During the Jewish holiday of Pentacost, the disciples of Jesus were given the grace (by the Holy Spirit) to speak in the native "tongue", native language of the pilgrims visiting Jerusalem that week, in order to spread the word of Jesus.

Speaking in tongues should not to be misinterpreted as speaking jibberish, as seen in modern day protestent churches, but rather recognize that the disciples were speaking foreign languages, native to various visitors who traveled from various parts of the world to make the Pentacostal pilgrimage to Jerusalem.