Language of Heaven

However, as we’ve seen, Paul would differ. Although his mind is unfruitful when he prays, praises, and gives thanks in tongues, he is determined to make use of this gift in his private devotional life.

this objection, once more, is built on the assumption that intelligibility is a necessary prerequisite to edification.

Furthermore, if the cessationist argument is to hold up, we would need to be shown that the other occurrences of tongues in Acts (and in 1 Corinthians) are parallel to Acts 2 and display the same characteristics. But

Perhaps it would be an argument that carries a bit more weight if there were no evidence elsewhere in the New Testament that tongues may come in a variety of species or expressions, both known human languages and heavenly speech that is crafted by the Holy Spirit for those believers to whom the gift is given. Furthermore, if the cessationist argument is to hold up, we would need to be shown that the other occurrences of tongues in Acts (and in 1 Corinthians) are parallel to Acts 2 and display the same characteristics. But

But they then argue, wrongly so, that all tongues-speech, wherever else it may appear in the New Testament, must be identical with that at Pentecost. In other words, Acts 2 is believed to govern all other instances of this spiritual gift. Whatever is true in Acts 2 regarding tongues must be true in every other case of its occurrence.

But there is no discernible reason we should believe this. It is an assumption without an argument.

Augustine also made reference to a phenomenon in his day called jubilation. Some believe he is describing singing in tongues. He writes:

Words cannot express the things that are sung by the heart. Take the case of people singing while harvesting in the fields or in the vineyards or when any other strenuous work is in progress. Although they begin by giving expression to their happiness in sung words, yet shortly there is a change. As if so happy that words can no longer express what they feel, they discard the restricting syllables. They burst into a simple sound of joy; of jubilation. Such a cry of joy is a sound signifying that the heart is bringing to birth what it cannot utter in words. Now who is more worthy of such a cry of jubilation than God himself, whom all words fail to describe? If words will not serve, and yet you must not remain silent, what else can you do but cry out for joy? Your heart must rejoice beyond words, that your unbounded joy may be unrestrained by syllabic bonds

ny believe Celsus is referring to prophecy and tongues in the Christian community when he derisively describes certain believers “who pretend to be moved as if giving some oracular utterance” and who add to these oracles “incomprehensible, incoherent, and utterly obscure utterances the meaning of which no intelligible person could discover.”

dismissed at the conclusion of the sacred services, she is in the regular habit of reporting to us whatever things she may have seen in vision (for all her communications are examined with the most scrupulous care, in order that their truth may be probed). .

, seeing that we acknowledge spiritual charismata, or gifts, we too have merited the attainment of the prophetic gift, although coming after John (the Baptist). We have now amongst us a sister whose lot it has been to be favoured with sundry gifts of revelation, which she experiences in the Spirit by ecstatic vision amidst the sacred rites of the Lord’s day in the church: she converses with angels, and sometimes even with the Lord; she both sees and hears mysterious communications; some men’s hearts she understands, and to them who are in need she distributes remedies. . . . After the peop

numberless demoniacs throughout the whole world, and in your city, many of our Christian men exorcising them in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, have healed and do heal, rendering helpless and driving the possessing devils out of the men, though they could not be cured by all the other exorcists, and those used incantations and drugs.