Lesson 10: The Pentecost Story
Pentecost is the New Testament creation story. The Spirit of God moves to bring order—or perhaps it’s better to say it reorders or heals the corrupted creation.
Pentecost addresses the themes I found in the Old Testament stories. Admittedly, I read those stories from the perspective of our present political situation. However, the fact that Pentecost picks them up would seem to indicate they are central to our message.
Everyone, even the least important, receives the Spirit that unites them as brothers and sisters. They understand one another as if they speak one language. There is no longer the babel of the tower story.
They share their wealth, so there is no poverty among them, and there is no longer jealousy or resentment between shepherds and farmers.
Male superiority is at least challenged. Entrance to the community is through baptism, not circumcision. Two or three people, not ten men, constitute a worship service.
You still have the problem of God striking dead the two who refused to share all of their wealth. However, the community is adamantly pacifist. Some of the early martyrs were soldiers who refused to shed blood. And the Church would not participate in the armed rebellion against Rome.
Of course, the ongoing community has trouble maintaining this order. But once again, there is hope because that which is good, but damaged, can be fixed. Continual repentance and reformation are marks of the faith as forgiveness becomes a major part of the lifestyle. And once again, God uses good to overcome evil. When persecution forces the believers to migrate from Jerusalem, God uses it to spread the Gospel.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll look at the stories of some people inspired by this Spirit.
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