The Gift of Tongues: Ecstatic Utterance or Foreign Languages? The Linguistic Evidence
Bruce A. Edminster began his career as a pastor in Southern California in the early 1970s. He then took a leave of absence to begin his Ph.D. at Fuller Theological Seminary. In 2021, he finished his degree at Northwestern Theological Seminary. Dr. Edminster has taught Bible classes in Southern California. He also holds a B.A. in Theology, with a minor in Biblical languages, and a Master of Divinity, with a major concentration in Biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac. Latin and Egyptian Hieroglyphics).
Of all the theological issues discussed in Christian circles, few have received more attention than the New Testament “gift of tongues.” Were the tongues at Corinth “real languages,” or something else? Some charismatics and an assortment of sympathetic observers, spurred on by modern linguistic analyses of audio recordings of modern tongues vocalizations, argue that modern tongues and the tongues in Corinth alike are not real languages at all. The questions Bruce Edminster seeks to answer in The Gift of Tongues include whether the Corinthian gift is the same as the one found in the book of Acts, what is the meaning and significance of the word “edification” in the context of the Corinthian phenomenon, and is the gift of tongues “real” language, the language of the angels, or a non-language? Further consideration asks what should the “gift of tongues” should be used for? Evangelism? Personal devotion? Self-gratification?
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