@Charlie24 &
@kyredneck &
@John of Japan &
@JD731
Note to JD731 be sure to read post #16 before this post #17. Could not add a tag to your name to that post as it was exceeding word limit.
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The Baptism of the Holy Ghost was historically in two phases separated by 10 years and 9 chapters in the book of Acts. The first phase is the baptism of Israel, the people of God, This baptism would include Samaria which represented the northern kingdom of Israel that had been dispersed from her land for 700 years at this time. Jesus had fulfilled all the requirements of God, a perfect substitute, so he might take away the sin of his people. This would permit God to transition from the OT principle of the Mosaic Law as his operative principle of divine dealing with them which they were all, every one, subjected to by virtue of their birth into the family of Jacob, a family who was under a legal covenant with God. This law was a perfect guideline but it was a temporary addendum to the Abrahamic covenant for the purpose of discipline in the family but it was powerless to produce righteousness because it was dependent on the flesh and the will on the people, and of course every one of them failed and was condemned by it. But that was the goal God had for the law. It was to bring this people to Christ so they would be ready and willing to receive his righteousness as a gift and on his merits have all their sins washed away and no longer able to condemn them. They were sinners before Mt Sanai but not because of the Mosaic Law. See Ga 3.
So, God transitioned from the principle of law in dealing with his people to another principle that was to fulfill several covenant promises but particularly the New Covenant wherein he promised Israel everlasting life. The constitution for the kingdom with it's new principles of divine dealing going forward was given in Matthew 5,6,and 7, the sermon on the mount. This kingdom would require inward power from God that they did not have. They would need the Spirit of Christ who was his righteousness. Every thing Jesus ever did or said as a man was by the power that he had in his mortal body. He was the only man ever born or will be born of a woman with the Spirit of God indwelling him. That is the reason he is called the only begotten son of God. He is not the only son of God, he is the only begotten son of God. John the Baptist said in John 3 that God gave not the Spirit by measure unto him. There was not a time except when he was on the cross that he was not filled with the Spirit. Today, saved men are commanded to be filled with the Spirit but because of the weakness of the flesh we cannot constantly be filled with the Spirit as was our Lord Jesus.
So, the operative principle of divine dealing for Jacob during this transition time of the apostolic age was "promise." God had promised in the OT prophets that he would send his Spirit to indwell Israel but how he would do that was not revealed. Jesus began speaking to his disciples and comforting them on crucifixion eve, which is our Thursday .and he told them he would be departing physically but he would send his Spirit and that he would be with them and in them and would never forsake them (see John 14-17). This is the promise he instructed them to wait in Jerusalem to receive collectively as he ascended to heaven in Acts 1. These disciples had already received the Spirit into their bodies in John 20 on the day of the resurrection when Jesus breathed into them the Spirit, save Thomas, but they had not been filled with him.
Now, two things here; first.
The baptism of the Holy Ghost in Acts 2 upon Israel was an answer of prayer of Jesus to his Father in John 17; Here is a portion of his prayer.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Speaking of the disciples who had ministered with him the whole time;
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 ¶ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:
that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 ¶ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus had told them that he must leave or the Spirit would not come. Now we know why this is true.
Secondly,
Just as every one of them was a son of Jacob, and by extension, Abraham and Isaac, by being born into the family, this new covenant was also a transition into a new family, the family of God, as sons of God, through a birth, one at a time. The problem the Jews had that caused them to reject Christ is they thought that being a son of Abraham made them a son of God. Paul would address that later in Rom 9 with these words.
Ro 9:6 ¶ Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Paul goes on to explain it is the second birth that makes one a son of God, no matter about your first birth.
The transition cannot be realized until every one of this people Israel are born into the family of God by the Spirit indwelling them. The Spirit is the life of God.
Now Israel at Pentecost is asked to receive the Spirit as the promise. Peter refers back to OT scripture promises in his sermon.
14 ¶ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams (this is ALL flesh. it is a baptism, of all Israel, not just believers - Israel is immersed in the Spirit by this act of God)
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Why is this important? It is because that God is calling upon all Israel to receive the Spirit and be born again collectively as they were born physically. See this instruction for Israel by Peter in Acts 2:38. The operative part of this verse for our conversation here is EVERY ONE OF YOU! Read it.
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
So, just because the Spirit was poured out in abundance upon all Israel does not mean the Spirit was in them. He must be receive by each and every one of them. And because their identification with Jesus Christ must be public, no one will receive him unless they are baptized in water. I distinction was made between those who were with him and those who were against him. A period of seven years would be the time period for these apostles to preach to EVERY CREATURE in Judah, and we are plainly told that. The national response is in Acts 7 at the temple.
Mark:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
The sign gifts which they exercised with their ministry would confirm the messenger and his message was from God.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
God is much more serious about our testimony for him than we are many times. He said if the men of Israel would not confess him before men then he would not confess them before God. He did not say that to gentiles. Water baptism is a public profession and the confession would occur before the new birth.
Contued
