I have just finished watching a cessationist video where the speaker said that tongues is preaching the gospel in understandable world languages. He said that when the disciples on the Day of Pentecost spoke in tongues they were preaching the gospel to the crowd who heard them in their own languages, and when Peter got up to speak, he continued to address them in tongues.
So, let's look at the Acts references to tongues and see what the Bible actually says.
Acts 2:1-15:
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[a] 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.
Here they started to speak in tongues. Note that it says "as the Spirit gave them utterance". This means that they didn't make it up. The Spirit enabled them to speak languages they had never learned.
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
The people in the crowd were bewildered, because each heard the disciples speaking in his own language. They were amazed because they knew that the speakers were Galileans, who they knew would not have any way of knowing all the regional languages the disciples were speaking. Ordinary Galileans would be able to speak Aramaic and Greek, and would not be likely to have been able to speak Hebrew, because it was the educated Jews who could do that.
—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.”
Note that they were speaking the mighty works of God. There is no mention that they were preaching the Gospel. Therefore the view that they were preaching the Gospel in tongues to the crowd is adding something into the text that isn't there.
Peter's Sermon at Pentecost
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day
Now Peter gets up and explains to the crowd what the tongues meant, and goes on to preach the Gospel to them. There is nothing in the text that he continued in tongues when he started preaching. It is quite probable that he preached in either Aramaic or Greek and the crowd, knowing both languages would have understood. He didn't need to preach in tongues. So the idea that he preached in tongues is also reading into the text something that isn't there at all.
Let's look at what happened to Cornelius and his family:
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Notice in this passage, Peter preaches the Gospel to them. He doesn't preach to them in tongues. He used Greek, because he was preaching to a Gentile who probably knew Greek better than Aramaic.
The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days
It was after Peter preached the Gospel to them that the Holy Spirit fell and they spoke in tongues. But they weren't speaking the Gospel at all. They were praising and extolling God for His wonderful works just like the disciples at Pentecost. Peter told the Apostles at Jerusalem later on that "the Holy Spirit fell on them in the same way He fell on us."
Let's now look at the Ephesus disciples:
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland[a] country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all. (Acts 19:1-6).
Notice here that Paul preached the Gospel to these disciples in the Greek language, and then baptised them in the name of Jesus. He did not preach to them in tongues. It was after he preached that the Holy Spirit fell on these men. There is no mention in the text that they preached the Gospel when they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
So what we see in these three references to tongues in Acts, that the Scripture as it is written, does not support anyone preaching the Gospel in tongues. The cessationist view that tongues was used to preach the Gospel is a product of eisegesis not exegesis. They are reading into the text what is not there. Therefore the teaching that tongues is used to preach the Gospel is false, and there is no evidence that tongues were ever used to preach the Gospel anywhere. The teaching that when Paul spoke in tongues more than all the Corinthians, he was using tongues to preach the Gospels wherever he went is totally false.
