The Promise of Pentecost

The Day of Pentecost, C

John 14:8-17 ; Acts 2:1-21

May 19, 2013

  

Introduction

Last Sunday we celebrated Ascension Sunday, the fortieth day of the Resurrection. We remember that before he ascended, Jesus commanded his disciples, "but tarry ye in the city Jerusalem..." and gave them a promise: "...till ye be clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). Ten days later, on the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came descended upon his disciples sas tongues of fire and they were able to speak in various tongues (Acts 2:1-4).

The Day of Pentecost marks the birthday of Christ's holy Church. By the power of th Holy Spirit, the Church was born and was empowered to bring the Gospel to the whole world.  Today, the Church still needs the power of the Spirit for renewal and to continue bringing the Gospel to the whole world. In all ages, the Church continues to need the power of the Holy Spirit.

I.    The Feast of Pentecost was originally a harvest festival in the Torah, called the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks (in Hebrew, Shavuot, 'sevens').

      "And when the day of Pentecost was come, they were all with one accord in one place."

(Acts 2:1)

A. The Feast of Pentecost is called the Feast of Firstfruits because the LORD commanded the children of Israel to bring to him the first portion of their harvest: "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest..." (Leviticus 23:10). Pentecost is traditionally a harvest festival celebrating the barley harvest. Hence, it is a tradition among the Jews to read the book of Ruth (Megillah Ruth), which is set during the time of the barley harvest, on this day.

It is wholly appropriate that the birthday of the Church be on the Day of Pentecost. The disciples were gathered in one place. Not just the twelve Apostles (the eleven original disciples plus the newly elected Apostle Matthias) but also "the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren" and as much as 120 disciples (Acts 1:14-15). When the Holy Spirit descended upon these people, they were, so to speak, the 'firstfruits' of the Church!

B. The Feast of Pentecost is called the Feast of Weeks because according to Leviticus 23, it is to be celebrated fifty days after the Passover, that is, seven weeks plus one day; that a 'week' of weeks. (The Jews mark this time as "the Counting of the Omer".) We remember that Jesus celebrated a Passover Supper with his disciples "on the night before he offered himself". (If we look closer at the Torah, the count begins beginning on the Sabbath after the Passover and ends on the day after the seventh Sabbath [Leviticus 23:15-16]; that is, a Sunday.) In the Christian calendar, the Feast of Pentecost is counted beginning Easter Sunday, which is traditionally seen as the Christian Passover (in the Orthodox Church, Easter is called Pascha, Passover.)

      C. In the Jewish tradition, Passover is seen as the time of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20). Just as fire came down on Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law, tongues of fire came down on the disciples and gave birth to the Church.

II. On the Day of Pentecost, there are various manifestations of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit manifests himself to different people in different times in various manners. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit manifested himself in various ways.

A. "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting" (v. 2). In both Hebrew (ruach) and Greek (pneuma), the word for 'Spirit' is also the word translated as 'breath' and 'wind'. Wind is one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit: "The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou hearest the found thereof, but canst not tell, whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).

B. "And there appeared to them distinct tongues, as of fire; and it sat upon each of them." (v. 3). Another manifestation of the Spirit is tongues of fire, which apears to be unique manifestation only on the Day of Pentecost--the sign is never repeated in the Bible.

C. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (v. 4).

1.   There are those who mistakenly believe that the only manifestation of being Spirit-filled is speaking in tongues. Conversely, if a person does not speak in tongues, that person is not filled with the Spirit. But we read in the Scriptures that John the Baptizer, who was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15) but he did not speak in tongues. The Lord Jesus Christ, who himself is conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35) but it is ever recorded that he ever spoke in tongues.

2.   Furthermore, there are other manifestations or 'gifts of the Holy Spirit':

For to one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another by the same Spirit, the word of knowledge; to another faith by the same Spirit to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another the discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. (I Corinthians 12:8-10)

However, the problem lies when we are obsessed with the gift of speaking in tongues and not that of the interpretation of tongues. One can claim to speak in tongues as speaking in the "tongue of angels" (I Corinthians 13:1) but if there be no one to interpret, the claim cannot be clarified and others will not profit from the (so-called) message from God (see I Corinthians 14:26-40).

III. The manifestations of the Spirit is given for the glory of God.

When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were able to speak in tongues. This attracted the attention of the Jews, "devout men, out of every nation under heaven" (v. 6) living in Jerusalem at that time. Pentecost is one of the three "pilgrim festivals" (the two others being Passover and Tabernacles) when Jewish men are required to go to Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16), which explain why there are plenty of people in Jerusalem at that time (and during the crucifixion of Jesus, which happened after the Passover).

Jews of the Diaspora ('Dispersion', or "scattered abroad", James1:1) generally retain their Jewish religion, language, and culture while adopting the language and culture of the country they are residing in. Jews in the United States, for example, retain their Jewish customs while also adopting the American language (i.e., English) and customs.

So on the Day of Pentecost, Jews (and proselytes, i.e., Gentile converts to Judaism) coming from "every nation under heaven" living in Jerusalem wondered on how these "Galileans" were able to speak in their language. (Since these Jews already speak these languages, they understood what the disciples were saying; hence there is no need for the gift of interpretation.) And now having their attention, St. Peter is now able to preach unto them (presumably in Aramaic, the language of the Jews at that time; called "Hebrew" in Greek, cf. St. Paul in Acts 21:40 and 22:2).

If St. Peter spoke to the Jews in their own language (i.e., Aramaic), the purpose of speaking in tongues is not for evangelistic preaching. We cannot find in Holy Scripture that the Gospel was preached to people of other languages through the speaking of tongues. The gift of speaking in tongues, however, is given not for the glory of the speaker, as if he has some special gift. Rather, it is given as a manifestation of God's power, which here is the ability to speak in a language not previously known or studied. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to give glory to God alone.