Certainly Jesus' friends didn't see themselves as starting a new church - they were loyal Jews following the example of their leader who had died because he refused to accept second best worship or respect or commitment for his God and religion. The people of the original Pentecost lived for the renewal of their religion - not its overthrow and replacement.
The beginning of Christianity
But maybe the Holy Spirit wanted a more universal church - a church able to touch the hearts of all people, a religion better able to evolve as the human spirit grew, one not limited to what had become a very codified and inward-looking religious observance centred on a small area at the eastern end of the Mediterranean.So those early leaders were empowered to reach out. It took another 20 years before early Christianity really established itself outside Palestine - mainly in towns of Turkey, Greece and Italy - and then centuries to reach out to the rest of the world. But that day was day one of the movement we know today as Christianity.
Empowered with sudden confidence, and a range of gifts that got them noticed and made them effective, the disciples started their work. The most useful gift for their time, the one emphasised in Acts 2, was communication: everyone got the message no matter what language they spoke.
I'm not sure how that worked. Did the passion and commitment of Peter spread to his listeners? Did the listeners receive the gift of being able to understand? What was the understanding - the intellectual concepts, or the emotional and spiritual understanding? Or both?
But however we understand the actions of that day, the result was a surge of commitment to the good news of Jesus, to the message that death was not the end, and that the kingdom was available to all.
The ideal Christian community
There are two parts of Acts 2 that have always made it real for me. First, among all the enthusiasm and passion there were still the cynics stepping to one side and snidely asking if the speakers were drunk! and then, at the end of the chapter Luke takes a small step a few months into the future to show the actual real world effect of the good news on those almost mythical disciples ...they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people.I have always been able to feel the passion and idealism of those first Christians in this description. They created havens of peace in every town. They absolutely KNEW how to live their lives. They were afraid of nothing, indeed they looked forward to the last judgement and resurrection in the next month or so.
Christianity's foundation principles
For me that is a vision that tells me very clearly that these people were completely committed and living the message. 2000 years ago there was no such thing as social security, but one of the wonders of the world was the way the Christian communities took responsibility for the care of the poor and marginalised in their towns and cities.They still do. It was, and is, the first (and possibly only) sign of true Christianity. The sheep and goats were certainly Jesus' only pass/fail assessment! (Matthew 25, 45-46)
Pentecost is celebrated to remind us of what Christianity is all about: it is about communication and that intimate and idealistic form of community outlined above - and - as the first leader of the early Church challenged us:
Do any of you think you are religious? What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this:
- to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and
- to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world. (James 1)
Happy Pentecost!
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