Topical Encyclopedia The Bible often highlights the diversity of languages among the nations, which can serve as both a barrier and a means of fulfilling God's purposes. The concept of language as a divine tool and a human challenge is woven throughout the biblical narrative, beginning with the Tower of Babel and extending into the New Testament era.The Tower of Babel The first significant biblical account of language diversity is found in Genesis 11:1-9. The people of the earth, initially unified by a single language, sought to build a city and a tower reaching the heavens. This act of pride and self-sufficiency led God to confuse their language, causing them to scatter across the earth. Genesis 11:7-8 states, "Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city." This event marks the origin of linguistic diversity and highlights the potential for language to both unite and divide humanity. Language as a Barrier Throughout the Old Testament, language differences often serve as a barrier to communication and understanding between nations. For instance, during the reign of King Hezekiah, the Assyrian envoy Rabshakeh addressed the people of Jerusalem in Hebrew, intending to intimidate them (2 Kings 18:26-28). The officials of Judah requested that he speak in Aramaic, a language they understood but the common people did not, to prevent panic. This incident underscores how language can be used strategically in political and military contexts. Prophetic and Apostolic Missions The prophets and apostles faced linguistic challenges in their missions to spread God's message. The prophet Isaiah, for example, prophesied about the Assyrian invasion, noting that the people would hear "a foreign tongue" (Isaiah 28:11). This prophecy not only foretold the coming judgment but also highlighted the difficulty of understanding foreign languages as a sign of divine intervention. In the New Testament, the apostles encountered language barriers as they spread the Gospel beyond Jewish communities. The Day of Pentecost, as described in Acts 2:4-11, is a pivotal moment where the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to speak in various tongues, allowing people from different nations to hear the Gospel in their own languages. Acts 2:6 records, "And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language." This miraculous event temporarily overcame the language barrier, symbolizing the universality of the Gospel message. Language and the Great Commission The Great Commission, as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20, calls for the disciples to "make disciples of all nations." This mandate implies the necessity of overcoming language barriers to fulfill Christ's command. The early church's missionary efforts, as seen in the travels of Paul and other apostles, often required learning new languages or relying on interpreters to communicate effectively with diverse peoples. Eschatological Vision The Bible's eschatological vision includes a reversal of the confusion of languages. Revelation 7:9 envisions a great multitude from "every nation and tribe and people and tongue" standing before the throne of God. This imagery suggests a future where language differences no longer divide humanity but instead contribute to the richness of worship and unity in God's kingdom. In summary, the Bible presents language as both a divine instrument and a human challenge. From the scattering at Babel to the unifying message of Pentecost, language plays a crucial role in God's redemptive plan, reflecting both the complexity of human communication and the ultimate goal of unity in Christ. Torrey's Topical Textbook Ezekiel 3:5,6For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; Torrey's Topical Textbook Library Language and Style. The Day of Pentecost. Commentaries were Anciently Written Upon the Scriptures; Harmonies ... The Figurative Language of Scripture. From the Flood to Abraham Moses and his Writings The Counsel of Gamaliel. The Nations of the South-East The Secret of Its Greatness The Wisdom of God in the Means Used to Propagating the Gospel. Resources What is dynamic equivalence in Bible translation? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the spiritual gift of interpreting tongues? | GotQuestions.org What is metaethics? | GotQuestions.org Language: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Language of all Mankind One at First Language of some Nations Difficult Language: Ancient Kingdoms often Comprehended Nations of Different Language: Confusion of a Punishment for Presumption Language: Confusion of Divided Men Into Separated Nations Language: Confusion of Originated the Varieties In Language: Confusion of Scattered Men Over the Earth Language: Dialects of the Jews Language: Great Variety of, Spoken by Men Language: Interpretation of a Gift of the Holy Spirit Language: Interpretation of Antiquity of Engaging Persons For Language: Interpretation of Most Important in the Early Church Language: Interpretation of The Jews Punished by Being Given up to People of a Strange Language: Kinds of, Mentioned: Arabic Language: Kinds of, Mentioned: Chaldea Language: Kinds of, Mentioned: Egyptian Language: Kinds of, Mentioned: Greek Language: Kinds of, Mentioned: Hebrew Language: Kinds of, Mentioned: Latin Language: Kinds of, Mentioned: Lycaonian Language: Kinds of, Mentioned: Syriack Language: Many Spoken at Jerusalem Language: Parthian and Other Lands Language: Power of Speaking Different: A Gift of the Holy Spirit Language: Power of Speaking Different: A Sign to Unbelievers Language: Power of Speaking Different: Ceased when the Written Bible Completed Language: Power of Speaking Different: Conferred by Laying on of the Apostles' Hands Language: Power of Speaking Different: Followed Receiving the Gospel Language: Power of Speaking Different: Given on the Day of Pentecost Language: Power of Speaking Different: Necessary to Spread of the Gospel Language: Power of Speaking Different: Promised Language: Power of Speaking Different: Sometimes Abused Language: Speaking in Inspired "Tongues" Forbidden Language: The Term Barbarian Applied to Those Who Spoke a Strange Related Terms |
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