In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people. – Nehemiah 13:23-24

Introduction

A few months ago a book was recommended in a digital periodical that I subscribe to. Most of the time the books that are reviewed are over my head. However, one book caught my attention. The book was titled “Endangered Languages” by Sarah Thomason. Sarah H. Thomason is the William J. Gedney Collegiate Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Michigan. As far as I know she is not a Christian, and this book was not written with Christians in mind. However, I sat captivated and convicted as I read her book on languages.

Thomason notes that the world’s seven billion people speak about seven thousand languages today. No one knows how many languages have existed over the entire history of humankind, but the number is certainly far higher than seven thousand.

According to most experts’ estimates, at least half of the world’s seven thousand languages will vanish before the end of this century. There are currently 3,220 endangered languages, 635 extinct or dormant languages, and 100 extinct language families – families of related languages that have all vanished. And a language dies – becomes dormant – every three months or so.

Despite the increasing attention given to endangered species and the environment, there has been little awareness that peoples can also be endangered. More has been said about the plight of pandas, tigers and spotted owls than about the disappearance of human language diversity.

Language has played a major role in what has made everything possible for us as a species: our cultures, our technology, our art, music, and much more. Language is the vehicle that produces the culture, traditions and customs that make up a community of people. Without language this is all lost. The loss of the language would mean a loss of the culture, traditions and more importantly the people.

The Language of Pentecost

Over two thousand years ago a language was birthed in a Near East upper room. It came on the heels of the teaching of Jesus Christ. The language of Pentecost was birthed on the day of Pentecost. The language of Pentecost is made up of the vocabulary of the Apostle’s doctrine.

For over two thousand years a language has been spoken that is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone. Our vocabulary is made up of words and phrases such as:

•  Hear! O Israel the Lord our God is One Lord (Deut. 6:4)

•  One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all (Eph. 4:5-6)

•  One mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5)

•  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9)

•  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-3,14)

•  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6)

•  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)

It is vastly important that the language of Pentecost does not become endangered or extinct. The most precious thing we can own is the truth of God’s Word, and we must not allow it to become susceptible to endangerment. Our Apostolic culture, traditions, and customs are built upon the language of Pentecost. Our apostolic doctrine and lifestyle will become susceptible to endangerment if we forget our to speak our language.

The Language of Judah

In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people (Nehemiah 13:23-24)

Israel and Judah had been removed from the Promised Land due to their apostasy. Idolatry and mixing with the other nations had brought about their ruin. Ezra and a remnant of Israel had returned to Jerusalem with the intent of building the temple and restoring worship. Nehemiah had been sent back to Jerusalem with the intention of rebuilding the walls that Babylon had torn down. Ezra and Zerubbabel restored worship, but Nehemiah’s leadership would not only rebuild the walls but rebuild the identity of the Israelites. Israel needed pure worship restored and the identity of being God’s called out people. After the walls had been built and there had been some improvement with Israel’s spirituality, Nehemiah noticed something very strange:

And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people (Neh. 13:24)

The people of Israel had married themselves to foreign peoples such as Ashdod, Ammonites, and Moabites. The Israelites were not to marry or mix with heathen people. But that wasn’t the only problem. Nehemiah noticed a change in the language.

Nehemiah observed it first in the speech of the children. What caught Nehemiah’s attention was that the children were not able to speak the language of Judah. They couldn’t speak the Hebrew language, instead they spoke the languages of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.

The people of Ashdod were a mongrel people. The Ammonites and Moabites worshiped Molech and Chemosh who worshiped their respective gods by sacrificing their children in fire. Ammon and Moab were the incestuous offspring of Lot and his daughters.

There is more than just nationalistic pride at stake with Nehemiah and Israel. What’s at stake is the Scripture. Holy Scripture is in the language of Judah, which was written in Hebrew. They needed to speak the Hebrew language in order to read and obey the Scripture. If the children couldn’t speak Hebrew, then they certainly wouldn’t be able to read and understand the Law and Prophets.

Likewise, the Israelites were to be separate. But the compromise of their separation was identified by their speech. What they spoke was an indicator of their lack of separation.

How Language Becomes Endangered

Last Fluent Speakers are the Elderly

Thomason’s studies show that a language can become endangered when its last fluent speakers are the elderly. When few or no children are learning it as a first or second language. This is called “moribund”- A language that is not being transmitted to younger generations. A language that is not being transmitted to younger generations cannot outlive the last generation of native speakers. This has been the fate of many languages.

Thomason gives six steps of language endangerment.

1. Safe- When the language is spoken by many generations.

2. Vulnerable- Most speak the language but is restricted to certain environments

3. Definitely Endangered- Children no longer learn the language as a mother tongue in home.

4. Severely Endangered- Language is spoken by grandparents and older generations only.

5. Critically Endangered- Youngest generation is the older generation but only spoken infrequently.

6. Extinct- No speakers left.

Brothers and sisters we need to learn and speak the language of Pentecost! Parents we need to be teaching our children the vocabulary of Apostolic Doctrine. We are commanded in Scripture to instruct and teach our children doctrine:

 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates (Deuteronomy 6:6–9)

Thomason concludes that speaker age is a more reliable indicator of endangerment. The more young speakers there are-the more young speakers/children who are learning the language- the less likely the language is to disappear any time soon. The more consistently we speak the language of Pentecost to our children the more likely they are to speak it for themselves!

In the end stages of a slow decline that leads to endangerment and disappearance, children no longer learn their heritage language as a first language, so that the number of fluent speakers shrinks over the next few generations until none are left.

Shifting to Another Speech Community

Next, Thomason says a shift to another speech community will endanger a language. The usual route to language endangerment and death is a shift to speak another language by another speech community.

The Israelites had began to mix themselves with the surrounding peoples and nations. The Ammonites, Moabites and the people of Ashdod had infiltrated Jerusalem with through intermarriage. Ezra was sent back to build the Temple, and Nehemiah was sent back to rebuild the walls. The walls couldn’t keep out what was in the heart of the people. The Israelite’s identity was vanishing and the main indicator was the type of language the children were speaking.

Young people, you do not need to speak the language of the world. We have too many Apostolic students who can speak Madden Mobile, Fortnite, Snapchat, Twitter, and can quote the gods of entertainment. However, they can’t speak the language of Pentecost. They leave the doctrine to adults and preachers.

When two speech communities come into contact and interact regularly, there are likely to be consequences for one or both languages. In particular, the more intense the contact is, the more likely people are to become bilingual; and while bilingualism is by no means a predictor of the future loss of a community’s heritage language, it is often a first step in that direction.

Thomason says that endangerment occurs through “death by borrowing”, in which a language’s lexicon and structures are swapped by borrowed words and structures from a dominant language.

Students you don’t need to date someone outside of the faith. They do not speak the same language as you do. Mixing languages, lifestyles and cultures will only lead to a watering down of the original language. Borrowing from the culture to speak to the culture will only dilute and water-down the original language.

 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:15-17)

Can two walk together, except they be agreed (Amos 3:3)?

The Attitude Towards the Language.

Next, what people think about their language – its value, its usefulness, its importance to their culture – can play a decisive role in the language’s fate. If a language is on the brink of endangerment or extinction, its speakers’ opinions about it may speed, hinder, or even reverse its decline.

Professor Thomason does believe what others think about your language can endanger it, but it is the speaker’s opinion of their language that can lead to its extinction. If you are ashamed of what you believe, then you will not speak it. If you are embarrassed by your heritage then you will not speak it.

No language dies for linguistic reasons; language death is always caused by social factors in the broadest sense. We cannot afford to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16)

You need to love the truth. Our language must be inundated with truth and love. However, that begins with loving truth:

 And with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

Buy the truth, and sell it not (Proverbs 23:23).

How to Revitalize a Language

Thomason gives three ways in which a language can be revitalized:

1. It begins with children. The language of Pentecost and the Apostolic Doctrine has to be in the heart of our students. Doctrine should not be relegated to conferences, camps and church services. This needs to be spoken in your homes, with your friends and in your heart.

2. Students must be encouraged to use it in their digital lives. Doctrine needs to be the basis for your social media posts. God does not need a password to see your social media posts. You may can block your pastor but you can’t block Jesus.

3. Institutions and schooling is not enough. Only through speaking the language publicly and privately will a language sustain life. But that is not enough either. The language must be transmitted to others for it to be safe from extinction.

A language that is spoken by community members of all ages, that is learned by all of the community’s children as a first language, and that is spoken in all domains of everyday life – at home, at work, in the schools, and elsewhere – is not endangered.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:19–20)

Conclusion

• On 21 January 2008, Marie Smith Jones died in her sleep at her home in Anchorage, Alaska. Smith Jones was the last full-blooded Eyak and the last fluent native speaker of the Eyak language, which was indigenous to Alaska. For the last fifteen years of her life she was the only fluent Eyak speaker. The Eyak language has no offspring – no close relatives of any kind. The Eyak language will only enjoy being studied in universities, but not spoken. PRESERVED BUT NEVER SPOKEN.

• A few years ago, linguists raced to the Turkish farm village of Haci Osman to record Tefvik Esenc, a frail farmer believed to be the last known speaker of the Ubykh language once spoken in the northwestern Caucasus. At that time only four or five elder tribesmen remembered some phrases of the language, but only Esenc knew it fluently. Even his own three sons were unable to converse with their father in his native language because they had become Turkish speakers. In 1984 Esenc had already written the inscription he wanted on his gravestone: “This is the grave of Tefvik Esenc. He was the last person able to speak the language they called Ubykh.”

• In another part of the world on the Isle of Man, Ned Maddrell passed away in 1974. With his death, the ancient Manx language left the community of the world’s living tongues. Just a hundred years earlier, not long before his birth, 12,000 people (nearly a third of the island’s population) still spoke Manx, but when Maddrell died, he was the only fluent speaker left.

• In South Carolina a native American named Red Thundercloud died, the last voice of a dying tongue. No longer able to converse in his native language with the remaining members of his community, he took the language of his tribe to the grave with him.

Finally, Thomason writes about “rememberers” – community members who can provide some words and phrases of the dying language, but who cannot use it in conversation. If the consultants have not used their language at all for decades, the need for retrieving old memories will be even more acute – in this case the consultants may be “rememberers”. If there are no remaining almost-fluent speakers, the linguist must glean whatever information is available from people whose knowledge of the language is entirely passive, not active.

Let us keeping speaking and transmitting the language of Pentecost and the Apostolic doctrine. We should teach our children the Scriptures. We should be consistently sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. The church cannot afford to be satisfied with our “four and no more.” The Apostolic church is a movement, not a memorial. Our churches are not to be a museum of what used to be, rather it should be a shining example and extension of what began on the day of Pentecost.

The tombstones of some Christian denominations should be a grave reminder that compromise and forgetfulness are deadly. The Apostolic church has a responsibility to stay on the old paths, but those old paths need new feet.