The Missionary Nature of Tongues in the Book of Acts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/pent.37954Keywords:
Holy Spirit, tongues, glossolalia, pnuematology, missions, holism, missionaryAbstract
This essay explores the way in which Luke presents tongues speech in Acts as the overcoming of crucial barriers to the forward movement of the Gospel in the Spirit’s power to the nations. In contrast to the fairly recent turn to holistic missions among many Pentecostal scholars, I argue that glossolalia represents strong support in Luke’s second volume for the narrow sense of missions that characterized the apostolic church and the beginnings of the modern Pentecostal movement. This perspective is argued for on the basis of the literary structure of Acts and various hindrances regarding the disciples movement to the nations.
References
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Augustine, Daniela C. Pentecost, Hospitality, and Transfiguration: Toward a Spirit-Inspired Vision of Social Transformation. Cleveland, TN: CPT, 2012.
Bock, Darrell L. Acts. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007.
Bockmuehl, Klaus. Evangelicals and Social Ethics. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1975.
Boer, Harry R. Pentecost and Missions. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1961.
Borgman, Paul. The Way According to Luke: Hearing the Whole Story of Luke–Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006.
Chan, Simon. Pentecostal Ecclesiology. Blandford Forum: Deo, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004397149
Conzelmann, Hans. The Theology of St. Luke. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, 1961.
Cox, Harvey. Fire from Heaven. New York: Addison-Wesley, 1995.
Dempster, Murray W. “Evangelism, Social Concern, and the Kingdom of God”. In Murray W. Dempster, Byron D. Klaus and Douglas Petersen (eds), Called and Empowered: Global Mission in Pentecostal Perspective. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991.
Flett, John. G. The Witness of God: The Trinity, Missio Dei, Karl Barth, and the Nature of the Christian Community. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2010.
Goheen, Michael W. A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011.
Gonza?lez, Justo L. Acts: The Gospel of the Spirit. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2001.
Green, Joel B. Conversion in Luke–Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015.
Hodges, Melvin. Growing Young Churches. Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1970.
Hodges, Melvin. A Theology of the Church and Its Mission: A Pentecostal Perspective. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1977.
Hovenden, Gerald. Speaking in Tongues: The New Testament Evidence in Context. London: Sheffield Academic, 2002.
Hurtado, Larry. “Normal but Not a Norm: ‘Initial Evidence’ in the New Testament”. In Gary B. McGee (ed.), Initial Evidence. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2007.
Ireland, Jerry M. “From Solidarity to Sodality: Compassionate Missions, Local Churches, and the Fostering of Cross-cultural Missionary Bands”. In Geoffrey Hartt et al. (eds), Churches on Mission: God’s Grace Abounding to the Nations. Pasadena, CA: William Carey, 2017.
Keener, Craig. Acts: 15:1–23:35, vol. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012.
Keener, Craig. “Tongues as Evidence of the Spirit’s Empowerment in Acts”. In Stanley M. Burgess and Paul W. Lewis (eds), A Light to the Nations. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2017.
Keener, Craig S. “Why Does Luke Use Tongues as a Sign of the Spirit’s Empowerment?”. Journal of Pentecostal Theology 15.2 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1177/0966736907076336
Krodel, Gerhard. Proclamation Commentaries: The New Testament Witness for Preaching. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, 1981.
Longenecker, Richard N. Acts, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas. Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 9. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984.
Lord, Andrew M. Network Church: A Pentecostal Ecclesiology Shaped by Mission. Leiden: Brill, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004225480
Lord, Andrew M. Spirit-Shaped Mission: A Holistic Charismatic Theology. Bletchley: Paternoster, 2005.
Ma, Julie C. and Wonsuk Ma. Mission in the Spirit: Towards a Pentecostal and Charismatic Missiology. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2010.
Ma, Wonsuk et al. (eds). Pentecostal Mission and Global Christianity. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series. Oxford: Regnum, 2014.
Macchia, Frank D. Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.
Macchia, Frank D. “The Struggle for Global Witness: Shifting Paradigms in Pentecostal Theology”. In Murray W. Dempster et al. (eds), The Globalization of Pentecostalism: A Religion Made to Travel. Carlisle: Regnum, 1999.
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McGee, Gary B. “Pentecostals and Their Various Strategies for Global Missions: A Historical Assessment”. In Murray W. Dempster, Byron D. Klaus and Douglas Petersen (eds), Called and Empowered: Global Mission in Pentecostal Perspective. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991.
Menzies, Robert P. Empowered for Witness: The Spirit in Luke–Acts. New York: T. & T. Clark, 2004.
Menzies, Robert P. Speaking in Tongues. Cleveland, TN: CPT, 2016.
Mittlestadt, Martin William. Reading Luke–Acts in the Pentecostal Tradition. Cleveland, TN: CPT, 2010.
Mittlestadt, Martin William. “Reimagining Luke–Acts: Amos Yong and the Biblical Foundation of Pentecostal Theology”. In Wolfgang Mittelstadt and Martin W. Vondey (eds), The Theology of Amos Yong and the New Face of Pentecostal Scholarship. Leiden: Brill, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004251762_003
Mittlestadt, Martin William. The Spirit and Suffering in Luke–Acts: Implications for a Pentecostal Pneumatology. New York: T. & T. Clark, 2004.
Murphy, Edward F. “The Missionary Society as an Apostolic Team”, Practical Anthropology 4.1 (1976): 113. https://doi.org/10.1177/009182967600400113
Neill, Stephen. Creative Tension. London: Edenburgh House, 1959.
Newbigin, Lesslie. “Future of Missions and Missionaries”, Review and Expositor 74.2 (1977): 215–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/003463737707400208
Pelikan, Jaraslov. Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2005.
Penney, John Michael. The Missionary Emphasis of Lukan Pneumatology. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1997.
Pomerville, Paul. The Third Force in Missions. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2016.
Powers, Janet Everts. “Missionary Tongues?”. Journal of Pentecostal Theology 8.17 (2000): 39–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/096673690000801708
Self, Charles E. “Toward the Centennial: Times of Transformation”. In Gary B. McGee (ed.), People of the Spirit: The Assemblies of God. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2014.
Sugden, Chris. “Mission as Transformation – Its Journey Since Lausanne I”. In Brian Woolnough and Wonsuk Ma (eds), Holistic Mission: God’s Plan for God’s People. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2010.
Taylor, John V. For All the World. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster, 1966.
Taylor, John V. The Go-between God: The Holy Spirit and Christian Mission. London: SCM Press, 1975.
Thompson, Alan J. The Acts of the Risen Lord: Luke’s Account of God’s Unfolding Plan, ed. D. A. Carson. New Studies in Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2011.
Vondey, Wolfgang. Pentecostal Theology: Living the Full Gospel. London: T. & T. Clark, 2018.
Wenk, Matthias. Community Forming Power. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 2000.
Winter, Ralph D. “Two Structures of God’s Redemptive Mission”. Missiology 2.1 (1974): 220–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/009182967400200109
Woolnough, Brian and Wonsuk Ma (eds). Holistic Mission: God’s Plan for God’s People. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2010.
Wrogemann, Henning. Theologies of Mission, Intercultural Theologies, vol. 2. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018.
Augustine, Daniela C. Pentecost, Hospitality, and Transfiguration: Toward a Spirit-Inspired Vision of Social Transformation. Cleveland, TN: CPT, 2012.
Bock, Darrell L. Acts. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007.
Bockmuehl, Klaus. Evangelicals and Social Ethics. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1975.
Boer, Harry R. Pentecost and Missions. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1961.
Borgman, Paul. The Way According to Luke: Hearing the Whole Story of Luke–Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006.
Chan, Simon. Pentecostal Ecclesiology. Blandford Forum: Deo, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004397149
Conzelmann, Hans. The Theology of St. Luke. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, 1961.
Cox, Harvey. Fire from Heaven. New York: Addison-Wesley, 1995.
Dempster, Murray W. “Evangelism, Social Concern, and the Kingdom of God”. In Murray W. Dempster, Byron D. Klaus and Douglas Petersen (eds), Called and Empowered: Global Mission in Pentecostal Perspective. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991.
Flett, John. G. The Witness of God: The Trinity, Missio Dei, Karl Barth, and the Nature of the Christian Community. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2010.
Goheen, Michael W. A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011.
Gonza?lez, Justo L. Acts: The Gospel of the Spirit. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2001.
Green, Joel B. Conversion in Luke–Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015.
Hodges, Melvin. Growing Young Churches. Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1970.
Hodges, Melvin. A Theology of the Church and Its Mission: A Pentecostal Perspective. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1977.
Hovenden, Gerald. Speaking in Tongues: The New Testament Evidence in Context. London: Sheffield Academic, 2002.
Hurtado, Larry. “Normal but Not a Norm: ‘Initial Evidence’ in the New Testament”. In Gary B. McGee (ed.), Initial Evidence. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2007.
Ireland, Jerry M. “From Solidarity to Sodality: Compassionate Missions, Local Churches, and the Fostering of Cross-cultural Missionary Bands”. In Geoffrey Hartt et al. (eds), Churches on Mission: God’s Grace Abounding to the Nations. Pasadena, CA: William Carey, 2017.
Keener, Craig. Acts: 15:1–23:35, vol. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012.
Keener, Craig. “Tongues as Evidence of the Spirit’s Empowerment in Acts”. In Stanley M. Burgess and Paul W. Lewis (eds), A Light to the Nations. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2017.
Keener, Craig S. “Why Does Luke Use Tongues as a Sign of the Spirit’s Empowerment?”. Journal of Pentecostal Theology 15.2 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1177/0966736907076336
Krodel, Gerhard. Proclamation Commentaries: The New Testament Witness for Preaching. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, 1981.
Longenecker, Richard N. Acts, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas. Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 9. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984.
Lord, Andrew M. Network Church: A Pentecostal Ecclesiology Shaped by Mission. Leiden: Brill, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004225480
Lord, Andrew M. Spirit-Shaped Mission: A Holistic Charismatic Theology. Bletchley: Paternoster, 2005.
Ma, Julie C. and Wonsuk Ma. Mission in the Spirit: Towards a Pentecostal and Charismatic Missiology. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2010.
Ma, Wonsuk et al. (eds). Pentecostal Mission and Global Christianity. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series. Oxford: Regnum, 2014.
Macchia, Frank D. Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.
Macchia, Frank D. “The Struggle for Global Witness: Shifting Paradigms in Pentecostal Theology”. In Murray W. Dempster et al. (eds), The Globalization of Pentecostalism: A Religion Made to Travel. Carlisle: Regnum, 1999.
McGee, Gary B. “‘Latter Rain’ Falling in the East: Early-Twentieth-Century Pentecostalism in India and the Debate over Speaking in Tongues”. Church History 68 (1999): 648–65. https://doi.org/10.2307/3170042
McGee, Gary B. “Pentecostals and Their Various Strategies for Global Missions: A Historical Assessment”. In Murray W. Dempster, Byron D. Klaus and Douglas Petersen (eds), Called and Empowered: Global Mission in Pentecostal Perspective. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991.
Menzies, Robert P. Empowered for Witness: The Spirit in Luke–Acts. New York: T. & T. Clark, 2004.
Menzies, Robert P. Speaking in Tongues. Cleveland, TN: CPT, 2016.
Mittlestadt, Martin William. Reading Luke–Acts in the Pentecostal Tradition. Cleveland, TN: CPT, 2010.
Mittlestadt, Martin William. “Reimagining Luke–Acts: Amos Yong and the Biblical Foundation of Pentecostal Theology”. In Wolfgang Mittelstadt and Martin W. Vondey (eds), The Theology of Amos Yong and the New Face of Pentecostal Scholarship. Leiden: Brill, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004251762_003
Mittlestadt, Martin William. The Spirit and Suffering in Luke–Acts: Implications for a Pentecostal Pneumatology. New York: T. & T. Clark, 2004.
Murphy, Edward F. “The Missionary Society as an Apostolic Team”, Practical Anthropology 4.1 (1976): 113. https://doi.org/10.1177/009182967600400113
Neill, Stephen. Creative Tension. London: Edenburgh House, 1959.
Newbigin, Lesslie. “Future of Missions and Missionaries”, Review and Expositor 74.2 (1977): 215–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/003463737707400208
Pelikan, Jaraslov. Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2005.
Penney, John Michael. The Missionary Emphasis of Lukan Pneumatology. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1997.
Pomerville, Paul. The Third Force in Missions. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2016.
Powers, Janet Everts. “Missionary Tongues?”. Journal of Pentecostal Theology 8.17 (2000): 39–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/096673690000801708
Self, Charles E. “Toward the Centennial: Times of Transformation”. In Gary B. McGee (ed.), People of the Spirit: The Assemblies of God. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2014.
Sugden, Chris. “Mission as Transformation – Its Journey Since Lausanne I”. In Brian Woolnough and Wonsuk Ma (eds), Holistic Mission: God’s Plan for God’s People. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2010.
Taylor, John V. For All the World. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster, 1966.
Taylor, John V. The Go-between God: The Holy Spirit and Christian Mission. London: SCM Press, 1975.
Thompson, Alan J. The Acts of the Risen Lord: Luke’s Account of God’s Unfolding Plan, ed. D. A. Carson. New Studies in Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2011.
Vondey, Wolfgang. Pentecostal Theology: Living the Full Gospel. London: T. & T. Clark, 2018.
Wenk, Matthias. Community Forming Power. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 2000.
Winter, Ralph D. “Two Structures of God’s Redemptive Mission”. Missiology 2.1 (1974): 220–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/009182967400200109
Woolnough, Brian and Wonsuk Ma (eds). Holistic Mission: God’s Plan for God’s People. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2010.
Wrogemann, Henning. Theologies of Mission, Intercultural Theologies, vol. 2. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018.
Published
2019-11-20
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Ireland, J. M. (2019). The Missionary Nature of Tongues in the Book of Acts. PentecoStudies, 18(2), 200-223. https://doi.org/10.1558/pent.37954
