Tag Archives: tongues

ACTS THE SEQUEL…THE HOLY SPIRIT – 7b

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Jesus, in His final moments with His disciples in the upper room, has spelled out clearly the Holy Spirit’s impending return. He would come to take up His role as Jesus’ “other self”, fulfilling in them what the Father had planned from the beginning. 

However, the Apostle Paul had to deal with the inevitable issue of “the flesh” that was creeping into this predominately Gentile church in Corinth…the issue of competition, since the gift of “tongues”… speaking supernaturally in an unlearned language… which is what happened in Jerusalem at Pentecost…seems to have morphed into a new phenomenon…uttering strange-sounding words regarded as a “heavenly language”. 

These “tongues” were spectacular and extraordinary. It seems that everyone in the Corinthian church wanted this gift. However, Paul had to correct their understanding. Using the analogy of the human body…

Not everyone has the same gift , since the human body is made up of many parts with different functions…so the members of  body of Christ are different with functions but…

…every gift has the same purpose…to edify and build up the whole body. 

So…as Paul explained…

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are an integral part of His ministry in the church for a specific purpose, not for the glory of individual but for the good of whole body. 

When we put the Holy Spirit’s gifts in perspective and in their right place…first, we must understand that they flow from our relationship with Jesus. Outside of that, they are nothing but showmanship which Jesus does not acknowledge. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Second, if the gifts of the Spirit are not used for the purpose for which they were intended and under the leading of the Spirit, they are of no value to the body of  Christ. 

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬, ‭11‬, ‭26‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭9‬, ‭12‬, ‭20‬, ‭26‬, ‭29‬, ‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The exercise of a variety of spiritual gifts in the body, dispersed and directed by the Holy Spirit, and practised under the instruction and guidance of church leaders, should have three outcomes…

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his 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.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…unity in the faith

…maturity in character and behaviour of the members, 

….fullness in Christ. 

So, we see that the Holy Spirit has two specific functions…in the believer, to restore and reproduce the likeness of Jesus…

…and in the body of Christ, to produce a healthy, functional unit, mature and complete. 

This is the gift God promised Abraham in principle…and was poured out in fulness on the day of Pentecost. 

…and this gift is for everyone who believes…not only for some who are equipped for a special task. 

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭38‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He is automatically given when we are born again by the Spirit…

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He is God’s seal and guarantee of eternal life un every believer, 

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He will teach and guide every believer throughout life and administer all the benefits of the New Covenant. 

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.””

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nowhere in Scripture are believers urged to seek the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit. Rather, we are instructed to receive Him, obey Him, be led by Him, and allow Him full control. We are cautioned not to grieve Him or put out His fire in us…which we can do by disobeying or ignoring Him in the course of our daily lives. 

The Holy Spirit is our “paracletos”, our Helper. He is our closest companion, friend, counsellor, and the representative of Jesus in us. Every new believer who is not introduced to the Spirit and made aware of His presence in him/her is robbed of the assurance of the presence of the one person who stands between growing up into Christ or failing and falling at every obstacle and test.  

It is imperative, then, that those who introduce people to Jesus, also ensure that new believers understand the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit in them. 

To be continued

THE BOOK OF ACTS – DUNKED INTO JESUS

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DUNKED INTO JESUS

“‘We’ve never even heard of that — a Holy Spirit? God within us?’

“‘How were you baptised then?’ asked Paul.

“‘In John’s baptism.’

“‘That explains it,’ said Paul.’ John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you’ve been baptised into John’s baptism, you’re ready now for the real thing, for Jesus.’

“And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptised in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that minute on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God’s actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day.” Acts 19:2-7 (The Message).

Why did Luke include this incident in his story of the church? Was it because the Holy Spirit knew that in days to come the church’s understanding and practice of baptism would become another issue so contentious that it would split the church and even be the reason for bloodshed? Misunderstanding about baptism and the work of the Holy Spirit have done major damage to the unity of Christ’s body.

It is impossible, in a short article like this, to deal with the subject thoroughly. However, these few verses indicate that there is a close link between truth, belief and experience. Unless the practice of baptism is linked to the truth of its meaning, it becomes just another useless religious ritual.

In the light of Paul’s action when he found believers who had only been baptised into John, we have to question the practice of infant baptism. How is it possible for a baby or young child to understand and believe the significance of baptism into either John or Jesus? It’s not the act of sprinkling or immersing in water that is important. It is the meaning of the action that gives it its power.

Baptism was a common practice in Judaism. It signified a washing away of the old life and initiation into and identity with a new movement. Priests were baptised into the hereditary office of the priesthood when they reached the age of thirty, as were rabbis when they had completed their training in the Beth Talmud.

There seems to be a close link between baptism into the name of Jesus and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

To be baptised into the name of Jesus indicated that the initiate had been washed clean of the old life with its sinful practices and embraced Him and His teaching as a new Master and a new way of life. The Holy Spirit sealed this transaction by taking up residence in the new believer and empowering him to become what he had confessed to be.

“Don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3-4 9(NIV).

There is much more to baptism than being dunked under water. A spiritual transaction takes place in that act of obedience; the old life for a new life, an outward sign of identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection, initiation into a life of discipleship and a sealing of that action by the Holy Spirit’s permanent indwelling. The believer is immersed both into Jesus and into His body, which is the church, by the Holy Spirit.

“For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NIV).

THE BOOK OF ACTS – MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

“No sooner were these words out of Peter’s mouth than the Holy Spirit came on the listeners. The believing Jews who had come with Peter couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on “outsider” Gentiles, but there is was — they heard them speaking in tongues, heard them praising God.

“Then Peter said, ‘Do I hear any objections to baptising these friends with water? They’ve received the Holy Spirit exactly as we did.’ Hearing no objection, he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ.

“Then they asked Peter to stay on for a few days.” Acts 10:44-48 (The Message).

Mission accomplished! Finally the door of the gospel had swung wide open for the whole world. With the Holy Spirit Himself authenticating the next phase of Jesus’ mission, the disciples of Jesus were free to take the message to the ends of the earth.

What an experience for a seasoned Jew! God had got His point across in no uncertain terms and Peter had no option but to fall in and obey. God had once again fulfilled His promise that He would confirm His word with signs following.

My journey through Acts thus far had left me wondering why we are not seeing the same powerful acts of God happening through the church today as it did in the early church. What have we missed, lost, changed or forgotten that has left the church relatively powerless, an organization rather than a living organism and another religion instead of a vital and dynamic relationship with the living God?

In His teaching on prayer, Jesus brings our attention to two destructive forces in our lives and in the world — unforgiveness and the evil eye. Most of His prayer focuses on God and puts us and our insignificant concerns into the perspective of who God is and what His agenda is for us in His kingdom. Our greatest need is not for “things”, needs about which God knows anyway, but for the “daily bread” of His word without which we cannot live.

Unforgiveness wrecks relationships and cuts us off from God’s forgiveness, leaving us bitter and alone. Forgiveness is not about making excuses for other people’s behaviour. It’s about cancelling a small debt because Jesus has cancelled a very big one.

The evil eye, not the Evil One, is our biggest enemy. The evil eye refers to our natural bent towards selfishness and greed. Is it not true to say that the entire world has been ruined and destroyed by greed? And yet these two issues, unforgiveness and the evil eye are as rife in the church as they are in the world.

Jesus calls us as His disciples to be learners and imitators of Him. What were the qualities that He modelled? Humble, gentle and utterly dependant on the Holy Spirit were the hallmarks of His human life.

Among the many reasons why the church is irrelevant today, I see two streams that are disturbing. There is the tendency to “use” the Holy Spirit for doing the spectacular. He almost becomes a spiritual “entertainment” which draws the crowds. In the other stream the Holy Spirit is relegated to a doctrine. Priests and ministers have replaced Him as head of the church and individual believers grieve and quench Him into silence and inactivity.

With our relationships in tatters because we refuse to forgive, and with self with its self-will and greed firmly in the driving seat, it is any wonder that the church no longer impacts the world by modelling the life of God and the kingdom of God.

Just a thought….