ETHNIC SOLIDARITY, BABEL-PENTECOST RELATIONSHIP, AND THE NEW COVENANT

Abstract

The New Testament clearly presents a picture of the Spirit endowed body moving out into the surrounding world, presenting the gospel of Christ.  King Jesus is the Servant of Yahweh who suffered, but is now exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high (see e.g., Mt 28:18-20; Lk 24:25-27,45-49; Acts 2:22-39, 3:12-26).  The new community of the Spirit was to include both Jews and peoples from the idolatrous ethnies.  These, like Israel, must repent and have “their hearts cleansed by faith,” receiving forgiveness and the Holy Spirit by faith (Acts 10-11, 15:1-21).  Does this new community of the Spirit erase the ethno-linguistic distinctions originally created by Yahweh at Babel?  Does Pentecost then reverse Babel, that is does Pentecost completely destroy the good diversity of ethnic solidarity (ESOL)?  This is the second of two articles on the subject of Babel and the ethno-nations.