One Pentecost Was Enough

Recently, Jesus Culture—a well-known worship group connected to Bethel Church in California—posted a clip on X of a song they released today. The lyrics repeatedly declare, “We need another Pentecost.”

This simple refrain raises an important theological question: Is this how we should think about Pentecost? Should Christians be praying for another one? Or has God already given us what we’re asking for? Before I explain why I believe this line is biblically and theologically misguided, let me offer a few disclaimers.

Three Disclaimers

First, before we evaluate songs like these, we can appreciate the heart behind them. Worship music often expresses a longing for more of God’s presence and power, and that’s a good and biblical desire. I understand that some might employ phrases like “another Pentecost” metaphorically. They may not be asking for a literal repeat of Acts 2 but rather expressing a yearning for spiritual renewal or revival. That’s a desire all Christians should share. I’m not questioning the sincerity behind these lyrics.

Second, we ought to allow for a measure of rhetoric and artistic flexibility in songs. Though we rightly desire biblical accuracy in our worship songs, we should be cautious not to overcriticize lyrics intended as poetic language rather than literal theological statements. Song lyrics are sometimes strongly critiqued (e.g., “Mary, did you know?”), but those who value theological precision can sometimes struggle with metaphorical expressions.

Finally, we all make theological missteps at times, and we should treat others as we want to be treated when this happens. Grace and room for growth should always be given to other Christians.

Need for Theological Precision

However, the way we express ourselves in prayer and song matters. Words shape how we think, and how we think shapes how we live. Christians are called to worship God according to scriptural standards rather than personal preference. Authentic worship must be conducted in “spirit and truth” (John 4:23), which means our grammar in worship should accurately reflect God’s character and work in the world.

The Scriptures tell us we’re to say true and not false things about God. We’re called to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). Paul consistently warns against false teachers who bring in destructive heresies that lead people astray. It’s astonishing how often the apostles speak against false teaching in their letters, knowing that erroneous ideas can easily creep into the church like wolves seeking to devour sheep.

I’m not necessarily accusing Jesus Culture of heresy with this lyric. If they mean it literally—asking for a repeat of the historical Pentecost—then yes, that would come dangerously close to heretical thinking. But more likely, they’re speaking metaphorically, perhaps tying it to a theology of a “second blessing” of the Spirit.

Even so, the language is problematic. Metaphor or not, it suggests something that isn’t true. And truth matters. Sincerity, while important, isn’t the ultimate measure of sound theology. People can be entirely sincere and still promote untrue and ultimately unhelpful ideas. So why is it biblically and theologically misguided to ask for “another Pentecost”?

Three Reasons We Don’t Need Another Pentecost

First, Pentecost was a once-for-all redemptive event that’s unrepeatable but also unretractable. God promised a new era would come after Jesus completed his mission and the Spirit was poured out. This event is formally predicted by the prophet Joel (2:28–32) and picked up in Jesus’s Upper Room Discourse in John 13–17. Later, in Acts, Peter claims that what happened in Jerusalem in AD 33 fulfills the Joel 2 prophecy (Acts 2:16–21). Peter even affirms that believers are already living in the “last days.”

No scriptural prophecy declares there will be a second outpouring of the Spirit. Rather, Jesus will return, and the dead will be raised. Asking for a new Pentecost is akin to asking Jesus to sacrifice himself again. Both Pentecost and Jesus’s sacrifice are once-for-all redemptive events.

Second, asking for a second Pentecost dangerously implies the first Pentecost and Christ’s finished work were insufficient. However, the Gospel of John says that when the Spirit comes “he will teach [us] all things” (John 14:26) and “guide [us] into all truth” (16:13). Jesus promises that when the Spirit comes at Pentecost, believers will receive power (Acts 1:8). Paul says those who believe in Christ are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:13). The sending of the Spirit is directly related to Christ’s exaltation (Acts 2:33–36); therefore, asking for another Pentecost can suggest Christ’s enthronement wasn’t effectual. This undermines Christ’s finished and victorious work.

Asking for a second Pentecost dangerously implies the first Pentecost and Christ’s finished work were insufficient.

Third, Pentecost already declares the Spirit has been fully given to the church. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body . . . and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” Romans 8:9 also states, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” To say we need another descent of the Spirit implies that Christians lack the fullness of the Spirit, yet Scripture affirms that all believers have the same Spirit. The church’s mission proceeds from Pentecost; it doesn’t wait for another Pentecost.

Three Possible Objections

Doubtless, some will think of objections to what I’ve said. Three come to my mind. First, Paul calls Christians to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). This is a continual act. Yet this doesn’t imply a second blessing of the Holy Spirit but should be interpreted as a filling of what’s already present. Christians are to be full of what has already been given. There’s no command in the New Testament to seek a second baptism of the Spirit.

Second, there are narratives in Acts where the Spirit falls after Pentecost. This includes when Philip goes to Samaria (Acts 8:14–17), when the Spirit falls on Cornelius’s household (10:44–45), and when John’s disciples in Ephesus haven’t even heard of the Spirit (19:1–6). However, these texts are again unique transitional events showing that the gift of the Spirit will not be limited to Jerusalem. God also pours out his Spirit on half-Jews (Samaritans), Gentiles (Cornelius), and those on the fringes (John’s disciples). Acts signals these events as nonnormative for Christians in that they occurred to unify the church at its birth. Pentecost is one event with multiple fulfillments.

Pentecost is one event with multiple fulfillments.

Third, the most difficult text in this regard might be Acts 4:31—those in Jerusalem prayed after Pentecost and “the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” It might sound like a second descent has occurred two chapters after what occurred in Acts 2, but this text is best interpreted as a confirmation in the face of persecution that God’s Spirit is still with them despite the opposition. Luke doesn’t frame this event as a second Pentecost but as a deeper experience of what the believers already enjoy.

Gratitude for Pentecost

When we reflect on Pentecost, our response should be deep gratitude. God has already poured out his Spirit in a way never experienced under the old covenant. Pentecost marks a decisive moment in redemptive history—a once-for-all event where God fulfilled his promise to dwell with his people in a new and powerful way.

While these pleas for another Pentecost are well intentioned, they miss a vital truth: Pentecost is a past event. The Holy Spirit has already been given. To ask for another Pentecost is like a child asking his parents for a Christmas gift he’s already received. The issue isn’t that the gift hasn’t been given; it’s that we may not fully recognize what we’ve already received. We should instead plead with God that his Spirit would continue the work that began 2,000 years ago.