Pentecost
Basic Info
Acts 2:1–6
After Jesus’ Resurrection & Ascension into Heaven, and after they had elected a new 12th member (to replace the betrayer, Judas Iscariot), the Apostles and Mary were all together at the time of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, or Shavuot, which honors God’s giving the Ten Commandments to Moses. A noise like roaring wind filled the house, and then tongues appeared (like flames) and split and settled on each of them. The Holy Spirit came into them, and they began to speak in tongues, whereby whoever heard them, heard them in his or her own tongue.
This event marks the beginning of the Christian Church. Before this event, the disciples were somewhat fearful after what had happened to Jesus, but in this moment, the Spirit filled them and empowered them to go forth and preach Jesus’ message. The Church traditionally is understood to have 4 defining marks: unity, holiness, universality, and that it is Apostolic.
In the art tradition, the group is usually composed of the 12 Apostles and Mary, though sometimes others are present. The tongues often look exactly like flames, and sometimes the Holy Spirit is symbolized by a dove (other times the flames seem to be enough of a symbol of the Holy Spirit).
What to Look For
- How many are present
- Mary’s position vis-à-vis the rest of them
- The formation of the group (circle, line, no order, etc.)
- Other symbols of power (wind, dove, light, etc.)
- The expressions / attitudes of the various participants
Questions to Focus a General Interpretation
Does the artwork focus on the miraculous nature of the event, the beginning of the Church, or some combination of these?
Can you find evidence of the four marks of the Church in the artwork (unity, holiness, universality, and that it is Apostolic)?
Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation
Does the Church as you have encountered it bear any resemblance to the beginning of the Church as it is depicted in this work?
Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation
What might have been going on in the Church in the artist’s time and place that might have influenced how the beginning moment of the Church was depicted in this work?
