Jesus vs Babel. Opposites?

[WagginDog]

In chapter 11 of Genesis is an intriguing verse: Genesis 11:9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

I was thinking about the gifts of the spirit, and I noticed some of them seem to undo what happened at the Tower of Babel. Also I Corinthians 12 heavily emphasizes that there are many gifts but one body. To me it looks like the gifts of the spirit may have been given as an opposite and healing action to that action taken at the Tower of Babel. What do you think about that?

The following gospel passages appear to to do the reverse of what happens in the following genesis passage.

John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible.

Genesis 10:6 And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

 

[Tim Myers]

I do not read the story of the "Tower of Babel" in a literal fashion, so I probably would be of no help to you......

 

[ebia]

I don't think it matters whether one reads the Babel story literally or not - one important and well recognized way of understanding the work of Jesus and the Spirit is precisely the healing of the issues described in the prologue chapters of Genesis, including those of the Babel story. I'm sure Luke does intend us to recall Genesis 11 when we read Acts 2.

 

[WagginDog]

Appreciate that feedback guys. Good point about Acts and about looking at the story non literally. I grasp what you are talking about.