THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
Loved Ones, many of
us at
times have had difficulty stating precisely what we intended to say,
and our discussions
relative to the indwelling of the Spirit illustrate this fact. Our task
as
communicators of the word is to deliver God’s truths in an
easy-to-be-understood fashion. We are to make plain the difficult. With
this
thought uppermost in mind, we pose the following question: Does a
convert to
Christ receive the literal indwelling Holy Spirit immediately upon his
being
immersed in water for the remission of sins?
To a multitude
assembled on
the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter declared: "Repent ye [you] and
be
baptized [immersed] every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto
the
remission [for forgiveness] of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the
Holy Spirit” (Acts
The New Birth
To help with our
proper
understanding, keep in mind Jesus taught that a new birth of water and
the
Spirit was necessary before one could enter the kingdom of heaven (John
3:3‑5).
The preparatory baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins
taught by
John and Jesus (Mark 1:4; John 4:1-2) was NOT the new birth of water
and the
Spirit (John 3:3-5). Although the kingdom of heaven was at hand, it had
not yet
come during the public ministry of John or Jesus (Matthew 4:17; cf.
Mark 9:1).
It was not possible for an immersion which included only the
forgiveness of
sins to put anyone into this kingdom that had not yet come. Forgiveness
of sins
alone is not what gives entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
Those who enter the
kingdom
must be BORN AGAIN of water and the Spirit, which creates a new life
and a
relationship with the Messiah as King in His kingdom (Romans 6:4;
Galatians
Water and the gift
of the
Spirit cannot be more closely connected than they are in John 3:5: "of
water and the Spirit." John does not place a second "of" (ex)
before "Spirit" as he would if he were describing two different
events. The single ex describes the single occasion. This
singularity is
then completely established by the aorist subjunctive passive gennethe,
which
means literally "once born" of water and Spirit....Spiritually
a man is born only once and that "of water and the Spirit."'
This one‑time
birth,
that brings all who receive it into the kingdom of heaven, is what
Jesus sent
His followers into all the world to preach (Mark 16:15-16). This
one-time birth
allows the new Christian to receive all the spiritual blessings that
are in
Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:3). And because we are forgiven, Deity indwells
our heart
and body through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts
The Indwelling
Spirit
According to Acts
Many Greek authorities contend that the genitive of Acts 2:38 is
epexegetical
(appositional), i.e., the Holy Spirit is the gift (cf. the lexicons of:
Arndt
& Gingrich, p. 209; Thayer, p. 161; Robinson, p. 196; also the
works of
Kittel, II, p. 167; Vine, p. 147; Robertson, Word Pictures, III, p. 36;
Moulton, Howard, Turner, Grammar, III, p. 214; Expositor's Greek
Testament, II,
p. 91). These sources are not cited as theological experts, but as
language
authorities. They obviously did not feel that it is grammatically
impossible
for the gift to consist of the Spirit Himself.
It is probably safe
to say that
most of the SCHOLARS within our restoration heritage have also argued
this meaning
of "the gift of the Holy Spirit" in Acts 2:38, even when differing on
the nature of receiving the Spirit. J. W. McGarvey wrote: "The
expression
means the Holy Spirit as a gift; and the reference is to that
indwelling of the
Holy Spirit...without which we are not of Christ" (New Commentary on
Acts,
I, p. 39). Moses Lard said: "Certainly the gift of the Spirit is the
Spirit itself given" (Lard's Quarterly, II, p. 104; cf. also Lipscomb
and
Sewell, Questions Answered, p. 318).
Acts
What is the “gift
of the Holy
Spirit” in Acts 2:38? This exact phrase is found only two times in the
entire
New Testament (Acts
First, we will
discuss the
gift of the Holy Spirit in relation to baptism. In baptism the penitent
believer is born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). He who was dead
comes to a
new life of freedom from sin (Romans 6:4‑7) and is forgiven (Acts
One becomes a new
creation in
Christ (2 Corinthians
Peter also told
those who
heard the first Gospel sermon on Pentecost, "Repent, and let each of
you
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Paul wrote,
“You
are God’s children. That is why God sent the Spirit of His Son into
your
hearts. The Spirit cries out, Father, dear Father” (Galatians 4:6).
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with
our spirit
that we are children of God" (Romans
God's sons are
sealed through
the gift of the Holy Spirit, as a pledge that they belong to God. Paul
wrote,
"God makes all of us – you and us – firm in Christ. God has chosen us.
He
sealed us and gave the Holy Spirit as a guarantee in our hearts” (2
Corinthians
A general rule is
established. The lost of the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit (John
Acts
To help with our
understanding of the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts
The promise of Acts
2:39
refers to that given to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). Whenever the Gospel
of Christ
is preached, the promise to Abraham is included as part of God’s Scheme
of Redemption.
God told Abraham, “…in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed.” This
promise was for Abraham and his Jewish descendents, the Gentiles (those
that
were far away – Eph.
The overall context
of the
book of Acts teaches that the promise to Abraham was fulfilled in
Christ and
the new birth into the
Acts 2 and Acts
13
Many are confused about the gift of the Holy
Spirit
because they believe the promise of Acts
Peter (and the
other
apostles) began their sermon by showing how God was fulfilling the
promise of
Joel 2. It was being fulfilled on Jewish flesh by the outpouring
of power
from the Holy Spirit – called Holy Spirit Baptism (Acts 2:1-21) [LATER
we will
deal with the complete fulfillment of Joel’s prophesy with a SPECIAL
out
pouring of POWER from the Holy Spirit on Gentile flesh (Acts 10 and 11).
In Acts 2:22, Peter
begins to
preach Jesus. Again, whenever Jesus is preached the context of that
sermon
naturally goes back to the promise God gave to our father Abraham!
Peter's
sermon (Acts
Acts
NOTICE:
Acts 13:32-33
alone proves Paul and Peter are referring to the promise given to the
fathers
(Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).
Acts 2:25-28;
Acts
13:34-35: David said this
about Jesus
(Quoted Psalm 16:8-11). Jesus' soul was not left in Hades, nor did His
body see
corruption. Jesus received the same promise God gave to David (Isa.
55:3-5).
Acts
Acts
Loved ones, the
promise even
from the days of Abraham our father was to all nations, and the way was
not
opened to all nations until the Crucifixion, and it was not announced
until the
day of Pentecost. Thus, in keeping with the promise given to Abraham
that all
the people of the world would be bless (through Jesus his seed – Gal.
Benefits of the
Spirit’s
Indwelling
There are residual
benefits
to acknowledging the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life
of the
Christian. Let us consider a few:
1. Sons of God. The indwelling Holy Spirit seals us as
belonging to
God. Because He dwells in us we have the assurance we will receive the
inheritance [the earnest of our inheritance] (Eph.
2. Spirits Agree. Within the Roman letter, in a context which
discusses
the indwelling Spirit as a possession of the saints (cf. Rom. 8:9, 11,
16,
26-27), the apostle Paul declares that the Holy Spirit and the human
spirit
bear dual witness to the fact that we are children of God (v. 16). Does
our
spirit actually dwell within us? If so, why do some believe it would
take a
“miracle” for the Spirit of God to dwell in us? Does not John 14:10-11
say that
God dwelt in Jesus when Jesus walked the earth in the flesh? Are we not
flesh
also!? REMEMBER: without the indwelling Holy Spirit we do not belong to
God (
Some would suggest
that only
the Holy Spirit's influence through the word is being considered in
Romans
chapter eight. Notice, though, it is the indwelling Spirit Himself who
bears
testimony with us (see also 8:26). Compare the language of John 4:2
where it is
stated that while the Lord representatively baptized disciples, He
"Himself baptized not." There is a difference between what one does
himself and what he accomplishes through an agent.
3. The Confident
Life. Every child of God is
painfully aware of his
inability to live perfectly before his Creator (cf. Rom. 7:14ff).
Frequently,
we have deep spiritual needs of which we are not even aware. We ought
not to
despair, however, for “We don’t know how we should pray, but the Spirit
helps
our weakness. He personally talks to God for us with feelings which our
language cannot express. God searches all men’s hearts. He knows what
the
Spirit is thinking. The Spirit talks to God in behalf of holy people,
using the
manner which pleases God” (Rom. 8:26-27).
There are several
important
truths affirmed in this passage: (a) We have needs which we do not
adequately
know how to address. (b) In this regard, the Spirit continually helps
us
(literally, constantly bears the load with us). (c) This assistance He
"Himself" (personally) provides. (d) He takes our unutterable
groanings and, by His ongoing intercessory activity, conveys our needs
to the
Father. (e) God, who searches the hearts (where the Spirit abides -
Gal. 4:6),
perceives the "mind of the Spirit" and responds to our needs
consistent with His own will. What a thrilling concept of the Spirit's
activity
in our lives! Moses Lard has a wonderful discussion on this passage in
his
Commentary on Romans, pp. 276-278.
4. Holiness. The Greek world, into which Christianity was born, tended to deprecate the human body. There was a proverbial saying, "The body is a tomb." Epictetus said, "I am a poor soul shackled to a corpse." That concept accommodated a fleshly mode of living. Since only the soul was important, and not the body, one could give himself wantonly to the indulgences of the flesh. It is this factor that certainly lies behind Paul's rebuke of carnal indulgence in the church at Corinth. The body is not to be given over to fornication (1 Cor. 6:13ff).
One of the
apostle's
effective arguments for the sanctity of the Christian's body is that
the Holy
Spirit INDWELLS that body - the
Here is an
interesting
question: If the Holy Spirit bears a relationship to men today only
"through the word," and yet, admittedly, He influences the alien
sinner through the word, would it be proper to suggest that the
sinner's body
is "the temple of the Holy Spirit" to whatever extent he is affected
by the word?
We are confident
(through
trial and error) that an awareness of the Spirit's abiding presence can
be a
powerful motivation to godly living. One brother has noted that the
doctrine
"of the personal indwelling of the Spirit and a strong providential
activity aids our own spiritual development toward its highest
potential…The
awareness that the third member of the Godhead personally and actually
dwells
within us is a tremendous incentive to holiness" (The Spirit and
Spirituality, Biblical Research Press, 1962, p. 52).
Supporting
Evidence
The most forceful argument for this BIBLICAL viewpoint is the subsequent testimony of the New Testament regarding the reception of the Holy Spirit by the immersed penitent believer. Note the following:
1. In Acts 5:32 it is affirmed: “We saw all of these things
happen. The
Holy Spirit has shown you that we are telling you the truth. God has
given the
Spirit to those who obeyed Him.” Some would confine this passage to the
apostles. Note, however, the "those" (others) who are mentioned in
addition to the "we" (apostles).
2. Consider 1 Corinthians 12:13: “All of us were immersed into
this one
body of Christ by one Spirit [i.e., the Spirit's operation by means of
the
Gospel] . . . AND [an additional thought] we all drink from the same
Spirit.”
What is the difference in the Spirit's relationship to us before
baptism and
after it? In Paul's dual references to the Spirit in this passage, is
he
suggesting the identical concept in both statements?
3. In Galatians 4:6 the Spirit is said to be sent into our
hearts
because we are sons of God. Would not this suggest a relationship that
is
different from the mere influence of the word, since the sinner has the
leading
of the word before he becomes a child of God?
4. Finally, if the relationship of the Holy
Spirit is
exactly the same to both sinner and saint (i.e., only through the
word), can it
be affirmed that the sinner, to whatever extent that he is influenced
by the
word, has the "earnest of the Spirit"? (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; cf. Eph.
1:13-14). Do not these passages set forth a precious promise that is
exclusively confined to the Christian?
Objections
Many sincere
teachers of
God’s word believe there are strong arguments which negate the idea
that the
gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts
1. It is argued that if the Holy Spirit actually dwelt in all
Christians, He would be divided. If we may kindly say so, this is a
rather
materialistic view of Deity. The fact of the matter is, the apostles of
Christ
were filled with the Spirit of God (Acts 2:4), and yet the Spirit was
still one
(cf. 1 Cor. 12:9). It is countered, though, that the Holy Spirit
actually did
not dwell even in the apostles. Rather, it is alleged, the Spirit was
only with
them in the sense that they were miraculously endowed with divine
power.
However, it must be noted that the apostles had the supernatural power
of the
Holy Spirit before the day of Pentecost (cf. Matt. 10:8; 12:28). This
is
obviously what the Lord had in mind when He affirmed that the Spirit
was
"with" (para) those disciples; yet, additionally, the Savior
promised, "He SHALL BE in (en) you" (John 14:17). In view of this
passage, how can it possibly be argued that the Holy Spirit cannot
actually be
in a person?
2. It has been suggested that if the Holy
Spirit
actually dwelt in someone, that would be a form of "incarnation,"
hence, the person would be Deity. This is an erroneous assumption. The
Spirit
was in the apostles (Acts 2:4), but they were not Deity. Peter refused
to be
worshipped as though he was a divine being (Acts 10:26). In an
incarnation,
Deity becomes flesh (cf. John
Some have taken this argument to such an extreme as to almost border on a denial of the deity of Christ. For example, a brother alleged that when Jesus became incarnate, He laid aside His existence "in the form of God." It was then suggested that since such was true with reference to Christ, certainly the Holy Spirit would be required to surrender His "infinite attributes" if He were to "indwell finite flesh." The reader was thus to conclude, we suppose, that this demonstrates that the Holy Spirit does not actually dwell within the Christian.
There are two things wrong with this argument. First, the Lord did NOT
cease to
exist "in the form of God" when He became man. In Philippians 2:6,
the term "existing" is a present tense participle, which asserts that
the Second Person of the Godhead was in the form of God both prior to
the
incarnation and after it (cf. Vine, Expository Dictionary, p. 279;
Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon, p. 457). Moreover, the Greek word
for
"form" is morphe, which is indicative of the very nature of a
thing (Samuel Green, Handbook Grammar of the Greek New Testament, p.
384). If
Christ surrendered the "form of God" at the point of incarnation, He
was not Deity on earth. Second, as noted above, the two cases (i.e.,
the
incarnation of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) are not
analogous.
A mere "indwelling" is not the same as the incarnation. To dwell
within a house is not equivalent to becoming a house!
3. Some brethren hold that "the gift of the Holy Spirit" is
merely a metaphorical expression suggesting that only the Spirit's
influence, by
means of the inspired word, indwells the Christian. However, this
concept
does not adequately explain all of the biblical data on this theme. A
frequent
line of argument in support of this position is to assemble two lists
of
passages that show common effects produced by both the Spirit and the
word.
For instance, the
Bible
assigns instruction to the Holy Spirit (Neh. 9:30) and to the
word (2
Tim. 3:16‑17). Inspiration tells us both the Spirit and the Word begets
(John 3:5; 1 Cor. 4:15), quickens (John 6:63; Ps.
119:125), teaches
(John 14:26; 6:45), convicts (John 16:7-8; Titus 1:9), comforts
(Acts 9:31; 1 Thess. 4:18), sanctifies (1 Peter 1:2; John
17:17), converts
(John 16:7‑8; Ps. 19:7), washes (1 Cor. 6:11; Eph.
5:26), makes free (Rom. 8:2; John 8:32), dwells (Eph.
5:18‑19;
Col. 3:16), leads (Rom. 8:14; Ps. 119:105), strengthens (Eph.
3:16; Col. 1:9‑11), and gives birth (John 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23).
This is, however,
the fallacy
of analogy. The typical Oneness Pentecostal will use the same argument
(whereby
lists of similar traits relative to the Father and the Son are
assembled) in an
attempt to prove that Jesus and the Father is the same person.
The fact that the
Holy Spirit
uses the word as His instrument (Eph.
The "word only"
view
seems to fall under the weight of the context of Acts 2 as a whole. For
example, Peter's auditors on the day of Pentecost "gladly received his
word" (v. 41); hence, the influence of the Spirit before their baptism.
This
is evidenced by their question, "What shall we do?" (v. 37), as well
as an implied penitent disposition. Yet, the promised Spirit was given
at
baptism. Since the Holy Spirit operated on the Pentecostians through
the word
prior to their baptism, just what did they receive as a "gift" (Acts
4. It has also been contended that if the Holy
Spirit
personally dwells in the Christian, he would be able to perform
miracles. The
connection is unwarranted. John the Baptist performed no miracles (John
10:41),
and yet he was "filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's
womb" (Luke 1:15). Incidentally, the preposition "from" in this
passage is the Greek term ek, meaning from the inside to the
outside,
thus suggesting that John was filled with the Spirit even while in his
mother's
womb. This certainly EXCLUDES the notion that the Holy Spirit can dwell
in one
only through the agency of the word.
5. It is contended that both God and Christ are said to dwell in
us,
though they do not actually inhabit our bodies, so, similarly, is the
case with
the Spirit. However, we are expressly told that God (DEITY) dwells in
us by
means of the Spirit. Paul says the Ephesians were "a habitation of God
in
the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22), and John affirms: "We know that He lives in
us, by the Spirit which He gave us" (1 John 3:24; cf. 4:13).
6. Some argue that the gift of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Acts
2:38 is
merely a reference to salvation from past sins. But this theory appears
to
gloss the very language of the verse. It seems very clear that "the
gift
of the Holy Spirit" is something different from and in consequence of
the
forgiveness of sins (salvation). Note the dual use of the conjunction
"and" in this context: “Repent and be baptized . . . for the
remission of your sins; AND ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.”
Moreover, other passages also suggest that the reception of the Holy
Spirit is
a blessing given in consequence of salvation (Gal. 4:6).
7. It is alleged that Acts 2:38 is parallel
with Mark
16:16ff in that both sections promise salvation and the reception of
signs.
However, the passages are neither grammatically or contextually
parallel in all
respects. Mark 16:16ff contains a general declaration that miraculous
gifts
would accompany the body of believers, confirming their divinely given
testimony, whereas the obedient souls directly addressed in Acts 2:38
were
given the remission of sins, and promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.
8. Many in
the denominational world have asserted that the Holy Spirit must come
to open
the heart of the sinner (before immersion in water) so that he will
accept the
word. The conversion of the first Gentiles clearly refutes such a
claim. Their
hearts were already open before the Spirit came, for they told Peter,
". .
. we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been
commanded
by the Lord" (Acts
In the Book of
Acts, the Holy
Spirit is not reported to have worked directly on the sinner to instill
faith
in his heart or convert him. Rather, He is said to have worked through
the message
preached. The Holy Spirit gave the message to the messenger, who at
that time
did not have the written word, and for this reason needed to be guided
into the
truth by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:3‑5). Faith comes through the
message (Romans
The Holy Spirit was
not given
to lead souls to faith and obedience; for the world does not receive
the Holy
Spirit (John
(9) Some
have discounted the necessity of water immersion to receive the gift of
the
Holy Spirit because they
felt no sensation when they were baptized, while others have felt that
they were
saved without baptism because of a sensation before immersion. Baptism
does not
cause any sensation, but it does give one a reason for rejoicing (Acts
Emotions and
baptism are to
be compared with the marriage ceremony. Emotions before, during, and
after the
ceremony are NOT what seal the marriage. The ceremony itself may not
change
the feelings of the bride and the groom toward each other, though it
surely
could be the reason for rejoicing. Fulfilling the marriage
requirements, not
having certain feelings, is what makes a marriage legal. Likewise,
baptism is a
reason for rejoicing, but in no case does the Bible record that the
Holy Spirit
gives a heartfelt sensation to assure one of salvation. Salvation is
the result
of obedience (Hebrews 5:9) from the heart.
The indwelling Holy
Spirit is
given to those who believe and obey - those who have become children of
God. He
is not given to the lost to make them children of God. He enters the
heart of
the person whose faith has moved him to reform his life and make a
commitment
to Jesus by being buried in baptism for the cleansing of sin. The lost,
who
have honest and sincere hearts, are reached through the word (Luke
10. Some contend that the gift of the Holy
Spirit in Acts
Note the following:
“God was
using the apostles to do many powerful and amazing things; every person
felt
great respect for God” (Acts
Again we read: “The
apostles
did many miracles and powerful things among the people. The apostles
were
together in Solomon’s Porch; they all had the same purpose. None of the
other
believers dared to join the apostles, but all of the people were saying
good
things about them” (Acts 5:12-13). The religious awe with which the
multitudes
held the apostles suggests that they were doing signs NOT
characteristic of the
saints generally. It is only when one comes to Acts 6:6ff that mention
is made
of the imposition of the apostles' hands and the subsequent exercise of
miraculous gifts by others (cf. Acts 6:8).
Along this same
line of
thought it has been suggested that the terms "gift" (dorea)
and "receive" (lambano) in Acts 2:38 indicate a miraculous
phenomenon, and thus in this context denote the supernatural gifts made
available through the laying on of the apostles' hands. That such is
not a
valid observation can be verified easily by the consultation of a Greek
concordance. Compare, for example, dorea in John 4:10 and
Romans 5:15,
17 with lambano in John 12:48 and Mark 10:30. Moreover, the
fact is that
the most common Greek term for those gifts conveyed by the imposition
of
apostolic hands is the word charisma (cf. Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor.
12:4, 9,
28-31; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6).
The Laying on of
the
Apostle’s Hands
Yes, some of the
early
members of the church did receive miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit
imparted by the laying on of the apostles' hands (Acts 6:6, 8; Rom.
Let’s briefly look
at three
Bible examples of the POWER of the Holy Spirit being given through the
laying
on of the apostle’s hands:
(1) In Acts 8, Philip preached Christ unto citizens of
This assertion overlooks a very important phrase in verse 16. The text
states:
". . . for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." Why did not the sentence
conclude
with the words, "as yet it was fallen upon none of them," if
absolutely no reception of the Spirit was being affirmed? Certainly
such would
have been sufficient to complete that thought.
Rather, though, a
qualifying
clause is added: "only [monon de - literally 'but only’] they
had
been baptized. . . ." Thus, the sense likely is: ". . . for as yet it
had fallen upon none of them: but only [in the sense bestowed when]
they had
been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus." This compares well with
the promised gift of the Spirit at the time of one's baptism "in the
name
of Jesus Christ" (Acts 2:38). Concerning Acts 8:16, McGarvey notes:
". . . previous to the arrival of Peter and John the Holy Spirit had
fallen with its miraculous powers on none of the Samaritans" (McGarvey,
p.
142).
There is no
contradiction
here. The Samaritans were immersed to wash their sins away by the blood
of
Jesus, and they then received the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit
just as do
all penitent baptized believers (Acts 2:38). When the apostles Peter
and John
came, they laid their hands on the Samaritans and they received a
miraculous
gift from the Holy Spirit – the POWER to perform miracles, speak in
tongues,
etc.
(2) In Acts
19, Paul asked 12 men in
(3) Timothy
received a gift "through" or "by" (dia, a Greek preposition
which, when used with the genitive, means the agency of means by
which
another acts) the laying on of Paul's hands (2 Timothy 1:6). This was
most
likely the gift that was given "with" (meta, a preposition
which with the genitive, means "in accompaniment with") the hands of
the presbytery (1 Timothy
These gifts given
by the
laying on of the apostles hands were temporary and were to cease with
the
completion of the last will and testament. The Bible says, “Love lasts
forever.
There are such things as prophecies, but they will disappear. There are
such
things as inspired languages, but they will stop. There is such a thing
as
knowledge from God, but it will disappear” (1 Cor. 13:8). When would
this
happen? “We prophesy in parts, but when that which is complete comes,
the parts
will disappear” (v. 10). That "which is complete" -- that complete
thing (not Christ) -- was the word of God, "the perfect law of
freedom" (Jas. 1:25), and it has come. We should now "earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude
3).
The word of God
contains all
that Christ wants us to believe, teach, and practice religiously; it
excludes
everything we are not to believe, teach, and practice. Once the whole
(perfect)
body of truth had been one time for all time given and confirmed, then
these
miraculous gifts ceased (Eph. 4:7, 11-13). There are no “miracles”
being done
today by the power of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the
apostle’s
hands.
Conclusion
The "gift of the
Holy
Spirit" (Acts
The fact of the
Spirit's
indwelling is a different issue altogether from the various modes of
His
operation as effected in the apostolic age. In affirming that the Holy
Spirit
dwells within the child of God one need NOT suggest: (a) that He
operates in
some mysterious way directly upon the saint's heart, (b) that some
evidence
from the Spirit is necessary to prove He is really in us, (c) that the
Spirit
"guides" or "illuminates" us in some way apart from the
Scriptures (special guidance, leading, and such like), (d) that
miracles are
performed today.