Author Archives: Biblical Greek

The testimony of the early Church Fathers confirms that the original understanding of “speaking in tongues” was the miraculous ability to speak real, intelligible human languages previously unknown to the speaker. Fathers such as Irenaeus, Origen, Chrysostom, and Augustine clearly describe the gift as Spirit-empowered speech meant for evangelism and as a sign to unbelievers, not as ecstatic or incoherent utterance. While figures like Tertullian and Justin Martyr are less explicit or remain ambiguous, the broader patristic consensus aligns with the apostolic depiction found in Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14. Tongues, in this view, were practical and missional—expressions of divine communication meant to spread the gospel across linguistic boundaries.… Learn Koine Greek

The biblical expression “speaking in tongues” refers to the miraculous use of real, known human languages rather than ecstatic or unintelligible speech. A close study of key Greek terms in passages like Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 shows that the speech involved recognizable dialects understood by listeners, with Paul emphasizing clarity and interpretability in church gatherings. Even when described as “new tongues,” the term indicates languages unfamiliar to the speaker but still meaningful. Throughout the New Testament, the Greek word γλῶσσα consistently denotes either the physical tongue or an actual language, never incoherent utterance, underscoring that the phenomenon served to communicate God’s message intelligibly and constructively.… Learn Koine Greek