GES is excited to announce the completion of nine translations of The Epistles of John by Zane C. Hodges. These commentaries are now available as free eBook downloads on our website.
The languages available are Chinese, Croatian, Filipino, Igbo, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish, and can be accessed on our resource page at Grace Evangelical Society: https://faithalone.org/ebooks/
We are thankful for our faithful international translators who labored diligently to make these resources available. Much of this work takes place quietly behind the scenes, but because of their dedication and the generous support of our ministry partners, clear Biblical teaching on eternal life by faith alone in Christ is now accessible to readers across the globe. The Epistles of John have often been a hotbed of theological debate, especially regarding assurance. To offer an FG perspective on these important letters is a priceless opportunity.
The very existence of this translation work highlights an important Biblical reality.
In Scripture, the gift of tongues was not a private prayer language. It consisted of real, known human languages.
In Acts 2, when the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, Luke records that each person heard the apostles “speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6, NKJV). The text goes on to list identifiable language groups: Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, and so on (Acts 2:9-11).
Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 14. He insists that tongues without interpretation do not edify (1 Cor 14:5, 27-28), which only makes sense if real linguistic content is being communicated. Furthermore, in 1 Cor 13:8, Paul states that tongues “will cease.” The verb indicates that they would stop of themselves, unlike prophecy and knowledge, which are said to be “done away.”
Paul decisively explains the purpose of tongues in 1 Cor 14:21-22 by quoting Isa 28:11-12, which cited foreign languages as a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel. Tongues were not primarily an evangelistic tool for the nations; they were covenantal signs directed toward Israel, a marker that a transition in God’s program was underway.Once that purpose was fulfilled, once the apostolic foundation was laid and the transitional period ended, the sign ceased. If the Biblical gift of tongues were active today as it was in Acts 2, we would not need translators, and this project would not be necessary.
Missionaries would not require years of language study. Bible societies would not need translation committees. Ministries like ours would not depend on faithful linguists who carefully work through grammar, syntax, and nuance.
Yet they do, and we do.
I will tell you a story that I am not too proud of. Many years ago, a couple involved in ministry told me how they went to a church in another country. They told me it was a church in which people spoke in tongues. They said the Spirit was moving through the congregation, and it was such a beautiful experience. It was an international congregation, with people from many different countries attending. But this couple told me how considerate the church was. They provided headphones that translated the sermon into many languages, so all could understand. I gave a smart aleck response: “Why didn’t the people speaking in tongues simply translate the sermon?”
We still need translators. We still labor word by word to communicate truth across language barriers. That reality alone strongly suggests that what occurred in Acts 2 is not occurring today.
That is why we are profoundly grateful for those who serve in translation work. Their task is hard, but essential. Because of their diligence, the message of eternal life by faith alone in Christ is being read and understood in multiple languages around the world!
As we celebrate the completion of these nine translations of The Epistles of John, we also look ahead. Plans are underway to begin translating Zane’s commentaries on 1 and 2 Peter.
Please share these free eBooks widely. Our goal is to see clear Biblical truth placed in as many hands as possible, across languages, across cultures, and across the globe.
It would be easier if tongues were active today. But they are not.
