“You can type faster than me!”
And I can do it with my eyes closed, and even hold a conversation with someone else as I do it! (I used to do a lot of data entry.)
“The most natural conveyance of this is the speaker speaks in a language known only to God.”
From Gill’s commentary on the verse:
“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue,....” Or with tongues, as some copies and the Ethiopic version read: Dr. Lightfoot thinks, that the Hebrew tongue, which was become a dead language, and understood but by few, is here meant, and that not without reason; seeing the public prayers, preaching, and singing of psalms among the Jews, were in this languages (x); in imitation of whom, such ministers, who had the gift of speaking this language, read the Scriptures, preached, prayed, and sung psalms in it, which were no ways to the edification of the people, who understood it not; upon which account the apostle recommends prophesying, praying, and singing, in a language that was understood: otherwise he
“speaketh not unto men;” to the understanding, profit, and edification of men: but unto God: to his praise and glory, and he only knowing, who knows all languages, and every word in the tongue what is said; excepting himself, unless there should be any present capable of interpreting:
“for no man understandeth him: or “heareth him”:” that is, hears him, so as to understand him; he may hear a sound, but he cannot tell the meaning of it, and so it is of no use and advantage to him:
“howbeit in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries;” though under the influence and by the extraordinary gift of the Spirit he has, and to his own Spirit and understanding, and with great affection and devotion within himself, he speaks of the deep things of God, and the mysteries of his grace, the most glorious truths of the Gospel, yet the meaning of his voice and words not being known, he is a barbarian to them that hear him; and though what he delivers are truths of the greatest importance, they are a mere jargon to others, being unintelligible.”
I think it is a bigger leap to assume that this is a totally unknown divine language rather than simply a human language that is unknown to the hearers, and is, therefore, mere “[speaking] into the air” (verse 9), or something that is seemingly a barbarous tongue. If Paul was referencing a literal divine language, I doubt he would leave it so ambiguous, but would declare straight out that they are hearing words that are spoken in the very temple of God in heaven.
It’s reading too much into the text due to the necessity of explaining why human languages are not spoken in a pentecostal service.
“Those are Paul’s words, making a distinction btwn “the tongues of men and of angels,” (1Cor. 13:1) That would be mysteries, so why not?”
More than likely it is simply hyperbole, making the point that the gift of tongues is infinitely inferior to love, even if he “spoke with the tongue of angels.” But then we would still be left with a problem, is the language of angels mere babble? Can we look at a transcript of all these “Angelic tongues” being spoken and see that they are similar, in any way, and resemble a language at all?
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: ANd the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; IN THOSE DAYS it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all LANGUAGES OF THE NATIONS, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: FOR WE HAVE HEARD THAT GOD IS WITH YOU."
Now compare that with Acts 2:5-11.
"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of EVERY NATION UNDER HEAVEN." And so on, through v. 11.
Tongues were for the Jews, communicating with those of every nation under heaven.
BTW:This also marks a Divine REVERSAL of Genesis 11:7-9.
That is what my mom could so, at about 300 wpm i think.
Dr. Lightfoot thinks, that the Hebrew tongue, which was become a dead language, and understood but by few, is here meant,
I have Gill also, but you left out b what he said first,
...the speech of angels, when they have assumed human bodies, and have in them spoke with an audible voice, in articulate sounds; of which we have many instances, both in the Old Testament and the New, wherein they have conversed with divers persons, as Hagar, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Manoah and his wife, the Virgin Mary, Zechariah, and others; unless by the tongues of angels should be meant the most eloquent speech, and most excellent of languages; or if there can be thought to be any tongue that exceeds that of men, which, if angels spoke, they would make use of.
Regardless, i see no warrant for relegating this to known languages, which i see Paul makes distinction from.
If Paul was referencing a literal divine language, I doubt he would leave it so ambiguous, but would declare straight out that they are hearing words that are spoken in the very temple of God in heaven.
Specifying the "tongues of angels" is not ambiguous if there is such a thing. And why not?
More than likely it is simply hyperbole,
That is the only warranted alternative i see.
Can we look at a transcript of all these “Angelic tongues” being spoken and see that they are similar, in any way, and resemble a language at all?
And why would it have to? God knows what a groan is expressing. Just being objective.