Expert: Elder Greg Madden - 5/1/2009

Question
Bro. Smith,

I was reading a reply you made on 4/3/2009 to a question with the subject “Baptism of the Holy Ghost”.
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Baptists-954/2009/4/Baptism-Holy-Ghost.htm

My question is: did Christians ever claim to speak in tongues between the New Testament days and, say, 1900 AD, or did the speaking in tongues/charismatic movement begin with the creation of the Pentecostal denomination in the early 1900’s? In other words, through history, did any Christian movements practice this before the Pentecostals?

Thank you so much for your help!


Answer
Erich,

Hope you don't mind, but your questions was placed in the "questions pool" by another volunteer and I though I could help answer your questions. Please allow me to share with you what I have learned about this subject. Here is a few quotes from Rev. Mel C. Montgomery and his artical "Tongues Throughout Church History"...

"Some Christians believe that speaking in tongues was a temporary experience that ended with the Apostles. I do not believe that. However, I find no Scriptural support for cessationism (the teaching that the Gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Cor. 12,13, and 14 'ceaced' at or near the end of the first century).

All Scripture I can find clearly shows that these wonderful spiritual gifts were to continue to the honor and glory of Jesus Christ to this day, and until the Rapture.

Cessationists argue that the moment the last Apostle died, or when the final sentence of the last book of the Bible had been written, all miracles including speaking in tongues ceased. Are they correct? Let's first establish the date that miracles supposedly ceased: The Apostle Paul died somewhere between 64 AD and 69 AD, and the last Apostle, the Apostle John, died in 110 AD.

So let's compare the cut-off date, the year of the last Apostle's death, with the timeline of events in the Early Church:

Justin Martyr (100 ad--165 AD) was only 10 years old when the Apostle John died. He was an early Christian apologist. His works are the earliest Christian apologies, of substantial size, to survive to today.

Forty years after the Apostle John's death, he writes in 150 AD:
"For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to this present time." (Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 82). And,  "Now, it is possible to see amongst us women and men who possess gifts of the Spirit of God;" Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 88. It is simply beyond dispute that the prophetic gifts continued until 150 AD.--40 years after the last Apostle died. Justin Martyr was no heretic. His writings are still accepted to this day by all theologians I know of, as sound teachings.

Irenaeus (c.130-202 AD) was born 20 years after the last Apostle died.

He was bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, which is now Lyon, France. His writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. Like Justin Martyr, he was an early Christian apologist. His writings carry significant weight because he was a disciple of Polycarp, who had been a disciple of the Apostle John.

Irenaeus writes of believers in his day:
"Wherefore, also, those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform [miracles], so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ] and join themselves to the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. And what shall I more say? It is not possible to name the number of gifts which the Church, [scattered] throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ," Irenaeus Against Heresies, Book II, Chapter 32, section 4.

Additionally Irenaeus writes:
"We speak wisdom among them that are perfect, terming those persons "perfect" who have received the Spirit of God, and who through the Spirit of God do speak in all languages, as he used Himself also to speak. In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God," --Irenaeus Against Heresies, Book V. Chapter 6. section 1.

The writings of Irenaeus carry significant weight, especially concerning spiritual gifts considering: Irenaeus had learned directly from Polycarp who had sat under the instruction of the Apostle John.

Tertullian (ca. 155-230 AD) was an Early Christian leader, and apologist. In writing against the heretic Marcion, Tertullian writes:

"Let Marcion then exhibit, as gifts of his god, some prophets, such as have not spoken by human sense, but with the Spirit of God, such as have both predicted things to come, and have made manifest the secrets of the heart; let him produce a psalm, a vision, a prayer--only let it be by the Spirit, in an ecstasy, that is, in a rapture, whenever an interpretation of tongues has occurred to him;... Now all these signs (of spiritual gifts) are forthcoming from my side without any difficulty..."--Tertullian Against Marcion, Book 5 Chapter 8.

Tertullian wrote this 65 to 110 years after the last Apostle died. If these gifts were not inspired by the Spirit of God, then from whom did they come?

Hilary (c.300-367 AD), born 190 years after the last Apostle died, was bishop of Poitiers and considered an eminent Doctor of the Western Christian Church. He testified that speaking in tongues and interpreting were present in the Church in his lifetime.

Hilary wrote:
"For God hath set same in the Church, first apostles...secondly prophets...thirdly teachers...next mighty works, among which are the healing of diseases...and gifts of either speaking or interpreting divers kinds of tongues. Clearly these are [not were] the Church's agents of ministry and work of whom the body of Christ consists; and God has ordained them."--On the Trinity, Book 8 Chapter 33.

Hilary wrote this nearly two centuries after the last Apostle died. Hilary was writing of speaking in tongues and interpreting occurring in orthodox Christian circles. He approved of them, calling tongues and interpretation and other gifts, "the Church's agents of ministry...and God has ordained them."

Ambrose (c.340 – 397 AD), Bishop of Milan, was one of the most eminent bishops of the 4th century. Together with Augustine of Hippo, Jerome, and Gregory I, he is counted as one of the four doctors of the west of antique church history. (Wikipedia).

Ambrose wrote:
"As also the teacher of the Gentiles [Paul] tells us, when he says: "God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers; then miracles, the gift of healings, helps, governments, divers kinds of tongues.

See, God set apostles, and set prophets and teachers, gave the gift of healings, which you find above to be given by the Holy Spirit; gave divers kinds of tongues....Not all, says he, have the gift of healings, nor do all, says he, speak with tongues...as the Father gives the gift of tongues, so, too, has the Son also granted it."--Of the Holy Spirit 8, 149-151.

Augustine (354-430 AD) concurs that the Gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues are unknown in his day. He writes around the year 400 AD:

"For who expects in these days that those on whom hands are laid that they may receive the Holy Spirit should forthwith begin to speak with tongues?" (Augustine, On Baptism, Against the Donatists, Section 3, Chapter 16, NPNF 443).

When the Church had "life and virtue" from Pentecost to the mid to late Fourth Century, the Gifts of the Spirit were present and widespread. By the late Fourth to early Fifth Centuries, the church was "bereft of life and virtue" and gifts.

By the Middle Ages, the Church had reached the point where it lacked life, virtue, and power. Church leaders could have humbled themselves, addressed the corruption, and returned to the literal interpretation of God's Word. Instead, they began to claim that speaking in tongues and miracles were rare at best, and demonic at worst. "In fact by A.D. 1000 the Rituale Romanorum (Roman Ritual) defined glossalia as prima facie evidence of demon possession." (Vinson Synan, The Century of the Holy Spirit, page 20).

From the Fifth Century to the present, whenever the Church repented of its sin and backslidings, humbled itself, returned to faith in God's Word, and became passionate for Jesus Christ, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit including speaking in tongues usually returned.

I will write in detail of these in another post, but I will give a quick synopsis here. Tongues "T"--or other strong manifestations "M" of the Holy Spirit--occurred in or among:

· Waldenses in 1100's, Europe. Tongues "T".
· Albigenses in 1100's, Europe. "T".
· Franciscans in 1200's, Europe. "T".
· Anabaptists in 1500's, Europe. "T".
· Prophecy Movement in 1500's England. "T".
· Camisards, 1600's and 1700's, France. "T".
· Quakers, 1600's, in England. "T" "M."
· Jansenists, 1600's and 1700's in France.
· Pietists, 1600's in Germany.
· Methodists 1700's England. "M" but no "T."
· Second Great Awakening, 1800's, USA. "M" no "T".
· Irvingites, 1800's in England and USA. "M" and "T."
· Pentecostal Revival, USA, Europe, Asia, Africa, early 1900's miracles, healings. "M" and "T."
· Healing Revival, 1940's - 1950's, world-wide miracles, healings. "M" and "T".
· Charismatic Renewal, 1960's - 1970's, Protestants and Catholics, world-wide, miracles. "M" and "T." · Word of Faith/Teaching Revival, 1970's - 1980's, worldwide, healings, miracles. "M" and "T".
· Currently 537 MILLION Christians world-wide, in all major denominations, Protestant and Catholic, speak in other tongues."
(http://brothermel.com/tonguesthroughoutchurchhistory.aspx)

Erich, please let me know if this helps, or if you have any further questions.

Elder Greg Madden