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Day 323: Pentecost
Acts 2
Chapter 2:1-13 The Coming of the Holy Spirit
Three times a year, then, every male among you shall appear before the LORD, your God, in the place which he chooses: at the feast of Unleavened Bread, at the feast of Weeks [Pentecost], and at the feast of Booths.
Deuteronomy 16:16
He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.
Mark 16:15-17
Luke 2:1-13 ~ The Holy Spirit Gives Birth to the Church at Pentecost
The annual Feast of Weeks was known by its Greek name, "Pentekoste hermea" (fiftieth day), in Jesus' time (this Greek designation for the Feast of Weeks also occurs in Tobit 2:1 and 2 Mac 12:32 both written in Greek. It was one of the three "pilgrim feasts" where every adult male of the covenant was required to present himself before God's holy altar in Jerusalem (Ex 23:14-17; 34:18-23; Dt 16:16; 2 Chr 8:13). The covenant legislation for this annual pilgrim feast is found several times in the Torah of Moses (see Ex 23:16; 34:12; Lev 23:15-21; Num 28:26-31 and Dt 16:9-12). On St. Paul's last visit to Jerusalem, he was eager to be in the holy city to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost with the Jerusalem community (Acts 20:16).
Each of the seven annual feasts celebrated the liberation of the Exodus and the creation of the free covenant people of the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai. Pentecost was the second harvest festival. The first was the Feast of Firstfruits and the offering of the first of the barley harvest that celebrated the Israelites as the "Firstfruits" of God's covenant people in the Promised Land. The Feast of Weeks/Pentecost was the offering of the first of the wheat harvest. The Feast of Weeks/Pentecost celebrated the Theophany of God at Mt. Sinai when God made a covenant with the children of Israel. The focus of the feast is confirmed in the 2nd century BC Book of Jubilees, which identifies the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost as a covenant renewal feast (Jubilees 6:17-21) and the Babylonian Talmud (c. 250 AD) identifies the feast with the "day the Torah was given" to Israel (Babylonian Talmud: Pes., 68b)
Question: On the day of the second great Pentecost (the first great Pentecost was the Theophany of God at Mt. Sinai and God's covenant formation with Israel), how did God reverse the sin that caused the scattering of the family of man across the face of the earth in the event of the Tower of Babel? Compare Acts chapter 2 to Genesis chapter 11.
| Tower of Babel | 2nd Great Pentecost |
| Language is used to promote a human agenda (Gen 11:3-4). | Language is used to announce the mighty works of God (Acts 2:14-41). |
| God causes the confusion of tongues into many different languages (Gen 11:7). | God causes many different languages to be understood in one Gospel message (Acts 2:5-11). |
| The result is disunity (Gen 11:6-7). | The result is unity (Acts 2:41). |
| At the Tower of Babel God scattered the human family across the face of the earth in judgment (Gen 11:9). | Pentecost is the beginning of the reunification of the family of mankind as God sends men and women to gather into the New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ a redeemed people from across the face of the earth (Acts 1:8; 2:37-41). |
| Michal E. Hunt Copyright © 2013 | |
How were the Old Covenant annual feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost fulfilled by Jesus and the birth of the New Covenant Kingdom of the Church? The first three feasts came within an 8-day period with Passover on the 14th of Nisan, Unleavened Bread from the 15th to the 21st and Firstfruits on the day after the Sabbath of the holy week of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:4-14). Weeks/Pentecost is then celebrated 50 days from Firstfruits (Lev 23:15-16). See handout #4.
Answer:
The crucifixion and death, in the Resurrection, and in the descent of the Holy Spirit God fulfilled four Old Covenant sacred annual feasts:
- Passover -Prefigured Christ as mankind's Passover sacrifice.
- Unleavened Bread -New Covenant sacrifice of the Last Supper and the crucifixion of
- Firstfruits -Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the day after the Old Covenant
- Weeks/Pentecost -Descent of God the Holy Spirit and the birth of Christ's Kingdom of the New Covenant Church.
The miracle of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost in 30 AD is the beginning of the Age of the New Covenant Kingdom of the Church, the Final Age of man, and the great harvest of souls into God's heavenly storehouse. In the liturgical calendar of the Old Covenant annual feasts, the break between the first four annual feasts and the last three annual feasts is the long summer harvest. The "long harvest" is the present season in salvation history. This great harvest will continue until the Son of God returns to claim His Church and brings an end to time as we know it. It is at that time that the last three of the seven annual Jewish feasts will be fulfilled.
Chapter 2: The Events of Pentecost Continued
It is fifty days since the Feast of Firstfruits and Jesus' Resurrection. According to the Jewish liturgical calendar, the count is now completed (Acts 2:1) and it is day of the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost (Lev 23:15-16). It is a pilgrim feast in which every adult male of the covenant (age 13 and older) must present himself before God's holy altar at the Jerusalem Temple; and he must not come "empty handed" (Ex 23:14-16, 17; Dt 16:9-12, 16-17). The morning Temple worship service is a required holy day of worship and rest for all generations (Lev 23:21). After the offering of the morning communal sacrifice of the Tamid lamb (Num 28:26-31), the multiple prescribed communal sacrifices for Pentecost are offered (Lev 23:18-19), as well as the required individual offerings of two loaves of leavened wheat bread from every district of the pilgrims with the required profession of faith, recalling God's mighty works in calling Israel to holy nationhood (Lev 23:17; Dt 26:4-11; Jewish Study Bible notes page 423). In addition, there are the festival communion sacrifices (hagigah) of groups of the worshippers which are sacrificed with the fat and blood offered at the altar while the skinned body of the victim is taken to be cooked and eaten in the city that day are (Mishnah: Hagigah). The pilgrim feast of Pentecost was a sacred annual festival that remembered the Theophany of God at Mt. Sinai, the giving of the Law, and the formation of the Sinai covenant with Israel. The Jews viewed Pentecost as a covenant renewal ceremony (Jubilees 6:17-21) and the Babylonian Talmud (c. 250 AD) also identifies the feast with the "day the Torah was given" to Israel (Babylonian Talmud: Pes., 68b).(1)
Acts Part II: The Church's Mission in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14-8:4)
- Peter's Pentecost homily (2:14-41)
- The Communal Life of the Jerusalem Community (2:42-47)
- Teaching at the Temple & Persecution (3:1-6:15)
- Martyrdom of Stephen (7:1-8:4)
Acts 2:14-36 ~ St. Peter's Homily on the Feast of Pentecost
| Drinking Wine [examples in Scripture] | Covenant union: Joy of drinking good wine Jeremiah 40:12; Isaiah 62:8-9 | Rebellion: Becoming drunk Isaiah 5:11-12; 28:1; Jeremiah 8:13; 48:26; 51:7; Joel 1:5 | Judgment: Drinking the "cup of God's wrath" Joel 4:13; Isaiah 51:17; 63:2-3; Jeremiah 13:12-14; 25:15-31; 48:26; 25:27-30 | Restoration: Rejoicing in the best "new wine" at the Master's table Promise: Zec 9:15-16 Filled: Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Revelation 19:7-9 |
Acts 2:14-24 ~ The Prophecy of the Prophet Joel
Once again Peter exercises his role as the Vicar of Christ and the ordained leader of the Church (Mt 16:17-19) by addressing the crowd of Jews in the street outside the Upper Room. This is the first of five homilies Peter will deliver giving the kerygma (Greek for "proclamation") of the Gospel message of salvation (Acts 2:14-39; 3:12-26; 4:8-12; 5:29-32; 10:34-43).
St. Peter's Pentecost homily in Acts 2:14-41 can be divided into three parts:
- The Prophecy of the Prophet Joel 2:28-32 LXX [3:1-5 NAB] ( Acts 2:14-25 )
- King David's Prophecies of the Messiah ( Acts 2:26-36 )
- The Crowd's Response to Peter's Homily ( Acts 2:37-41 )
It is significant that verse 14 records that Peter stood up with the eleven Apostles. He is one of the Twelve but here the emphasis is on Peter who is with but separate/stands alone from the eleven.
Question: What might be the significance of this distinction?
Answer: Perhaps it is because Peter is not simply one of twelve but the recognized leader of the eleven which is the first apostolic college of the Church.
Peter speaks as the leader of the apostolic body as he did in Acts 1:15 and continues to do in Acts 2:37; 3:4, 6, 12; 4:8, 13; 5:3, 8-9, 15, 29; chapters 10-11 and 15:7-11. In Peter's homily to the Jewish crowd at Pentecost, he preaches as Jesus taught the Apostles and disciples in Luke chapter 24, referring to Sacred Scripture that is fulfilled in Jesus the promised Messiah. Peter quotes from several Scripture passages and applies them to the present situation. He quotes from the book of the Prophet Joel and from the Psalms of David. All quotes and references to Old Testament Scripture appear to be from the Septuagint (LXX) translation (some are the same in the Greek as in the Hebrew texts). Peter alters some words in the passages slightly to fit the present occasion.
Acts 2:25-36 ~ King David's Prophecies of the Messiah
Continuing his theme of the prophecies that pointed to the coming of the Messiah and the new age Jesus was destined to inaugurate that are foretold in Sacred Scripture, Peter now turns to the Psalms of David. According to Jewish tradition, King David was born and later died on the Feast of Pentecost c. 970 BC.
Peter begins by quoting first, without any additions or alterations, from Psalms 15:8-11 LXX (16:8-11 in the Hebrew translation in NAB) in Acts 2:25-28: For David says of him: I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. 26 Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, 27 because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' It is a psalm attributed to David in its title, and is therefore understood to be a reflection of David's personal experience/understanding.
Acts 2:37-41 ~ The Crowd's Response to Peter's Homily
Moved by the force of the arguments offered in St. Peter's homily, the Jews accept the
proofs that Peter has offered from Scripture concerning the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth. Realizing that they have indeed crucified their Messiah, the crowd cries out in horror "What are we to do, my brothers?" It is the same question the crowd asked St. John the Baptist in Luke 3:10. The people are asking St. Peter what they can do to separate themselves from their failed generation. Their plea picks up on a part of the Joel passage that Peter didn't quote from the end of the last verse (2:32b LXX; 3:5b in NAB).
Acts 2:42-47 ~ The Communal Life of the Jerusalem Community
Question: What three characteristics identified the members of the Jerusalem faith community? See Acts 2:42-47 and CCC 949, 1329, 1342-43, 2624.
Answer:
- They were devoted to hearing and putting into practice the teaching of the Apostles.
- The lived communally as a family, sharing the goods in common.
- Their religious life was centered on the Eucharistic.
You will recall that many members of the early faith community were from the Galilee and had left their former occupations to follow Christ. Those who lived in Jerusalem helped to support the Galileans and the poor who joined the community by selling property and material goods and sharing the money to support the community. Although "breaking bread" suggests a typical Jewish meal in which the "father" or the one presiding over the meal broke the bread and pronounced a blessing before dividing the bread, for Christians it became the phrase to describe the Eucharistic meal and the Agape supper that came before as celebrated at this point in private homes, like the Upper Room (Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7, 11; 24:35; 1 Cor 10:16; 11:20-34; Didache, 9:3-4). They still attended daily liturgy in the Temple since at this stage they did not see a dividing line between Old and New Covenant worship "to them Christ was simply the fulfillment of what came before.
Agape Bible Study
Romans 2 - 3
Please read Romans 2:1-10: The Dangers of judging others
Question: Instead of continuing to address God's righteous judgment as he did in Romans 2:1-10, what kind of judgment does Paul address and what is his warning?
Answer: Human judgment; those who judged will themselves also be judged by God for the same sins they point out in others.
Question: In Paul's diatribe against sin in Romans 1:18-32 what group seemed to be Paul's focus? Is his focus Jews and Gentiles'that is all humanity, or is he referring only to the unrighteousness of Gentiles? What is the focus stated in Romans 2:9? In 2:12-3:31?
Answer: Bible scholars are divided on the focus of the text. Some scholars believe Paul is referring to all humanity in Romans 1:18-32, but in Romans 2:9 he comes back to the duality of the Jews and the Greeks and then he narrows his focus to the Jews alone in 2:12-3:31. Therefore, other scholars believe the focus in 1:18-32 is on the sinful condition of pagan Gentiles.
It is possible they are both correct. The Gentile Christians were probably inclined to believe that this passage is directed to the sins of all humanity but the Jewish Christian audience, who know in their righteous superiority that they have been trained in holiness through obedience to the Law of Moses, surely think Paul must be decrying the sins of the heathen Gentiles. Every vile sin he lists was acceptable in the Gentile world; even sexual sins like the ritual prostitution of girls and boys was practiced in pagan temples. But what about the sin of idolatry: "they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an imitation, for the image of a mortal human being, or of birds, or animals, or crawling things"? Weren't the Israelites guilty of worshiping the golden calf, an Egyptian representation of the god Osiris that the Israelites fashioned to represent a visually and physically present Yahweh [see Exodus 32:3-6]? And didn't the Israelites take the Bronze serpent that Moses had fashioned in the wilderness journey to cure the people of snake bites [Numbers 21:4-9] and years later begin to offer sacrifices to it as a worshipped idol so that it had to be destroyed [called the Nehushtan, see 2 Kings 18:4; Wisdom 16:6-7] ? And weren't they guilty of such sins as arrogance, greed and malice among others? Probably not in their own minds'in the same way that the Pharisees in their arrogance challenged Jesus and could not see their own sins.
Which brings us to the question:
Question: What was Paul's desire for every Christian community composed of New Covenant Jews and Gentiles?
Answer: Christian unity.
Question: And what was the greatest hindrance to Christian unity in these communities of both Jewish and Gentile Christians?
Answer: Jewish criticism of the Gentile Christians'judgmental condemnation, an
unbrotherly lack of charity, and demands that Gentiles follow them in observance of the Law of Moses, in the sacrament of circumcision, and other purity rites.
And so perhaps Paul has sprung a very eloquent trap. He has listed all sorts of sin of which the Jews believe the Gentiles are guilty and then he preaches about the danger of judging others in the tradition of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 7'with the Jewish Christians of course nodding their heads in agreement until the reader of Paul's letter comes to Romans 2:9-13 where they realize that Paul is talking about them: "Trouble and distress will come to every human being who does evil'Jews first, but Greeks as well; glory and honor and peace will come to everyone who does good'Jews first, but Greeks as well. There is no favoritism with God."
Question: Why does Paul say that judgment will come to the Jews first?
Answer: Because they should know better, having been trained in the Law of Moses they are the older brothers in the Covenant, and because they are guilty of uncharitable judgment of Gentile Christians who are younger children in the family of God'judgment of sins for which they are not exempt.
But, returning to the teaching on the danger of judging others in Romans 2:1-10:
Question: Notice that there has been a change in Paul's address to this audience. What is the change? To whom is Paul addressing this part of his letter?
Answer: The change is from the less personal third person "those, them and they" to the very personal "you". He is addressing the Jewish Christian and Paul has returned to the theme of those who judge being judged by God for the same fault they have found in others'in this case, the Jews who have been trained by the Law of Moses to avoid unrighteous behavior being guilty of the same sins they are so quick to judge in Gentiles.
Please read Romans 2:12-16, There is no salvation in the Old Covenant Law'only judgment:
Romans 2:12 "All those who have sinned without the Law will perish without the Law; and those under the Law who have sinned will be judged by the Law."
Question: In Romans 2:6-11 Paul stated the basic principle that God will deliver judgment strictly according to what standard?
Answer: Judgment will be according to deeds or works for both Jew and Gentile. For the Jew judgment will be harsher because, having been trained in holiness under the Law of Moses they known what is expected of them in living a life of righteousness'they have no excuse.
Paul makes the point that it is the Law of Moses that convicts the Jew'it is the Law that functions as an instrument of justice. Whether you sin under the Law or apart from the Law, the judgment will be equally swift and sever. Paul tells the Jews in verse 12 that contrary to acting as a vehicle for salvation, the Law of Moses was only meant to guide the Covenant people to salvation and in that sense the Law can only condemn them of the sins which they are commanded to avoid. In the same way that the Law of Moses guides the Jew, the Gentiles can be guided by their conscience through the natural law as a means to show them the way to salvation. The Gentile who responds to God in faith and obedience through the natural law is equal to the Jew responding to God in faith and obedience through the Law of Moses.
Please read Romans 2: 17-24, The Jews are not exempt from the retribution of God:
Question: What Scripture passage is Paul quoting in Romans 2:24? Hint: see Isaiah 52:5-6 and Ezekiel 36:20-22.
Answer: Paul is quoting the Greek Septuagint translation of Isaiah 52:5 "..because of you my name is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles." He is applying the words of the prophet Isaiah to the Jew's transgression of the Mosaic Law. When the Jews boast of their privileged position in covenant with Yahweh as His "holy people" while at the same time failing to obey His will, the Gentile people are disgusted by their hypocrisy and are prevented from coming to known God because of the Jews bad example. To hinder the faith of those Yahweh is mercifully calling into covenant by claiming to be a holy people while engaging in sinful acts will bring down God's righteous wrath on the offender. After all Israel's vocation was to be a light to the Gentile nations and to bring them to salvation. But their bad example instead of sanctifying God's name has dishonored His name.
Please read Romans 2:25-29, Circumcision does not assure salvation:
The practice of circumcise was not unknown in the ancient world. It was often practiced in the cultures of the ancient Near East; however, there is little evidence that it was practiced by the Canaanites and in Egypt the practice was apparently reserved for members of the pagan priesthood. The oldest depiction of circumcision is found on a relief from the tomb of Ankhmahor, vizier of Pharaoh Teti who ruled Egypt circa 2345-2333 BC. In Jeremiah 9:24-25 the prophet Jeremiah lists the circumcised peoples of the Levant and the term "uncircumcised" became for the Hebrews a title of contempt [the Philistines were, for example, the contemptuous-- "the uncircumcised"]. The rite of infant circumcision was, however, unique to the Hebrews. Other people who were neighbors of Israel practiced circumcision as a rite of passage into manhood at about age 13 [the age at which Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar the Egyptian slave girl, was circumcised in Genesis 17:23-27].
Please read Romans 3:1-8: God's Faithfulness to Israel Endures
Question: What three hypothetical objections does Paul's imaginary Jewish opponent raise in Romans 3:3-7?
Answer:
Objection #1: "What advantage is there to being a Jew?
Objection #2: "What if some of them were unfaithful? Do you suppose their lack of faith would cancel God's faithfulness?"
Objection #3 "But if our injustice serves to bring God's saving justice into view can we say that God is unjust when'to use human terms'he brings his retribution down on us?"
Question: What 3 part comparison is Paul making in his hypothetical debate?
Answer: In this argument he is comparing faithfulness, truthfulness/ justice, and holiness/righteousness with faithlessness, falsehood, and sinfulness.
Faithfulness vs. faithlessness | |
Truthfulness/justice vs. falsehood | |
Holiness/righteousness vs. sinfulness | Romans 3:7-8 and continuing to verse 20 |
Question: In 3:1-2 what double question does Paul ask?
Answer: (1) What advantage is there to being Jewish and (2) what value is there to the sacrament of circumcision?
Paul is asking what advantage is there in the "ethnic" sense in addition to the spiritual sense he just defined in his new definition of a Jew in Romans 2:29.
Question: How does Paul answer his own question? What does he mean by "messages" or "oracles"?
Answer: The Israelites/Jews alone were entrusted with the "messages" or "oracles" of God'the men and woman through which Yahweh spoke to His Covenant people with the promise of a future redeemer and the promise of God's gift of salvation, beginning with father Abraham and continuing through Moses and the age of the Prophets [see the list of the Old Testament prophets in the Charts section]. These "messages" to which Israel, as God's Covenant people have been entrusted are probably not only the revelations made to the prophets but also the rules of conduct under the Law delivered to them through Moses. The possession of these divinely inspired messages was clearly an to the Jew [see Deuteronomy 4:7-8; Psalm 147:19-20; 103:7].
Please read Romans 3:9-20: The universal sinfulness of man
In verse 9 Paul announces that both Jews and Gentiles are sinners; this is the first mention of the noun "sin" in Paul's letter. He personifies the word "sin" as a master who dominates a slave held in bondage. In this passage it would be a shocking scandal for Jewish Christians to be told that they were considered to be in the same position as Gentile sinners'a universal solidarity composed of unworthy sinners alienated from fellowship with a righteous God!
Then in Romans 3 verses 10-18 Paul quotes a series of 7 verses; 5 from the Psalms and one verse each from Isaiah and Proverbs'all from the Septuagint translation:
These Old Testament passages and Paul's statements that teach from them are a review of what Paul has been saying about the spiritual condition which refers not only to the Jews but to the worldwide infection of sin upon mankind. He sums up his assessment of the sinful condition of mankind with a quotation from Psalms 36:1.
Question: How is Psalm 36:1 a summation or a result of this accumulation of sin and apostasy?
Answer: If man truly feared the righteous wrath of God how could he dare to behave so unrighteous?
Please read Romans 3:21-26: The revelation of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ
Paul's "but now" in verse 21 marks a transition in Salvation History which moves beyond the Law and the promises of the Prophets into the Messianic Age of the New Covenant in which the former period of divine wrath [ 1:18ff] gives way to the period of divine grace in which believers are justified through the saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Please read Romans 3:27-31: The power of faith
Question: In Romans 3:26 Paul writes, "he is just and justifies everyone who has faith in Jesus Christ", and in this passage of Romans 3:27-31 Paul repeats that we are justified by faith and not by works. Is this a contradiction to Romans 2:6-7 and 13 which connects justification and eternal life to good deeds?
Answer: Not at all. First of all Paul is not referring to the works of God in acts of love an charity through the lives of redeemed believers, he is instead referring to works of the Old Covenant in obedience to the Law of Moses which was made to bring the people of God to a holy and righteous state but that righteousness failed if faith didn't transform the law written on stone to the law lived out in faith through transformed and circumcised hearts.
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A Daily Defense
DAY 323 Why Sacraments?
CHALLENGE: “If what is ultimately important is our faith in God, then there is no re ason for the Church to have sacraments.”
DEFENSE: Interior dispositions like faith are not the only thing that is important. We are also physical beings. The Church has sacraments because they correspond to human nature and thus Christ instituted them.
Every religion has certain rites it regards as sacred. Such rites are a human universal, found in every religion, in every culture, which means they are rooted in human nature. Thus God made use of them in Judaism and Christianity.
In Judaism there were what are sometimes called the “sacraments of the Old Law.” These included rites such as eating the Passover Lamb, the sacrifices offered at the temple, circumcision, and various washings for purification (see Exod. 12; Lev. 1–7, 12:3, 14:8–9).
While there are a rich variety of rites used in the Christian faith, certain ones have a special place and are referred to as the “sacraments of the New Law” or the “sacraments of the New Covenant” established by Christ.
Used this way, the word “sacraments” refers to “efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us” (CCC 1131).
In contrast to the rites that were part of the Old Covenant, the sacraments of the New Covenant impart the graces they signify. Each is a visible sign of the invisible grace it imparts. This twofold nature of the sacraments corresponds to the twofold nature of man. We are not simply created spirits, like the angels. By nature, human beings are composed of both body and spirit.
Consequently, God imparts spiritual graces to us through visible, bodily signs (see St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III:61:1).
In his ministry, Jesus frequently performed miracles through sensible signs like the spoken word (Mark 4:39; John 11:43–44) and the laying on of hands (Mark 8:23–25; Luke 4:40). This same principle is at work in the sacraments that Jesus established for his Church.
Over the course of time, the Church discerned that there are seven such sacraments: baptism (Matt. 28:19), confirmation (Acts 8:14–17; Heb. 6:2), the Eucharist (1 Cor. 10:16), confession (John 20:21–23), the anointing of the sick (Mark 6:13; James 5:14–15), holy orders (Acts 13:2–3; 2 Tim. 1:6), and matrimony (CCC 1612–17).
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
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