Here’s a question for you: How many of you have heard or preached a Pentecost sermon proclaiming it “the birthday of the Church”? That seems to be the understanding today among Christians.
What really happened in Acts chapter 2?
Was it “the first Pentecost”? No. Jews from around the world were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost, aka the “Feast of Weeks,” when the Holy Spirit filled the little band of disciples.
Was that first Christian Pentecost “the day the Holy Spirit was first given to the Christian community”? No. The risen Christ had already breathed on the disciples, saying “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)
On that first Christian Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in a new and powerful way, equipping the disciples to proclaim the gospel.
So does that filling and empowering constitute the “birthday” or beginning point of the Church?
Reformed theologians of the sixteenth century like John Calvin would say “No.”
The Heidelberg Catechism (the 450 year old Reformed summary of biblical Christianity on which I blog valiantly and relentlessly) does not even consider the possibility that Pentecost is the Church’s birthday. It does talk about the Church, though, and along the way it gives a very different view of the Church’s origins.
The topic comes up as the Catechism explains the Apostles’ Creed line by line. Here’s the text in full.
54 Q. What do you believe concerning “the holy catholic church”?
A. I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word,
out of the entire human race,
from the beginning of the world to its end,
gathers, protects, and preserves for himself, a community
chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community I am and always will be a living member.
I’ve added italics to make the point clear. God has always been in the business of gathering the Church, calling people into the community of faith.
You see it when God saved Noah’s family when all the rest of the world was destroyed.
You see it when God called Abram and Sarai among all the families of the earth.
You see it when God made covenant with the people of Israel, giving them the life-giving Way of the Torah (aka the “Ten Commandments”).
Jesus is behind it all, according to the Catechism: The gathering of the Church is always the work of
The Son of God through his Spirit and Word
Jesus finally comes in the flesh, fulfills God’s reconciling work in his life, death, and resurrection. Then, the new subset of his calling, the gathered disciples, are given the Spirit’s indwelling power to fulfill his work — bringing the good news of reconciliation through Jesus to all the world.
Pentecost in Acts 2 is the day that makes possible Luke’s version of the Great Commission in Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
So no, Pentecost is not the birthday of the Church. Pentecost is the day the Church was empowered to fulfill God’s eternal mission. May we walk in the presence and power of the Spirit in this season of Pentecost!
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I’d love to hear from you in the comments: What has Pentecost meant to you in your own life of faith and discipleship?
To contribute to the conversation, here’s St. Leo the Great (d. 461) wrote:
“This day [Pentecost] holds within it great mysteries which relate both to the old and the new dispensations, wherein it is mostly revealed to us that grace was foretold by the law, and that the law is made perfect through grace. For as of old on the fiftieth day after the sacrifice of the lamb [Passover, a.k.a., Easter], the law was given on Mount Sinai to the Hebrew people, now delivered from the Egyptians, so, after the Passion of Christ, in which the true lamb of God was slain, on the fiftieth day after His resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and upon the people who believed; so that an earnest Christian might know beyond any uncertainty, that the sacred rites of the Old Testament had served as foundations of the Gospel, and that by this same Spirit was the second covenant laid down, by Whom the first had been established.” (“Sermon 75, Pentecost I”)
More closely related to your post, that Pentecost is not the birth of the Church, the Church Fathers agree. Here’s what the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese says:
“Some erroneously hold that Pentecost is the “birthday of the Church.” But this is not true, for the teaching of the holy Fathers is that the Church existed before all other things. In the second vision of The Shepherd of Hermas we read: “Now brethren, a revelation was made unto me in my sleep by a youth of exceeding fair form, who said to me, ‘Whom thinkest thou the aged woman, from whom thou receivedst the book, to be?’ I say, ‘The Sibyl.’ ‘Thou art wrong,’ saith he, ‘she is not.’ ‘Who then is she?’ I say. ‘The Church,’ saith he. I said unto him, ‘Wherefore then is she aged?’ ‘Because,’ saith he, ‘she was created before all things; therefore is she aged, and for her sake the world was framed.”‘ Saint Gregory the Theologian also speaks of “the Church of Christ … both before Christ and after Christ” (PG 35:1108-9). Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus writes, “The Catholic Church, which exists from the ages, is revealed most clearly in the incarnate advent of Christ” (PG 42:640). Saint John Damascene observes, “The Holy Catholic Church of God, therefore, is the assembly of the holy Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, and Martyrs who have been from the very beginning, to whom were added all the nations who believed with one accord” (PG 96, 1357c). According to Saint Gregory the Theologian, “The Prophets established the Church, the Apostles conjoined it, and the Evangelists set it in order” (PG 35, 589 A). The Church existed from the creation of the Angels, for the Angels came into existence before the creation of the world, and they have always been members of the Church. Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome, says in his second epistle to the Corinthians, the Church “was created before the sun and moon”; and a little further on, “The Church existeth not now for the first time, but hath been from the beginning” (II Cor. 14).
“That which came to pass at Pentecost, then, was the ordination of the Apostles, the commencement of the apostolic preaching to the nations, and the inauguration of the priesthood of the new Israel. Saint Cyril of Alexandria says that “Our Lord Jesus Christ herein ordained the instructors and teachers of the world and the stewards of His divine Mysteries … showing together with the dignity of Apostleship, the incomparable glory of the authority given them … Revealing them to be splendid with the great dignity of the Apostleship and showing them forth as both stewards and priests of the divine altars . . . they became fit to initiate others through the enlightening guidance of the Holy Spirit” (PG 74, 708-712). Saint Gregory Palamas says, “Now, therefore … the Holy Spirit descended … showing the Disciples to be supernal luminaries … and the distributed grace of the Divine Spirit came through the ordination of the Apostles upon their successors” (Homily 24, 10). And Saint Sophronius, Bishop of Jerusalem, writes, “After the visitation of the Comforter, the Apostles became high priests” (PG 87, 3981B). Therefore, together with the baptism of the Holy Spirit which came upon them who were present in the upper chamber, which the Lord had foretold as recorded in the Acts, “ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence” (Acts 1:5), the Apostles were also appointed and raised to the high priestly rank, according to Saint John Chrysostom (PG 60, 21). On this day commenced the celebration of the Holy Eucharist by which we become “partakers of the Divine Nature” (II Peter 1:4). For before Pentecost, it is said of the Apostles and disciples only that they abode in “prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14); it is only after the coming of the Holy Spirit that they persevered in the “breaking of bread,”that is, the communion of the Holy Mysteries-“and in prayer” (Acts 2:42).
“The feast of holy Pentecost, therefore, determined the beginning of the priesthood of grace, not the beginning of the Church.”
Source: http://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=961&type=saints&date=05/31/2015&D=S
That’s great, Fr. Dustin — thanks!
It should not be too surprising to find 16th century Reformed theologians in harmony with the Fathers. The Reformed side of Reformation Protestantism had deep roots in the scholarship of the Renaissance rather than of Scholasticism. That is, they were active beneficiaries of the movement that put Greek and Latin Patristic manuscripts into print for the first time.
“On that first Christian Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in a new and powerful way, equipping the disciples to proclaim the gospel.”
This quote from your blog leaped out at me. During this time of church decline, it’s worth remembering who it is that actually equips and calls that church to proclaim the gospel.
Perhaps there is a Pentecost sermon here?
Gary Panetta,
The quote you mentioned reminded me of a practice we have in the Orthodox Christian Church.
After a person is anointed with oil (with olive oil), and baptized (with water), they are also chrismated (anointed with a special chrism that is made by the Patriarch in Constantinople…the recipe is said to have been handed down from the oil used in the Jerusalem Temple). Of course this is an ancient Christian practice as the word “Christian” means “anointed ones.” At any rate, as the priest is chrismating the child, he says, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
In other words, this service is, essentially, a personal “Pentecost” for every baptized and chrismated Christian. In this way, every member of the Church is called to proclaim the Good News!
Fr. Dustin,
Thanks so much for sharing this — I love the idea of a “personal Pentecost.”
I’ve just started my study of the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot) and have been awed by God’s attention to detail in the lives of those who obey his commands.
I have learned that this festival is closely tied to the 10 commandments given on Mt Sinai, and in celebration of of this day many observant Jews read Chapters 19 and 20 of Exodus and the book of Ruth.
It wonders me to think that the Old Testament story of Ruth is the love story of Us, the church, and our New Testament kinsman redeemer, Jesus.
The law and the commandments were given to God’s chosen people to be redeemed to him.
And the Holy Spirit was given to his bride to bring the message of redemption to the nations. Both on the same day.
Your study is one more affirming story of the miraculous love of God.
Thank you!
Thanks so much, Erin! I really appreciate your reflections. Hope you’ll stop by again soon!
(Sorry your comment was caught in the approval filter for half a day. I thought I’d released it but found it there still.)
Erin,
I knew that the Festival of Pentecost (also called the Festival of Weeks) was a celebration of the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. It would make sense, then, that Christians would celebrate the same feast, but now have the giving of the new law: the Holy Spirit. Of course, in both traditions (Jewish and Christian), Pentecost comes 50 days after Passover (sometimes referred to in English as Easter).
What I didn’t know was that there’s a tradition of reading Ruth. For me, it seems to be an image of loyalty. Just as Ruth was loyal to her mother-in-law, and, thereby loyal to Israel – even though she was a foreigner – we are to be loyal to God’s commandments. In short, Ruth only found survival (as a widow) by her loyalty to Israel…thus we only find our survival (life) in obeying God’s statutes.
I read on a website that this festival is considered the wedding day of the Israelites to God and his gift was the Torah. It is considered a celebration of loyalty yes, but also love and commitment like in a marriage. I am not Jewish, but I love to study the Jewish roots of our Christ.
http://www.chabad.org/mychabad/email/article_cdo/aid/2955614
I also think they may read the book of Ruth more for the story of Ruth and Boaz rather than Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi. It is from Boaz’s love and commitment to Ruth as her kinsman redeemer that she was saved from having to marry her next of kin.
Hi Erin,
That’s true; perhaps the story is stressing Ruth and Boaz. It’s interesting, though, that Ruth has to trick Boaz into the Levirate marriage – in an overtly sexual way. In response to the trick, Boaz recognizes Ruth’s legal rights and says, “…this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich” (NRSV). In short, being a non-Israelite, she could have forsaken the law, but she doesn’t. Her interaction and pursuit of Boaz is also an act of faithfulness to the Israelite Law.
It also seems as if Boaz’s faithfulness to the law is also being tested. He could have forsaken the law and married Ruth, but he doesn’t. He realizes there is another man who has first rights to the Levirate marriage, and only when that man gives up his rights, does Boaz proceed with the marriage.
Interesting stuff.