Tia Hudson
June 8, 2025
The word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word pentekoste, meaning “fiftieth” (as derived from the root word pente, which means five).The word “Pentecost” is found in both the Hebrew and the Christian Bible. In the Jewish tradition, Pentecost is the Jewish celebration of Shavuot (the Jewish harvest festival of Pentecost), 50 days after Passover that marks the single most important event in Israel’s history: the giving of the Torah. It is also the time of giving first fruits at the temple. The Christian Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter. It is the feast that marks the end of the Easter season — and commemorates the official beginning of the Christian Church, though at this time believers did not call themselves Christians, but followers of “the Way.”
The disciples and believers gathered would already be celebrating God’s gifts, unawares that another gift was coming that would turn them outward, toward those outside their movement. Acts 2 describes that while the believers were gathered together, “a sound like the rush of a violent wind … filled the entire house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). Tongues of fire appeared and rested on the believers. They “were filled (Pentecost 2) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (Acts 2:4). However, the Holy Spirit does not appear for the first time on the day of Pentecost. The “Spirit of God” or the “Spirit of the Lord” is mentioned many times in the Old Testament, where the Holy Spirit is understood as the active force of God, often referred to as “the Spirit of God” or “the Spirit of the Lord.” The Spirit is depicted as working in creation, empowering individuals for leadership and ministry, and influencing the actions of God’s people. While not as explicitly developed as in the New Testament, the Old Testament reveals a clear presence and activity of the Holy Spirit throughout.
Here’s a more detailed look at the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament:
1. Creation and the Spirit:
• The Spirit of God is described as “hovering over the waters” during creation (Genesis 1:2).
• The Spirit is also seen by many as connected to the creation of humanity. Genesis says God endows people with life by breathing into their nostrils the “breath of life” (Genesis 2:7), the word for “breath” is the same word translated elsewhere as “spirit.”
2. Empowerment and Anointing:
• The Holy Spirit is seen as empowering individuals for specific tasks and ministries, often referred to as being “filled” or “anointed” with the Spirit (e.g., Judges 3:10, 1 Samuel 16:13). • This empowerment was crucial for leaders like kings, prophets, judges, and artisans like Bezaleel who were given the skills and wisdom to build the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:3).
3. The Spirit in Relation to God’s People:
• The Holy Spirit is depicted as a force that could be either enjoyed or grieved by God’s people (Psalm 51:11, Isaiah 63:10). The Spirit is associated with God’s word, with prophets speaking through the Spirit (2 Samuel 23:2). God promised to put His Spirit within His people to help them obey His statutes (Ezekiel 36:27).
4. The Spirit and Prophecy:
• The Holy Spirit was seen as the source of prophetic inspiration, with prophets receiving visions and messages from God through the Spirit (Ezekiel 3:24, Ezekiel 11:5). Prophets like David are described as speaking through the Spirit (2 Samuel 23:2).Pentecost 4 June 8, 2025
5. The Spirit and Holiness:
• The Holy Spirit is seen as promoting holiness and righteousness among believers (Psalm 143:10). David’s plea not to take the Holy Spirit from him after his sin highlights the importance of the Spirit in maintaining a relationship with God (Psalm 51:11). So, the appearance of the Holy Spirit as described in Acts 2 is not an isolated event but is a continuation of the work of the Spirit of God in the world. The Spirit continues to guide and work with those who follow Jesus in much the same way the Spirit guided and empowered the Hebrew people in their relationship to God and their work in the world.
In the Gospel reading today, Jesus promises to “ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate [or helper], to be with you forever. …. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you” John 14: 16-17. While this promise is given directly to the disciples, Jesus is speaking in the knowledge of the Spirit’s acting in the world before Jesus came.
But who is the Holy Spirit in the Christian church? This is a question that has continued to be asked in the church, both historically and currently. In the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer we read the following:
The Holy Spirit
Q. What is the Holy Spirit?
A. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, God at work in the world and in the Church even now.
Q. How is the Holy Spirit revealed in the Old Covenant?
A. The Holy Spirit is revealed in the Old Covenant as the giver of life, the One who spoke through the prophets.
Q. How is the Holy Spirit revealed in the New Covenant?
A. The Holy Spirit is revealed as the Lord who leads us into all truth and enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ.
Q. How do we recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
A. We recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit when we confess Jesus Christ as Lord and are brought into love and harmony with God, with ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation.
-BCP 852-853
The Church’s understanding of the Holy Spirit has been debated throughout the history of the Church. The statement in the Episcopal catechism that “The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, God at work in the world and in the Church even now” reflects the Church’s understanding of who the Spirit is and is based on the words spoken in the of the Nicene Creed:
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son].
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
But this statement of faith about the Holy Spirit is in itself not without controversy. Originally the agreed upon understanding was that the person of the Spirit, like the Son, proceeded from the Father. The Western Church added the phrase (known as the filioque clause) “and the Son” and so specifies that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, rather than from the Father alone, as Jesus does. This addition has been a source of theological debate and division between Eastern and Western Christianity, particularly within the Eastern Orthodox tradition.
This one phrase was a main (though not the only) cause of the Great Schism between the Western and Eastern churches. In short, the statement that the Spirit proceeds from “the Father and the Son” indicated to the Eastern Church that the Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son in the Trinity. The Eastern Church believed this clause made the Spirit less significant that the other Persons of the Trinity, and therefore created, in essence, a misstatement of the Spirit’s place in relationship to God the Father and God the Son.
While it may see a meaningless difference to us today, it is an important reminder that the Church continues to grow in its understanding of who God is. Really, all theology is an attempt to understand and articulate the way that God works in our life. The Church continues to grow in its understanding of God throughout history. This growth in itself is evidence of the Spirit’s presence and work in the Church and in our individual lives.
Jesus promised the Spirit as an advocate (or helper) for the followers of “the Way.” It is through the Spirit that we know God, and the Spirit continues to Pentecost.