| The Baptism with, the Reception of, the Filling with, and the Regeneration by the Holy Spirit |
Dec 14, 2010
Dear Brethren,
It delights my heart to hear of saints gathering together like the Bereans to search the Scriptures. And an inquisitive and inquiring mind is always a great asset and virtue in the learning process.
KS made a good inquiry... an essential point that is very often misunderstood. I am glad he raised the question.
Please spend some time to read these thoughts on the matter... so that you will get a good understanding of this subject... and be able to assist others when needed.
Here is the text where the question is raised:
3:1 ¶ O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Let us note some essential points first, before we come to the inquiry itself. This will bring to sharp focus what is exactly under consideration in Gal 3:2... "Received ye the Spirit by... ?"
1. Baptism with the Holy Ghost
There are several occasions where the UNIQUE phenomenon described as the 'baptism/filled with the Holy Ghost' are recorded for us. Here they are:
In the 'major' Pentecost event: This was primarily a Jewish event, Acts 2:4 "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." This was in fulfillment of Ac 1:5 "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
In the other 'minor' pentecostal events:
First among the Samaritans: Acts 8 14 "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."
Secondly, among the Gentiles: Acts 10:44 "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God." Apostle Peter later reported of the event, "Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost" Ac 11:16.
Thirdly, among the displaced Jews: Acts 19: 4 "Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve."
The above are the FOUR unique occasions where the "baptism/filling WITH the Holy Ghost" is spoken of. Each of them dealt with a different group of God's children, that is, Jews, half-Jews (Samaritans), Gentiles, Displaced Jews (who knew only the ministry of John the Baptist).
Baptism/Filling WITH the Holy Ghost are unique epochal events, demonstrating the important truth that Jews and Samaritans and Gentiles are all INCLUDED in the Church of Jesus Christ on the same BASIS... so that the Jewish Christians cannot say to the Samaritan or the Gentile Christians, "we are superior because we have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and you don't!)
The words of Apostle Peter in Acts 15:7-8 are of utmost importance:
" 7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us."
God did for the Gentile "EVEN AS HE DID UNTO US"... God did to the Gentiles at Caesarea (Cornelius) EVEN AS He did unto us at Jerusalem (on the day of Pentecost! God has put them Gentile on EQUAL FOOTING as us Jews in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Those FOURS 'pentecostal' events are unique. They are EPOCHAL events, dealing with distinct groups of people - Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. They are WATERSHED events not to be repeated. They are not events of personal experiences. These are supernatural events, unique to the initial establishment of the NT church.
[Apostle Peter, in his sermon on the day, explained that the pouring out of the Spirit was the fulfillment of the great prophecy of prophet Joel, a sign from heaven to indicate the beginning of the END of old covenant and the dawning of the new covenant; the abolition of the old theocratic kingdom of Israel with the establishment of the kingdom of heaven by the person and works of Jesus Christ. This was fulfilled in AD 70.]
2. Reception of the Holy Spirit
There are many instances where the giving and reception of the Holy Spirit is spoken of in the context of the gospel ministry - without the attendant apostolic signs and miracles. This is distinct from all that have been noted in point 1 above.
And Gal 3:2 is one of these instances. What does the giving and receiving of the Spirit mean? Gal 3:5 reminds us of the Person who ministers or bestows the Spirit - "He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" The pronoun 'he' refers to God himself.
What does the expression 'ministereth to you the Spirit' mean? Luke 11:13, the concluding verse of the whole paragraph from 5-13, read thus, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" In this passage, God's tender and manifold blessings to His children are put in term of giving the Holy Spirit to them. The giving of the Spirit is the EQUIVALENT term of God's gracious and affectionate bestowal of spiritual gifts to His children.
Please remember that God's children are those elect who are ALREADY regenerated and indwelt by the Spirit of God. "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Romans 8:9. The Spirit of adoption is given to dwell in God's children - "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" Rom 8:15. "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" Gal 4:6.
The 'reception of the Spirit' is a term to describe the spiritual joy and blessings that believers are blessed with when they believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Galatians themselves experienced great joy in their reception of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They felt so blessed through believing the gospel that Apostle Paul said this, "Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me." The blessedness they experienced was through their believing the gospel, and not their performing the Jewish ceremonial laws.
The believers experienced great joy - 1Th 1:6 "And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost." The Ethiopian eunuch "went his way rejoicing." In Romans 4, Paul speaks of the blessedness experienced by Abraham by his believing. Put this together with what is said in 1Cor 12:4 "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." God's blessings upon His children are spiritual gifts, the working of the Holy Spirit.
Receiving and experiencing those spiritual blessing at conversion is likened to receiving the Spirit himself... even though the Holy Spirit ALREADY dwells within each child of God. The Spirit of adoption is given at regeneration, whom God regenerates, He also bestows the gift of the Spirit of adoption to reside in a child He regenerated.
So Apostle Paul in Gal 3:2 is essentially asking rhetorically, "did you experience those special spiritual blessings of God by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith"?
3. Be filled with the Holy Spirit
There are numerous commands to believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is distinct from 1 and 2 above.
Individual believers should seek rather to be filled with the Spirit. Seeking the fulness of the Spirit is normative today, not tarrying for the Baptism of Pentecost. I do not recall any command to seek the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but there is plenty about being filled with the Spirit.
The opposite, of course, is, "Quench not the Spirit." 1The 5:19. By the Spirit, is not meant the person of the Spirit (He can't be quenched, though He can be grieved, Eph 4:30) , but the graces worked in them by the Spirit. These graces and blessings may be compared to light, and fire, and heat, to which the quenching is alluded. Though these graces cannot be totally extinguished, nor utterly put out or lost, yet they may be greatly damped; the light of faith may become dim; the flame of love be quenched and wax cold; the heat of zeal may pass into lukewarmness, and an indifference of spirit. The light of knowledge seem to decline instead of increasing;
And how does this quenching happen? It is quenched through indulging some sin or sins, by keeping bad company, and by neglecting the ordinances of God, prayer, preaching, and other privileges of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore such an exhortation is necessary to revive the saints and stir them up to the use of those means, whereby those graces are cherished, nurtured and preserved in their lively exercise.
The gifts and graces of the Spirit are to be treasured, utilized, nurtured and cultivated; don’t neglect or bury them! But the Galatians were in grave danger of quenching them, by their turning to the ceremonial laws of Moses, and Apostle Paul had to labour to have them converted again!
Gal 5:22-23 remind us of the gifts and graces worked in God's children by the Holy Spirit. These gifts and graces need to be utilized and used, need to be exercised... for our own spiritual good and well being, and also for the blessings and edification of fellow saints.
Conclusion
So, keep the three distinct aspects... and we will rightly divide the word of truth. 'Received ye the Spirit' is a synonym with receiving and experiencing the spiritual blessings at their conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And all the three are distinct from the Spirit's work of regeneration!!!
Regeneration PRECEDES them all and happens without any human activity.
The free grace BESTOWAL of the Spirit of adoption to dwell in each regenerated elect happened at regeneration without him doing anything! It is a gift bestowed at regeneration.
And every regenerated elect has the Spirit of adoption dwelling in him. Ro 8:9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Only those ALREADY regenerated can be baptized with the Holy Spirit, received the Spirit, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
May our Lord bless each of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit who works in us to will and to do God's holy will for us.
Please fell free to ask further.
your brother and servant in Christ,
sing croaking!
