Blessings of the Pentecost

 

Picture Courtesy: Catholic Teacher Resources

The almanac readings during the celebration of Pentecost Sunday last week led me to think about the blessings of the first Pentecost event of the early church found in Acts 2. I will share few of my thoughts here.

Unity

The psalmist said, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity...For there the Lord bestows his blessing” (Psalm 133:1) The believers, 120 of them were meeting together in one place. (Acts 1:15, 2:1) The Spirit of the living God chose to descend on this group of believers who were obedient to the command of Jesus and were praying in unison. (Acts 1:5, 14) Did not Jesus say earlier, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them”? (Mathew 18:20)

Community

Unlike the Old Testament times where the Spirit of God would descend on individuals, here for the first time the Holy Spirit descended on a group of believers, on a community, in an inclusive manner in fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy: And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28,29) This group of believers were of all kinds, comprising of both men and women. (Acts 1:14)

Has not Apostle Peter included us when he said, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”? (1 Peter 2:9)

Evangelism

The gift of tongues spoken by the believers that day was a miracle that led to giving the gospel in their respective languages to the ready-made audience there. There were God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven that could hear them. (v.5) The world was in the nearest vicinity for the disciples. Unlike many cases where we travel miles to share the good news to people here it was a God-ordained global crowd at the footstep of the upper room!

Gift of Tongues

Interestingly the strange language that came upon the believers was understood by the people from nearly 16 different nations and linguistic contexts. (v. 9-11) What did they say? “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (v.11) This is the only place where the gift of tongues was understood this way in the book of Acts! How can we repeat such a language-miracle in our context today?

When Cameron Townsend was working in Guatemala as a missionary, these words were spoken by a Cakchiquel Indian which eventually changed his life. These were those words: “If your God is so great, why doesn’t he speak my language?” Townsend abandoned his attempts to sell Bibles and began living among the Cakchiquels. He learned their complex language, created an alphabet for it, analyzed the grammar, and translated the New Testament in a remarkably short span of ten years.

We too can be the tools today in helping people declare the wonders of God in their tongues by giving the Bible in the people’s mother tongues.

Picture Courtesy: Wycliffe Associates

Multitudes

What was the result of Peter’s preaching during the Pentecost event? About three thousand were added to their number that day. (v.41) The book of Acts thereafter is about numbers, growth, multiplication of believers and churches. Multitudes is also the final blessing we look forward to! Apostle John records that blessing: After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Rev 7:9)

I wish and pray that we would inherit these blessings and be a blessing to the multitudes around us!