{"id":932080,"date":"2025-05-05T13:20:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T17:20:13","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-06-23T13:38:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T17:38:45","slug":"bible-study-day-of-pentecost-c-june-8-2025","status":"publish","type":"bible_study","link":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/bible_study\/bible-study-day-of-pentecost-c-june-8-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Bible Study: Day of Pentecost (C) \u2013 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/lectionary\/day-of-pentecost-c\/\">RCL: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17, (25-27)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Pent-2025-Bible-Study-Graphic-FB-EN-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-332086\" style=\"width:512px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-acts-2-1-21\"><strong>Acts 2:1-21<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this description of the day of Pentecost from the book of Acts, we have the momentary undoing of the linguistic differentiation and ensuing confusion and tribalism that occurred at the Tower of Babel all the way back in Genesis 11. Pentecost is also considered the birthday of the Church because the Spirit anoints the apostles for their diverse ministries with the ability to speak the indigenous languages of the people they are called to serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite occasionally being mistaken for drunkenness (as it was on the day of Pentecost), speaking in tongues is one of several \u201cspiritual gifts\u201d or charisms named throughout the New Testament (predominantly in the Pauline epistles) that help servants of God to overcome the conditions of this world in order to bring us closer to the kingdom of God. Lists of other spiritual gifts can be found in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and 28-30, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Peter 4:11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What gift(s) has the Spirit given you that empower you for ministry in the Church?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What gift(s) do you recognize in those around you?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-psalm-104-25-35-37\"><strong>Psalm 104:25-35, 37<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lectionary omits a verse of this psalm that doesn\u2019t seem to fit with the rest of the theme of praise. Verse 36 implores, \u201cLet sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the wicked be no more.\u201d It\u2019s no wonder we don\u2019t read it in church on Pentecost.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there\u2019s no getting around the fact that the psalms are full of violence. They represent the full range of human emotions. In this case, the imagery of sinners being \u201cconsumed\u201d is particularly poignant because Psalm 104 also includes one of a handful of references to Leviathan, a monstrous primordial sea serpent, which, according to the psalmist, God \u201cmade for the sport of it.\u201d Elsewhere in scripture, Leviathan appears as multi-headed, destined to be killed for food for those in the wilderness (Psalm 74:14), as a metaphor for Israel\u2019s persecutors, destined to be punished by God (Isaiah 27:1), and as an example of God\u2019s creative power (Job 41). This says a lot about how we make sense of our fears and the relationship of those fears to our Creator God. There are many monstrous things in the world and in ourselves that we\u2019re afraid of, and we consider different reasons why God, who created everything and is all good, would allow them to exist or how God might help us address them. Is it just for the sport of it or for some higher purpose?<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What Leviathan heads do you recognize in your life and in the world around you?<strong><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why do you think God put them there? How do you think God will help you deal with them?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-romans-8-14-17\"><strong>Romans 8:14-17<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Generally, when we think about being \u201cchildren of God,\u201d there\u2019s a positive association. We are all beloved children of God, made in God\u2019s image, a good creation, etc. This short excerpt from the Letter to the Romans troubles that a bit with the language of suffering and slavery. After all, no parent, however hard they might try, can spare their child the inevitable pain of this world.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul was writing this epistle at the end of his ministry, with his persecution already underway, so he knew intimately that being adopted into God\u2019s family didn\u2019t lessen those inevitable pains; if anything, it exacerbated them. He wanted to acknowledge with his readers that, in this world, following the Spirit may feel like giving up one\u2019s freedom, and following Christ might feel like it leads only to one\u2019s suffering (just think of all the saints and apostles who were martyred!). But he also wanted to remind them that there is more to the story, more life than earthly life. All the things that make us cry out to God should also remind us that we belong to God, who loves us as a parent.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do you relate to God as a child to a parent? Why or why not?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When was the last time you cried out to God? How do you feel God did or did not answer?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-john-14-8-17-25-27\"><strong>John 14:8-17, (25-27)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this reading, Jesus names the Holy Spirit \u201cthe Advocate,\u201d sometimes translated as \u201cthe Paraclete,\u201d or \u201cthe Counselor,\u201d or \u201cthe Comforter.\u201dThis calls to mind a different characterization, that of the Devil as the<em> Satan<\/em>, meaning \u201cthe Accuser\u201d or \u201cthe Adversary,\u201d throughout the Bible. Combine this with the tradition of God being the divine judge, and we have something of a metaphorical courtroom drama. Thankfully, we know God to be a merciful and gracious judge, and we have the \u201cSpirit of truth\u201d on our side!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the accusing voice in our minds can get to us sometimes. This is probably why Jesus reminds his disciples not to let their hearts be troubled or afraid. As a Church born through the Spirit\u2019s arrival on Pentecost, we have the Holy Spirit to remind us of what Jesus taught and said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have you ever felt the Advocate and the Accuser in an argument within yourself?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How does the Holy Spirit of truth show up in your faith as an Advocate, Counselor, and\/or Comforter?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-9c7c1c29-522a-4314-a191-c5fdd98964c4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Day-of-Pentecost-Bible-Study.docx\">Word \u2013 Day of Pentecost (C) Bible Study<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Day-of-Pentecost-Bible-Study.docx\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-9c7c1c29-522a-4314-a191-c5fdd98964c4\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-4a476dd2-fb76-4cd3-8a45-2a3cea949907\" href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Day-of-Pentecost-Bible-Study.pdf\">PDF \u2013 Day of Pentecost (C) Bible Study<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Day-of-Pentecost-Bible-Study.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-4a476dd2-fb76-4cd3-8a45-2a3cea949907\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RCL: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17, (25-27) Acts 2:1-21 In this description of the day of Pentecost from the book of Acts, we have the momentary undoing of the linguistic differentiation and ensuing confusion and tribalism that occurred at the Tower of Babel all the way back in Genesis 11. Pentecost&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[23,22,52,3],"tags":[192],"class_list":["post-932080","bible_study","type-bible_study","status-publish","hentry","category-bible-studies","category-easter","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-day-of-pentecost-c"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":23,"label":"Bible Studies"},{"value":22,"label":"Easter"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":192,"label":"Day of Pentecost C"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/932080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bible_study"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/932080\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951726,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/932080\/revisions\/951726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=932080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=932080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=932080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}