(4) Did the tongues spoken in the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-47) and by the "disciples" at Ephesus (19:2, 6) express understandable human languages just as the tongues spoken on the Day of Pentecost did (2:4-6)?
4 points suggest that the answer is no:
(1) The Greek "glossai" ("tongues") need not mean "human languages" when it described ecstatic speech. For example, Greek examples can be provid in which "tongues" designates "a secret language" or "an expression which in speech...is strange and obscure and needs explanation" (TDNT. col., p. 720 for examples). Greek "prophets" were enlisted to interpret this apparent gibberish.
(2) The tongues spoken in Acts 2 are labelled "prophecy" (2:17) precisely because they are understood by some of the spectators.
By contrast, the tongues spoken by the Ephesian "disciples" are distinguished from "prophesying" a fact indicating that the tongues spoken at Ephesus were incomprehensible to those present. Indeed, there is no evidence that the tongues spoken in Cornelius' household (10:44-47) were interpreted.
(3) The comprehensible tongues spoken in Acts 2 are described as human languages (Greek: "dialektos"). In 1 Cor. 12 and 14
"tongues" are never identified as human languages. Instead, Paul can speak of "various kinds of tongues" (12:10)--this is, tongues as a prayer language (14:15-16, 28), messages in tongues that must be interpreted, and "tongues of angels (13:1; 14:12)."
(4) There is no reason to claim that 1 Cor. 13:1 has a hyperbolic character, so that "speaking in tongues of angels" is not meant to be a literal possibility. Only 13:2 is hyperbolic: "And if I understand all mysteries and all knowledge." Indeed, we know from ancient Jewish sources like first-century rabbi, Yohanan ben Zakkai and the Jewish book The Testament of Job that Jews considered speaking and understanding angelic tongues a genuine possibility. So Paul believes that when "glossai" (= "tongues") do not express to human languages, they can express angelic language.
In fact, this insight is confirmed by 1 Corinthians 14:12, which is normally mistranslated: "since you are eager for spiritual gifts." A literal translation reads instead, "since you are zealots for spirts (Greek: "pneuma") and "spirits" is an alternative term to designate angels (e. g. Hebrews 1:7). So Paul and the Corinthians believe that prphetic gifts and speaking in tongues can be angelically inspired. The Shepherd of Hermas provides the only other Christian description of the operation of spiritual gifts in public worship and it teaches the same thing (quoting Hermas Mandates 11:9):
"When a man who has the divine Spirit comes into a meeting of righteous people who have the faith of the divine Spirit and intercession is made to God from the assembly of those people, then THE ANGEL OF THE PROPHETIC SPIRIT RESTS ON HIM and fills the man, and the man...speaks to the congregation as God wills."
So if you ever wondered whether angels communicate with and through you, consider the possibility that angels may at times guide what you say when you speak in tongues.
4 points suggest that the answer is no:
(1) The Greek "glossai" ("tongues") need not mean "human languages" when it described ecstatic speech. For example, Greek examples can be provid in which "tongues" designates "a secret language" or "an expression which in speech...is strange and obscure and needs explanation" (TDNT. col., p. 720 for examples). Greek "prophets" were enlisted to interpret this apparent gibberish.
(2) The tongues spoken in Acts 2 are labelled "prophecy" (2:17) precisely because they are understood by some of the spectators.
By contrast, the tongues spoken by the Ephesian "disciples" are distinguished from "prophesying" a fact indicating that the tongues spoken at Ephesus were incomprehensible to those present. Indeed, there is no evidence that the tongues spoken in Cornelius' household (10:44-47) were interpreted.
(3) The comprehensible tongues spoken in Acts 2 are described as human languages (Greek: "dialektos"). In 1 Cor. 12 and 14
"tongues" are never identified as human languages. Instead, Paul can speak of "various kinds of tongues" (12:10)--this is, tongues as a prayer language (14:15-16, 28), messages in tongues that must be interpreted, and "tongues of angels (13:1; 14:12)."
(4) There is no reason to claim that 1 Cor. 13:1 has a hyperbolic character, so that "speaking in tongues of angels" is not meant to be a literal possibility. Only 13:2 is hyperbolic: "And if I understand all mysteries and all knowledge." Indeed, we know from ancient Jewish sources like first-century rabbi, Yohanan ben Zakkai and the Jewish book The Testament of Job that Jews considered speaking and understanding angelic tongues a genuine possibility. So Paul believes that when "glossai" (= "tongues") do not express to human languages, they can express angelic language.
In fact, this insight is confirmed by 1 Corinthians 14:12, which is normally mistranslated: "since you are eager for spiritual gifts." A literal translation reads instead, "since you are zealots for spirts (Greek: "pneuma") and "spirits" is an alternative term to designate angels (e. g. Hebrews 1:7). So Paul and the Corinthians believe that prphetic gifts and speaking in tongues can be angelically inspired. The Shepherd of Hermas provides the only other Christian description of the operation of spiritual gifts in public worship and it teaches the same thing (quoting Hermas Mandates 11:9):
"When a man who has the divine Spirit comes into a meeting of righteous people who have the faith of the divine Spirit and intercession is made to God from the assembly of those people, then THE ANGEL OF THE PROPHETIC SPIRIT RESTS ON HIM and fills the man, and the man...speaks to the congregation as God wills."
So if you ever wondered whether angels communicate with and through you, consider the possibility that angels may at times guide what you say when you speak in tongues.