The Coming of the Holy Spirit - Pentecost?

Question

In Acts 2:1-4, "The Coming of the Holy Spirit", why is this story told and retold so often in Church today. As well as this, what colour and symbols are associated with this story?

Answer 1

The Church celebrates Pentecost (so called because it is fifty days after Easter Day) as the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, gathered in an upper room with Mary, mother of Jesus, "as a mighty, rushing wind", fulfilling Jesus' promise when he "breathed on them", as recorded in John's Gospel (chapter 20).

Red The color of blood, is used on all feasts of our Lord's Cross and Passion, on the feasts of the Apostles and of all martyrs. Red is also used on Pentecost and in Masses of the Holy Spirit, in memory of the tongues of fire of the First Pentecost

God Bless You

Answer 2

This story is told a multipltude of times because it is so important for Christians. This is when they received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is the time when God blessed Jesus' ministry. The apostles had been hiding in fear up until this time, but were made strong in God. It is an example to Christians on how to go forth to preach in strength and trust in God. It is one of the cornerstones of the faith -second only to Jesus - because without the Pentecost the apostles never would have left their little hole in the wall and Christianity would not be as we know it today.

The traditional symbols usually include small flames - described as tongues of flames, which according to the bible descended onto the followers. Sometimes you will see a dove included in this, a symbol of God and the Holy Spirit. The main color is red, although yellow and oranges are often used.

Answer 3

In the church year, this is an important thing. It kind of signified God the Father and the Holy Spirit handing little bits of their own power into humans. Now that Jesus was back up in Heaven again someone had to 'carry the torch' so they could fulfill the great comission.
It's like a mini holiday commemorated with a good sermon and communion.

Answer 4

purely people who get carry of Jesus as Lord and Savior get the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. It does no longer advise a elect few. The Holy Spirit is a individual no longer stress and not an It. Christianity is a life form. JW's is a artifical faith. it rather is a cult.

Answer 5

I hesitate to answer because I don't want to appear judgemental about pentecostals, but it's kind of hard to avoid. I'll just say, this is my opinion and there are an awful lot of pentecostals who disagree with me:

The events at the day of Pentecost were a one-time occurance. Other mentions of the Holy Spirit coming on someone don't mention people suddenly speaking in tongues. Even at Pentecost, what the speakers were saying was understood by all who were there.

This was to spread the gospel. The text says that there were people there from all over (I think all over the world). A similar event never happened again.

Paul rakes the Corinthians through the mud a couple times over the issue and concludes (paraphrasing) that it would be better to speak a few words that everyone understood than to speak in tongues. He flat out tells them not to speak in tongues unless there is an interpreter present. What makes modern denominations that seek to speak in tongues any different?

I think that modern pentecostals are seeking an experience to validate their faith. They refer constantly to the events at Pentecost as a way to attempt to justify their desire to speak in tongues. But they not only (willingly I have to believe) fail to consider the way the gift of tongues was applied at Pentecost, but they slaughter the interpretation of other Holy Spirit/gift passages to fit their theology.

All that said, I believe in the gift of tongues. I have a friend who says he has to make a conscious effort NOT to pray in tongues, but he manages to preach without ever babbling incoherently. Beyond that, I've known missionaries who were able to share the gospel in a lengthy conversation in a language they barely knew well enough to say 'hola'. That might be an application of a gift of the Spirit that could be called 'tongues'.

I do not, however, under any circumstances think you HAVE to speak in tongues as evidence of your salvation. If that's true, then why did Paul list it as the least gift?

Answer 6

This story is used to back up the Pentacostal churches practice of speaking in tongues. Personally I don't think they use it in the right spirit. It was clearly a gift given to the Apostles so they could preach the Gospel, not to make unintellegible mumbo jumbo to make them look good to everybody.

Answer 7

It was at Pentacost that God's promises in the OT came to fruition.

He had the prophet Joel give this prophecy around 800 years BEFORE the birth of Christ:

Joel 2:28
28'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.
(from New International Version)

St. Peter explains this after the resurrection of Jesus:

Acts 2:14-18
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 "'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
(from New International Version)

It is very important because it is the sign of the New Testament spoken of over 600 years before the birth of Jesus.

Jer 31:31-33

31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,"
declares the LORD.
33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
(from New International Version)

Answer 8

the Holy Spirit has been here since the beginning,when you are born again He comes and lives in your heart

Answer 9

The Holy Spirit is guiding you to the understanding of the mysteries of the Bible and God. : )

Answer 10

The jubilee has come! God has wiped out all debt! God has come down to man taken our sin on the cross and risen back to God and has sent His Spirit to unite us with Himself and each other. You have here the fulfillment of the sign that Moses was to give the Jews: Put your hand in your bosom and take it out and it is leprous as snow put it back in your bosom and pull it out and it is restored.

Pentecost fifty days from the ascension like the giving of the law was fifty days after leaving Egypt (Penta = 50) On Mt. Sinai God told the Jews that they were a chosen nation and gave them His law those keeping His laws and statutes will live and all the blessings will come on them and overtake them those breaking the covenant will inherit the curses.

We have come to a new mounting upon which are greater promises and God has given us His spirit and this spirit is the Spirit of the Lord. It is a new law the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the law of God (not of Moses) the law of Christ. The law of Moses divided people each judging each other just like when God divided the people who were in one accord in rebellion to him building a tower to the heavens (The tower of Babble). This new law, this new covenant, new wine, we have been given a new Spirit, He has come from God to us and unites us to himself and each other. He has given us a new language the language of faith. (Faith comes by hearing...)

For Moses writes of the righteousness which is of the Law: "The man doing these things shall live by them." Lev. 18:5 But the righteousness of faith says this: "Do not say in your heart, Who will go up into Heaven?" (that is, to bring down Christ); or, "Who will go down into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.) But what does it say? "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the Word of faith which we proclaim) Deuteronomy 30:12-14. Because if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him will not be put to shame." Isa. 28:16 For there is no difference both of Jew and of Greek, for the same Lord of all is rich toward all the ones calling on Him. For everyone, "whoever may call on the name of the Lord will be saved." Joel 2:32
(Rom 10:5-13)

Faith speaks different than the law. Law says do this and live. Faith sees God has already done in Christ and calls on the name of the Lord as the savoir.

So the miracle of Pentecost is a miracle of hearing “They all heard them in their own language glorifying God”. This was the opposite of the tower of Babble where their language was confused and people were divided. This is an upside down tower not us climbing to God but God coming down to man. Uniting both Jew and Gentiles in the same house and the Lord is the House and He is our strong tower.

As the song that Luther wrote “A Mighty Fortress is our God”