On the Day of Pentecost in AD 30, Peter and the other apostles were together in one of the 30 spacious rooms (houses) at the temple complex. Suddenly, a sound “like the rush of a mighty wind” filled the place where they sat, and they “began to speak in other tongues” (Acts 2:2, 4). That is, God miraculously enabled his official witnesses of the resurrection to speak fluently in the many native languages of the Jewish visitors who had traveled to Jerusalem for the festival (vs. 5-6).
Many church-goers today claim to have the gift of tongues. They point to the Pentecost miracle as a pattern for the modern church. When pressed, though, some make a distinction between the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost and the gift of the Spirit experienced by the Corinthians. It’s suggested that the apostles spoke in the native languages of their listeners, whereas the Corinthians spoke in heavenly languages known only to God. It is this latter gift that the modern church continues to enjoy.
Supposedly, support for this position is found in Paul’s Corinthian correspondence: “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit” (1 Cor. 14:2). Was Paul suggesting that the Spirit gave some early Christians the miraculous power to speak gibberish? Surely not! If we understand that the apostle was here correcting the Corinthians’ abuse of tongues (e.g., speaking to the church in languages foreign to the listeners present), then the true meaning of this verse becomes more clear. We may paraphrase Paul’s teaching this way: “For one who speaks in a language foreign to his audience speaks not to men but only to God; for no one present understands him.”