Our discussion of the role of the Holy Spirit has been, up to this point, pretty tame. We have looked at the work of the Spirit in everything from creation, to the empowerment of the prophets to its role at Pentecost in forming the early church. What we have not looked at is one of the most visible and also divisive aspects of the Spirit, speaking in tongues. For those of you not familiar with this gift of the Spirit it is manifested in two basic forms. One is private which occurs when a believer in personal prayer is overcome with the Holy Spirit and begins to utter unintelligible words and phrases. The second form is public in which a believer is overcome with the Spirit and begins to speak unintelligible words or phrases in the midst of worship. While speaking in tongues is not an issue at First Presbyterian of Birmingham I believe it is important that we spend a few minutes looking at speaking in tongues before we leave the topic of the Holy Spirit.
The origins of speaking in tongues can be found in the books of First and Second Samuel where we read of Saul and the prophets having ecstatic experiences. While speaking in tongues is not specifically mentioned it is hard to imagine that their ecstatic experiences did not contain some sort of unintelligible speech. The additional ending of the Gospel of Mark (16:17) includes a mention of Jesus' followers speaking in other tongues as well. The Book of Acts records a couple of events (10:46, 19:6) in addition to the day of Pentecost in which people appear to be filled with the Spirit and speak in tongues. The core of this teaching though can be found in Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth. In this letter he reminds the believers that there are spiritual gifts of which speaking in tongues is of particular value. He even reminds them that he speaks in tongues more than any of them. However Paul is clear about several aspects of this gift. First speaking in tongues is in worship only allowed where there is someone to interpret (meaning the gift of tongues is intended to bring a message from God). Second speaking in tongues cannot interrupt the decency and order of worship. Finally, and most importantly, speaking in tongues is not mandatory for all believers and it is not the greatest gift (that would be love).
The modern revival of this spiritual gift (it is only briefly alluded to by the early church fathers and then vanishes) came through the Azusa Street revival. The Azusa street revival began in 1906 in Los Angeles through the preaching of William J. Seymour who claimed that speaking in tongues was the proof that one had actually received the Holy Spirit (and thus salvation). His preaching attracted persons of all races (unheard of for that time) and from all denominations, including Presbyterians. Though the revival ultimately died out by 1913, hundreds of missionaries carried his message and theology across the nation and the world. In this way the modern Pentecostal movement was begun. Denominations such as the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ, the Pentecostal Holiness Church and the United Pentecostal Church all have their roots in Azusa. Worldwide these denominations taken as a whole are second in membership only to the Roman Catholic Church.
So where do we as Presbyterians stand on all of this? Unlike many of the Reformers who claimed that the gift of tongues was no longer operative, we believe it is still around as a legitimate gift (surprised?). In the Presbyterian publication, The Work of the Holy Spirit (182nd General Assembly, 1970) it is written that, "By way of conclusion, the practice of speaking in tongues, when inspired by the Holy Spirit, should neither be despised nor forbidden. At the same time, tongues should not be over emphasized; normally they belong to private worship." In other words we Presbyterians take a nuanced Biblical view. First speaking in tongues is still around. Second it is not a necessary part of worship or our spiritual lives. Third, and perhaps most importantly, it is not required as a proof of our salvation (a tenant of many but not all Pentecostal denominations). If you have questions about this you can speak with me and I will be happy to fill you in further.
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