Thursday, November 20, 2008

Speaking In Tongues

Glossolalia is when you speak in a "language" that no one on earth (including yourself) can understand. (The idea is that God can.) Xenoglossy is when you speak in an actual language that you have no way of knowing. Both of these are usually called "speaking in tongues." The second one (Xenoglossy) is certainly more impressive. This is what the apostles (in the book of the Acts) reportedly did. They could preach to people who spoke other languages, as if they had a Babel Fish for the mouth. That's why Xenoglossy is often more specifically called "the gift of tongues," and why you'll be hard-pressed to actually find it. Plain old speaking in tongues, however, is fairly common. You may have done it yourself.