Editing Fast Fridays: 30 Minutes for God (section)

== Friday, January 24: High on the Holy Spirit ==
In one of the most beautiful passages in his Epistles, Paul declares,<blockquote>The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/3:8 1 Cor 3:8])</blockquote>But he had to say it, because it wasn't working out that way, at least not at Corinth.

In [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/12 1 Corinthians Chapter 12], Saint Paul addresses a problem going on in that rather passionate town that needed some calming. As the USCCB NAB footnote to [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/12?4 1 Cor 12:4] explains, <blockquote>Ecstatic and charismatic activity were common in early Christian experience, as they were in other ancient religions. But the Corinthians seem to have developed a disproportionate esteem for certain phenomena, especially tongues, to the detriment of order in the liturgy. </blockquote>It's inexplicable that twelve men (and other witnesses to Christ) were sent forth (from ''mittere'' for "send forth" from which we derive the word "Mass") and spread the Good News so thoroughly -- all the way to South America if you believe the Jesuits who arrived to Paraguay in the 1500s and found that the Guarani Indians there venerated three stones that they said were the chair of Pa'í Sumé (reported in Spanish as "Pai Thome") who preached to them and carried a wooden cross on his back.

So we can understand that as the first Apostles spread the Gospel, it got mixed up in local thought and ways, as well as to have developed a matter of pride according to which Apostle said what and where. Paul tells the Corinthians,<blockquote>Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human? ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/3:4 1 Cor 3:4])</blockquote>We can see how heresy spread, as charismatics grabbed attention, their followers were empowered by the audience, while the Word got skewed. It's understandable, as these were new and exciting, exalting ideas. It's how humans work, which is why we have the word "fad".<ref>The entry for which at Etymoline reads, "Perhaps shortened from ''fiddle-faddle''. Or perhaps from French ''fadaise'' 'trifle, nonsense,' which is ultimately from Latin ''fatuus'' 'stupid.' From 1881 as 'fashion, craze,' or as Century Dictionary has it, 'trivial fancy adopted and pursued for a time with irrational zeal.'" ([https://www.etymonline.com/word/fad fad | Etymology] </ref>

One "fad" that Paul confronted at Corinth was speaking in tongues:<blockquote>Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/12?28 1 Cor 12:28])</blockquote>We will track this phenomenon starting with God's anger at the pride of the sons of the world at Babylon, which is re-made, or completed ("fulfilled" is a good word to use in typology) at Pentecost.

While the Old Testament spoke about the "spirit of God" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/numbers/24?2 Nm 24;2], [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/10:10 1 Sam 10:10], [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/19?20 1 Sam 19:20], [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/33:4 Job 33:4] and lots more, perhaps even Balaam's donkey was inspired to speak in tongues through the Holy Spirit [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/numbers/22?21 Nm 22:21] ), but the Jews were not aware of the Trinity, which Jesus alluded to during his Ministry and taught explicitly during the Passion ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/16:12 Jn 17:12]) and after the Resurrection ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/28:19 Mt 28:19]). Indeed, Stephen rebuked the Jews for not understanding it:

(Acts 7:51)

After Pentecost, and filled with the Holy Spirit, the Apostles set out to convert the world. We'll look at how different people reacted to it, including:

* you drunkards! (no, we're not drunk, it's too early in the day!  [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/2:13 Acts 2:13, 15])
* stiff-necked people resist the Holy Spirit! ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/7:51 Acts 7:51]) 
* sell me some of that Spirit (Simon the Magician in [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/8?18 Acts 8:18]; see also early flight in the apocrypha of Peter and Paul)
* here, eat this! ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/10:9 Acts 10:9])
* an exorcism gone wrong ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/19:13 Acts 19:13])
And also speaking in tongues, which Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians.