Tongues in the Seventh-day Adventist Church

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Seventh-day Adventists believe that the spiritual gifts such as "speaking in tongues" are used to communicate the truth to other people from differing languages, and are skeptical of tongues as practiced by charismatic and Pentecostal Christians today.

Beliefs

Belief "17. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries" of the official 28 Fundamental Beliefs of Adventists affirms that spiritual gifts do continue into the present.^[1] While the gift of tongues or "glossolalia" is not specifically mentioned, Adventists more often limit it to the ability to speak unlearned human languages, or "xenoglossy"; and have generally rejected the form of tongues practised by many charismatic and Pentecostal Christians, described as ecstatic speech or a "personal prayer language".^[2]

Supporting this position is Gerhard Hasel, who believed the practice refers to unknown human languages only, and not angelic languages nor ecstatic speech.^[3] His document has been frequently cited by Adventists. The Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology takes the position that speaking in tongues refers to "previously unlearned human languages" (xenoglossy), using the experience on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 as the "criterion" for later interpretation.^[4] David Asscherick also believes tongues are xenoglossy only.^[5]

Ellen G. White wrote concerning this issue. She states...

Some of these persons have exercises which they call gifts and say that the Lord has placed them in the church. They have an unmeaning gibberish which they call the unknown tongue, which is unknown not only by man but by the Lord and all heaven. Such gifts are manufactured by men and women, aided by the great deceiver. Fanaticism, false excitement, false talking in tongues, and noisy exercises have been considered gifts which God has placed in the church. Some have been deceived here.

— Testimonies for the Church Vol 1, p. 412

She also stated... "They give themselves up to wild, excitable feelings and make unintelligible sounds which they call the gift of tongues, and a certain class seem to be charmed with these strange manifestations. A strange spirit rules with this class, which would bear down and run over anyone who would reprove them. God's Spirit is not in the work and does not attend such workmen. They have another spirit."^[6]

See also other Adventist commentators.^[7]

History

Early Counterfeit Incidents in Adventistism

The first counterfeit instance in regards to a doctrine issue occurred in 1848. James White recorded the incident writing "There has been some division as to the time of beginning the Sabbath. Some commenced at sundown. Most, however, at 6 P.M. A week ago Sabbath we made this a subject of prayer. The Holy Ghost came down, Brother Chamberlain was filled with the power. In this state he cried out in an unknown tongue. The interpretation followed which was this: 'Give me the chalk, Give me the chalk.' Well, thought I, if there is none in the house then I shall doubt this, but in a moment a brother took down a good piece of chalk. Brother Chamberlain took it and in the power he drew a figure on the floor."^[8]

Brother Chamberlain then gave his own interpretation to his unknown tongue and the drawing...

This represents Jesus' words, 'Are there not twelve hours in the day?' This figure represents the day or the last half of the day. Daylight is half gone when the sun is south or halfway from each horizon, at 12 o'clock. Now go each way six hours and you will get the twelve-hour day. At any time of year the day ends at 6 P.M. Here is where the Sabbath begins at 6 P.M. Satan would get us from this time. But let us stand fast in the Sabbath as God has given it to us and Brother Bates.

— Brother Chamberlain's words as recorded by James White - Letter to "My Dear Brother," July 2, 1848, written from Berlin, Connecticut.

This experience carried weight with the believers and they continued to observe the beginning of the Sabbath at six o'clock.^[9] Later on, through a study of the Bible, this incident was later discovered as a counterfeit manifestation of the gift of tongues. In the summer of 1855, James White urged J.N. Andrews to investigate the Sabbath commencement issue. After several weeks of a "careful investigation of the Scriptures, (he) demonstrated from nine texts in the Old Testament and two texts in the New that the Sabbath began at sundown. Andrews' conclusions were read at the conference in Battle Creek, November, 1855, and, from the scriptural evidence set forth, those present accepted the responsibility of shifting from six o'clock to sundown as the time to begin the Sabbath." ^[10]

There are four documented cases of people claiming to speak in tongues in the early history of the Adventist church, according to Arthur White:^[11]

• The first was in 1847 when Brother Chamberlain claimed to interpret Brother Ralph's message in an unknown tongue.^[12]
• The second was in 1848 when Brother Chamberlain claimed to speak in an unknown tongue. (mentioned above)
• The third was in 1849, when Brother Ralph claimed to speak in a tongue, which was interpreted that S. W. Rhodes should be retrieved, so Ralph and Hiram Edson went. When they met him, Ralph again "spoke in a new tongue, and gave the interpretation in power".^[13]
• The fourth claim was in 1851 at the church of East Bethel, Vermont.^[14]

Arthur White states "There is no record of Ellen White's giving explicit support to, or placing her endorsement upon, these ecstatic experiences with unknown tongues, although she was an eyewitness to three of the four." ^[15]

There have also been other counterfeit claims. In June 1853 on her trip to Vergennes, Michigan, Ellen White rebuked a certain "Mrs. A." who "professes to talk with tongues, but she is deceived. She does not talk the language she claims to speak. In fact, she does not talk any language. If all the nations of the earth were together, and should hear her talk, no one of them would know what she says; for she merely goes over a lot of meaningless gibberish."^[16] The woman claimed to speak the local Native American language.^[17]

"At a meeting she held the next day, this woman spoke on the subject of holiness, and during her talk broke out again in the unknown tongue. An Indian who had been invited to come in to hear her speak his language jumped to his feet, declaring: "Very bad Indian that! Very bad Indian that!" When asked what the woman said, he declared: "Nothing; she talk no Indian."

A few days later in the presence of an Indian interpreter who knew 17 of the languages, she spoke and prayed in her gibberish, and he declared that she had not uttered a single Indian word. Her influence was short lived, not only because of this experience, but because of the disclosure (from one of Ellen White's visions) that the man with whom she traveled and lived was not her husband. This in time was confessed."^[18]

Later experiences

Ralph Mackin and his wife claimed to experience gifts of the Holy Spirit such as prophecy, speaking in tongues, and even casting out demons. At an Adventist camp meeting in Mansfield, Ohio; they also claimed the gift of tongues, with Ralph speaking Chinese and his wife Yiddish as the result of a vision.^[19] Ellen White was cautious if not skeptical, and ultimately rebuked their testimony stating...

"I was shown that it was not the Spirit of the Lord that was inspiring Brother and Sister Mackin, but the same spirit of fanaticism that is ever seeking entrance into the remnant church. Their application of Scripture of their peculiar exercises is Scripture misapplied. The work of declaring persons possessed of the devil, and then praying with them and pretending to cast out the evil spirits, is fanaticism which will bring into disrepute any church which sanctions such work."^[20]

She continues to state...

I was shown that we must give no encouragement to these demonstrations, but must guard the people with a decided testimony against that which would bring a stain upon the name of Seventh-day Adventists, and destroy the confidence of the people in the message of truth which they must bear to the world.

— Selected Messages book 2, chapter 4

Pentecostal-turned-Adventist E. C. Card says he gave up speaking in tongues.^[21] Howard Blum shared his perspective.^[22]

One website article, part 2 - "A False Concept Of the Son" claims Demos Shakarian (1913–1993) and the FGBMFI held a meeting to distribute their Voice magazine to Adventist workers. It mentions Adventists Bill Loveless and Dr. Lowe. ^[23] This was viewed with concern by Adventists, as one editor stated, "Already we have lost members to the delusions of this phenomenon. Some have been young people."^[24]

In 2007, Australian administrator Gilbert Cangy reported receiving the gift of unlearned human languages (xenoglossy), when in the Vanuatuan island Ambrym, local Bislama speakers understood his English presentations.^[25]

The 1991 National Church Life Survey in Australia found that approximately 5% of Australian Adventists approve of and/or speak in tongues, whereas 11% have no opinion and approximately 85% disapprove. This was the highest disapproval rating amongst all denominations surveyed.^[26]

See also

• Prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Seventh-day Adventist worship

References

• Hegstad, Roland R. (1974). Rattling the Gates. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald. 
• Noorbergen, Rene. Glossolalia: Sweet Sounds of Ecstasy (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press, c.1973)

External links

• Speaking in Tongues: A Brief History of the Phenomenon Known as Glossolalia, or Speaking in Tongues by Harry W. Lowe (Pacific Press, 1965). Reprinted on the Biblical Research Institute website
• "Tongue Speaking in Early SDA History", a bibliography by Gary Shearer
• Search for "Glossolalia" in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)