Breath of Life
Commentary
An ancient Jewish legend declares, “Pentecost is the day on which Torah was given.” One wonders whether James might have had that in mind as he penned these words. According to the Jewish teaching, it was on the day that eventually became the feast of Pentecost that God gave birth to the Hebrew nation by speaking the divine covenant to them at Mt. Sinai.
As the book of Acts makes clear, Pentecost was the day on which the New Testament church was given birth. Just as God spoke through Moses to bring the nation of Israel into being at Mt. Sinai, so God spoke through Peter to create the first elements of the new faith community.
It was symbolically powerful for these events to take place on Pentecost. In its first use “Pentecost” was essentially a nickname or label. The feast of Passover was one of the most significant holidays in the Jewish community, since it recalled the manner in which God miraculously brought the nation out of Egypt. Seven sabbaths and a day later, (7 X 7 + 1 = 50) the people celebrated this next major religious event as harvest season began in Palestine. Since it occurred fifty days after Passover, people started referring to it as the “Feast after Fifty,” or Pentecost.
Yet the real significance of the event was more clearly understood through its original name—Feast of Firstfruits. Regulations for the celebration required all Israelites to assemble at the temple in Jerusalem bringing with them the first sheaf of grain from their fields. As the time of harvest approached across the land, even before the regular reaping started, a single bundle of grain was cut on each farm and toted off to the temple.
There it was “waved” before the Lord as an offering (Leviticus 23:11) along with two loaves of bread that were baked from the newly harvested grain (Leviticus 23:17). Furthermore, to broaden the impact of the event, two male lambs were also brought from the first castings of each flock (Leviticus 23:12).
As these gifts were presented to God in the temple courts, all the men danced around the altar that carried the smoke of the gifts toward heaven. The crowds of women, children, and elderly men too old to jump around wildly formed a large circle around these revelers and sang Psalms 113-118. According to historical reports, the celebration was often wild and uninhibited.
We might ask what the purpose was behind these religious revelries. The instructions of Moses declared that the feast was a theological testimony. The nation was making a confession that no general harvesting for profit would begin until God had laid claim to the “firstfruits” of the fields and the flocks. By devoting the first of the new produce to God, the people were acknowledging that everything came from God and belonged to God. Whatever benefit they might receive from the harvest that year was a direct result of God’s care and providential intervention.
With that background, the significance of Pentecost as the birthday of the Christian church takes on new meaning. A new era of God’s kingdom began that day, as God claimed the firstfruits of a worldwide faith harvest. The mission of the church began only after God had first miraculously owned the original converts from each nation represented in Jerusalem that day.
At the dawn of creation, God sowed a world of hope and possibility. Evil storms and tragic seasons may have slowed the harvest of greatness on planet earth. But if anyone wants to know what the true and best harvest will look like, he should check out the church.
That may seem funny to us. We would have a hard time seeing the church as a picture of God’s profit margins. Yet for God, the church is the firstfruits of the great harvest.
Maybe that’s why we ought to take ourselves less seriously and more seriously at the same time, in the church. Less seriously because there is an awful lot of humor in what God is up to. More seriously because God’s humor is the first smile of love that the rest of creation around us needs desperately to see.
Acts 2:1-21
The momentum of the stories told in the Book of Acts is derived from a single critical incident that took place in Jerusalem during the Jewish religious festival known as Pentecost. Jesus’ instruction for his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for a special gift (Acts 1:4) must have seemed vague at the time, but the arrival of the explosive power of the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost feast made sense. This celebration was both a harvest festival and a time for recalling the gift of the original covenant documents to Moses at Mount Sinai. These two themes intersected marvelously with what was taking place. First, there was the dawning of a new age of revelation and divine mission, paralleling the first covenant declaration in the Book of Exodus. Second, during the Pentecost harvest festival, the first sheaves of grain were presented at the temple, anticipating that God would then bring in the full harvest. This expression of faith served as a clear analogy to the greater missional harvest of the church, which was begun through a miraculous “first fruits” in Jerusalem that day.
The day may have dawned like any other, but soon it was disrupted by some astounding symbolic heavenly announcements. First came the sound of wind without any movement of the air or the leaves on the trees. A single word, both in the Hebrew (ruach) and Greek (pneuma) languages, serves to designate “wind,” “breath,” and “spirit.” Thus, the sound of a rushing wind captured the attention of all who were about to breathe in the Spirit of God.
Then the invisible was made visible in a startling manner: a single blaze of fire descended, splitting to become multiple flames that bobbed above the head of each of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus’ cousin John had said that he (John) baptized with water, but that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 1:16). This vision represented the single divine Spirit baptizing all of Jesus’ followers at the same time.
Although not explicitly stated, there seems to be a conscious undoing of the troubles that started at Babel through the miracle of multiple-language communications at Pentecost. In Genesis 11, humanity was becoming unified against its Creator, and the divine solution to dissipate this rebellion was to multiply the languages spoken, forcing the community to become segmented into competing groups. At Pentecost, this action was reversed, and the many people who communicated in their diverse local languages suddenly all heard the same message of grace at once and were knit together into a new common humanity of the church. Babel was undone by Pentecost!
Peter capitalized on these themes when he preached a sermon explaining Joel’s prophecy of the “Day of the Lord.” Peter tied together God’s extensive mission, the history of Israel, the coming of Jesus, and the splitting of the Day of the Lord so that the blessings of the messianic age could begin before the final divine judgment fell. The pattern for entering the new community of faith was clearly outlined: repent and be baptized. The former indicated a transforming presence of the Holy Spirit in individual hearts, while the latter became the initiation rite by which the ranks of this missional society were identified (replacing the badge of circumcision in its unique application to the nation of Israel—see Colossians 2:11–12).
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
In a review of the church’s celebration of “the Lord’s Supper,” as it was becoming known, Paul addresses another facet of social interaction. The “differences” within the congregation were not only of the kind where parties became loyal to different leaders (1 Corinthians 1–3), but also the manifestation of divergent socioeconomic groupings present in Corinthian society. The reason why some who attended these Lord’s Supper gatherings “go ahead without waiting for anybody else” and others “remain hungry,” was due to the divergent lifestyle practices of the rich and the poor among them. Wealthy people were able to come and go as they pleased, including showing up to worship services, potluck dinners and Lord’s Supper celebrations right at the start. The poor and the slaves, however (some likely coming from the same households), were often late to arrive because they had to fulfill their domestic work obligations first. Paul declared that “recognizing the body of the Lord” was necessary if the Lord’s Supper was to be celebrated properly. This did not mean having the capacity to understand an appropriate theological theory of the atonement, or some other such cognitive ability. Instead, it amounted to remembering that all who belong to Jesus are welcome at his table, and none have more rights than others. If this socially and economically diverse group of society was indeed the Body of Christ, each must live and act accordingly, making room at the table for all.
This reflection on the expression of the Body of Christ at the communion meal may have significantly shaped Paul’s next reflections. When answering the Corinthians’ question about spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12–14), Paul further develops the body of Christ metaphor, making it the core analogy by which both the identification and expression of unique gifts was to happen. At the center of this discussion, Paul pens one of the most beautiful hymns about love ever recorded (1 Corinthians 13). Although it is often lifted from its context to become a wedding text, this passage is actually the glue that holds together all of Paul’s testimony concerning spiritual gifts. Only when these are used out of love, and expressed through love, is the true community of faith is formed and nurtured.
John 20:19-23
When describing the events of resurrection morning, John gives us some wonderful analogies to see its meaning on several levels. For one thing, when Mary looks into the empty tomb (20:10–12), the scene as John describes it immediately calls to mind the ark of the covenant that symbolized Yahweh’s presence in the tabernacle and later the temple. While the other gospel writers tell of angels being present, John views them through Mary Magdalene’s eyes, and sees two such creatures in exactly the same position as the cherubim that stood guard over the mercy seat throne. This time, however, the divine presence was missing, indicating the dawning of a new age in which the Creator’s power and presence would not be confined to or limited by a particular geographic location. The second strategy in the divine mission had come, and the Gospel was now to be preached to the whole world through Jesus’ disciples.
Then, when Mary Magdalene weeps because she misses her “Lord” (which is the Greek version of “Yahweh”), a man appears on her periphery, and she assumes that he is “the gardener.” Of course, Mary’s perception is incorrect, because the man is actually Jesus. But is she really wrong? John never says that she was mistaken; only that Mary Magdalene had assumed he was the gardener. In fact, John appears to want his readers to get the subtle message that Jesus is indeed the gardener. After all, at the beginning of time, the Creator placed Adam and Even in a garden and came to walk and talk with them (Genesis 2). Now, in the re-creation of all things, it is quite appropriate for new life to begin anew in a garden where the great gardener is again meandering and sharing intimacy with those who are favored friends. John confirms this symbolic intent when he tells about Jesus speaking Mary’s name. Just as Adam and Eve, along with all the animals and all elements of creation, came into being when they were named in the first beginning, so now Mary is restored to life in a new way as her identity is regenerated when Jesus speaks her name. Jesus, however, cannot be held in this garden (20:17) as partner in only one local friendship, for the process of re-creating all things is only just beginning, and he must leave to finish the task. Only when he goes, as he said in the “farewell discourse,” will he be able to multiply his presence through the gift of the “Paraclete.”
This coming of the “Paraclete” is enacted next, when Jesus meets with the rest of his disciples later that day. John tells us that he “breathed on them” (20:21), imparting to them the divine Spirit, and sending them out as his ambassadors, exactly in the manner of which he prayed in chapter 17. Is this, as some have suggested, John’s different version of Pentecost (Acts 2)? No; it is a final expression of the re-creation process. Just as Adam only came alive to his life and livelihood at the beginning of time when God breathed into him the divine breath (Genesis 2), so now this tiny gathering of the new humanity cannot function until they are divinely enthused in a similar, very literal manner. The Creator who breathed the breath of life into Adam in the first creation now breathes the same breath of life into his disciples in this re-creation. The dead of the world are coming back to life!
Application
Pentecost reminds us that no mind is truly enlightened until it is flooded with the glory of heaven. No body is truly healed until it is touched by the power of the Creator. No person is truly set free until there is freedom of the Spirit of Christ.
William Carey was a pastor of a small congregation in Leiceter, England. In 1792, he preached a powerful sermon called “Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God!” People would remember it for years. His message not only moved hearts in his congregation, however; it also came home to challenge Pastor Carey’s own soul. The next year he set sail for India, and what he did in that country was simply astounding. He began a manufacturing plant to employ jobless workers. He translated the scriptures and set up shops to print them. He established schools for all ages, helping people find a better place in society. He provided medical assistance for the diseased and the troubled and the ailing. He was nothing short of a miracle for the people of India.
Why did he do it? Because he was transformed by the pentecostal Spirit of Jesus. And when he lay dying, these were his last words: “When I have gone, speak not of Carey but of Carey’s Savior.”
During the time of the Reformation, John Foxe of England was impressed by the testimony of the early Christians. He gleaned the pages of early historical writings and wrote a book that has become a classic in the church: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
One story he tells is about an early church leader named Lawrence. Lawrence acted as a pastor for a church community. He also collected the offerings for the poor each week, and that led to his death.
A band of thieves found out that Lawrence received the offerings of the people from Sunday to Sunday, so one night, as he was out taking a stroll, they grabbed him and demanded the money. He told them that he didn’t have it, that he had already given it all to the poor. They didn’t believe him and told him they would give him a chance to find it. In three days, they would come to his house, and take from him the treasures of the church.
Three days later they did come. But Lawrence wasn’t alone. The house was filled with the people of his congregation. When the thieves demanded the treasures of the church, Lawrence smiled. He opened wide his arms and gestured to those who sat around him. “Here’s the treasure of the church!” he said. “Here’s the treasure of God that shines in the world!”
Alternative Application (Acts 2:1-21)
When the New Testament rapid fires the word faith, it means trust in God, affirmation of the uniqueness of Jesus, hope in Jesus’ return, and participation in the new cosmic order begun in and through Jesus. The synoptic gospels speak primarily of faith as affirming the trustworthiness of scripture or Jesus, while John consistently uses the term for believing “into” Jesus as the object of faith or the means of union with the Savior. Experiencing the presence of Jesus, or understanding what Jesus has done, and then rejecting it, earns a declaration of being without faith.
This is particularly seen in the book of Acts, where faith in Jesus comes alive and transforms people throughout the Roman world, as they get caught up in the spreading waves of evangelism. Confronted with the news of Jesus’ divine personhood and saving work, hearers are challenged to believe in “the Lord” or in Jesus. In fact, all who accept the gospel message and Christ's lordship are identified as "believing ones,” a term that is synonymous with "Christians." Furthermore, this faith in Jesus is then linked, in the Book of Acts to baptism, confession, forgiveness, grace, healing, the enthusing of the Holy Spirit, justification, purification, and sanctification. People who believe in Jesus are sometimes declared to be “full of faith,” while those who reject him turn from faith.
Paul writes much about faith, particularly in Romans and Galatians. Most of his ideas reflect closely those expressed about faith in the book of Acts. Toward the end of his life, however, there were some unique additions to what faith meant. To Titus, when warning his young protégé about the challenges of false teachers within the Christian community, Paul wrote that being “sound in faith” is necessary for propagating right teachings. And, in his final communication to Timothy, Paul reviewed his life and ministry, summing it up in a single idea: “I have kept the faith.”
As the book of Acts makes clear, Pentecost was the day on which the New Testament church was given birth. Just as God spoke through Moses to bring the nation of Israel into being at Mt. Sinai, so God spoke through Peter to create the first elements of the new faith community.
It was symbolically powerful for these events to take place on Pentecost. In its first use “Pentecost” was essentially a nickname or label. The feast of Passover was one of the most significant holidays in the Jewish community, since it recalled the manner in which God miraculously brought the nation out of Egypt. Seven sabbaths and a day later, (7 X 7 + 1 = 50) the people celebrated this next major religious event as harvest season began in Palestine. Since it occurred fifty days after Passover, people started referring to it as the “Feast after Fifty,” or Pentecost.
Yet the real significance of the event was more clearly understood through its original name—Feast of Firstfruits. Regulations for the celebration required all Israelites to assemble at the temple in Jerusalem bringing with them the first sheaf of grain from their fields. As the time of harvest approached across the land, even before the regular reaping started, a single bundle of grain was cut on each farm and toted off to the temple.
There it was “waved” before the Lord as an offering (Leviticus 23:11) along with two loaves of bread that were baked from the newly harvested grain (Leviticus 23:17). Furthermore, to broaden the impact of the event, two male lambs were also brought from the first castings of each flock (Leviticus 23:12).
As these gifts were presented to God in the temple courts, all the men danced around the altar that carried the smoke of the gifts toward heaven. The crowds of women, children, and elderly men too old to jump around wildly formed a large circle around these revelers and sang Psalms 113-118. According to historical reports, the celebration was often wild and uninhibited.
We might ask what the purpose was behind these religious revelries. The instructions of Moses declared that the feast was a theological testimony. The nation was making a confession that no general harvesting for profit would begin until God had laid claim to the “firstfruits” of the fields and the flocks. By devoting the first of the new produce to God, the people were acknowledging that everything came from God and belonged to God. Whatever benefit they might receive from the harvest that year was a direct result of God’s care and providential intervention.
With that background, the significance of Pentecost as the birthday of the Christian church takes on new meaning. A new era of God’s kingdom began that day, as God claimed the firstfruits of a worldwide faith harvest. The mission of the church began only after God had first miraculously owned the original converts from each nation represented in Jerusalem that day.
At the dawn of creation, God sowed a world of hope and possibility. Evil storms and tragic seasons may have slowed the harvest of greatness on planet earth. But if anyone wants to know what the true and best harvest will look like, he should check out the church.
That may seem funny to us. We would have a hard time seeing the church as a picture of God’s profit margins. Yet for God, the church is the firstfruits of the great harvest.
Maybe that’s why we ought to take ourselves less seriously and more seriously at the same time, in the church. Less seriously because there is an awful lot of humor in what God is up to. More seriously because God’s humor is the first smile of love that the rest of creation around us needs desperately to see.
Acts 2:1-21
The momentum of the stories told in the Book of Acts is derived from a single critical incident that took place in Jerusalem during the Jewish religious festival known as Pentecost. Jesus’ instruction for his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for a special gift (Acts 1:4) must have seemed vague at the time, but the arrival of the explosive power of the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost feast made sense. This celebration was both a harvest festival and a time for recalling the gift of the original covenant documents to Moses at Mount Sinai. These two themes intersected marvelously with what was taking place. First, there was the dawning of a new age of revelation and divine mission, paralleling the first covenant declaration in the Book of Exodus. Second, during the Pentecost harvest festival, the first sheaves of grain were presented at the temple, anticipating that God would then bring in the full harvest. This expression of faith served as a clear analogy to the greater missional harvest of the church, which was begun through a miraculous “first fruits” in Jerusalem that day.
The day may have dawned like any other, but soon it was disrupted by some astounding symbolic heavenly announcements. First came the sound of wind without any movement of the air or the leaves on the trees. A single word, both in the Hebrew (ruach) and Greek (pneuma) languages, serves to designate “wind,” “breath,” and “spirit.” Thus, the sound of a rushing wind captured the attention of all who were about to breathe in the Spirit of God.
Then the invisible was made visible in a startling manner: a single blaze of fire descended, splitting to become multiple flames that bobbed above the head of each of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus’ cousin John had said that he (John) baptized with water, but that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 1:16). This vision represented the single divine Spirit baptizing all of Jesus’ followers at the same time.
Although not explicitly stated, there seems to be a conscious undoing of the troubles that started at Babel through the miracle of multiple-language communications at Pentecost. In Genesis 11, humanity was becoming unified against its Creator, and the divine solution to dissipate this rebellion was to multiply the languages spoken, forcing the community to become segmented into competing groups. At Pentecost, this action was reversed, and the many people who communicated in their diverse local languages suddenly all heard the same message of grace at once and were knit together into a new common humanity of the church. Babel was undone by Pentecost!
Peter capitalized on these themes when he preached a sermon explaining Joel’s prophecy of the “Day of the Lord.” Peter tied together God’s extensive mission, the history of Israel, the coming of Jesus, and the splitting of the Day of the Lord so that the blessings of the messianic age could begin before the final divine judgment fell. The pattern for entering the new community of faith was clearly outlined: repent and be baptized. The former indicated a transforming presence of the Holy Spirit in individual hearts, while the latter became the initiation rite by which the ranks of this missional society were identified (replacing the badge of circumcision in its unique application to the nation of Israel—see Colossians 2:11–12).
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
In a review of the church’s celebration of “the Lord’s Supper,” as it was becoming known, Paul addresses another facet of social interaction. The “differences” within the congregation were not only of the kind where parties became loyal to different leaders (1 Corinthians 1–3), but also the manifestation of divergent socioeconomic groupings present in Corinthian society. The reason why some who attended these Lord’s Supper gatherings “go ahead without waiting for anybody else” and others “remain hungry,” was due to the divergent lifestyle practices of the rich and the poor among them. Wealthy people were able to come and go as they pleased, including showing up to worship services, potluck dinners and Lord’s Supper celebrations right at the start. The poor and the slaves, however (some likely coming from the same households), were often late to arrive because they had to fulfill their domestic work obligations first. Paul declared that “recognizing the body of the Lord” was necessary if the Lord’s Supper was to be celebrated properly. This did not mean having the capacity to understand an appropriate theological theory of the atonement, or some other such cognitive ability. Instead, it amounted to remembering that all who belong to Jesus are welcome at his table, and none have more rights than others. If this socially and economically diverse group of society was indeed the Body of Christ, each must live and act accordingly, making room at the table for all.
This reflection on the expression of the Body of Christ at the communion meal may have significantly shaped Paul’s next reflections. When answering the Corinthians’ question about spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12–14), Paul further develops the body of Christ metaphor, making it the core analogy by which both the identification and expression of unique gifts was to happen. At the center of this discussion, Paul pens one of the most beautiful hymns about love ever recorded (1 Corinthians 13). Although it is often lifted from its context to become a wedding text, this passage is actually the glue that holds together all of Paul’s testimony concerning spiritual gifts. Only when these are used out of love, and expressed through love, is the true community of faith is formed and nurtured.
John 20:19-23
When describing the events of resurrection morning, John gives us some wonderful analogies to see its meaning on several levels. For one thing, when Mary looks into the empty tomb (20:10–12), the scene as John describes it immediately calls to mind the ark of the covenant that symbolized Yahweh’s presence in the tabernacle and later the temple. While the other gospel writers tell of angels being present, John views them through Mary Magdalene’s eyes, and sees two such creatures in exactly the same position as the cherubim that stood guard over the mercy seat throne. This time, however, the divine presence was missing, indicating the dawning of a new age in which the Creator’s power and presence would not be confined to or limited by a particular geographic location. The second strategy in the divine mission had come, and the Gospel was now to be preached to the whole world through Jesus’ disciples.
Then, when Mary Magdalene weeps because she misses her “Lord” (which is the Greek version of “Yahweh”), a man appears on her periphery, and she assumes that he is “the gardener.” Of course, Mary’s perception is incorrect, because the man is actually Jesus. But is she really wrong? John never says that she was mistaken; only that Mary Magdalene had assumed he was the gardener. In fact, John appears to want his readers to get the subtle message that Jesus is indeed the gardener. After all, at the beginning of time, the Creator placed Adam and Even in a garden and came to walk and talk with them (Genesis 2). Now, in the re-creation of all things, it is quite appropriate for new life to begin anew in a garden where the great gardener is again meandering and sharing intimacy with those who are favored friends. John confirms this symbolic intent when he tells about Jesus speaking Mary’s name. Just as Adam and Eve, along with all the animals and all elements of creation, came into being when they were named in the first beginning, so now Mary is restored to life in a new way as her identity is regenerated when Jesus speaks her name. Jesus, however, cannot be held in this garden (20:17) as partner in only one local friendship, for the process of re-creating all things is only just beginning, and he must leave to finish the task. Only when he goes, as he said in the “farewell discourse,” will he be able to multiply his presence through the gift of the “Paraclete.”
This coming of the “Paraclete” is enacted next, when Jesus meets with the rest of his disciples later that day. John tells us that he “breathed on them” (20:21), imparting to them the divine Spirit, and sending them out as his ambassadors, exactly in the manner of which he prayed in chapter 17. Is this, as some have suggested, John’s different version of Pentecost (Acts 2)? No; it is a final expression of the re-creation process. Just as Adam only came alive to his life and livelihood at the beginning of time when God breathed into him the divine breath (Genesis 2), so now this tiny gathering of the new humanity cannot function until they are divinely enthused in a similar, very literal manner. The Creator who breathed the breath of life into Adam in the first creation now breathes the same breath of life into his disciples in this re-creation. The dead of the world are coming back to life!
Application
Pentecost reminds us that no mind is truly enlightened until it is flooded with the glory of heaven. No body is truly healed until it is touched by the power of the Creator. No person is truly set free until there is freedom of the Spirit of Christ.
William Carey was a pastor of a small congregation in Leiceter, England. In 1792, he preached a powerful sermon called “Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God!” People would remember it for years. His message not only moved hearts in his congregation, however; it also came home to challenge Pastor Carey’s own soul. The next year he set sail for India, and what he did in that country was simply astounding. He began a manufacturing plant to employ jobless workers. He translated the scriptures and set up shops to print them. He established schools for all ages, helping people find a better place in society. He provided medical assistance for the diseased and the troubled and the ailing. He was nothing short of a miracle for the people of India.
Why did he do it? Because he was transformed by the pentecostal Spirit of Jesus. And when he lay dying, these were his last words: “When I have gone, speak not of Carey but of Carey’s Savior.”
During the time of the Reformation, John Foxe of England was impressed by the testimony of the early Christians. He gleaned the pages of early historical writings and wrote a book that has become a classic in the church: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
One story he tells is about an early church leader named Lawrence. Lawrence acted as a pastor for a church community. He also collected the offerings for the poor each week, and that led to his death.
A band of thieves found out that Lawrence received the offerings of the people from Sunday to Sunday, so one night, as he was out taking a stroll, they grabbed him and demanded the money. He told them that he didn’t have it, that he had already given it all to the poor. They didn’t believe him and told him they would give him a chance to find it. In three days, they would come to his house, and take from him the treasures of the church.
Three days later they did come. But Lawrence wasn’t alone. The house was filled with the people of his congregation. When the thieves demanded the treasures of the church, Lawrence smiled. He opened wide his arms and gestured to those who sat around him. “Here’s the treasure of the church!” he said. “Here’s the treasure of God that shines in the world!”
Alternative Application (Acts 2:1-21)
When the New Testament rapid fires the word faith, it means trust in God, affirmation of the uniqueness of Jesus, hope in Jesus’ return, and participation in the new cosmic order begun in and through Jesus. The synoptic gospels speak primarily of faith as affirming the trustworthiness of scripture or Jesus, while John consistently uses the term for believing “into” Jesus as the object of faith or the means of union with the Savior. Experiencing the presence of Jesus, or understanding what Jesus has done, and then rejecting it, earns a declaration of being without faith.
This is particularly seen in the book of Acts, where faith in Jesus comes alive and transforms people throughout the Roman world, as they get caught up in the spreading waves of evangelism. Confronted with the news of Jesus’ divine personhood and saving work, hearers are challenged to believe in “the Lord” or in Jesus. In fact, all who accept the gospel message and Christ's lordship are identified as "believing ones,” a term that is synonymous with "Christians." Furthermore, this faith in Jesus is then linked, in the Book of Acts to baptism, confession, forgiveness, grace, healing, the enthusing of the Holy Spirit, justification, purification, and sanctification. People who believe in Jesus are sometimes declared to be “full of faith,” while those who reject him turn from faith.
Paul writes much about faith, particularly in Romans and Galatians. Most of his ideas reflect closely those expressed about faith in the book of Acts. Toward the end of his life, however, there were some unique additions to what faith meant. To Titus, when warning his young protégé about the challenges of false teachers within the Christian community, Paul wrote that being “sound in faith” is necessary for propagating right teachings. And, in his final communication to Timothy, Paul reviewed his life and ministry, summing it up in a single idea: “I have kept the faith.”
