GLOSSOLALIA - Literally,
"speaking in tongues." St. Paul uses the term to describe not an emotional experience but a spiritual gift
(1 Cor. 12:10), though not one of the higher gifts
(1 Cor. 14:1-5). At Pentecost the gift was given to allow those present to hear the gospel in their native language
(Acts 2:6); in Corinth, the gift is an ecstatic utterance
(1 Cor. 14:2). The Apostle warns against too much emphasis on this experience, urging instead that believers seek to manifest love
(1 Cor. 13:1) and communicate the gospel intelligibly
(1 Cor. 14:19). Glossolalia has never played a significant role in historic Orthodox spirituality.
(1 Cor. 12?14.)
