Yes - the disciples' speaking in different dialects at Pentecost was a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, enabling every Jew from every nation to hear God's message in his own language.
Les Feldick emphasizes that this was not an unknown guttural noise, but real, known languages that the international Jewish crowd could easily understand. He also points out that the speakers were ordinary Galilean fishermen, so the ability could not have come from education or natural skill. As a result, the crowd was confounded and amazed as every man heard in his own tongue the wonderful works of God.
Acts 2:4 — Records the moment the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other tongues.
Acts 2:6 — Shows the result: every man heard them speak in his own language, the central event behind the question.
Acts 2:8 — The crowd's own question confirms they heard in their native tongue.
Acts 2:1-4 records that when the day of Pentecost was fully come, the disciples were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:5-6 says there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. When this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. Acts 2:7-8 records the crowd's amazed response: 'Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?' The chapter then lists the many nations represented and concludes, 'we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God' (Acts 2:11).
Les Feldick teaches that the miracle of Pentecost was that God gave the apostles the gift to speak all the languages of the people in that massive crowd. He makes a point that the crowd heard them speak not in an unknown guttural noise, but in a language they could understand. Les calls this the first time in Scripture that the Holy Spirit gave men the gift of speaking known languages which were not intrinsic to their own education. Les also emphasizes who the speakers were. Peter and most of the disciples came from Galilee and were uneducated fishermen. Yet all of a sudden they were speaking the various languages of the Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem from all over the world - Babylon, Spain, India, Syria, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Northern Africa, Egypt. These were Jews who had been displaced and had embraced the languages of those lands, and the twelve disciples were speaking those languages. Les stresses that Pentecost was Jewish and that the tongues were real languages. He also shows the same pattern later in Acts: when the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius spoke in known languages and magnified God, and when the Ephesian believers spoke with languages other than their own, it was still intelligible known languages. Les says these are the only three times in all of Scripture where the Holy Spirit manifested Himself by giving the gift of speaking a multitude of languages.
Les Feldick is emphatic that when the disciples spoke 'with other tongues,' they were speaking real, understandable languages - not 'an unknown guttural noise.' The crowd was confounded because every man heard them speak in his own language. Les lists the far-flung places the Jews had come from - India, Syria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Northern Africa, Egypt - and says these believing Jews heard the twelve disciples speaking their language.
Les points out that Peter and most of the disciples came from Galilee and were uneducated fishermen. They had no formal training in these languages. Suddenly, by the filling of the Holy Spirit, they were speaking the languages of the international crowd. This was a divine miracle, not natural ability.
The Scripture says the multitude came together and were confounded. They were amazed and marvelled, saying, 'Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?' and 'How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?' Les adds that every man heard the twelve disciples speaking his own language and that the crowd heard the wonderful works of God in their own tongues.
Les notes that in the book of Acts, and in all of Scripture, the Holy Spirit manifested Himself by giving the gift of speaking a multitude of languages only three times: at Pentecost, at the house of Cornelius, and with the Ephesian believers when Paul laid his hands on them. In each case the languages were known languages that could be understood by someone present from the same background.
What Peter Really Said at Pentecost — Acts 2 Explained
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Pentecost: Known Languages, Not Noise
Les explains that at Pentecost God gave the apostles the gift of speaking all the languages of the international crowd - real, understandable languages, not guttural sounds - and that the speakers were uneducated Galileans, which made it a miracle.
Why 'Other Tongues' Meant Other Languages
Les clarifies that the 'other tongues' of Acts 2:4 were other languages because the Jews gathered at Pentecost had come from Babylon, Spain, and other regions, each with its own language.
Every Man Heard in His Own Language
Les stresses that the twelve disciples were heard speaking the languages of Jews from India, Syria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Egypt, and more - every man understood them in his own language.
Cornelius: Continuing the Pattern of Known Languages
In the Cornelius account, Les notes the Jews heard the Gentiles speaking known languages and magnifying God - there was no manifestation of an unknown language or guttural sound.
Only Three Manifestations in Scripture
Les says the gift of speaking a multitude of known languages occurred only three times in Scripture - at Pentecost, at Cornelius's house, and with the Ephesian believers - and always in understandable languages.
God Proves a New Work to the Jews
Les explains that at Cornelius's house, God used the Gentiles' speaking in other languages to prove to Peter and the six believing Jews that He was doing something totally new.
The Astonishing Proof for Believing Jews
Les says the believing Jews were astonished because Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit, and God used the phenomenon of speaking other languages as the evidence that stopped Peter's preaching in its tracks.
Acts 2:4: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The moment of the miracle - the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak in other tongues.
Acts 2:6: Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
The crowd's immediate reaction: each person heard the disciples in his own language.
Acts 2:7: And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
The crowd recognized that the speakers were Galileans, which made the miracle more striking.
Acts 2:8: And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
The crowd's question shows that the languages were the actual native languages of the hearers.
Acts 2:11: Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
The crowd concluded that they heard the wonderful works of God in their own tongues.
Les Feldick is clear that they were real, known languages - not an unknown guttural noise. The Scripture says every man heard them speak in his own language, and Les repeatedly emphasizes that these were the languages spoken by Jews from all over the empire.
Les points out that Peter and most of the disciples were from Galilee and were uneducated fishermen. Their sudden ability to speak the various languages of the international crowd was a direct miracle of the Holy Spirit, not the result of human education or ability.
The crowd came together and were confounded, amazed, and marvelled. They asked, 'Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?' and 'How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?' They heard the wonderful works of God in their own languages.
Watch the Teaching: What Peter Really Said at Pentecost — Acts 2 Explained