As we continue these nights together, we’re exploring one of the defining aspects of who we are as a church: what it means to be Pentecostal and why we embrace the work and presence of the Holy Spirit in our faith journey. Read the notes below as we unpack the biblical foundations of Pentecost, its significance throughout history, and how it shapes the way we worship, live, and encounter God today.
Why Are We Pentecostal?
You may recall that at the beginning of the year, we discussed essential and non-essential doctrines. Christians can hold differing views on many non-essential doctrines, and these differences have given rise to the various denominations we see today. As I’m sure all of you know, as members of City Impact Church, we are a part of the Pentecostal denomination. This, of course, begs the question: why are we a Pentecostal church? And what makes us Pentecostal? During these upcoming sessions, we will explore why we believe Pentecostalism offers the most compelling expression of the Christian faith. We believe it upholds a deep respect for Scripture, embraces the richness of God’s work through the church, and emphasises the ongoing presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer.
“Why are we Pentecostal?” is an important question to answer because there may be some sitting here who don’t know why we adhere to particular non-essential doctrines. Why do we speak in tongues? Why are we Holy Spirit focused? Why do we worship with our hands raised? Why do we lay hands on the sick? Not only is it important to understand why we believe what we believe as Christians, it’s important to have an adequate understanding of our own theological, Pentecostal roots. So to kick off this series, we’ll travel back to where it all began – what is Pentecost?
Pentecost In The Old Testament
The biblical origins of Pentecost begin in the Old Testament. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word “pentēkostē,” which means “fiftieth,” because the feast was celebrated fifty days after Passover. In the Old Testament, however, it was known as the “Feast of Weeks” or the “Feast of Harvest.” After Israel left Egypt when God delivered them through Passover, they arrived at Mount Sinai approximately fifty days later, where God established His covenant with His people; thus, the Feast of Harvest was born. It was a pilgrimage festival that celebrated the covenant God made with the Israelites at Mt Sinai.
At Sinai:
- God descended in fire (Exodus 19:18).
- His presence was accompanied by wind, thunder, and loud sounds (Exodus 19:16–19).
- He gave His people His Law.
- Israel was formed into God’s covenant nation.
This tradition provides a remarkable backdrop for Acts 2. Just as God once gave His Law to His people, He would later pour out His Spirit upon His people.
Also, the Old Testament prophets foresaw a day when God would do more than give His people commandments; He would pour our His Spirit upon man.
Ezekiel prophesied:
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
– Ezekiel 36:26–27 [ESV]
Likewise, Joel declared:
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”
– Joel 2:28–29 [ESV]
These promises anticipated a new covenant in which God’s Spirit would dwell within His people rather than merely come upon selected leaders.
Pentecost In The New Testament
Fast-forward to Acts 2 in the New Testament. The day of Pentecost arrived, not only fifty days after Passover, but also fifty days after Christ’s crucifixion. The believers arrived expectant and the old prophetic words came to pass; God poured out His Spirit on all who were in the upper room. Let’s read:
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind [echoing Mt Sinai], and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
– Acts 2:1-21
Skip to verse 37
“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
– Acts 2:37-43 [ESV]
The events that took place on Pentecost in the book of Acts were not just one-time events. While virtually all Christian denominations recognise Acts 2 as the birthplace of the church, as Pentecostals, we don’t limit Acts 2 to a historical account alone. Acts 2 provides us with a template of what the church ought to look like through every generation. As Christians, we are to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, experience God’s presence and exercise the spiritual gifts on a regular basis. We’ll go through this in more detail soon.
Of course, the nature of Pentecost did not stop in the book of Acts. Throughout the New Testament, Apostle Paul emphasises a continuation of spiritual gifts and Holy Spirit empowerment:
“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
– 1 Corinthians 14:1
The command isn’t just to accept gifts if they happen, but rather to earnestly desire them.
“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”
– 1 Corinthians 14:26
Paul expects participatory, Spirit-led gatherings.
“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.”
– 1 Corinthians 14:18
Paul openly models the practice.
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit”
– Ephesians 5:18
The Greek verb “filled” is present-tense, carrying the sense of “keep on being filled.” This echoes the repeated fillings seen throughout Acts.
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
– Galatians 5:25
The Christian life is expected to be continually directed by the Spirit.
It’s strongly evident that Paul did not regard the events in Acts 2 to be a “one-time” event. He preached as if spiritual gifts and Holy Spirit empowerment were to continue through the coming generations; Acts 2 was merely the explosion that started it all.
Pentecost Through History
Spiritual gifts and Holy Spirit empowerment continued for a few centuries after the New Testament was complete. Here are a few examples:
Speaking in tongues continued into the second and third centuries. Irenaeus, who was a disciple of Polycarp wrote this in 180 AD:
“In like manner do we also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God”
– Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.6.1
Tertullian (an early Christian apologist and theologian) expressed how prophetic revelation was present in church services in 210 AD, he said this:
“We have now amongst us a sister whose lot it has been to be favoured with sundry gifts of revelation… She both sees and hears mysterious communications; some men’s hearts she understands”
– Tertullian, On the Soul, ch. 9
Even Augustine, one of the most influential Christian theologians in history, saw miracles. Although he initially viewed speaking in tongues as only for the early apostles, he later documented numerous healings and miracles occurring within his own ministry, writing, “Even now, therefore, many miracles are wrought” (The City of God XXII.8).
Although the works of the Holy Spirit through signs and wonders declined after the first few centuries of the church, the reemergence of the gifts and evidence of the Holy Spirit centuries later is historically rock-solid.
Healings, miracles, visions and prophecy were all reported by Bernard of Clairvaux (French Catholic monk) and Hildegard of Bingen (German female theologian) in 12th century AD. Martin Luther prayed for a dying man in 1540 and believed that God miraculously healed him. Although he was cautious about miracle claims, he believed in healing and deliverance. George Fox who founded the Quakers reported prophecy, healing and words of knowledge in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, John Wesley believed that miracles could occur. He documented healings, dreams, prophetic impressions and deliverances. In 1787, he said this:
“The real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian Church was because the love of many… was waxed cold.”
– John Wesley
As time went on, the works of the Holy Spirit became more and more prominent. In the 19th century, Charles Finny, Dwight L. Moody and John Alexander Dowie all testified to powerful encounters with the Holy Spirit. Then, of course, as the 20th century rolled over, the floodgates opened with William Seymour and the Azusa Street revival in 1906, later ushering in the Charismatic revival in the late 60s, early 70s.
Pentecost Application
So in light of the historical and theological relevance of what happened in Acts 2, what does this mean for Pentecostals today? We will go into this in more detail during the next session, but I’ll give you a little taster.
- We are a church of the Holy Spirit. As Pentecostals, we believe the church is fundamentally a Spirit-baptized community where God is truly present and active. The church is more than an institution, organization, or set of doctrines. It is a people gathered in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
- The Church is more than a building. Some see church as just a building, and others see the church as Christians gathered together. As Pentecostals, we take it one step further. The church is the gathered people of God, encountering God together. We believe that when we gather together as the church in faith, the Holy Spirit moves.
- We are Continuationists. Without going into detail about cessationism vs continuationism, we believe that the spiritual gifts described in the New Testament, including prophecy, tongues, healing, miracles, and words of knowledge, continue to be available and active in the Church today through the work of the Holy Spirit. Every believer receives the Holy Spirit at conversion, but we also believe Scripture points to further experiences of God’s fullness and many fresh fillings of the Spirit throughout the Christian life.
- We are all priests. Pentecostals take seriously the biblical truth that every believer is a priest before God, coming to worship not as a consumer but as one who ministers to God through praise, prayer, thanksgiving, generosity, and service (1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 141:2). Because we believe God uniquely meets His people in worship (Psalm 22:3; Psalm 100:4), we place a strong emphasis on passionate, expectant worship as a means of drawing near to His presence.
- We are eschatological in nature. We believe that we are living in the last days. Everything that Joel prophesied about God pouring out His Spirit on al flesh in the last days, we are living in those days!
Conclusion
So what was the point of laying down the history of Pentecost? Because through the history of Pentecost, we have our initial answer to our question! Why are we Pentecostals? We are Pentecostals because we believe that Acts 2 provides a foundational framework for how the church is called to operate today (through Holy Spirit empowerment and spiritual gifts) and this belief is a conviction that carries significant theological and historical weight; quite simply, this weight cannot be ignored! Because of the abundance of evidence of the continuation of the Holy Spirit ministry (theological and historical), as Pentecostals, we hold a conviction that this Holy Spirit ministry, and everything that comes with it, must be a core pillar of the Christian faith.
Other Christian denominations, though they embrace theology and doctrine, as well as liturgy, worship and sacraments, if they ignore the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the evidence of His work through the spiritual gifts, they are missing out on a major part of God’s ordained framework for the church. They are missing out on the application of Acts 2 to the modern-day church and the lives of modern-day believers. We refuse to miss out!