An Apostolic Gift, Hijacked - Acts 2: 1-3

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.- Acts 2:1-4

    I recently had a “discussion” with Pentecostal acquaintance. Yes, it was the same one I always have when discussing the gift of tongues. As a Cessationist, I firmly believe that tongues, while possible, is not probable in modern society. I agree with most learned expositors that tongues was a gift of the Apostolic Church in the church’s early days. The gift was meant to convince unbelievers of the veracity of the Apostles claims, much the same as was the gift of healing. That being said, my acquaintance wanted to know why I was so certain tongues had ceased. I lead him to the first 4 verses of Acts 2, then asked - “Where does it say the occupants of the upper room “called upon” the Holy Spirit and requested the gift of tongues?”
    Acts does not even “suggest” such a scenario. It is clear from Scripture that the event took place suddenly and without any previous warning. The Holy Spirit came upon those in the upper room at His time, not upon a summoning or invocation. And at no time before the spiritual event took place did any of the occupants discuss the concept of speaking in tongues: it just happened! And to further my point I directed my acquaintance to Acts 2, verses 5 through 11. These verses describe the thoughts of the multitudes who overheard this strange apostolic gift. The multinational crowd  couldn’t understand how they could be hearing the words in their own native languages! This is the lion-killer which relegates the modern-day notion of tongues to the ashcan of history: the words coming from those gifted with tongues were not gibberish; they were words of authentic languages! Greeks heard Greek. Egyptians heard Egyptian. Romans heard Roman.
    As for the argument that 1 Corinthians 13:1 might offer an “angelic answer” to the gift of tongues let us be clear on the context of Paul’s point of the entire chapter: love . . . not tongues.
     To continue to individually treat every other verse regarding the gift of tongues would become redundant. The bible is clear and unambiguous on the subject. Tongues was a gift of the Apostolic Age and thus it ended when the Apostolic Age came to an end. May the Holy Spirit never be hijacked for the purpose of false teaching or doctrine.