Question # 5.9 - Does a person necessarily receive the Holy Ghost at the time of water baptism?

"...When they believed... they were baptized... as yet He (the Holy Ghost) was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus..." -Acts 8:5-17.

"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" -Act 10:47-48.

Question # 5.10 - Is there a common sign, or evidence given in the Bible for the initial baptism of the Holy Ghost?

"And they...all...began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance... Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear... The promise is unto you... and to all that are afar off..." -Acts 2:4,33,39.

"And they of the circumcision were astonished... because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with other tongues..." -Acts 10:45-46.

"...The Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues..." -Acts 19:6.

"...That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof... so is every one that is born of the Spirit" -John 3:6-8.

"For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. To whom He said, This is the rest: (see Matt.11:28-30) and this is the refreshing: (see Acts 3:19) yet they would not hear."

Question # 5.11 - Why would God use tongues as evidence of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost?

"...After the flood... the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech... And they said... let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven... And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do... Let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad..." -Genesis 10:32-11:8

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body... For every kind of beasts... hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue CAN no MAN tame..." -James 3:6-8.

"...Be dead indeed unto sin... Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body... Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God... To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey... As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" -Romans 6:11-16; 8:14.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave the utterance" -Acts 2:4.

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles... and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" -1 Corinthians 12:13.

"The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof... so is everyone that is born of the Spirit" -John 3:8.

The Wind: We can hear it, and we can hear the sound made by things moved by it. We can't see it, but we can see it's results, and we can see things that are moved by it. And we can most definitely feel it. Jesus created the phenomenon of the wind, that we might recognize the phenomenon of being born of the Spirit.

Birth: When a baby is born, the cry of it's voice, or the sound of it's breathing, is the first and most obvious evidence that a new life has entered into the world. If a baby is not breathing, it will not live. The voice, and the sound of breathing are nothing more than the evidence of moving air (wind) inside a person's body. Jesus likened receiving the Holy Spirit to being born again.

Question # 5.12 - Is there a difference between the gift of tongues when they are interpreted, and speaking in tongues between yourself and God?

Edifying the Church

Edifying Yourself

"Now there are diversities of gifts....given to every man to profit withal....For to one is given....tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit....Have all the gifts...? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?... Desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy....for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying....Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret....But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and LET HIM SPEAK to Himself and to God..."

"He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God....He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself ; I would that ye all spake with tongues....For if I pray in an unknown tongue my sprit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful; I will pray with the spirit (i.e. tongues), and I will pray with the understanding also....For thou givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak......with my understanding......If any man speak in an unknown tongue....let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter....let him speak to himself, and to God

Question # 5.13 - If we are taught to gibber unintelligibly but receive no supernatural experience from God, should this be accepted as the gift of the Holy Ghost?

"...As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God... Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" -John 1:12-13.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" -Acts 2:4.

"...Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you..." -Acts 1:8.

"...If the ministration of death... was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance... How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? -2 Corinthians 3:7-8.

Question # 5.14 - Were the other "gifts" of the Spirit used as signs of the new birth experience?

"The wind bloweth... and thou hearest the sound thereof... so is every one that is born of the Spirit" -John 3:8.

"...On the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues..." -Acts 10:45-46.

But there are no scriptures saying or exemplifying that the other gifts were used as evidence of the initial Spirit infilling.

In understanding this it might be helpful to point out that the writers of the Bible used different Greek words for what is translated into the English as "gift". "Dorea" (Strong's #1431) was used of the "gift" of the Holy Ghost in these verses- Acts 2:38, 8:20, 10:45,& 11:17. "Charisma" (Strong's #5486) was used for the "gifts" of the Spirit in these verses- 1 Corinthians 12:4,9,28,30,31, & Rom.12:6.

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover" -Mark 16:17-18.

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" -Matt.7:22-23.

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them -Matthew 7:16-20.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..." -Galatians 5:19-23.

So we see that receiving the Spirit has immediate, and long range manifestations. In this chapter we are concentrating on the new birth experience rather than the lasting fruits of the Spirit. But both are equally important.

Question # 5.15 - Were the manifestations only meant to confirm certain groups, for example, Jews and then Gentiles, etc.?

"...Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear... The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" -Acts 2:33,39.

"...As the body is one, and hath many members... so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles... and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." -1 Corinthians 12:12-13.

Question # 5.16 - Was there only one historical event whereby all are baptized, or was it meant that each individual should personally receive the same promise?

"...On the Gentiles also was poured out the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues... Peter rehearsed the matter... saying... God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ..." -Acts 10:45-46, 11:4,17.

"Paul... came to Ephesus... finding certain disciples... And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues..." -Acts 19:1,6.

"...Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and... they believed... they were baptized... and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that...the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying give me also this power..." -Acts 8:5,12,17-19.

"...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God...Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth..and thou hearest the sound thereof... so is everyone that is born of the Spirit" - John 3:5-8.

Question # 5.17 - Are there any who might come to you as christian teachers who would try to keep you from receiving the Holy Ghost?

"...The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost" - Romans 14:17.

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in" - Matthew 23:13.

"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye" - Acts 7:51.

"Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely" - Revelations 22:17.

"If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink...(but this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive...)" - John 7:37-39.

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body...and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" - 1 Corinthians 12:13.

In our next study, we will take another look at the baptism of the Holy Ghost. However, next time we will reveal how certain theologians obviously pervert, or blatantly disregard certain explicit Biblical statements in order that they and their followers might disregard God's Word!

CHAPTER FIVE - PART TWO

HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST SINCE YOU BELIEVED?

Tom Raddatz