Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Pentecost

When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1–4)

But let us look over what has been said from the beginning. It filled, he says, the house. That wind was a very pool of water. This betokened the copiousness, as the fire did the vehemence. This nowhere happened in the case of the Prophets: for to uninebriated souls such accesses are not attended with much disturbance; but “when they have well drunken,” then indeed it is as here, but with the Prophets, it is otherwise. The scroll of a book is given to him, and Ezekiel ate what he was about to utter. And it became in his mouth, it is said, like honey for sweetness. (And again the hand of God touches the tongue of another Prophet; but here it is the Holy Spirit Himself: so equal is He in honor with the Father and the Son.) And again, on the other hand, Ezekiel calls it, Lamentations, and mourning, and woe. To them, it might well be in the form of a book; for they still needed similitudes. Those had to deal with only one nation, and with their own people; but these with the whole world, and with men whom they never knew. Also, Elisha receives the grace through the medium of a mantle; another by oil, like David; and Moses by fire, as we read of him at the bush. But in the present case it is not so; for the fire itself sat upon them. (But wherefore did the fire not appear so as to fill the house? Because they would have been terrified.) But the story shows that it is the same here as there. For you are not to stop at this, that there appeared unto them cloven tongues, but note that they were of fire. Such a fire as this is able to kindle infinite fuel. Also, it is well said, Cloven, for they were from one root: that you may learn, that it was an operation sent from the Comforter.

John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles 4