At the beginning of the Acts of
the Apostles, Jesus tells the apostles that they will soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
And then, in chapter 2 of Acts, we have Luke’s version of Pentecost, when, as
promised, the Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles with tongues as of fire, where fire is symbolic of a new beginning
for them – a moment of radical transformation.
And then, just after the passage we hear at Mass this Sunday, Peter tells the
crowd, Repent and be baptized, and you
will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit… To what end? So that they might proclaim, he says, the mighty
acts of God. Remarkably, that same
gift – or set of gifts – that is the Holy Spirit is also meant for us today – and so is the radical transformation it
entails!
In this Sunday’s Gospel from John, Jesus himself breathes on the disciples, saying, Receive the Holy Spirit. As in the Creation story in Genesis where God
breathes life into the world, Jesus’ breath confers new life upon the apostles,
and they are radically changed, made new, as we, too, are made new each time we
open ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives: Lord,
send down your spirit, and renew the face of the earth (Psalm 104). And if we are open to that transformation,
then the Holy Spirit will make it possible for us to proclaim – with courage and conviction – that Jesus Christ is Lord (1 Corinthians), a statement that speaks to
our identity as the Body of Christ as strongly as the moment we make the Sign
of the Cross when we enter church. United in one purpose, thanks to the Spirit,
we are better able to live our newly transformed existence in the context of
God’s infinite love, and to go forth to share that love with the world – the
best proclamation possible of the mighty acts of God!
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Photo source
DO MEN RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE MOMENT THEY BELIEVE?
ReplyDeleteWhen do Christians receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit? In other words when do believers in Christ receive the person of the Holy Spirit? Do men receive the gift of the Holy Spirit the moment they believe in Jesus or is it after they-believe-repent- confess-and are baptized in water?
Except for the special case of Cornelius, his family, and friends, believers do not receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit until they are baptized in water as the apostle Peter commanded. Cornelius received the Holy Spirit to prove to Jewish Christians that salvation was for the Gentiles as well.
The apostle Paul found some disciples of Christ and asked this question. (Acts 19:2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.")
Contrary to what some Bible commentaries say, Paul did ask them if they had spoken in tongues or received other spiritual gifts since they believed.
Point: These disciples of Christ were already believers. They not only had not received the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit, they had not even heard that there was a Holy Spirit.
Acts 19:3-4 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who, was coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
John's baptism was not valid after the Day of Pentecost. Even though they believed in Jesus they did not receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
They needed to be baptized as Jesus instructed (In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit Matt.28:19) and as the apostle Peter implemented, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and to receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
After they were baptized in water Paul laid his hands on them and they spoke in tongues and began prophesying.(Acts 19:6)
Paul did not impart the indwelling gift of the person of the Holy Spirit. They received the Holy Spirit Himself at the time of their being baptized in the name of the Lord.
Romans 1:11 For I long to see you so, that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;
The apostle Paul and the rest of the apostles could impart spiritual gifts, to Christians, through the laying on of hands, however, they did not have the power to give the person of the Holy Spirit to others.
WATER AND SPIRIT ARE LINKED
John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
WATER AND THE SPIRIT
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration [water baptism] and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
WATER AND THE SPIRIT
The three thousand souls on the Day of Pentecost did not receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit until there were baptized in the name of the Lord.
The twelve men at Ephesus did not receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit until they were baptized in the name of the Lord.
MEN TODAY, DO NOT RECEIVE THE INDWELLING GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE MOMENT THEY BELIEVE
MEN RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AFTER THEY ---BELIEVE---THEY REPENT---THEY CONFESS JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR---AND ARE IMMERSED IN WATER FOR THE REMISSION OF THEIR SINS.
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