The Feast of Pentecost Trivia Quiz

Answer: The birth of the church

Pentecost commemorates the birth of the church. The moment of this birth is thought to have occurred when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and other diverse followers of Jesus and they began to speak in tongues, such that every man could hear them speaking in their own languages.

Answer: Acts

The story of the Holy Spirit descending upon the followers of Jesus occurs in Acts chapter two.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because every man heard them speaking in his own language" (Acts 2:1-6, 21st century KJV).

Answer: Shavuot

Shavuot is known as Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks in English. It commemorates the wheat harvest in Israel. It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals, along with Pesach (Passover) and Sukkot (Tabernacles), during which the Jews were expected to make a pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem.

It was while many followers of Christ from all nations were gathered in Jerusalem observing Shavuot (or Pentecost) that the Holy Spirit descended upon them and they were able to understand one another.

Answer: fire

They heard a rushing wind, "and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them" (Acts 2:3).

Fire is thus a common symbol of the Holy Spirit. The United Methodist Church has an emblem that incorporates this symbolism, consisting of a cross and a flame. The flame is also incorporated into the PCUSA and Church of Nazarene symbols.

Answer: 49

Pentecost falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter Sunday, making it 49 days after Easter (fifty days if you include Easter in the count). Called "Feast of Weeks" or "Feast of Fifty Days" The word Pentecost comes from the Greek pentēkostē, which means "fiftieth." The Jewish festival of Pentecost is on the fiftieth day after the second day of Passover.

Answer: Holy Trinity Sunday

For the Eastern Orthodox, Holy Trinity Sunday is the Sunday of Pentecost, and it celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. The week after Pentecost / Holy Trinity Sunday is All Saints Day. For the Western Church, however, Trinity Sunday is a separate day that falls the first Sunday after Pentecost to celebrate the doctrine of the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Answer: Whitsun

The name, a contraction of White and Sunday, is also rendered Whit Sunday or Whitsunday. The name may derive from the white garments worn by those being baptized. In parts of England, Sunday school scholars have a procession on this day called a "whit walk." There may also be parties featuring ale (Whitsun ales, whitfairs, or church ale).

Answer: Martin Luther

Martin Luther wrote the lyrics to the hymn, which was first published in 1524 and is called "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott" in German. Translated into English by Catherine Winkworth in 1855, the hymn begins:

"Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord!
Let all your graces be outpoured
On each believer's mind and heart;
Your fervent love to us impart."

The hymn is commonly sung in Lutheran churches on Pentecost.

Charles Wesley wrote "Spirit of Faith Come Down," a popular Pentecostal hymn in Methodist churches.

Answer: green

Red or bright red is the liturgical color of Pentecost in the Episcopal, ELCA, Disciples of Christ, PCUSA, UMC, UCC, Lutheran Missouri Synod, Anglican Canada, and Roman Catholic churches. In these churches, red symbolizes the tongues of fire. In the Eastern Orthodox church, however, the liturgical color of the day is green, to symbolize life, because the Holy Spirit breathes new life into believers.

Answer: Hildegard von Bingen

Also known as Sibyl of the Rine, Hildegard von Bingen was born in 1098 in County Palatine of the Rhine of the Holy Roman Empire. She was a writer, philosopher, composer, and founder of scientific natural history. Her chants outnumber any of those that have survived since the Middle Ages. , and she is considered to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany.