) r ' ' Speaking W ith Tongues The Plain Replies of the Word cf God to Some Modern and Dangerous Views of the Matter By DR. A. C. DJXON
[ P E A K I N G “ with other tongues” at Pentecost means that the Apostles spoke in dif- 1 ferent languages, so that the people understood them in the language in which they were born. It was evi dently miraculous. It is plain, how ever, that the people were not convert ed through this speaking “ with other tongues,” but through Peter’s sermon which was spoken in the Greek tongue, a language which all present could un derstand. The tongues phenomenon with the distributed flames of fire which sat upon each of them, and the rushing mighty wind, preceded the sermon and was a sign to the Jews that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled. It was God working in a way beyond human comprehension or explanation. Not Repeated There is no record that this Pente costal experience of the fire, the wind and the “ other tongues” was ever re peated. After Peter’s sermon to the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:46)., they spoke with tongues and magnified God, but not with “ other tongues” as at Pentecost. The twelve men at Ephesus, after they had received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, “ spoke with tongues and proph esied” but not with “ other tongues.” (Acts 19:6.) In Mark 16:17, a passage of rather doubtful authority because it is omitted from some of the best manuscripts, we have the prophecy, “ They shall speak with new tongues,” But the word “ new” does not necessarily mean “ other tongues.” There is a s».-.nse in which a tongue may be new witrout being dif
ferent. There may go with the old familiar language a new power which really makes it a new tongue. “Other Tongues’'’ at Pentecost and “ Tongues” at Corinth When we turn to the fourteenth chap ter of First Corlnthiane we find a speak ing with tongues (“ unknown” is in italics and ought to be omitted) which is very different from the speaking with “ other tongues” at Pentecost. Let us trace the differences. 1 At Pentecost everybody under stood, at Corinth nobody understood, not even the speaker himself.. “No man understandeth him.” (1 Cor. 14:2.) “ If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful.” (1 Cor. 14:14 ) 2. At Pentecost speaking w i t h “ other tongues” was for the people; at Corinth speaking with tongues was for God only. “ He that, speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men but unto God.” (I Cor. 14:2.) 3. At Pentecost speaking w i t h “ other tongues” edified the people for they said, “We do hbar them speak in- our tongues the wonderful works Qf God.” (Acts 2 :11 ); at Corinth he who spoke with tongues edified only himself “ He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.” (I Cor. 14:4.) 4. At Pentecost the speaking with “ other tongues” had with it the ,sign of the distributed flames of fire and the rushing mighty wind; at Corinth there was no such s’ gn. We are, therefore, driven to the con clusion that bpeaking with “ other tongues” at Pentecost was a different
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