By: General James Green
We hereby present articles on the Holy Spirit. I have chosen a few authors that present their views & facts. I (& my wife) personally received Jesus as Lord & Savior in Seeley Lake, Montana on December 6th, 1971. Along with eternal salvation, tongues were given not long after our conversion, for we received the baptism in the Holy Ghost (Spirit). This experience/gift has been with us all these years.
Within our “Pentecostal” Camp there are the questions: “Does one receive the Holy Spirit at conversion or later?”
Does one receive the baptism with evidence of Tongues at conversion or later?”
Well, some teach that all who get ‘saved,’ get the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit, but may not receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit at conversion; it comes later. I find Acts 19:2 interesting:
“He (Paul) said unto them (Ephesus disciples): ‘Have ye received the Holy Ghost SINCE ye believed?’ And they said unto him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost!’”
Paul was inquiring whether those believers had received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, for in v.3 he inquired about what “baptism” they had received. It was John’s water baptism. This alone proves that they were already believers, aka Christians.
Paul goes on to tell them that “Jesus” was the name to be baptized in, which they were re-baptized in (vv. 3-5). Water baptism was a baptism of repentance. But there was more! “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; & they spoke with tongues & prophesied,” v.6 – KJV. The modern language Bible uses, “The Holy Spirit came on them;” The Living Bible has the same as does the RSV, the NIV; the New Geneva Study Bible has, “the Holy Spirit came upon them.” (check out other versions).
This Pentecostal baptism/experience of the Ephesian Gentile Christians, receiving the Holy Spirit parallels that of the Jews (Acts 2:4,11), Samaritans (8:14-17), & God-fearing Gentiles (10:44-46). The Amp. Bible reads: “And he asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit WHEN you believed [on Jesus as the Christ]? -Acts 19:2.
The KJV uses the Word “since;” the NKJV uses “when.”
“Since” (Gk.), apó /áπό = (a prim. particle) meaning, “after, ago, before, in composition (as a prefix) it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion,” etc. The English def. = “from then until now, at some or any time arrived between then & now, etc. The question was “have you received the baptism since/when you believed upon Christ for salvation?” Their answer was no!
I believe that one has the Holy Spirit at conversion but may not receive the “baptism” with tongues – this may come later.
The Western text reads, “whether any are receiving the Holy Spirit,” -Acts 19:2. John preached repentance/water baptism: (Mt. 3:1,2,11). John also said of Jesus, “He who is coming after me is mightier… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit & fire,” v.11. John makes a distinction between water & Spirit baptism. [note: some believe that John’s disciples were not “fully Christian,” hence, the reason for not having the Holy Spirit baptism]. John consciously proclaims Jesus as THE ONE whom men are to believe for salvation -(Jn.1:29).
Acts 19:5 & 6 show us the relation between baptism, the laying on of hands, & the bestowal of the Holy Spirit (see also 6:6 & 8:16,17)
Paul told these believers that “John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance (one must repent before one can receive eternal life, aka salvation), saying unto the people, that they should BELIEVE (Same as receive Him after confessing/repenting) on Him…” -Acts 19:4. So, Paul was speaking to “believers,” not unbelievers. [note: as much as I like Dr. Adam Clarke, LL.D, F.S.A, he is one that believes that Paul was addressing unbelievers, he does not believe in re-baptizing, e.g. John’s disciples vs. Jesus’ disciples, we’ve got a problem with this. What are we to say about those who have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Ghost verses those who have been baptized in the name of Jesus? Which baptism is Biblical? Both are mentioned. But the BIG fight among the “Trinity” folks & the “One-ness” folks is ongoing. To be rebaptized does not make one a false. And what if one believed a certain Bible doctrine that was incorrect but later believed differently, does this make him or her a non-Christian (for believing (incorrectly), yet had confessed Jesus as Savior?
“Since (or “when”) ye believed.” Believed in whom?
[note: read Matthew Henry’s commentary (first printed, 1960), born 1662; started his grand work, Nov. 1704-1986 pages. On pp. 1711 & 1712 (Acts 19) he gives his take on “when”/ “since” of the Holy Ghost]
What I find interesting in Acts 19:2-6 is that Paul did not lead the “believers” into a salvation prayer! He merely pointed out that they should be baptized in Jesus’s name. No rebuke for their ignorance.
“Believed” (Gk.) pisteuō = “to have faith in (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), to entrust/trust in, believe in,” from pistis = persuasion, conviction, reliance upon Christ for salvation, the Gospel, belief, faith,” etc.
“Believed” is past tense. [see Greek pisteuo, pisis, adelphe, pistos (adj. = believing, trusting. It is translated “believer” in 1Tim. 4:12; “believers” – the negative (“unbelievers”) is Gk. apistia (N.)/apistos (Adj.) (“unbelieving”)
The Interlinear Gk. – Eng. New Testament, Acts 19:2 reads: “He said to them, the Spirit Holy did ye receive, having believed? And they said to him, not even if [the] Spirit Holy is, did we hear.”
A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs (by David W. Bercot, 1988), pp.343-346 has “Work & Operation of the Holy Spirit”/ “Divinity of the Holy Spirit,” early Church authors such as Hermas, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Novatian, Treatise on Re-Baptism, Athenagoras, et al. Read what they believed.
The New Inductive Study Bible (TNISB) reads: “He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’” Acts 8:14 reads, “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent them Peter & John, who came down & prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,” v.15. verse 16 says, “For He (not “it”) had not yet fallen upon any of them; they, had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Going on, “Then they began laying their hands on them, & they were receiving the Holy Spirit,” v.17. The words “baptism in/of the Holy Spirit” is not always used but Scripture implies it.
We know that we’re to “to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” -Eph. 3:16,17
At conversion, the Holy Spirit & Christ comes into our Spirit (heart). The “baptism” is another experience altogether. The words, “you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 11:16, TNISB) (see also Jn. 7:37-39).
At best, the believers at Ephesus were incomplete – they had believed unto salvation but knew nothing of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. After Paul taught them, they were filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit with tongues following.
I think what we present on the Holy Spirit is enough to convince the hungry that they need the baptism. Churches are full of Christian believers (been saved) but have never experienced the “infilling”/ “baptism.” This experience has NOT PASSED AWAY!!!
Seek for it – get it – enjoy it!!!