Mar 16:17  “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;” 

Tongue= G1100 glōssa; the tongue, a body part, an organ of speech, used 50 times in the N.T.

This article is going to be about….. you guessed it; tongues in the Bible.

Alright, you know how this goes: Let’s take a look at the first time this word TONGUE is used in the NT, in Mark 7:33, but let’s look at the verses surrounding it too, for full context.

Mark 7:32 And they brought to Him one that was deaf, and that had difficulty speaking, and they asked Him to endeavor to help him.

Mark 7:33 And He took the man aside, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into his ears, and then He spit, and touched his tongue with it; *Right here is the first time the word tongue used.

Mark 7:34 And He looked up to heaven, sighed, and said to him, Ephphatha, which means “be opened”. *This word in is not used anywhere in the books in Aramaic such as Daniel, but a variation of it’s root word is used twice, in Daniel “pethach” in Daniel 6:10 it’s “were opened” and in Daniel 7:10 it’s also translated as “were opened”

Mark 7:35 And immediately his ears *became opened, and the band that was on his *tongue was loosed and he spoke rightly.

The word used in Mark 7:35 above that the KJV translates as “plainly” is actually the Greek word orthōs G3723, and it means: rightly, in the sense of uprightness, soundness and accuracy as it’s used in Luke 7:43 “And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.”

Also, the word in Greek that’s used to translate that unused word Jesus uses in Aramaic “Ephphatha“, in verse 34, in order make open the man’s ears and loose his tongue, is dianoigō G1272, and it’s used 8 times in the NT.

I’d like us all to go over these eight verses a bit, because THIS “being made open” is what needed to happen for the man’s ears to hear, and his tongue to speak rightly. First, I want to re-establish that the very first time the word TONGUE is used in the New Testament; it is talking about Jesus touching His SPIT to a non-rightly speaking man’s tongue; to loose it’s band in order for the man to speak rightly, BUT that HE also made sure to open the man’s EARS, BEFORE he loosed his tongue to speak rightly. I believe that’s key.

The first time this word translated in Greek as “be opened” or dianoigō is used, is in verses 34 and 35 above in Mark. Let’s look at it’s application in the other 6 times it’s used in the NT for some clarity.

Luke 2:23  (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 

Luke 24:31  And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight. 

Luke 24:32  And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures? 

Luke 24:45  Then He opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 

Act 16:14  And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: and whose heart the Lord opened, in order that she might attend to the things which were spoken of by Paul. 

Act 17:3  He was opened up and alleged, that Christ had to suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom he preached to us, is Christ.

So, I think after reading the above applications of this word; I believe we can safely say that this “opening up” goes a bit deeper spiritually than just opening a door or a window. In fact not one single occurrence of this word is used in that context because that word is anoigō in Greek, G455 and IT means; to open or be opened as in a door, a window or even the heavens. THIS word dianoigō, used 8 times in the NT is an opening ONLY God can do. It’s not by accident that the first time this spiritual opening is performed, it’s on a deaf man ears first, and then the spittle of Christ has to touch his tongue for it to be loosed in order to speak rightly.

Now, back to the 50 times the word TONGUE is used in the NT. Don’t worry, I won’t force you to have to go over all 50, just the highlights.. lol!

Mark 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; *This word “new” is kainos and it means: unused, recently made, fresh, recent.

Luke 1:64  And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke giving praise God. 

Acts Chapter 2 is where I want to pay close attention; at the infilling of the Holy Spirit, so let’s dig deeper by looking at Acts chapter two.

Act 2:1 And the Day of Pentecost was coming to a close, they were all gathered together with *one mind, and in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven that sounded like the force of violent wind, and it filled up everyone in the house where they were are seated.

Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them divided tongues like as in fire, and it touched each of them. 
Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with *other tongues, as the Spirit gave them the eloquence to speak. 

This word “other” is heteros and it means: other, another, the other as opposed to some former person or thing. Also, the KJV translates the above word in verse 4 as utterance that the Spirit gave them the ability to speak with; but the word used is apophtheggomai and it specifically means that their words were not words of everyday speech but ones “belonging to dignified and elevated discourses”

Act 2:5 Now, there was residing in Jerusalem, Jewish devotees, people from out of every nation under heaven.
Act 2:6 And when they heard the rushing sound, the crowds came together and were stirred up because each person heard them speaking in their own language. *notice it’s not the word tongue, it’s the word dialektos for language.

Act2:7 And everyone was thrown into wonderment and marveled saying to one another “Look, are not all these that are speaking Galilaeans?
Act 2:8 But how are we able to hear, each and every one of us in our own language, from where we were born?
Act 2:9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites and others that settled in Mesopotamia and Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt and in the parts of Libya around Cyrene and visitors of Rome that were Jewish proselytes,
Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, heard them speaking in their own tongues of the magnificence of God.

Right here, the word tongue is used to mean their own personal ancestral tongue.

Act 2:12 And everyone was amazed, and also were perplexed, saying to one another “What does this mean?”

Acts 2:13 But others mocked and said “They are all full with wine.”

*Okay, that was everything about the infilling of the Holy Spirit at the last hour of Pentecost, and it appears that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit started first as a sound that they all heard, one of of a violent wind rushing and then they saw tongues that were divided or separated like the flames of a fire, that touched them all and they began to speak in languages they had not previously known. It doesn’t say they spoke in tongues, it said they were touched BY tongues after hearing a rushing wind sound, and then they all began to speak in OTHER tongues; what were those other tongues you may ask? Well, it tells us; the tongues were everyone’s languages from the Parthians to the Arabians, that were there to worship the Hebrew God in Jerusalem on Pentecost, and they heard them speaking NOT just any words, but eloquent words in each persons language from their place of birth, speaking about the magnificence wonders of God.

Now let’s take a peek at when the Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10 starting in verse 44.

Act 10:44 Peter yet still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone that heard the words.
Act 10:45 even the faithful among the circumcised were astonished at how the many came together with Peter, and them being Gentiles, were also poured out upon with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Act 10:46 Because they heard them speaking with tongues and speaking of the greatness of God.

How could they possibly know that they were speaking of the greatness of God, if it was just a heavenly tongue that no one could understand? They understood that they were magnifying God because, those that were Jewish, the circumcised that were there, KNEW the Holy Spirit had fallen on the Gentiles that came with Peter, because they were glorifying God in HEBREW, a language only taught to Hebrew children and they were all Gentiles in Joppa.

Are you starting to see a theme here? Here is another scripture.

Act 19:6 And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
*Now this is in Ephesus in Asia Minor, Roman territory, and these are Gentile converts, that only just received the baptism of John for remission of sins, and now Paul is laying hands on them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit; HOW would they know that they are prophesying in the tongues mentioned, unless someone could understand them in their own language?

Do you see where this is going? The person speaking the tongues, has no clue that they are prophesying or that they are magnifying God; they just know they are speaking a new language they have never spoken before by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here’s a bit of insight on the Catholic Church and their rules for classifying if something is a demon or spiritually inspired, meaning supernatural. They ask IF the person bound speaks in a language they have never learned or been in a place where they could have picked it up. So, if even the Catholics know that it takes an act of the supernatural to be able to speak in a tongue that you have never learned; then it shouldn’t be hard for Bible believing Christians to grasp that THIS is what it’s talking about when it says “manifestations” of the Holy Spirit upon people, coupled with the times the this phrase is used “speaking in a loud voice and prophesying”.

Even Paul said when he prayed in tongues his mind was unfruitful, because only God understood what he was saying. 1 Cor 14:14 and in verse 13, if you speak in tongues before others, you are to pray that it can be interpreted, or it benefits no one but you.

1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in tongues. 

1Co 14:22  Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying does not serve them that believe not, but is for them that believe. 

Alrighty then, I think that is a thorough enough little bible study on tongues to get us studying a bit further. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Sorry it feels a bit cut short; grandson number two is being born in the morning and I need to get some sleep.

Be Free and Set Free in Jesus Name~