Christ's ministry continues
Commentary
Object:
I believe it happens in every congregation. A strong, spirited leader, family, youth group, or couple who gives much to the church -- moves on! While in the church, this person or persons have brought many gifts to the congregation, resulting in new ministries, personal and community epiphany moments, and even new life in the crucified and risen Christ. But eventually their time in this congregation draws to a close. They must move on with the next chapter of their lives. This has happened in one stable small-town rural parish, when a "baby boom" of children moved through the congregation's Sunday school, confirmation class, and youth ministry, and then they graduated and move on. The Sunday school tables are now empty and the chairs are folded up. The church has done nothing wrong, nor has the person or group of people. The good news of the Pentecost season is that Christ's ministry continues. Pentecost, referring to fifty days, begins the second half of the church year. This is the time to experiment with different types of ministry, and even if one is traditional in orientation toward ministry, this is a time to experiment with thinking outside the box.
Acts 2:1-21
If one believes that Jesus' mission in Luke's gospel was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), then Acts 2 continues this calling. The disciples were in one place. Was this inside a house or did the events begin in the house and then move outside to accommodate a larger crowd? This is a contested point. For Luke, God continues to work within history. God comes down among humans in the form of the Holy Spirit, as he did earlier in Jesus of Nazareth. Without the coming of the Spirit there would be no prophecy, preaching, missions, and worldwide movement to bring people to faith in Jesus as Christ. These are mostly Jews of various backgrounds whom are addressed directly. This also might be seen as a continuance of the "theophany" traditions of coming down to Moses in Exodus 19:18 and Ezekiel in Ezekiel 13:13.
Luke uses the Feast of Weeks or fiftieth day after Passover to indicate that this is the time of first fruits of the harvest (Exodus 23:16, 34:22; Leviticus 23:15-21). Just as the Feast of Weeks are the first fruits of the harvest season, God is now filling first the people of Christ to empower them to eventually do ministry to the entire world. Through the twelve disciples, Christ's ministry continues. This is the main point. A couple other observations include that this event is the reversal of the "Tower of Babel" (Genesis 11, confusing of people's languages). Instead of confusion and division in the past, God uses the Spirit as one who will eventually bring unity to all nations. God has fulfilled his promise through Abraham to become a blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). Some commentators believe this is an echo of Joel 2:28-32; 3:1 (LXX version), of God's restoration of the fortune of Judah and Jerusalem. Suffice it to say, this event of the outpouring of the Spirit does have some Old Testament or Hebrew Bible precedent.
The tongues themselves are recognizable as foreign languages that people of other nations understood. Is there is a pattern of nations mentioned? One could see that the countries mentioned are located from east to west. These were probably Diaspora Jews as well as some traditional Jerusalem Jews. If one wants to argue the tongues being "ecstatic," this is a concern of Paul in 1 Corinthians 14. The internal evidence for such tongues is weak in this given text. Is this a onetime event or is it repeated elsewhere? The internal evidence in this text would suggest the former point. What is important is that the Spirit brought unity, not division. And the people of faith were empowered to the point that they were energized to further carry on the mission of "seeking and saving the lost" (Luke 19:10).
This is a corporate gathering, not a private experience. Church is a corporate event, not a private creation. This is the season of the church; this point cannot be said enough. Salvation is still about forgiveness of sins. One option of preaching this text would be to use the final verse as a major interpretative lens or cue for the whole text: "Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (2:21). The preacher can identify issues in his or her congregation that are relevant to any points in the Acts 2 text, and show how it ties into what it means to have the Lord save them.
Romans 8:14-17
Rome was made up of about 25-40% slaves while Paul writes this letter to the Romans (in Corinth 56-57 CE/AD). Being a "slave to Caesar" roughly meant being a worker for a prestigious global corporation today. The slave followed the words and carried the tasks of them whom they serve, in this case "Caesar." If Rome had television commercials, such servants would be driving the fastest and shiniest new product with a beautiful person sitting next them. Paul challenges this by saying he is the slave of Jesus Christ (1:1).
Which spirit will we follow in the months to come? Initially, the empire or fleshly spirit satisfied immediate desires, while providing a quick fix to any anxiety about the future, death, or loss of health and looks. Being led by the empire's spirit leads to more bondage and eventually the empire will discard people when they are of no use. A modern illustration might be a consumer society that discards those who are older, less productive, or have skills that are now obsolete. On the other hand, Paul uses the term "heirs" to describe servants of Christ. This means they will receive a portion of their master's inheritance.
So in Pentecost, "Whom will we serve?" Is it the master in power of immediate gratification and temporary quick fixes to personal anxiety, or the one who brings power for salvation, reveals righteousness, and justifies his servants through faith (Romans 1:16-17)? The same Spirit that touched people of faith to challenge a mighty empire in the first century continues to do ministry today. Christ's ministry continues through the spirit that makes us heirs to an eternal inheritance, rather than collectors of relics from an old Roman Coliseum, or global discarded electronic telephone devices.
John 14:8-17 (25-27)
This is the first of five "Paraclete" sayings in John. For John the "Paraclete" or Spirit continues the work of Jesus while he was with the disciples on earth. Christ's ministry continues in John 14. This spirit remains alongside the people of faith as well as serving as their helper, advisor, and advocate. The Spirit teaches the believers what truth Jesus has taught them (14:17, 26). So how does one know it is the Spirit of truth? For John, it is a community of faith's ministry alongside the history of the gospel message itself.
A modern example might be the dental hygiene community recommending people use dental floss along with brushing their teeth every day. This is not just one dental worker's word, but the whole dental hygiene community saying this. As time marches on, those who have better teeth and gums will give evidence that using dental floss is a healthy practice for teeth. The use of dental floss will develop a history. The dental hygiene community is united on this recommendation, as the track record of dental floss use is traced in time. This is how the Spirit of truth works in John. The church lives out its faith as Jesus has taught them. As time marches on, the church's ministry bears witness to the deeds, words, and works they have done to glorify God. In John, the Paraclete teaches and reminds people of what they already know to be true from Jesus as Christ.
The "truth" in this text also means God's revelation to the community as they distinguish themselves from the world's values. The truth is Jesus as God in the flesh (John 1:1-14), and his teachings and following his way in daily actions (14:6). This truth has a certain continuity and empowering presence to it. This also translates into the "shalom" or peace that the world's superpowers and corporations cannot provide (14:26-27). The peace that any world empire gives is conditioned on the life of that particular empire. The peace Jesus offers is unconditional and an eternal peace that begins now and continues as the fellowship of Christians can anticipate that God is good for God's promises.
If one goes back to Jesus' stated mission in John 10:10 ("I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"), it is both a quality and quantity of life that is promised. Jesus' eventual ascension back to the Father does not change this. Jesus will breathe the Spirit into his disciples upon his resurrection in John's gospel (20:22). This spirit is a present reminder that Christ's ministry continues today in the twenty-first century.
Application
What are the stories and practices that have built a particular community of faith in the past? Do they have to be reinterpreted in lieu of current realities? What is the constant story of the particular community of faith? What were the words of the past that seem to have been diminished today? If a congregation views themselves as a "welcoming family church," there have been major changes! For example, the typical Christian family life used to be two parents and children, who were offspring of these parents. How is "family" defined when the single parents outnumber the traditional two-parent households in any church? What about blended families that bring in children from previous relationships who have not had a strong church background? How does a Christian education department teach about the commandments on adultery when more and more of the parents have had multiple relationships within a couple years? How is the spirit of unconditional love and care at community work in those complex family situations nobody would have ever imagined many years ago? If the church believes they are a "welcoming family church" for all people and their personal problems, how is this spirit practiced today? What are the negotiable and non-negotiable "truths" in any given congregation? That is, maybe there might be a publicly stated "explicit" theology (we are here for all people), but a quietly lived out "implicit theology" (we have strict rules related to "family values").
An Alternative Application
Seeking out the various "Paraclete" sayings in John's gospel, then juxtaposing them to the account of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, could show how there were varying understandings as to how the same Spirit was working in the early church community. How can there be one Spirit, but different ways of arriving at the mission goal today? For instance, a church wants to have more participation in its ministries. Not all males will be drawn to coffee and Bible study ministry, as well-intentioned as it is. However, if the church needs to blast a tree stump out of the backyard, there may be many male participants!
Also one group in the church insists that all meetings occur in the church basement. Another group likes to have their meetings at a local restaurant a couple times per year. Both are experiencing the spirit of fellowship, but in different ways. But the church's ministry still gets accomplished, whether the decisions are made in the church basement or a local restaurant.
The texts all point to various dimensions of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, if one wants to pursue that direction on this day. This Sunday could be one where a preacher defines what the understanding of the "Holy Spirit" is in this congregation or fellowship. The bottom line remains that Christ's ministry continues.
Acts 2:1-21
If one believes that Jesus' mission in Luke's gospel was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), then Acts 2 continues this calling. The disciples were in one place. Was this inside a house or did the events begin in the house and then move outside to accommodate a larger crowd? This is a contested point. For Luke, God continues to work within history. God comes down among humans in the form of the Holy Spirit, as he did earlier in Jesus of Nazareth. Without the coming of the Spirit there would be no prophecy, preaching, missions, and worldwide movement to bring people to faith in Jesus as Christ. These are mostly Jews of various backgrounds whom are addressed directly. This also might be seen as a continuance of the "theophany" traditions of coming down to Moses in Exodus 19:18 and Ezekiel in Ezekiel 13:13.
Luke uses the Feast of Weeks or fiftieth day after Passover to indicate that this is the time of first fruits of the harvest (Exodus 23:16, 34:22; Leviticus 23:15-21). Just as the Feast of Weeks are the first fruits of the harvest season, God is now filling first the people of Christ to empower them to eventually do ministry to the entire world. Through the twelve disciples, Christ's ministry continues. This is the main point. A couple other observations include that this event is the reversal of the "Tower of Babel" (Genesis 11, confusing of people's languages). Instead of confusion and division in the past, God uses the Spirit as one who will eventually bring unity to all nations. God has fulfilled his promise through Abraham to become a blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). Some commentators believe this is an echo of Joel 2:28-32; 3:1 (LXX version), of God's restoration of the fortune of Judah and Jerusalem. Suffice it to say, this event of the outpouring of the Spirit does have some Old Testament or Hebrew Bible precedent.
The tongues themselves are recognizable as foreign languages that people of other nations understood. Is there is a pattern of nations mentioned? One could see that the countries mentioned are located from east to west. These were probably Diaspora Jews as well as some traditional Jerusalem Jews. If one wants to argue the tongues being "ecstatic," this is a concern of Paul in 1 Corinthians 14. The internal evidence for such tongues is weak in this given text. Is this a onetime event or is it repeated elsewhere? The internal evidence in this text would suggest the former point. What is important is that the Spirit brought unity, not division. And the people of faith were empowered to the point that they were energized to further carry on the mission of "seeking and saving the lost" (Luke 19:10).
This is a corporate gathering, not a private experience. Church is a corporate event, not a private creation. This is the season of the church; this point cannot be said enough. Salvation is still about forgiveness of sins. One option of preaching this text would be to use the final verse as a major interpretative lens or cue for the whole text: "Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (2:21). The preacher can identify issues in his or her congregation that are relevant to any points in the Acts 2 text, and show how it ties into what it means to have the Lord save them.
Romans 8:14-17
Rome was made up of about 25-40% slaves while Paul writes this letter to the Romans (in Corinth 56-57 CE/AD). Being a "slave to Caesar" roughly meant being a worker for a prestigious global corporation today. The slave followed the words and carried the tasks of them whom they serve, in this case "Caesar." If Rome had television commercials, such servants would be driving the fastest and shiniest new product with a beautiful person sitting next them. Paul challenges this by saying he is the slave of Jesus Christ (1:1).
Which spirit will we follow in the months to come? Initially, the empire or fleshly spirit satisfied immediate desires, while providing a quick fix to any anxiety about the future, death, or loss of health and looks. Being led by the empire's spirit leads to more bondage and eventually the empire will discard people when they are of no use. A modern illustration might be a consumer society that discards those who are older, less productive, or have skills that are now obsolete. On the other hand, Paul uses the term "heirs" to describe servants of Christ. This means they will receive a portion of their master's inheritance.
So in Pentecost, "Whom will we serve?" Is it the master in power of immediate gratification and temporary quick fixes to personal anxiety, or the one who brings power for salvation, reveals righteousness, and justifies his servants through faith (Romans 1:16-17)? The same Spirit that touched people of faith to challenge a mighty empire in the first century continues to do ministry today. Christ's ministry continues through the spirit that makes us heirs to an eternal inheritance, rather than collectors of relics from an old Roman Coliseum, or global discarded electronic telephone devices.
John 14:8-17 (25-27)
This is the first of five "Paraclete" sayings in John. For John the "Paraclete" or Spirit continues the work of Jesus while he was with the disciples on earth. Christ's ministry continues in John 14. This spirit remains alongside the people of faith as well as serving as their helper, advisor, and advocate. The Spirit teaches the believers what truth Jesus has taught them (14:17, 26). So how does one know it is the Spirit of truth? For John, it is a community of faith's ministry alongside the history of the gospel message itself.
A modern example might be the dental hygiene community recommending people use dental floss along with brushing their teeth every day. This is not just one dental worker's word, but the whole dental hygiene community saying this. As time marches on, those who have better teeth and gums will give evidence that using dental floss is a healthy practice for teeth. The use of dental floss will develop a history. The dental hygiene community is united on this recommendation, as the track record of dental floss use is traced in time. This is how the Spirit of truth works in John. The church lives out its faith as Jesus has taught them. As time marches on, the church's ministry bears witness to the deeds, words, and works they have done to glorify God. In John, the Paraclete teaches and reminds people of what they already know to be true from Jesus as Christ.
The "truth" in this text also means God's revelation to the community as they distinguish themselves from the world's values. The truth is Jesus as God in the flesh (John 1:1-14), and his teachings and following his way in daily actions (14:6). This truth has a certain continuity and empowering presence to it. This also translates into the "shalom" or peace that the world's superpowers and corporations cannot provide (14:26-27). The peace that any world empire gives is conditioned on the life of that particular empire. The peace Jesus offers is unconditional and an eternal peace that begins now and continues as the fellowship of Christians can anticipate that God is good for God's promises.
If one goes back to Jesus' stated mission in John 10:10 ("I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"), it is both a quality and quantity of life that is promised. Jesus' eventual ascension back to the Father does not change this. Jesus will breathe the Spirit into his disciples upon his resurrection in John's gospel (20:22). This spirit is a present reminder that Christ's ministry continues today in the twenty-first century.
Application
What are the stories and practices that have built a particular community of faith in the past? Do they have to be reinterpreted in lieu of current realities? What is the constant story of the particular community of faith? What were the words of the past that seem to have been diminished today? If a congregation views themselves as a "welcoming family church," there have been major changes! For example, the typical Christian family life used to be two parents and children, who were offspring of these parents. How is "family" defined when the single parents outnumber the traditional two-parent households in any church? What about blended families that bring in children from previous relationships who have not had a strong church background? How does a Christian education department teach about the commandments on adultery when more and more of the parents have had multiple relationships within a couple years? How is the spirit of unconditional love and care at community work in those complex family situations nobody would have ever imagined many years ago? If the church believes they are a "welcoming family church" for all people and their personal problems, how is this spirit practiced today? What are the negotiable and non-negotiable "truths" in any given congregation? That is, maybe there might be a publicly stated "explicit" theology (we are here for all people), but a quietly lived out "implicit theology" (we have strict rules related to "family values").
An Alternative Application
Seeking out the various "Paraclete" sayings in John's gospel, then juxtaposing them to the account of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, could show how there were varying understandings as to how the same Spirit was working in the early church community. How can there be one Spirit, but different ways of arriving at the mission goal today? For instance, a church wants to have more participation in its ministries. Not all males will be drawn to coffee and Bible study ministry, as well-intentioned as it is. However, if the church needs to blast a tree stump out of the backyard, there may be many male participants!
Also one group in the church insists that all meetings occur in the church basement. Another group likes to have their meetings at a local restaurant a couple times per year. Both are experiencing the spirit of fellowship, but in different ways. But the church's ministry still gets accomplished, whether the decisions are made in the church basement or a local restaurant.
The texts all point to various dimensions of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, if one wants to pursue that direction on this day. This Sunday could be one where a preacher defines what the understanding of the "Holy Spirit" is in this congregation or fellowship. The bottom line remains that Christ's ministry continues.
