02-24-2012, 06:38 AM
I think they speak of the same thing...when understood properly, it makes sense either way. In the English language..."Tongues" is an old English term for "Languages"...as far as I know...and they are the same thing, in that it is the words themselves that are rolling off the Tongue, that is the Language being spoken...
Also of note: What was seen upon those gathered in the upper room that day? It was "Tongues of Fire", distributed to each person present...and it was at that time that they began to speak in Spiritual utterances, that they never had learned before...It would be strange to translate these "Tongues of Fire" as "Languages of Fire" would it not?...because it was not "Languages of Fire" that was seen above their heads...but "Tongues of Fire". It is the same word as that word which is translated "languages"...but it was not a divided language that they saw above their heads...but divided "tongues". This may account for this spiritual gift of languages being refered to as "Tongues"...
Here are some observations on these verses, which speak of these "tongues/languages.
If you follow the context, from the 1st part of The Apostle Paul's teaching here, he begins by adressing "Spiritual Gifts"...so these are not just learned at School languages, but a Spiritual Gift...a Spiritual Language where the Spirit is giving the utterance. This is the only way it makes any sense at all to me.
1 Corinthians 14:2 "For, anyone who speaks in a (Spiritual) language does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit."
Now...this type of Spiritual gift, a Spiritual Language, seems to be different, or at least functions differently than that which is described in Acts 2...where they were indeed speaking to God...but those who heard them speaking to God, who knew those various human languages, could understand them, whereas here, which Apostle Paul is teaching about, it is said that "no one understands" and they are mysterious spiritual utterances...and there needs to be someone around who has the accompanying gift of interpretation of these spiritual languages, so that the others can understand what is being uttered.
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1 Corinthians 14:4 "He who speaks in a (spiritual) language edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church."
This gift of spiritual languages, seems here to be a means, whereby a person is edified when speaking in them to God, they are for the purpose of speaking/praying to God, not to men...and not to be used in the gathering as a rule, UNLESS there is one who has the gift of interpretation of these spiritual languages, so that the others present can understand what is being said/prayed to God.
The Apostle Paul goes on to say in this passage, that He speaks/prays in spiritual languages more than them all...but in the Gathering...not so much. The Corinthian Christians were over zealous and imature in the way they were exercising their new spiritual gift of tongues/languages, that is here described as functioning more as a type of prayer language to God....and were being given some helpful guidlines to follow, by God, through His Apostle.
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1 Corinthians 14:5 I would like every one of you to speak in (Spiritual) languages, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in (Spiritual) languages, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
...
I heard on the Catholic Radio station here in the San Francisco Bay Area, that there is estimated to be over 200 Million Christians, among the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant groups, who claim to have this gift of spiritual languages or tongues. Are we to judge them all as being decieved and all being used by the devil? I don't say all that goes on out there with these "Pentecostal/Charismatic" people is legit...but I can't say that it is always not of God.
Q: Are there any known, now, or in the past, among the Church of the East, either leaders or laymen, who claim/claimed to have/had this spiritual gift? And if not, what is the current official teaching about it, as witnessed to be operating among the Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians?
Shlama,
Chuck
Also of note: What was seen upon those gathered in the upper room that day? It was "Tongues of Fire", distributed to each person present...and it was at that time that they began to speak in Spiritual utterances, that they never had learned before...It would be strange to translate these "Tongues of Fire" as "Languages of Fire" would it not?...because it was not "Languages of Fire" that was seen above their heads...but "Tongues of Fire". It is the same word as that word which is translated "languages"...but it was not a divided language that they saw above their heads...but divided "tongues". This may account for this spiritual gift of languages being refered to as "Tongues"...
Here are some observations on these verses, which speak of these "tongues/languages.
If you follow the context, from the 1st part of The Apostle Paul's teaching here, he begins by adressing "Spiritual Gifts"...so these are not just learned at School languages, but a Spiritual Gift...a Spiritual Language where the Spirit is giving the utterance. This is the only way it makes any sense at all to me.
1 Corinthians 14:2 "For, anyone who speaks in a (Spiritual) language does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit."
Now...this type of Spiritual gift, a Spiritual Language, seems to be different, or at least functions differently than that which is described in Acts 2...where they were indeed speaking to God...but those who heard them speaking to God, who knew those various human languages, could understand them, whereas here, which Apostle Paul is teaching about, it is said that "no one understands" and they are mysterious spiritual utterances...and there needs to be someone around who has the accompanying gift of interpretation of these spiritual languages, so that the others can understand what is being uttered.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Corinthians 14:4 "He who speaks in a (spiritual) language edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church."
This gift of spiritual languages, seems here to be a means, whereby a person is edified when speaking in them to God, they are for the purpose of speaking/praying to God, not to men...and not to be used in the gathering as a rule, UNLESS there is one who has the gift of interpretation of these spiritual languages, so that the others present can understand what is being said/prayed to God.
The Apostle Paul goes on to say in this passage, that He speaks/prays in spiritual languages more than them all...but in the Gathering...not so much. The Corinthian Christians were over zealous and imature in the way they were exercising their new spiritual gift of tongues/languages, that is here described as functioning more as a type of prayer language to God....and were being given some helpful guidlines to follow, by God, through His Apostle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Corinthians 14:5 I would like every one of you to speak in (Spiritual) languages, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in (Spiritual) languages, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
...
I heard on the Catholic Radio station here in the San Francisco Bay Area, that there is estimated to be over 200 Million Christians, among the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant groups, who claim to have this gift of spiritual languages or tongues. Are we to judge them all as being decieved and all being used by the devil? I don't say all that goes on out there with these "Pentecostal/Charismatic" people is legit...but I can't say that it is always not of God.
Q: Are there any known, now, or in the past, among the Church of the East, either leaders or laymen, who claim/claimed to have/had this spiritual gift? And if not, what is the current official teaching about it, as witnessed to be operating among the Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians?
Shlama,
Chuck