Pentecost Or Holy Spirit: The Questions, Perceptions, Doubts, Exposition, Facts, History, And References

By Emmanuel Gandu

HEADLINES
@ Introduction
@ Why is Pentecost so important
@ Why the name Pentecost
@ What is the origin of Pentecost
@ How and when did the celebration of Pentecost begin
@ Why is Pentecost celebrated after 50 days of Jesus’ resurrection
@ Why is it celebrated on the 7th Sunday from Easter
@ Is it in the Bible
@ Why and when was it instituted in the Church’s calendar
@ What are the references
@ Conclusion

INTRODUCTION
Pentecost as a celebration in Christendom is a feast viewed by many individuals and denominations as worthwhile.
Many others also consider it as not biblical hence unnecessary.
While the proponents rely on its christian birth background to advance their argument, those who oppose this “Pentecost christening” support their own side of the argument with the ‘un christian’ and pagan nature of the feasts that brought about its naming, as they also back up their uncompromising stance with “Bible only” belief.
This discourse is an attempt by a lay man to humbly contribute to the conversation about the various issues agitating the minds of Christians on the issues arising from Jesus’ 3 year ministry that finally culminates into Pentecost.
I will endeavour to address the topic from two fronts :
(A) The questions, the perceptions, the doubts, and the refutals.
(B) The exposition, the history, the facts, and the references.

WHAT IS PENTECOST ?
Pentecost is the feast and commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus as they gathered in Jerusalem in one room where they were filled and enabled to do wonderful spiritual feats to the glory of the christian faith – Acts 2:1-31

WHY IS PENTECOST IMPORTANT ?
(a) The descent of the Holy spirit at Pentecost completes and confirms the Trinitarian doctrine of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – Matthew 28:19 ( “—baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” ), John 14:16-17,23, Acts 14:24, Acts 11:15, John 15:26, John 16:7, Eph 4:30, Gal 4:4-6, 1Cor 2:9-13, and as aptly captured in 2Cor 13:14 ( “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”).
(b) Pentecost is the beginning, founding, birth, and baptism of the christian church on earth – Acts 2:1-13, CCC 731-732, 767, 1076, 1287, 2623.
(c) Pentecost is celebrated as a solemnity and ranks with Christmas, Easter, and Ascension etc.

WHY THE NAME PENTECOST, AND WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF PENTECOST ?
The Church named this day pentecost because pentecost is called “pentetcoste” in Greek, and it is the Greek name for “Shavuot”.
Shavuot is the spring harvest festival (Exodus 23:16) of the Israelites.
This festival of Shavuot was going on in Jerusalem when the apostles at that same time were gathered in one room where the Holy Spirit came upon them, hence the name ‘Pentecost’ by the Greek speaking Jews.

HOW DID THE CELEBRATION OF PENTECOST BEGIN ?
The three major feasts in ancient Israel was originally known as the feast of weeks (Deut 16:10) or the feast of harvest (Exod 23:16) or the passover (Lev 23:15-16).
It so happened that this very fateful year while this “feast of weeks” was on going in Jerusalem, the disciples of Jesus at this same time were gathered also in one room in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit descended upon them (Acts 2:1-4). Because these activities occurred at the same time, it became convenient to arrive at a smooth transition from the names of these Mosaic festivals in the Old Testament to naming that aspect of the descent of the holy spirit as ‘Pentecost’.
The transition in the naming to the new christian Pentecost feast was achieved without unnecessarily divorcing the people from their tradition, while at the same time not compromising the cherished christian ideals.

WHY IS PENTECOST CELEBRATED AFTER 50 DAYS AND AFTER 7 WEEKS FROM EASTER ?
IS IT IN THE BIBLE ?
WHY AND WHEN WAS IT INSTITUTED IN THE CHURCH CALENDAR ?
The feast of harvest took place fifty (50) days after the celebration of passover (Lev 23:15-16). And as “Pentetcoste” in Greek also means “fiftieth”, and refers to the timing of the festival, so Pentecost was duly proper to be celebrated 50 days after Jesus resurrection.
In ancient Jewish Israel as recorded in the Old testament, the feast of weeks or the feast of harvest or the passover is calculated to occur seven (7) weeks from the day of the presentation of the first sheaf of the barley harvest during the passover celebration.
In Numbers 28:26-31, and Deuteronomy 16:9-12 it is known as the “feast of weeks”. Tobit 2:1, and 2 Macc 12:32 refer to it as the feast of Pentecost.
In this ancient Israeli tradition, the feast of weeks was a harvest festival where gifts were offered to the Lord as gifts of the first fruits (Lev 23:15-17).
It was also a day of sacred rest and worship with prescribed sacrifices (Num 28:26-31).
To further make the celebration more spiritual and participatory, it was made a pilgrimage feast requiring participants to celebrate the holy rites in the Jerusalem sanctuary (Deut 16:9-12).
If the celebration of these ancient Jewish feasts as seen here recorded in the Old Testament were so elevated to such importance, solemn, holy, and sacred levels, you can now imagine and appreciate why the church accords such a high reverence to Pentecost.
Therefore, and in line with this flow of spiritual and sacred feast events as practiced in Ancient Jewish society, the emerging christian community of the early church retained these spiritual aspects.
In order to concretize these arrangements, successive Church fathers and leadership have since then continued to pass these spiritual and sacred legacies from generation to generation beginning from Peter to now Pope Francis.
As expected therefore, the Church in the modern world sustained and made Pentecost sacred, observed it as a spiritual celebration, continued with it as a festival, set it aside as an activity of high worship, and gave it its due reverence as a solemnity.

CONCLUSION
Therefore, and in line with the principle of spiritual continuity, Pentecost became a christian feast when the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples seven (7) weeks after Jesus celebrated his final passover (Acts 2:1-4).
Hence the christian feast of Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Jesus resurrection, and on the (7th)seventh Sunday after Easter.
This is the chain of events, this is the history, these are the facts, this is the tradition, this is the Church.

I will leave you with the first line of the first stanza of the hymn “Spirit of God”. This hymn found in many denominational church hymnals is regularly song on Pentecost Sunday in most churches.
It was written in 1965 by an American Roman Catholic feminist musician, theologian, Medical Mission Sister, and writer Miriam Theresa Winter.
🎼 🎼
“Spirit of God in the clear running water”.
HAPPY PENTECOST SUNDAY. Peace 🙏