(1) From the perspective of Jesus’ resurrection we read of what would follow in:
John 14:16-17 “…He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever…for He dwells with you and will be in you…I will come to you.”
John 16:13 “…when He, the Spirit of truth, has come…”
John 20:22 “receive the Holy Spirit”
Acts 1:4-5 “wait for the Promise of the Father…you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now,”
1Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit WE WERE ALL baptized into one body…”
We can conclude that no believers received, were indwelt, or baptized by the Holy Spirit previous Jesus’ resurrection. In 54 AD, when Paul wrote 1Corinthians 12:13, “WE WERE ALL baptized by one Spirit,” past tense. As further consideration, people that were Spirit filled were named but no person was ever named who was Spirit baptized because “we were all” and all means all.
(2) Jesus gave the Promise of the Father or Spirit baptism, to all who believe with no evidence required in Acts 1:4-5 and the truth is the same to all in Acts 2:38-39 because Peter said, “repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Again, ALL is ALL
“Be filled with the Holy Spirit” is a command to all and not a promise.
The gift of tongues is a gift as the Lord wills to some; it is not “the evidence” or a promise to all.
A gift to some cannot be the evidence of a promise that is to all; otherwise it is no longer as the Lord wills. Spirit Baptism is not the same as Spirit Filling.
(3) There are the only seven verses recorded in the entire Bible where the phrase baptize you with the Holy Spirit appears. It is not found in the Old Testament and John the Baptist who was previously Spirit filled spoke of Spirit baptism in the future tense by his words, “He will” and “upon who you see” in Matt 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33. Since there is no tongues evidence associated with any of the seven Spirit baptism verses, “the” evidence of tongues must come by a subtle word play.
(2) Mark 1:8 “…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
(3) Luke 3:16 “…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
(4) John 1:33 “…He who baptizes[you] with the Holy Spirit.”
(5) Acts 1:5 “…you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
(6) Acts 11:16 “…you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
(7) 1Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit WE WERE ALL baptized into one body…”
(4) This actual Pentecostal statement of faith unites the “Baptism” or the “Infilling” as one event and subsequent to salvation. In recent years however, most Pentecostal statements of faith just mention the baptism of the Holy Spirit but quote Acts 2:4, that speaks of Spirit filling as “THE” tongues speaking evidence for Spirit baptism.
Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
(5) It is now subtler but do you see what has just happened here? The assumption that the baptism equals filling allows tongues speaking to be “THE” evidence of baptism with the Holy Spirit! A new false doctrine of evidence has just been fabricated upon error, and one denomination even goes a step further by making tongues speaking the required evidence of salvation.
(6) In the book The Baptism In The Holy Spirit, the primary instruction guide for the Full Gospel Bible Institute, by the late founder Dr. Glen S. McLean, we find this teaching on page 20, quote, “The Scripture also speaks of the baptism in the Holy Spirit as us being filled with the Spirit…[he goes on] When we are made ‘fully wet’ with the Spirit we are ‘saturated’ or ‘filled’ with the Spirit…” Take note that Glen correctly gives the definition of baptiszo as ‘fully wet…to cover by immersion in something that envelopes all sides,’ but to apply that meaning to the different Greek word pletho or filled is a blatant error that leads to false doctrine.
(7) In the same book, page 77 we read, “these ‘…other tongues’ were real languages…page 78, no meaningless gibberish, no unintelligible utterances…” page 56,“According to the law of first occurrences, all subsequent outpourings of the Spirit, should occur as did the first, unless there is at a later date, some positive indication that the order has changed.” page59, “According to the records of God’s Word the pattern has not changed” but on page 67, “…tongues which accompanies the Baptism is not necessarily the gift of tongues…” Finally on page 84 we read, “Sad to say many who have initially received the Baptism in the Holy Sprit are not in-filled with the Holy Spirit.” End quote.
(8) If we look at Acts 2:4 under this interpretation we can see that it is criss-crossed substitution of errors to provide evidence for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit where there is none. Initially in the book page 20, Spirit baptism is equal to Spirit filling sharing the tongues evidence but against all logic by page 84, the two can be separated from each other. Then there are two types of tongues, the true gift of tongues and interpretation of God speaking to men, or the uninterpreted heavenly prayer language, “the” evidence, but the direction is changed to men praying to God. Such is the contradiction and confusion when tailoring theology to the experience.
(9) The cornerstone of the Pentecostal faith is that ‘Baptism’ or the ‘Infilling’ is the same event built on the assumption that the different words baptism and filling represent the same event. Because error and false doctrine are the result of adding to, removing from, or changing God’s word. We must ask the critical question, “Is Spirit baptism in fact Spirit filling?”
Proverbs 30:6 “Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”
Revelation 22:18 “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.”
If “WE WERE ALL” baptized by one Holy Spirit without the requirement of “the” evidence of tongues, are we not adding to His word in practice if we require tongues as evidence, and in fact denying the promised Holy Spirit to ALL, creating a half gospel?
(10) The word baptize, used 69 times in the New Testament means: “to make fully wet, to cover wholly with a fluid, to dip, or to cover by immersion in something that envelopes all sides.” Consider another different word fill and it specifically means: “to fill, put, or pour into something.” Baptism deals with the outside washing or complete immersion but filling applies to only the inside of a vessel. Baptism, filling, and sprinkling are all differing meanings and we can conclude from the true meaning of Scriptural language alone that Spirit filling is an action distinct and apart from Spirit baptism.
Acts 8:36-38 “…Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.”
Matthew 3:16, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water.”
Consider another different word fill or the Greek word pletho (Strong’s G4130) and it specifically means: “to fill, put, or pour into something.”
Luke 11:39, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.”
Mat. 14:20, “So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.”
(11) If Spirit filling is an action distinct and apart from Spirit baptism, then we would expect the “filling” event happened before the day of Pentecost and carry on after, and this is the case. Just to name a few pre-Pentecost Spirit filled people are Bezaleel in Exodus 31:2-3, 6, Elizabeth in Luke 1:15, John the Baptist in Luke 1:41-42, Zacharias in Luke 1:67, and Simeon in Luke 2:25-30 and the list of names carries on after Pentecost.
Post Pentecost Spirit filling: Acts 2:4 they were all Acts 4:8 Peter again Acts 4:29-31 they were all again Acts 6:3-5 Stephen and Philip again Acts 7:55-56 Stephen again Acts 9:17-18 Acts 13:9-11 Paul Acts 11:22,24 Barnabas again Acts 13:52 the disciples again. They are all named unless a group is stated.
From Bezaleel to John the Baptist, many were Spirit filled but not born again because the indwelling Spirit was “not yet given” and so they could not be indwelt or baptized by the Spirit. If we determine when Jesus was glorified then we can know when believers received the indwelling Holy Spirit; or born again. They did not yet receive the Holy Spirit in John 20:22 because Acts 2:33 was when Jesus, “…being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received…poured out this…” the promise of the Father, the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. At this point in time they were ALSO Spirit filled because we are told they were in Acts 2:4 and for a specific purpose for that era of time, anointed and empowered with the true gift of tongues, known foreign languages understandable by the hearer, penetrating the language barrier to spread the gospel quickly throughout the world.
John 20:22 “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 24:45 “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”
Luke 24:49 “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem[i] until you are endued with power from on high.”
Acts 2:33 “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.”
(12) After reading Exodus 31, indisputably, Spirit filling happened very early in history, at least 1800 years before Jesus’ resurrection, before Pentecost, and before the event of Spirit baptism and so Spirit filling and baptism must be two separate events. This separation is further confirmed by comparing the differences, in fact opposites, between Spirit baptism and Spirit filling. Spirit filling was an anointing upon specifically named people to display God’s power through many special evidencing gifts for service by the Holy Spirit. On the other hand we can compare that all the attributes of baptism with the Holy Spirit identically match the attributes of the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that only happened after Jesus’ resurrection.
THE TEST—SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT?
(13) Pentecostal teaching is that “receive ye the Holy Ghost” in the first Biblical occurrence in John 20:22, means the indwelling relationship of the Holy Spirit but in subsequent occurrences as in Acts 8 & 19, the identical phrase “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” now means Spirit baptism. Since Pentecostals teach that Spirit indwelling and Spirit baptism are not the same event, a contradiction has been created and words mean whatever they choose!
(14) The doctrine of “second blessing” was originally derived from old King James Version language like Acts 19: 2 and Ephesians 1:13. Acts 19:2 King James Version says “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” giving the impression that receiving the Holy Spirit is subsequent to salvation. The tense of the word “believing” has been clarified in the New King James Version by the use of the word “when” and means at the moment of and so it reads, “…Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” The same in the old KJV of Ephesians 1:13 that says “after that ye believed” The literal Greek reads in the present tense as “also believing,” which is at the moment of salvation, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Paul did not say He will baptize some of you with the Holy Spirit, after you are saved, and when you speak in tongues. There is no record of any name in the entire Bible who was Spirit baptized because WE WERE ALL, no one is excluded and therefore no evidence! The Pentecostal “full gospel,” half when you believe, the second half when you speak in tongues is grievous error that denies the first blessing of Spirit baptism at salvation and demand a second blessing evidenced by tongues. There is no subsequent experience; we receive the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Spirit of truth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, at the moment of salvation!
Ephesians 1:13 Greek Interlinear: “Those having previously trusted in Christ, in whom also you, hearing the word of truth, the gospel of the salvation of you, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Spirit of promise the Holy.”
Acts 19:2 KJV: “Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?”
Acts 19:2 NKJV: “…And Paul, finding some disciples, said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’”
The Second Blessing?
If the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the First Blessing:
Spirit Baptism equals Spirit Indwelling but does not equal Spirit Filling
and the gift of tongues was AN evidence of Spirit Filling.
If the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the Second Blessing:
Spirit Baptism equals Spirit Filling but does not equal Spirit Indwelling
and the gift of tongues is THE evidence of Spirit Filling.
(15) The words fail, cease, and vanish are strong words teaching that something will never be made operational again. If tongues, at one time were needed for a purpose but then it was abolished, something must have taken its place—“that” which is “perfect.” The word perfect is a neuter gender adjective describing “that” while Jesus is a masculine noun, not the adjective perfect, nor is Jesus a “that” or a “thing!”
Absolute proof
1Corinthians 13:10
The original Greek text and direct translation to the English language:
οταν δε ελθη το τελεφον, τοτε το εκ μερουξ καταργηθησεταφ.
When but comes the perfect thing, then that in part will be abolished.
THAT (ekinos #1565): a pronoun meaning a neuter thing.
PERFECT (teleios #5046): complete, in various applications of growth, labor.
Perfect is an adjective describing the neuter pronoun
that or thing.
WARNING: Perfect is not a masculine noun!
PART (meros #3313): a section, a part, piece, or portion of something; partial.
Part, is an adjective describing the neuter pronoun, “that.”
NOTE: Part is a portion of something complete.
Ps. 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul…”
Ps. 18:30 “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven…”
James 1:25 “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
Rom. 16:25-26 “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith.”
Eph. 3:3-5 “how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I wrote before in a few words, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:”
2Pet. 1:20-21 “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Rev. 1:1 “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place.”
Rev. 22:18 “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;”
Rev. 22:19 “and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book”
(16) The word perfect as used 42 times in the Bible is not used once in connection with Jesus or His second coming. Many times the word perfect is used in the sense as complete, nothing missing as in a set of books. Luke 24:45, John 1:45, Acts 28:23 “…the Law of Moses and the Prophets…” and Psalm 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul…” refers to the Old Testament while James 1:25 “perfect law of liberty” refers to the New Testament.
(17) At the time of Paul writing 1Corinthians, the New Testament was not in existence, in fact he was writing perhaps only the second book of the New Testament. When that letter was committed to writing, that part of revelation would be complete. As another book was written, more prophecy and knowledge would be phased out, or faded away until the final book the Revelation of Jesus Christ was written down by the prophet John. Hebrews 1:1-2 “God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…”
At the end of Revelation, spoken by Jesus, we are told there would be no more prophecy or revelation and since tongues are direct revelation, tongues also ceased because now we have the complete knowledge of God in writing. Of course, the counterfeit unknown tongue, or so called “heavenly prayer language” will not cease until Jesus comes to end it. Therefore we accept “as it is written,” once for all delivered to the saints revealed by the Spirit to His Holy apostles and prophets, the end to prophecy, word of knowledge, tongues, and interpretation, that which was in part. If the partial is prophecy and knowledge, and the perfect thing is prophecy and knowledge, and the Bible is prophecy and knowledge, then the Bible is the complete or perfect thing, the complete Word of God.