SUBJECT - CHURCH HISTORY // UNIT - 3 // LESSON - 3 // PENTECOST: THE CHURCH’S “BIRTHDAY” //

 UNIT - 3

LESSON – 3

PENTECOST: THE CHURCH’S “BIRTHDAY”

 

During one of the post resurrection appearances of Jesus to His disciples in Galilee, He (Jesus), had commanded them to gather in Jerusalem and to wait for the endowment of power from on high (Acts 24:49, Acts:8; Mt. 3:8-11; Jn.7:37-39). This was severally prophesised by the Old Testament prophets.

Pentecost is a Greek word that means ‘fiftieth’. It was so named because it was the fiftieth day after Passover. Originally Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival. It was later used to commemorate the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. In the history of the church, however, the first Pentecost was seven weeks after the crucifixion of Jesus and ten days after the ascension of Jesus Christ. Prior to Christ’s ascension, He had commanded His disciples not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the ‘Promise of the Father’ i.e. the arrival of the Holy Spirit as a universal and permanent blessing for the church. The eleven apostles (excluding Judas) faithfully returned to Jerusalem in the company of other disciples totalling one hundred and twenty (male and female) who had ten days prayer meeting in an upper room in a house of one of the members probably. During the prayer meeting, Simon Peter raised the issue of defection and death of Judas that had to be replaced because of his apostasy not necessarily because he had died. After all, Stephen and James were not replaced at their death. It should be noted that Judas’ replacement was done through casting of lots that was preceded by fervent praying.

Just as the Old Testament’s first Pentecost took place fifty days after Israel Passover in Egypt on April 14, 1491 BC, so did the New Testament Pentecost that occurred fifty days after Christ rose from the dead. Our Lord was crucified during the Passover week in April. He then spent forty days with his disciples after resurrection and then ascended into heaven. Ten days later, the New Testament Pentecost occurred. The Old Testament Pentecost marked the celebration of the birthday of the nation of Israel (Ex 19:9). The New Testament Pentecost experience marked the celebration of the birthday of the church. The Old Testament Pentecost witnessed the death of about three thousand people (Ex 32:28), while the New Testament Pentecost witnessed the saving of Three thousand people (Acts 2:41). The Old Testament Pentecost was heralded by the supernatural mighty power of God, just as the New Testament of Pentecost was introduced in a mighty wind (Ex 19:18-19; Acts 2: 2,3).

The miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus Christ probably in AD 28 in Jerusalem was an unprecedented experience. Thus, Jerusalem is generally regarded as the home of the early Christian church. The Pentecost experience was the fulfilment of the promise of Jesus Christ to send the comforter who will be with the church to empower the church (Acts 1:6-15). At the first Pentecost experience of the church, some fundamental changes took place in the character and structure of the people of God. Such as, on the day of Pentecost the New Testament universal church replaced the strictly Israelite congregation that was expressed in temple and synagogue worship of the people of God (i.e. Israelite only). An international and universal community including the Greeks, the Jews and the Barbarians now emerged to form the people of God. Thus, the Christian church, now constitutes the new Israel, living a pattern of the Christian life that is based on the new exodus i.e. the church succeeded the old Jewish community and combined both Jews and Greeks within God’s one family of converted men and women. This new fellowship of believers in Christ stood at the dawn of new age in God’s dealings with the old Israel. They became distinct by their conviction and joyful awareness of living in a new relationship to God and sharing in the new age of grace and power made possible by the gift of the Holy Spirit. The preacher endowed with power of the Holy Spirit replaced the priest, the pulpit also replaced the altar while the sacrifice of Jesus once and for all replaced the ceremonial continual sacrifice of animals. It however, took time for the whole church to comprehend the universality of fellowship of God’s people.

 

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