Acts 2:4

Acts 2:4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, etc. And then those fire-tongues they saw flaming round their heads a bright and glorious aureole seemed to speak from each man's heart, and to give utterance in a new strange language to the thoughts of awful joy and thankfulness which the new possession of the Spirit woke up within them; for they were joined now, as never man had been joined before, with the Spirit of the Eternal. It was the Spirit with all the fulness of Christ and His redeeming work. Under the old covenant, when the tabernacle was building, skilful artists like Bezaleel, leaders and judges like Joshua, were

filled now and again with the Spirit of God ‘and the Spirit of wisdom' (Exodus 31:3; Deuteronomy 34:9). Solitary instances among the prophets of Israel may be cited where the Spirit of the Lord dwelt for a time in this or that servant of the Most High, but now for the first time began that intimate union which should endure through time and eternity between man and his God. Then was fulfilled the words of the Master's dying prayer: ‘As Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us' (St. John 17:12); and from that hour the Spirit has never departed from His Church in spite of all her divisions, her errors, her short-sighted policy has never left her, never deserted her; but in all lands, through all ages among those many varied sects which follow Him, though often afar off, His blessed Spirit has ever dwelt with those who strive to do His will, to carry out His work.

With other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. On the question what these ‘tongues' were, see the general Excursus on the Miracle of Pentecost at the end of the chapter, and Schaff's History of the Apostolic Church.