In the Christian community there are many different opinions and questions about the Holy Spirit. What or Who is the Holy Spirit? What kinds of work does He do? Does He dwell in God’s people today? And if He does, what does He do for us and on our behalf? Were only a few Christians baptized in the Holy Spirit or are all Christians baptized in the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit? What is the distinction between the gift of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to God’s people? Does the Holy Spirit give gifts to God’s people today, and if so, what gifts does He give? Were spiritual gifts given only by the laying on of the apostles hands? Let’s look at what the scriptures say about some of these questions.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
In the scriptures, the Holy Spirit is presented to us as a person. He is always spoken of as "He", not "It". He is someone, not something. He speaks (1 Timothy 4:1), He teaches us (1 Cor. 2:13), He knows the thoughts of God (1 Cor. 2:11), prays for us (Romans 8:26). He even has emotions -- it is possible to grieve him (Eph. 4:30). The Holy Spirit is thus more than a mere force or power. He is more than something like enthusiasm. He is the very Spirit of God. He is God!
Does the Holy Spirit Dwell in Christians Today?
When Adam and Eve sinned, there were lots of unpleasant consequences. They felt guilty, they began to have conflict in the family, the creation itself was cursed, and in the end there was even death. Worst of all, they were separated from God Himself and driven from the Garden of Eden.
But God had a plan to save man from sin and from all the consequences of sin -- including and especially the separation from God caused by sin. He had a plan to bring us back to him again. He announced this plan to Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3 when He promised that through Abraham God would one day bless all the nations and families of the earth. Later, God explains that this blessing would come through Abraham’s offspring (Gen. 22:18).
The rest of the Bible explains exactly how God brings this great blessing to all the nations of the earth through the seed of Abraham. We can turn to the New Testament for a quick answer to this question. In Galatians 3:16, the apostle Paul tells us that the offspring or seed of Abraham through which this great blessing comes is Jesus Christ himself.
In Galatians 3:14, Paul explains exactly what this great blessing would be. This great blessing which God sends through Christ, the seed of Abraham, comes to us when by faith we receive the Holy Spirit. Of course, Jesus came to die for our sins with the result that through him we might have the forgiveness of sins. But this was only a means to a greater end. He takes away the guilt of sin so that we might no longer be separated from God and so that He might live with us again. This is done when we at last receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which is the gift of the very person and presence of God to live in us. This is a truly great blessing!
In the Old Testament God on several occasions tells about the time when He will send His Holy Spirit to live within His people, a time when the separation from sin will be taken away and He will himself come to live within His people. For example, in Ezekiel 36:26-28, God speaks of the time when He would put His Spirit in His people to move them to follow His will. In Zechariah 12:10ff He speaks of the time when He would pour out on His people a spirit of grace. In Joel 2:28-32 God tells about a time when He would pour out His spirit on all flesh. Through Isaiah God also points to a coming time when He would pour out His Spirit on His people (Isaiah 44:3; 32:15). In every such prophecy, it is clear that God is promising to pour out His Spirit, not on merely a few, but on all who will be His people.
When we come to the New Testament, the predictions grow more prominent and begin to be fulfilled. John the Baptist tells all his converts, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit..." (Luke 3:16; John 1:33). That which would distinguish Jesus from John is that John baptized with mere water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit! It is clear that John is telling us that the greater blessing Jesus would bring would be the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Himself predicted that He would send the Comforter from the Father (John 15:26), the very Holy Spirit of God (John 14:26). This Comforter, this Holy Spirit would not only be with the disciples to whom Jesus was directly speaking -- He would be with the disciples of Christ forever (John 14:16)! This Holy Spirit had been living with the disciples, but Jesus explains that the time was coming when He would live in them (John 14:17).
Just prior to ascending to heaven, Jesus tells His disciples to go to Jerusalem to wait for the power from on high (Luke 24:49), to wait there for the gift that had been promised regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5). After Jesus finally ascended back to His Father in heaven, the disciples go to Jerusalem and wait for this promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:12). A few days later while they are all together in one place, they are all filled with this blessed Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). On this occasion, the Holy Spirit gives them the amazing power and ability to speak in languages they did not previously know (Acts 2:4-13), and the people who see this are amazed. Peter and the rest of the apostles begin to preach about Jesus and they explain to the crowd of people what is it that has happened.
He tells them God is now doing what he promised to do through the Old Testament prophet Joel: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my spirit on all people..." (Acts 2:17ff; Joel 2:28ff). Peter’s point is that God is now pouring out His spirit on all people. He is now putting His Spirit in His people (Ezek. 36:26-27). Peter proceeds to preach to them what Jesus has done. He has died for us and God has raised him from the dead. And now Jesus is exalted at God's right hand, He has received the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out this Holy Spirit first on the apostles (Acts 2:33).
Then Peter tells the people that they must everyone repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of their sins and then they will also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). The promise is even to them and to their children and to all whom God might call. What promise? In the context, Peter is clearly speaking of the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) which Jesus had promised (Acts 2:33) and which God had in the Old Testament repeatedly promised (Acts 2:17) and which He had in mind even when He made His great promise to Abraham. Jesus was the seed of Abraham through whom God would bless all the nations of the earth by delivering us from the guilt of sin so that He could come to live in us again through His Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:14-16).
Much in the Old Testament is a shadow of what was to come with Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:1-4). In the Old Testament, the priests were washed, dressed and anointed (Exodus 29:4-9; 40:12-15). Jesus Himself is a priest who was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 10:38). The word "Christ" means "Anointed One". Jesus is called Christ because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit when He was baptized in water (Matthew 3:16-17).
All of this relates to us. Christians also are priests (1 Peter 2:9). We also receive an anointing (1 John 2:20). Like Jesus, we are also anointed with the Holy Spirit when we are baptized (Acts 2:38). We have also been anointed with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 1:21, 22) and with power (Eph. 3:16). This does not mean that all Christians are given the same ability to work miracles as the Holy Spirit gave to Jesus and the apostles. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit does empower all Christians in certain respects. The Holy Spirit empowers all of us in our battle against Satan to overcome sin and to live the life Jesus intends for us to live. In this way we are able "to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." (Ephesians 6:10) We are Christians (anointed ones) because we, like Jesus, have been anointed with the blessed Holy Spirit who gives us power.
When the Old Testament priests were anointed, the oil was poured out on them (Ex. 29:7). When the apostles received the Holy Spirit, Peter said that God was now pouring out His Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:17). Jesus had poured out the promised Holy Spirit on the apostles (Acts 2:33). But the apostle Paul says that God richly pours out His Holy Spirit on us all when He saves us from our sins (Titus 3:6).
Who Receives Baptism with or in the Holy Spirit?
John the Baptist predicted that someone greater than he (Jesus) would baptize with or in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7,8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). Jesus also predicted this baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5). But exactly who was and is supposed to receive this baptism with the Holy Spirit?
One popular position is that all people receive baptism in the Holy Spirit (and salvation) at the moment they believe in Christ. This baptism in the Holy Spirit is understood to be completely distinct from baptism in water. Spirit baptism (and thus salvation) comes first, to be followed later by water baptism.
A second popular position (particularly in "charismatic circles") is that baptism in the Holy Spirit is an event that takes place after salvation and after water baptism. It is a time when the Holy Spirit may give a fresh outpouring, a greater fullness of sanctification and/or a time when the Spirit bestows miraculous powers, especially the power to speak in tongues. According to this view, Spirit baptism is something that all Christians may or even ought to experience but which some do not.
A third position is that there are only two (or maybe three) cases in scripture of baptism in the Holy Spirit: the apostles in Acts 2, Cornelius in Acts 10, and perhaps Paul in Acts 9. The position is that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was directly experienced by only these few people and by none of the rest of us. The argument is that these are the only people about whom it is clearly stated in the scriptures that they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and that Spirit baptism was needed for them for a special purpose not needed by the rest of us. Among congregations known as churches of Christ in the last century or so, this has been the predominant view (but not the only view) concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
An important minority of Bible scholars in churches of Christ have, on the other hand, taken the position that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is just another designation for the gift of the Holy Spirit that all Christians are promised in Acts 2:38. Man administers water baptism and at the same time Christ administers Spirit baptism and this equals the one baptism of Ephesians 4:5. Robert Richardson (the noted biographer of Alexander Campbell), Moses Lard (who edited "Lard’s Quarterly"), and Robert Milligan (who became editor of the Millenial Harbinger and who later became president of the College of the Bible in Lexington, Kentucky) all took this position that the gift of the Holy Spirit every Christian receives at the time of water baptism is, in fact, the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The view that each Christian receives the baptism in the Holy Spirit is also predominant in the Christian community considered as a whole. Influential and widely read theologians Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, William Barclay, Billy Graham, G.R. Beasley-Murray, F.F. Bruce, John Stott and J.I. Packer express the conviction that all Christians receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
My Understanding Stated: It is my understanding that the Bible teaches that the general rule and pattern is that all Christians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (which is, in fact, baptism in the Holy Spirit minus the special apostolic powers to perform miracles) when they are baptized in water in Jesus’ name. All Christians are baptized in the Holy Spirit as truly as were the apostles and Cornelius. The external spiritual gifts of a miraculous nature (tongue speaking etc.) manifested at the Spirit baptism of the apostles and Cornelius are not something we can expect to receive, but the washing in or the baptism in the Holy Spirit are equally received by all who come to Christ. Even though certain miraculous powers were reserved for the apostles, the Holy Spirit nevertheless gives all Christians great power over sin (Ephesians 6:10ff) That I have not received various miraculous spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit received by the apostles does not mean that I have received the Holy Spirit any less than did they.
The important question is this: what do the scriptures actually teach on the subject? Let’s examine the evidence.
First, when John predicted that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit (Luke 3 :16; John 1:33), he was clearly speaking to more than the apostles. "He said to them all, ‘I baptize you in water... He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit’" (Luke 3:16). Who is "you"? To whom was John speaking on this occasion? Only the apostles and Cornelius? No, he was speaking to all his followers present. Are we going to take the position that, yes, John said to all his listeners that Christ would baptize them in the Holy Spirit but that he really meant only a few people, most of whom were not even present when he gave the promise? Had you been listening to John and if you had interpreted John according to the natural meaning of his words, how would you have understood him on that occasion? At face value does it sound like John is saying that while he himself was baptizing thousands in water, Jesus would baptize only a few in the Holy Spirit and only on two or three occasions? If you had been one of His disciples already baptized in water, what would you have understood John to be saying to you?
I would have understood that though John had baptized me in water, someone greater was coming who would baptize me in the Holy Spirit. John is telling his disciples to get ready for something new. I think that would have clearly been the natural interpretation of the people listening to John. The first rule of Biblical interpretation is to always interpret a passage according to its plainest sense unless the context or something else requires that we do otherwise. The context strongly suggests the baptizing in the Holy Spirit was to be the distinctive and characteristic work of Jesus and that instead of baptizing just a few of his disciples in the Holy Spirit (the apostles and Cornelius), Jesus would in fact baptize all his disciples in the Holy Spirit. John appears to promise that just as he baptized all his disciples in water, it would be Jesus’ practice to baptize all his disciples in the Holy Spirit.
It is worth noting the actual Greek text of John 1:33. The verb there translated "will baptize" is a present participle denoting continuous action. It is precisely the kind of Greek verb found five verses earlier (1:29) where John speaks of Jesus who "takes away the sins of the world." This too is a present participle denoting continuous action. Just as it is the ministry of Jesus to continually take away our sins, it is also equally His ministry to continually baptize in the Holy Spirit. His baptizing in the Holy Spirit is as continuous for people as is His taking away the sins of the world.
Now observe carefully that John said not one word about miracles or the ability to perform miracles when he predicted that Jesus would baptize His people in the Holy Spirit. There appears nothing in John’s prophecy that would require anyone to think that the ability to perform miracles was necessarily a result of being baptized by Jesus in the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is one thing. The giving by the Spirit of certain miraculous gifts is an additional thing. Jesus is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). The Holy Spirit is the one who, in turn, gives the various gifts (Compare Luke 3:16 and 1 Cor. 12:7-11). Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit. Once the Holy Spirit dwells in a Christian, the Spirit decides what gift(s) he will give to each person in whom he dwells.
So if John is promising the baptism of the Holy Spirit to all Jesus' converts, this certainly does not mean that he is also promising miraculous gifts of the Spirit to all who would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. When the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit created "tongues of fire" and a "rushing mighty wind" and gave the apostles miraculous ability to speak in tongues (foreign languages. See Acts 2). For what purpose were they given this gift? The text reveals this served to draw attention to their message and to confirm that what they said was really true - namely that Jesus was who he said he was and that he now was making available to all men the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit! Tongues were a sign to unbelievers of the veracity of the apostolic word.
(Compare 1 Corinthians 14:22; Hebrews 2:4). The Holy Spirt also on that occasion apparently gave them power to speak directly the very Word of God as well as power to do what are called the "signs of an apostle" (2 Cor. 12:12). The Spirit gave them these special abilities in order that, in the absence of a written New Testament, people might be given the very Word of God and eventually receive the New Testament, confirmed as true by the signs that followed them.
When Cornelius was baptized in the Holy Spirit, he too was given the ability to speak in tongues (Acts 10:35-44), apparently as a sign to prove to unbelievers the vailidity of Peter’s message that God’s salvation and Holy Spirit were also available to the Gentiles. This also proved that water baptism and the promises associated with it (the gift of the Holy Spirit) were available for Gentiles as truly as for Jews. This is apparently why Peter immediately called for Cornelius to be baptized in water at the time (Acts 10:47). However, on the occasion of his Spirit baptism, there were no "tongues of fire" or "the sound of a rushing mighty wind" mentioned nor was he apparently given the ability to be an apostle or to do all the signs of an apostle. So the fact that both the apostles and Cornelius were baptized in the Holy Spirit did not mean there were exactly the same results or circumstances surrounding both Spirit baptisms nor did it mean the Holy Spirit on both occasions gave those baptized in the Holy Spirit exactly the same gifts or experiences.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit was one thing. The gifts given by the Spirit on the occasion of the Holy Spirit baptism were quite another thing. I say all this to emphasize one fact: to say that all Christians receive baptism in the Holy Spirit is not to say that all Christians so baptized are then given exactly the same powers or gifts from the Holy Spirit.
Those who object to the notion that all Christians are today baptized in the Holy Spirit, may object on the assumption that if there is Holy Spirit baptism today, it would necessarily have to include the gift of speaking in tongues etc. that was mentioned in connection with the Spirit baptism of both the apostles and Cornelius. But this assumption is a mistaken one. When one understands that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is one thing (which Jesus administers), and the giving of various gifts (which the Holy Spirit administers) after the Spirit dwells in the Christian is another thing, one can see there is nothing in a baptism in the Holy Spirit that would require anyone to speak in tongues or do the miracles done by the apostles.
Stated again: the position that all Christians receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit does not at all force us to the conclusion that we can do everything the apostles did (like receive or write scripture) or that the Holy Spirit gives Christians today the ability to perform miracles as did they. Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives the various gifts. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is one thing. The giving of certain gifts by the Holy Spirit is another thing. The Holy Spirit in any generation gives those gifts that the church needs. The gifts needed to produce and confirm the written New Testament are no longer needed. Although all Christians do not have power to do all the apostles could do, nevertheless, all Christians have the same Holy Spirit as did they.. We have God the Spirit living in us as truly as did they -- which is the main blessing and the greatest blessing of all.
Taken at face value, what do the words "baptize in the Holy Spirit" describe? A baptism in the Holy Spirit would simply be an immersion in the Holy Spirit, a washing in the Holy Spirit, a saturating of the Holy Spirit. Aren’t these terms that could be used to describe the giving of the Holy Spirit to all of God's people? When Christians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, how do we receive it? In what way does it come upon us? Does it come in contact with us? And if so, to what degree does it come in contact with us?
Remember that when the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit, Peter said this is what God predicted through Joel when He wrote "In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh..." (See Acts 2:17ff). The baptism of the Holy Spirit the apostles received was the time when God poured out the Holy Spirit on them. (Compare Acts 2:33) Furthermore, when Cornelius was baptized in the Holy Spirit, the scripture says "on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 10:45)
But Paul insists to Christians the Holy Spirit is poured out on us all. In Titus 3:5-6, he reminds us that the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us all -- and richly, generously. "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior."
The same Holy Spirit poured out on the apostles and on Cornelius is poured out on us all-richly, not in some small capacity or economy size package. If the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on them was Spirit baptism, why isn’t the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on us a Spirit baptism for us? The picture presented here is that the Holy Spirit is generously poured out on us at conversion to such an extent that it can be said that we are baptized or immersed in the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is poured out on us richly, is it not the same as saying we are covered in the Holy Spirit, we are washed in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11), we are immersed in the Holy Spirit?
So it appears from these texts that all Christians are indeed baptized in the Holy Spirit. There is strong evidence that John predicted that all Jesus’ converts would indeed be baptized in the Holy Spirit. When the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was poured on them (Acts 2:33). He is also poured out richly on us (Titus 3:5-6). If the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit when the Spirit was poured out on them, it logically follows that when the Spirit is generously poured out on us, this also is a baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit baptism that came on the apostles and on Cornelius was, however, in certain respects unique compared to what has happened in conversion experiences otherwise. The Spirit baptism of the apostles marked the first Spirit baptism of the Jews. The Spirit baptism of Cornelius marked the first Spirit baptism of the Gentiles. In both cases speaking in tongues occurred without warning at the time of the Spirit baptism. In neither case did the Spirit baptism occur exactly at the time of water baptism
Furthermore, these two cases of Spirit baptism were so unusual and unique to themselves that this is apparently why Peter, when explaining the significance of what happened to Cornelius, said, "the Holy Spirit fell on them as on us at the beginning." (Acts 11:5) Cornelius’ Spirit baptism was sufficiently like the apostles’ Spirit baptism that it reminded Peter of what happened on Pentecost because of the unique way Spirit baptism occurred on those two occasions - not immediately at water baptism and accompanied by the speaking in tongues.
The question naturally arises: If their Spirit baptism occurred under these special set of circumstances, how can we conclude or contend that all the rest of us Christians receive our own Holy Spirit baptism but under our own peculiar set of circumstances - at water baptism and not accompanied by the speaking in tongues?
One must remember that even though the Spirit baptism of the apostles was in certain respects like the Spirit baptism of Cornelius (first time cases not exactly at the time of water baptism and accompanied by the speaking in tongues), nevertheless, each case of Spirit baptism was also in certain respects unique to itself as well.
As mentioned previously, though Cornelius was given the ability to speak in a tongue at the time of his Holy Spirit baptism, there were no "tongues of fire" visible nor any sound of "a rushing mighty wind" nor was he apparently given the power to do the "signs of an apostle" as was true on the occasion of the apostles’ baptism in the Spirit. Furthermore, Cornelius was immediately baptized in water at the time of his Spirit baptism. So it is apparent that even in these two cases of Spirit baptism, the circumstances surrounding each case differed significantly in certain respects from the other. Both the apostles and Cornelius were baptized in the Holy Spirit, but all the same powers and visible demonstrations and commandments were not given in consequence to both. In the same way, one can logically argue that believers today may be baptized in the Holy Spirit (at the time of their water baptism) without being given at that time the ability by the Spirit to speak in tongues etc. as were the apostles and Cornelius. The circumstances surrounding our Spirit baptism differ to some extent from theirs just as the circumstances surrounding their Spirit baptisms differed from each other!
In any case, one can see that neither the apostles’ nor Cornelius’ initial conversion experience was exactly the same nor are they the same in every respect as ours nor should they be taken as an exact pattern for the conversion experience for all the rest of us. Scholars in churches of Christ have long pointed out that what happened at the birth of the church is not necessarily normative for the life of the church after its beginning. Adam and Eve have always been used as an illustration of this point. Our first parents came into being in a different manner than do we. Likewise, the argument goes, the experience of the apostles (and Cornelius) is not necessarily the same in every respect as what is normally the experience for converts later. So this is the point: all Christians are indeed baptized in the Holy Spirit although the particulars surrounding the Spirit baptisms of either the apostles or Cornelius are not in every respect normative for the rest of us.
And the further point to be made is this. If Cornelius received Spirit baptism in certain respects differently than did the apostles, why would it not be possible that we receive Spirit baptism under our own set of circumstances, namely at water baptism in the name of Jesus, and generally without visible and miraculous demonstrations? It is clear even from the cases of the apostles and Cornelius that the circumstances surrounding Spirit baptism can differ. There is nothing in the scriptures that would forbid us from receiving Spirit baptism under slightly different circumstances than either the apostles or Cornelius.]
Consider these additional facts concerning the conversion experience of Cornelius. Some will argue that what Cornelius received (Acts 10:44) was not the gift of the Holy Spirit promised at water baptism (Acts 2:38) and that if he did receive the gift of the Holy Spirit prior to water baptism, this would make God out to be a liar because God promised the gift of the Holy Spirit at water baptism and not before (Acts 2:38-39). But there is nothing in God’s promise in Acts 2:38-39 that would not have allowed him to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to someone prior to his water baptism if there was a special need to do so. Such was precisely the case with Cornelius. Furthermore, if Cornelius’ Spirit baptism was essentially the gift of the Holy Spirit the scripture says it was (Acts 10:45, and which we all receive as Christians according to Acts 2:38), there is nothing in this example that would preclude God from offering this same Spirit baptism (or gift of the Holy Spirit) as a gift generally given at water baptism and not before.
It is very significant that the text describes Cornelius Spirit baptism in these terms: "...the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles." (Acts 10:44-45) These are words and phrases that if taken at face value simply say that what happened to Cornelius at his Spirit baptism was that the Holy Spirit came on him and he received the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is precisely how the Bible describes what happens to all of us who become Christians (Compare Acts 2:38-39). When Cornelius received the gift of the Holy Spirit, it was his baptism in the Holy Spirit. When we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, this, too, is our baptism in the Holy Spirit!
My Understanding Restated: It is my understanding that the Bible teaches that the general rule and pattern is that all Christians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (which is, in fact, a baptism in the Holy Spirit minus the special apostolic powers to perform miracles) when they are baptized in water in Jesus’ name. All Christians are baptized in the Holy Spirit as truly as were the apostles and Cornelius. The external spiritual gifts of a miraculous nature (tongue speaking etc.) manifested at the Spirit baptism of the apostles and Cornelius are not something we can expect to receive, but the washing in or the baptism in the Holy Spirit are equally received by all who come to Christ. Even though certain miraculous powers were reserved for the apostles, the Holy Spirit nevertheless gives all Christians great power over sin (Ephesians 6:10ff). That I have not received various miraculous spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit received by the apostles does not mean that I have received the Holy Spirit any less than did they.
In the book of Acts it is specifically stated that the apostles (1:5) and Cornelius (11:15-16) were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Nowhere else in the book of Acts does it expressly say anyone was baptized in the Holy Spirit – at least in those exact words. Some people infer from this that here is proof no one but the apostles and Cornelius were ever actually baptized in the Holy Spirit. However, this inference runs into trouble when the apostle Paul is taken into account. Nowhere in the book of Acts does it ever expressly say that he was baptized in the Holy Spirit – at least using those exact words. But most believe Paul was so baptized because he wrote about half the New Testament and he himself says he was not in the least inferior to the apostles. He wrote more of the New Testament than any other man, and he even raised someone from the dead (Acts 20:1-7). How could he never have been baptized in the Holy Spirit as the other twelve apostles had been? Nevertheless, it is never expressly stated in the book of Acts that he was baptized in the Holy Spirit in those exact words. So the mere fact that in the book of Acts the phrase "baptized in the Holy Spirit" is used only in reference to the twelve apostles and Cornelius does not necessarily prove that they were the only ones actually baptized in the Holy Spirit.
There is a scripture, in fact, that appears to say all Christians are indeed baptized in the Holy Spirit. In 1 Cor. 12:13 Paul says, "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body..." Now some translations read, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." How should this verse be translated? Is Paul saying "By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body", or is he saying "In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body"?
There are only six other places that speak of baptism in the Holy Spirit. They are found in Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5 and Acts 11:16. In all six places the Greek construction is the same - and in every case the English translations speak of a baptism in or with the Holy Spirit. In 1 Cor. 12:13 the Greek is exactly the same as in each of the other six references to the Holy Spirit. This is very strong evidence that the translation of this phrase in 1 Corinthians ought to be "We were all baptized in one Spirit into one body." If this is the correct translation, then it is clear that in fact we are all baptized in the Holy Spirit. This would coincide with Paul’s statement that if we have the Holy Spirit, then we are in the Spirit (Romans 8:9). Those who have the Spirit are in the Spirit precisely because we have all been covered and enveloped (baptized) in the Holy Spirit.
Someone might respond, "Paul says there is only one baptism. If Christians experience a baptism in water and in the Holy Spirit, then we are left with two baptisms, not one." A question: Are we left with two births when Jesus says we must be born of the water and the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3-5)? Though we are born of two elements, there is one birth. Nor are we left with two baptisms when we say that we are baptized both in water and the Spirit. The water is the outward manifestation of what happens inside regarding the Spirit. Though we are baptized in two elements, there is only one baptism. Is it consistent for us to argue from John 3:3-5 that one cannot be born of water without being baptized in water while in the same breath we say that one can be born of the Spirit without being baptized in the Spirit? When we are baptized in water, we are born of the water. In like manner, when we are baptized in the Spirit, we are born of the Holy Spirit.
Paul says Moses was baptized in the cloud and the sea -- two elements. Christian baptism is like that. We are baptized in water, yes, but this has significance only if something happens regarding the Holy Spirit, only if we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, only if we are baptized also in the Holy Spirit. Our baptism is patterned after the baptism of Jesus who after He was baptized in water and then received the Holy Spirit. Christian baptism certainly includes two elements -- both water and the Holy Spirit. Christian baptism is not baptism in water minus the Holy Spirit. Nor is it baptism in the Holy Spirit minus the water. The one true Christian baptism includes both the water and the Spirit. Yes, we are baptized in water. But even more important, we then receive the Holy Spirit.
This simply means that when God gives each believer baptized in water the gift of the Holy Spirit, God calls it a baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is poured out on us generously (Titus 3:5-6). We are covered and immersed in this Spirit by Jesus. In this way, we are literally connected to Jesus Christ. He lives in us and we in him.
Once we receive the Holy Spirit, He helps each of us as needed. He no longer gives gifts necessary to the production of the scripture. There are no more apostles. No one continues to write scripture. The ability to perform miracles so as to confirm that I am either an apostle or prophet is no longer needed and so this gift is no longer given. Gifts no longer needed are no longer given. But whatever gifts are needed are given!
The Holy Spirit does give us whatever is needed. In any generation of the church, the Holy Spirit is there to help us and give us what is needed. I am not the final authority on what the Holy Spirit might do or might not do. He is the authority and it is His decision. We should exercise a little humility rather than presuming that we always know for sure how the Holy Spirit will or will not help God’s people in any generation. We are foolish if we try to put God or the Holy Spirit in some kind of box. What God or His Spirit may do is not always reasonable or logical to the mind of man. And we all may be wrong about some of our conclusions. Let us leave room for some mystery here and allow God to do His work as He chooses.
Truly the Christian covenant is a covenant of the Spirit and the Christian age is a ministration of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:6-8). This is what distinguishes us from the disciples of John the Baptist and all the rest of God's people before Christ. Jesus has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit -- to be with us forever. Let us continue to thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. For when God gives us the Holy Spirit, He gives us himself.
What Does the Holy Spirit Do on Our Behalf?
The Holy Spirit is in us for good reason. He is not passive. He is active. First, He brings God to live in us (1 John 3:24; 4:13). We have immediate, close and friendly fellowship with God through the presence of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14). He makes us holy (1 Cor.6:11). He makes us to be someone new (Titus 3:5-6). He testifies that we are the sons of God (Romans 8:15-17). The Holy Spirit also leads and guides us (Romans 8:14). He helps us and prays for us (Romans 8:26). He strengthens us inwardly (Eph. 3:14-16). He produces fruit in us (Galatians 5:22-23), the greatest fruit of which is love (1 Corinthians 13). He comforts us (John 14:16, 17, 26; Acts 9:31). And He gives us gifts (1 Peter 4:11) as HE determines according to what is needed for the good of the church (1 Cor. 12:4-11;).
What are Spiritual Gifts and does the Holy Spirit Today Give All Gifts He Gave at the Beginning?
Jesus gives the Holy Spirit himself as a gift. He is the one who is said to "baptize in the Holy Spirit" (Luke 3:10-11). He is the one who promised to send the Holy Spirit (John 15:26; 16:7). This is what the scriptures mean by the gift of the Spirit as, for example, in Acts 2:39. On the other hand, once the Holy Spirit actually dwells in Christians, the Holy Spirit is said to give various gifts to Christians to help build up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). But does the Holy Spirit continue to give all the gifts He gave in past generations of the church?
In Romans 12:6-8 and in 1 Cor.12-14 Paul speaks of many different kinds of spiritual gifts, some of which were necessary for the revelation of the New Covenant as well as the production of the New Testament scriptures and some of which were not. In the passage from 1 Corinthians it is evident that the early church at the time the letter was written enjoyed all the gifts listed. But right in the middle of this text (1 Cor. 13:8-13) Paul explains that "when the perfect comes", some of these gifts (tongues, prophecy and knowledge) would actually come to an end. What is "that which is perfect"? There is considerable difference of opinion about this. Some say this refers to the second coming of Jesus. According to this interpretation, the miraculous gifts of speaking in tongues and direct prophecies from God will not cease until Jesus (who is perfect) returns.
But a very strong case can be made that whatever Paul meant by "that which is perfect", he certainly was thinking of something to come at a time considerably prior to the second coming of Christ, something not very distant from his own day and time. Now try and follow his line of thought. Paul clearly states that the spiritual gift of prophecy will cease, the spiritual gift of tongues will stop, and the spiritual gift of knowledge will also be abolished (1 Corinthians 13:8). Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament words has this comment on this text: "...knowledge, prophecyings and that which was in part...were to be rendered of no effect after their temporary use was fulfilled." In contrast, faith, hope and love are Christian virtues that will abide. "Now these three remain (abide): faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love." (1 (Corinthians 13:13)
In the context, faith, hope and love are virtues that will last a lot longer than the spiritual gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge. But faith and hope are virtues that can be said to end at the time Jesus returns. For when Jesus comes, faith will no longer be faith. Our faith will turn to sight (2 Cor. 5:7) Our hope will no longer be hope. "Who continues to hope for what he has already received?" (Romans 8:24-25). We will continue to have love throughout eternity which may be one reason why Paul says love is greater than either faith or hope. However, it is clear from the context that Paul is saying that even faith and hope (which will last till Jesus returns) will last longer than either the gifts of prophecy or the speaking of languages. "Prophecies will cease... Tongues will be stilled... These three remain (abide or last): faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:8-13).
We can conclude that if faith and hope will last only till Jesus returns, then the gifts of prophecies and tongues were intended to end at some time considerably prior to the second coming of Christ! Thus, in this context, the perfect must refer to something other than Jesus and His second coming. Faith and hope logically last only till Jesus returns, but according to Paul’s logic, they will last longer than either the gifts of tongues or prophecy. The conclusion of the matter is that Paul clearly appears to have envisioned a time in his not too distant future when certain named spiritual gifts would become inactive and would end a long time prior to the second coming of Christ. What time would that be? What exactly is "the perfect" which would mark the cessation of these specific gifts? There are at least a couple of good suggestions.
First, there is the suggestion that Paul envisioned the end of the direct revelation of the New Covenant and therefore the end of the revelatory gifts specified in the text. How much Paul understood about what form the written New Testament would finally take, we do not know, but he certainly seems to have envisioned a time when the revelation of the terms and specifics of the New Testament would come to an end because the revelation would be completed. It is the revelation gifts he specifies would soon come to an end.
Elsewhere, Paul says that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets with Jesus being the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). How many times does a builder lay a foundation upon which to build a structure? The foundation is something that is laid only at the beginning. Thus, Paul sees the apostles and the prophets as intended for the beginning of the church and only until the foundation had been completed.
If Paul understood the revelation of the terms of the New Covenant was something to be completed in the infancy of the early church (and even intended to be written down as the scriptures of this New Testament), then he would have good reason to write of the time coming when the particular spiritual gifts given especially for this purpose would become inactive and come to an end.
The logic runs this way: When the gospel of Christ was preached and the church began on Pentecost Sunday after the resurrection of Jesus, much about the new covenant was yet to be revealed. Not a single book of the New Testament had been written. Consequently, God had to devise some way to directly and convincingly reveal His will and teachings to the people until such time that the church would come to maturity and the revelation of the terms of the New Covenant could be completed. Certain gifts of the Holy Spirit were clearly associated with this process. For example, the gift of prophecy was instrumental in helping the early church learn God's will before the completion of the New Testament scriptures. At the same time, the gift of prophecy was instrumental in making it possible for the scriptures to be written and recorded for us in both the Old and New Testament. (See 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21).
Furthermore, when the apostles (and prophets) initially preached the gospel and teachings of Jesus and when they began to record the message into the New Testament scriptures, they needed some proof that what they were saying was true. Certain gifts of the Holy Spirit were provided to verify and prove that the word they were preaching was true (See Mark 16:15-20; Hebrews 2:1-4).
For example, when the gospel was first preached to the Jews (Acts 2:1-12) and to the Gentiles (Acts 10:42-48), God enabled people to miraculously speak in tongues (foreign languages) to prove that the people had indeed received the Holy Spirit. The miracle of speaking in foreign languages which the speakers had previously never studied clearly occurred for the purpose of proving a great truth -- that forgiveness of sins and God's Holy Spirit was available for Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles -- for all whom God might call! When the Holy Spirit gave others the gift of healing or the ability to do other kinds of miracles, this also served to prove the veracity of what the first century apostles and prophets were preaching.
But what would happen to these particular gifts as the revelation of the New Covenant became more complete and when the New Testament scriptures were finally completed? What would happen as the churches came to a fuller understanding of the will of God and came to a greater maturity? One might logically assume that any gifts necessary for the for the production and confirmation of the New Covenant as well as the New Testament scriptures and consequent maturing of the church would no longer be needed and therefore would cease to be given.
There is indeed significant evidence that this is exactly what happened. When one reads the book of Acts, it appears that in the beginning as the gospel revelations initially came in abundance to the apostles and prophets, miracles etc. were also in abundance. But over time, after churches came to a fuller knowledge of the new covenant and came to maturity, such miracles appear to decline in number. Take the Jerusalem church for an example. At the beginning we read of all kinds of prophecies and miracles. But as time proceeds, the number and frequency of such miracles appear to decline. Non-biblical historical sources (the early church fathers etc.) also document this decline in the kinds of miracles seen in the beginning of the church.
Here, then, is one suggestion as to what Paul meant when he wrote of "that which is perfect". He spoke of spiritual gifts that were revelation gifts that would cease. Therefore, it is possible he envisioned the completion of the revelation of the New Covenant and the cessation of the gifts intended for that purpose.
There is a second suggestion not too different from the first. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul emphasizes the preeminence of love and the value of love over all spiritual gifts. This church which appears to have the most spiritual gifts was in fact the most spiritually immature of any mentioned in the New Testament - because the Christians in Corinth had not learned very well to love. Indeed, Paul calls them worldly and not spiritual (1 Corinthians 3:1) - even though they had an abundance of these spiritual gifts.
The argument is that Paul is thinking of love as "that which is perfect" and that when the Corinthians learn this love, they will no longer need prophecy and similar spiritual gifts because love supercedes everything. Indeed, the Greek word translated "perfect" has the idea of maturity or completeness, and there is nothing that demonstrates spiritual maturity or completeness more than the presence of love. That which is perfect is that which best demonstrates spiritual maturity - love!
But the important point is this. Whatever Paul means by "that which is perfect", he does not mean the second coming of Christ. According to his logic, the spiritual gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge were to cease a long time before the second coming of Christ because they were not to last nearly as long as faith and hope (which will themselves cease only at the second coming of Christ) or love (which will itself last forever). Paul clearly envisions a time not too distant from his day when such revelation gifts would no longer be necessary and therefore would become inactive and come to an end. The Holy Spirit would no longer give them.
Those who believe that the Holy Spirit continues to give all the gifts originally given and that He does every single thing He did in the first century have a difficult position to defend.
One question: why would God have gone to the trouble of recording the first century miracles in scripture if it was his plan to perform all these signs in the same manner and number in successive generations? Is it possible that God recorded these many signs for us in scripture because it wasn’t his plan to perform all the signs in every subsequent generation?
Remember that Jesus also said an evil and adulterous generation is always seeking after a sign (Matthew 12:39). Yes, God gave signs that we might believe (and sometimes even gave signs to those asking for some kind of sign). And if even today he wants to give some kind of sign, he can do so if he so chooses. But are we to be obsessed with seeking for more signs than those God has already given and recorded for us in the scriptures? There are a lot of people today looking for more signs and there are plenty of churches trying to give them what they are looking for! But I’m not so sure God is pleased when our religion is focused on seeking another sign, another miracle - or when churches try to attract people by promising them more signs. Yes, God gave certain signs in the first century and if he wants to give a sign today, he is quite free to do as he pleases. But is it really the message of scripture that a Christian is to be constantly focused on looking for more miraculous signs? Is this to be our emphasis?
Those so focused on seeking miraculous signs and spiritual gifts that demonstrate some kind of miracle would do well to read, not just 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, but also 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul explains that the greatest Christian virtue of all is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Jesus himself said love is the greatest priority of all (Matthew 22:37-40). The most certain evidence that God lives in us and that we know him is when we show love (1 John 4:7ff). And love is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)! Apparently, the greatest demonstration of the presence of the Holy Spirit, more important even than any spiritual gift, is love. Love is the greatest miracle of all!
Furthermore, those so focused on seeking miraculous signs and spirituals gifts that demonstrate some kind of miracle would do well to read, not just 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, but also 1 Corinthians 15! In this chapter Paul explains to the Corinthians what are "the things that are of first importance" in the church, namely the gospel that Christ died for our sins, rose from the dead and appeared to many people after his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-7). Regardless of what gifts God does or does not give today, it remains as true now as it was then: the most important things, the things of first importance for Christians are the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ - not spiritual gifts.
So there is considerable evidence that the Holy Spirit does not necessarily do every single thing or give every single gift that He did in the first century. If the apostles and prophets were intended to serve only for the foundation of the church, then God is no longer giving us apostles and prophets of the sort He gave in the beginning. And if the New Covenant was in fact fully revealed in the infancy of the church, if the New Testament scriptures are in fact completed, then one must admit that the Holy Spirit is no longer doing something He once did. He is no longer revealing the terms of the New Covenant to us. He is is no longer inspiring and recording scripture for us. And if this is the case, is it possible that He may no longer give certain gifts especially designed for the infancy of the church? Is it possible that He is no longer giving us those gifts designed to provide for us and confirm to us the terms of the New Covenant?
If this is indeed what happened, we must be very careful that we do not deny that the Holy Spirit does anything at all for us today or that He no longer gives any gifts. If we deny that the Holy Spirit any longer makes apostles, let us not deny that He makes preachers or teachers or elders (Ephesians 4:11-12). If we doubt that the Holy Spirit continues to give certain gifts, let us not deny that He does anything or that He gives any gifts for His church today. Let us be careful thatwe do not go to this extreme.
The Holy Spirit is with us for good reason. He didn't retire to heaven after the New Testament scriptures were completed. He continues to be active and not passive. Even if we doubt that the Holy Spirit gives some of the gifts originally given, we may rest assured that the Holy Spirit of God always makes available to the church whatever gifts we truly do need in any generation and in any place or time. The particular gifts given by the Holy Spirit may differ from time to time according to the needs of the church, but whatever is needed is surely given!
If we deny that the Spirit gives us a few of the first gifts first given, we do not deny that He gives any gifts. If the Spirit no longer gives the true gift of speaking in tongues, God certainly does continue to give the gifts of serving, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy (Romans 12:6-8). And the Spirit also continues to do for us all the other things previously mentioned -- He brings God to live in us, He helps to control us, He gives eternal life to us, He helps us stop sinning, He leads us, He helps us overcome our weaknesses, He prays to God on our behalf, He gives us strength and power and He produces His fruit in us, the most important of which is love. Thank God for His blessed Holy Spirit!
And if we deny that men are specially endowed to personally work miracles and if we question the wisdom of "seeking after a sign", let us not deny that God himself has this power and can exercise it as He pleases. Let us not deny that God can continue to heal whomever He pleases! Let us not go so far as to say that! If some miracle does appear to occur, there is no need to encompass heaven and earth trying to find proof that it was not a miracle!! Let us continue to affirm that God is the Almighty and He can do as He pleases. He can make things happen that otherwise would not happen. He can change events. And He can heal if He so chooses! Truly our God is alive and well. He hears our prayers and is able to do far more than we ask or think (Eph. 3:20-21). Hallelujah and Amen!
Could Only the Apostles Pass on the Gifts of the Spirit Only by the Laying on of Hands?
It is worth noting that the apostle Paul says in 2 Cor. 12:12 that signs, wonders and miracles especially marked the apostles. So the apostles were particularly associated with the performing of signs, wonders and miracles. (Compare also Acts 2:43). It is a fair observation, therefore, to argue that signs, wonders, and miracles were done first by the apostles and then, by those particularly associated with them.
Some go further to say that only the apostles could give the gifts of the Holy Spirit (or at least what are sometimes called the miraculous gifts of the Spirit) -- and they did this by the laying on of their hands. And therefore when all the apostles died, the gifts of the Holy Spirit (or at least the miraculous gifts) were no longer given. They cite Acts 6 and 7 as an example where we read that the apostles laid their hands on the seven men chosen to distribute the food to the widows in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:6). Shortly after this, we read that some of these men are able to perform miraculous signs (Acts 6:8; 8:13). This is the first time we read of anyone being able to perform miracles other than the apostles. Some infer from this that the ability to perform the miracles was given by the laying on of the apostles hands. However, this is at best an inference (and not even a necessary one) since it is not said that the apostles laid their hands on the men for the purpose of giving them the ability to perform miracles. In fact, the context would strongly suggest that the apostles laid their hands on these men for the purpose of ordaining them to the benevolent work for which they had been chosen. Could Stephen and Philip have received certain gifts from the Holy Spirit without the laying on of the apostles' hands or not? There is nothing in the context that conclusively proves they could not have received certain spiritual gifts without the laying on of the apostles’ hands.
In Acts 8 it is said that the apostles sent Peter and John to the newly baptized believers in Samaria. They laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17). Some say since the Samaritans had already been baptized in Jesus’ name, they of necessity had already received the gift of the Holy Spirit since Acts 2:38 promises this to all who are baptized in Jesus’ name. Therefore, they argue, when the text says Peter and John laid their hands on the Samaritans and they received the Holy Spirit, it actually means they then received the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. This, they use as proof the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit were given only with the laying on of the apostles’ hands.
The problem with this theory is that it is based on some assumptions that are difficult to defend. First, the text explicity says, not that the Samaritans had not received the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, but rather the Samaritans had not received the Holy Spirit. "When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit."
The natural understanding from a reading of this text would be that the Samaritans had not received exactly what the text says they had not received, namely, the Holy Spirit. And Peter and John transferred to them exactly what the text says they transferred to them, namely, the Holy Spirit. One should take the natural meaning of the text unless the context forces one to do otherwise. Someone argues, "Oh, but that would conflict with Acts 2:38-39 which promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to those baptized in Jesus’ name." But there is nothing in the promise of Acts 2:38 that says God has to give the Holy Spirit immediately at water baptism or that He couldn’t wait a few days to give the gift if circumstances required a delay.
When one looks at the circumstances of this case, he can find a logical reason as to why God would have wanted to wait till the apostles came to Samaria so the Holy Spirit could be given through the laying on of their hands. Remember, the Samaritans were half blooded Jews and were very much hated by the Jews (John 4:9). There was a great benefit in the Holy Spirit coming on the Samaritans with the apostles present and through the laying on of their hands. First, this would show the Samaritans (who may not have known) exactly who had the authority in the church and that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. Second, this would show to all the world that the Samaritans really had received the Holy Spirit (and salvation) with apostolic approval! In this way, the new Samaritan Christians would be more likely to be united with the Jewish Christians and thus tied to the whole church. Otherwise, the Samaritan Christians might have continued in isolation from the Christians who were Jews. It was apparently for these reasons God waited to give the Samaritans the Holy Spirit only when the apostles were present.
It is true that the context might suggest that when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, the Holy Spirit may have also given the Samaritans certain miraculous and visible gifts (compare Acts 8:18). But the question is this: If they indeed did receive certain gifts from the Holy Spirit at the time the apostles laid their hands on them, does this mean miraculous gifts of the Spirit could have been given or transferred only with the apostles present and only through the laying on of their hands? One might believe it, but he can’t prove it. It is only an inference and not even a necessary inference.
In Acts 9:15,16 when Ananias places his hands on Saul, he says to him that God has sent him to Saul so that Saul might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Did Ananias give Saul the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands? It is difficult to say for sure -- the text says that when Ananias laid his hands on Saul, he only received his sight. There is no clear explanation that he received the Holy Spirit at the same time. Perhaps Saul actually received the Holy Spirit after he was baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. This is the usual way in which Christians seem to have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 19 Paul lays his hands on the newly baptized believers and they receive the Holy Spirit and then the Holy Spirit gives them certain miraculous gifts. We know that the Holy Spirit Himself did not always come only by the laying on of the apostles' hands. Could these new Christians have received these certain gifts of the Holy Spirit without the laying on of Paul's hands or not? No definite answer to this question is given.
One might infer that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit were given only by the laying on of the apostles' hands, but to my knowledge, there is no definite and clear scripture that expressly says that the gifts of the Holy Spirit (or even the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit) could only be given by the laying on of the apostles' hands. And there are certain scriptures that in fact mitigate against it.
For example, there is the clear statement that the Holy Spirit gives the spiritual gifts as He chooses and as He decides (1 Cor. 12:4-11). It is not merely a decision of even the apostles. It is always finally a decision of the Holy Spirit as to what gifts are given and who receives what. The Holy Spirit has the prerogative and the ability to bestow gifts in any manner as He sees fit, either through the laying on of the apostles' hands or otherwise. Certainly if He so chose, the Holy Spirit could have channeled the miraculous gifts through the laying on of the apostles' hands. And this may have been what He normally chose to do. But to be honest, there is no scripture that expressly says so.
Second, there is the case of Timothy where in 1 Timothy 4:14, Paul speaks about Timothy's gift which he received when the elders laid their hands on him. Paul also says that Timothy received his gift at the laying on of Paul’s hands (2 Timothy 1:6). But there appears to be in this case as much evidence that the elders had power to convey gifts by the laying on of hands as did the apostle Paul himself.
Third, there is the statement made in 1 Corinthians 14:13 that "anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret." How were Christians instructed to obtain the miraculous gift of interpreting a tongue? They were simply told to pray for the gift. There is no suggestion the laying on of the apostles’ hands was necessary for them to obtain this gift.
In short, an honest and objective study of the scriptures will yield this conclusion: One might infer that miraculous gifts were given and transferred only by the laying on of the apostles’ hands, but this can only be an inference and it is not even a necessary one. There is no scripture that expressly states this as a fact. And there are scriptures that actually suggest otherwise.
We have considered many questions concerning the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the answers to these questions are hard to discover exactly. But none of these questions should cloud the primary message in scripture concerning the Holy Spirit: Today God is able to give the gift of his Holy Spirit (which is the gift of Himself) to his people because of his Son Jesus. There can now be the most intimate fellowship and love between God and his people plus numerous other blessings because He gives us the gift of his Spirit. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit!