I've provided scripture that clearly shows people received the Holy Spirit before and other times after getting water baptized. I don't claim to understand the specifics behind it.
that the holy Spirit can be received separately from water baptism indicates to me that forgiveness of sins is sometimes accomplished with water baptism, and sometimes water baptism is done as a sign of the forgiveness of sins.
However, at times I have been drawn to the scripture in 1 Thessalonians that would seem to indicate that man's spirit, soul and body must be dwelt with separately. And wondered whether obedience to repentance, water baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost caused spiritual realities in connection with the separate parts of man. Any thoughts?:
thanks for asking!
I think Paul is simply giving a blessing, and in most languages it sounds nice if you use the
"rule of three".
like this
1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
three phrases,
the first one has a string of three adjectives...
maybe the three adjectives refer to the three persons of the Godhead,
or maybe it just gives it a musical sound.
Acts 4:7 would seem to be clarifying that because Peter was a Spirit filled believer is why he could be used by God is heal people. Not that he had actually been filled by the Spirit at that specific moment.
As to Zacharias and even John the Baptist their being filled was not the norm. Only after Jesus' death, burial and resurrection were people filled with the Holy Spirit as part of the spiritual rebirth experience.
I think this brings up an important idea about Bible understanding.
the Bible is a really big book.
it says a lot of things about a lot of different things,
sometimes in the same way, sometimes in different ways.
suppose we use the analogy of a giant jigsaw puzzle.
a person says, "these two pieces fit together, and then that allows this third piece to fit, and pretty soon you've got most of the pieces fitting together.
then just take the remaining pieces and apply some extra pressure, and they fit too."
then someone else says, "if you change around some of the earlier pieces, then you don't have to apply that pressure to those other remaining pieces."
of course, the second person also has pieces left over...
Paul's question indicated that believing and receiving the Holy Ghost took place separately. Period.
His comment had nothing to do with their interaction afterward.
Consider, however, that they believed Paul's message and the need for them to be re-baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and obeyed. After doing so, Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. Receiving the Holy Ghost was indeed a separate experience as depicted.
again, the passage in Acts doesn't say what they believed.
different believers sometimes believe different things
Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."
Aside from who was used, the story conveys that believing and receiving the Holy Ghost take place separately.
about receiving the holy Spirit, John has this to say
John 20:22 When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 Whoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. Whoever's sins you retain, they have been retained."
(Thomas wasn't with them, does he not receive the holy Spirit?)
I think it is interesting that Paul is confident that everyone that 1 Corinthians is addressed to is baptized with the spirit
1 Corinthians 12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
I am aware of circumstances where Jesus forgave sins while He was on the earth. But am unaware of any scriptures that contradicts one another. Please share those you have seen.
contradictions, no.
but some pretty good paradoxes, imo
James 5:14 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 and the prayer of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Yes water baptism is a command as seen in the many scriptures I have shared.
Jesus came to fulfill the OT law. After His death, burial and resurrection the NT mandate was put into place. God has always required man's obedience to his covenant responsibility. In the NT that is repentance and submitting to water baptism after accepting Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. The promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost is a God given provision.
if you believe that Jesus came to replace the rituals and ordinances of the old covenant
with a different ritual done in a specific method with a specific phrase said at the same time,
then I think you aren't grasping the New covenant.
focusing on letters brings death
it's the spirit that gives life.
(and of course, I say all of the above in a gentle, friendly tone.)