What Happened First?

I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened. [1 Corinthians 14.5]

Ok, I am going to open Pandora's Box today.

Paul is evidently doing damage control in the Church in Corinth. It would seem maybe that the Corinthian Church's attempts to be like the first church mentioned in the Book of Acts was 'causing trouble.'

Let's look back at what happened first in the Acts account of the Holy Spirit's work (surely there is some precedent to what happened first):

At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!” [Acts 2.5-13]

Even though the naysayers in the Acts account didn't say the people speaking in tongues were crazy, they did ridicule them accusing them of being drunk.

Compare that then to what Paul told the Corinthian Church:

Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. [1 Corinthians 14.23]

Excuse me, but isn't that the point? Is the Holy Spirit's work in a person's life validated by the miraculous or by the naysayer? In Acts it was validated by the miraculous even though the naysayers had their opinions as well!

I know I have heard people try to make a convincing argument that what happened on the Day of Pentecost and what Paul was talking to the Corinthians about were different things. But are they?

If people thought the Day of Pentecost participants were 'out of their minds' why didn't Peter stand up and correct the people to only prophesy in known languages so those there could understand? Instead, Peter said this:

These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel... [Acts 2.15-16]

So... Peter didn't scold the people for setting themselves up to be criticized, but Paul did. Hmm.

Again, I know that the Church (at least the more "Spirit-filled" group) has explained this as two separate things... but again I ask, "is it?" Both apparently risk ridicule by unbelievers. Why was Peter then unconcerned for the ridicule while Paul justified avoiding the ridicule and so instructed a work-around?

I think we should have a good answer for this!

Father, help the Church today to have answers and not silly religious work-arounds.