The Holy & Great Feast of Pentecost, the Beginning of the Church of Christ on Earth

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, THEY WERE ALL WITH ONE ACCORD IN ONE PLACE…” (Acts 2:1).

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ our Lord, God, and Savior JESUS CHRIST,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of rushing mighty wind, and it filled
the whole house where they were sitting. Then there APPEARED TO THEM DIVIDED
TONGUES, AS OF FIRE, AND ONE SAT UPON EACH OF THEM. AND THEY WERE ALL
FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES, AS
THE SPIRIT GAVE THEM UTTERANCE” (Acts 2:1-4).

Before Christ Ascended into Heaven He gave a command to His Disciples to return to Jerusalem after His Ascension and remain there until they were invested with power from Heaven. Thus He gave them the promise that they would receive the Holy Spirit, about which He had spoken during His life.

This promise by Christ to the Disciples was realized FIFTY DAYS AFTER PASCHA and ten days after His Ascension to Heaven. Thus in the Church, we observe the Feast of Pentecost in which we honor the Holy Trinity, and on the following day, we celebrate and glorify the Holy Spirit. So the Feast of Pentecost is a Feast of the Holy Trinity.

The Feast of Pentecost is also included in what the Church calls the “Twelve Feasts”, because it is the LAST FEAST OF THE DIVINE ECONOMY. The INCARNATION of Christ was aimed at Victory OVER DEATH and the COMING OF THE Holy Spirit into the hearts of men. Moreover, it is well-known that the purpose of the Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Life is that WE SHOULD BECOME MEMBERS OF THE Body of Christ and RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. These two are inseparably linked together.

The holy hymnographer calls PENTECOST the last feast concerning MAN’S REFORMATION AND RENEWAL: “Let us believers joyfully celebrate A LAST FEAST: IT IS PENTECOST, fulfillment and deadline of a promise”. Thus, if the Annunciation to the Theotokos is THE BEGINNING OF THE INCARNATION OF THE LOGOS/WORD and the Divine Economy, Pentecost IS THE END, since it is then that man, THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE RISEN BODY OF CHRIST.

We can also place Pentecost, as well as what relates to the Holy Spirit and Christ, in this framework because CHRISTOLOGY cannot be understood apart from PNEUMATOLOGY, nor PNEUMATOLOGY apart from CHRISTOLOGY.

The DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TOOK PLACE ON THE LORD’S DAY (KYRIAKI) OR Sunday. And here we see the value of the Lord’s Day (Kyriaki), for the Great Feasts of the Lord took place on it. According to Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite, THE CREATION OF THE WORLD BEGAN ON THE FIRST DAY, THAT IS TO SAY ON THE LORD’S DAY (Kyriaki), for it was then that light was created, THE RENEWAL OF CREATION BEGAN ON THE LORD’S DAY, WITH THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST; THE COMPLETION OF CREATION TOOK PLACE ON THE LORD’S DAY WITH THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The making of creation was done by the Father with the cooperation (synergy) of the Son and the Holy Spirit, the RENEWAL WAS DONE BY THE SON WITH THE GOOD WILL OF THE FATHER AND THE COOPERATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE COMPLETION OF CREATION WAS DONE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER AN DIS SENT BY THE SON.

The Christian PENTECOST in which we celebrated THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT coincides with the Jewish Pentecost. It was on the day when the Jews were celebrating Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended upon the holy Apostles and made them MEMBERS OF THE RISEN BODY OF CHRIST…On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Disciples received the Holy Spirit and thus experienced the law of the New Testament, THE LAW OF DIVINE GRACE. If in the Old Testament the unincarnate Logos/Word GAVE THE LAW ON MT. SINAI, in the New Testament the RISEN INCARNATE LOGOS/WORD SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE DISCIPLES WHO WERE IN THE UPPER ROOM, AND THEY BECAME MEMBERS OF HIS GLORIOUS BODY. If at the Pentecost of the Old Testament, the first fruits of the harvest were offered, at the Pentecost of the New Testament THE FIRST OF THE RATIONAL FRUITS WERE OFFERED FROM THE HARVEST WHICH CHRIST HIMSELF MADE, THAT IS TO SAY, THE APOSTLES WERE OFFERED TO GOD.

“in the Church of Christ, Truth IS ONE, as indeed it should be. Historically IT IS ONE, COMMON TO ALL THE CHURCH’S FAITHFUL, AND UNCHANGING; IT HAS BEEN SUCH FROM THE GREAT DAY OF THE APOSTOLIC PENTECOST WHEN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH RECEIVED ITS BEGINNING, AND AFTER THAT FOR THE COURSE OF TWO THOUSAND YEARS UNTIL OUT TIME, AND IT WILL REMAIN SUCH UNTIL THE END OF TIME. This ATTRIBUTE OF THE CHURCH is splendidly expressed in the Church hymn (the kontakion) for the commemoration of the First Ecumenical Synod at Nicaea, which we celebrate on the Lord’s Day (Kyriaki) before the Solemn Day of Holy Pentecost. Here are the words of this Church hymn:

“The preaching of the Apostles and the dogmas of the Fathers have
SEALED THE ONE FAITH OF THE CHURCH. And wearing the garment
of Truth, WOVEN OF THE THEOLOGY FROM ABOVE, she rightly dispenses
and glorifies the Great Mystery of piety.”

Thus, the Great Mystery of Christian piety, that is, LIFE IN CHRIST, IS BUILT ON AN UNCHANGING UNITY OF FAITH IN THE ONE Truth. Arbitrary attempts TO INTRODUCE INTO OUR FAITH ANYTHING NEW–EVEN THOUGH THEY DO OCCUR, SOMETIMES FROM THE NAIVE DESIRE OF PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS TO ATTRACT ATTENTION TO THE FAITH BY THIS MEANS, OR TO PUT FRESHNESS INTO CHURCH LIFE–ARE DECISIVELY REJECTED BY THE ORTHODOX CHURCH.” [Orthodox Dogmatic Theology]

In the present exposition of Orthodox Theology a special place is allotted to the truly CLOSE AND INSEPARABLE BOND “BETWEEN THE CHURCH ON EARTH AND THE HEAVENLY CHURCH–OUR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION IN THE CHURCH WITH “the Heavenly Church–our spiritual communion in the Church with “the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, on the General Assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven” (Hebrews 12:22-23). Here is to be found THE AUTHENTIC PLEROMA–THE FULLNESS, THE CATHOLICITY OF THE CHURCH…This Truth HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN, IGNORED, OR COMPLETELY REJECTED IN THE GREAT PART OF WHAT IS CALLED CHRISTIANITY.

The FULLNESS OF ACTUAL LIFE IN THE CHURCH ON EARTH IS MANIFESTED IN THREE ASPECTS (a) CONFESSION OF FAITH; (b) MORAL LIFE; and (c) THE DIVINE SERVICES. Therefore, each Christian is called (a) TO BELIEVE; (b) TO LIVE AND ACT ACCORDING TO FAITH; and (c) TO GLORIFY GOD AND TO PRAY. [Orthodox Dogmatic Theology]

“From the first days of her existence, the Holy Church of Christ has ceaselessly been concerned that her children, her members, SHOULD STAND FIRM IN THE PURE TRUTH.” “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth,” writes the Holy Apostle, John the Theologian (III John, 5:4). “I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true Grace of God wherein ye stand,” says the Holy Apostle Peter in concluding his Catholic Epistle (I Peter 5:12). “Catholic,” meaning “universal” is the name applied to the New Testament Epistles (those of James, Peter, Jude, and John) which were addressed TO THE WHOLE CHURCH OR TO BELIEVERS IN GENERAL.

The Holy Apostle Paul relates concerning himself that, having preached for fourteen (14) years, he went to Jerusalem by REVELATION with Barnabas and Titus, and there he offered–especially to the most renowned citizens–THE GOSPEL which he preached, “lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain” (Galatians 2:2).

“Instruct us in Thy path, that we may walk in Thy Truth” –is the first petition in the priestly prayers (the Prayers of Lamplighting) in the first Divine service of the daily cycle, Vespers. The “Prayers of Lamplighting” are the silent prayers read by the priest before the Royal Doors while Psalm 103 is being read aloud by the Reader.”STRAIGHT, RIGHT,” in Greek ORTHOS–that is, “orthodoxy.”

“…In early Christian literature, there is constant mention OF THE KEEPING OF “THE RULE OF FAITH,” THE “RULE OF TRUTH.” The very term “orthodoxy” was widely used even in the epoch before the Ecumenical Synods, then in the terminology of the Ecumenical Synods themselves, and in the Fathers of the Church both of the East of the West.

Side by side with the STRAIGHT, OR RIGHT, PATH OF FAITH THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THOSE WHO THOUGHT DIFFERENTLY (heterodoxountes), or HETERODOX,” in the expression of Saint Ignatius the God-bearer), a world of greater or lesser errors among Christians, and sometimes even whole incorrect systems which attempted to burst into the midst of Orthodox Christians. As a result of the quest for Truth THERE OCCURRED DIVISIONS AMONG CHRISTIANS.

Becoming acquainted with the history of the Church, and likewise observing the contemporary world, we see that the errors which war against Orthodox Truth have appeared and do appear (a) under the influence of other religions, (b) under the influence of FALLEN HUMAN NATURE, which seeks the rights and justifications of these weaknesses and inclinations.

“ERRORS TAKE ROOT AND BECOME OBSTINATE MOST FREQUENTLY BECAUSE OF THE PRIDE OF THOSE WHO DEFEND THEM, BECAUSE OF INTELLECTUAL PRIDE.” [Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)