kujo313:
(no one can speak of the tongues of angels unless they are filled with the Holy Spirit)
Pentecost Glossolalia
Fifty days after the Resurrection, while the disciples were gathered together, the Holy Spirit descended upon them and they began to speak in other languages. Jews from all over the civilised world who were gathered in Jerusalem for the religious holiday stood in amazement as they heard the disciples preaching in their own particular language and dialect.
Corinthian Glossolalia
Whilst in the Pentecost form of Glossolalia people of the same language could understand one another, Corinthian Glossolalia is different. St Paul who had founded the Church of Corinth, found it necessary to respond to some of their problems, i.e., division of authority, moral and ethical problems, the Eucharist, the issue of death and resurrection and how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit operated.
In chapter 12, St. Paul lists nine of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, i.e., knowledge, wisdom, spirit, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues and interpreting what another says when he speaks in tongues. Specifically, Corinthian Glossolalia was an activity of the Holy Spirit coming upon a person and compelling him to external expressions directed to God,
but not understood by others. In Pentecost Glossolalia, while speaking in several different tongues, both the speaker and the listener understood what was uttered. The Glossolalia manifested in Corinth was the utterance of words, phrases, sentences, etc., intelligible to God but not to the person uttering them. What was uttered needed to be interpreted by another who had the gift of
interpretation. When the person spoke, his soul became passive and his understanding became inactive, while the words or sounds were prayer and praise, they were not clear in meaning and gave the impression of something mysterious.
There is no question - the Church of Corinth had Glossolalia; St. Paul attests to that and makes mention of it. But he also cautions the Corinthian Christians about excessive use; especially to the exclusion of the other more important gifts.
It appears St. Paul was questioned about the working of the Holy Spirit through the Gifts. The Corinthians at that time were living under the influence of pagan customs, so it was only natural that they would find certain similarities more familiar and appealing. Thus the Corinthians put more stress on certain gifts like glossolalia. No doubt the Apostle was concerned that their ties and memories of the old life should be reason enough to regulate the employment of Glossolalia. In Chapter 14, he says:
“I would like for all of you to speak in strange tongues; but I would rather that you had the gift of proclaiming God’s message. For the person who proclaims God’s message is of greater value than the one who speaks in strange tongues – unless there is someone who can explain what he says, so the whole Church may be edified. So when I come to you, my brethren, what use will I be to you if I speak in strange tongues? Not a bit, unless I bring to you some revelation from God or some knowledge or some inspired message or some teaching,”
(continued)
