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Speaking in Tongues in the Bible

Posted By Megan Sauter On July 13, 2015 @ 9:17 am In New Testament | 12 Comments

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit
gave them ability.
Acts 2:4
What happened at Pentecost in the New Testament?
Acts 2 describes a miracle: During the festival of Pentecost, Jesus
[1] disciples are given the Holy Spirit, and they begin speaking in
tongues (other languages). Are the disciples speaking in human
languages, or is this an instance of glossolalia in the Bible?
Glossolaliaspeaking in angelic tonguesis described as a
spiritual gift in 1 Corinthians 1214. Websters dictionary defines
glossolalia as prayer characterized chiefly by incomprehensible
speech, originating in primitive Christianity and now practiced by
Pentecostal groups in ecstatic forms of worship.

SPEAKING IN TONGUES IN
THE BIBLE. This Armenian
manuscript was illustrated by
Zakaria Gnunetsi in 1575. It
depicts Acts 2 when Jesus
disciples receive the gift of
speaking in tongues at
Pentecost. Some believe this
is the first instance of
glossolalia in the Bible, but
others maintain that the
disciples are speaking human
languages.

Ben Witherington III addresses what happened at Pentecost in his

Biblical Views column Speaking in the Tongues of Men or
Angels? [2] in the July/August 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology
Review. While some believe that Acts 2 is the first instance of glossolalia in the Bible, he maintains
that it is not.
When the disciples begin speaking in tongues, Acts 2:6 says that the crowd of Diaspora Jews [3]
who were in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost gathered and was bewildered, because each
one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
Those who believe this is an instance of glossolalia in the Bible say that two miracles took place:
The disciples were speaking in angelic tongues, and each person heard the message in his native
language. However, Ben Witherington III contends that just one miracle occurred. The disciples
miraculously began speaking other human languages, which is supported by the Greek grammar
of Acts 2:6. Witherington explains:
The phrase in their native language modifies the verb speaking in verse 6, not the
verb hearing. So there is exactly one miracle of speech at Pentecosta miracle my
Greek students regularly pray for, namely, the ability to suddenly speak a foreign
language without further study! In short, the Pentecost story is not about glossolalia,
despite the name of the modern Protestant denomination. If you want to find a story
about glossolalia in a story about conversion in Acts, then you should turn to the
story of Cornelius in Acts 10.
In our free eBook Easter: Exploring the Resurrection of Jesus [4], expert Bible scholars and
archaeologists offer in-depth research and reflections on this important event. Discover what they
say about the story of the resurrection, the location of Biblical Emmaus, Mary Magdalene at the
empty tomb, the ancient Jewish roots of bodily resurrection, and the possible endings of the
Gospel of Mark.
Witherington further explains that what happened at
Pentecost is the opposite of what occurred at the Tower of
Babel (Genesis 11:19). As a result of the Tower of Babel,
human language is confused, and a language barrier is
created, but at Pentecost, the language barrier is
surmounted:

TOWER OF BABEL. Pieter Bruegel the

Elders painting Tower of Babel is on
display at the Kunsthistorisches
Museum in Vienna. Ben Witherington
III explains that what happened at
Pentecostspeaking in tongues
overcame the effect of the Tower of
Babelthe confusion of language.

At Pentecost the multiple languages problem and

language barrier is not resolved, but the Good
News overcomes the problem by being shared in
all the various languages of the persons present
there. While Pentecost doesnt reverse the effect of Gods confusing the languages at
Babel, it overcomes the problem for the sake of the salvation of the nations.

To see Ben Witherington IIIs full analysis of what happened at Pentecost, read his Biblical Views
column Speaking in the Tongues of Men or Angels? [2] in the July/August 2015 issue of
BAR.

BAS Library Members: Read the full Biblical Views column Speaking in the Tongues of Men
or Angels? [2] by Ben Witherington III in the July/August 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology
Review.
Not a BAS Library member yet? Join the BAS Library today. [5]

Learn more about Pentecost and read more articles by Ben Witherington III
in the BAS Library:
Bargil Pixner, Church of the Apostles Found on Mt. Zion, [6] Biblical Archaeology Review,
May/June 1990.
Ben Witherington III, Biblical Views: Text Archaeology: The Finding of Lightfoots Lost
Manuscripts, [7] Biblical Archaeology Review, March/April 2014.
Ben Witherington III, Biblical Views: Images of Crucifixion: Fresh Evidence, [8] Biblical
Archaeology Review, March/April 2013.
Ben Witherington III, In the Beginning: Religion at the Dawn of Civilization, [9] Biblical
Archaeology Review, January/February 2013.
Ben Witherington III, Biblical Views: Spirited Discourse About God Language in the New
Testament, [10] Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 2012.
Ben Witherington III, Biblical Views: Making Sense of the Unlikely Easter Story, [11] Biblical
Archaeology Review, March/April 2011.
Ben Witherington III, Biblical Views: Jesus Has the Last Word, [12] Biblical Archaeology Review,
March/April 2010.
Not a BAS Library member yet? Join the BAS Library today. [5]

Article printed from Biblical Archaeology Society: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org

URL to article: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament
/speaking-in-tongues-in-the-bible/
URLs in this post:
[1] Jesus: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesushistorical-jesus/did-jesus-exist/
[2] Speaking in the Tongues of Men or Angels?: http://members.bib-arch.org
/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=41&Issue=4&ArticleID=9
[3] Diaspora Jews: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/templeat-jerusalem/ancient-synagogues-in-israel-and-the-diaspora/
[4] Easter: Exploring the Resurrection of Jesus: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/freeebooks/easter-exploring-the-resurrection-of-jesus/
[5] Join the BAS Library today.: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/offers
/?access=magazine&subscribe=1
[6] Church of the Apostles Found on Mt. Zion,: http://members.bib-arch.org
/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=16&Issue=3&ArticleID=1
[7] Biblical Views: Text Archaeology: The Finding of Lightfoots Lost Manuscripts,:
http://members.bib-arch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=40&Issue=2&
ArticleID=11
[8] Biblical Views: Images of Crucifixion: Fresh Evidence,: http://members.bib-arch.org

/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=39&Issue=2&ArticleID=10
[9] In the Beginning: Religion at the Dawn of Civilization,: http://members.bib-arch.org
/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=39&Issue=1&ArticleID=9
[10] Biblical Views: Spirited Discourse About God Language in the New Testament,:
http://members.bib-arch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=38&Issue=3&
ArticleID=27
[11] Biblical Views: Making Sense of the Unlikely Easter Story,: http://members.bib-arch.org
/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=37&Issue=2&ArticleID=16
[12] Biblical Views: Jesus Has the Last Word,: http://members.bib-arch.org
/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=36&Issue=2&ArticleID=12

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