Has anyone ever experienced tongue speaking a la Acts 2 (i.e. understood by a foreigner)?

TruthSeek3r

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2020
1,593
509
Capital
✟128,643.00
Country
Chile
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I'm aware of the existence of many Pentecostal and Charistmatic Christians that believe in the gift of tongues and claim to be able to exercise it. In fact, one can very easily find lots of examples of people who claim to be able to speak in tongues on platforms such as YouTube and others. Of course, that's not my question. What I'm asking is if there are any examples in recent history of tongue speaking a la Acts 2, namely, someone suddenly speaks in a foreign language that they do not understand and a foreigner who does speak the language understands what they say (with both speaker and listener in shock because of what just happened). Has anyone ever experienced something like this? Or does anyone know of cases like this documented in recent history?

Below Acts 2:1-13 (ESV) for reference:

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”​
 
Last edited:

Soyeong

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2015
12,433
4,605
Hudson
✟284,322.00
Country
United States
Faith
Messianic
Marital Status
Single
I'm aware of the existence of many Pentecostal and Charistmatic Christians that believe in the gift of tongues and claim to be able to exercise it. In fact, one can very easily find lots of examples of people who claim to be able to speak in tongues on platforms such as YouTube and others. Of course, that's not my question. What I'm asking is if there are any examples in recent history of tongue speaking a la Acts 2, namely, someone suddenly speaks in a foreign language that they do not understand and a foreigner who does speak the language understands what they say (with both speaker and listener in shock because of what just happened). Has anyone ever experienced something like this? Or does anyone know of cases like this documented in recent history?

Below Acts 2:1-13 (ESV) for reference:

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”​

My dad told me about a time when he had a conversation at our church with his brother's mother-in-law, who did not speak English, and he did not realize what had happened until afterwards.

I have also spoken with a friend who was on a mission team with someone that they sent into a new area two or three weeks ahead of the rest of the team in order to learn the language to the point of being fluent within that time. For example, it took her three weeks to become fluent in Thai, which is a tonal language that is one of the most difficult for people to learn.
 
Upvote 0

TruthSeek3r

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2020
1,593
509
Capital
✟128,643.00
Country
Chile
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Twice God did this with me to witness to Iranians while in the USAF at Lowry AFB. Both times all of them came to Jesus.

Awesome! Did you suddenly begin to speak in Iranian? Did they understand everything you said?
 
Upvote 0

Daniel Marsh

Well-Known Member
Jun 28, 2015
9,750
2,615
Livingston County, MI, US
✟199,779.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Awesome! Did you suddenly begin to speak in Iranian? Did they understand everything you said?

God spoke their language thru me and gave me the understanding of what they were going to say before they spoke. So, often I would reply before they spoke.
 
Upvote 0

tturt

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Oct 30, 2006
15,774
7,240
✟796,996.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
These testimonies are so encouraging..

It's stated in Marie Woodworth Etter's book "Diary of Signs and Wonders" Plus I've read of other reports of the same thing happening. Of course, some want tongues to only be this way.

What you posted on another thread - John Bevere's teaching about the different types of tongues is Scriptural overall.. (Though his first statement do all speak in tongues he says no so I almost stopped listening. But he explains it later. Agree with him, God makes tongues available to all believers. ((He does His part but doesn't make us)). Anyway he explains -

"To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:" (I Cor 12:10)

The topic of this thread being one type of tongues.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Silly Uncle Wayne

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,332
598
57
Dublin
✟102,646.00
Country
Ireland
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Single
I'm aware of the existence of many Pentecostal and Charistmatic Christians that believe in the gift of tongues and claim to be able to exercise it. In fact, one can very easily find lots of examples of people who claim to be able to speak in tongues on platforms such as YouTube and others. Of course, that's not my question. What I'm asking is if there are any examples in recent history of tongue speaking a la Acts 2, namely, someone suddenly speaks in a foreign language that they do not understand and a foreigner who does speak the language understands what they say (with both speaker and listener in shock because of what just happened). Has anyone ever experienced something like this? Or does anyone know of cases like this documented in recent history?

I personally have not interpreted in such a way, nor spoken in such a way (to the best of my knowledge) but I do know of two such cases - one of which I was present at and the other which is documented and taught by a person I know.

The first instance was the very first time I was speaking in tongues. I went up to talk to the person teaching on the subject. While I was waiting someone else spoke to him and said she'd had a tongue but didn't know what it meant. He matter of factly translated it from his own language (Nigerian, I think).

The second time is recored by Dr. David Petts, the former principle of Mattersey Hall Theological College and documented in his book Body Builders. In this he was teaching on the subject to a church and threw out a tongue by way of example. He was later approached by a woman who said that he had spoken in perfect Romany and told her to stop smoking.
 
Upvote 0

FreeinChrist

CF Advisory team
Christian Forums Staff
Site Advisor
Site Supporter
Jul 2, 2003
145,014
17,404
USA
✟1,749,775.00
Country
United States
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Democrat
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Silly Uncle Wayne

Well-Known Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,332
598
57
Dublin
✟102,646.00
Country
Ireland
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Single
  • Informative
Reactions: TruthSeek3r
Upvote 0

jlfow

Newbie
Jun 1, 2012
9
5
✟16,019.00
Faith
Non-Denom
This happened once (not to me), but I heard this story once (true story), of a church meeting where a man stood up during worship and began to speak in tongues. There was a woman later who approached him in tears (a non-believer), who was at the church service, and said that the man spoke in her specific Russian dialect, which is only spoken by a few hundred in the world. The man asked what was said. Apparently the statement was, "This is God. Now you can believe that I exist."
 
Upvote 0

Presbyterian Continuist

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Mar 28, 2005
21,813
10,794
76
Christchurch New Zealand
Visit site
✟832,604.00
Country
New Zealand
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
In the late 1970s in the prayer meeting of a church I attended, my friend was praying in tongues along with the others, when our Ghanaian visitor stopped the prayer meeting and told my friend that he was praising God in his own rural village dialect. He told my friend exactly what he said. They got all excited over that, especially the Ghanaian brother!

At another time, during the altar call while people who had gone forward for prayer, I was quietly praying in tongues in support of them. Afterwards a New Zealand Maori lady said that I was speaking encouraging things to her in fluent Maori language, a language I had not learned at that time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tturt
Upvote 0