Brian,
I am not 'trying' to make it anything!
I SAW people come to Christ, who DID NOT speak OR understand English, before they came into our church, and they still don't. Except for when my pastor is preaching. This miracle takes place each week for them. They listen to him preach and can UNDERSTAND him until he leaves the pulpit. Only those who speak spanish can communicate with them. They are migrant farm workers, and they have only been in the US for about 3 months NOW. When they first started coming to our church, they just came in and sat down like they belonged there! The whole family came to Christ, and was baptized. There are other cases of this, if you would like me to relate them.
The day of Pentecost experience states that there were cloven tongues of fire that SAT on the listeners, and the question they ask of one another, tells me that they were experiencing something similar to the Mexican family,
"How is it that we HEAR them speak in our own language?"
Now, I asked this before, but you didn't answer:
Were the Aposltes preaching in EVERY language known to man ALL AT ONCE?
Because the Bible says that there were people of EVERY TONGUE and Nation present there. EVERY.
How many languages were there back then? Could we modestly assume 200? If there WERE 200 apostles, and they WERE ALL speaking, then each of them would have to have been speaking a different language, and there would have been mass confusion.
BUT, if the Apostles spoke, and the people were listening, and the 'tongues' that sat on them were translating the words into the ears of the hearer, then there would be NO confusion, and many would be saved.
Which is WHAT happened.
Look at it again.
2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8. And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10. Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11. Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13. Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
They HEARD.
This 'miracle' that has taken place all over the world RECENTLY through the power of the Holy Spirit, that edifies the CHURCH BODY, by ADDING TO IT, IS what the Apostles were experiencing.
The Apostles KNEW what they were saying.
Why? They were speaking plainly. THE SPIRIT translated it into the ears of the hearers.
Unless of course you want to submit that the Medes who were there were being edified by an Apostle speaking in an Arabian dialect?
God Bless