From Jesus’ Call to the First Batch of His Disciples in Galilee to the Birth of the Church on Pentecost in Jerusalem

50 days from the Resurrection, Pentecost is celebrated to conclude Eastertide. For the first 40 days, the risen Christ was present on earth and made multiple appearances to his beloved disciples. Through his post-resurrection appearances to them, the disciples’ grief over the death of Jesus and doubt about the resurrection were replaced with joy. Then, as they came to terms with the risen Christ, he summoned them to commission just before the Ascension. It was 40 days from the Resurrection.

In commissioning, the risen Christ commanded the disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a), echoing these words of Jesus to Simon (Peter) and his brother, Andrew, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), when he began recruiting the disciples about 3 years prior. Upon this commanding, Jesus promised, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”(Matthew 28:20b). This echoes what Jesus said during the Last Supper, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you”(John 14:15-18).

With the Ascension of the risen Christ to the Father in heaven, there was no longer the physical presence of Christ. Nevertheless, the disciples grew spiritually mature enough to understand Christ’s perpetual presence with them. Thus, they anticipated the coming of what he promised to be sent from the Father, for the remaining days until Pentecost.

The disciples stayed together, as Jesus commanded, until the coming of what he promised. Then, suddenly, the Father gave them the Holy Spirit, as promised by Christ the Son, on Pentecost. In the Jewish tradition, Pentecost marks the conclusion of extended Pesach celebration with the ending of counting of the omer to begin the 50 days of feast of Shavuot, offering the firstfruit (bikkurium) of the year’s harvest and to commemorate Matan Torah (God’s giving of the Law to the Israelites). While the devout Jews all nations gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Shavuot, all the disciples were in one place in Jerusalem, when the Holy Spirit suddenly descended upon them. It was like gusting wind with loud noise (Acts 2:2). The original Greek text uses for wind is “pnoe”, rather than “pneuma”, which can also mean wind, as well as breath. Compared to “pneuma”, “pnoe” has the connotation to gust, while “pneuma” does not. This suggests that “pnoe” is more like the Hebrew word, “ruah”, which literally means gusting wind, allegorically understood as the Holy Spirit.  “Ruah” was blowing over the water as God began His Creation (Genesis 1:2). As a matter of fact. “pnoe” in Acts 2:2 is used as an allegory to the Holy Spirit (Pneuma Hagion) in Acts 2:4. Reading Acts 2:2-4, we notice that what came like “pnoe” (gusting wind) to the disciples appeared to them as “glossai pyros”(tongues of fire)(Acts 2:3), enabling them to speak in various tongues that they had never spoken and learned.  And, this was how the Church was born out of a one bunch of the disciples, who were commissioned by the risen Christ.

The Greek word for the Church is “ekklesia”.  Given it is made of “ek” (out of) and “kaleo”(to call), the Church is literally people called to God out of the world. Therefore, its prototype is traced back to Matthew 4:18-22, when Jesus called the first patch of disciples to follow him to be made as “fishers of men”.  These men grew in number, adding some women, as well, as Jesus continued his public ministry until he was arrested to put to death. Though many of them scattered once upon the arrest of him, while a few, like Mary the mother of Jesus and John, followed him all the way to the foot of his Cross, and Judas committed suicide after betraying him, the remaining eleven was brought together in one group by the time that the risen Christ summoned to commission, before his Ascension. Once again, they were called to gather with Christ and to be sent out, namely to become apostolic.

During the Last Supper, Jesus indicated that what comes on Pentecost is another Advocate (John 14:16, 26, 15:26). In some translations, Advocate is interchangeably used with Comforter, as its original Greek word, “Parakletos” means Advocate, Comforter, as well as Counselor. In John 14:17, Jesus explains that this “Parakletos” is “Pneuma tes aletheias”(the Spirit of truth). The word, “Parakletos” is made of “para”(closely beside) and “kaleo”(to call). Thus, “Parakletos” is a being called to be closely beside. Now, put “Parakletos” in juxtaposition to “Ekklesia”, which literally means a being called (to God) out of the world, we understand how the Church (Ekklesia) and Advocate/Comforter (Parakletos) are related. And, the essence of “Parakletos” is “Pneuma tes aletheias”, which Jesus promised to be sent out of the Father for the benefit of the disciples. In Acts 2:4, this “Parakletos” is understood as “Pneuma Hagiou” in Acts 2:4, while it comes like “pnoe”(gusting wind)(Acts 2:2) and appeared as “glossai pyros”(tongues of fire)(Acts 2:3).

Given how Jesus’ call to recruit the first batch of the disciples in Capernaum of the region of Galilee had led to the birth of the Church on Pentecost, we really know that the essence of the Church as Ekklesia is being called to be sent out to all nations on earth – to all the ends of the earth to fill God’s fishing nets, filling the Kingdom of God with the faithful, as guided by Parakletos, who is sent by the Father to call us to beside Him.

As the very first response of the disciples to the sending down of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was speaking in various tongues, indicating that these tongues represent languages of all nations, just as 153 fish caught in Peter’s (John 21:11) allegorically means making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), so that the Church is able to reach out to people of all languages and nations. And, what has given birth and life to this Ekklesia is one same spirit, Pneuma Hagiou(Holy Spirit)(Acts 2:3), also known as Pneuma tes aletheias”(the Spirit of truth)(John 14:17) and another “Parakletos” (Advocate, Comforter, Counselor) (John 14:16, 26, 15:26).

Certainly, the birth of the Church was not a quiet event. Rather, it came with a lot of dynamism of sound and movement. This is, indeed, just like a human child birth, as any mother can testify all of these physical, physiological, and emotional dynamism of labor process leads to a loud cry of a new born baby. Thus, the glossolalia of the Holy-Spirit-infused disciples, at the time of the birth of the Church on Pentecost was like a loud out cry of a new born baby, while great spiritual dynamism allegorical to sudden gusting wind and fire, is like complex psychosomatic dynamism of labor leading to a child birth.

The birth of the Church out of the Holy-Spirit-filled disciples with the loud glossolaia also made them as bikkurim (firs fruit) offering for Shavuot feast of 50 days, as they submitted to the summoning call of Jesus before the Ascension and to the “pnoe”/”ruah” of the Holy Spirit.

Happy Birthday to Ekklesia, as we, the faithful disciples today, are called out of the word to the way to the Father through Christ and to be accompanied by Parakletos, as one holy catholic (universal) apostolic (being sent) Church!