the Spirit are all available to us if we will yield our
hearts and minds and wills over to the dominion of God. Do not listen
to the religious, who would preserve decorum at the expense of surrender
to the divine; for their goal is not how to approach God but how to control
themselves and others and resist the dominion of God.
Surely these gifts can be misused by the immature, who take the evidence
of God's presence as an excuse for self aggrandizement, [as 1 Cor. 11-14
points out], but the misuse of the gifts of God by the immature does
not invalidate the gifts. It just means that the children have to grow
up in wisdom and humility. Likewise, counterfeit tongues can appear as
people yield themselves to demons instead of to God, as Paul also points
out with ways to discern this false practice [1 Cor. 12;1-4]. But the
existence of the counterfeit does nothing to invalidate the genuine.
In fact the false proves the reality of the true, because Satan only
opposes those things that are of God, and a counterfeit can only exist
if there is a genuine to mimic.
Paul speaks of languages of men and angels. He speaks of languages
that can be understood and interpreted by foreigners and languages that
can
only be interpreted by the Spirit of God. He speaks of languages where
the speaker does not understand himself what he is saying – and
hence the ecstatic nature of the gift which defies the human desire for
control. These languages can be unknown to the speaker whether they
are languages of men or of angels:
"Do all possess gifts of healing?
Do all speak in languages? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater
gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in
the languages of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a
noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." -1 Corinthians 12:30-13:1.
"Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially
that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a language do not speak
to other
people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking
mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy speak
to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
Those who speak in a language build up themselves, but those who prophesy
build up the church. Now I would like all of you to speak in languages,
but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who
speaks in languages, unless someone interprets, so that the church may
be built up. Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in
languages, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation
or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?" - 1 Corinthians 14:1-6.
Regardless of the type of language, human nature, fear and the desire
of pride – these will resist yielding to the Spirit and will persecute
those who yield themselves to the full dominion of God. Yes, discernment
needs to be made for authenticity and for maturity in the use of the
gifts, but those who oppose them entirely on the grounds of wanting to
provide respectability for the church are in the end opposing the very
Holy Spirit who wants free reign and dominion in His Church.
"So, my friends, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues…" -
1 Corinthians 14:39, NRSV.