CHAPTER 2 YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER
Before we get into the actual topic of this lesson, allow me to quickly go through some of the Scriptures which clearly establish the fact that when we are dealing with the Holy Spirit, we are in deed referring to God. While most of us would not think to question that proposition, many of us would be hard pressed to point out the verses which establish His deity.
The Father speaks of His Spirit in Joel 2:28 when He says, "I will pour out My spirit on all people." (emphasis added) From Acts 2:17 we know that the "His Spirit" referred to is in fact the Holy Spirit, for this is the very Scripture quoted by Peter to explain the events which were happening at the time of Pentecost (see also Acts 2:33). The "Spirit of the Sovereign Lord" is referred to in Isaiah 61:1 as being upon the Messiah. This verse is a clear prophecy of Jesus' work (see Lk.4:18-21). According to Acts 10:38, the very anointing spoken of in that verse was accomplished by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As such, the 'Holy Spirit' and the 'Spirit of the Sovereign Lord', are one and the same. For purposes of this discussion, the most important part of vs 38 is that portion which indicates that the anointing was in fact God's presence with Jesus. (For references purposes, the deity of Jesus is set forth in Lk.5:20-21; John 1:1; John 5:18; John 12:45; John 17:11; John 20:28; Ro.9:5; Col.2:9; Titus 2:13 & Heb.1:8-9)
Any statement made by Jesus which recognizes the deity of the Holy Spirit must also be attributed to the Father, for as you will recall, Jesus spoke only what the Father told Him to say (John 12:50). Needless to say there are several instances wherein Jesus clearly gave equal status to the Holy Spirit. For example, in the great commission of Matt.28:19, Jesus directs us to baptize in "... the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Note also that Paul's revelation, which was directly from Jesus (Acts 9:5), spoke of the equality of the Holy Spirit When he called down God's blessing upon the people of Corinth, he did so by saying "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." As we can see from Acts 5:3-4, Peter also recognized the deity of the Holy Spirit, for he equates lying to the Holy Spirit and lying to God as being one and the same.
Finally, it should be noted that just like the other members of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit claims deity for Himself. In Heb.10:15-17 we read:
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First, He says: This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds. Then He adds: Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.
Carefully note that the Holy Spirit is specifically stating that "HE", the Holy Spirit said these things. When we check Jer.31: 33-34 we see that they were spoken by the "Lord." As such, the Holy Spirit and the Lord are one (see II Cor.3:18). The Holy Spirit's deity is also established by His very attributes. According to Heb.9:14 we see that He is eternal, and from I Cor.2:10 & John 16:13 we see that the Holy Spirit possesses all knowledge.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all have deity, claim deity for themselves, and for each other; yet we know that there is only one God (Ro.3:30; Mk.12:29; Gal.3:20; I Tim.2:5 & Ja.2:19). While we have said this before, it bares repeating here: God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb.6:18; II Sam.7:28; I Sam.15:29 & Nu.23: 19), nor does He change (Mal.3:6). His very nature is unchanging (Heb.6:17). As such, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). In short, He is, was, and always will be Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
With all that in mind let us now look at the work of the Holy Spirit, and particularly how that work relates to the gifts of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is here in order to convict the world of guilt in regard to sin (John 16:8), regenerate the believer (Titus 3:5), seal the believer (Eph.1:13-14), and lead the believer to Sonship (Gal.5:16-18). He will indwell us (John 14:17), and fill us with His love (Ro.5:5). The Holy Spirit will remind us of what Jesus has said, teach us all things (John 14:26), and guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
We see from I John 4:19 that we love God because He first loved us. We know of His love by reading the Word which, as we have just seen, is opened up to us by the Holy Spirit. The Word is related to faith (Ro.10:17), and His love is found throughout the Word. Therefore, we can see why Gal.5:6 states that the only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love.
He guides, teaches, and counsels us for a reason. Acts 1:8 says "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem ... and the ends of the earth" (emphasis added). Remember Jesus' prayer in John 17:18? Therein he said "As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them." In John 20:20 He also said, "as the Father has sent Me, I am sending you." How was He sent? Isaiah 61:1 told us how: "the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor..." When He began to preach, Jesus did so with the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Him.
"As Jesus was coming up out of the water, He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove" (Mk.1:10) AFTER this anointing Jesus changed water into wine at the wedding at Cana. In so doing "... He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him" (John 2:11). The miracle got their attention (see also John 11:48; 12:10; Lk.5:26; Acts 2:22; Matt.10:8 & Lk.10:17&19). We know that this miracle was the Father's will (John 12:50 & John 14:31) and that it did not occur until after Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and we also have been sent to preach the good news to the poor. It is fair to now ask, "Since miracles were part of Jesus' ministry, are miracles to be a part of ours?" The answer to this question is a resounding, YES. According to Heb.2:3-4 God used miracles after Jesus death and resurrection. "...(T)his salvation ... God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles OF THE HOLY SPIRIT distributed according to His will" (emphasis added). Miracles were also used to confirm the word to the Gentiles. In Ro.15:18-19 Paul tells us that he "... will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ accomplished through me in leading the gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done by the power of signs and miracles, THROUGH THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT." (emphasis added). The Greek word for "power" in that verse is dunamis, which means "ability." That power, or dunamis is what the believers received after the Holy Spirit came upon them as recorded in Acts 1:8. That is why Jesus directed the believers not to go out preaching until after they had received power through the Spirit (Acts 1:4-8). The miracles, signs, and wonders which are used to get the unbelievers' attention and confirm the Word, follow on the heels of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the physical realm, spiritual power is manifested through the gifts of the Spirit.
Peter says that each believer should us whatever gift he has received to serve others (I Pe.4:10). The gifts are also used to build up the body of believers and to help one another. In I Cor.14:12 Paul admonishes the believers to "try to excel in gifts that build up the Church" (emphasis added). In vs 26, we are shown that the working of the gifts must be "done for the strengthening of the Church" (emphasis added).
Has the need for bringing souls to the Lord changed? Has the need to build and strengthen the Church ended? Of course not. Eph.4:11-13 says:
It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers. To prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Until this occurs, the need is still there. If the need is still there, then so are the gifts. II Cor.12:12 tells us that the things which mark an Apostle are signs, wonders, and miracles. You can't have an Apostle without the workings of the gifts, and apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers will not pass away until we all reach the maturity spoken of in Eph.4:13.
I Cor.12:27-28 clearly states that the body of Christ is made up of apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, those having gifts of healing, etc. The body is still forming - the need is still there. God doesn't change or lie. Ro.11:29 reminds us that "... God's gifts and His call are irrevocable." In I Tim.1:6, Paul reminded Timothy to "... fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands."
Jesus said in John 14:12 that "... anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father." The "things" which Jesus referred to were done by Him after the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We should also note that He didn't say "anyone up till the end of the first century will do even greater things than these." He said "anyone" who has faith in Me. Finally, there is Mk.16:17-20 which reads in part "And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ... they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well." I have saved this verse for last because of the controversy which surrounds it. Rather than use it as a primary verse I have endeavored to use other verses as the foundation. While this verse is unquestionably clear in its assertion that the gifts of the Spirit will be in use through-out this age, it is not necessary to rely solely upon it in order to establish this point.
Those individuals who oppose the workings of the gifts of the Spirit today, or deny that the gifts are available today say that I Cor.13:10 means that when the Bible was canonized the gifts of the Spirit ceased to function. That verse says "For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." By interpreting it as they do, those who oppose the present day use of the gifts of the Spirit do two things. First they call the gifts of the Spirit, which to them have "passed away", imperfect. Keep in mind that they do this even though Ja.1:17 tells us that God's gifts are perfect. Second, they say that the Greek word translated as "perfect" means the written Bible as we know it. Please do not misunderstand what I am saying. While the Bible we have is indeed perfect, the Greek word telios which is translated 'perfect' in I Cor.13:10, is not referring to the Bible. That same Greek word is also found in Eph.4:13 and there it means "maturity" or completeness. Since the word telios is NEVER translated "Scripture" or "Holy Writings" the other 19 times it is used in the Bible, it would be incorrect to do so now.
How can we now say that it means the written Bible? This is especially true in light of the fact that the Greeks have a word for writing. This word is "graphe" and it is not found in I Cor.13:10. Furthermore, in II Pe.3:16, while referring to Paul's "epistles", Peter gives them equal status with the other Scriptures or "graphe" which had been available up to that time. Therefore, the two Greek words which refer to writings (graphe & epistle) are not used in I Cor.13:10.
Consider this, the Bible as we know it was not completely canonized until the Synod of Hippos in 393 AD. Are we to assume that all those who spoke in tongues or prophesied stopped the same day that this Synod ended? If that was the case, what are we to do with Ro.11:29 which says that God's gifts were irrevocable? Or are we to assume that there was a period when both the Bible and the gifts were used together? How could they pass away and be used at the same time?
There are those who argue that the only ones who laid hands on people were the Apostles. This is not true, for it is recorded in Acts 9:17 that Ananias laid hands on Paul, and Ananias is not referred to as an apostle. Furthermore, Paul specifically recognized that believers other than apostles laid hands on people for various purposes. In I Tim.4:14 Paul says to Timothy, "... do not neglect your gift which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid hands on you." To be sure, Paul was in that group, but all of them laid hands on Timothy. (Note, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the subsequent manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit does not have to come about from the laying on of hands. The believers in Acts 10:44-46 received both, and no one laid hands on them.)
If the contention is made that this special infilling of the Holy Spirit is no longer needed, what are we to do with Eph.5:18-19 which says "... instead be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." Please note that the Greek word translated as "filled" in that verse denotes a continuous filling of the Spirit. If you "get it all when you get saved", why do we need a continuous filling? Indeed, if Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4, why did he get "refilled" in Acts 4:31? Obviously, it is important for our Spiritual man to be refueled just as it is necessary for our physical man to be refueled.
Notice also that Eph.5:18 spoke of our using "spiritual songs." Col.3:16 also speaks of this when it says "let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God" (emphasis added). How do we know that the "spiritual songs" referred to in those verses are those sung with "unknown tongues?" In order to answer this question we need to keep in mind an important principle of Scriptural interpretation: "allow Scripture to interpret Scripture." The definition of the term "spiritual song" is found in I Cor.14:14. Therein we are shown that:
... if I pray in a tongue my Spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my Spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my Spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your Spirit how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving since he does not know what you are saying (emphasis added)
By definition then, praying and singing in the Spirit is accomplished by doing so with an unknown tongue which our natural mind cannot understand without interpretation.
This definition is confirmed for us in I Cor.14:2 wherein Paul states that anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Indeed no one understands him, for he is uttering mysteries with his Spirit. I Cor.14 is the only place in Scripture which defines "praying in the Spirit" and "singing in the Spirit," and that chapter clearly defines it as being with another tongue. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that praying in the Spirit can be accomplished in any way other than with a "tongue", for there is no other definition given for that term. This is not to say that our other prayers or songs are not spiritual in nature, or that they are not guided by the Holy Spirit. However, the only prayer or song which we have which is totally of the Spirit is that which is done using another tongue.
If my prayer language is a language of men and someone is present who understands that dialect, it will be a witness to him. This was the case at Pentecost. However, there were no strangers reportedly present in Acts 10:24 when the believers there received the gift of tongues. There was no need to witness to those who spoke different dialects because Cornelius had called together only his family and friends. Yet, they definitely spoke in other tongues after they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Notice in I Cor.14:23-24 that "tongues" without interpretation is not for unbelievers because unless an unbeliever is present who understands the "language" spoken it will not minister to him. In fact, he will think that the speaker is out of his mind. Remember, not every person present at Pentecost understood every speaker. Each person understood only the speaker who was speaking in the "tongue" with which (s)he was familiar. If all those who were present understood each speaker, why would some of those who were present believe that some of the speakers were drunk (Acts 2:13)?
While witnessing is one of the principle purposes of praying in tongues this is by no means its only function. According to I Cor.14:4 praying in other tongues builds up the one who is praying in this manner. It is part of the spiritual food mentioned earlier which is used by our spiritual man. Furthermore, Paul indicates that it is possible that our prayer language could be one of angels. In that case no man could understand it. While it would then not be the type of effective witnessing tool as was used at Pentecost, such a prayer language would still be beneficial in terms of praying and singing in the Spirit.
Just because you do not understand in your mind does not mean that praying, or singing in the Spirit is not beneficial. Remember, even without interpretation our Spirit is built up by such praying and singing. Whether as a witnessing tool or as a means of edification, Paul specifically directs that speaking in tongues should not be forbidden, although it should be done in order (see I Cor.14:39). Remember, his direction not to forbid the practice of speaking in tongues was written after he had admonished those who had abused this gift. Furthermore, Eph.6:18 specifically directs us to pray in the Spirit on every occasion. Carefully note that this command is directly associated with the command to put on the full armor of God. If it is argued that the practice of praying in tongues has passed away, are we to also assume that the armor of God has also passed away?
Understanding in our mind is not a prerequisite to praying in the Spirit. Eph.6:18 says to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests for all the saints. In my mind I cannot pray for specific needs for saints I do not personally know. Whereas, my Spirit can do so. When we do not know what to pray, we can take comfort in Ro.8:26 which tells us that the Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. However, we are still commanded to pray. "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you dear friends, build yourself up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 18-19).
You may not feel much different, or understand what you are saying at first. So what? The Word tells us our Spirit is praying to God, not men (I Cor.14:2). We should not hesitate to pray with our mind, but we should also not hesitate to pray in the Spirit. We receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit after we ask in faith, believing that we have received (Lk.11:13). We receive the baptism through faith, not feeling (Gal.3:14). Afterward, we are to seek the gifts of the Spirit. (Please keep in mind that the gift giver is always to be more important to us than the gift itself.)
Do not fear that the gift you have received is from the devil. Some people may tell you that your prayer language or gift of tongues is of the devil. Turn to Mk.3:28-30 and see what Jesus said about those who said that he was functioning under the power of an evil spirit. I am not saying that such an accusation is all there is to the sin of 'blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.' However, to say that tongues is of the devil when Scripture says otherwise, may well be the first step towards that sin.
satan counterfeits things, and I have no doubt that there is a counterfeit satanic tongue. But you do not counterfeit something that is not real. After all, when was the last time that you saw a counterfeit $7 bill. Since there is no real one, you don't make a counterfeit. You only counterfeit that which is genuine. If indeed there are counterfeit tongues, then there must also be the genuine article. If you ask God for His gifts, will He not honor His Word? In Lk.11:11-13 we read:
Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (see also Matt.7:11)
The dunamis, or power which came at Pentecost was manifested in the physical realm through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In Matt.22:29 Jesus told the Sadducees that they were in error because they did not know the Scripture or the power (dunamis) of God. Jude 18 & 19 told us of end time scoffers and II Tim.3:5 warns us not to associate with those who, in the last days, have a form of godliness, but deny its power (dunamis). Just as Paul warned against prohibiting speaking in tongues, so also does he state that we should not treat prophecies with contempt.
By faith we receive, by choice we "fan into flames" the gift which God has given us (II Tim.1:6). These gifts are tools which God has given us to help us witness, build up His Church, and minister God's love to each other. They will pass away when they are no longer needed, when the Bride of Rev.19:7 has made herself ready. In the mean time, we are to use them as intended, for His Glory.
Allow me to close this study by referring to a few points which are made by well meaning believers who feel that the gifts of the Spirit are no longer part of God's plan for His Church.
1) Argument against the present day use of the gift of prophecy: In Matt.6:34 Jesus warned his followers not to "… worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." Therefore He will not use prophecy to tell us about future events.
Response: Jesus is warning us not to worry about tomorrow. If the Lord, in His sovereignty, decides to reveal something which is about to happen, we have an entirely different situation. After all, did not God say in Amos 3:7 that He would do nothing without revealing it to his servants the prophets. In Lk.21:20-24 Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and warned believers what to look for so they could avoid being destroyed also. In Acts 21:7-11 "a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says..." In this instance the Holy Spirit gave a warning to Paul about a future event, as had the disciples in Acts 21:4. Paul ignored that warning and eventually died because of it. (Note, God still used Him even though he disobeyed the leading of the Spirit.) In Acts 11:27-29 a prophecy concerning famine is given and the believers took steps accordingly to avoid disaster. In Acts 19:6 we are told that after the believers received the Holy Spirit they began to prophecy. Finally, in I Tim.4:14 Paul refers positively to a personal prophecy given to Timothy.
2) Argument against present day use of the gift of prophecy: God doesn't show favoritism (Acts 10:34) Why doesn't He tell all Christians who are in danger to avoid some particular situation, such as a plane crash?
Response: I believe that he does; however, most Christians do not take the time to listen (Job 33:14). Furthermore, if you are a believer who believes that God does not speak to us today, how do you expect to hear Him. This is especially so when we consider that prophecy is a matter of faith. (Ro.12: 6). Christians who are so far from the Lord that the only time they can hear Him is when He speaks in the powerful wind, will miss what He is saying if He speaks in a gentle whisper (I Ki.19: 11-13).
3) Argument against present day use of the gift of prophecy: Heb.1:1 says that "in the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son whom He appointed heir to all things." John 1:1 says Jesus is the Word. Therefore, Jesus has spoken to us through His written Word and prophecy is not needed.
Response: Refer back to that portion of this study which discusses the issue of the Bible being the "perfect" spoken of in I Cor.13:10. In many instances Old Testament prophets spoke what became doctrine. Today, doctrine can only come from the Bible. Any modern prophecy which contradicts the Scripture is definitely not from God. However, many Old Testament prophecies were to give warnings or provide information. This function of prophecy has not changed. For example, see the Scriptures cited in point # 1 above. The foregoing verse in Hebrews is referring more to a method of communication (ie primarily verbal) as opposed to the totality of communication which God will use in the last days. Remember, Paul specifically wished that all believers were able to walk in the level of faith which would permit them to prophecy (I Cor.14:3-5). Finally, carefully note that the ministry of the two witnesses in Rev.11:3 definitely includes the use of prophecy.
4) Argument against the whole idea of a separate Spirit baptism: According to Eph.4:4 there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.
Response: While this is indeed true we must remember that the "One Lord" referred to is "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit". The faith referred to is "Past, Present, and Future" (see John 11:17-37). The baptism referred to in that verse is also threefold in nature. The first part is water (I Pe. 3:21; Matt.3:13; Acts 8:38; Acts 10:47). The second is Spirit (Mk.1:8; Acts 1:5; & Acts 11:16). The third is fire (Matt.3:11 & Mk.10:38).
5) Argument against whole idea of a separate Spirit baptism: You get all of God when you are saved.
Response: In addition to comments about this in the body of the study, take note that after the initial experience of baptism with the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts 2:4, many of these same believers were "refilled" with the Spirit in Acts 4:23-31. Remember, Book of Ephesians was written to believers (Eph.1:1); however, Paul asked God to give these same believers more of His Spirit (Eph.1:17). Needless to say, this would have been a useless prayer if these believers had received everything that God had for them during their initial salvation experience.
6) Argument against whole idea of a separate Spirit baptism: The Book of Acts is purely historical in nature and we should not use it for doctrine.
Response: II Tim.3:16 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Furthermore, in reality the book of Acts is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1)
7) Argument against instructing people on speaking in tongues: If tongues were of the Spirit of God, you would not need instruction:
Response: The same rationale could be used concerning the Bible; yet Eph.4:11 specifically states that God has given us teachers to help us understand. Likewise it could be argued that evangelists wouldn't be needed if the salvation experience were from God. Obviously, neither the teachers nor the evangelists are the source of the gift of tongues, the Bible, or the salvation experience. However, God does make use of these anointed ministries as He undertakes the task of building His Church.