The Earliest View of New Testament Tongues - Paperback

by Maurice E. Vellacott (Author)

This book is a groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting look at the ""languages/tongues"" problem (γλῶσσαι/glṓssai) of the first-century AD Corinthian church. It adduces that in a multilingual setting, new converts were expressing themselves in their native dialect without translation, where Koine Greek was not yet overriding all regional dialects. This cuts against the idea that tongues were supernatural earthly languages, an idea not found before AD 160. Vellacott also argues against the view that ""tongues"" were heavenly languages, as claimed by Pentecostals/Charismatics. This, he says, is a novel trend started about 145 years ago by German, higher-critical scholars and seized upon after the 1906-15 Los Angeles Azusa Street Revival's supposed supernatural earthly languages proved to be a mirage, whereupon a redefinition to ""heavenly/angelic, non-earthly languages"" occurred. This book soundly establishes the credibility of an ancient third view regarding ""tongues""--that they were non-supernatural, learned, earthly languages. The author endeavors to demonstrate that this is the earliest known Christian interpretation of New Testament tongues/languages.

Author Biography

Maurice Vellacott was a pastor for fourteen years and a Canadian MP for almost two decades. He holds a BCM (Nipawin Bible College), BRE (Briercrest College), MDiv (CTS/Ambrose University), DMin (Trinity International University), Graduate Teacher Diploma (Evangelical Training Association), and a PhD (New Testament) from North-West University (Potchefstroom, South Africa). He's done courses through Jerusalem University College and doctoral work at Dallas Theological Seminary. He's an associate instructor with Walk Thru The Bible.