The Gift of Tongues
Tom Ballinger
 

Existing today in many Christian circles is much confusion on the subject of Tongues. There is great perplexity among "church leaders" over the Tongues Movement. What are they to do with it? It will not go away. In fact the movement is gaining momentum. Many of the "leaders" are willing to make a place for Tongues Speaking within their denominations. Some of the old-line orthodox denominations frown upon the movement as being not for today, but frankly are unable to produce Scripture which would show conclusively that Tongues Speaking today is out of order.

Those who are participating in the movement have Scripture backing them up on their ability to speak in Tongues. They find a basis for it in the Acts of the Apostles as well as in Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians. It is very true that the first century Christians were endowed with "spiritual gifts", one of which was Tongues. Therefore if the early Christians were endowed with this gift why shouldn't Christians today be so endowed?

Thousands of Christians are rejoicing in the fact that the Tongues Movement is sweeping aside denominational barriers and those who are participating in the movement are seeing a unity among one another that they had never experienced before.

Pentecostals, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics are uniting in what they call the "Charismatic Movement." This movement follows along Pentecostal lines. The word "charismatic" is from the word "charism" which means, (1) a divine gift to a devout person, conferring upon him powers of healing, prophesying, etc." The words "charism", "charisma" or "charismatic" incidentally are relatively new words. In Webster's first edition of his English dictionary in 1828 the words are not there to be found. The definition given was from the World Book Dictionary 1967 edition.

The unity being produced and experienced in this movement is a great rallying point- for those involved. It provides them with ammunition to encourage others to join them.

It is recognized that those within the Charismatic Movement are making a great impact upon the "Christian Church world." Their zeal is evidenced in many cities. Their organizations are growing daily.

Our purpose, however, is not to write a commentary on the Tongues Movement but rather to open the blessed Book and see "what saith the Scriptures" on the subject of Tongues. If we do this then we will be in a position to determine the true merit of the Charismatic Movement and then determine what part it is to play, if any, in God's present program.


DEFINITION OF TONGUES

The dictionary lists the definitions of the word "tongue". Six of the definitions relate to language and speech. The fifth definition we choose to quote because we will notice that it fits in with the Bible usage of the word. "A language: the whole sum of words used by a particular nation" (Webster's 1828). Here we notice that it has reference to a language. The plural would have to do with languages.
A good procedure to follow in Bible study is to follow the principle of "the law of first mention." That is to check the first mention of a word in the Bible, for there, generally, the meaning of the word is set. The word generally carries that meaning throughout the rest of the Bible. Turning to Genesis 10 we note the first mention of the word "tongue."

"By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; everyone after his tongue (i.e. language), after their family, in their nations" (v. 5).
In the twentieth verse we notice the first mention of the word "tongues".
"These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations."

The first mention seems to set the use of the words, tongue and tongues, as having reference to specific languages or dialects.

Of course the word is used often as a reference to the specific organ of speech. As such many figures of speech are associated with the word tongue, such as: "double-tongued" (1 Tim. 3:8), "My tongue is the pen of a ready writer" (Ps. 45:1), etc.
It will be helpful to look at the last mention of the word in the Bible.
"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev. 16:16).

The first and the last mention of "tongue" carries with it the idea of a
language which is the whole sum of words used by a particular nation.

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