Luther's Notes on the Gospel: Pentecost Vigil

John 14:15-21 

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Luther's Explanatory Notes

 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments." 

"I impose nothing else upon you," says He, "than that you preach faithfully of me, and have charge of my word and sacraments, and for my sake have love and unity among yourselves, and endure with patience whatever may befall you on this account. I will not be a Moses, who urges you with threats and plagues; but I give you such commands, which you can without constraint do and keep, provided you love me."

16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever"

And I will pray the Father. "If you keep my commandments, you must also take this into consideration, that the devil will trouble you, and the world will hate you. But I will not sit idle in heaven above; but will be your dear High Priest and Mediator." 

But how will these words, "I will pray the Father," agree with what was said above, [v. 13] : "Whatever you shall ask in My name, that will I do?" Answer: Christ speaks the word both of God and men. If He spoke everywhere as God, we could not prove that He was in truth a real man.

and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. The world lives on securely without fear and alarm, but this poor little flock needs a comforter. "Hitherto," Christ will say, "you had, indeed, joy and comfort in me; but this was only a temporary and bodily comfort, which at any rate must cease. You shall have another Comforter, who shall always abide with you and will console you much more than I have done by my bodily presence."

So He begins to preach of the Holy Spirit. But He describes the Holy Spirit here and everywhere thus, that He does not merely name Him according to his essence, how He is and is called the Holy Spirit. For by this He can not be comprehended by us, because He is not seen or felt; but He gives Him a name according to His office and work, which makes Him comprehensible and real, which is the office of the word, and constitutes Him a preacher, and He calls him a " Comforter" and " Spirit of Truth," who is with them through the office of the word or the ministry, and lets Himself be heard and seen.

The word "Comforter" (from the Greek, Parakletes, which is nearly the same as Advocatus or Patronus) means an Advocate, Interceder, or Assistant before the court, who comforts, strengthens, or helps the guilty or accused one. This also the Holy Spirit does for us in our conscience before God's tribunal against sin, the world and the accusations of the devil.

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 

Again Christ calls him also "the Spirit of Truth"; that is, a true, certain spirit, who does not deceive, nor let those be wanting in comfort who believe the Gospel, so that they know that such consolation which they hear through the word is honest and true, does not lie or deceive, and gives courage and joy to those who firmly trust in it; for it is not founded on any thing uncertain and changeable, but upon the word of Christ and God's eternal truth.

Christ also gives this name in antagonism to the devil, who is also a spirit, but not a spirit of truth, but a lying spirit, who deceives and destroys both with false terrors and comforts, yet under the semblance of truth.

But this comfort and truth of the Holy Spirit is very secret and deeply hidden in faith, so that the Christians themselves do not always find it, but in their weakness must often feel the contrary; because the devil hinders and restrains them everywhere, both inwardly through themselves and their own timidity of the flesh, and outwardly through the malice of the world, so that they often can have no good, consolable thoughts of God. Therefore let a Christian be wise here, and not judge or decide according to his own thoughts and feelings; but know that even against such temptation, he must hold on to the word, and consolatory teaching which the Holy Spirit proclaims to all sorrowful hearts and consciences. Isaiah 61:2.

 whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. Jesus speaks this to his disciples for their consolation . For when they look about in the wide world, and see so very many who despise and persecute our doctrine, and that these are not the simple, common people, but mostly the very intelligent, learned, powerful, and also those who pretend to be the most pious and holy; then a heart weak in faith becomes discouraged and begins to think: "Could such great people be altogether in error, and all that they do and say, suppose and decide be false and condemned?" Against this Christ speaks in very plain words, that it must not be expected, that the great mass, represented by the greatest, noblest, best, and the real kernel of the world, should hold to the truth.

But Oh, what a terrible word is this, not to be able to receive the Holy Spirit! For from this must follow, that the world has no part in the kingdom of heaven, must be forever separated from God, and remain in the power of the devil and the bonds of hell.

 but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. How do they know that they have the Holy Spirit and that he remains with them? Only from this, that they abide with Christ, through faith, and love and esteem His word. Therefore, whatever they do, suffer and live, is all the doing and work of the Holy Spirit and means to have lived, worked and suffered right and well.

18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. By the word "orphans," He points out how the church is constituted according to her own feelings and in the eyes of all the world; she is a rent, dispersed lot of poor miserable orphans, without a head, protector or assistant on earth. And such despair increases especially when one feels the devil's power. "But I will not leave you, as it looks and feels," says Christ, "but I will give you a Comforter, who shall inspire you with such courage, which shall assure you that you are my true Christians and the true church. To that end I will surely be with you, and abide with you with My protection and mastership, though I now part from you as regards My bodily and visible presence."

A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. The dear Lord Christ continues with friendly, consoling words to prepare them to take comfort, in their distress, sorrow and suffering. Therefore he now says to them: "Soon it will take place, there is only one night yet, and the world shall see Me no more." As if he would say: "It is such an evil, pernicious thing in the world, that whoever seeks his comfort and salvation from the people is already lost. For I myself have experienced this. Therefore I will also disappear from their eyes, that they shall not see me, and yet I will order it so, that the world must endure Me on earth and permit Me to rule. For soon after my death I shall rise from the dead, that you may always see Me both bodily and spiritually in My government, and experience My power in you and all the world."

20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He will say, "I live in the Father, and in such a life, that in my own person I have destroyed death, so that you must say that I am the Son of God, who performs such works as belong only to God. Afterwards ye will also say, that 'I am in you.' For as the Father has raised Me up and I have devoured death; so also will I devour death in you, that through faith in Me you shall be lords over death."

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. He has comforted them with this high consolation, and then He says, "I will also be praised in you. Therefore I will give you a certain sign as to who are the true Christians who are in Me and I in them; namely, this, that they keep My commandments. For you already possess that which I shall accomplish in you. But whether you yourselves certainly believe and firmly abide by it, shall be seen when you also live on earth in such a way that you will preach and confess it freely and courageously, and for its sake risk goods, honor, body and life, and also love each other as heartily as I have taught and commanded you; thereby one must feel and judge where there is the true faith in Me. Therefore this is the characteristic of the true Christian, that he loves Me from the heart; otherwise he will certainly not do it."

He who loves me [and proves him self to be a true Christian] shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Why does He now say, that He will love them and manifest Himself to them? Has he not already done both [v. 20] ? Answer: This happens in this way: When a Christian has begun, and now is a Christian, believes and lives in Him; then the devil attacks him, falls upon him like a cloud-burst, inwardly with anxiety and fear, outwardly by all kinds of danger and misfortune. Therefore God performs two kinds of work in the Christian; these are called consolation and help.





Luther's Explanatory Notes on the Gospels, pp. 348-351

Litany to the Holy Ghost, for Pentecost.

Kyrie Eleison

Kyrie Eleison

Christe Eleison

Christe Eleison

Kyrie Eleison

Kyrie Eleison

O God, the Father in Heaven

Have mercy upon us!

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy upon us!

O God the Holy Spirit, true Comforter, 

Have mercy upon us!

Lord God the Holy Ghost,

You are the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

and You are the Spirit of the knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Have mercy upon us!

Lord God the Holy Spirit,

You are the Spirit of Love,

the Spirit of Joy,

the Spirit of patience, kindness and goodness,

and You are the Spirit of faith, humility and chastity,

Have mercy upon us!

O Holy Spirit, 

You are He who tests the hearts of mankind and reins,

and You are the Dispenser of heavenly grace,

Have mercy upon us!

Lord God, the Holy Spirit,

You are the joy of the angels,

the Comfort of the sorrowing,

the Light of the prophets,

and You are the Wisdom of the Apostles,

Have mercy upon us!

O Holy Spirit,

You are the Victory of the holy martyrs,

and You are the Anointing of the saints,

Have mercy upon us!

Be gracious unto us,

Spare us, Good Lord!

Be gracious unto us,

Help us, Good Lord!

From the crafts and assaults of the Devil,

From heresy and deceitful teaching,

From envy and ill-will to the brethren,

From impurity of body and soul,

From indifference in the service of God,

And from all evil spirits,

Deliver us, Good Lord!

Lord God, the Holy Spirit:

You Who eternally proceed from the Father and the Son,

You Who did overshadow the Blessed Virgin, causing her to conceive in her womb the eternal Son of God, Jesus the Christ,

You Who did descend upon the Son of God in the form of a dove,

You Who were poured out upon the holy apostles, descending upon them in tongues of flame, enabling them to speak the Gospel in other languages,

You Who have regenerated us in holy baptism,

And You Who dwell in us through Your Word and Sacrament,

Help us, Good Lord!

O Holy Spirit,

You intercede for us in groanings that cannot be uttered,

Hear us, Good Lord!

Lord God, the Holy Spirit,

We poor sinners beseech You,

To hear us, Good Lord!

And to cleanse and sanctify all the members of Your holy Church,

To adorn the Bride of Christ with manifold gifts,

To bless and protect our Synod, together with all its ministers and institutions,

To grant us all the spirit of prayer and reverent worship,

To govern and sanctify our thoughts, words, and deeds,

To adorn our lives with patience and humility,

To kindle in us love and mercy,

To clothe us with chastity,

To work in us the peace of God,

To keep us in Your grace,

And to bring us to everlasting life,

We beseech you to hear us, Good Lord!

Lord God, the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy upon us!

Lord God, the Son of the Father,

Have mercy upon us!

O Christ, Lamb of God,

You take away the sin of the world:

Have mercy upon us!

O Christ, Lamb of God,

You take away the sin of the world:

Have mercy upon us!

O Christ, Lamb of God,

You take away the sin of the world:

Grant us Your peace!

O Christ, hear us!

O Christ, hear us!

Kyrie eleison.

Kyrie eleison.

Christe eleison.

Christe eleison.

Kyrie eleison.

Kyrie eleison.

Our Father, who art ....

[This is an modernized adaptation of Wilhelm Loehe's Litany to the Holy Spirit found on pp. 90ff in Liturgy for Christian Congregations of the Lutheran Faith, by William Loehe, Third Edition, Translated by Rev. F.C. Longaker, Newport, KY, 1902 from the third edition of Loehe's Agenda. Also reprinted 1993 and 1997 by Repristination Press, Decatur, Illinois.]

Word of the Week for January 2011 week 3

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Word of the Week January week 3

Who’s Lying about Christian Holidays?

So we can see there is an anti-God bias affected the way academics and popular writers from that time to today portray Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Ash Wednesday, and Hallow E’en (All Saint’s Eve) as having “evolved” somehow from pagan origins.

Christmas has become overwhelmed by non-Christian re-interpretations surrounding St. Nicholas, the tree, and especially family. It’s not hard yet to celebrate Christ’s birth. But Christmas is actually the last of the Christian Holy-Days to be widely celebrated through society. Easter is so close to confirmation and graduation with so many other things taking place in the spring that it is so hard to get the family together to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.Both Christmas and Easter have a lot of distractions. The World perverted the memory St. Nicholas to use against the Christ. The World perverted the Christian symbolism of the egg and the rabbit to use them against the Christ.

But where can you or I buy any Pentecost candy, gifts, or cards?

Pentecost was the first of the three main Christian Holy Days lost to the world. Pentecost, like Easter, are New Testament names for Old Testament festivals. Easter is the fulfilled Passover, commanded by God in Exodus 12-14. Pentecost is the festival of Weeks or Harvesting the Firstfruits recorded in Exodus 23, 34, Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 16, and Numbers 28. The date was set as the day after seven weeks from Passover were completed. That is fifty days. During Christ’s ministry the Greek speaking Jews called it “Day Fifty” or Pentecost. The count of weeks began at the end of the Passover and Feast of Unleavened bread. From the end of that festival they were to count weeks.

Leviticus 23:15-16 says:
15 ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.

There were two very famous historians who tried to claim that Pentecost was a development of the Christian church trying to replace the Roman festival of Ludi Florales. The first author was Joseph Martin McCabe (12 November 1867 – 10 January 1955) a man who fell from faith in Christ and spent most of his life writing against Christ, Christianity, and the Church. He was interested in discrediting Christianity so people would lose faith in God. In his 1903 book St. Augustine and His Age McCabe makes the following bold lies:

“As to the processions and manner of worship in general, the Church was very accommodating: The Saturnalia became Christmas and its succeeding festivals. The purification of Isis became the purification of Mary; the Floralia, Pentecost; and so on.Hymns to Cybele were hastily adapted to the mother of Christ; statues of Horus and Isis quickly became Jesus and Mary. Stately processions once more made their way to the temples, now converted into Christian churches. Lanciani says that many pagan alters were in use in Roman churches until a century ago.” (p. 100-101)

The problem? Well, Pentecost started about 1400 B.C. when God gave the command to celebrate this festival to Moses and Aaron. The Romans instituted Floralia in about the year 238 B.C. That means that Pentecost is about 1,150 years older than Floralia.

The second famous historian, Will Durant, in his landmark series The Story of Civilization had a volume published in 1950 titled The Age of Faith. wrote the following:

“Statues of Isis and Horus were renamed Mary and Jesus; the Roman Lupercalia and the feast of the purification of Isis became the Feast of the Nativity; the Saturnalia were replaced by Christmas celebrations, the Floralia by Pentecost, an ancient festival of the dead by All Souls' Day, the resurrection of Attis by the resurrection of Christ. Pagan altars were rededicated to Christian heroes; incense, lights, flowers, processions, vestments, hymns, which had pleased the people in older cults were domesticated and cleansed in the ritual of the Church; and the harsh slaughter of a living victim was sublimated in the spiritual sacrifice of the Mass.” (p. 75)

Notice how close Durant’s wording is to McCabe’s wording? This is interesting because Durant credits Sir. J. G. Frazer with the information. Frazer was another anti-Christian writer, an anthropologist, who sought to show how Christianity “evolved” from paganism and into scientific atheistic Rationalism. They all repeat the same words without any real demonstration from ancient documents. In fact, so few of the later writers actually checked the sources that the citation they give from St. Augustine’s City of God is often mistakenly written as if Augustine’s words were found in book eleven (11) instead of book 2 (Roman numeral II ). And Augustine does not say that celebration of Floralia was replaced with or developed into Pentecost. He merely describes Cicero’s account of the lewd sexual acts and perversions the Romans engaged in publicly to celebrate their false goddess. There was nothing in common between the rituals of Foralia and Pentecost.

But we come back to the basic problem with all of these so-called scholars: Pentecost was instituted by God in about the year 1400 BC. This is more than a millennium before this Roman pagan festival began. Notice how desperate those authors were to try to disprove every aspect of Christianity with some pagan celebration. They try to overwhelm the reader with too many pieces of information all at once, swamping and overwhelming the reader who probably doesn’t have the background to question their scholarly authority. But most of the pagan festivals they mention didn’t really exist in the way that they claim.

But the problem they faced was too big to overcome. Pentecost predated the pagan festival by over a thousand years. And they don’t happen on the same day. They were two different religions celebrating two very different festivals at approximately the same time of year.

What they can’t disprove by lie or slander, they ignore. The world ignores Pentecost and the way God used that Holy Day to give His Holy Spirit to the Apostles. It is hard to find a Pentecost card or gift in any store that is not affiliated with the Christian Church.

Every year the popular media drag up the fiction of pagan origins for Christmas and Easter. The mostly do not cover stories on Pentecost. But I expect that there will be more resurgence of claims that Pentecost was a pagan holiday.

There is another important question raised by these unbelieving authors. Did the Christian Church adopt pagan customs or rituals? The word used to describe the fusion of two different religious practices is syncretism. The Egyptians and the ancient Babylonians adopted each other’s mythologies for political and economical advantage. We have seen the Romans adopt many aspects and false gods of the ancient Greeks. The assumption of the authors I have referred to is that Christianity is a religion evolved out of syncretism of pagan beliefs and practices. They are wrong.

But did the Church adopt pagan customs or rituals? During the mission work of the Church in all ages, Old Testament and New Testament, there have been problems where members would fall away to the culture around them. They would abandon God’s Word and follow after false gods (like King Ahab and the prophets of Baal); follow cultural norms that are contrary to God’s Word (like Lot in the city of Sodom); and even try to bring false gods into the worship of the Church (like the followers of the false god Tammuz in the Temple during Ezekiel’s time). Sometimes they would become inventive and leave God’s Word by making new ways and places of worship that did not adhere to God’s command (like Jeroboam, Saul, Nadab and Abihu).

There were many groups throughout the ages who abandoned God’s Word and followed the teachings of the Gnostics, the Mithraists; some adopted practices like having women serve as priests from pagans; some sought to adopt the new and developing practices and laws of Mishnaic and Talmudic Judaism. Wherever Christianity spread, there you will find Christians who have also departed from God’s Word and adopted customs and rituals contrary to His Word.

But there is another important consideration to make in reading this history. As just one example, when the Church brought missionaries to South America, the local groups often worshipped false gods with particular attributes, one might be the false god of wood working. The local missionary would choose one or more of the saints who had similar attributes, like St. Joseph the Worker, Jesus’ step-father. The missionary would then use the example of this saint who’s attributes they understood, to show them by the saint’s example that the right worship was of the One True God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thus the example of the saint would be an instructional tool. The similarity of the saint’s life and work to that of their false god would lend to easier instruction by that Saint’s faith and obedience to God’s Word.

This method of instruction also has problems and dangers. No doubt, there would be some who secretly kept the worship of the false god under the guise of the saint, rather than worshipping Christ. But that does not mean that the Christian church in that location was a development from pagan teaching.

Just as with Easter/Passover, the date of Pentecost was set by God through Moses in the Old Testament. The date of Christmas was understood based on these same Old Testament passages.

The question on each of these holidays/Holy Days is how will we as Christians use these days to the honor of God’s name and the advancement of the Gospel. Let us not allow this festival of Pentecost or any other Christian Holy Day fall into disuse or become overwhelmed by the world's twistings and reinterpretations of these days.