Verse by Verse

One of the great blessings of our modern world is the ability to travel. When I was growing up, I never imagined the opportunities for travel that have come my way over the years. My wife and I have been able to travel all over this nation as well as visiting, at least briefly, about a dozen other countries. Travel opens up a whole new world of understanding and appreciation for others who live in cultures far different from our own. Like most travelers, we've learned that visiting a different place takes a good bit of planning, especially if you're trying to coordinate your schedule with others.

If someone is traveling to see you for business or for pleasure, knowing when they're going to arrive is important to all of our preparations. Of course, while we might need to know more details today, travelers have always found it important to let people know their plans well in advance. The verse we're considering today is actually part of a message the apostle Paul wrote in the 1st century to let a group of Christians in Corinth know to expect his arrival to visit with them. Paul had spent nearly 3 years in the city of Ephesus and was planning to visit congregations in Macedonia and Greece prior to going to Jerusalem. He told the Corinthians that he wanted to spend some time with them, perhaps even spend the winter there.

It's clear that he wasn't sure yet exactly when he would arrive in Corinth, but he could at least let them know when he was starting his journey in their direction. In order to do that, he told them something that would confuse most professing Christians today. In the first few verses of 1st Corinthians 16, he told him about the route he would travel in coming to visit with him. And then in verse 8, he wrote this, but I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. Anyone who reads the New Testament probably knows that there was a very important day of Pentecost just a few weeks after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On that day, the Holy Spirit was given to believing men and women, followers of Jesus Christ, who had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate a festival that had been celebrated by Israelites for centuries. But that was over 25 years earlier. Why would Paul be talking to Christians, gentile Christians at that, about an outdated, unnecessary Jewish festival? Well, there are actually three reasons for that. The celebration of Pentecost is not outdated.

It isn't unnecessary, and it isn't Jewish. While there were some Jewish believers in the Corinthian congregations, and they would have known about Pentecost from their upbringing, most of the members were Gentiles. The only way for them to know about this ancient observance was if Paul and others taught them about it. When we want someone to know when an event is going to occur, we can tie it in with another event that they already know about. We sometimes refer to the event they know about as a time stamp.

If I told a group of Americans that something was going to occur a week after Independence Day, I would be using Independence Day, July 4th, as a time stamp. If I said the same thing to a group of Indonesians, most of them would have no more of an understanding of when that would be than you would have if I referred to Indonesian Independence Day. That's August 17th, by the way. The point here is that Paul's use of Pentecost as a time stamp would only make sense if Corinthian Christians were well aware of Pentecost and when it occurs. In fact, the New Testament clearly shows that the first Christians, Gentiles and Jews alike, the ones who were taught directly by Jesus and the apostles, observed not only Pentecost, but all 7 of the annual festivals God had revealed to his people.

And that ought to make you ask yourself, why those who claim to be Christians today don't do the same thing. Well, actually, there are those who do strive to live by the same standards those 1st century believers followed. And if you'd like to find answers to those questions, check out the show notes to see how to download a free copy of our booklet, From Holidays to Holy Days, God's Plan for You. There is no need to be confused about Pentecost or any other aspect of God's plan. He's happy to help us understand what is expected of us as we continue to examine his word verse by verse.

Verse by Verse is a companion podcast to the daily bible verse blog, which you can find on the Life, Hope and Truth Learning Center. Check out the show notes for more.