‘is speaking in tongues universally available for all believers for today?’

1.   Introduction

 

The charismatic gift of tongues has been a fascinating and enduring subject of a debate in Christian circles. In particular among Pentecostals, for who the gift of tongues is a significant issue within their doctrinal statement as they see it as the initial physical evidence of Holy Spirit baptism.^[1]

The purpose of this essay is to explore the role of the Spirit when someone speaks in tongues according to Luke and Paul in Scripture. In a theological reflection on relevant Scriptures written by these two Biblical authors, I will engage with this discussion to consider the contemporary related question: ‘is speaking in tongues universally available for all believers for today?’.

 

 

2.   The Role of the Spirit in Speaking in tongues in Acts

 

Luke's rhetorical strategy in the Luke-Acts narrative, (written for his friend Theophilus, likely a gentile), seemed to be to provide early Christianity with a sense of the definition, identity, and legitimization, things Theophilus and the wider church presumably needed reassurance or more certainty about, though he may have other aims as well.^[2] In the narrative of Acts, the main purpose of Luke is manifested in a narrative that indicates growth, movement, and expansion as repeated themes.^[3] In the literary context of the life of the Jerusalem church in Acts chapters 2-4, Luke shows that despite the danger of sins (5) division (6) and persecution (7), Christianity continued to grow and be expanded by the work of the Spirit throughout its many stories of confrontation, persecution, and martyrdom.^[4] It is clearly seen that the gospel is constantly extended geographically from the primitive church in Jerusalem (1-7) through Judea and Samaria (8-12), to Asia and Europe, until it comes finally to Rome, the centre of the Empire (13-28), as well as ethnically from Jew to Gentile. The key to an understanding of his intent seems to be found in his description of this movement of gospel for universal salvation empowered by the Spirit from its Jerusalem-based Jewish root to the whole world.

The work of the Spirit is central to this movement. Luke is interested in describing the much evidence of the presence of God's Spirit which is a key eschatological promise in the Old Testament; the main force of the expansion of the gospel is found in dynamic works of the Spirit. At the important midpoint of Luke and Acts (Luke 24 and Acts 1-2), he highlights the importance and purpose of the Spirit's empowerment for global mission; the disciples are promised that they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5), and this gift is specifically explained as ‘power from on high to witness’. (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)^[5] In this introductory section, Acts 1:8 is central. The Spirit brings power when he comes, then the disciples will be witnesses to the ends of the earth. It implies that the Spirit empowers Jesus’ followers to speak as witnesses because‘the Spirit is the source of power’.^[6] Acts 1.8 not only serves as a key phrase introducing the subject of Acts and even providing an outline for the whole narrative Acts, but it also speaks of prophetic speech (2.17-18) and emphasizes that the Spirit and the gospel ‘will ultimately cross-cultural barriers as speaking other cultures, languages do’.^[7] As the eschatological promise of hope in the OT is fulfilled in believers when the Spirit empowers believers in enabling prophetic witness for the mission. The promise of Pentecost (1:4-8) emphasizes the need for the Spirit, the eschatological character of the Spirit, and the prophetic empowerment of the Spirit. As Peter preached (2:17) quoting from Joel 2:28-32, the working of the Spirit is seen as the sign that the eschatological age has begun, and the promises of the Old Testament era are being fulfilled in the lives of believers. The Spirit is a manifest sign of the eschatological presence of God in believers. The Old Testament prepares us for ‘the expectation of an outpouring of the Spirit as the Spirit of prophecy (2:16-21, 33) is given for empowering for the witness’. (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)^[8] The point of the Joel passage is that not just some but all people can receive the Spirit. (2:18) It describes the fulfilment of Israel's hope in the permanent giving of God's presence to His people. The mission, this passage reiterates, is for all peoples. The prophecy of Pentecost (2:17-21) underlines the eschatological, prophetic, and universal character of their empowerment. Commenting on the Jewish understanding of the Spirit which Luke would have held, Menzies states ‘the Spirit was understood almost exclusively as the source of inspired speech’.^[9] Although like Atkinson, Turner broadly applies the role of the Spirit to include miracles and other works as well,^[10] both positions affirm that the Spirit empowers believers for prophetic witness in Acts.

The prophetic fulfilment of the Spirit's empowerment for witness is central for Luke, and is  ‘inseparable from the church's mission’.^[11] When the new dynamic activity of the Spirit is manifested with power, there are tangible signs of His presence and power. For Luke, speaking in tongues is just one of the evidence described in Acts. The gift of tongues at Pentecost is seen in the miraculous ability to speak in foreign languages so that all people from many other regions understand. (2:11) Menzies states that ‘the primary function of the gift here is a proclamation to people from every nation under heaven empowered by the Spirit’. (Acts 2:5)^[12] For him, the role of the Spirit is speaking in tongues at Pentecost is to empower prophetic witness for the mission as a part of a broader prophetic function. However, when we look at the wider context of the Bible it seems Turner may be more accurate than Menzies here; as Turner points out, ‘the Spirit inspires disciples for charismatic praise for worshiping God’ ^[13] at Pentecost. It can be seen that speaking in tongues is here not directed to people primarily but to God in the supernatural utterance of prayer and worship about God’s deeds of power rather than prophetic proclamation. (2:4, 11) As the diaspora Jews understood by their own regional languages, they were surprised how untaught, unlearned Galileans were able to speak their languages. Thus the Spirit inspires believers to worship God bringing prophetic effect as they were enabled to speak in the diverse languages of the gathered Jews.    

    In Acts 10:44-46, at what is sometimes known as the Gentile Pentecost, the Spirit fell on Gentiles, in the form of Cornelius’s relatives and friends, when they heard the word; those of the circumcision heard them speak with tongues and praising God. This was a significant event that would become a testimony that would establish how Gentiles would be received by the Jerusalem church. (Acts 15:7-9) Witherington argues that ‘there is no mention of foreign languages here, Luke is simply suggesting that inspired speech which is a form of praising and magnifying is involved. The Spirit received was the same, but the inspired speech differed somewhat in Acts 2 and Acts 10’.^[14] This is not convincing. It can equally be argued that if the Gentiles spoke their native language here, Luke would say they prophesied as He does in Acts 19:6 rather than describing them as speaking in tongues. As this also happened in a cross-cultural context, they would have been supernaturally empowered to speak the unlearned language of the circumcised Jews with Peter in worshipping God by the Spirit. As he describes elsewhere (19:5-7), it must be a different gift as prophecy seems to be directed to people and tongues towards God. (8) All of this suggests that this is a rather unlearned language given by the Spirit in worshiping Him and praising Him for His deeds of power; these praises were spoken in the diverse languages of the audience and they understood. Thus, this event had a prophetic impact that ‘reached Gentiles in the direction of Luke’s more universal concerns’.^[15]

In Acts 19:5-7, we are told that Paul met certain disciples in Ephesus, though scholars have different opinions about whose disciples they are. It seems Paul takes for granted they are believers, (2) though they only know about the baptism of John and have not heard of the Spirit (3). For Dunn, they are not Christians in a true sense because Paul asks whether they have received the Spirit.  (2) In his view, Paul’s desire is not for the ‘Ephesians to be equipped for ministry’ here. According to Keener, they are unlikely to be either disciple of John the Baptist or Jews because, according to Luke, John preached the Spirit’s eschatological fullness (Luke 3:16, Acts 1:4-5),^[16] and ‘virtually all of ancient Judaism had known about the Holy Spirit’.^[17] Though it is not clear here what kind of disciples they are, it seems that this was a cross-cultural encounter, as Paul was meeting a gentile group who had only heard about John’s baptism without any knowledge of the Holy Spirit. Paul baptized the Ephesian twelve, and laid his hands on them: the Spirit came on them, and they began to speak with tongues and prophesy. They manifested the same signs of being baptized in the Spirit as had earlier been manifested by the disciples at Pentecost and in Cornelius’ house in Acts 2, 10.  Still, there is room for interpretation. In Stronstad’s view, Luke’s report that the ‘twelve were speaking in tongues and prophesying is one activity and not two, in other words, Luke says the Ephesians spoke in tongues that is, they prophesied’.^[18] Again this seems unconvincing, as a wider Biblical context shows two different activities, with tongues primarily addressed to God and prophecy to people. As Keener points out, ‘tongue speaking identified with praise in 2:11, 10:46, it is clearly distinguished from prophecy here’.^[19] It seems plausible for Luke to report a consistent pattern from Pentecost to Ephesus in the context of cross-cultural mission: the Spirit consistently empowers prophetic worship and prayer for witness in the narrative purpose of Acts as a whole.

Therefore, it seems reasonable to suggest that Luke intended to state that the Spirit empowers believers to speak in tongues in their worship of God and that this often had a prophetic effect on audiences who witnessed this. In this regard, speaking in tongues can be seen as an effective witness for mission beyond language barriers in any cross-cultural context.^[20]

 

3.   The Role of the Spirit in Speaking in tongues in Paul

 

While Luke consistently portrays the Spirit as the source of power for the mission, Paul presents a soteriological aspect of the role of the Spirit in believers that is essential for salvation (Romans 8:9) cleansing, justification, and sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11), as he addresses most of the issues of his epistles in the context of the church. In this respect, Luke emphasizes the Spirit’s empowering of believers to speak in tongues for prophetic worship and prayer in the context of evangelistic and cross-cultural mission, while Paul expounds it in the context of the assembly.

Speaking in tongues are specifically mentioned only in 1 Corinthians in Pauline letters; this is a problem-oriented epistle, devoted primarily to a very specific sort of rhetoric. Paul addresses what is essentially an ‘internal, social problem of division of the Corinthian church’; throughout the letter, his focus is practical and pastoral rather than ‘theological in origin and responds to specific questions and various issues’ that the people of the Corinthian church have.^[21] In this rhetoric, Paul is either instructing the Corinthians on matters where they have theological or experiential deficiencies or he is correcting an abuse that has come to his attention.^[22] 1 Corinthians 12-14 constitutes a single rhetorical unit, describing how spiritual gifts are a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (12), emphasizing that these gifts can and must only be worked out in the context of love for the community, (13) and that they should be used in an orderly way for mutual edification. (14)^[23] Paul addresses different varieties of gifts which can be applied to deal with a specific issue in the context of communal worship. ‘Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.’ (12:1) The Corinthians appear to have asked a question based perhaps on the enthusiasm of some of their number and Paul is seeking to respond and improve their understanding. Helpfully for us, the primary issue Paul focuses on in this unit is specifically on the abuse of tongues in the context of congregational worship in the church. Therefore, he gives general instructions about the gifts of the Spirit in the church as the diverse body of Christ in Chapter 12 before moving to specific issues of tongues and prophecy in Chapter 14. This is the primary issue in Paul’s mind: to use the gift of tongue in the orderly and most excellent way of love in an appropriate context. As the flow of the argument in Chapters 12-14 moves from the general to the more specific, Paul focuses on the main issue of two gifts in particular which is tongue and prophecy in Chapter 14.^[24] Anyone reading this chapter should bear in mind that Paul is dealing with these gifts primarily in the context of the gathered assembly of believers in this wider unit of chapter 12-14.

Referencing 1 Corinthians 12:13, Dunn points out that Paul thought of being baptized in the spirit as the means by which individuals become members of the one body, which is the body of Christ: ‘in one Spirit we were all baptised into one body’. ^[25] And this makes sense in light of Roman 8:9. which describes a believer as being in the Spirit since the Spirit of God dwells in them; Paul states emphatically, that anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. In this regard, the gift exists as a manifestation of the Spirit which is given for believers for the common good in the body of Christ according to the will of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 14:8-11) The gift of tongues is one of the manifestation of the Spirit. The Spirit chooses some to be apostles, some to be prophets and each member serves for the good of the whole body. As Paul explains his body metaphor, it becomes clear that in response to the polemic question: ‘do all speak in tongues?’ (1 Corinthians 12:20) and his answer is ‘No’. Paul here is dealing with the exercising of gifts in terms of ministry for the edification of the assembly. (12:28) However, as the prior passage is devoted to the church using the body metaphor (12:12-27), Paul means that we all do not speak in tongues as a function of ministry for the assembly. As Menzies points out, Paul’s intention here rather speaks about a corporate expression of this gift in contrast to a private expression. He is not discussing ‘the private manifestation of a tongue’ here yet^[26] but in 1 Corinthians 14. Paul moves from the context of general and corporate (Ch 12) to specific and private (Ch 14) to deal with the abuse of tongue in the context of public worship. Therefore, the question (12:30b) is applied not in private but to the assembly.

While prophecy is addressed to people for edification in the assembly, we are told that who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands them, however by the spirit he speaks mysteries. (14:2-3) Thus, ‘speaking in a tongue is a form of prayer’^[27] that directs to God for the edification of the speaker. In such prayer and praise, the contents of such utterances are mysteries spoken by the Spirit. Thus, as the tongue is the manifest revealing of the Spirit through the human speaker (12:7-11),^[28] believers speak mysteries to God which means ‘by the Spirit.^[29] The Spirit is the source of power to manifest such a gift of utterance in believers. What is said here is ‘the counterpart to what Paul has said about the deep things of God’ in 1 Cor 2:10-12’.^[30] What Paul addresses in this passage is that one knows God only by God’s self-revelation by the Spirit. Believers have the Spirit, and all of what God might reveal is potentially available through the Spirit. (1 Cor 2:1-16)^[31] Paul mainly explains the mystery in relation to knowledge about Jesus Christ, him crucified. (2:1-3) As Fee points out, the singular the term mystery refers to ‘something formerly hidden in God from all human eyes but now revealed in history through Christ and made understandable to his people through the Spirit’.^[32] This statement seems to be related to the speaking of mysteries through a gift of tongues by the Spirit in 14:2. As God has revealed the hidden secret of Christ through the Spirit (2:10), it seems the Spirit manifests the deep things of God and the hidden truth about Christ for the edification of believers. The Spirit edifies the individual who speaks in tongues by building up, encouragement and consolation through praying in tongues, just as prophecy brings edification for the assembly (14:4)

Therefore, the Spirit enables and inspires the one who speaks in tongues for edification. They are edified by their communication with God through the Spirit; this is an inspiration without the need for perceptual understanding as Paul states, ’if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unproductive’. (14) It is seen that the ‘subject of praying in a tongue is not the Spirit but the speaker himself’.^[33] The speaker prays in a tongue by their own will and desire with the help, empowerment, and inspiration of the Spirit.

 

 

4.   Critical Reflection: ‘Is Speaking in tongues Universally Available for All Believers for Today?’

 

In this section, I will attempt to engage with this question in light of the writings of Luke and Paul: ‘is speaking in tongues universally available for all believers for today?’ In other words, ‘is speaking in tongues a causal effect of one’s being baptised in the Spirit, and if so, would the Spirit not manifest this for all believers?’

As stated before, for Pentecostals, this is a significant doctrinal issue, as they claim that ‘the tongue is the initial, physical evidence of the baptism in the Spirit. ^[34] As a Pentecostal scholar Menzies points out, ‘Pentecostals have generally supported the doctrine by arguing that the various accounts in Acts present a normative pattern for Christian experience’.^[35] The meaning of baptism in the Spirit for him is ‘not soteriological but exclusively missiological’.^[36] However, this point of view is challenged by Fee, as he points out, ‘if it is to have normative value, it must be related to intent’. ^[37] Fee suggests that ‘Luke’s primary intent was to validate the experience of the Christians as the gospel spread beyond Jerusalem, thus it cannot be demonstrated that Luke intended to present in these narratives a normative model’.^[38] In this respect, it would be an overstatement that every believer speaks a tongue as the initial sign of Holy Spirit baptism according to Pentecostals based on the account in Acts.

I would argue that when Paul says, ‘I would like every one of you to speak in tongues’, he means that ‘every Christian may be edified through the private manifestation of tongues’, though perhaps not all have manifested this gift.^[39] And Paul’s comment in 14:18, ‘I thank God that I speak in tongue more than all of you’ with reference in 14:5, seems to indicate that Paul considered the private manifestation of tongues to be edifying, desirable and available to every Christian.’^[40]

Though it is not clear that the passage in Romans 8:26-27 relates directly to praying in tongues for Paul, we can get a glimpse of the truth of how the Spirit works through praying in different tongues. The Spirit helps believers to cry, abba Father. (Romans 8:16). ‘The Spirit, as the Spirit of adoption, aids believer’s prayers’ ^[41] inspiring a prayer language as well as what to pray and how to pray according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26). ‘The Spirit is the means of the communication of love’^[42] between God the Father and believers. This seems related to Paul’s idea in 1 Corinthians 14:2 that he who speaks in a tongue speaks to God, for no one understands him, in the Spirit, he speaks mysteries. ‘Just as the Spirit prays from within believers and thereby in effect speaks to God through believers in Romans 8:26-27’^[43] it seems that the Spirit enables believers to speak mysteries to God by means of tongues which operate beyond human intellect. As God loves all believers and seeks an intimate relationship through the Spirit with them, it seems reasonable to suggest that the Spirit wishes to build up a loving relationship with the Father for all believers through tongues manifesting even the secret things of God by cooperative work between them. In this sense, all believers can communicate with God by means of the Spirit through this type of prayer for a loving relationship. ‘Does God wish all believers to pray in the tongue for edification and loving relationship with the Father?’ Is this in line with apostolic desire in Paul’s statement, ‘I wish you all speak in tongues?’ (14:5) I would say ‘why not?’. The reasons for the gift of tongues seem clear and consistent in Scripture; the reasons God might have for not giving this to some believers are harder to find.

Though it should not be a dogmatic statement and should not be taught or applied in a clumsy way, I believe the Bible suggests that the gift of tongues for private prayer is available to every believer as the Father desires to communicate in an intimate relationship with them by means of the Spirit.   

 

 

5.   Conclusion

 

For Luke, as the eschatological promise of hope in the OT is fulfilled in the new covenant, the Spirit empowers believers by enabling prophetic witness for the mission. The Spirit enables believers to speak in tongues for charismatic praise and prayer to God together with prophetic empowerment, and so the tongue is used in a cross-cultural context for the mission as Luke’s rhetorical interest is expansion and movement of the gospel and the church in Acts. Whereas for Paul, the Spirit inspires a prayer language in a tongue for the edification of a speaker in private devotion but it can be used for congregational worship when it should be interpreted. For Paul, in particular, the Spirit manifests the mysteries of God to believers through prayer in tongues for building up both the individual speaker and also the church where there is interpretation. Therefore, for both Luke and Paul, speaking in tongues is a supernatural, unlearned utterance by the Spirit for praise and worship to God. The Spirit empowers prophetic prayer and worship to build up for his church and witness in Mission.

  

---

[1]Menzies, Spirit and Power, 121.

[2]Witherington, Acts, 76.

[3]Witherington, 74.

[4]Wright, King, 233.

[5] Turner, ‘The Work of the Holy Spirit’, 148.

[6] Menzies, Empowered for Witness, 114.

[7] Keener, ‘Empowerment’, 180-181.

[8] Turner, ‘the Holy Spirit’, 149.

[9] Menzies, Witness, 113.

[10] Atkinson, Baptism in the Spirit, 91, Turner, ‘the Holy Spirit’, 148-149.

[11] Keener, ‘Pentecost’, 59.

[12] Menzies, Witness, 177.

[13] Turner, ‘the Holy Spirit’, 149.

[14] Witherington, The Acts, 360.

[15] Bock, Acts, 100.

[16] Keener, Acts, n.p

[17] Keener, n.p.

[18] Stronstad, The Charismatic Theology, 80.

[19] Keener, Acts, n.p.

[20] Keener, ‘Pentecost’, 59.

[21] Witherington, Community in Corinth, 73-77.

[22] Fee, ‘Tongues’, 4.

[23] Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy, 52-53.

[24] Witherington, Community, 274-275

[25] Dunn, ‘Baptism’, 37.

[26] Menzies, Spirit and Power, 236.

[27] Carson, Showing the Spirit, 107.

[28] Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians., 727.

[29] Witherington, Community, 281.

[30] Fee, God’s Empowering Presence, 583.

[31] Witherington, Community, 126.

[32] Fee, the Corinthians, 112.

[33] Fee, 742.

[34] Minutes of the 44^th Session of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, 129, cited by Menzies, Spirit and Power, 109.

[35] Menzies, Spirit and Power., 123.

[36] Menzies, 89.

[37] Fee, Gospel, and Spirit, 92.

[38] Fee, 97

[39] Menzies, Witness, 248.

[40] Menzies, 248-249.

[41] Atkinson, Trinity after Pentecost, 74.

[42] Atkinson, 76.

[43] Atkinson, 74. 

Bibliography

 

Atkinson, William. Baptism in the Spirit:  Luke-Acts and the Dunn Debate. Eugene: Pickwick Publications, 2011.

———. Trinity after Pentecost. Eugene: Pickwick Publications, 2013.

Bock, Darrell L. Acts. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2007.

Carson, D.A. Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14. Biblical and Theological Classics Library. Milton Keynes: Authentic Media, 2018.

Dunn, James D G. ‘Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Yet Once More-Again’. Journal of Pentecostal Theology 19, no. 1 (2010): 32–43.

Fee, Gordon D. God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul. Grand Rapids, MI. : Baker Academic, 2011.

———. Gospel and Spirit: Issues in New Testament Hermeneutics. Peabody, MS : Hendrickson Publishers, 1991.

———. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.

———. ‘Tongues - Least of the Gifts: Some Exegetical Observations on 1 Corinthians 12-14’. Pneuma 2, no. 2 (1980): 3–14.

Grudem, Wayne A. The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today. Rev. ed. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 2000.

Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. 3: 15:1 - 23:35. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014. (Kindle Version)

———. ‘Power of Pentecost: Luke's Missiology in Acts 1-2.’ Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 12, no. 1 (January 2009): 47–73.

———. ‘Why Does Luke Use Tongue as a Sign of the Spirit's Empowerment?’ Journal of Pentecostal Theology 15, no. 2 (April 2007): 177–84.

Menzies, Robert P. Empowered for Witness. T & T Clark Academic Paperbacks. London: T&T Clark, 2004.

Menzies, William W., and Robert P. Menzies. Spirit and Power: Foundation of Pentecostal Experience: A Call to Evangelical Dialogue. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2000.

Stronstad, Roger. The Charismatic Theology of St Luke:  Trajectories from the Old Testament to Luke-Acts. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012.

Turner, Max. ‘The Work of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts’. Word & World 23, no. 2 (2003): 146–53.

———. ‘Tongues: An Experience for All in the Pauline Churches?’ Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 1, no. 2 (July 1998): 231–53.

Witherington, Ben. Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, Paternoster Press, 1995.

———. The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Mich.: Eerdmans, Paternoster Press, 1998.

Wright, N. T. How God Became King: Getting to the Heart of the Gospels. New York: SPCK , 2012.