The purpose was to enable the apostles to proclaim the Gospel to the diverse Jewish crowd in their own languages and dialects.
On the Day of Pentecost, a Jewish feast day, Jews from across the known world had gathered in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit enabled the apostles, primarily uneducated Galileans, to speak in the various languages and dialects of this crowd so that each person could hear the message of salvation clearly. This miracle was not unintelligible gibberish but a divine enablement for effective communication of God's plan of salvation.
Acts 2:4-11 — This passage describes the event at Pentecost where the apostles spoke in various languages and the crowd heard them in their own tongues, showing the purpose of communicating God's message.
In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, and the assembled Jewish pilgrims from various nations each heard them speaking in their own native language (Acts 2:4-11). This was a clear and understandable use of languages, not mere gibberish. The people were amazed that Galileans could speak in the languages of their homelands. The purpose was that men might hear the wonderful works of God in their own tongues.
Les Feldick emphasizes that 'tongues' at Pentecost were actual human languages, not ecstatic utterances. He points out that Pentecost was a Jewish feast day, and Jews from all over the then-known world had gathered in Jerusalem, bringing with them a variety of languages and dialects. The apostles, ordinary uneducated men from Galilee, were supernaturally enabled to speak in these various languages and even dialects so that every listener could understand the Gospel message. This was a divine miracle for the practical purpose of spreading the message of salvation to everyone present.
Les Feldick explains that the Greek word for 'tongues' is 'dialectos', from which we get 'dialect'. This indicates that the apostles not only spoke in regional languages but even in highly specific dialects of individual areas. This was a further demonstration of God's miraculous power in ensuring the message was understood by every person, regardless of their local speech variation.
Les notes that the gift of speaking in tongues (languages) was a miracle delegated by the Holy Spirit only three times in Scripture, with the first being at Pentecost in Acts 2. He contrasts this with the Corinthian situation where Paul emphasizes that speaking in an unknown tongue edifies oneself, not the congregation, and that prophecy (plain preaching) is greater for building up the church.
In Acts 10, when Cornelius and his household—Gentiles—received the Holy Spirit, the Jewish believers with Peter knew it because they heard the Gentiles speaking in tongues (languages) and magnifying God. This supernatural sign showed the Jewish believers that God was indeed pouring out the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles, a shocking and unexpected event that confirmed God's new work.
Three Times the Holy Spirit Delegated Tongues
Les identifies the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 as the first of only three times the Holy Spirit delegated speaking in tongues, and emphasizes it was a Jewish feast day setting.
Tongues as Confirmation for Gentiles
Les explains that tongues at Cornelius's house proved to the Jews that God was pouring out the Holy Spirit on Gentiles, a shocking and unprecedented event.
Tongues as Evidence for Jewish Believers
Les highlights that the Jewish believers, including Peter, recognized the Gentile believers had received the Holy Spirit because they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God.
Tongues and Dialects
Les stresses that the Greek word for tongues means 'dialect' and that the apostles spoke in distinct regional dialects, demonstrating the miraculous precision of the gift.
The Pentecost Crowd
Les reminds that Pentecost was a Jewish feast and the crowd consisted of Jews from all over the then-known world, each hearing Peter's message in their own language.
Tongues vs Prophecy
Les contrasts tongues with prophecy, showing that speaking in an unknown tongue edifies oneself, whereas prophecy (preaching) edifies the whole congregation.
What the Bible Really Says About Love vs Spiritual Gifts
But whatever, we're going to leave that lie for the time being. And so now he says that this whole gift of speaking even in known languages, being able to speak in almost any language that would happen to come up. And Paul makes the statement in chapter 14, in fact you can look over, just cross the page in my Bible, look at I Corinthians 14, verse 18. Quite a statement.
Tongues as Understandable Languages
Les clarifies that the biblical 'tongues' were always known languages, not gibberish, and explains the historical dispersion of the Jews who had developed many dialects.
Acts 2:4-6: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
This passage directly shows the speaking in tongues at Pentecost and that each person heard the message in their own language, illustrating the purpose.
Acts 2:8: And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
This verse emphasizes the miraculous nature of the apostles speaking in languages unknown to them, proving the divine purpose of communication.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the Greek word for 'tongues' means 'language' and that the Pentecost tongues were real, understandable languages and even dialects. Each person in the crowd heard the apostles speaking in their own native language, not in unintelligible sounds.
God's purpose was to communicate the Gospel to the diverse Jewish pilgrims who had gathered for the feast. Since they spoke various languages and dialects, the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to speak so that everyone could understand the message of salvation.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About Speaking in Tongues