Have you ever wondered if the gift of tongues was a miracle of speaking or of hearing? Maybe not, but some have, because of two facts the Bible tells us. Let’s dive into Acts 2 to uncover what really happened on that incredible day of Pentecost.
Picture this: the apostles, gathered in Jerusalem, suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit, begin speaking in languages they have never learned. The diverse crowd of devout Jews from every nation under heaven hears them declaring the mighty works of God in their own native tongues.
The gift of tongues wasn’t a miracle of hearing. The text repeatedly emphasizes that it was a miracle of speaking. The apostles were given the ability to speak in real, known languages they had never studied, making the gospel accessible to everyone present.
Yet, two possible objections to this conclusion remain:
First, if you look at verses 7 and 8, the crowd notices all of the speakers were from the same region, yet, they asked, “how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?” They then list over a dozen different dialects represented. That’s a good question! How is it that they all heard the gospel in their own languages? Is it possible that the Holy Spirit was providing these nonbelievers the miraculous ability to hear, rather than just the apostles’ ability to speak? When referencing the miracle in this chapter, the Bible continuously indicates that, in addition to this being a miracle of speaking, the Holy Spirit was equipping the apostles, not the audience. Plus, later in the book of Acts, we have three chapters in a row that make this point: When someone is ready to receive the gospel, the Holy Spirit does not act directly on the unbeliever, but instead sends a human messenger to preach the message. In Acts 8, it’s the man from Ethiopia. He’s reading Scripture and has questions. The Holy Spirit doesn’t teach him directly, but, “the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot’” (Acts 8:29). Then, Philip (not the Spirit directly) teaches him about Jesus. In Acts 9, it’s the same with Saul and Ananias, as well as Cornelius and Peter in Acts 10. Therefore, there is no biblical reason to believe that the Holy Spirit was working a miracle on the non-Christian audience in order for them to hear the gospel on the day of Pentecost. Instead, there is every reason to believe the Holy Spirit was working directly with the apostles only to miraculously communicate the gospel.
But, second, if everyone heard in their own language, why did some in verse 13 mock the apostles, and others think they were drunk? What were they really rejecting? Was it possible that the Holy Spirit had given some in the crowd the miraculous ability to hear and understand, but not all of them? Was it the case that the mockers simply were not receiving the miraculous gift of hearing? No, because in the next verse, Peter “raised his voice and said to them, ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.’” It wasn’t inability for them to understand the words; it was an unwillingness to understand the message of Jesus. Their reaction was one of disbelief and ridicule, not a lack of comprehension. It’s like the soil by the road in Jesus’ parable of the sower:
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.
Matthew 13:19
While many listened, some scoffed, and others mocked, Peter stood up and addressed the crowd, explaining that what they were witnessing was the fulfillment of prophecy and a call to repentance. Those who gave heed to Peter’s words understood perfectly, and about three thousand were baptized that day, a testament to the power and clarity of the message.
The gift of tongues was a divine tool for spreading the gospel across language barriers, emphasizing the universality of God’s message. As we reflect on this incredible event, let’s remember the power of the Holy Spirit to transcend barriers and bring people to the truth—by the gospel through the gift of tongues in the first century, and by the gospel through His spoken and written word today.
A final question we could ask is, “If the gift of tongues was a miracle of hearing, then why did God equip some Christians with the gift of interpretation of tongues?” We have several studies on this site that dive deep into this question and dozens of others regarding the gift of tongues. Check them out here.