Ninth Saturday after Pentecost
Today we continue our Bible study of Acts with the story of the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. To Pentecostals this is the most important text in the Bible. To Methodists it seems to be more important than it once was. Read Acts 2:1-5.
Pentecost was a minor Jewish festival occurring 50 days after Passover and celebrating the spring harvest. The story is not altogether clear. The Apostles were gathered in a house. They felt a rush of wind. Then comes that exceedingly cryptic verse, "Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them and rested on each of them." The Greek word for tongues (glossai), like the English word, can mean both the literal body part in the mouth or it can mean a language.
In art the scene is usually portrayed quite literally with flaming body part tongues, divided like a snake's tongue, coming down from heaven and resting on individual Apostles. Other artists show shots of fire, like a flame thrower, coming upon the Apostles. Scholarly commentators, on the other hand, tend skip lightly over verse 3, take it metaphorically, and focus on the Apostles' speaking other languages. I think the artists may have been more accurate in portraying what Luke had in mind. In verse 4 all the apostles are "filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the first time we have heard this phrase. The image that comes to my mind is of God as a container of the Holy Spirit, pouring out the Holy Spirit into another vessel, which is each individual Apostle. There can, of course, be other interpretations.
Their infilling with the Holy Spirit enables them to speak in other tongues. In this case, unlike Acts 10:28-44, 19:1-7, and I Corinthians 12 and 14, the speaking in other tongues appears to be speaking in other known languages, not what is now commonly called glossolalia, which is speaking in non-linguistic syllables--or as Pentecostals would say--speaking in unknown languages.
Luke then shows Jews from many other lands and languages understanding the Apostles speaking in other tongues and their own speaking as understandable in their own language. The story is often thought of as a reversal of the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11.
The story makes for an easy introduction to a sermon (sorry, we preachers are always looking for sermon illustrations in everything we encounter). Think of the divisiveness in America today. Watch Fox News and then watch CNN. Do they live in the same country. I could cite myriad other examples. We are talking past each other. We don't understand each other. For me, much of the evangelical world is incomprehensible. Three years ago I found myself in a bar in Mexico talking with a well dressed American evangelical couple, who were downing shots of Tequila which they were then chasing with beer. I called him Leonardo, because he looked like Leonardo di Caprio. Her name was CoCo. What began as a pleasant conversation about differences between Methodists and non-denominational evangelicals gradually turned into a bitter debate about the Bible, modernism, women's role in the church, abortion, LGBT, you name it. Their view that Donald Trump was sent by God to be president--was, what shall I say--not my view. As the conversation went along, we focused more and more on what the disagreed about, even though we were all three Christians. Finally CoCo told me to leave. Her parting words were, "Christian, God is judging you." Had it been the day of Pentecost I think we would have been loving and caring and understanding to each other. We need a new Pentecost in America now.
Faithfully,
Christian
1 comment:
Not sure this is relevant to the verses in Acts. Your story about the evangelical couple reminded me of a sermon Carl King preached to us. He shared a similar experience to yours, as I recall. He accompanied the UUMC youth on a mission trip, as I recall, to West Virginia. The host pastor and he had very different views of the Gospel and its application in this human world. As a possible example, perhaps the pastor felt a loyalty to coal companies which employed so many of his parishioners. Carl might have been more critical of the coal industry. The more important message was over the course of Carl's visit the differences became apparent, however, the commonality of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins made both of them a part of the same family. That commonality is hard to acknowledge in this disparate time.
Christian, in your considerable spiritual experience over the years through to the present, how do you perceive or how have you experienced the Holy Spirit? Has it revealed itself to you in your research or academic efforts? It seems to me the Holy Spirit is associated with emotionalism. Is that emotionalism inconsistent with the clarity of thought associated with academic research? Or is it helpful, providing insight into such events like Pentecost?
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