May 30 is Pentecost Sunday. At Pentecost (Greek for the fiftieth day) we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples fifty days after Easter (Acts 2:1-4).

Throughout the Old Testament and during Jesus’ ministry, God gave special miraculous manifestations of the Holy Spirit in certain places and at certain times to help the community of believers guide themselves in the truth. John the Baptist prophesied that the Messiah, Jesus, would baptize Christians with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ final days with the disciples, He promised them that when He left them, His Father would send them another Counselor to be with them forever – “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” (John 14:17) This promise was fulfilled for the disciples at Pentecost, when all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. The outward sign of the indwelling of the Spirit manifested itself in the speaking of tongues, one of the many spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14; Acts 2:4). The various gifts of the Spirit, some natural, some supernatural, include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of the church as the body of Christ. He emphasizes that we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body. Paul stresses the importance of unity in the body and encourages the believers to have concern for each other. If one church member suffers, then the whole church suffers with that person. If one church member is honored, then the whole church body should rejoice with him or her. Paul encourages the church to eagerly desire these spiritual gifts, not for one’s own selfish pride, but because they are God’s way. They are the way of love, which is a fruit of the Spirit.

The church in Corinth had trouble with that. Some church members felt that their spiritual gifts were inferior to those received by others. Envy had been developing over those who had received the spiritual gift of tongues. Paul reminds them that every member of the body of Christ has been given some spiritual gift that is evidence of the Spirit working in his or her life. God intends these gifts to build up the church body.

In a clockwork, there are many different elements, and many different toothed wheels of different sizes and shape. Each one has a distinct function that no other toothed wheel in that clockwork could fulfill. Only if each tiny toothed wheel is doing its job, is the clock running. And only the clockmaker sees the whole picture and knows what kind of toothed wheel is needed at a particular place.

As the people in Corinth, we should also pray for the gifts of the Spirit. God knows us as a whole and individually. He sees the whole picture, and He knows what gifts are needed and where they are needed for the building up of the body of Christ. Our part is to make ourselves available and to pray: “Your will be done.” Come, Holy Spirit!

Yours in Him,
Vicar Jens