Magyar Egyház, 1995 (74. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1995 / 2. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 7. oldal THE CONTINUITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Read Acts 4:23-31 The story in the brief passage I suggested to be read preceded by the description of the arrest and release of the Apostles Peter and John by the Jerusalem Temple Authorities. Reason of the arrest was that while Peter healed a lame man they also preached the resurrection of Jesus and called the multitude witnessing the healing to repentance. The two men were questioned at a hearing which gave them a new opportunity to proclaim the power of Jesus Christ. Because the people having witnessed the lame man’s healing were on the side of the apostles, the accusers did not dare to hold them. The only thing they could do was to charge them not to preach about Jesus in the future and to release them. Of course, both the Temple Authorities and the Apostles knew well that the charge to keep silent would not be obeyed. The released Apostles returned to their people and told what had happened. Upon the Apostles report, the people raised their voices together and prayed to God. The prayer followed with the narrative “The place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” This report about being filled with the Holy Spirit after the healing of the lame man followed by the arrest and release of the Apostles, including Peter’s preaching should be carefully examined. The Scripture account does not show when this whole event took place but certainly not on the day of Pentecost. The Scripture simply says “One day Peter and John were going up to the Temple at the hour of prayer.” This tells us a few important things about the Holy Spirit. First, that the Pentecost event was not an occurrence that happened once only and never again. It was not a single flare-up of emotions of courage which, after the first bold enthusiasm, would die away. True, filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples did step forward on Pentecost Sunday and boldly proclaimed that Jesus, whom the people had killed, was risen. They also charged the multitude murderers but instead of asking for punishment, called them to repentance. The result was in fact the repentance of many, followed by the baptism of 3,000 forming the first congregation. However, it did not stop there. The disciples kept on preaching the same story about Jesus. An example was the preaching accompanied the healing of the lame man fulfilling the Master’s command, continuing the ministry of Jesus. And as they prayed the Holy Spirit came upon them. So the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Sunday of Pentecost was not a once-for-all miracle of God. It was about to happen again. After all: what is the appearance of the Holy Spirit? If one thinks of the Pentecost event it seems it was something sensational, extraordinary. It was not. It was great, awesome, magnificent but not extraordinary. Because God’s love, His mercy, His inspiration, His abiding presence is not extraordinary. It is ever present, ever available. When Jesus left his disciples, he promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them. On Pentecost it happened for the first time to all the disciples together. The story of Peter and John says that after a prayer of thanksgiving of their “friends”, it happened again. The Scripture record uses the same words: “they were filled with the Holy Spirit.” How did it happen? The how cannot be described. It is hidden before the human mind. It can be told, however, what happened. The Spirit of the Master, the Spirit of Christ took possession of them. An inner transformation took hold of them. Suddenly they were prompted to think as Christ was thinking, they loved as Christ loved, they were not only willing but also able to do what Christ had been doing, to call people to life in harmony and into communion with God. And suddenly they discovered within their inner being that they had Christ-like courage to be like that. It is important to realize what preceded this recurring experience of the Holy Spirit’s presence. The act that they prayed together. Prayed for what? For the gift to fulfill the continuing ministry of Jesus and to do that against all worldly power, boldly. Let us add just one thought to this perfect story. Yet it must be spelled out. That the Church, including ours, is alive only if it is filled with the Holy Spirit. The story of the two Apostles and their friends clearly proves that this must happen. Without the Holy Spirit’s continuing power there is no church only a social club for self-gratification. It will not experience the presence of the Holy Spirit, unless it prays. Praying is not only joining hands and following the words said during worship. Nor the private words of thanksgiving and petitions we make mornings or evenings. Prayer is the disposition and action of the entire Christian community, church councils, all church organizations and of every single church member to continue the ministry of Christ. To think as having the mind of Christ, to act as he did and to do it all boldly. The people of our Hungarian Reformed Church in America are in no way less disciples and apostles than those apostles and people whose prayer invoked the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray for it and it will come upon us. Amen. Andrew Harsanyi
