Troparion of the Feast

Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, Thou didst create joy by the disciples, by the promise of the Holy Spirit, which was communicated to them by the blessing which was, for Thou art the Son of God, the deliverer of the world.

Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, having rejoiced Thy disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit, when through Thy blessing they were fully convinced that Thou art the Son of God, the deliverer of the world.

Joy created by the disciple - Joy created by the disciples; a promise - a promise; the blessing which was communicated to them, when they were confirmed in the faith through Thy blessing; as - what.

The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles

After the ascension of Jesus Christ, the tenth day came: it was the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. The Jews then had the great feast of Pentecost in memory of the Sinai legislation. All the Apostles, together with the Mother of God and with the other disciples of Christ and other believers, were unanimously present in one upper room in Jerusalem. It was the third hour of the day, according to the Jewish count of hours, i.e. according to ours - the ninth hour of the morning. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where the disciples of Christ were. And tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them. Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to glorify God in various languages, which they had not known before. Thus the Holy Spirit, according to the promise of the Saviour, descended upon the Apostles, in the form of tongues of fire, as a sign that He had given the Apostles the ability and power to preach Christ's teaching to all nations; He descended in the form of fire as a sign that He has the power to scorch sins and cleanse, sanctify and warm souls.

On the occasion of the feast of Pentecost, there were many Jews in Jerusalem at that time, who came from different countries. Hearing the noise, a huge crowd of people gathered around the house where Christ's disciples were. All the people were amazed and asked one another, "Are they not all Galileans? How do we hear each of our own languages in which we were born? How can they speak with our tongues about the great works of God?"

Then the Apostle Peter, standing up together with the other eleven apostles, said that they were not drunk, but that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them, as had been foretold by the prophet Joel, and that Jesus Christ, Whom the Jews had crucified, had risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and poured out the Holy Spirit upon them. Concluding the sermon on Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter said: "Know therefore with certainty, all the people of Israel, that God has sent this Jesus, Whom you have crucified, as Savior and Christ."

Peter's preaching had such an effect on those who heard it that very many believed in Jesus Christ. They began to ask Peter and the other apostles, "What shall we do, men brethren?"

Петр ответил им: "покайтесь и креститесь во имя Иисуса Христа для прощения грехов; тогда и вы получите дар Святого Духа".

Уверовавшие во Христа охотно приняли крещение, таких оказалось в этот день около трех тысяч человек. Таким образом начало устрояться на земле Царствие Божие, т. е. святая Церковь Христова.

Со дня сошествия Святого Духа вера христианская стала быстро распространяться, при помощи Божией; число верующих в Господа Иисуса Христа день ото дня увеличивалось. Научаемые Святым Духом, апостолы смело проповедовали всем об Иисусе Христе, Сыне Божием, о Его страданиях за нас и воскресении из мертвых. Господь помогал им великими многочисленными чудесами, которые совершались через апостолов именем Господа Иисуса Христа. Первоначально апостолы проповедовали евреям, а потом разошлись по разным странам для проповеди всем народам. Для совершения таинств и проповедания учения христианского, апостолы поставляли через рукоположение епископов, пресвитеров (священников или иереев) и диаконов.

Та благодать Святого Духа, которая была явно преподана апостолам, в виде огненных языков, теперь подается в нашей Святой Православной Церкви невидимо - в ее святых таинствах, через преемников-апостолов - пастырей Церкви - епископов и священников.

ПРИМЕЧАНИЕ: cм. в Деянии Свв. Апостолов, гл. 2, гл. 14, 23.