The Holy Spirit -- IV.
We continue our articles on the Holy Spirit. We will begin now a study of the Holy Spirit's coming upon the apostles to guide them. As an introduction to our study let us read some promises that our Lord made to His apostles concerning the advent of the Spirit. John 14:16, 17; "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." This comforter which Jesus said would come is the Spirit of Truth or the Holy Spirit. Again we read John 14:26: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Here we learn that the Holy Spirit would teach the apostles all things and bring all things to their remembrance that Jesus had taught them. Again we read, John 16:7: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." Then in verse 13 we read, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come." Notice that in all of these passages of scripture Jesus was talking to his apostles. They are the only ones who received the promise of the Spirit in such a measure as to guide them into all truth and cause them to be able to speak without making any preparation whatsoever.
Let us notice the necessity of these twelve men receiving the Spirit. We have twelve men without money, prestige, power or education, embarking upon the greatest commission ever given to a group of men. How could they in the face of all the opposition and with their shortcomings hope to fulfill this commission were it not for divine help? Let us see how this was to be done.
They were not educated in the art of public speaking. They had no need to be. Matt. 10:19,20; "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
These same men were often weak and failures while Jesus was with them. What could make them as bold as they were afterwards but the Spirit which was promised them? Jesus promised them that they would not be left comfortless but that He would send a comforter to them.
These twelve men had to teach the world all that Jesus had taught them. How could they remember what they had learned over a period of three and a half years? They were promised that all things would be brought to their remembrance through the guidance of the Spirit.
Who would believe these twelve men preaching this new doctrine and trying to overthrow the traditions of the Jewish fathers? Why no one would, were it not for the work of the Spirit in confirming their words with signs and wonders and divers miracles. Heb. 2:3,4; "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?"
The Spirit was also instrumental in breaking down the wall of prejudice that had grown up between Jew and Gentile. It took a miraculous manifestation at the household of Cornelius to convince Peter and the rest of the Jews there that the Gentiles were also accepted by God. When we realize the deep-seated prejudice that had existed between Jew and Greek we can understand that such a manifestation was necessary.
As we view this little band of twelve men about to convert the world to Christianity and further see their shortcomings and fears and in some instances their unbelief we can readily see that it took divine power to help them to accomplish this task. Thus, we can see that the apostles are dependent upon the Spirit and in a sense the Spirit is dependent upon the apostles. The apostles were the mouthpiece of the Spirit.
Let us progress and see the time when the apostles received this Holy Spirit. Jesus speaks to them in Acts 1:4-5; "And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." We see that this outpouring of the Spirit was to be in a baptismal measure. We have seen in a previous article that Jesus received the Spirit in an unlimited measure. The Apostles are to receive it in the baptismal measure. Jesus said "ye (the apostles) shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." This baptism was a promise and was promised unto the apostles and to them alone. Holy Spirit baptism is not a command and was not intended for the great mass of the people. Keep in mind what we have already learned concerning the Spirit and how God's Spirit worked upon the people through inspired leaders. God is dealing the same way with the people now. The inspired leaders are the apostles.
But now let us notice the passage of scripture that shows the apostles receiving the Spirit Acts 2:1-4; "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." There has been some doubt in the minds of some as to just how many received the Holy Spirit. It is plain that only the twelve apostles received it. It had been promised unto the apostles and them alone. In Acts 1:26 Luke speaks of the selection of Matthias as one of the apostles and numbered him with the eleven and then in Acts 2:1, the pronoun "THEY" refers back to the noun "apostles," as those who received the baptismal measure of the. Holy Spirit. The 120 disciples did not receive this outpouring of the Spirit.
This took place with the roar or sound of a rushing mighty wind. The word as indicates that it was not a wind but was comparable to a wind. There also appeared cloven tongues like as of fire. Again we see the comparative word "as". Many have thought that this refers to the baptism of fire. In my understanding there was no fire present at all. These cloven tongues were like fire or comparable to fire. A thing that is comparable to another is not the element first mentioned. So this was not the baptism of fire but these tongues were as fire. Fire baptism was not promised to Christians but for those who disobey the Lord, and will be meted out in the day of judgment. I am sure that no person will want to have a part in that baptism of fire! It is reserved for the wicked and ungodly.
In Acts 2:6, we learn that the Spirit coming upon the apostles caused the multitudes to come together. There were represented at Jerusalem that Pentecost day about 16 different nations. There were approximately eight different languages represented. Each man heard them speak in his own tongue or language in which he was born. Thus these uneducated men were able to speak, without study, the language of any country. This speaking in tongues was intelligent utterances and could be understood by those who spoke that language. It was not a jargon of meaningless words that are uttered today by some and called "tongues." We will note later in our study on the Holy Spirit that speaking in tongues has ceased as far as miraculous manifestations are concerned.
When Peter and the eleven spoke to this group of Jews by inspiration on this day, they were fulfilling a prophecy uttered by Jesus in Matt. 16:19; "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (See also Matt. 18:18.) Here the apostles preach the first full gospel sermon ever preached and bind and lose You will see by a careful reading of the chapter, Acts 2, that the Spirit did not work miraculously upon the multitude to convert them, but only upon the apostles, the instrumentality of the Lord. The apostles then preached by inspiration of the Spirit. The words spoken were directed to the understanding of the people. They had to hear and obey before they were converted. It was the Spirit that was converting them but it was being done through the medium of the apostles and the words that they spoke. What was it that Peter by inspiration, bound upon the people? After they heard his sermon and believed that they had crucified the Christ, he told them to "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ..." Thus we see that repentance and baptism were bound upon them before they could be loosed from their sins. The same thing is binding upon you and me today to be loosed from our sins. This is the message of the Spirit.
(To be continued)