Q. 37. Why was the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost?

God poured out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to apply the benefits of Christ’s redemption by uniting us to Christ by faith and to one another in love as a people out of every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Through his Spirit, Christ calls, convicts, comforts, guides, sanctifies, defends, and gives gifts to the Church.

Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 36:26–28; Joel 2:28; John 14:16–17; 16:7–8, 13–14; Acts 1:4–5, 8; 2:1–4, 17; Acts 2:33; Romans 8:9, 26–27; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; 2 Corinthians 3:17–18; Ephesians 1:13–14.

  • WSC 30
  • WCF 26.1
  • Heidelberg Catechism 51, 53
  • Luther’s Small Catechism

Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples of Christ at the Jewish feast of Pentecost, marking a transition from Christ’s earthly ministry to his heavenly ministry through the Spirit in the Church (see Q. 34).

Apply. The Spirit is the “Giver of Life” (Nicene Creed). What Christ accomplished for all is applied to individual persons by the Holy Spirit. The Father sent the Son to accomplish redemption, then poured out the Holy Spirit to apply redemption. The three persons of the Trinity work together in our salvation. “Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to paradise, our ascension into the kingdom of heaven, our return to the adoption of sons, our liberty to call God our Father, our being made partakers of the grace of Christ, our being called children of light, our sharing in eternal glory, and, in a word, our being brought into a state of all ‘fullness of blessing’” (Basil, On the Holy Spirit 15.36). “He comes to save, and to heal, to teach, to admonish, to strengthen, to exhort, to enlighten” (Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 16.16).

Uniting us to Christ. All of God’s spiritual blessings flow to us through union with Christ by the Holy Spirit. “Through the Spirit we rise to the Son; through the Son we rise to the Father” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.36.2).

One another in love. “In the body it is the living spirit that holds all members together, even when they are far apart. The purpose for which the Spirit was given was to bring into unity all who remain separated by different ethnic and cultural divisions: young and old, rich and poor, women and men” (Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians 9.4.1–3).

A people. The Spirit works in and through the Church. “Where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and every kind of grace” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.24). The Spirit is “Guardian and Sanctifier of the Church, the Ruler of souls, the Pilot of the tempest-tossed, leading wanderers to the light” (Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 17.13).

  1. Brown, Philip. “A Primer on the Holy Spirit.” Holy Joys. Article.
  2. Johnson, Travis. “Living Under the Influence.” Holy Joys. Article.
  3. More coming soon.