God the Spirit
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS GIFTS
God the Spirit
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS GIFTS
The day of Pentecost was a day to remember. On that day Jesus fulfilled His promise to send the Holy Spirit directly to the apostles. On that day the apostles realized the assurance and peace they had been promised. They perceived the greatness of their commission. They experienced for the first time the receiving of God the Holy Spirit into their lives.
But that was not all. The apostles immediately received the Spirit’s gift to proclaim publicly the Spirit-breathed words of God in many languages concerning Jesus and God’s great plan of redemption. Luke, the historian of the Book of Acts, recorded Peter’s message in Acts 2:14-40. In that message, Peter did not hesitate to stress the divine origin of the events and words unfolding that day. For example: Peter stated that “this Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear” (Acts 2:32-33).
Peter spoke to the “men of Israel,” saying, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ [Messiah] this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Although Peter had already said that Jesus was “nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put to death” (Acts 2:23b), they knew they had demanded that it be done. Nothing could be more horrifying to a Jew than to be convinced that he had participated in the crucifixion of his Messiah: “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself’” (Acts 2:37-39).
That day about three thousand people repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. They received the gift of the Holy Spirit. This event marked the beginning of the church. These people became followers of Jesus. Jesus had described Himself in these words: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). For a time the followers of Jesus were simply referred to as those in “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, etc.). By the time the Gospel had been taken to Antioch in Syria, the followers of Jesus were called Christians (Acts 11:26). The number of Christians began to multiply rapidly. From the initial three thousand the numbers increased to over five thousand (Acts 4:4). They continued to grow (Acts 6:1, 7; 11:21, 24; 16:5).
What did all of these Christians have in common? Note the three commonalities that were first given to the apostles, then, through response to their inspired message, were shared by all the Christians. They all received peace. They all received the commission to share the saving Gospel with all people. They all received the gift of the promised Holy Spirit. The first and second commonalities present no misunderstanding of an interpretative nature.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is a vital part of this study. A clear focus will help us to appreciate this indescribable gift: we must distinguish the gift of the Spirit from the gifts of the Spirit. The gift of the Spirit is the Spirit Himself, bestowed by the Father through the Messiah; the gifts of the Spirit are those spiritual faculties which the Spirit imparts, “dividing to each one severally even as he wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11) but the free gift which is promised in [Acts 2] v. 38 to those who repent and are baptized is the Holy Spirit Himself. This gift of the Spirit may comprehend a variety of gifts of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Himself is given without measure to every Christian. That was one of the Pentecost promises (Acts 2:33, 38-39). However, Peter announced that among the happenings of that eventful day was the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophet Joel’s words: “‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind’” (Joel 2:28- 29; Acts 2:16-17). Of course, “all mankind” does not mean every individual of the human race. The legitimate use of hyperbole is found in every language, including the inspired language of the Bible.
What does “I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all flesh” mean? There are two biblical answers to that specific question. There is a distinction between the Holy Spirit Himself and His gifts. The prophet Joel was referring to the Holy Spirit Himself. This was the way Peter presented it on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit Himself was promised to all mankind! He was first given to the apostles, the Jews. Then He endowed them with His gifts, in this case, the gift of tongues. Three thousand Jews surrendered to Jesus that same day by their obedience of faith. As a result, they received the promised Holy Spirit Himself. There is no indication whatsoever that they received any of His gifts.
As the Gospel of Christ spread, an evangelist named Philip preached in Samaria. Many of the Samaritans, Jews with a racially mixed background, were baptized, “men and women alike” (Acts 8:5, 12). We know they received the Holy Spirit Himself when they were faithfully responsive to Christ in baptism. This companionship of the Holy Spirit was one of the precious promises of the Gospel. Therefore, when the apostles Peter and John came to Samaria from Jerusalem they found Christians who had received the Holy Spirit at their baptism. That being the case, what does one make of the following text?
“Peter and John . . . came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now . . . Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands . . .” (Acts 8:14b-18a).
Peter had told the believers in the audience in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the inauguration day of the church, they were to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This same Peter and John came to these Samaritan baptized believers. Note three reasons why they did not come to give them the Holy Spirit Himself: First, they did not have that power. Second, these Christians had already received the Holy Spirit Himself. Third, there is no New Testament record of any apostle laying his hands on anybody for him or her to receive the Holy Spirit Himself. A major rule of Biblical exegesis is to never interpret a difficult passage so as to contradict plain biblical passages on the same subject. The rule applies here. Peter had preached that all people receive the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins they had committed upon their obedience of faith (Acts 2:38-39). God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11; 1 Peter 1:17). Therefore, the Samaritans who responded to the Gospel under Philip’s preaching received the Holy Spirit the same way the Jews did on Pentecost under the preaching of Peter, John, and the other apostles. This interpretation of this specific event (Acts 8:5-18) is in harmony with the general teachings of Scripture.
We are told that the Holy Spirit “had not yet fallen upon any of them.” When the apostles laid their hands on them, Simon saw that they were receiving the Holy Spirit. The evidence they had received the Holy Spirit was something visible. Why had the Spirit not been visible before the apostles arrived, since the Samaritan Christians already had received Him?
Luke, the writer, is speaking of gifts of the Holy Spirit, not the Holy Spirit Himself. By the laying on of their hands, the apostles served as a conduit through which the Holy Spirit gave gifts to Christians. Linguistically speaking, we see here an example of metonymy.
Some biblical examples show how common this figure of speech is. The teaching of Jesus concerning the rich man and Lazarus is very familiar (Luke 16:19-31). In Hades, the rich man begged Abraham to send a warning to his five brothers lest they, too, end up in Hades. Abraham’s reply was: “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them” (v. 29). Everyone who heard Jesus’ teaching knew Moses had been dead for well over a thousand years and the voice of the prophets, except for John the Baptist, had not been heard for hundreds of years! How could Abraham say, “They have Moses and the prophets”? He let “Moses and the prophets” signify “the law of Moses” and the “teachings of the prophets.” Again: Paul taught the Christians at Corinth the significance of the Lord's Supper and the proper way to observe it (1 Corinthians 11:23-30). In this teaching he said: “let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (v. 28). How could Paul say “drink of the cup”? He let “the cup” signify the fruit of the vine in the cup.
In the passage under study (Acts 8:5-18), Luke used the common linguistic technique of metonymy. He used the term Holy Spirit to refer to that with which the Holy Spirit Himself is closely associated, “the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” This means we have correctly interpreted the passage in agreement with other teachings on the same subject. We have not “explained it away.”
In Acts, chapters 10 and 11, we find the account of a non-Jew (Gentile) who was an army officer in charge of a Roman company of 100 men. He was a God-fearing man to whom the apostle Peter was directed by the Holy Spirit Himself (Acts 10:19-20). Peter arrived at the house of Cornelius. He heard his explanation of why he had been sent for. He realized “that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (vv. 34-35). He proceeded to preach to these Gentiles about “Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power” (v. 38a). As Peter contin-ued his sermon, “. . . the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:44-48a).
The question that motivated the preceding discussion grew out of a statement made by the prophet Joel: “‘. . . and it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all mankind’” (Acts 2:16-17a). The answer is before us. The baptism (overwhelming) of the Holy Spirit occurred on the Jewish apostles on the day of Pentecost and on the Gentiles at the home of Cornelius. In biblical terms the people of the world consisted of Jews and Gentiles (Greeks). When the Holy Spirit fell on the Jewish apostles at Pentecost and on the Gentiles of Cornelius’ household, God’s prophecy spoken by Joel, “. . . I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind,” was fulfilled.
Note: The apostles were not saved because they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Neither were the Gentiles at Cornelius’s house. The inbreaking of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem was a convincing demonstration to thousands of those Jews present that the age of the Spirit had arrived and they could receive the benefits there from through obedience of faith in baptism. Likewise, the Spirit’s work at the home of Cornelius was a convincing demonstration to both Jews and Gentiles that the Gentiles were included in God’s saving work through their obedience of faith. God’s prophetic word through His prophet Joel was fulfilled. No other examples of the baptism of the Holy Spirit are in the Bible or in subsequent history.
All baptized believers received the Holy Spirit Himself as a gift. Many of those baptized believers also received various gifts of the Holy Spirit when the apostles laid their hands upon them.
The church continued to flourish in the first century A.D. As time passed, the apostles continued to be the instrument through whom the Holy Spirit was “distributing to each one individually just as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11b). The miraculous gifts were from the Person of the Holy Spirit Himself. The apostles were privileged to be His way of sharing those gifts with whom and as He willed.
In principle, this reminds us of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We learned that He shared with many of His disciples and His apostles selective miraculous gifts of the Spirit to aid them as they helped Him in His work. After Jesus returned to the glory of His Father, the Holy Spirit was sent to the apostles as promised. When He came (on Pentecost) to the apostles, they became the means by which the Spirit shared His miraculous gifts with Christians to enhance the ongoing work of the church.
As one studies the broad dimensions of the Spirit in the first century church, one finds an impressive display of the Holy Spirit’s power (Acts 5:12-16).
The Book of Acts shows the prominent role of the Holy Spirit in the history and growth of the church in the first century. In addition to the episodes we have already discussed, there are frequent references to various Christians filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking by the Spirit, prophesying by the Spirit, being sent by the Spirit, lying to and testing the Spirit, guided by the Spirit, and comforted by the Spirit.
Furthermore, the early church was aware that the Holy Spirit had spoken through prophets and kings, was speaking to them, and was taking a leading role in providing leadership for God’s people.
This astounding relationship of the Holy Spirit to the early body of believers was firmly founded on what Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit and the life and experience of the first century church. They were intimately and personally influenced by His supernatural guidance. They were convinced that the Holy Spirit was a divine Being who could truthfully be called God (Acts 5:3- 4, 9).
Therefore, as God (Deity), the Holy Spirit is readily referred to as “the Spirit of Jesus” (Acts 16: 6-7). In this instance Paul and his companions were forbidden to speak or travel against the will of “the Holy Spirit/the Spirit of Jesus.” One would have to play theological gymnastics to separate the two! In the Godhead, the Persons of the Trinity are often distinguished but never separated. Furthermore, the apostle Peter wrote later that the Spirit of Christ had guided the prophets of old in their predictions about the coming sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow and that the Holy Spirit had guided those who preached the glory of Christ’s death, burial, and triumphant resurrection – that is, the Gospel (1 Peter 1:10-12). He went on to say, “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14).
It must have been a profound joy for those early Christians that God was giving the Holy Spirit to all who obeyed Him (Acts 5:32), for in so doing they received the promised benefits of both Christ and their Comforter. Note Paul’s statement in Romans 8:9-11. Verse 9 reads: “However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
It is evident that God the Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We can readily see why He is indeed “the Spirit of glory!”
As time went on, more and more Christians were given miraculous gifts by the laying on of the apostles’ hands. Jesus Himself had shared the power of the Spirit with His apostles and many of His other disciples for the advancement of the Gospel during His ministry. After Pentecost, the apostles were privileged to share with many Christians various gifts of the Spirit by the laying on of hands. The Gospel message was, indeed, the veritable Word of God revealing salvation in Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-5). The miracles being done by the apostles established the credibility of that message. Later, they were recorded to help others to accept the message as the truth and come to saving faith in Jesus. Disciples upon whom the apostles had laid their hands used the Spirit’s gifts for the same reason (Acts 6:3, 5-10; 8:5-8). However, we do not find these disciples laying their hands on others to give them miraculous powers. We are not to conclude from the preceding examples that the only motive for the use of miraculous powers was to establish the truth of the Gospel message. Sympathy for one in physical distress was often a factor in aiding one who was also spiritually deprived. Time and again Jesus was “moved with compassion” over the physical distress of others. He used miraculous power to help them (Matthew 14:4; Mark 1:40-41, etc.).
Peter was also moved with compassion when he was told that “a certain disciple named Tabitha” had died. She is described as an outstanding servant by the saints at Joppa who wept and mourned her death. Peter raised her up and presented her alive to the mourners. As news of this event spread, “all over Joppa … many believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:36-42). What a beautiful scenario of compassion, love, power, and faith! If compassion does not accompany evangelism, the light of truth is reduced to gloom.
