The favorite miracles to attempt are healings and tongues. The latter are so popular that they deserve a closer look. Jesus had promised His apostles that God would confirm their inspired message by means of miracles. Among these miracles would be “new tongues.”
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues… (Mark 16:17).
This promise was first fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Since this was the first occurrence of this type of miracle, Luke described it in detail.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:4-11).
Notice the truly miraculous nature of tongues, and also the range of real languages. In this context, the word “tongue” simply means language. The apostles spoke in “other tongues”—in languages other than their own. These were “new tongues” in the sense of being new to the speakers. It is normal for people to speak languages. It is even normal to learn new languages, but that requires a learning process. What normally takes time and work, God accomplished in an instant through the apostles’ mouths. As to the range, notice that fifteen specific native places are listed. Each person heard the apostles “in his own language.” This is exactly what Jesus had promised.
These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues…. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs (Mark 16:17,20).
God “confirmed” the apostolic message by His “signs” (Mark 16:17-20), using languages in a way that was humanly impossible.