2022/03/11

Speaking in tongues - Wikipedia

Speaking in tongues - Wikipedia

Speaking in tongues

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
For other uses, see Speaking in Tongues (disambiguation).
"Glossolalia" redirects here. For the Steve Walsh album, see Glossolalia (album).
The Theotokos and the Twelve Apostles – Fifty Days after the Resurrection of Christ, awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit
Icon depicting the Theotokos together with the apostles filled with the Holy Spirit, indicated by "cloven tongues like as of fire[1]" above their heads.

Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables that lack any readily comprehended meaning, in some cases as part of religious practice in which some believe it to be a divine language unknown to the speaker.[2] Glossolalia is practiced in Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity,[3][4] as well as in other religions.[5][6]

Sometimes a distinction is made between "glossolalia" and "xenolalia" or "xenoglossy", which specifically relates to the belief that the language being spoken is a natural language previously unknown to the speaker.[7]

Etymology[edit]

Glossolalia is from the Greek word γλωσσολαλία, itself a compound of the words γλῶσσα (glossa), meaning "tongue" or "language"[8] and λαλέω (laleō), "to speak, talk, chat, prattle, or to make a sound".[9] The Greek expression (in various forms) appears in the New Testament in the books of Acts and First Corinthians. In Acts 2, the followers of Christ receive the Holy Spirit and speak in the languages of at least fifteen countries or ethnic groups.

The exact phrase speaking in tongues has been used at least since the translation of the New Testament into Middle English in the Wycliffe Bible in the 14th century.[10] Frederic Farrar first used the word glossolalia in 1879.[11]

Linguistics[edit]

In 1972, William J. Samarin, a linguist from the University of Toronto, published a thorough assessment of Pentecostal glossolalia that became a classic work on its linguistic characteristics.[12] His assessment was based on a large sample of glossolalia recorded in public and private Christian meetings in Italy, the Netherlands, Jamaica, Canada, and the United States over the course of five years; his wide range of subjects included the Puerto Ricans of the Bronx, the snake handlers of the Appalachians and the spiritual Christians from Russia in Los Angeles (Pryguny, Dukh-i-zhizniki).

Samarin found that glossolalic speech does resemble human language in some respects. The speaker uses accent, rhythm, intonation and pauses to break up the speech into distinct units. Each unit is itself made up of syllables, the syllables being formed from consonants and vowels found in a language known to the speaker:

It is verbal behaviour that consists of using a certain number of consonants and vowels ... in a limited number of syllables that in turn are organized into larger units that are taken apart and rearranged pseudogrammatically ... with variations in pitch, volume, speed and intensity.[13]

[Glossolalia] consists of strings of syllables, made up of sounds taken from all those that the speaker knows, put together more or less haphazardly but emerging nevertheless as word-like and sentence-like units because of realistic, language-like rhythm and melody.[14]

That the sounds are taken from the set of sounds already known to the speaker is confirmed by others. Felicitas Goodman, a psychological anthropologist and linguist, also found that the speech of glossolalists reflected the patterns of speech of the speaker's native language.[15] These findings were confirmed by Kavan (2004).[16]

Samarin found that the resemblance to human language was merely on the surface and so concluded that glossolalia is "only a facade of language".[17] He reached this conclusion because the syllable string did not form words, the stream of speech was not internally organized, and – most importantly of all – there was no systematic relationship between units of speech and concepts. Humans use language to communicate but glossolalia does not. Therefore, he concluded that glossolalia is not "a specimen of human language because it is neither internally organized nor systematically related to the world man perceives".[17] On the basis of his linguistic analysis, Samarin defined Pentecostal glossolalia as "meaningless but phonologically structured human utterance, believed by the speaker to be a real language but bearing no systematic resemblance to any natural language, living or dead".[18]

Felicitas Goodman studied a number of Pentecostal communities in the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico; these included English-, Spanish- and Mayan-speaking groups. She compared what she found with recordings of non-Christian rituals from Africa, Borneo, Indonesia and Japan. She took into account both the segmental structure (such as sounds, syllables, phrases) and the supra-segmental elements (rhythm, accent, intonation) and concluded that there was no distinction between what was practised by the Pentecostal Protestants and the followers of other religions.[19]

History[edit]

Classical antiquity[edit]

It was a commonplace idea within the Greco-Roman world that divine beings spoke languages different from human languages, and historians of religion have identified references to esoteric speech in Greco-Roman literature that resemble glossolalia, sometimes explained as angelic or divine language.[citation needed] An example is the account in the Testament of Job, a non-canonical elaboration of the Book of Job, where the daughters of Job are described as being given sashes enabling them to speak and sing in angelic languages.[20]

According to Dale B. Martin, glossolalia was accorded high status in the ancient world due to its association with the divine. Alexander of Abonoteichus may have exhibited glossolalia during his episodes of prophetic ecstasy.[21] Neoplatonist philosopher Iamblichus linked glossolalia to prophecy, writing that prophecy was divine spirit possession that "emits words which are not understood by those that utter them; for they pronounce them, as it is said, with an insane mouth (mainomenό stomati) and are wholly subservient, and entirely yield themselves to the energy of the predominating God."[22]

In his writings on early Christianity, the Greek philosopher Celsus includes an account of Christian glossolalia. Celsus describes prophecies made by several Christians in Palestine and Phoenicia of which he writes, "Having brandished these threats they then go on to add incomprehensible, incoherent, and utterly obscure utterances, the meaning of which no intelligent person could discover: for they are meaningless and nonsensical, and give a chance for any fool or sorcerer to take the words in whatever sense he likes."[21]

References to speaking in tongues by the Church fathers are rare. Except for Irenaeus' 2nd-century reference to many in the church speaking all kinds of languages "through the Spirit", and Tertullian's reference in 207 AD to the spiritual gift of interpretation of tongues being encountered in his day, there are no other known first-hand accounts of glossolalia, and very few second-hand accounts among their writings.[23]

1100 to 1900[edit]

  • 12th century – Bernard of Clairvaux explained that speaking tongues was no longer present because there were greater miracles – the transformed lives of believers.[24]
  • 12th century – Hildegard of Bingen is said to have possessed the gift of visions and prophecy and to have been able to speak and write in Latin without having learned the language.[25]
  • 1265 – Thomas Aquinas wrote about the gift of tongues in the New Testament, which he understood to be an ability to speak every language, given for the purposes of missionary work. He explained that Christ did not have this gift because his mission was to the Jews, "nor does each one of the faithful now speak save in one tongue"; for "no one speaks in the tongues of all nations, because the Church herself already speaks the languages of all nations".[26]
  • 15th century – The Moravians are referred to by detractors as having spoken in tongues. John Roche, a contemporary critic, claimed that the Moravians "commonly broke into some disconnected Jargon, which they often passed upon the vulgar, 'as the exuberant and resistless Evacuations of the Spirit'".[27]
  • 17th century – The French Prophets: The Camisards also spoke sometimes in languages that were unknown: "Several persons of both Sexes," James Du Bois of Montpellier recalled, "I have heard in their Extasies pronounce certain words, which seem'd to the Standers-by, to be some Foreign Language." These utterances were sometimes accompanied by the gift of interpretation exercised, in Du Bois' experience, by the same person who had spoken in tongues.[28][29]
  • 17th century – Early Quakers, such as Edward Burrough, make mention of tongues-speaking in their meetings: "We spoke with new tongues, as the Lord gave us utterance, and His Spirit led us".[30]
  • 1817 – In Germany, Gustav von Below, an aristocratic officer of the Prussian Guard, and his brothers, founded a religious movement based on their estates in Pomerania, which may have included speaking in tongues.[31]
  • 19th century – Edward Irving and the Catholic Apostolic Church. Edward Irving, a minister in the Church of Scotland, writes of a woman who would "speak at great length, and with superhuman strength, in an unknown tongue, to the great astonishment of all who heard, and to her own great edification and enjoyment in God".[32] Irving further stated that "tongues are a great instrument for personal edification, however mysterious it may seem to us."[33]
  • 19th century – The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), contains extensive references to the practice of speaking in tongues by Brigham Young, Joseph Smith and many others.[34][35] Sidney Rigdon had disagreements with Alexander Campbell regarding speaking in tongues, and later joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Speaking in tongues was recorded in contemporary sources, both hostile and sympathetic to Mormonism, by at least 1830.[36] The practice was soon widespread amongst Mormons, with many rank and file church members believing they were speaking the language of Adam; some of the hostility towards Mormons stemmed from those of other faiths regarding speaking in tongues unfavorably, especially when practiced by children.[36] At the 1836 dedication of the Kirtland Temple the dedicatory prayer asked that God grant them the gift of tongues and at the end of the service Brigham Young spoke in tongues, another elder interpreted it and then gave his own exhortation in tongues. Many other worship experiences in the Kirtland Temple prior to and after the dedication included references to people speaking and interpreting tongues. In describing the beliefs of the church in the Wentworth letter (1842), Joseph Smith identified a belief of the "gift of tongues" and "interpretation of tongues". The practice of glossolalia by the Latter-day Saints was widespread but after an initial burst of enthusiastic growth circa 1830–34, seems to have been somewhat more restrained than in many other contemporary religious movements.[36] Young, Smith, and numerous other early leaders frequently cautioned against the public exercise of glossolalia unless there was someone who could exercise the corresponding spiritual gift of interpretation of tongues, so that listeners could be edified by what had been said. Although the Latter-day Saints believe that speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues is alive and well in the Church, modern Mormons are much more likely to point to the way in which LDS missionaries are trained and learn foreign languages quickly, and are able to communicate rapidly on their missions, as evidence of the manifestation of this gift. This interpretation stems from a 1900 General Conference sermon by Joseph F. Smith which discouraged glossolalia; subsequent leaders echoed this recommendation for about a decade afterwards and subsequently the practice had largely died out amongst Mormons by the 1930s and '40s.[36]

20th century[edit]

Main article: Azusa Street Revival
Headline about the "Weird babel of tongues" and other behavior at Azusa Street, from a 1906 Los Angeles Times newspaper.

During the 20th century, glossolalia primarily became associated with Pentecostalism and the later charismatic movement. Preachers in the Holiness Movement preachers Charles Parham and William Seymour are credited as co-founders of the movement. Parham and Seymour taught that "baptism of the Holy Spirit was not the blessing of sanctification but rather a third work of grace that was accompanied by the experience of tongues."[4] It was Parham who formulated the doctrine of "initial evidence". After studying the Bible, Parham came to the conclusion that speaking in tongues was the Bible evidence that one had received the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

In 1900, Parham opened Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas, America, where he taught initial evidence, a Charismatic belief about how to initiate the practice. During a service on 1 January 1901, a student named Agnes Ozman asked for prayer and the laying on of hands to specifically ask God to fill her with the Holy Spirit. She became the first of many students to experience glossolalia, in the first hours of the 20th century. Parham followed within the next few days. Parham called his new movement the apostolic faith. In 1905, he moved to Houston and opened a Bible school there. One of his students was William Seymour, an African-American preacher. In 1906, Seymour traveled to Los Angeles where his preaching ignited the Azusa Street Revival. This revival is considered the birth of the global Pentecostal movement. According to the first issue of William Seymour's newsletter, The Apostolic Faith, from 1906:

A Mohammedan, a Soudanese by birth, a man who is an interpreter and speaks sixteen languages, came into the meetings at Azusa Street and the Lord gave him messages which none but himself could understand. He identified, interpreted and wrote a number of the languages.[37]

Parham and his early followers believed that speaking in tongues was xenoglossia, and some followers traveled to foreign countries and tried to use the gift to share the Gospel with non-English-speaking people. From the time of the Azusa Street revival and among early participants in the Pentecostal movement, there were many accounts of individuals hearing their own languages spoken 'in tongues'. The majority of Pentecostals and Charismatics consider speaking in tongues to primarily be divine, or the "language of angels," rather than human languages.[38] In the years following the Azusa Street revival Pentecostals who went to the mission field found that they were unable to speak in the language of the local inhabitants at will when they spoke in tongues in strange lands.[39]

The revival at Azusa Street lasted until around 1915. From it grew many new Pentecostal churches as people visited the services in Los Angeles and took their newfound beliefs to communities around the United States and abroad. During the 20th century, glossolalia became an important part of the identity of these religious groups. During the 1960s, the charismatic movement within the mainline Protestant churches and among charismatic Roman Catholics adopted some Pentecostal beliefs, and the practice of glossolalia spread to other Christian denominations. The discussion regarding tongues has permeated many branches of the Protestantism, particularly since the widespread charismatic movement in the 1960s. Many books have been published either defending[40] or attacking[41] the practice.

Christianity[edit]

Theological explanations[edit]

In Christianity, a supernatural explanation for glossolalia is advocated by some and rejected by others. Proponents of each viewpoint use the biblical writings and historical arguments to support their positions.

  • Glossolalists could, apart from those practicing glossolalia, also mean all those Christians who believe that the Pentecostal/charismatic glossolalia practiced today is the "speaking in tongues" described in the New Testament. They believe that it is a miraculous charism or spiritual gift. Glossolalists claim that these tongues can be both real, unlearned languages (i.e., xenoglossia)[42][43] as well as a "language of the spirit", a "heavenly language", or perhaps the language of angels.[44]
  • Cessationists believe that all the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased to occur early in Christian history, and therefore that the speaking in tongues as practiced by Charismatic Christians is the learned utterance of non-linguistic syllables. According to this belief, it is neither xenoglossia nor miraculous, but rather taught behavior, possibly self-induced. These believe that what the New Testament described as "speaking in tongues" was xenoglossia, a miraculous spiritual gift through which the speaker could communicate in natural languages not previously studied.
  • A third position conceivably exists, which believes the practice of "glossolalia" to be a folk practice and different from the legitimate New Testament spiritual gift of speaking/interpreting real languages. It is therefore not out of a belief that "miracles have ceased" (i.e., Cessationism) that causes this group to discredit the supernatural origins of particular modern expressions of "glossolalia", but it is rather out of a belief that Glossolalists have misunderstood Scripture and wrongly attributed something that appears to be explained naturalistically[45] to the Holy Spirit.

Biblical practice[edit]

There are five places in the New Testament where speaking in tongues is referred to explicitly:

  • Mark 16:17, which records the instructions of Christ to the apostles, including his description that "they will speak with new tongues" as a sign that would follow "them that believe" in him.
  • Acts 2, which describes an occurrence of speaking in tongues in Jerusalem at Pentecost, though with various interpretations. Specifically, "every man heard them speak in his own language" and wondered "how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"
  • Acts 10:46, when the household of Cornelius in Caesarea spoke in tongues, and those present compared it to the speaking in tongues that occurred at Pentecost.
  • Acts 19:6, when a group of approximately a dozen men spoke in tongues in Ephesus as they received the Holy Spirit while the apostle Paul laid his hands upon them.
  • 1 Cor 12, 13, 14, where Paul discusses speaking in "various kinds of tongues" as part of his wider discussion of the gifts of the Spirit; his remarks shed some light on his own speaking in tongues as well as how the gift of speaking in tongues was to be used in the church.

Other verses by inference may be considered to refer to "speaking in tongues", such as Isaiah 28:11, Romans 8:26 and Jude 20.

The biblical account of Pentecost in the second chapter of the book of Acts describes the sound of a mighty rushing wind and "divided tongues like fire" coming to rest on the apostles. The text further describes that "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages". It goes on to say in verses 5–11 that when the Apostles spoke, each person in attendance "heard their own language being spoken". Therefore, the gift of speaking in tongues refers to the Apostles' speaking languages that the people listening heard as "them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God". Glossolalists and cessationists both recognize this as xenoglossia, a miraculous ability that marked their baptism in the Holy Spirit. Something similar (although perhaps not xenoglossia) took place on at least two subsequent occasions, in Caesarea and Ephesus.

Glossolalists and cessationists generally agree that the primary purpose of the gift of speaking in tongues was to mark the Holy Spirit being poured out. At Pentecost the Apostle Peter declared that this gift, which was making some in the audience ridicule the disciples as drunks, was the fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel which described that God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:17).[43]

Despite these commonalities, there are significant variations in interpretation.

  • Universal. The traditional Pentecostal view is that every Christian should expect to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, the distinctive mark of which is glossolalia.[46] While most Protestants agree that baptism in the Holy Spirit is integral to being a Christian, others[47] believe that it is not separable from conversion and no longer marked by glossolalia. Pentecostals appeal to the declaration of the Apostle Peter at Pentecost, that "the gift of the Holy Spirit" was "for you and for your children and for all who are far off" (Acts 2:38–39). Cessationists reply that the gift of speaking in tongues was never for all (1 Cor 12:30). In response to those who say that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a separate experience from conversion, Pentecostals appeal to the question asked by the Apostle Paul to the Ephesian believers "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2).
  • One gift. Different aspects of speaking in tongues appear in Acts and 1 Corinthians, such that the Assemblies of God declare that the gift in Acts "is the same in essence as the gift of tongues" in 1 Corinthians "but different in purpose and use".[46] They distinguish between (private) speech in tongues when receiving the gift of the Spirit, and (public) speech in tongues for the benefit of the church. Others assert that the gift in Acts was "not a different phenomenon" but the same gift being displayed under varying circumstances.[48] The same description—"speaking in tongues"—is used in both Acts and 1 Corinthians, and in both cases the speech is in an unlearned language.
  • Direction. The New Testament describes tongues largely as speech addressed to God, but also as something that can potentially be interpreted into human language, thereby "edifying the hearers" (1 Cor 14:5, 13). At Pentecost and Caesarea the speakers were praising God (Acts 2:11; 10:46). Paul referred to praying, singing praise, and giving thanks in tongues (1 Cor 14:14–17), as well as to the interpretation of tongues (1 Cor 14:5), and instructed those speaking in tongues to pray for the ability to interpret their tongues so others could understand them (1 Cor 14:13). While some limit speaking in tongues to speech addressed to God—"prayer or praise",[42] others claim that speaking in tongues is the revelation from God to the church, and when interpreted into human language by those embued with the gift of interpretation of tongues for the benefit of others present, may be considered equivalent to prophecy.[49]
  • Music. Musical interludes of glossolalia are sometimes described as singing in the Spirit. Some hold that singing in the Spirit is identified with singing in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:13–19[50],[51] which they hold to be "spiritual or spirited singing", as opposed to "communicative or impactive singing" which Paul refers to as "singing with the understanding".[52]
  • Sign for unbelievers (1 Cor 14:22). Some assume that tongues are "a sign for unbelievers that they might believe",[53] and so advocate it as a means of evangelism. Others point out that Paul quotes Isaiah to show that "when God speaks to people in language they cannot understand, it is quite evidently a sign of God's judgment"; so if unbelievers are baffled by a church service they cannot understand because tongues are spoken without being interpreted, that is a "sign of God's attitude", "a sign of judgment".[54] Some identify the tongues in Acts 2 as the primary example of tongues as signs for unbelievers
  • Comprehension. Some say that speaking in tongues was "not understood by the speaker".[42] Others assert that "the tongues-speaker normally understood his own foreign-language message".[55] This last comment seems to have been made by someone confusing the "gift of tongues" with the "gift of the interpretation of tongues" , which is specified as a different gift in the New Testament, but one that can be given to a person who also has the gift of tongues. In that case, a person understands a message in tongues that he has previously spoken in an unknown language.

Pentecostal and charismatic practices[edit]

Part of a series on
Pentecostalism
Chama pentecoste.svg
Pentecostal flame
Background
Early history
Theology
Key people
Major denominations
Related movements
P christianity.svg Christianity portal

Baptism with the Holy Spirit is regarded by the Holiness Pentecostals (the oldest branch of Pentecostalism) as being the third work of grace, following the new birth (first work of grace) and entire sanctification (second work of grace).[56][4] Holiness Pentecostals teach that this third work of grace is accompanied with glossolalia.[56][4]

Because Pentecostal and charismatic beliefs are not monolithic, there is not complete theological agreement on speaking in tongues.[citation needed] Generally, followers believe that speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift that can be manifested as either a human language or a heavenly supernatural language in three ways:[57]

  • The "sign of tongues" refers to xenoglossia, wherein followers believe someone is speaking a language they have never learned.
  • The "gift of tongues" refers to a glossolalic utterance spoken by an individual and addressed to a congregation of, typically, other believers.
  • "Praying in the spirit" is typically used to refer to glossolalia as part of personal prayer.[58]

Many Pentecostals and charismatics quote Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 14 which established guidelines on the public use of glossolalia in the church at Corinth although the exegesis of this passage and the extent to which these instructions are followed is a matter of academic debate.[59]

The gift of tongues is often referred to as a "message in tongues".[60] Practitioners believe that this use of glossolalia requires an interpretation so that the gathered congregation can understand the message, which is accomplished by the interpretation of tongues.[citation needed] There are two schools of thought concerning the nature of a message in tongues:

  • One school of thought believes it is always directed to God as prayer, praise, or thanksgiving but is spoken in for the hearing and edification of the congregation.[citation needed]
  • The other school of thought believes that a message in tongues can be a prophetic utterance inspired by the Holy Spirit.[61] In this case, the speaker delivers a message to the congregation on behalf of God.[citation needed]

In addition to praying in the Spirit, many Pentecostal and charismatic churches practice what is known as singing in the Spirit. [62][63][64]

Interpretation of tongues[edit]

In Christian theology, the interpretation of tongues is one of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. This gift is used in conjunction with that of the gift of tongues—the supernatural ability to speak in a language (tongue) unknown to the speaker. The gift of interpretation is the supernatural enablement to express in an intelligible language an utterance spoken in an unknown tongue. This is not learned but imparted by the Holy Spirit; therefore, it should not be confused with the acquired skill of language interpretation. While cessationist Christians believe this miraculous charism has ceased, Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians believe this gift continues to operate within the church.[65] Much of what is known about this gift was recorded by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 14. In this passage, guidelines for the proper use of the gift of tongues were given. In order for the gift of tongues to be beneficial to the edification of the church, such supernatural utterances were to be interpreted into the language of the gathered Christians. If no one among the gathered Christians possessed the gift of interpretation, then the gift of tongues was not to be publicly exercised. Those possessing the gift of tongues were encouraged to pray for the ability to interpret.[65]

Non-Christian practice[edit]

Other religious groups have been observed to practice some form of theopneustic glossolalia. It is perhaps most commonly in Paganism, Shamanism, and other mediumistic religious practices.[5] In Japan, the God Light Association believed that glossolalia could cause adherents to recall past lives.[6]

Glossolalia has been postulated as an explanation for the Voynich manuscript.[66]

In the 19th century, Spiritism was developed by the work of Allan Kardec, and the practice was seen as one of the self-evident manifestations of spirits. Spiritists argued that some cases were actually cases of xenoglossia.

Medical research[edit]

Glossolalia is classified as a non-neurogenic language disorder.[67] Most people exhibiting glossolalia do not have a neuropsychiatric disorder.[68]

Neuroimaging of brain activity during glossolalia does not show activity in the language areas of the brain.[68][69] In other words, it may be characterized by a specific brain activity[70][71] and it can be a learned behaviour.[72][70]

A 1973 experimental study highlighted the existence of two basic types of glossolalia: a static form which tends to a somewhat coaction to repetitiveness and a more dynamic one which tends to free association of speech-like elements.[73][70]

A study done by the American Journal of Human Biology found that speaking in tongues was associated with both a reduction in circulatory cortisol, and enhancements in alpha-amylase enzyme activity – two common biomarkers of stress reduction that can be measured in saliva.[74] Several sociological studies report various social benefits to engaging in Pentecostal glossolalia,[75][76] such as an increase in self-confidence.[76]

As of April 2021, further studies are needed to corroborate the 1980s view of glossolaly with more sensitive measures of outcome, by using the more recent techniques of neuroimaging.[70][better source needed]

Criticism[edit]

Speakers of glossolalia are capable of speaking in tongues on cue, contrary to the claim that it is a spontaneous event. [77]

Analysis of glossolalics reveals a pseudo-language that lacks consistent syntax, semantic meaning, usually rhythmic or poetic in nature and is similar to the speaker's native tongue. Samples of glossolalia shows a lack of consistency needed for meaningful comparison or translation. It also is not used to communicate between fellow glossolalia speakers, although the meaning is usually translated by the leader involved in line with, and supportive of whatever message or teaching has been given that day, in some way giving divine legitimacy to what is said.[78]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Bible Gateway passage: Acts 2:3 - King James Version". Bible Gateway.
  2. ^ "Glossolalia n." A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  3. ^ Lum, Kathryn Gin; Harvey, Paul (2018). The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Race in American History. Oxford University Press. p. 801. ISBN 978-0190856892. ... would prove influential on the development of black Pentecostalism in the early twentieth century, as glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, would be understood as a third work of grace following Holiness and receipt of the Holy Spirit.
  4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. 1999. p. 415. ISBN 978-9004116955. While in Houston, Texas, where he had moved his headquarters, Parham came into contact with William Seymour (1870–1922), an African-American Baptist-Holiness preacher. Seymour took from Parham the teaching that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was not the blessing of sanctification but rather a third work of grace that was accompanied by the experience of tongues
  5. ^ Jump up to:a b Fr. Seraphim Rose: Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future, St Herman Press[ISBN missing][page needed]
  6. ^ Jump up to:a b Whelan, Christal (2007). "Shifting Paradigms and Mediating Media: Redefining a New Religion as "Rational" in Contemporary Society". Nova Religio. 10 (3): 54–72. doi:10.1525/nr.2007.10.3.54.
  7. ^ Cheryl Bridges Johns and Frank Macchia, "Glossolalia," The Encyclopedia of Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI; Leiden, Netherlands: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill, 1999–2003), 413.
  8. ^ γλῶσσα, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek–English Lexicon, on Perseus
  9. ^ λαλέω, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek–English Lexicon, on Perseus
  10. ^ Bible Mark 16:17 in Wycliffe's Bible
  11. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed, 1989
  12. ^ Samarin, William J. (1972). Tongues of Men and Angels: The Religious Language of Pentecostalism. New York: Macmillan. OCLC 308527.[page needed]
  13. ^ Samarin, William J. (1972). Tongues of Men and Angels: The Religious Language of Pentecostalism. New York: Macmillan. p. 120. OCLC 308527.
  14. ^ Samarin, William J. (1972). "Sociolinguistic vs. Neurophysiological Explanations for Glossolalia: Comment on Goodman's Paper". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 11 (3): 293–96. doi:10.2307/1384556. JSTOR 1384556.
  15. ^ Goodman, Felicitas D. (1969). "Phonetic Analysis of Glossolalia in Four Cultural Settings". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 8 (2): 227–35. doi:10.2307/1384336. JSTOR 1384336.
  16. ^ New Zealand Linguistic Society: Heather Kavan Massey University: Heather Kavan "We don't know what we're saying, but it's profound"
  17. ^ Jump up to:a b Samarin, William J. (1972). Tongues of Men and Angels: The Religious Language of Pentecostalism. New York: Macmillan. p. 128. OCLC 308527.
  18. ^ Samarin, William J. (1972). Tongues of Men and Angels: The Religious Language of Pentecostalism. New York: Macmillan. p. 2. OCLC 308527.
  19. ^ Goodman, Felicitas D. (1972). Speaking in Tongues: A Cross-Cultural Study in Glossolalia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-30324-6. OCLC 393056.[page needed]
  20. ^ Martin 1995, pp. 88–89.
  21. ^ Jump up to:a b Martin 1995, p. 90.
  22. ^ Martin 1995, p. 91.
  23. ^ Warfield, Benjamin B. (1918). Counterfeit Miracles. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-85151-166-5. OCLC 3977281. The writings of the so-called Apostolic Fathers contain no clear and certain allusions to miracle working or to the exercise of the charismatic gifts, contemporaneously with themselves.
  24. ^ "Premier Serrmon Pour Le Jour de L'Ascension. Sur l'Evangile du jour. 3. Il y des signes plus certains et des miracles plus salutaires que ceux-là, ce sont les mérites. Et je ne crois pas qu'il soit difficile de savoir en quel sens on doit entendre les miracles dont il est parlé en cet endroit, pour qu'ils soient des signes certains de foi, et par conséquent de salut. En effet, la première oeuvre de la foi, opérant par la charité, c'est la componction de l'âme, car elle chasse évidemment les démons, en déracinant les péchés de notre coeur. Quant aux langues nouvelles que doivent parler les hommes, qui croient en Jésus-Christ, cela a lieu, lorsque le langage du vieil homme cesse de se trouver sur nos lèvres, et que nous ne parlons plus la langue antique de nos premiers parents, qui cherchaient dans des paroles pleines de malice à s'excuser de leurs péchés."
  25. ^ L. Carlyle, May (February 1956). "A Survey of Glossolalia and Related Phenomena in NonChristian Religions". American Anthropologist. 58 (1): 75. doi:10.1525/aa.1956.58.1.02a00060.
  26. ^ Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Question 176.
  27. ^ Burgess, Stanley M. (1991). "Medieval and Modern Western Churches". In Gary B. McGee (ed.). Initial evidence: historical and biblical perspectives on the Pentecostal doctrine of spirit baptism. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-943575-41-4. OCLC 24380326.
  28. ^ Lacy, John (1707). A Cry from the Desert. p. 32. OCLC 81008302.
  29. ^ Hamilton, Michael Pollock (1975). The charismatic movement. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-8028-3453-9. OCLC 1008209.
  30. ^ Burrough, Edward (1831) [1659]. "Epistle to the Reader" in Fox, George. The great mystery of the great whore unfolded; and Antichrist's kingdom revealed unto destruction. The Works of George Fox. 3. p. 13. OCLC 12877488.
  31. ^ Hogue, Richard (2010). Tongues: A Theological History of Christian Glossolalia. Tate Publishing. p. 211.
  32. ^ Irving, Edward (January 1832). "Facts Connected With Recent Manifestations of Spiritual Gifts". Fraser's Magazine. 4 (24): 754–61. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  33. ^ Carlyle, Gavin, ed. (1865). "On the Gifts of the Holy Ghost". The Collected Writings of Edward Irving (Volume 5 ed.). Alexander Strahan. p. 548. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  34. ^ "Speaking in Tongues and the Mormon Church". www.frontiernet.net. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000.
  35. ^ "Speaking in Tongues". Archived from the original (MediaWiki) on 17 October 2008.
  36. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Copeland, Lee. "Speaking in Tongues in the Restoration Churches". Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. 24 (1).
  37. ^ Square brackets indicate faded parts that are no longer readable.
  38. ^ D. Swincer, Tongues: Genuine Biblical Languages: A Careful Construct of the Nature, Purpose, and Operation of the Gift of Tongues for the Church (2016) pp. 88–90[ISBN missing]
  39. ^ Faupel, D. William. Glossolalia as Foreign Language: An Investigation of the Twentieth-Century Pentecostal Claim. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 April 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2005.
  40. ^ Example: Christenson, Laurence, Speaking in tongues: and its significance for the church, Minneapolis, MN : Dimension Books, 1968.[ISBN missing][page needed]
  41. ^ Example: Gromacki, Robert Glenn, The Modern Tongues Movement, Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1973, ISBN 0-87552-304-8 (Originally published 1967)[page needed]
  42. ^ Jump up to:a b c Grudem, Wayne A. (1994). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press. p. 1070. ISBN 978-0-85110-652-6. OCLC 29952151.
  43. ^ Jump up to:a b General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God (11 August 2000). "The Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The Initial Experience and Continuing Evidences of the Spirit-Filled Life" (PDF). General Council of the Assemblies of God of the United States. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  44. ^ Grudem, Wayne A. (1994). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press. p. 1072. ISBN 978-0-85110-652-6. OCLC 29952151.
  45. ^ Carey, Benedict (7 November 2006). "A Neuroscientific Look at Speaking in Tongues". The New York Times.
  46. ^ Jump up to:a b Assemblies of God (1961). "Statement of Fundamental Truths" (PDF). General Council of the Assemblies of God of the United States. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  47. ^ "Baptism with the Holy Spirit". christians.eu. 22 July 2015.
  48. ^ Grudem, Wayne A. (1994). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press. p. 1073. ISBN 978-0-85110-652-6. OCLC 29952151.
  49. ^ Masters, Peter; John C. Whitcomb (1988). The Charismatic Phenomenon. London: Wakeman Trust. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-870855-01-3. OCLC 20720229.
  50. ^ Bible 1 Corinthians 14:13–19
  51. ^ Johns, Donald A. (1988). Stanley M. Burgess; Gary B. McGee; Patrick H. Alexander (eds.). Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. p. 788. ISBN 978-0-310-44100-7. OCLC 18496801. Cited by Riss, Richard M. (28 July 1995). "Singing in the Spirit in the Holiness, Pentecostal, Latter Rain, and Charismatic Movements". Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  52. ^ Alford, Delton L. (1988). Stanley M. Burgess; Gary B. McGee; Patrick H. Alexander (eds.). Dictionary of Pentecostal and charismatic movements. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. p. 690. ISBN 978-0-310-44100-7. OCLC 18496801. Cited by Riss, Richard M. (28 July 1995). "Singing in the Spirit in the Holiness, Pentecostal, Latter Rain, and Charismatic Movements". Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  53. ^ "Questions about Tongues". General Council of the Assemblies of God of the United States. 2009. Archived from the original on 13 June 2006. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  54. ^ Grudem, Wayne A. (1994). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press. p. 1075. ISBN 978-0-85110-652-6. OCLC 29952151.
  55. ^ Masters, Peter; John C. Whitcomb (1988). The Charismatic Phenomenon. London: Wakeman Trust. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-870855-01-3. OCLC 20720229.
  56. ^ Jump up to:a b The West Tennessee Historical Society Papers – Issue 56. West Tennessee Historical Society. 2002. p. 41. Seymour's holiness background suggests that Pentecostalism had roots in the holiness movement of the late nineteenth century. The holiness movement embraced the Wesleyan doctrine of "sanctification" or the second work of grace, subsequent to conversion. Pentecostalism added a third work of grace, called the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is often accompanied by glossolalia.
  57. ^ Casanova, Amanda (6 April 2018). "10 Things Christians Should Know about the Pentecostal Church". Christianity.com. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  58. ^ Wright, N. T. (2008). Acts for Everyone, Part One. Louisville: WJK. pp. 210–211.
  59. ^ Richardson, William Edwin (June 1983). "Liturgical Order and Glossolalia. 1 Corinthians 14:26c–33a and its Implications". Andrews University. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  60. ^ Gee, Donald (1993). Pentecostal Experience. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House. p. 154. ISBN 978-0882434544.
  61. ^ Chantry, Walter J. (1973). Signs of the Apostles. Edinburgh, Scotland: Banner of Truth Trust. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-0851511757.
  62. ^ Mookgo S. Kgatle (2019). "Singing as a therapeutic agent in Pentecostal worship". Verbum et Ecclesia. 40. doi:10.4102/ve.v40i1.1910. S2CID 150696864. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  63. ^ Harper, Michael. "Releasing the Spirit: the Pentecostals". Christianity Today. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  64. ^ "Religion - Christianity - Pentecostalism". BBC. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  65. ^ Jump up to:a b Guy P. Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, 1983, (Los Angeles: Foursquare Media, 2008), pp. 342–343.
  66. ^ Gerry Kennedy, Rob Churchill (2004). The Voynich Manuscript. London: Orion. ISBN 978-0-7528-5996-5.[page needed]
  67. ^ Mendez, Mario F. (1 January 2018). "Non-Neurogenic Language Disorders: A Preliminary Classification". Psychosomatics. 59 (1): 28–35. doi:10.1016/j.psym.2017.08.006. ISSN 0033-3182. PMC 5748000. PMID 28911819.
  68. ^ Jump up to:a b Newberg, Andrew B.; Wintering, Nancy A.; Morgan, Donna; Waldman, Mark R. (22 November 2006). "The measurement of regional cerebral blood flow during glossolalia: A preliminary SPECT study". Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. 148 (1): 67–71. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.07.001. ISSN 0925-4927. PMID 17046214. S2CID 17079826.
  69. ^ "Language Center of the Brain Is Not Under the Control of Subjects Who "Speak in Tongues" – PR News". www.pennmedicine.org. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  70. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Kent, Ray D. (1 November 2015). "Nonspeech Oral Movements and Oral Motor Disorders: A Narrative Review". Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 24 (4): 763–789. doi:10.1044/2015_AJSLP-14-0179. ISSN 1058-0360. OCLC 8146899752. PMC 4698470. PMID 26126128. (at Appendix A)
  71. ^ Cave, David Sachs; Norris, Rebecca (2012). Religion and the Body. Modern Science and the Construction of Religious Meaning. Brill. doi:10.1163/9789004225343. ISBN 9789004225343. OCLC 1238010307. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  72. ^ Spanos, N. P.; Cross, W. P.; Lepage, M.; Coristine, M (1986). "Glossolalia as learned behavior: An experimental demonstration". Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 95 (1): 21–23. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.95.1.21. ISSN 0021-843X. OCLC 4644067946. PMID 3700843.
  73. ^ H A Osser; P F Ostwald; B Macwhinney; R L Casey (1 March 1973). "Glossolalic speech from a psycholinguistic perspective". J Psycholinguist Res. 2 (1): 9–19. doi:10.1007/BF01067109. ISSN 0090-6905. OCLC 4664154487. PMID 24197793. S2CID 36005466.
  74. ^ Lynn, Christopher Dana; Paris, Jason; Frye, Cheryl Anne; Schell, Lawrence M. (2010). "Salivary Alpha-Amylase and Cortisol Among Pentecostals on a Worship and Nonworship Day". American Journal of Human Biology. 22 (6): 819–822. doi:10.1002/ajhb.21088. ISSN 1042-0533. PMC 3609410. PMID 20878966.
  75. ^ Wood, William W. (1965). Culture and personality aspects of the Pentecostal holiness religion. Mouton (IS). OCLC 797731718.[page needed]
  76. ^ Jump up to:a b Hine, Virginia H. (1969). "Pentecostal Glossolalia toward a Functional Interpretation". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 8 (2): 211–226. doi:10.2307/1384335. ISSN 0021-8294. JSTOR 1384335.
  77. ^ Hanson, Dirk. "Neuroscience & Neurology 41 Speaking in Tongues – A Neural Snapshot". Brain Blogger. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  78. ^ Semenyna, Scott; Schmaltz, Rodney. "Glossolalia meets glosso-psychology: why speaking in tongues persists in charismatic Christian and Pentecostal gatherings". Gale Academic Onefile. Skeptics Society & Skeptic Magazine. Retrieved 13 September 2021.

Bibliography[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • Cartledge, Mark J., ed. Speaking in Tongues: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives. Paternoster, 2006.
  • Ensley, Eddie. Sounds of wonder : speaking in tongues in the Catholic tradition. New York: Paulist Press, 1977.
  • Goodman, Felicitas D. Speaking in Tongues: A Cross-cultural Study of Glossolalia. Chicago, University of Chicago Press 1972.
  • Gromacki, Robert G.: "The Modern Tongues Movement", Baker Books, 1976, ISBN 978-0-8010-3708-5.
  • Harris, Ralph W. Spoken by the Spirit: Documented Accounts of 'Other Tongues' from Arabic to Zulu (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1973).
  • Hoekema, Anthony A. What about tongue-speaking? Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans 1966.
  • Johnson, Luke Timothy. Religious Experience in Earliest Christianity: A Missing Dimension in New Testament Studies. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998. ISBN 0800631293
  • Keener, Craig. Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011.
  • Kelsey, Morton T. Tongue-Speaking: An Experiment in Religious Experience. NYC: Doubleday, 1964.
  • Kostelnik, Joseph, Prayer in the Spirit: The Missing Link. Prophetic Voice Publications, 1981.
  • MacArthur, John F.: "Charismatic Chaos". Zondervan, 1993, 416 pages, ISBN 978-0-310-57572-6.
  • Malony, H. Newton, and Lovekin, A. Adams, Glossolalia: Behavioral Science Perspectives on Speaking in Tongues, Oxford University Press, 1985, ISBN 0-19-503569-0
  • May, Jordan D. Global Witness to Pentecost: The Testimony of 'Other Tongues,' (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2013).
  • Mills, Watson E. Speaking in Tongues: A Guide to Research on Glossolalia. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1986.
  • Roberson, Dave, Vital Role of Praying in Tongues
  • Roybal, Rory, Miracles or Magic?. Xulon Press, 2005.
  • Ruthven, Jon. On the Cessation of the Charismata: The Protestant Polemic on Post-biblical Miracles. 2nd ed. Word & Spirit Press, 2012.
  • Sadler, Paul M.: "The Supernatural Sign Gifts of the Acts Period" <九鼎娱乐送38_九鼎娱乐送38平台_九鼎娱乐送38网址>. Berean Bible Society <Berean Bible Society>, 2001, 63 pages, ISBN 1-893874-28-1.
  • Sherrill, John L. They Speak with Other Tongues. New York: McGraw Hill 1964.
  • Stronstad, Roger. The charismatic theology of St. Luke. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1984.
  • Tarr, Del. The Foolishness of God: A Linguist Looks at the Mystery of Tongues. Springfield, MO: Access Group Publishers, 2010.
  • Yun, Koo D. "Baptism in the Holy Spirit". New York: University Press of America, 2003.

External links[edit]

===



Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

What does it mean that our righteousness needs to "exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees"?


서기관과 바리새인들의 의보다 나을 수 있을까? - 남서울교회
https://namseoul.org › ...

9 Oct 2017 — 내가 율법이나 예언자들의 말을 ... 자기가 만든 의로움의 기준에 따라 ... 너희의 의가 율법학자들과 바리새파 사람들의 의보다



마태복음 5장 20절 / 산상설교(16) 서기관과 바리새인의 의보다 ...
https://blog.daum.net › cccsw1224

· Translate this page

3 Mar 2012 — 너희의 의로운 행실이 율법학자들과 바리새파 사람들의 의로운 행실보다 낫지 ... 만일 너희 의가 서기관들과 바리새인들의 의보다 더 낫지 않으면, ...


What does it mean that our righteousness needs to "exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees"?

What does it mean that our righteousness needs to "exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees"?
Clarify • Share • Report • Asked September 08 2014 • 

Answers (7)
 
Discuss
Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
=====
6
★
Jeremiah Kaaya 
Pastor at Springs of Power Church, Teacher by professional

When the Bible in Matthew 5:20 says; "For I say unto you that unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven", it means there could be two versions of righteousness.

1) The self perceived and self styled righteousness
2) Righteousness that we receive by way of letting Christ into our lives.

Now, which version do the Pharisees and the scribes ascribe to so that Jesus said ours has to exceed theirs, and which version do we ascribe to which Jesus said has to exceed theirs?

The Pharisees ascribed to the version of the self perceived and self styled righteousness. But also note that it is not called righteousness because it is, it is called so because it appears to be so. It is intended for the observers and it is not rooted in the heart. It is only to get praise from men. Jesus gives us many parables of such righteousness.

In Matt 23:27, Jesus tells the Scribes and the Pharisees that they are like whitewashed tombs which appear clean on the outside but are full of bones and all uncleanliness in them. He actually calls them hypocrites. Meaning, this version of righteousness is only for hypocritical purposes.

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus gives us another parable of this version of righteousness. When the Pharisee went to the temple to pray, he only boasted of how he can fast and give a tithe of all of his income. He was actually challenging God if at all He had any case against him. On the other hand though, the tax collector couldn't even look toward Heaven. For he knew he was already a sinner. He only came to God to seek for help. Jesus said it is the tax collector who left justified not the Pharisee.

The Pharisee was convinced that he could be righteous by himself. The tax collector on the other hand knew that he couldn't by himself. The Pharisee therefore is a good example of a person who perceive themselves righteous, and the tax collector is a good example of a person who needs help from God so they can be righteous.

It is very important for us to pray, to fast, to read the Bible, but it is not the reason we are counted righteous. Righteousness is exclusively of God and can be accessed by those who come to God through Christ His Son. For Jesus' is the only acceptable sacrifice before God and it is only of Him that we can be counted righteous. We could thus say; righteousness or unrighteousness is the state of your/my heart. The only shaper of an acceptable heart by God the FATHER is Jesus. No human therefore should ask what wrong they have done if they are asked to repent (Luke 13:1-5)

Righteousness can therefore only be possible if we let Christ into our lives. It is only Jesus, the only one to have put on flesh and to have overcome it. Jesus is the Son of God and only His blood is the blood of God. Only Jesus came from Heaven. Only Jesus successfully overcame the world and the cross. Jesus was never moved by how much people wanted Him to appear insulted. For He had only one mission; to recreate the precious lost relationship between man and God. Had Jesus only been righteous by His own style and perception, He would have failed somewhere and given in to one of the wiles of the devil. Self styled and self perceived righteousness can easily collapse just like a pack of cards. But Jesus is far over and above all such. Jesus is therefore not to acquire righteousness, for He is righteous. Thus to say; righteousness is of Him.

In all this, we should be able to learn that to be righteous is not only to be seen and perceived to be one, but we must be transformed from inside out, not from outside inside, for it can't simply be (Mat 15:18), (Lu 6:45). For the Pharisees and the Scribes, it was about to be seen to be righteous. But when Jesus came, He wants us by Him to rise above this. All we do must truly be from deep inside our hearts. It should not only be for the observers. We can only be counted righteous by God. God is the rewarder.

September 10 2014 • 1 response • 
====
4
★
Stringio Nathan Toronga Christian Elder.
The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was legalistic.

Philippians 3:3-6, 'For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for RIGHTEOUSNESS BASED ON THE LAW, FAULTLESS.'

So, by strictly observing the Law, the Scribes and Pharisees had some form of righteousness. 

Now Jesus is saying, our righteousness must exceed this level. This is the barest minimum. So what is beyond this level? There's obedience - yes, OBEDIENCE - based on FAITH. That's what He's saying.

Romans 1:5, 'Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the OBEDIENCE that comes from faith for his name’s sake.'

Romans 16:25-26, 'Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the OBEDIENCE that comes from faith'

I know the current hype to run away from the Law of God, but Peter warns us,

2 Peter 3:17, 'Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.'

People who don't OBEY are referred to as 'LAWLESS' in the bible.

Jesus did not preach lawlessness. That is the lot of the devil. 

The antichrist is also known as 'the man of lawlessness.'

2 Thessalonians 2:3, 'Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.'

Bless you all.
April 17 2015 • 

=====
3
★
Data Bruce Lyon Elder: Restoration Fellowship Assembly
What does it mean that our righteousness needs to "exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees"?

The scribes and pharisees ascribed to the "oral law" which is an addition to the law that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. They claim that this oral law was also give to Moses at that time, although a lot of the "oral law" contradicts the law given to Moses which he physically recorded. Jesus made enemies of this group by telling them the truth that by their adding the so-called "oral law" they were in fact adding the law given by God to Moses.
Which of an by itself put them in a position of breaking the law.

Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahovah your God which I command you.

The pharisees both added to and diminished the law give to Moses at Mount Sinai and as a result Jesus said the were following the traditions of men rather the obeying the law give by God to Moses that they were supposed to obey.

To-day in modern Judaism the words spoken by various Rabbi's are considered to be in fact equal to the law given by God to Moses. They have perverted that which they were given and Jesus called them on that fact.

He did so as the Messiah they would not recognize because if they had recognized him as such they would have had to give up their positions of authority and stop deceiving their people. Thus they planned to have him killed! This is always the result of people who are confronted with the truth that convicts them to the core of their being. They will either accept the truth or persecute and deny what has convicted their hearts and minds.

If Satan or his minister who appear to be righteous cannot deceive you then he/they will persecute or try to destroy you. If we are doing the works of Jesus as we should, i.e. preach the gospel message about the soon coming kingdom and be willing to lay down our lives for our brethren we will be persecuted.

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Galatians 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Luke 6:47-48 Whosoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Psalms 89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

In doing these things we will exceed the "righteousness" of the Pharisees.
If we follow the creed of Jesus given in Mark 12:28-32 which is to love God with all our being and to love our neighbors as ourselves we will have exceeded the righteousness of the Pharisees one hundred fold!
September 09 2014 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report
====
3
★
Data Bruce Lyon Elder: Restoration Fellowship Assembly
We are told this in Revelation 12:17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:

The commandments of God that were Jesus creed are explained clearly in Mark 12:28 ¶ And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 

And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. - Amazing statement coming from a scribe!

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.

Indeed enabled by the Spirit - Breath - Love of our God Yehovah we can keep the royal law as James refers to it - the law of love, the law that is what governs the new covenant.

Love fulfills the law completely for we are to worship our God in spirit and in truth or with a true spirit of His love flowing through us outwardly to all we come in contact with. As the scribe said the law of love is better than offering whole burnt offerings and sacrifice to God, greater than Temple worship. If we live according to the law of our God flowing through us we become slaves to righteousness and reflect what it means to be new creations in God's anointed one Jesus.
May 01 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

=====
2
★
Ari Ariel HaNaviy Messianic Jew and Torah Teacher with Messianic Congregation 'The Harvest'
This is a great verse to teach on the importance of genuine, Spirit-led, God-honoring commandment keeping (viz, Torah observance), all the while avoiding the dangers of stone-cold, people-judging, legalism.

A fellow Torah Teacher and good friend of mine explained the verse to me this way, “…it seems to me, that while Yeshua (Jesus) emphasized the utter necessity of heart obedience if one intended to keep the commandments, He did not in any way negate the requirement of outward performance. That is to say, one surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees not by neglecting the outward performance of the mitzvot (commandments), but by performing them as the fruit of a heart given over to the true worship of God. Another way of saying it is this: if the commandments are received as purely obligation, it would be impossible, from God’s perspective, to keep them. But if they are received rather as divine blessing and privilege, then the keeping of them is pure delight. However, only the heart borne out of faith in God is able to so receive the commandments as blessing, and it is this kind of “keeping” which Yeshua teaches His disciples… The point is simply this: “far surpassing the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees” cannot exclude the performance of the commandments.”

Since we know beyond doubt that mere performance of commandments will not merit eternal life, then Yeshua’s words cannot be meaning what they seem to be saying at face value. In like fashion, Yeshua challenged other 1st century people he met with the seeming offer to grant them eternal life if they would faithfully follow the commandments (Jn 5:39, 40 Matt 19:17). Also, it seems the apple did not fall far from the tree where Yeshua’s disciple Paul was concerned. For indeed, Paul uses similar cryptic language:

Rom 2:13
“For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.”

What do all these verses have to do with our righteousness exceeding that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, and how is heaven attained? Simply that, our salvific righteousness is not our own. If you are in Christ then your righteousness is that which flows from him into you, by his grace, through faith, and by his blood. Period. If you have put on the righteousness of Christ then your righteousness WILL exceed that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, and you WILL enter heaven, amen? We cannot earn a righteousness that will grant entrance to heaven, no matter how many commandments we keep, and no matter how perfectly we think we are keeping them. So Yeshua’s words are also a warning against this legalistic mindset. To be sure, it was a veiled indictment against those religious readers within earshot of his words that day.

Paul’s words in Romans 10:9, 10 (as rendered from the KJV since they use the word “righteousness”) warrants our attention at this point:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

We don't keep Torah to BECOME saved. We keep Torah because we ARE saved.

My fellow Torah Teacher’s concluding words are fitting to end this short study: “We ought to guard ourselves from any satisfaction which derives from equalling the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees. For according to Yeshua’s words, those with such righteousness will not enter the kingdom of Heaven. Only those who surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees are viewed as truly righteous. To whatever extent, then, we consider our mere meeting the obligation of the Law as sufficient righteousness, we misunderstand both the Law and Yeshua’s teaching here. Only as our love for God enables us to understand the commandments as a blessing from Him, will we be enabled to keep them as He intended.”
September 04 2015 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report
=====
2
★
Andy  3 photo Andy Mangus I am a Christian since October 1979 & devoted truth seeker.
It means that true righteousness is by having faith and trust in God's one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; "for there is no other way but for the sacrificial lamb of God and His precious blood that was shed on that cross of Calvary". " For in Him, through His shed blood by which He removed your sins and my sins for eternity, that we may have a home in heaven with our Lord Jesus". Praise God! --Andy--
June 04 2016 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)