MIRACLES &
THE

 When John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, he told his audience that there was one coming after him who will “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” Matt.3:11. This is not to say that each and every person in that group would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and every one in the group would be baptized with fire. He says that there are some in the group that will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and there are some in that audience that will be baptized with fire. All would not be the recipients of both.

Before we proceed, let us get something straight.

You will notice in these articles that unlike many, I never use the term, “Holy Ghost.” The reason I don’t is that the scriptures do not teach the concept of “ghosts.” This is another one of those archaic expressions from the old English that was used in older versions of the Bible that today are obsolete. Not only is it obsolete but it conveys a wrong impression to the modern reader; that is unless you believe in “ghosts.” I personally do not believe in “ghosts” of any kind, holy or otherwise.

According to the “Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories” page 231, the word “ghost” originally in English was the word “gast.” The meaning of it was; “spirit or soul.” If we wish to use obsolete words then why not go back beyond the word “ghost” and begin to speak of the “Holy Gast”? As for me I prefer to speak as well as I can in the vernacular of the age and day in which I live. I believe the purpose of reading and study is to try and understand what God is saying to me, not to try and use something from a distant time which brings about misunderstanding.

We spoke in an earlier article concerning the varying measures or limits of the Holy Spirit that have been given to various ones, and noticed that Jesus was given the Spirit “without measure”, that is, in a way that had no limits. John 3:34

Now, according to Acts 2:38, every person that will “repent and be baptized” will “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is not saying as some mistakenly assume that they will receive the “baptism of the Holy Spirit.” or the measure of the Spirit that our master possessed. How do we know that?

If we study Acts 8:4-24 there are a number of things that make this perfectly clear and should help us understand more about this subject. Please notice the following points that are made in these verses.

1.  Philip preached the gospel story and it was confirmed by the miracles performed through him. Not to those who already believed the message but to those who did not!

 2.  Many believed and were baptized. According to Acts 2:38; at this point they “received the gift of the Holy Spirit”, that is, the Holy Spirit began to dwell within them, for “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Rom. 8:9-- N.I.V

It would indeed be an oddity for a person to have forgiveness of sins-Acts 2:38; to be put into Christ at baptism- Gal. 3:27, and yet not belong to Christ because he had not had “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” This clearly shows that the measure of the Spirit given at baptism was NOT the “baptism of the Holy Spirit.” As further evidence that what is said here is true is the fact that these here received another measure of the Holy Spirit when the apostles came down from Jerusalem and “laid hands upon them.”

 3. It is obvious to even the most casual reader that the measure of the Spirit possessed by the apostles did not come upon these people simply due to the fact that they believed, repented and were baptized. In verse 18 the statement is made, “the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostle’s hands.” This clearly is referring to the measure of the Spirit as was possessed by those apostles. Seen any apostles around lately?

 4. We note here also that others, Philip for instance, who had the hands of the apostles laid upon himself (Acts 6:1-6) could not transmit this measure of the Spirit to others!!

The unavoidable conclusion is that the only the apostles and those upon whom they lay their hands received the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” and the power to do the signs and wonders and miracles that were recorded in the New Testament.

But someone says; “What about the scripture that says, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,” as found in 1 Cor.12:13 ?

I think if we will just look thoughtfully at this verse, taking off the glasses of denominationalism, sectarianism, and preconceived ideas, it will occur to us what this verse is saying, and that is, that it is the Holy Spirit of God who is the administrator of baptism and not the element in which the baptism is performed!

One says’ “How can that be? “ How can the Holy Spirit be said to be the administrator of baptism in water?

The apostles of Jesus never had to study the New Testament in order to preach the word, for the word was coming through them directly from the Holy Spirit of God. There was no New Testament in terms of the printed word and was not for several years. When the apostles spoke, it was not the men that spoke, but the Spirit speaking through them. See John chapters 16&17, Matt. 10:20 & Acts 2:4

It was the Spirit of God who spoke Acts 2:38 through the apostle Peter and his companions. It was the Holy Spirit of God that brought about the baptism of those three thousand that accepted the message that wonderful Pentecost Day. It is in this way that “by one Spirit” three thousand were all “baptized into one body” as the Lord “added to the church daily those who were being saved.”  The point Paul is making in 1 Cor. 12:13 is the point that we all come the same way whether we be Jew or Greek, black or white, rich or poor, and make up this “one body” that God has given many members to carry on the work he expects of that “one body.” Not just one, and he an imported one at that!!

The letter to the Ephesians was written approximately in the year 60-61 A.D. by the apostle Paul. In chapter 4, verse 5 he states that “there is one baptism.” What do you think he meant by this statement? Is he saying that the only baptism is the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”? Is he saying the only baptism for those who wish to become Christians is baptism in water?

There is one thing for sure, he is not saying that folks can expect to be baptized twice or have two baptisms!! If there can be two baptisms then why can there not by the same token be two Lords’, or two faiths since he conjoins them to the ONE baptism?

If this is the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” spoken of here, and I must receive it in order to be a Christian, it will then be God who is to blame if I never receive that baptism since it would come only from Him. On the other hand if this is baptism in water all those who come to faith and repentance are capable of and can submit to baptism in water. This would mean then that there is a choice and “whosoever will may come.” Those who accept the teachings of the apostles through whom the Holy Spirit spoke can obey that teaching, thereby being “baptized by the Holy Spirit.”

In closing this article my conclusions are as follows:

→No one has transmitted the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” or the attending powers, since the days of the apostles since no others had that power.

 Next time I would like to present some of the so called “miracles” that have been claimed. Then we can look at the question; “What “miracles” are we to accept?”

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.”

I would love to hear from you--------May God Bless----------Gerald
Please feel free to email me: thornsandnails@avsia.com
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