Quest. Just an observation ... the assumption that Paul's use of spirit is necessarily the Holy Spirit. That the spirit of the believer is joined with the Spirit is one thing, but indeed the usage does not demand this as a reference to Spirit.
This is something that the various translations have struggled over but for those of us who view the makup of man as being either dichotomous or functionally dichotomous, where we do not see man as having a human spirit, where he is composed of a body and a soul then this makes sense.
Things can very easily become a bit more complicated for those who hold to the trichotomist understanding where they view man as being composed of body, soul and a human spirit so they can very easily find themselves paddling up the creek without a paddle (or maybe that could be paddling up the creek with someone else’s paddle and they want it back).
Due to the input from various Pentecostal and charismatic scholars (along with those who are deemed to be scholastically “open-but-cautious”), various translation committees have recognised this anomaly where they have made the change from
spirit to
Spirit to better reflect Paul’s meaning.
· NIV (2011), the original 1984 edition had ‘spirit’
· Complete Jewish Bible
· English Standard Version
· New Living Translation
· New Revised Standard Version
· RSV 1952
· Holman Christian Standard Bible
· New Jerusalem Bible
· The Bible in Basic English
· Common English Bible
· The Douay-Rheims American Edition (1899)
· Etheridge Translation of the NT Peshitta (1849)
· The NET Bible, Version 1.0
Likewise, the term "tongue" is used throughout the Scriptures and really does mean language .. to interpret narrowly first is to preclude discussion.
Yes, I raised this point in my earlier (long-winded) post where I made reference to Acts 2 (dialektos) which always refers to language where Paul in 1Cor 14:2 employs
glossa which refers to the physical organ of the tongue. The only way that we can know how any word is being used (in any setting) is by its context and this certainly applies to
glossa. Even though
glossa refers to the physical organ it can also be used to describe the tongue being used to convey an articulate (typically English) or inarticulate (heavenly) sound.
In the NASB/NIV the Greek word
glossa GK1185/SC1100 is used 50 times.
NASB
Mk. 7:33 physical organ
Mk. 7:35 physical organ
Mk. 16:17 physical organ
Lk. 1:64 physical organ
Lk. 16:24 physical organ with no connection with speech
Acts 2:3 tongues of fire
Acts 2:4 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
Acts 2:11 articulate language
Acts 2:26 articulate language
Acts 10:46 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
Acts 19:6 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
Rom. 3:13 physical organ
Rom. 14:11 articulate language
1 Co. 12:10 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 12:28 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 12:30 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 13:1 language (both articulate and inarticulate)
1 Co. 13:8 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:2 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:4 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:5 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:5 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:6 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:9 physical organ as it relates to speech
1 Co. 14:13 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:14 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:18 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:19 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:22 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:23 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:26 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:27 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
1 Co. 14:39 speaking in tongues (inarticulate language)
Phil. 2:11 articulate language
Jas. 1:26 physical organ as it relates to speech
Jas. 3:5 physical organ as it relates to speech
Jas. 3:6 physical organ as it relates to speech
Jas. 3:8 physical organ as it relates to speech
1 Pet. 3:10 physical organ as it relates to speech
1 Jn. 3:18 physical organ as it relates to speech
Rev. 5:9 physical organ as it relates to speech
Rev. 7:9 physical organ as it relates to speech
Rev. 10:11 physical organ as it relates to speech
Rev. 11:9 physical organ as it relates to speech
Rev. 13:7 physical organ as it relates to speech
Rev. 14:6 physical organ as it relates to speech
Rev. 16:10 physical organ
Rev. 17:15 physical organ as it relates to speech
. . .
For a bit of interest I will add in with how many translations often translate the Greek word ‘phone’ (Eng. Sound) for language where the NIV is a good example of this. What the translation committee inadvertently did was to change Paul’s (intentional or unintentional) emphasis with inarticulate sound to that of articulate sound. Where they changed ‘phone’ from sound to language I have placed a note in brackets. _
1Co 14:7-11 (NIV 1984)
"Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call [sound], who will get ready for battle? So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages [sounds] in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning [power] of what someone is saying [sound], I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me".
Friberg Lexicon:
5515 γλῶσσα, ης, ἡ tongue; (1) literally, the organ of speech and taste tongue (MK 7.33); figuratively, as a means of verbal communication tongue, language (AC 2.11); (2) by metonymy tribe, people, or nation that speaks a common language (RV 5.9); (3) as a religious technical term for glossalalia tongues(-speaking), understood variously to be unintelligible ecstatic utterance (1C 14.2), heavenly language (1C 13.1), or foreign languages not learned through natural means by the speaker (AC 2.4); (4) as the shape of fire forked flames (AC 2.3)
Louw-Nida Lexicon:
8.21 γλῶσσα, ης f - 'tongue.' ἡ γλῶσσα μικρὸν μέλος ἐστίν 'the tongue is a small member of the body' Jas 3.5. Though in Jas 3.5 the tongue is referred to as a part of the body, it is used essentially as a symbol for speech, and since in some languages the tongue is not regarded as an organ of speech, but simply as a part of the mouth, it may be necessary to change the expression to read 'the mouth is a small member of the body' or 'speaking is only a small part of one's life.' It is obviously not the tongue as an organ which corrupts the whole person, but the capacity for speech which has such a corrupting effect.
Gingrich Lexicon:
1361 γλῶσσα
γλῶσσα, ης, ἡ tongue—1. lit as an organ of speech Mk 7:33, 35; Lk 16:24; 1 Cor 14:9; Js 1:26; Rv 16:10.—2. language Ac 2:11; Phil 2:11 ; Rv 5:9. The expressions γλῶσσαι, γένη γλωσσῶν, ἐν γ. λαλεῖν etc. refer to the ecstatic speech of those overcome by strong emotion in a cultic context. The latter expression is usually rendered speak in tongues. Ac 19:6; 1 Cor 12:10; 13:1, 8; 14 passim, [glosso-, as prefix in numerous words] [pg 40]