TONGUES, GIFT OF. A religious phenomenon to which special reference is made in the New Testament. In the Acts of the Apostles (ii.) we are told that soon after the death of Jesus, when the disciples were assembled together on the day of Pentecost, they were suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues. The passage ought to be quoted. " And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? " (vss. 1-8). It is clear from this report that the disciples were stirred and agitated in a way that seemed very strange. They uttered strange sounds. These sounds were understood to be words spoken in foreign languages. And this view is shared by many Christians. With God all things are possible, it Is argued. It is true that, in the Christian view, God is omnipotent; but it is widely felt now that God does not arbitrarily break through the natural order of things, and that where two explanations of an event are possible the simpler and more natural one is to be preferred. In the present case there is a more natural explanation. The study of this class of phenomena has revealed the fact that often when people's religious feelings are deeply stirred and agitated they fall into a kind of trance and mutter sounds which are unintelligible. Unsympathetic persons will describe their condition by saying that they have become afflicted with hysteria. And it is true that excessive religious
emotion is often a disease. But it is bad logic and worse taste to say that because two persons are similarly agitated the causes are always the same. This is to sug gest that there is no difference, to take an instance, between heartfelt grief and the hysterical sobbing of a criminal. In the Acts of the Apostles we have the report of a true spiritual experience. The language of the Holy Spirit is different from the language of men. It cannot, especially at first, easily be translated into human speech. If the attempt is made, it only results in language which is incoherent and unintelligible. No one knew this better than St. Paul, who had made the experience at his conversion (see CONVERSION). Con sequently we find him giving the true explanation of the Gift of Tongues (I. Corinthians xiv.). A few quotations are necessary. " For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto God; for no man understandeth him, howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." . . . " He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church." . . . " Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by know ledge, or •by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air." The whole chapter should be read. People have been known to show a knowledge of a foreign language which has not been acquired in the ordinary way. But this also has admitted of an ordinary psychological explanation. It has been due to the abnormal working of the subjective mind (see SUBJECTIVE MIND). Compare, generally, CONVER SION, ECSTASY, INSPIRATION.