Please help me better understand the difference between the reference to receiving the Holy Ghost in John 20:22 and Acts 8:14-17 and Acts 1:5 and Acts 2:4. I am not sure I understand the difference between being baptized, filled, and receiving or whether there is a difference?
The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him.
Amen
Senior Member
When Jesus appears to the disciples in John 20: 22 He breaths on them and says " Receive ye the Holy Ghost" At this point they where born again, new birth, saved.
But then He says in Acts 1:5 "For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
In verse 8 He says" But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses....."
We receive The holy Spirit when we are saved, our seal. The baptism is the pouring out of living water as to pour out from us to #1 evangelize and #2 make disciples. The Church has power to do these things as long as it is day, the night comes when no man can work. There will come a time when the out pouring will be held and the church proper, as in the day of Pentecost,will no longer have effect but the spirit of promise will still abide within us. This is how I understand the 10 virgins spoken of by Jesus in Mathew 25. When midnight comes we will know to look up for our redemption draws nigh. There are virgins with no oil in there lamps.
The out pouring is to give the Church power and authority to do mainly these two things. Be witnesses, evangelize and to go and make disciples, teach. We are all called to do both at some level, one or one thousand but we first must be discipled by someone.
The receiving of the Holy Spirit is salvation.
This is how I read the Bible, I hope it helps and answers your question.
In Peace
Senior Member
When we are saved the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us-there is, however, a second work the Bible calls being baptised in the Holy Spirit, or being filled with the Spirit. When this happens the initial evidence is speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives us the words to say. No one was baptised in the Holy Spirit in this way until the day of Pentecost-Acts 2:4 is the first time we are told about believers receiving this blessing.
Senior Member
Hi, godsgirl.Originally Posted by godsgirl
I think the words used in the Bible are important, so that we don't misunderstand what is being said.
There is a difference between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. But there is no difference between being "filled with" the Holy Spirit and being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus had risen from the dead, and after He had breathed on His apostles and said, “receive the Holy Spirit” (Joh.20: 22), He “commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father which you heard from Me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Act 1:4-5); and when the time came for them to be “baptized in the Holy Spirit”, the book of Acts does NOT say that they were “baptized in” the Holy Spirit, it says that they were all “FILLED OF the Holy Spirit” (Act.2: 4).
“Baptism in” and being “filled of” the Holy Spirit is one and the same thing – and it IS NOT a once-off experience – we are exhorted in the New Testament to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph.5: 18); and the apostles were filled of the Holy Spirit a number of times again AFTER the Day of Pentecost (Act.4: 8, 31; Act.7: 55; Act.9: 17; Act.13: 9; Act.11: 24; Eph.5: 18; Phi.1: 11)
The gift of the Holy Spirit is two-fold: (a) the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit; and (b) the filling of (or baptism in) the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is for our comfort, guidance (including rebuking by the Holy Spirit) and teaching through the word of God, and our sanctification. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the seal of God which no-one except God can see.
In the same way that more water being added to a glass which is already full causes the glass to spill its contents over, the filling of (baptism in) the Holy Spirit causes the love of God to overflow through us to others – fulfilling the law of God in us – to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves – when we are filled of the Holy Spirit, God's Love for all people will automatically overflow through us to them; and it is quite obvious that nobody who has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is also at all times filled of the Holy Spirit.
The filling of (baptism in) the Holy Spirit can be accompanied with power to heal, to prophesy, or to perform signs and wonders for the sake of evangelism – but only in accordance with the will of God:
“... how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by those who heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with different kinds of miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, ACCORDING TO HIS OWN WILL?” (Heb.2: 3-4).
From the book of Acts through to the book of Jude, the TOTAL NUMBER of records of and references to signs, wonders and miracles performed BY THE DISCIPLES of Jesus am0unts to ten:-
Act.2: 43 (the apostles); Act.5: 12 (the apostles); Act.8: 6, 13 (the apostle Philip); Act.14: 3 and Act.15: 12 (the apostle Paul and his traveling companion, Barnabas); Rom.15: 19 and 2Cor.12: 12 (the apostle Paul); Heb.2: 4 (the apostles – those “who had heard”, or had been eye-witnesses of Christ); Act.6: 8 (Stephen). The gift of tongues was given for the sake of evangelism.
So there's a difference between the indwelling (the seal of God) and the filling or baptism in the Holy Spirit.
ananias.
"But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers.
And call no one your father on the earth, for One is your Father in Heaven.
Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ."(Mat.23: 8-10)
AND
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another.
By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another."(Joh.13: 34-35)
Chal's Broer-In-Law
An aside: Who exactly do you think was baptized with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost?
Phl 4:11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
As righteous as Christ.
Being indewlt occurs when we are saved and have a new heart. When we are filled/baptized with the Holy Spirit we have power. We see this in Jesus life and in the first chapter of Acts.
Acts 1:7-9
7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
NASB
When one is saved, a few sins drop off. When one is baptized in the Spirit, he has power over sin and power to be His witnesses.
Matt 9:13
13 "But go and learn what this means: ' I DESIRE COMPASSION,AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
NASU
~Abiding in God's Love~
***
Begining in Acts 2:4..Read Acts 2 :4:1-3...Acts 2:4 says
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost(Spirit),and began to speak with other tongues,as the Spirit gave them utterance
Acts 2:5 and there were dwellings at Jersualem Jews,devout men,out of every nation under heaven.
Acts 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad,the mulitude came together,and were confounded,Because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled,saying one to another,Behold,are not all these Galilaeans?
Acts 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue,wherein we were born
Acts 2:9Parthians,and Medes,and Elamites,and the dwellers in Mesopotamia,and in Judaea, and Cappadocia,in Pontus,and Asia
Acts 2:10 Phrygia,and Pamphylia in Egypt,and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene,and strangers of Rome,Jews and proselytes,
Acts 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Everyone heard the words in their own language...
not an unknown tongue.
Senior Member
I agree that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers. The Disciples received the Holy Spirit in John 20=yet there was more and that's what happened to the ...
The 120 in the upper room.
During this time, Peter stood up in the company—there were about 120 of them in the room at the time
The term baptism in the Holy Spirit is used by Jesus for this event in our lives-see Acts 1
must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon."
Once we have received this baptism we most definitly need to keep on being filled-I see no conflict, most of us just use the term Jesus used for the first time the Lord fills us to overflowing with His Holy Spirit., but even the Bible uses different terms for this same event...see
Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 10:45=47
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
Acts 19:6
And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
Chal's Broer-In-Law
In my study of Acts, I found that
1--There may easily be a break in time between chapters one and two; many commentators agree. Pentecost did not necessarily happen in the upper room with 120 present.
2--The Spirit baptism on Pentecost happened to the Apostles only. They were empowered in a unique way.
3--While many were surely saved afterwards, they were not empowered in this unique way.
If you tried to film a movie of Acts, you would run into some serious problems based solely on the text. You would have to fill in a lot of blanks. Pentecostals do so--but those fill-ins belong to them--not to Scripture.
MANY commentators agree that this special infilling and empowerment was for the Apostles. Do we see other believers doing miracles in Acts?
I know this doesn't sit well with signs and wonders folks. But put aside what your church teaches and go to the text and a host of commentators who have studied it carefully (I would exclude recent commentators, who may be fulfilling a recent agenda).
FWIW...
Phl 4:11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Regular Contributor
***
First I would say that Paul was an Apostle and not of the twelve or the day of Pentecost.
You must have missed these scriptures also as Peter sees on this day (Acts 11:15) also as baptism of the Holy Spirit and they are not of the twelve Apostles are they?
Acts 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Acts 11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 11:17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
In Acts 11:15 when he speaks of at the beginning he is speaking of the day of Pentecost Acts 2:1. We can see that he says that this was prophesized by Joel (Acts 2:16) and Joel stated "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh" and I see the word ALL here.
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
I think Peter is clear in what he is saying and to disagree is to disagree with him... maybe he was wrong?
Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
To me the baptism of the Holy Spirit is when you first receive the Holy Spirit (born of spirit) and the indwelling is the Holy Spirit within you after that point. The parable of the sower explains this pretty well.
Just the way i see it.
Michael
guest
I would submit that (scripturally) the believer receives the indwelling “gift of the Holy Spirit” at the point of immersion in water…those who believe, repent and are baptized “shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:37-38 (KJV)
Senior Member
I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues, before I was baptised in water. The only requirement for this baptism is salvation.
guest
There is one faith, one baptism...
Senior Member
Right-this is the One baptism that the Word tells us about in 1 Corinthians
For by One Spirit you were all baptised into one body.
The Holy Spirit does the baptising and the body is the element.
There is also water baptism
Another Christian does the baptising and water is the element
And the Baptism in the Spirit
Jesus does the baptising and the Holy Spirit is the element.
guest
Can you show me in the NT where all believers are commanded/instructed to be “baptized” in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues? If I have not been so baptized and have never experienced “speaking in other tongues” what does that mean regarding my relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you believe the “one baptism” of Ephesians 4:5 is “baptism in the Holy Spirit”? Is the one baptism – “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” a baptism that all Christians must experience or is it optional?
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