We all know about the Pentecost which took place in Jerusalem. The church still sets aside a Sunday to celebrate this eventful moment. What is often missed in the reading of the Word is the Pentecost like event which took place some time later in Caesarea. In Jerusalem the room was filled with Jews, but in Caesarea the room was filled mostly with Gentiles. Of course, the real common denominator was the Holy Spirit. In both places the Holy Spirit worked in a powerful way.
The language used to describe the action of the Holy Spirit in Caesarea appeals more to those who prefer imagery over preciseness. In those final verses of the 10th chapter of Acts, the Word says, "While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word...(they) were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles..." (Acts 10:44-45). Most are comfortable with rain falling, or night falling, or even dew falling, but some are troubled with the image of the Spirit falling. The image of the Spirit being "poured out" raises similar concerns among those who find themselves searching for a better, more definable word.
The truth is there is very little which is easily defined or understood when we begin to think about the action of the Holy Spirit. If we are honest with ourselves, there have been times when it truly did seem that the Spirit fell in our midst. And while we do not see ourselves living with a three-tier view of the world, the word "fell" still seems more than appropriate. Like a good heavy dew that falls, the falling Spirit has a way of covering completely and making all things touched by that covering as something which is new. This included folks like Peter and Cornelius back then and folks like us even now.
The language used to describe the action of the Holy Spirit in Caesarea appeals more to those who prefer imagery over preciseness. In those final verses of the 10th chapter of Acts, the Word says, "While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word...(they) were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles..." (Acts 10:44-45). Most are comfortable with rain falling, or night falling, or even dew falling, but some are troubled with the image of the Spirit falling. The image of the Spirit being "poured out" raises similar concerns among those who find themselves searching for a better, more definable word.
The truth is there is very little which is easily defined or understood when we begin to think about the action of the Holy Spirit. If we are honest with ourselves, there have been times when it truly did seem that the Spirit fell in our midst. And while we do not see ourselves living with a three-tier view of the world, the word "fell" still seems more than appropriate. Like a good heavy dew that falls, the falling Spirit has a way of covering completely and making all things touched by that covering as something which is new. This included folks like Peter and Cornelius back then and folks like us even now.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment