THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

CONTENTS

THE HOLY SPIRIT

His different attributes-the Holy Spirit is a Person-co-equal with God the Father-equal in His
creative powers with the Father and the Son-omnipotent-omnipresent-omniscient.

THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

He is one of the threee Persons in the Godhead involved in the work of creation.-He exists as
the `Priest of the most high God’ – He is the Inspirer of the holy scriptures – He reproves the
world of sin- He bears witness to the truth – He appoints and directs His ministers – He
possesses the power of resurrection.

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The work of the Holy Spirit in the time of Moses, the judges, the kings and prophets and
during the Babylonian captivity and thereafter.

THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The first outpouring called the `former rain’ – The last days – The second outpouring called
the `latter rain’.

THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Upon all flesh-the Spirit indwells us – the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST

The `Word’ – the incorruptible Seed – Christ’s exhortation concerning the Holy Spirit – The
Spirit of Christ in the Old Testament – The Spirit of Christ in the Old Testament prophets.

WHEN DO WE RECEIVE THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The disciples of Christ – The Samaritan believers – Cornelius – The disciples at Ephesus.

SPEAKING WITH TONGUES

The day of Pentecost – Philip’s converts at Samaria – Cornelius – The Ephesian believers -
`Do all speak with tongues? – St.Paul – the use of speaking with tongues – Evidence from
Church History.

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

The ministry of the Spirit (i) in a believer (ii) in the Church (iii) in servants of God.
******

PREFACE

Like the disciples at Ephesus who said, ``We have not so much as heard
whether there be any Holy Ghost’, today, many Christians have known Jesus personally, but
are ignorant of the third Person of the Trinity. The Lord Jesus Himself introduced the Holy
Spirit while He was on earth saying, ``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’’(Jn.16:7). There are people like the Jehovah’s Witnesses who deny His personality,
saying that the Holy Spirit is but breath, a wind or an active force. Some do not have a clear
understanding about the definite experience of being baptized in the Holy Ghost with the sign
of speaking with tongues. Certain world-renowned evangelists hold on to the traditional

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belief that a man receives the Holy Spirit the moment he is born again. Others teach that
speaking with tongues is only a gift received subsequent to receiving the Holy Spirit. There
are some Pentecostal Christians too, who believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is given
only for the manifestation of gifts and there are others who say that it is given only to preach
the gospel. They are ignorant of the real ministry of the Holy Spirit which is to bring the
Church to perfection. These aspects are therefore dealt with in this book, with clear
references from the Scriptures which establish the truth and doctrine of the baptism in the
Holy Spirit.
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1 THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is Deity (God) and is distinct from the Father and the Son. He is the
third Person of the Godhead.
He is not just 'breath' or 'wind' or an 'active form' as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach.
HIS DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES
1. He is a Person :
The personal noun 'He' is used when reference is being made to the Holy Spirit, and
personal acts are also ascribed to Him.
'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 shew
you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto
you' (Jn.16:13,14).
"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2).
2. He is co-equal with (Jehovah) God the Father:
We understand this when we read the following Scriptures side by side :
(i) "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not
your hearts, as in the provocation ..." (Heb.3:7,8); (ii) "... (They) have tempted me now these
ten times..." (Num.14:22); and also (i) "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of
man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet.1:21); (ii)
"And he (Jehovah) said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord
will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream"
(Num.12:6).
3. He is equal in His creative powers with God the Father, and with the Son :
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life"
(Job 33:4).
"And God said, Let us (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) make man in our
image ..." (Gen.1:26).
4. He is omnipotent:
He is called 'the power of the Highest' (Lk.1:35). The apostle Paul says that Christ
wrought by him to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, "Through mighty signs and
wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God" (Rom.15:19).
"If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up
Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you"
(Rom. 8:11).
5. He is omnipresent:
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I
ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there"
(Psa.139:7,8).
6. He is omniscient:
"But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God" (I Cor.2:10).
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ... and

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he will shew you things to come" (Jn.16:13).
He is known as "the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
might, the spirit of knowledge ..." (Isa.11:2).
*******

2 THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Let us consider in this chapter, some of the offices of the Holy Spirit as the third
Person in the Godhead. His ministry in the Church is dealt with separately in Chapter 9.
1. He is one of the three Persons in the Godhead involved in the work of creation :
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen.1:1). Here the word
used for 'God' in Hebrew is ELOHIM, a uniplural noun revealing the Trinity - the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost.
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life"
(Job 33:4).
"And God said, Let us (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) make man in our
image" (Gen.1:26).
"Thou sendeth forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the
earth" (Psa.104:30).
2. He exists as the 'priest of the most high God':
He appeared to Abraham as 'Melchisedec, King of Salem, priest of the most high God'
(Heb.7:1). Jesus Christ, Who is the High Priest of our confession, was ordained a High Priest
'after the order (or similitude) of Melchisedec' by the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Heb.7:21)
that He might grant us eternal salvation, and also present us faultless before the throne of
God. Note that the phrase, 'similitude of' or 'order of' Melchisedec (vs.15,21) suggests that
Christ was NOT Melchisedec, as many contend. Melchisedec was not the Son of God, but
only 'made like unto the Son of God' (Heb.7:3). Melchisedec was not the Father, because He
is known as the 'priest of the most high God' (the Father) (vs. 1). If He is not the Father, and
not the Son, who can He be, but the Holy Spirit Himself?
One more thing which is noteworthy is that no sacrifice could be offered or accepted
without the ministry of the high priest. When Christ offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for
the redemption of man, it was necessary for a High Priest to officiate at the sacrifice. Who
was the High Priest Who officiated at the sacrifice of Jesus? It was the Holy Spirit, for, we
read, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
" (Heb. 9:14).
3. He is the Inspirer of the holy Scriptures :
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (II Tim.3:16).
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet.1:21).
4. He convicts the world of sin :
"And when he (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment" (Jn.16:8).
5. He bears witness to the truth about Jesus Christ :
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even
the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me" (Jn.15:26).
"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God
hath given to them that obey him" (Acts 5:32).
6. He appoints and directs His ministers to places as He wills :
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his
own blood" (Acts 20:28).
"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me

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Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2).
7. He possesses the same power of resurrection as the Father and the Son in the
Godhead :
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in
you" (Rom.8:11).
"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even
we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our
body" (Rom.8:23).
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring
us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (I Pet.3:18).

*****

3 THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Before studying in detail the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, it is
important to have a fair knowledge of the work of the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament. One
can see the ministry of the Holy Spirit even from the creation of the world. When "the earth
was without form, and void ... the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters"
(Gen.1:2), planning its recreation. When the generations of Adam were departing from their
Creator, letting sin corrupt their thoughts and destroy their soul, the Spirit of the Lord was
striving with them in their conscience, trying to persuade them to return to the Lord. When
there was nothing more that the Lord could do, He said, "My spirit shall not always strive
with man" (Gen.6:3). But the Spirit of the Lord did not forsake man altogether. Whenever He
found a man whose spirit would be submissive to Him, He rested upon him to reveal His
power and wisdom. Pharaoh was able to sense the presence of the Spirit of God with Joseph,
for he remarked, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?"
(Gen.41:38).
MOSES :
In the days of Moses, when God commanded him to build a tabernacle for Him, God
said that He had chosen Bezaleel, "And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom,
in understanding, and in know- ledge, and in all manner of workmanship" (Exo.35:31).
When Moses presented his grievances to the Lord, saying that he was not able to bear
all the people alone, the Lord commanded him to gather seventy of the elders of Israel; and
when they were presented before the Lord, " the Lord ... took of the spirit that was upon him
(Moses), and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested
upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease" (Num. 11:25). Thus when the Spirit of the
Lord came upon these elders, they were able to share the burden with Moses.
JUDGES :
We further trace the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the days of the judges. Othniel
judged Israel with the help of the Spirit of God: "... the Spirit of the Lord came upon him
(Othniel) and he judged Israel, and went out to war ..." (Judg.3:10). The manifestation of the
Spirit of God was also apparent in the ministries of Gideon, Jephthah and Samson.
"...the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blew a trumpet..." (Judg.6:34).
"... the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and ... he passed over unto the children
of Ammon" (Judg.11:29).
"And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him (Samson) at times in the camp of Dan
between Zorah and Eshtaol" (Judg.13:25).
KINGS AND PROPHETS :
After the days of the judges, the Lord raised up kings and prophets, and the Spirit of
the Lord rested upon them to minister through them. Samuel told Saul, "the Spirit of the Lord
will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them ..." and accordingly, "the Spirit of

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God came upon him, and he prophesied among them" (I Sam.10:6,10). When God rejected
Saul because of his disobedience, the Spirit of God left him and came upon David. "Then
Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of
the Lord came upon David from that day forward ..." (I Sam.16:13).
The Spirit of God rested upon the prophets too. Elijah was transported by the Spirit of
God from one place to another. When Elijah ordered Obadiah to go and tell Ahab that he had
come back, the latter replied, "And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that
the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not" (I Kgs.18:12). The Spirit of the
Lord came upon Azariah to encourage King Asa (II Chron. 15:1-8). Jahaziel, the son of
Zechariah, was stirred by the Spirit of the Lord to prophesy to all Judah and to King
Jehoshaphat (II Chron. 20:14,15). When the children of Judah turned to idols in the days of
King Joash, the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah to warn them against the forthcoming
judgment of God, and exhort them to return to the Lord (II Chron.24:20).
Ezekiel testifies that the Spirit of God lifted him and carried him away (Ezek.3:14).
Micah, who lived in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, says, "But truly
I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto
Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin" (Mic.3:8).
THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY:
When Judah was taken captive to Babylon to serve God's sentence because of their
disobedience and wickedness, the Spirit of the Lord was present with them in their afflictions,
to reveal His power, wisdom and grace through dedicated servants of God and prophets.
By the mouth of Haggai, the Lord said, "According to the word that I covenanted
with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not"
(Hagg.2:5).
Nebuchadnezzar, who had been depending on magicians, astrologers and soothsayers,
to win the favour of evil spirits in times of personal difficulty or political crisis, discovered in
Daniel an excellent spirit, far greater, wiser, mightier and different from all the spirits he had
ever known. During the course of a declaration, which he made "unto all people, nations, and
languages, that dwelt in all the earth" he said, "Then came in the magicians, the astrologers,
the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make
known unto me the interpretation thereof. But at the last Daniel came in before me ... in
whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream" (Dan. 4:1,7,8).
It pleased God that Zerubbabel should build the temple after the captivity was over.
The Lord spoke to him by the prophet Zechariah, saying, "Not by might, nor by power, but by
my Spirit" (Zech.4:6). The ministry of the Holy Spirit did not cease with the prophets; they
themselves predicted the outpouring of the Holy Ghost which was to take place in the New
Testament. We can see this clearly in the next chapter.
All these reveal the operation of the Holy Spirit through the children of God in the
Old Testament. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct and separate experience, which
the Old Testament saints did not possess, as we shall see in the following chapters.
*****

4 THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Old Testament prophets predicted two outpouring of the Holy Spirit to be
released from heaven at their appointed times in the last days.
THE FIRST OUTPOURING CALLED 'THE FORMER RAIN' :
The first outpouring took place on the day of Pentecost and continued in every place
where the early apostles and their disciples carried the gospel. The book of Acts shows the
works of the Holy Spirit wrought through the apostles. Prophet Joel predicted this first
Pentecostal outpouring which came to pass during the apostolic days.
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young

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men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will
I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:28,29).
When the Jews who had witnessed the marvellous manifestations of the Holy Spirit,
heard them speaking in tongues, they "were ... amazed ... saying one to another, What
meaneth this?" (Acts 2:12). Peter stood and replied, taking as his authority the prophecy of
Joel "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: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I
will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:17,18).
When God poured out His Spirit like a former rain on the day of Pentecost, with that
outpouring came the hidden mysteries and doctrines of the New Testament which "in other
ages was not made known unto the sons of men" (Eph.3:5). In his song, Moses referred to
this outpouring prophetically saying, "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O
earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the
dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass" (Deut.32:1,2).
THE LAST DAYS :
It was no exaggeration when Peter used the phrase 'in the last days' in his discourse. It
is absolutely scriptural to say that 'the last days', in the eyes of God 'who worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will', began when He sent His own Son to save the world. Paul
confirms this thought thus: "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his
Son, made of a woman, made under the law" (Gal.4:4). The writer to the Hebrews
states,"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by
the prophets, Hath in these last days, spoken unto us by his Son..." (Heb.1:1,2).
Nevertheless, the apostles believed that they were living only in the beginning of the
last days because they made their believers understand that the last days, which began during
their own life-time, would last for a considerable period and would end with certain signs. It
will be helpful to quote some of their words.
St. Peter wrote, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the
fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (II Pet.
3:3,4).
St. Paul also warned saying, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall
come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy" (II Tim.3:1,2). And again, "For the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be turned unto fables" (II Tim.4:3,4).
THE SECOND OUTPOURING CALLED 'THE LATTER RAIN' :
James, the apostle, writing to the twelve scattered tribes, exhorted them to be patient
'unto the coming of the Lord'. Explaining to them the reason for the necessity of additional
patience, he said that the Lord was delaying His coming because of His intention to send a
further outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was to be much greater than the one which they had
received at the beginning of their Christian lives. He explained that this second anointing
would have the fulness of both the early and the latter rain put together, (a 'double-Pentecost',
a phrase which is commonly used today) and that its purpose was to prepare them as the
'precious fruit of the earth'.
"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the
early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord
draweth nigh" (Jas.5:7,8).
It is possible that the early believers received a second greater anointing individually,
to be made ready for His coming. But it is also clear from the above Scriptures that God's
plan for the Church that had received the first outpouring in the first century, was to bestow

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the second outpouring upon it in these the last days of the last days, in order to prepare it as
the precious fruit (firstfruits) of the earth (Jas.1:18; 5:7). Although there were certain revivals
from time to time since the days of the apostles, they can never be compared with the earliest
first century revival, which is called the 'former rain'. Now on the eve of the coming of the
Lord, He is sending another revival of 'the early and latter rain' together according to the
promise in James 5:7,8.
"Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath
given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the
former rain, and the latter rain in the first month" (Joel 2:23).
This second outpouring began at the beginning of the 20th century in many cities of
the U.S.A., such as Kansas, California and Los Angeles. One such great outpouring of the
Holy Spirit was witnessed in Wales in 1905. Since then, the outpouring has been spreading all
over the world. The cities of Chicago, Winnipeg, New York, London, Sunderland,
Amsterdam, Oslo, Calcutta, Bombay and Allahabad, along with various other cities and
towns, received mighty visitations of the Holy Spirit.
God is still pouring out His Spirit everywhere, upon Catholics, upon Protestants and
upon earnest seekers of all nationalities. People of various denominations, in great numbers,
are being visited by the Holy Ghost. This Pentecostal flood will continue, shower after
shower, until the Church is made ready, spotlessly pure, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, for the
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
According to the Word of God, there are two groups of saints who will meet Christ at
His coming: (1) the dead in Christ and (2) the living in Christ
(I Thess.4:16,17). Both should have the same standard of life. Dead or alive, they are
expected to have lived an abiding life in Christ Jesus, and grown to the 'measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ' (Eph.4:13).
*****

5 THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

We have seen that the Holy Spirit has been at work since the creation of the world,
and that He abode with certain chosen men of the Old Testament to guide them in their
ministry and to help the people of Israel. We shall see in this chapter that the baptism in the
Holy Spirit which Jesus, John the Baptist and the apostles preached, is entirely different from
the experience of the Holy Spirit known to the Old Testament saints, and that the baptism in
the Holy Spirit has raised the New Testament Church to a higher plane than that of the Old
Testament Church, and that the Holy Spirit works in every area of the lives of those who are
called to be in the New Testament Church.
UPON ALL FLESH:
In the days of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit abode with only a few people
chosen from among the elders, kings, prophets and priests, so that they might fulfil a
particular ministry, according to their calling and need. But in the New Testament the gift of
the Holy Ghost is for every one.
"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" (Acts 2:1-4).
"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.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as
the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38,39).
THE SPIRIT INDWELLS US :
The Holy Spirit could not dwell in the Old Testament saints, but only with them.

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Christ's own words to His disciples read: " ... the Spirit of truth ... dwelleth with you, and
shall be in you" (Jn.14:17); From this it is evident that even the few privileged Old Testament
saints, who had some experience of the Holy Spirit, did not enjoy the blessedness of His
indwelling presence. Some may be shocked by this statement, but it is absolutely true.
Quoted below are Scripture passages which clearly show the reasons why the Holy
Spirit could not abide in the saints of the Old Testament.
(a) All the promises and covenants belonged primarily to Israel, as St. Paul mentions
in his epistle to the Romans: "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the
glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God
blessed for ever. Amen" (9:4,5).
In spite of these promises, Israel had not sufficiently grown spiritually as a nation, to
inherit these blessings. The appointed time did not come until Christ was born for them.
"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant,
though he be lord of all: But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the
father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law" (Gal.4:1-4).
(b) As long as they were under the law they could not come under grace. The law
"was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was
made ..."(Gal.3:19). "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the
faith which should afterwards be revealed" (vs.23). "Moreover... the law was their
schoolmaster to bring them unto Christ ..." (vs.24).
(c) The Old Testament saints did not have the privilege which we have today, of being
cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for the remission of our sins, of being
forgiven and of being justified by Him. Their greatest experience was that their sins were
covered (Psa.32:1). The animal sacrifices which they offered could not take away sin
(Heb.10:4). Removal of sin, (which under the Old Testament was left under cover and not
removed) is necessary for receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is another reason
why the Holy Ghost could not come down in all His fulness and power to make His dwelling
in the Old Testament saints. We, who are of the New Testament, can now become the entire
possession of the Holy Ghost, because we have been saved by grace, freed from the
dominion of sin and the law, washed and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of Calvary, have
every iniquity forgiven and absolutely removed and our nature of sin has been dealt with at
baptism, all by grace. In the Old Testament the triune God dwelt in the earthly tabernacle, but
now He dwells in us, the temples not made with hands.
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you ?" (I Cor.3:16).
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price : therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Cor. 6:19,20).
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT :
The Old Testament saints had not even heard of the blessedness of the baptism in the
Holy Spirit which we are experiencing in the New Testament era. John, the Baptist declared
it for the first time in his message, saying, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier
than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you
with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Lk.3:16).
The Greek word 'baptizo' means to 'dip' or 'immerse'. Similarly, when a believer has
received the Holy Spirit, he is baptized or completely immersed in the Holy Spirit. At the
same time he is 'filled with the Holy Ghost' (Acts 2:4). He is wrapped with the Holy Spirit
within and without. This is something to be spiritually discerned and comprehended. It is like
a sponge being immersed in water and water permeating the sponge. One is immersed in the
Holy Spirit, while the Holy Spirit fills him to overflowing with all His power and glory. This

8
overflowing experience is compared to rivers of living water, springing and overflowing from
our heart. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man
thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit which they
that believe on him should receive" (Jn.7:37-39). This is just what happened on the day of
Pentecost. We are not only baptized into one body, but we are also made to drink into one
Spirit (I Cor.12:13).
Two distinct experiences took place when they were filled with the Holy Ghost.
Firstly, they entered into a vital fellowhip with the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost. Jesus had told them, "At that day (the day when the Holy Spirit would fill them), ye
shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you" (Jn.14:16,20).
Secondly, the one hundred and twenty believers who received the Holy Spirit, were
baptized into one Body. They became one in essence through the Holy Spirit. They were
moulded into one Body or one unit, to live and serve the Lord, in the Spirit. Every kind of
distinction - whether national or social or of caste - was destroyed. Not only the hundred and
twenty, but we ourselves today are also baptized into one Body, the Body of Christ.
We are indebted to offer our ceaseless praises to God for revealing to us the
dimensions of the power of the Holy Ghost, which were hidden from the saints in ages past.
*****

6 THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST

It is often contended by some children of God that the Spirit of Christ and the Holy
Spirit are one and the same person. It is therefore very important to make sure whether it is
so, or not. In this chapter we shall endeavour to show from the holy Scriptures that they are
two distinct SPIRITS as much as they are two distinct PERSONS, differing in their offices.
As we have already seen in Chapter 1, the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the
Trinity, while Christ is the second Person of the Trinity. They exist as two different Spirits.
THE 'WORD':
The Spirit of Christ is referred to as 'the Word'. "In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Jn.1:1). Before 'the Word was made flesh',
He existed as the Spirit of Christ. It is this Word that created all things. "All things were made
by him (the Word or the Spirit of Christ); and without him was not any thing made that was
made" (vs.3). The Spirit of Christ is therefore, creative and is existent in the Word of God,
written or expressed. That is why St. Paul says, " I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it (the gospel or the Word) is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth..." (Rom.1:16). The 'gospel of Christ' means the word-revelation of Christ
committed to the apostles; the Spirit of Christ is in that Word. It saves, delivers and sanctifies
those who accept this Word. Jesus Himself said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (Jn.6:63).
That is how His authoritative word of spirit and life, brought Lazarus out of his grave when
he lay dead for four days (Jn.11:43,44). Jesus said in another occasion, "Marvel not at this :
for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall
come forth ..." (Jn.5:28,29).
THE INCORRUPTIBLE SEED:
His Spirit and the eternal life were in the words which Jesus spoke. No wonder Simon
Peter exclaimed, "... Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life"
(Jn.6:68).
Those who believed on Him, believed on His Word which instilled eternal life in
them. It is the Word of God which brings about new birth or regeneration in a penitent sinner
who turns to God for forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Peter therefore says that we are "...
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and
abideth for ever" (I Pet.1:23). Jesus too told His disciples, "He that soweth the good seed is
the Son of man" (Matt.13:37).

9
 All these passages refer specifically to the direct operation of the Spirit of Christ,
through His Word.
CHRIST'S EXHORTATION CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Christ never taught that His Spirit was the same as the Holy Spirit. He referred to the
Holy Spirit as 'another Comforter' (Jn.14:16). He had to go to the Father to send the Holy
Spirit. He therefore said, "... if I go not away, the Comforter will not come" (Jn.16:7). In John
14:17, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as 'the Spirit of truth'. Therefore, 'the Spirit of Christ'
and 'the Comforter' Who is otherwise called the 'Spirit of truth' are not the same person.
Jesus also said of the Holy Spirit: "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 shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (Jn.16:13,14). This Scripture portion shows that
the work of the Holy Spirit concerning Jesus Christ, is to reveal Christ and to glorify Him.
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
There are Scripture passages which explicitly confirm that the Spirit of Christ existed
side by side with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and that He is different
from the Holy Spirit. Let us examine a few of them.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon
his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isa.9:6).
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth
have been from of old, from everlasting" (Mic. 5:2).
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like
sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on
him the iniquity of us all ... And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his
death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for
sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper
in his hand" (Isa.53:5,6,9,10).
There is not an iota of doubt that these prophecies refer directly to the Spirit of Christ.
It was this Spirit of Christ (called the Word) Who, when He took upon Himself the human
form, 'was wounded for our transgressions'. The Lord hath laid the iniquity of us all on Him
and made His soul an offering for sin.
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN THE PROPHETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT:
This Spirit of Christ was in the prophets of the Old Testament, as stated by Peter in
his epistle.
"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who
prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time
the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings
of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (I Pet. 1:10,11).
But they did not have the baptism in the Holy Ghost or its fulness: "... the Holy Ghost
was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (Jn.7:39).
*****

7 WHEN DO WE RECEIVE THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Many world-renowned preachers and evangelists hold the traditional belief that a man
receives the Holy Spirit the moment he repents of his sins and turns to God for forgiveness,
and is born again through Christ. This view has no scriptural support.
Let us search the Gospels and the book of Acts, for it is there that we can see whether
converts received the baptism in the Holy Spirit at new birth, or as a separate experience

10
subsequently.
THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST:
We may be sure that the disciples of Christ had a definite experience of the
forgiveness of sin, because it is said that "They went out, and preached that men should
repent" (Mk.6:12). Further, they had received "power and authority over all devils, and to
cure diseases" (Lk.9:1). Jesus had assured them that their 'names (were) written in heaven'
(Lk.10:20). With all these remarkable credentials, Jesus still made them realize that they had
not yet received the Holy Spirit, and that they must therefore go and tarry at Jerusalem in
order to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; this was so that they might have a deeper
life and a more powerful ministry.
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Lk.24:49). "But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts
1:8).
Accordingly, they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, a few days after
the ascension of Jesus (Acts 2:1-4). It is clear therefore, that in the case of the disciples of
Christ, the new birth experience and the baptism in the Holy Spirit were two distinct events.
On the day of Pentecost, when those who heard the first message of Peter asked,
"Men and brethren, what shall we do?", Peter replied, "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" (Acts 2:37,38). This proves that the experience of the baptism in the Holy Ghost
generally follows repentance and that we do not receive the Holy Spirit when we are born
again.
THE SAMARITAN BELIEVERS:
In Samaria, "when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom
of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (Acts 8:12).
Needless to say, it would certainly have been Philip's practice to make sure that his candidates
were genuine converts, before deciding to baptize them. The question now is : Did they really
receive the Holy Spirit at the time they believed in Christ for their salvation and forgiveness
of sins? The answer is evidently 'NO', because from the account of the subsequent
happenings in Samaria, we learn that when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had received the gospel, they sent Peter and John to pray for the new converts to
receive the Holy Spirit. "...when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria
had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were
come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he [the
Holy Spirit] was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus). Then laid they their hands on them, and they recieved the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:14-
17). This is clear proof that one does not receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit as part of the
experience of being born again.
CORNELIUS:
Cornelius, the centurion of the Italian band had the following spiritual experiences,
even before the angelic visitation. He was a devout man, one that feared God, one who gave
much alms and prayed to God alway; and his prayers and alms had gone up 'for a memorial
before God' (Acts 10:2-4). All these show that he was a child of God, but he did not receive
the Holy Spirit until the apostle Peter went and preached the Word of God to him. "While
Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word" (Acts
10:44). It seems that God sent Peter to Cornelius for the express purpose of pouring out the
Holy Spirit on him and on the others who had gathered there.
THE DISCIPLES AT EPHESUS:
When the apostle Paul came to Ephesus, he met disciples who were converts of
Apollos. Apollos was 'mighty in the scriptures', but he had known 'only the baptism of John'
(Acts 18:24,25). His converts had taken John's baptism unto repentance (Acts 19:4), but had

11
not received the Holy Ghost. When Paul asked them, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since
ye believed?", they replied: "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy
Ghost" (vs.2). From this we learn two things. Firstly, St. Paul did not believe that one
received the Holy Spirit when one became a believer. Otherwise, he would not have asked
them, 'Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?' Secondly, they did not know that
there was such an experience as receiving the Holy Ghost. Only after St. Paul had spoken to
them more clearly on the subject, and had re-baptized them, and had laid his hands on them,
did the "Holy Ghost (come) on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts
19:6).
This is another clear demonstration of the fact that receiving the baptism in the Holy
Spirit is not something which occurs simultaneously with new birth but that it is an
experience which is separate from and subsequent to, new birth.
When writing to the Ephesian believers on the same subject and reminding them of
their initial experience, St. Paul says, "... after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of
promise" (1:13).
*****

8 SPEAKING WITH TONGUES

Those who contend that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is received at new birth,
believe that it is a spontaneous spiritual experience which takes place in the soul unnoticed,
and as such, not being tangible to physical or spiritual senses, it has to be accepted by faith.
They do not believe in signs or outward manifestations. In their opinion, it is 'an evil
generation' that 'seeks a sign' (Lk.11:29). They forget that in some cases God Himself gives
signs and that He expects His people to look for them. The prophet Isaiah prophesied to
Ahaz, saying, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (7:14). Jesus Himself said, " ...
these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues; 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" (Mk.16:17,18).
Apart from this, Jesus told the disciples of a number of signs, which would take place in the
last days. The early believers prayed for signs and wonders, saying, "And now, Lord, behold
their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy
word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the
name of thy holy child Jesus" (Acts 4:29,30).
In this chapter we shall see that there were different manifestations wherever people
received the Holy Spirit in the first century, , and that 'speaking with tongues' was always
present in addition to other manifestations.
THE DAY OF PENTECOST:
If the receiving of the Holy Spirit was to be accepted by faith, assuming that such an
experience takes place unconsciously and unnoticed by the receiver, it would have been
pointless and meaningless for Jesus to command His disciples to 'TARRY ... in the city of
Jerusalem, UNTIL (they were) endued with power from on high' (Lk.24:49). They would
have tarried endlessly even after the day of Pentecost and still nothing would have happened.
In the event, however, many things happened on the day of Pentecost when they received the
Holy Ghost in the upper room. The Book of Acts chapter 2 records the happenings that took
place that day:
1. "... there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all
the house" (vs.2).
2. "And there appeared unto them (not to the onlookers) cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them" (vs.3).
3. "they ... began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance'

12
(vs.4).
4. They expressed an ecstatic joy which was mistaken by the onlookers for
intoxication (vs.13).
The above manifestations were so real and so powerful that it drew thousands of
spectators, of whom three thousand gladly received the word spoken by Apostle Peter and
were baptized (vs.41).
PHILIP'S CONVERTS AT SAMARIA
The book of Acts does not record anything that took place when the converts of Philip
received the Holy Spirit at Samaria (8:17). But this does not mean that nothing happened,
because we read, '... Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost
was given' (vs.18). We must bear in mind that Simon was a very successful magician and that
he had performed many miracles with demonic power. He "... bewitched the people of
Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one" (vs.9). Furthermore he had witnessed
'the miracles and signs which were done' by Philip (vs.13). But when the apostles laid hands
on the converts for them to receive the Holy Spirit he saw something absolutely astonishing,
beyond anything he could have achieved by means of witchcraft, and greater even than the
miracles of Philip. Therefore, he "... offered them money, saying, Give me also this power,
that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost" (vs.18,19). What could he
have seen? Not miracles, or healings which he had already seen. It must be speaking with
tongues, which he could not achieve through witchcraft.
CORNELIUS:
When Cornelius and 'his kinsmen and near friends' received the Holy Ghost, it was
dramatic. It was not a quiet, inconspicuous event unnoticed by the recipients or by those who
ministered to them. It was such an amazing spectacle that they of the circumcision (Jews)
who had come with St. Peter marvelled that God had 'poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost'
upon the Gentiles also (Acts 10:45). How did they become aware that these Gentiles had
received the Holy Ghost? The answer is that they heard them speak with tongues and magnify
God (vs.46).
When the Jewish brethren in Jerusalem challenged Peter, saying, "Thou wentest in to
men uncircumcised (Gentiles), and didst eat with them," not realizing that God had shed the
Holy Spirit on those Gentiles also, Peter rehearsed all that had happened in the house of
Cornelius and proved to them that the Holy Ghost had fallen on them, as on the disciples
themselves at the beginning (Acts 11:15). What happened at the beginning? "... they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance" (Acts 2:4). The onlookers could see them magnifying God and proclaiming the
wonderful works of God (vs.11). Peter observed, with profound awe, reverence and
conviction that all that took place that day at Caesarea was precisely the same as in the upper
room on the day of Pentecost.
THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS:
The book of Acts furnishes the following account about the disciples at Ephesus
receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy
Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:6).
It is evident here that there were outward manifestations when they received the Holy
Ghost: "they spake with tongues and prophesied'. In all these cases, the manifestations were
obviously different from one another. All did not see 'tongues like as of fire' or prophesy; the
Holy Ghost did not come as 'a rushing mighty wind' in every place. But one thing that was
evidently common to every case was that they all spoke with tongues. We therefore insist that
speaking with tongues is the evidence of receiving the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
'DO ALL SPEAK WITH TONGUES?'
Some seem to think that speaking with tongues is not for all, because St. Paul asks in
I Corinthians 12:30, 'Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?...' We must
bear in mind here that St. Paul is not dealing with the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is the
baptism in the Holy Spirit, but that he is speaking about 'divers kinds of tongues' which is one

13
of the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit. Please note that chapters 12, 13 and 14 of I Corinthians deal
with the gifts of the Holy Ghost. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are nine (I Cor.12:8-10),
namely:- 1) Word of wisdom 2) Word of knowledge 3) Faith 4) Gifts of healing 5) Working
of miracles 6) Prophesying 7) Discerning of spirits 8) Divers kinds of tongues 9)
Interpretation of tongues
St. Paul is explaining in chapter 12 that God has distributed these nine gifts to
different members of the Church, 'dividing to every man severally as he will' (vs.11). All do
not have the same gift or all the gifts. So, when St. Paul said, 'Do all speak with tongues?' he
evidently referred to the gift of divers kinds of tongues, or diversities of tongues (I
Cor.12:10,28) and not to the sign of tongues, which everyone who received the Holy Ghost
had. Jesus said, "... these signs (not gifts) shall follow them that believe: In my name shall
they cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues" (Mk. 16:17). If St. Paul's inquiry,
'Do all speak with tongues?' supports the view that all are not supposed to speak with
tongues, what could be the explanation to the contradiction we find in almost every place
where they spoke with tongues when they received the Holy Spirit in the time of the apostles?
It is evident from the following verses that everyone of them spoke with tongues. On the day
of Pentecost "... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). In the house of Cornelius "the Holy
Ghost fell on all them which heard the word' and the onlookers "heard them speak with
tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:44,46). Peter further confirms, "the Holy Ghost fell on
them, as on us at the beginning" (Acts 11:15). This proves that everyone spoke with tongues.
Again, all the twelve disciples of Ephesus, on whom St. Paul laid his hands and prayed
"spake with tongues, and prophesied" when the Holy Ghost came on them (Acts 19:6).
THE APOSTLE PAUL:
Some say that St. Paul did not speak with tongues when he received the Holy Spirit.
The full account of all that happened between Ananias and Paul at Damascus is not given.
When Ananias put his hand on Paul, it was not so that he might receive the Holy Ghost, but
that he might be healed; because he had "... seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in,
and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight" (Acts 9:12). There is no instance
in the Bible where the Holy Spirit was poured out before the people were prepared through
proper teaching. We do not know when exactly St. Paul received the Holy Spirit. It must have
been during his stay of 'certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus' (Acts 9:19).
In any case, it is clear from his own confession that he spoke with tongues. He says: 'I thank
my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all' (I Cor.14:18). As in every other case, it is sure
that he started to speak with tongues from the time he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
THE USE OF SPEAKING WITH TONGUES:
Here are some reasons why every Spirit-baptized person must speak with tongues.
Firstly, it is a sign to an unbeliever that we have received the Holy Spirit, and that it is
the Holy Spirit Who speaks through us. "In the law it is written, With men of other tongues
and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the
Lord. Wherefore tongues are for sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:
but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe" (I
Cor.14:21,22).
Secondly, the one who speaks with tongues edifies himself, though the listener does
not understand what is spoken. "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and
exhortation, and comfort" (I Cor. 14:3).
Thirdly, when a person speaks with tongues, God speaks to him mysteries which are
discerned spiritually and not intellectually. "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he
speaketh mysteries" (I Cor.14:2).
Fourthly, there is an experience of singing, praying and praising in tongues, which
edifies the one who sings or prays though it may not edify the listener. Advising on the use of
such graces, St. Paul says, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my

14
understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with
understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with understanding also. Else
when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned
say Amen at the giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?" (I
Cor.14:14-16).
Fifthly, speaking with tongues brings inner rest to the weary soul. The Holy Spirit
quickens the one who speaks with tongues, relieving him of his burdens and filling his soul
with heavenly rest. This is also called the 'refreshing'. "For with stammering lips and another
tongue will he speak to this people, To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may
cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear" (Isa.28:11,12).
Sixthly, when tongues are interpreted, it edifies the church. St. Paul, therefore, advises
the one who speaks with tongues to pray for the gift of interpretation also: "I would that ye all
spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he
that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Even so
ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the
church. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret" (I
Cor. 14:5,12,13).
EVIDENCE FROM CHURCH HISTORY
Irenaeus, a scholar of Polycarp who was a disciple of the apostle John, says in his
book 'Against Heresies' (page 6):
"We have many brethren in the churches having prophetical gifts and by the Spirit
speaking in all kinds of languages."
Tertullian, in defending orthodox Christianity, challenged Marcion in the following
words, requiring him to produce evidence of any occurrence among his followers such as it
occurred among his people:
'Let him exhibit prophets such as have spoken, not by human sense, but by the Spirit
of God, such as have predicted things to come, and have made manifest the secrets of the
heart. Let him produce a psalm, a vision, a prayer, only let it be by the Spirit in an ecstasy,
that is in a rapture, whenever an interpretation of tongues has occurred to him' (Smith's
Dictionary of the Bible, Vol.4, Page 3310).
St.Augustine, the noted theologian, author of the famous 'City of God' wrote :
'We still do what the apostles did when they laid hands on the Samaritans and called
down the Holy Spirit on them by the laying on of hands. It is expected that converts should
speak with new tongues'.
Chrysostom, another of the early Church fathers wrote:
'Whoever was baptized in the apostolic days straightway spake with tongues, for
since in their coming over from idols, without any clear knowledge of training in the ancient
Scriptures, they at once received the Spirit; not that they saw the Spirit, for He is invisible,
but God's grace bestowed some sensible proof of his energy, and one straightway spoke in the
Persian language, another in the Roman, another in Indian, another in some other tongue, and
this made manifest to them that were without it, that it was the Spirit in the very person
speaking. Wherefore, the apostle calls it "the manifestation of the Spirit which is given to
every man to profit withal".
Martin Luther:- In Souer's History of the Christian Church (Vol.3, Page 406), the
following statement is found:
'Dr.Martin Luther was a prophet, evangelist, speaker in tongues, and interpreter, in
one person, endowed with all the gifts of the Spirit'.
Francis Xavier, according to Schaff and The Catholic Encyclopaedia, had 'possessed a
remarkable exercise of the gift of tongues'.
Charles Finney writes the following of his own experience:
'As I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire I received a mighty baptism in the
Holy Ghost. Without an expectation of it, without ever having a thought in my mind that
there was any such thing mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended on

15
me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression like
a wave of electricity going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves of
liquid love, for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God.
I can recollect distinctly that it seemed to fan me like immense wings. No words can express
the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy; and I do not
know but I should say I literally bellowed out unutterable gushings of my heart. These waves
came over me, and over me, and over me. One after another, until I recollect I cried out, 'I
shall die if these waves continue to pass over me'. I said, 'Lord, I cannot bear any more', yet I
had no fear of death. How long I continued in this state, with this baptism continuing to roll
over me and go through me, I do not know' (Finney's Autobiography pp.20,21).
Days of D.L.Moody:- Trials and Triumphs of Faith by Rev.R.Boyd, D.D., (Page.402)
states :
"In the days of D.L.Moody - When I got to the rooms of the Young Men's Christian
Association, Victoria Hall, London, I found the meeting on fire. The young men were
speaking with tongues, prophesying. What on earth did it mean? Only that Moody had been
addressing them that afternoon. What manner of man is this? I thought. .... I cannot describe
Moody's great meeting: I can only say that the people of Sunderland warmly supported the
movement, in spite of their local spiritual advisers."
F.B.Meyer, writing to 'The London Christian', states:
'It is very remarkable, at a time when the Lutheran Church of this land has lost its
evangelistic fervour and is inclined to substitute forms and rites for the living power of
Christ, that God raised up a devoted nobleman, Baron Uxhall, to preach the gospel in all its
simplicity, and is renewing among the peasantry these marvellous manifestations which
attend the first preaching of the Gospel when God bore witness to the message of salvation
with signs and wonders and gifts of the Holy Ghost. To have come across a movement like
this is intensely interesting. The gift of tongues is heard quite often in meetings, especially in
the villages, but also in the towns. Here at Reval, the Pastor of the Baptist Church tells me
that they often break out in his meeetings. They are most often uttered by young women, less
frequently by men. When they are interpreted, they are found to mean. `Jesus is coming soon
; Jesus is near. Be ready; be not idle’. When they are heard, unbelievers who may be in the
audience are greatly awed. A gentleman who was present on one occasion was deeply
impressed by the fact that those who spoke were quite ordinary people until they were
uplifted as it were by a trance and then they spoke with so much fluency and refinement’.
General William Booth, in an article that was published in `War Cry’ November 21,
1914, states:
`A good deal of attention is given to what is known as the extraordinary `gifts of the
Spirit; that is, the ability to do something which is beyond the power of man to do, without
doubt, possessed by the apostles, both before and after the death of our Lord. They had the
gift of tongues, that is, they suddenly received the power to speak languages which they had
never learned. They had the gift of healing; that is, they cured the sick, opened the eyes of
the blind, unstopped the ears of the deaf, and restored the dead to life instantly without the
use of ordinary means’.
Dr.A.B. Simpson, the founder of the Christian Missionary Alliance, comments on the
Pentecostal movement in the following:
`We believe there can be no doubt that in many cases remarkable outpouring of the
Holy Spirit have been accompanied with genuine instances of the gifts of tongues and many
extraordinary manifestations. This has occurred both in our land and in some of our foreign
missions. Many of these experiences appear not only to be genuine, but accompanied by a
spirit of deep humility and soberness, and free from extravagance and error'.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1968:- Vol.22 Page 75 under 'Gift of Tongues' states the
following:
'Tradition has it that the gift of tongues was found also among the early Quakers and
Shakers, as well as among the converts of John Wesley and George Whitefield; and

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St.Francis Xavier and St.Vincent Ferrer are said to have possessed it'.

*****

9 THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

The Holy Spirit takes the most significant place in the life of a believer, and in the
ministry of the Church which is the Body of Christ. After His resurrection, Jesus Christ
handed over all the responsibility concerning the Church to the Holy Spirit and it is through
the Holy Spirit that He thereafter expressed Himself to the Church. He had told His disciples,
that He would send another Comforter in time, that He might abide with them for ever, and
that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, would guide the Church into all truth and would reveal
Christ to them. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he
may abide with you for ever" (Jn.14:16). "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 shew you things to come" (Jn.16:13). It is 'through the Holy
Ghost' that He gave 'commandments unto the apostles', He had chosen (Acts 1:2).
Vast and manifold are the responsibilities and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the
New Testament Church. Let us study the ministry of the Spirit under three specific headings,
namely (i) in a believer, (ii) in the Church, and (iii) in the servants of God.
THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT IN A BELIEVER
1. Every born-again child of God is sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of
redemption:
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation: In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise"
(Eph.1:13). In one sense we are already redeemed as far as our soul is concerned, but the
redemption of the body is yet to take place. In Romans 8:23, St. Paul says, we who have
received "the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for
the adoption, to wit the redemption of our body". And St. Peter says we are "kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Pet.1:5).
2. The Holy Spirit indwells each Spirit-baptized believer:
'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' (Jn.14:16,17). 'Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you?' (I Cor.3:16).
3. The Holy Spirit grants power to be witnesses of Jesus Christ:
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
This power must be renewed from time to time through fervent prayer and waiting on
the Lord. In Acts chapter 4 we read about the multitude who really prayed in the time of
persecution, and in verse 33 we read that with great power the apostles gave witness of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
4. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God:
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God"
(Rom.8:16).
5. The Holy Spirit bears witness with the saints, of the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
"Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so
is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him" (Acts 5:31,32).
6. The Holy Spirit mortifies the deeds of the body:
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the

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deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Rom.8:13).
7. The Holy Spirit quickens our mortal bodies:
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that
dwelleth in you" (Rom.8:11). The Holy Spirit quickens the bodies of the saints when they are
afflicted with sickness and when they go through persecution for the sake of Christ.
8. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities:
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered" (Rom.8:26). In this connection, St. Paul clearly says that He prays in us
and for us, for because of manifold worries, we do not know how we should pray or what we
should pray for. The Holy Spirit, praying through us, lifts our burdens, quickens our spirit and
helps us to pray together with Him. This is called praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20).
9. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us:
The Bible speaks of three kinds of sanctification namely, sanctification by the blood,
sanctification by the Word of God and sanctification by the Holy Spirit.
Sanctification by the Spirit is the sanctification that comes into the inner man through
the working of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul says " ... that the offering up of the Gentiles might be
acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" (Rom.15:16).
10. The Holy Spirit comforts us:
In Acts chapter 9 verse 31, we read that the churches had "... rest throughout all
Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in
the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied." The Holy Ghost is called the Comforter
(Jn.16:7).
11. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth to every believer:
"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 shew
you things to come" (Jn.16:13). The revelation of the truth is threefold. Firstly, the Spirit of
God reveals the truth to us from the Word of God; secondly, He guides us personally in the
way we ought to go; thirdly, He reveals the hidden mysteries to us. St. Paul says, in I
Corinthians chapter 2: "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But
God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God" (vs.9,10).
12. The Holy Spirit reveals the powers of the world to come:
Throughout the Bible we see God and His power revealed through mighty signs,
wonders and miracles. In writing to the Hebrews St. Paul says, "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?" (2:3,4). And while speaking of the awfulness of backsliding, he says: "... it is
impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and
were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the
powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;
seeing they crucify to them- selves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame"
(6:4-6). 'Signs, wonders, miracles' signify the 'powers of the world to come'.
13. The Holy Spirit refreshes us:
One of the purposes and blessings of speaking in tongues is to refresh the believer.
In Isaiah 28:11,12 we read, "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to
this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and
this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear’’. That is one reason why St.Paul says, `forbid
not to speak with tongues’(I Cor.14:39). St.Peter also refers to the same experience in Acts
chapter 3 verse 19. He bade the inquiring crowd, ``Repent ye therefore, and be converted,

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that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence
of the Lord’’.
14. The Holy Spirit transforms us:
This transformation is in the inner man or the total personality. Speaking of this
transformation, St.Paul says, ``But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of
the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord’’(II Cor.3:18). Our calling is to total transformation, and conformation to the very
character-image of Jesus Christ. Writing to the Romans, St.Paul says, ``…whom he did
foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren’’(8:29).
15.The Holy Spirit enables us to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit:
We saw elsewhere that the Holy Spirit mortifies the deeds of the flesh or the works of
the flesh. While undoing the works of the flesh, He also enables the believer to bring forth
the fruit of the Spirit which is recorded in Galatians 5:22,23. ``….the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against
such there is no law.’’
16. The Holy Spirit strengthens the inner man:
A believer must be strengthened in the inner man for two purposes:
Firstly, he must be able to endure all temptations and trials and be willing to suffer for
Christ. Writing to the Colossians, St. Paul says that he was praying for them that they might
be ``strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and
longsuffering with joyfulness;(1:11). This strength comes from the Holy Spirit, for, as we
read in Ephesians 3:16, we are to be "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man".
The second reason why we must be strong in the inner man, is to resist Satan and to
overcome him. In writing to the believers at Ephesus, St. Paul says: "Finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye
may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (6:10-12).
17. The Holy Spirit helps us to worship God in the Spirit:
Whilst speaking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus said, 'God is a Spirit; and they that
worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth' (Jn.4:24). St. Paul, writing on another
occasion to the Philippians says, "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the
spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (3:3). The Spirit-
baptized believer is able to bring his spirit under the control of the Holy Spirit, who enables
him to come into God's presence.
18. The Holy Spirit introduces to us a higher law, called the law of the Spirit:
In writing to the Romans, St. Paul says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (8:1,2).
This is the highest law under which there is no condemnation, or bondage to the law of sin
and death.
19. The Holy Spirit keeps the believer by His power, from falling:
St. Peter says that we are 'kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time' (I Pet.1:5). Many believe that once saved, a man is saved for ever,
and that he is eternally secure. But this teaching has no scriptural bearing because St. Paul
says, "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no
pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that
believe to the saving of the soul" (Heb.10:38,39). He also points out here the possibility of a
person who backslides being lost completely, if he is careless. It is the Holy Spirit Who keeps
us from falling, until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH
1. The Holy Ghost baptizes all the believers into one body:

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 St. Paul says: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit" (I Cor.12:13).
2. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts of the Spirit to every believer according to His will:
St. Paul says, "... the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man ('common' - in
the Original Tongue) to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to
another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to
another the gifts of healing by the same spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another
prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the
interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to
every man severally as he will" (I Cor.12:7-11). The Holy Spirit manifests Himself through
the gifts of the Spirit and thus edifies the Church, that it may grow to the very measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ.
THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT IN SERVANTS OF GOD
1. The Holy Spirit anoints His servants for their ministry and directs them:
At Antioch when certain prophets and teachers assembled together and were fasting
and praying, the Holy Ghost said, "... Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto
I have called them" (Acts 13:2). Exhorting the overseers of the churches, St. Paul says, "Take
heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made
you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts
20:28). In the same chapter he says, " ... I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing
the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying
that bonds and afflictions abide me" (vs. 22,23). Here it is clear that the Holy Spirit not only
goes with the servants of God, but also anoints them to preach the gospel and to minister to
God. In Acts 10:38, we read: "... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for
God was with him".
2. The Holy Spirit gives messages to the ministers of God in order that they may in turn give
them to the Church:
All the messages in the Book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, were given directly to
the angels of the churches, that is, to the servants of the churches; and after each message,
comes the exhortation: 'He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches'. This clearly proves that it is the Holy Spirit Who gives the messages to the servants
of God, that they may teach them to the believers in the Church.

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