Tongues in the Book of Acts - The Socio-Religious Context

Brian Wright, M.R.E.

Calvert Biblical Institute
www.faiththink.org
February 2, 2015

Contents

Tongues in the Book of Acts ......................................................................................................... 1

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 10

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Tongues in the Book of Acts

Speaking of the bible, Thomas Paine wrote, It is a book that has been read more, and
examined less, than any book that ever existed.1 Unfortunately, Paines words still ring true
today. An example of this is seen in the debate within Christianity over the issue of tongues, or
the religious use of speech-like utterances with an impoverished range of syllabic and rhythmic
patterns and no systematic grammatical structure, often believed by the speaker to be a real but
unknown language, but on analysis quite unlike any natural language. Also called the gift of
tongues or speaking in tongues. 2
Much ink and venom have been spilled over the question of what tongues was in the
New Testament and what, or even if, it should be today. Most of the dialogue on the topic has
been rooted in denominational dogma, cultural tradition, and personal experience instead of clear
exegesis of the New Testament texts.
No ancient texts were produced in a vacuum. The same is true for the events recorded in
Acts and all of the New Testament, where we read about tongues. However, what is lacking
for an historical interpretation of the meaning of ancient texts is information about the meanings
familiar to the original audience of those texts. Considering the New Testament, these events
took place in a specific sociological background comprised of the language, culture, idioms, and
meanings of the descendants of Abraham. Certainly the Hebraic people of first century A.D.
Jerusalem were not exactly the same in language, lifestyle, or culture as those of 2000 B.C. The

Thomas Paine, The Theological Works of Thomas Paine: The Age of Reason, Examination of Prophecies,
Reply to the Bishop of Llandaff, Letter to Mr. Erskine, Essay on Dreams, Letter to Camille Jordon, and Several
Other Essays and Lectures (Belfords, Clarke & Company, publishers, 1879), 251.
2

Andrew M. Colman, A Dictionary of Psychology (Oxford University Press, 2009), 319.

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Hebrews did, however, retain their Yahwistic religious worldview and social context throughout
the eras recorded in the Scriptures. This fact is demonstrated in the document that scholars refer
to as Luke-Acts, which requires a high, or thoroughly familiar social context to be understood, for
most of what is needed for adequate interpretation is simply left unsaid and presumed known
from that cultural experience of the first-century eastern Mediterranean reader.3
Therefore, if anything in Acts or the rest of the New Testament is to be rightly
understood, it must be read and understood as it would have been by those who lived it and first
heard it. Any references to God, faith, the Scriptures, or any theological or religious idea was
only understood by Hebrew/Israelite/Jewish people in the context of the Tanak, (a Jewish
acronym for the Torah, the Neviim, and the Ketuvim, meaning the Law, the Prophets, and the
Writings of Poetry and Wisdom, i.e., the Old Testament). Interestingly, Luke ends his gospel
with this same assertion from the mouth of Jesus:
And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things
concerning himself in all the scriptures. (Luke 24:27 LEB)
And he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything that is written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms
must be fulfilled." (Luke 24:44 LEB)
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, (Luke 24:45 LEB)

Applying this principle to the book of Acts, we can recognize and contextualize key
elements in the text that can guide our hermeneutic for anything and everything that happens in
the text. Thus, we must begin with the socio-religious context that preceded and surrounded the

1991), 22.

Jerome H. Neyrey, The Social World of Luke-Acts: Models for Interpretation (Hendrickson Publishers,

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New Testament, and subsequently allow for consideration of later interpretations. It is within
this framework that the issue of tongues should be considered.
In the first chapter of Acts Luke notes that Jesus appeared to his followers for forty days
following his resurrection. He then notes that about one hundred and twenty of them gathered
into the upper room where they were staying, conferred together and drew lots to determine
Judas replacement, which proved to be Matthias. Contrary to cultural tradition and bad pop
theology, Luke does not say that they were in the upper room when they were filled with the
Holy Spirit in chapter two. Chapter one ends with them in the upper room having chosen
Matthias, and chapter two begins with the specific time reference that it was the day of Pentecost
and that they were all gathered together in one place, but he does not state that it was the upper
room. Reading on that three thousand souls were added, if pop theology were correct, the upper
room would had to have been a very large place. This is where social context helps the reader.
Again, note that Luke in the prior chapter stated that Jesus was among His followers for forty
days following resurrection and then Luke begins this section stating that it was the day of
Pentecost. Where were they then where some three thousand people could hear what was going
on and come to belief? Probably in proximity to the Temple and its surrounding courts for
observance of Pentecost. Here is the social context - Pentecost is a Greek term that means
fiftieth day and speaks of the Hebrew festival of Shavuot, which commemorates the revealing
of Yahweh and His Covenant at Sinai, which occurred fifty days after the first Passover/Exodus.
Shavuot is one of the festivals commanded by Yahweh in the Torah, and is one of three festivals
for which every male is required to come up to the House of Yahweh, initially the Tabernacle,
later the Temple(see Ex. 23:14-17). This explains why Luke writes:

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Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
(Acts 2:5 LEB)4

These men had come to Jerusalem from throughout the Diaspora to observe Shavuot. This
provides immediate social context, yet there is deeper context to understand.
Recall that Jesus death occurred at the time of the Passover (see Luke 22). Similarly,
Luke records that the Holy Spirit filled the apostles fifty days after the resurrection, paralleling
the first Shavuot/Pentecost fifty days after the first Passover/Exodus. Christian theology has
drawn meaning for Christs death from the Passover in Egypt, but seems to miss the continued
parallels in Shavuot and rest of the Festivals of Yahweh. What then happened at the first
Shavuot that gives the meaning to the Shavuot in Acts and the events of that day in 30 A.D.?
And the Israelites set out from Rameses to Succoth; the men were about six hundred
thousand on foot, besides dependents. (Exodus 12:37 LEB)
And also a mixed multitude went up with them and sheep and goats and cattle,
very numerous livestock. (Exodus 12:38 LEB) 5
Note that the Torah states that at mixed multitude left Egypt with the Israelites. This is a
mixture of many races and groups, all non-Israelite, and thus essentially Gentile by definition.
Scripture records their continued presence with Israel, at Sinai, where Yahweh and his Covenant
were revealed, and even into the Promised Land (Joshua 8:33-35). The implication being, and
the Torah itself recording, that those non-Israelites present at Sinai were participants in and of
the Covenant offered that day.
Returning to Acts 2, we now have social, historical, and religious context for this text:
4

The Lexham English Bible, Fourth Edition (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2012).

Ibid.

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And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in the same place. (Acts
2:1 LEB)
And suddenly a sound like a violent rushing wind came from heaven and filled
the whole house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:2 LEB)
And divided tongues like fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
(Acts 2:3 LEB)
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
languages as the Spirit gave them ability to speak out. (Acts 2:4 LEB)
Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under
heaven. (Acts 2:5 LEB)
And when this sound occurred, the crowd gathered and was in confusion, because
each one was hearing them speaking in his own language. (Acts 2:6 LEB)
And they were astounded and astonished, saying, "Behold, are not all these who
are speaking Galileans? (Acts 2:7 LEB)
And how do we hear, each one of us, in our own native language? (Acts 2:8
LEB)
Parthians and Medes and Elamites and those residing in Mesopotamia, Judea and
Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, (Acts 2:9 LEB)
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya toward Cyrene, and the
Romans who were in town, (Acts 2:10 LEB)
both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our own
languages the great deeds of God!" (Acts 2:11 LEB) 6
These devout Jews of every nation were followers of and participants in Second Temple period
Judaism; some dispersed Hebrews, some Gentile God-fearers, all in Jerusalem to observe the
festival commemorating when Israel and a mixed multitude met Yahweh at Sinai and received
His covenant. This time however, instead of Yahwehs covenant on stone, they were offered the
Spirit, literally breath, of God to abide within them, regardless of nation, race, culture, etc. The

Ibid.

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tongues miracle was that even though Peter was speaking a Galilean dialect of Aramaic,
everyone present heard and understood it in their own native language, demonstrating that just as
Gentiles had participated at Sinai, Yahweh had always extended His mercy to whosoever will,
even while working specifically through Israel. Now in the person of Jesus He had made that
way inarguably clear and open, and it was moving outward from Jerusalem to the world. Thus
the reason for both the opening and climax of Peters quote from Joel:
'And it will be in the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your
sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your
old men will dream dreams. (Acts 2:17 LEB)

And it will be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.' (Acts
2:21 LEB)7
Interestingly, Peter continues this theme in the next chapter, where, after healing the lame man at
the gate of the Temple, he and John again speak to the people gathered there, this time
referencing Israels founding promise Yahwehs promise to Abraham that the Gentiles would
be blessed through his family.
You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God ordained with your fathers,
saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed.'
(Acts 3:25 LEB)8

Yahweh had kept His personal promises to Israel and given them the Messiah, the son David, the
son of Man, the son of God. Now, He was performing His promise to Abraham concerning the
world.

Ibid.

Ibid.

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The phenomena referred to as tongues is described using two words in the Greek
manuscripts of the New Testament, (dialektos) and (glssa) or a form of it.
These words always refer to a dialect, the physical organ of the tongue, or the organ of the
tongue representing the specific language or languages of a people group. It never refers to an
unknown tongue, despite the KJVs erroneous insertion of the word unknown in 1 Cor 14
verses 2 and 4.
Each time either of these words occur in relation to a faith or religious experience in the
New Testament, it is always among or in some relationship to Gentiles, which in first century
vernacular were unbelievers.9 Once a non-Israelite began to fear Yahweh and follow his
commandments within Judaism, he was no longer considered an unbeliever, but rather a Godfearer, and in some circles could even come to be viewed as a Jew. Even for the followers of
Jesus, Paul made it clear that Gentiles who heard and responded to Yahweh were brought near
and grafted into the olive tree that is Israel (Romans 11) and that they were no longer alienated
from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having hope, and
without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12 LEB)
At no place in the text of the New Testament is there an occurrence of tongues in
conjunction with Spirit that is unintelligible babbling. Paul addresses this clearly in 1
Corinthians chapter 14, admonishing the believers at Corinth that tongues occurs as a sign to
unbelievers, or Gentiles, and when it really occurs, it will be orderly, sensible, and explained by
those hearing and/or those speaking.

1998).

Ron Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church (Messianic Jewish Publishers,

8
Because of its intended meaning, tongues was always in relation to the Gospel of Jesus
moving from Israel, to whom it was made first clear, outward to the entire world. God chose the
mixed multitude at the Shavuot/Pentecost Festival immediately following the death and
resurrection of Jesus at Passover to demonstrate the foreshadowed and now performed meaning
of both of these festivals, which was His redemption of mankind. Lukes documentation of the
Gospel moving out of Jerusalem to the Gentile/Roman world, coupled with the later destruction
of Jerusalem and the Temple system, also seem to support a cessationist view. By the end of the
New Testament writings, the Gospel had been fully given to the world and was no longer limited
to a racial or geographic Israel. The purpose of tongues evidencing that the Gentiles were
accepted by the Abrahamic God seems to have been satisfied. Jesus Himself foretold this, and
specifically to a Samaritan, non-Israelite:
Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, that an hour is coming when neither on this
mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. (John 4:21 LEB)
You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because
salvation is from the Jews. (John 4:22 LEB)
But an hour is coming--and now is here--when the true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth, for indeed the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers.
(John 4:23 LEB)10

Within Christendom, let us endeavor then to understand the writings preserved for us and
then walk out a faith that accurately reflects those recorded truths and history of Gods work to
redeem all of humanity.

10

The Lexham English Bible.

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Bibliography

Colman, Andrew M. A Dictionary of Psychology. Oxford University Press, 2009.

Moseley, Ron. Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church. Messianic Jewish
Publishers, 1998.
Neyrey, Jerome H. The Social World of Luke-Acts: Models for Interpretation. Hendrickson
Publishers, 1991.
Paine, Thomas. The Theological Works of Thomas Paine: The Age of Reason, Examination of
Prophecies, Reply to the Bishop of Llandaff, Letter to Mr. Erskine, Essay on Dreams,
Letter to Camille Jordon, and Several Other Essays and Lectures. Belfords, Clarke &
Company, publishers, 1879.
The Lexham English Bible. Fourth Edition. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2012.