The Gift of Tongues – part 2: Tongues in Judaism and Acts
April 9, 2019Podcast: Play in new window | Download
(Ruach HaKodesh, Session 11b)
This session of the Ruach HaKodesh series takes a closer look at the gift of tongues. In part 1, we talked about the difference between xenoglossy and glossolalia, and the history of interpretation within Christianity.
This episode, part 2, begins with a brief look at the gift of tongues in Judaism. While not as prevalent as in Christianity, we do find Jewish traditions about biblical figures who were supposedly enabled to speak the seventy languages of mankind. In more recent Chassidic Judaism, there are reports of ecstatic utterances and even purported xenoglossy.
After this, we begin examining Scripture itself. The gift of tongues is mentioned explicitly in the following passages:
- Mark 16:17
- Acts 2:4, 11; 10:46; 19:6
- 1 Corinthians 12-14
In this episode, we focus primarily on the book of Acts. First we look at the language used to describe the gift, and then we talk about whether the miracle was in the speaking or in the hearing. It is also significant to note the instances that the gift of tongues is not mentioned. Finally, this episode also paves the way for an in-depth look at 1 Corinthians 12-14 in part 3.
For an outline of all the sessions in this series, click on this link. To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
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