The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS

Compiled by Tom Adcock

       It seems "anti-pentecostals" will dream up anything to support their false teachings against "tongues." I use the term "anti-pentecostal" to refer to the subject matter only for we have many friends who are not "pentecostal-oriented." I have been mainly silent on this issue for 18 years since I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. So much trash, lies and deception are being printed by "non-charismatic, confused" authors, I must respond.

       The "anti-pentecostal" argument generally goes like this. The Holy Spirit Baptism takes place at salvation, or is salvation, and they usually quote I Corinthians 12:13 as their proof text. This interpretation is proven false in our book offer "Speaking In Other Tongues". They have an impossible problem with the actual cases of people being baptized in the Holy Spirit in Acts. They "claim" that the episodes in Acts chapters 2, 8, 10, and 19 were special occasions in which speaking in other tongues was a special sign to special groups and is now no longer necessary. This is the same kind of scripture twisting Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons use. They claim Acts 1:8 as a reference for their position. What does Acts 1:8 say? We accept the scripture speaking for itself, and nothing more! They claim tongues were a sign for the Jews in Chapter 2, for the Samaritans Chapter 8, Gentiles in Chapter 10 and the Disciples of John in Chapter 19. I ask, "Who do the disciples of John represent?" "Are they really disciples of John?" Also neither the apostles, nor the apostles of the apostles ever reached the "uttermost parts of the earth," not even the populated earth. Now let's get specific.

       Tongues for a sign to the Jews, to the church, or to Peter that salvation had come to the Gentiles is the "anti-pentecostal" claim of special speaking in tongues at Caesarea, Acts ch. 10.

  1. In Matthew ch. 28 Jesus commanded his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.

  2. Before Peter went to Caesarea, the church had accepted Samaritans, the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts ch. 8, and Nicolas, a Greek who became a deacon in the church at Jerusalem, Acts ch. 6.

  3. God had revealed to Ananias that Paul would preach salvation to the Gentiles, Acts 9:15.

  4. The point of contention at Jerusalem was "un-circumcision", Acts 11. Even the pharisees accepted Gentile proselytes who were circumcised. Timothy, a Greek, was circumcised so he could go into Jewish synagogues, Galatians 5:6. (I am well aware of what Acts ch. 11 vs. 18 says and well aware of what it does not say.)

  5. Peter did not need a sign of tongues to know that salvation had come to the Gentiles. He received his revelation before he set foot in the house of Cornelius, Acts ch. 10 vs. 9-16. By the time Peter greeted the three messengers he understood the vision pertained to the Salvation of the Gentiles. Peter not only went into a Gentile's home but took the uncircumcised Gentiles into a Jewish home (forbidden). Acts 10:34-35 proves Peter knew Gentiles (even uncircumcised) could be saved before any of the Gentiles spoke in tongues.

  6. The six Jewish believers were amazed, but not about the fact that Gentiles could be saved, for Peter had already declared that to them, Acts 10:28, 34 & 35. Why then were the Jews astonished? The Bible says "And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost", Acts 10:45. They came there because they expected the Gentiles to be saved, but were amazed because they were baptized in the Holy Ghost. Bible commentator Gloag in his Acts of the Apostles, Vol. 1, page 384, explains, "They were astonished because the Jews had a proverb that the Holy Ghost never rested on a Gentile and this astonishment proves this notion was prevalent even among the Jewish Christians."

        Peter did not equate salvation with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Samaria, and he did not change his theology at Caesarea. I tell you quite truthfully, the Book of Acts is a "closed book" to anti-pentecostal churches. Biased teachers, pastors, and scholars can lie or sincerely be mistaken, just as well in Greek as in English. I consider this issue not essential to basic Christian doctrine except in extreme cases of abuse-and extreme cases are abounding. Example: the claim by anti-pentecostal writers and spokesmen that "All tongues are Satanic or psychological gibberish" is unloving, un-Christian, and of course untrue. For additional facts about this subject contact us for books you probably cannot find in a book store.

        The normal teaching of the apostles was repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. The fact that repentance and faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ were the only requirements for salvation was clear to them. Water baptism was a symbol of this salvation. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit was given for power and service and was promised to saved people only.

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