 |  |
(3) (a) a language, coupled with phule, a tribe, laos a people,
ethnos, a nation.
(b) the supernatural gift of speaking in another language
without it having been learnt (Vine).
glossa
the tongue, as part of the body; also personified (as in Phil.ii.11) para glossa,
i.e. every person . . . . . and also, a tongue, a language, a gift of language
(Bullinger).
glossa--
(1) (a) literally, as an organ of speech.
(b) figuratively, of forked flames.
(2) language (Acts 2: 6) . . . . . every language = every person regardless of
the language he speaks, Acts 2: 6, Phil. 2: 11.
(3) a special problem is posed by the technical term glossai, gene glosson en
glosse (asi) lalein, I Cor. 14: 1-27, 39; 12: 10, 28, 30; 13: 1, 8;
Acts.x.46; 19: 6. There is no doubt the thing referred to, namely the
broken speech of persons in religious ecstasy. The phenomenon, as
found in Hellenestic religion . . . . . The origin of the term is less clear.
Two explanations are prominent today. The one (Bleek, Heinrici) hold
that glossa here means antiquated, foreign, unintelligible, mysterious
utterances . . . . . The other (Reitzenstein, Baisset) see in glossalia as
speaking in marvelous, heavenly languages (Bauer).
Here Bauer adds a meaning not given by Vine and Bullinger. Who is correct? There
is no doubt that dialektos means a language, a dialect of this earth but what about glossa?
Literally it means the tongue but what does the expression "to speak with tongues" mean?
What was its meaning in classical Greek? How do the N.T. writers use it? To help in
this study, a complete concordance of glossa is given. It occurs 50 times and is used in
the following ways:
(a) Speak in tongues (25); Mark 16: 17; Acts 2: 4, 11; 10: 46; 19: 6; I Cor. 12: 10, 10, 28, 30;
13: 1, 8; 14: 2, 4, 5, 5, 6, 13, 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27, 39.
(b) The tongue (literally) (17); Mark 7: 33, 35; Luke 1: 64; 16: 23; Acts 2: 26; Rom. 3: 13;
14: 11; I Cor. 14: 9; Philippians 2: 11; James 1: 26; 3: 5, 6, 6, 8;
I.Pet.iii.10; I John 5: 9; Rev. 16: 9.
(c) Tongues of fire (1); Acts 2: 3.
(d) Peoples, nations, tongues (7); Rev. 5: 9; 7: 9; 10: 11; 11: 9; 13: 7; 14: 6; 17: 5.
The phrase glossais lalein, to speak with tongues, was not invented by the N.T. writers
but borrowed from the ordinary speech of pagans. Plato (B.C.427-348) uses it and so
does Virgil, who lived B.C.70-19, and he graphically describes the ancient, pagan
prophetess as "speaking in tongues", (see Aeneid VI49,98). Bauer points out that the
origin of the term is uncertain but two explanations are prominent. One holds that glossa
means "antiquated, foreign, unintelligible utterances" whilst the other sees it as "speaking
in marvelous, heavenly languages". All this leads to three different views of tongues
(glossa) in the N.T.:
(1)
That it is a language of this earth, like dialektos.
(2)
That it is the language of angels, a heavenly language.
(3)
That it is ecstatic utterances.
Which is it? Is it all three or two of the three or just one?
The first occurrence of the phrase is in Mark 16: 17, 18: