This series of posts was inspired as the result of a dialogue with my friend, Mike V., regarding the relationship between Christ and the Holy Spirit in the unfolding plan of redemptive history. The substance of the posts is taken from several lectures given by Dr. Gaffin at WTS in a New Testament course focusing on Acts and selected epistles of St. Paul. Thus, the tenor of the posts is more conversational and less polished given that they are for the most part the notes that I took from Gaffin’s lectures. The content, however, is in my opinion quite good.
The Parallel Between Pentecost and Jesus’ Baptism at the Jordan
In a formulaic way, what the Jordan was to Jesus, Pentecost is to the Church. When we grasp this connection, then a specific aspect of the redemptive historical significance emerges. We can highlight the analogy between the Jordan/Christ event and Pentecost/Church event as follows. On the one hand, what took place at the Jordan was a confirmation of Jesus in his Messianic ministry—it was his endowment with the Holy Spirit for his unique kingdom task in ministry. So correlatively, we can say that Pentecost was the constitution of the Church as the Messianic community, and, as was the case for Christ at the Jordan, it was an empowerment for the Church’s kingdom task of gospel ministry. Thus, we note a pattern that cuts across this analogy: at the Jordan Jesus receives the Spirit for the fulfillment of the mission that is before him. In his resurrection and ascension (Acts 2:33), Jesus now receives the Spirit as a reward for the work completed. This Spirit is then poured out on the Church, for in the ascension Christ received the fulfillment of the Father’s promise of the Holy Spirit, and He now shares the Messianic reward of the Spirit with His people.
We can say then that in a redemptive historical sense the Church as the New Covenant community comes into existence on Pentecost. In Ephesians 2:22, St. Paul speaks of the Church as the dwelling place of God in the Spirit, the habitation of God in the Spirit. So Pentecost constitutes the Church as the dwelling place of God in the Spirit. By affirming that the Church in a special way comes into existence at Pentecost, we are not in any way denying that there is only one people of God saved by grace through faith and destined to walk in good works. There is a continuity in the people of God in both testaments, and we can talk about the church in the Old Testament. However, what takes place at Pentecost is something new, yet not disconnected with the past. It is a new community—the New Covenant Church is a matter of fulfillment.
In John 7:39, we read, “the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” So in a sense, the Church is not yet because Jesus is not yet glorified. In a related manner, biblical metaphors speaking of church as a spiritual building in process can be connected to Jesus’ promise to Peter—“upon this rock I will build my church.” In other words, the immovable rock upon with Christ is building His Church is the foundation of Spirit. It is what the resurrected Christ poured on the day of Pentecost—a foundation that is firm and abiding. Thus, in Peter who is a central actor in the beginning of Acts, we encounter a person speaking with amazing boldness, and, consequently, we find this fulfillment of the Spirit’s power. In addition, the significance of Pentecost is not first of all experiential, yet there is a derivative experiential aspect. Rather, it is first of all significant in terms of redemptive history. In other words, it is not the model of a conversion plus an experience of the Spirit; it is a climactic event in redemptive history along with the resurrection, and is by no means of secondary significance. It is constitutive of the Church and so bears on the experience of all who are in the Church—all believers.
Regarding the questions, what exactly is the newness of Pentecost, and how are we to account for what is true because of Pentecost and not otherwise true without Pentecost? Two things above all else should be highlighted. First, what Pentecost means more than anything else, is that the Spirit is now present and at work among God’s people as a result of the finished work of Christ. Pentecost means that the Spirit present in Church is there because of the work of the exalted Christ is completed (John 7:39). Of course the Spirit is at work throughout the Old Covenant and works among the remnant/elect in Israel, but this was a work of the Spirit ahead of time. In other words, it was a proleptic work of the Spirit in terms of unfolding of redemptive history. Thus, the saving benefits that are given to God’s people in the Old Testament are based on what took place in the resurrection and ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Hence, a Christological significance must always be in focus when we consider the redemption of God’s people in both Covenants. To say that the Spirit is now present as the result of the exalted Christ is to say that Spirit is now present and at work in an eschatological fashion, i.e., the newness of Pentecost is that the Spirit is now an eschatological Spirit. Second, the Spirit is now poured out in all flesh—all people. Pentecost brings into existence the people of God as a fellowship of the Spirit made up of Gentile as well as Jews. The circle of fellowship is broadened to include all believers from every nation, tribe and tongue. So the Spirit of Pentecost is a spirit of missions. In the matter of Pentecost, the watchword of the Church is not back to Pentecost, as this would involve us in a redemptive historical anachronism (i.e. the Church is not to be caught up in a back to Pentecost nostalgia in order to attempt to recapture the Pentecost experience of the 120 on the day of Pentecost). Rather, the watchword of Pentecost should be forward (not backward) from Pentecost until Christ returns.
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