Misconceptions on Speaking in Tongues – Part IV6 min read

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Patristic thoughts on speaking in tongues

Concerning the Church Fathers, there are citations from Church Fathers as early as Irenaeus. Irenaeus of Lyons (202 AD) mentioned the speaking in tongues by saying:

“Now God shall be glorified in His handiwork, fitting it so as to be conformable to, and modelled after, His own Son. For by the hands of the Father, that is, by the Son and the Holy Spirit, man, and not [merely] a part of man, was made in the likeness of God… For this reason does the apostle declare, “We speak wisdom among them that are perfect,” terming those persons “perfect” who have received the Spirit of God, and who through the Spirit of God do speak in all languages, as he used Himself also to speak.

In like manner, we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God. Whom also the apostle terms “spiritual,” they being spiritual because they partake of the Spirit, and not because their flesh has been stripped off and taken away, and because they have become purely spiritual”[1].

Hippolytus of Rome (235 AD) mentioned in his Apostolic Constitutions that the Apostles first received this gift in order to preach the Gospel everywhere[2]. The Church Fathers unanimously agreed that there is only one “type” of speaking in tongues, and believed that the speaking in tongues in Acts 2:1-8 is the same as in 1 Corinthians 14:1-25. The consensus is that God helped the disciples and apostles to overcome their linguistic barriers.

Dangerous ideology

Speaking in non-existent unintelligible languages “through” the Holy Spirit has been discussed in the Early Church. In the second century, Montanus claimed to be “the mouthpiece” of the Holy Spirit and considered himself the Paraclete mentioned in John 14:26 and John 16:7. Later on Priscilla and Maximilla were also “declared” to be the mouthpieces of the Holy Spirit. The Church argued against this ideology, declared it heresy and excommunicated Montanus[3]. Eusebius of Caesarea (340 AD) wrote an account of the controversy of Montanus:

“But being recently in Ancyra in Galatia, I found the church there greatly agitated by this novelty, not prophecy, as they call it, but rather false prophecy, as will be shown. Therefore, to the best of our ability, with the Lord’s help, we disputed in the church many days concerning these and other matters separately brought forward by them. So that the church rejoiced and was strengthened in the truth, and those of the opposite side were for the time confounded, and the adversaries were grieved.

The presbyters in the place, our fellow presbyter Zoticus of Otrous also being present, requested us to leave a record of what had been said against the opposers of the truth. We did not do this, but we promised to write it out as soon as the Lord permitted us, and to send it to them speedily.” Having said this with other things, at the beginning of his work, he proceeds to state the cause of the above-mentioned heresy. “Their opposition and their recent heresy which has separated them from the Church arose on the following account… a recent convert, Montanus by name, through his unquenchable desire for leadership, gave the adversary opportunity against him. And he became beside himself, and being suddenly in a sort of frenzy and ecstasy, he raved, and began to babble and utter strange things. He was prophesying in a manner contrary to the constant custom of the Church handed down by tradition from the beginning.

Some of those who heard his spurious utterances at that time were indignant, and they rebuked him as one that was possessed, and that was under the control of a demon, and was led by a deceitful spirit. He was distracting the multitude; and they forbade him to talk, remembering the distinction drawn by the Lord and his warning to guard watchfully against the coming of false prophets”[4].

Here, Eusebius already mentioned how “ecstatic babble” and “uttering strange things” were seen as false teachings and condemned by the Church.

A unique spiritual gift

Another important argument is that the Church Fathers explicitly mentioned that not all Christians are supposed to speak in tongues. No Church Father has made a statement regarding himself or another Church Father that one was speaking in tongues. Clement of Alexandria (214 AD)[5], Hippolytus[6], Ambrose of Milan (397 AD)[7], John Chrysostom[8], Jerome[9], Hilary of Poitiers (367 AD)[10], Basil of Caesarea (379 AD)[11] and Augustine[12] stated that each believer doesn’t need to have all the spiritual gifts, but every believer has his own specific and unique gift.

Busenitz argued that the Church Fathers did not view speaking in tongues as losing self-control but rather argued that speaking in tongues was caused by the grace of God. The Church Fathers stressed that speaking in tongues was for the edification of the Church, and it must have had a spiritual purpose[13]. Irenaeus[14], Tertullian of Carthage (220 AD)[15] and Origen of Alexandria (254 AD)[16] mentioned how speaking in tongues was for the benefit of the other and thereby for the edification of the Church.

Sources:

  1. ‎Schaff, Philip. Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume I: The Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Hendrickson Pub, 1994, p. 531.‎
  2. ‎Ibid, Volume VII: The Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries, Hendrickson Pub, 1994, pp. 479-480.‎
  3. ‎Malaty, Tadros Fr. Panoramic View of Patristics in the First Six Centuries. St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church, 2005, pp. 187-188.‎
  4. ‎Schaff, Philip. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. Series 2, Volume II: Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of ‎Constantine, Hendrickson Pub, 1994, pp.229-231.‎
  5. ‎Ibid, Ante-Nicene Fathers. Volume 2: Fathers of the Second Century: Hermas, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, and Clement of Alexandria, ‎Hendrickson Pub, 1994, p.434. ‎
  6. ‎Hippolytus of Rome. Apostolic Constitutions, Book 7, chapter 4.‎
  7. ‎Schaff, Philip. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. Series I, Volume X: Ambrose: Select Works and Letters, Hendrickson Pub, 1994, p. 134.‎
  8. ‎Ibid, Series I (John Chrysostom), Volume XII: Homilies on First and Second Corinthians, p. 187.‎
  9. ‎Ibid, Series 2, Volume VI: Jerome: Letters and Select Works, p. 458.‎
  10. ‎Hilary of Poitiers. On the Trinity, Book 8, sections 29-32. ‎
  11. ‎Bray, Gerald, and Thomas Oden. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Volume 7: 1–2 Corinthians. 2nd ed., Routledge, 1999, p. 121.‎
  12. ‎Schaff, Philip. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. Series I (Augustine), Volume I: Prolegomena: St. Augustine’s Life and Work, Confessions, Letters, p. ‎‎‎
  13. ‎Busenitz, Nathan. The Gift of Tongues: Comparing the Church Fathers with Contemporary Pentecostalism, 2006, p. 5.‎
  14. ‎Schaff, Philip. Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume I: The Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Hendrickson Pub, 1994, p. 531.‎
  15. ‎Ibid, Volume III: Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian, p. 447.‎
  16. ‎Bray, Gerald, and Thomas Oden. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Volume 7: 1–2 Corinthians. 2nd ed., Routledge, 1999, p. 141.‎

You’ll find the other articles in this series here:
Misconceptions on Speaking in Tongues Part I
Misconceptions on Speaking in Tongues Part II
Misconceptions on Speaking in Tongues Part III

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