Does your church mention Pentecost? Many churches, especially those that do not follow the liturgical year, barely mention it at all.
The gift of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost was a turning point in salvation history. It was a never-to-be-repeated moment that applied the finished work of Christ to the disciples and implemented Jesus’s heavenly reign over the church. Jesus baptised His disciples with the Spirit, just as John had prophesied and He had promised. They received the same anointing He received at His baptism so they could continue His ministry on earth. The Book of Acts records all Jesus continued to do through His disciples by the empowering presence of His Spirit.
The Spirit came and made His dwelling in all of Jesus’ disciples. This was manifest when tongues of fire rested on each of them individually. Peter’s sermon, explaining that Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled, highlighted the democratising effect of the coming of the Spirit. All disciples, male and female alike, would be able to prophesy and receive revelation. In contrast, in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was only given to some individuals to enable them to serve in specific roles, for example as kings or prophets.
John Stevens: Evangelical unity & 'secondary issues'
The appointment of Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury has inevitably raised questions as to how evangelicals deal …