What is the meaning of "tongue speaking?"

In Acts 2, it is clear what the mention of "tongues" in the chapter is about. It is talking about foreign languages if you will read the whole chapter and it was to fulfill a purpose. It was not for the purpose of "religious entertainment." It was to give the Gospel to the Jews that came to Jerusalem from their foreign lands that they lived, which is described in verse (5), to celebrate Pentecost. These Jews did not speak Hebrew. They spoke the language or "tongue" of the country they actually lived. There had to be a miracle to give the apostles an ability to speak the foreign language of these foreign Jews without trying to learn their language (tongue) first. Listento what the foreign Jews said in verse (8) about how they heard the apostles speak their native tongue. Verses (9-11) mention the nationality of the foreign Jews. This purpose was to preach the Gospel to the Jews first, and then the Gentiles (Romans 1:16). These Jews would go back to their foreign land that they came from after Pentecost having the Gospel preached to them and could tell others about what happened to them to their fellow countrymen. Other instances of the gift of "tongues" are mentioned in other portions of the book of Acts and especially 1 Corinthians. People were very diversified in their cultures and languages, even in small areas. The gift of tongues was used during theApostolic age, which is a time of transition due to the Bible still being written. Now the Bible is complete and the apostles are dead and gone. That which is perfect is come involving the completion of the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:10).

Back to the Index