Augustine of Hippo : But I am surprised that you think it possible for the sound of that voice which said, "You are my Son," to be produced by the divine will acting on physical nature without the agency of a living being, and you do not think it possible for the physical appearance of any living creature and of movement like that of life to be produced by the divine will in the same way without the agency of any animal life-principle. If created nature obeys God without the actions of a vivifying soul, so that sounds are uttered such as are usually uttered by a living body and the form of articulate speech is brought to the ears, why should it not obey him so that without the agency of a vivifying soul the form and movement of a bird should be presented to the sight by the same power of the Creator?… Therefore, there is no need to inquire how the corporeal appearance of the dove was produced, just as we do not inquire how the words of an articulate body produce their sound. For, if it were possible for a soul not to be the medium by which a voice is said to have been made audible and not as a voice usually is, how much more possible was it when the dove was spoken of that this word should signify merely a physical appearance presented to the eyes without the actual nature of a living creature! These words, also, were said in that sense, "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind coming, and there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire," where a certain phenomenon is said to be "as of a wind" and "as it were" a visible fire, like the natural fire with its customary nature, but it does not seem to mean that natural fire of the customary kind was produced. — LETTER 169 Bede : And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, etc. The Lord indeed appeared through fire, as Blessed Pope Gregory explains, but He made the interior communication by Himself. And neither was God the fire, nor was that sound, but by what He exhibited outwardly, He expressed what He made within. For He who made the disciples both fervent with zeal and instructed with the word inwardly, showed fiery tongues outwardly. Therefore, elements were brought in as a sign so that bodies might perceive fire and sound, while hearts were taught by invisible fire and soundless voice. — Commentary on Acts Bede : And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, etc. And in the very giving of the law and grace, the most evident difference between the old and new testament is apparent. There, the people stood far off, there was fear, but no love. For they were so afraid that they said to Moses: Speak to us yourself, and do not let the Lord speak to us, lest we die (Exodus 20). Therefore, God descended, as it is written, on Sinai in fire, but terrifying the people standing far off, He wrote the law with His finger on stone, not with His spirit in the heart. But here, when the Holy Spirit came, the faithful were gathered together in one place; He did not terrify them on a mountain, but entered the house. Indeed, a sound came suddenly from heaven, and it sounded as if a violent wind was coming; but no one was afraid. You heard the sound, see the fire, because on the mountain there was both, and fire and sound, but there also smoke, here fire, divided tongues as of fire. Was He terrifying from afar? By no means. For He sat on each one of them, and they began to speak in tongues, as the Holy Spirit gave them to utter. Hear the tongue speaking, and understand the Spirit writing not on stone, but in the heart. — Retractions on Acts Cyprian : That the Holy Spirit has frequently appeared in fire. In Exodus: "And the whole of Mount Sinai smoked, because God had come down upon it in fire." Also in the Acts of the Apostles"And suddenly there was made a sound from heaven, as if a vehement blast were borne along, and it filled the whole of that place in which they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues as if of fire, which also settled upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Also in the sacrifices, whatsoever God accounted accepted, fire descended from heaven, which consumed what was sacrificed. In Exodus: "The angel of the Lord appeared in a flame of fire from the bush." — Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews Cyril of Jerusalem : And lest people should be ignorant of the greatness of the mighty gift coming down to them, there sounded as it were a heavenly trumpet. For suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, signifying the presence of him who was to grant power to people to seize with violence the kingdom of God, that both their eyes might see the fiery tongues and their ears hear the sound. And it filled all the house where they were sitting; for the house became the vessel of the spiritual water; as the disciples sat within, the whole house was filled. Thus they were entirely baptized according to the promise and invested soul and body with a divine garment of salvation. — Catechetical Lecture 17.15 Gregory the Dialogist : For today the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples with a sudden sound, and changed the minds of carnal men into love of Him, and while tongues of fire appeared outwardly, their hearts were made flaming within, because as they received God in the vision of fire, they burned sweetly through love. For the Holy Spirit Himself is love. — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 30 John Chrysostom : For in the case of the apostles too, there was a "sound of a mighty wind," and visions of fiery tongues appeared, but not for the apostles' sake, but because of the Jews who were then present. Nevertheless, even though no sensible signs take place, we receive the things that have been once manifested by them. Since the dove itself at that time therefore appeared, that as in place of a finger (so to say) it might point out to them that were present, and to John, the Son of God. Not however merely on this account, but to teach thee also, that upon thee no less at thy baptism the Spirit comes. But since then we have no need of sensible vision, faith sufficing instead of all. For signs are "not for them that believe, but for them that believe not." — Homily on Matthew 12 John Chrysostom : "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven." Why did this not come to pass without sensible tokens? For this reason. If even when the fact was such, men said, "They are full of new wine," what would they not have said, had it been otherwise? And it is not merely, "there came a sound," but, "from heaven." And the suddenness also startled them, and brought all together to the spot. "As of a rushing mighty wind:" this betokens the exceeding vehemence of the Spirit. "And it filled all the house:" insomuch that those present both believed, and in this manner were shown to be worthy. — Homily on Acts 4 John Chrysostom : "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. — Homily on Acts 4 Oecumenius : Suddenly a sound and not invisibly the descent of the Spirit, and from heaven, so that it might strike the assembled with greater astonishment and raise them up, and make ready to gather all together. And with sensation, so that the wonder may be made undeniable. For even if, after this, the marvel should fall into drunkenness, what would I not say if it had not happened in this way? And from heaven with great force. For he wishes to show this by a forceful blast, in order to indicate that the work belongs to him who has been taken up into the heavens, and to the divine power; just as on the Red Sea the violent south wind. And rightly in all these things he uses things by way of comparison, as, I say, and as if of fire, so that nothing perceptible may be thought concerning the Spirit. And the whole house was filled with the Breath, filling it up like a baptismal font, since he had also promised them: "You will be baptized in the Spirit and in fire." (Matt. 3:11) And of abundance this is proof, and of intensity. But fire did not fill the house, so that it would not terrify everyone and prepare those who saw to flee, bearing witness to none of the things that afterward occurred. — Commentary on Acts