Borrowed Breath

The Greek word that is translated as tongues is “glossa” (pronounced gloce-sah’). The very first time it appears in the New Testament is when Jesus heals a deaf mute (Mark 7:31-37). Glossa here refers to the man’s actual tongue, the physical organ in his mouth. This interpretation is also found in James 3:5. However, in other portions of Scripture this word is used in reference to a language; in John 5:2 it refers to Aramaic, and in Revelation 5:9, it describes all earthly languages. (See also Revelation 7:9, 9:11, 10:11, 11:9, 13:7, 14:6 and 17:15.) On the day of Pentecost, this word refers to a fiery symbol of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3). It also refers to speech; “therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced, my flesh also will dwell in hope” (Acts 2:26).

Yet we find that 21 of the 50 times glossa is used in New Testament are in found 1 Corinthians 12-14; and 15 of those 21 are found in chapter 14. The simple fact that over 40% of its usage in entire New Testament appears in these three chapters is significant. There is justification, therefore, to search within this concentrated usage in order to better understand the interpretation of glossa. 

According to Biblical scholars, the book of Acts was written after Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. And it is in this epistle, that we see the proper handling of tongues described. It appears that the church in Corinth had a number of issues Paul felt he must strongly address. One of them was the misuse of the gift of tongues. There was obviously disorder in the assemblies of the Corinthian believers. Paul laid the groundwork for properly exercising this gift, so that the whole body could be edified. 

He starts off by reminding the church in Corinth that, “there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (I Corinthians 12:4-7). And then he lists the gifts that are graciously bestowed by the Holy Spirit: the utterance of wisdom, the utterance of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, miracles, prophecy, the ability to distinguish between spirits, the gift of various kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of those tongues. And once he is finished with the list, he emphasizes the point, “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (v. 11). 

Next, Paul goes into the well-known “love chapter,” 1 Corinthians 13. It is almost as if he interrupts himself to reemphasize what the gospel is all about. Love must dictate how these miraculous gifts are handled within the context of the growing church. Nothing else, no matter how impressive, outweighs its necessity. 

But not until 1 Corinthians 14, does the gift of tongues begin to receive the most clarification. In verse 2, the apostle Paul writes, “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.” In this verse, the gift of tongues is for God. Paul indicates that God is the recipient of this language, and not those within earshot. It directed to God and God alone. In verse 4, we read, “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself.” So the person praying in tongues is actually edified by the use of his gift. He may not even understand what he is praying, but it builds him up. Paul later states, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful” (v. 14). So there is apparently a release and edification when one can pray to God in an unknown language. 

Paul, in this chapter, makes a distinction between publicly speaking—or giving a message—in tongues and praying in tongues. He is very clear that when tongues are spoken for a gathered body of believers to hear, there must be an interpretation. “If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God” (vv. 27-28). Paul earlier in the chapter brings wonderful imagery to what happens when a public message in tongues is delivered and no one interprets, “If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me”  (vv. 7-11). 

Farther along in the chapter, Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11-12, where Isaiah prophesies that the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, would actually hear the gospel from the Gentiles, “For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people, to whom he has said, ‘This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose;’ yet they would not hear.” At the time this prophecy was spoken, the priests and the prophets were drunk and unable to deliver the Lord’s message to His people, so God declared that He would use foreigners instead. With that context in mind, Paul appears to be speaking of the unbelievers within the Jewish nation who require a sign, “Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers” (1 Corinthians 14:22). And in verse 23, he appears to be speaking of an outsider, or Gentile, who needs to hear the gospel plainly, and who would be turned off by erratic manifestations of tongues. “If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?”  

So we see that a public message delivered in tongues requires an interpretation, but praying or singing in the Spirit does not. This chapter, which is where we find the most concentrated usage of the word glossa, indicates that there are two kinds of tongues: a public message for the body (most likely an actual foreign language) and a prayer/singing tongue that only God understands. In the case of this prayer tongue, the speaker and hearer do not seem to be able to interpret, nor are they required to do so. 

It is not that one is true tongues and one is false. There are just two different manifestations of tongues.