Full Gospel Paradox

August 26, 2014 by

The Full Gospel Paradox

Eston College (formerly Full Gospel Bible Institute) founder/teacher Dr. Glen S. McLean in The Baptism In The Holy Spirit, page 20, wrote, “The Scripture also speaks of the baptism in the Holy Spirit as us being filled with the Spirit…” The word filled or full precipitated the term “Full Gospel” to represent the Apostolic Church of Pentecost (ACOP-Trinitarian) doctrine: “In the Baptism with the Holy Spirit as an experience subsequent to salvation, with the Scriptural evidence: namely, speaking in tongues.” This experience is also called the second blessing with speaking in tongues as “the evidence”.

David K. Bernard (general superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International, Oneness), in Pentecostal Theology, Volume 2, The New Birth, page 188, writes:

The Book of Acts describes the baptism of the Spirit in many ways: “filled with the Holy Ghost” (2:4); “the promise of the Holy Ghost” (2:33); “the gift of the Holy Ghost” (2:38); “the Holy Ghost fell on them” (10:44); “poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost” (10:45); “received the Holy Ghost”(10:47); and “the Holy Ghost came on them” (19:6). …All these phrases simply identify the same New Testament experience in different ways. When empty human vessels are baptized in the Spirit, they are filled with the Spirit…The following chart demonstrates the equivalence of all these phrases…

page 235…The Book of Acts teaches that a person will speak in tongues when he receives the Holy Ghost. Therefore, speaking in tongues is the initial sign (evidence) that one has received the gift (baptism)of the Holy Spirit.

Page 238…If one has been baptized in the name of Jesus, has received the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, and continues to obey God’s Word, he can know he is saved. Many churches deny this evidentiary role, and as a result their members struggle with uncertainty about salvation.

Page 239…when one repents from sin and believes on Jesus according to the Scriptures, he will receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.

Oneness Pentecostals deny the Trinity and believe that speaking in a tongue is the proof of salvation! Furthermore, unless you are baptized by immersion “in Jesus’ name” and speak in tongues, you are not saved. Unlike other Pentecostals, they do not believe in the second blessing experience subsequent to salvation, but correctly believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit happens at the moment of salvation. Erroneously however, since they believe Spirit baptism is Spirit filling, “the evidence” of tongues must occur to prove true salvation. In effect, people can accept Christ as their Lord and Savior but still go to hell if they do not speak in tongues!

Definition: “A paradox is a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a contradictory outcome.”

Ironically, Trinitarian and Oneness Pentecostals divide over the other’s faults but neither can see their common fault. The unwritten premise is that Pentecostals have experienced the complete or full gospel, therefore intimating that the non-experienced believe a lesser gospel. The written premise is that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is or “as” being filled with the Holy Spirit, however, the paradox is that the distinctiveness of two separate and opposite ministries of the Holy Spirit has been eliminated. Then, the baptism of the Holy Spirit that is mentioned only seven times in all the Bible, without “the evidence” of tongues (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 1:5, Acts 11:16, and 1Corinthians 12:13), by the merger with filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4, has now allegedly taken on “Scriptural evidence: namely, speaking in tongues”. This is NOT scriptural! This is a grievous error because two separate ministries of the Holy Spirit have been substituted by one non-biblical man-made experience. This “experience subsequent to salvation” or tongues experience salvation, rather than sealed with the Holy Spirit having believed (Ephesians 1:13) at the moment of salvation, is a different baptism of a different gospel. If we accept a different gospel, can we be truly saved, or in the very least, not grieve the Holy Spirit? Twisting the scriptures to name an ecstatic mystical experience of unknown tongues, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, appears to be full and more, but is actually empty and lacking.

1Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit we were ALL baptized into one body…”

2Corinthians 11:4, “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”

Galatians 1:6-8, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”

Ephesians 1:13, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”

2Peter 3:15-16, “…Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”

Teaching that takes away the completeness we received at the moment of salvation is “a different gospel”. Having a mystical experience of unknown tongues, “the evidence”, before establishing what is biblical truth, is a different gospel stronghold of self-deception that is formidable. Many untaught believers value the experience far above a doctrine,but entering into the non-biblical demonstrates to God that we are not discerning or obedient.If we seek after a mystical experience that God does not require, and reject the “as it is written” by one Spirit we were ALL baptized into one body, we entertain evidence that God has not given!

Acts 20:28-31, “…take heed to yourselves and to all the flock…after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”

1Timothy 4:13, 16, “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”

1Thessalonians 5:21, “Test all things; hold fast what is good.”

It may be of interest to students of Scripture, since defectors from error are downplayed, rejected, and forgotten, to find and read of Apostolic Church of Pentecost (ACOP) teachers and founders who found their way out of experienced-based theology using Scripture alone and intelligent reasoning; and arrived at precisely the same simple conclusion—“the baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit are two different and separate ministries of the Holy Spirit, and tongues are not “the evidence” of Spirit Baptism but was ‘an’ evidence of Spirit Filling.” Shortly after publishing The Promise of the Father, a reader sent me a book 17 Reasons Why I Left The Tongues Movement, by the late ACOP pastor Alfred Pohl who writes in his personal history:

Page 12 (pdf page 11), “I belonged to the Apostolic Church of Pentecost…raised in it from childhood, was saved and baptized in it, ordained in it, preached in it, taught in our Bible school for five years, and was our denomination’s missionary-secretary for five years—during which time I visited and spoke in most of our churches across Canada…But why then did I leave?…”

Page 26 (pdf page 24),“Another teaching in which most Tongues people err is that the baptism and the filling or fullness of the Holy Spirit are one and the same. But these are two different and separate ministries of the Holy Spirit.

www.wayoflife.org/free_ebooks/downloads/17_Reasons_p.php

Also of interest is Rev. Joe Erickson, another ACOP pastor who left the tongues movement. From the 100th anniversary history of the Veteran Local Church in Veteran, Alberta:

“Many during the 1940’s distanced themselves from the Pentecostal teaching and experience because of error by some. The assembly was shocked when Joe Erickson, one whom they respected so much, became one of these. This led to a division regarding the foundational experience from the revival that led to the formation of the assembly in the beginning. Howard Knapp relates in the “Prairie Fire” that things came to a head in 1948 when the elders took a stand and invited Glen McLean from Eston to come and teach on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

From another source: “In February and March 1936 he led a six-week ”Fundamental Bible School” in a vacant three story commercial building in Coronation…In 1937 he opened a “Fundamental Bible School” in Grenfell, Saskatchewan until the spring of 1939. That summer he came to the West Coast…Mr. Erickson changed his doctrinal teaching about the Holy Spirit and in 1944-45 taught that the Holy Spirit indwelled every believer who trusted in Jesus Christ and that all believers did not need to speak in tongues. In the process he had lost his Pentecostal support base. In 1945…Northwest Baptist Bible College opened there that fall with Mr. Erickson…and then became a Seminary that today is part of the ACTS seminary consortium at Trinity Western University in Langley.

Dr. Glen S. McLean (1917-2000) in his book The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, page 7:

“As a young Christian I had been greatly helped by the ministry of individual Christians and certain ministers who had received the Baptism and taught this experience. But later on they claimed they saw they were in error, and renouncing their previous experience, they very zealously preached against it…it left me very bewildered and terribly confused…To add further to my confusion, some of the teaching which I had received concerning the Baptism did not agree with the Word of God or intelligent reasoning… (page 9) There was one thing which was a help to me in the perplexing situation I faced. As a boy of eleven years God had wonderfully baptized me with he Holy Spirit and I spoke in tongues…”

Some personal notes I received from Rev. Lorne O. Pritchard during the course of writing The Promise of the Father:

September 25, 1997 “Dear brother Dean: I received your letter and papers the day before yesterday. I did not want to reply until I had read your paper on “The Promise of the Father”. First of all I am amazed at the amount of homework you have done! Few preachers bother to do so and is one reason we have so much confusion today. I have never looked into the history of Azusa, but I have looked into the history of the so-called 1947-48 revival…as you know I am away until November 16th. Perhaps after that date we could work in a visit…We must keep in touch…Sincerely, in Christ, a brother, L.O.P.”

Undated note, 1997: For a young generation who know not the history of Latter Rain let me tell you: It divided preachers within denominations from each other. It divided denominations. It divided individual churches. It divided husbands from their wives and brothers from their brothers. Homes were broken. Many claimed gifts they did not possess and as a result became so discouraged they stopped going to any church…These are dangerous days…The Bible is enough, I need no additions to it…I have concluded that anyone who thinks 1948 was a year of revival after all the evidence against it, is deceived. Or if that one is not deceived, then I am deceived…Sincerely, a brother, L.O. Pritchard

November 20, 1997 hand written note: “When time permits we must sit down and talk over your paper. There are few today who take time to study the Scriptures for themselves. Every blessing…L.O.P.”

July 6, 1999 “Dear Dean: …Thank you for being a student. Thanks for being able to see through things that are not Scriptural. I am in agreement with each answer to the stated problems. Our churches need men like you who dare to speak out. I fear, in coming days, it will be more difficult for us…May God give you the strength to keep on keeping on. A brother L.O.P.”

April 10, 2007 “Dear Dean: I just received your letter and book…I do not know if you know, I may have told you, 1n 1995 when the Toronto thing was in force, I wrote A.C.O.P. office and asked them to take a stand against or for Toronto. They would not, so I did not renew my papers. I am not registered with any denomination now…Let me know if you receive this message.

Sincerely, L.O.P.”

Lorne Pritchard held in his hands the substantial teaching of my book The Promise of the Father in 1997 and I speculate that between 1997 and 2000, Lorne discussed with his long time co-founder and close friend Glen McLean, some of the doctrinal contradictions I listed from Glen McLean’s book, The Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The reason I say that is because in 2010, I was informed, “GS McLean realized his error and in the last months of his life (2000), tried to correct those errors you mentioned.” To verify that statement, at a the Learn To Discern conference on Saturday, June 14, 2014 at Olivet Church in Abbotsford, I met teacher Roger Oakland of understandthetimes.org , another of Glen’s close friends and long time ministry associate. I asked Roger to be specific on, “What doctrine did GS McLean realize he taught in error and tried to correct in his final months of life?” Without any reflection of his own theological position, Roger simply answered the fact that, “GS McLean realized that speaking in tongues was not ‘the evidence’ of Spirit Baptism.” I mean no harm to GS, who in speaking to him personally, found him to be a fine humble well meaning man; a small man with a large voice. The fact is that his writings are the basis of the full gospel doctrine, the Bible school, and the denomination. Only his writings are what are under scrutiny. If he tried to correct the decades of error since 1944, then this writing is in his support.

The challenge

My challenge then is, to every student of Scripture, to find out why ACOP teachers Alfred Pohl and Joe Erickson gave up ministry positions for the truth—“…the baptism and the filling or fullness of the Holy Spirit…these are two different and separate ministries of the Holy Spirit.” Ask yourself why founder, Lorne O Pritchard, taught against Latter Rain, and just after the Toronto Blessing pulled his papers to separate himself from the ACOP. Why did a second FGBI founder, Glen McLean recant the flagship doctrine of the Apostolic Church of Pentecost statement of faith:

“In the Baptism with the Holy Spirit as an experience subsequent to salvation, with the Scriptural evidence: namely, speaking in tongues.”

In the ACOP Membership Policy, Section III—Licensed Membership, A:

“That a candidate for license…be baptized with the Holy Spirit with the Scriptural evidence, namely speaking in tongues.”

Section IV—Ordination Policy, A. Qualifications, 1:

“That a candidate for ordination…be baptized with the Holy Spirit with the Scriptural evidence, namely speaking in tongues.”

This is the same conclusion of William Seymour, the initiator of the so-called 1906 Azusa Street revival, the birthplace of the whole Pentecostal movement:

“In the early days, Seymour preached that the gift of tongues was “the” evidence for baptism with the Holy Spirit. After Azusa was all over, Seymour himself changed his theology to believe that tongues was not “the evidence” of Spirit baptism. Seeing that the whites could speak in tongues and still detest their black brothers, he now believed that overcoming racial prejudice and the fruits of the Spirit were the evidence of the Holy Spirit, and that tongues speaking was one gift of the Spirit and sometimes it was not a gift at all…Seymour still did not understand the distinction of Spirit baptism and Spirit filling but he believed closer to what all the mainline churches believed all along, with which he caused so much division.” (The Promise of the Father, page 120)

This monumental fracture in the experience based theology, collapses the whole premise of the Pentecostal faith like a house of cards. If tongues is not “the evidence”, how can a second blessing experience subsequent to, and apart from salvation exist?Some contradictions to ask yourself:

  • The book The Baptism In The Holy Spirit explains on page 16 that “receive ye the Holy Ghost” means the “indwelling relationship”, but on page 47 “Received ye the Spirit”, means “baptism in the Holy Spirit”. However, Pentecostal doctrine dogmatically states that Spirit baptism is not the event of indwelling of the Spirit, but a subsequent event.
  • On page 20, we are told “The Scripture also speaks of the baptism in the Holy Spirit as us being filled with the Holy Spirit…” while confusingly on page 84, we are told that “many who have initially received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit are not in-filled with the Holy Spirit in their daily walk with the Lord.” Spirit baptism is taught to be one and the same as Spirit filling at the beginning of the book, however, by the end of the book the two can be separated from each other.
  • If Spirit baptism is Spirit filling, but later a Spirit baptized person is no longer filled, either (a) the events must be separate events, or (b) a person must also loose the baptism in the Holy Spirit when he looses Spirit filling. Against all logic, Pentecostals believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit happens once, but Spirit filling can come and go at the same time, as being the same event.

To one Pentecostal pastor, of more than twenty years in the pulpit, I asked this question, “Is Spirit baptism the same thing as Spirit filling?” He agreed with his church’s statement of faith, that they are the same event. Then I asked him “since baptism with the Holy Spirit did not happen until the day of Pentecost, was anyone Spirit filled before that day?” He replied “No.” Thirdly, I asked him to read Exodus 31:2-3,6, concerning Bezalel, “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God…” Then I asked him to remember how John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit in his mother’s womb, and to remember some 120 others like Elizabeth and Zacharias, who were Spirit filled without tongues evidence and before the day of Pentecost. Clearly, the blank look of concern on this pastor’s face demonstrated that the Pentecostal doctrine was lacking.

Baptism: Water and Spirit parallel

The belief that Spirit baptism equals Spirit filling is the very cornerstone of the Pentecostal statement of faith, but to the contrary, Bezalel in Exodus 31:2-3 and a host of Old Testament saints were “filled with the Holy Spirit” including John the Baptist. He taught that Spirit baptism was yet to come, but he never spoke in tongues. A separation of 1800 years between the first occurrences of filling and baptism proves that Spirit baptism is not Spirit filling.

Spirit filled John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me…will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire…Jesus came up immediately from the water…He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.” (Matthew 3:11,16) “…’Upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” (John 1:33)

Out of the context of water baptism is the first mention in the Bible of Spirit baptism! Jesus promised to every believer, one event incorporating two different parts, an action and a position, each without any required outward evidence: (1) The action: The baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is the promise of the Father, Matthew 3:11, Acts 1:4-5, 2:38-39, and (2) The position: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit, John 14:16-31.

Jesus promised, “He will be in you” (John 14:16-31),which is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to every single believer, without tongues evidence. He also promised the baptism with the Holy Spirit to every single believer without tongues evidence. Acts 11:15-17, “as upon us at the beginning…baptized with the Holy Spirit…when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ”. Romans 8:9, “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” The 120 believers, in Acts 2:4, received the promise of the Father,Spirit baptism and indwelling, and were ALSO subsequently Spirit filled and spoke in tongues, as a sign to the unbelievers. It could be said that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the “descending” action of the Holy Spirit that brings the residency, “remaining”, or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; the baptism action and the indwelling position cannot be separated.

Water baptism by immersion symbolizes the believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, to walk in newness of life.

1Peter 3:18, “…baptism…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” If Spirit baptism and water baptism are parallel, why would we reverse the order and go from new birth, newness of life, back into death, burial, and sin? Pentecostal doctrine does precisely that—disconnects Spirit baptism from Spirit indwelling, puts the action subsequent to the position, and then attaches “the evidence” of tongues as a condition of baptism. Since the Spirit comes to dwell in us at the moment of salvation, the coming in or the baptism must immediately precede. To send a person, who has just repented to salvation, to yet seek “their baptism” or “the evidence” is to deny them the promise of the Father, a grievous error. 1Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit we were ALL baptized into one body…” when we believed.

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Spirit Baptism and Filling

July 23, 2013 by

(1) From the perspective of Jesus’ resurrection we read of what would follow in:

John 7:39 “…concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
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

Spirit baptism is a promise to all, not only a gift.
“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.

(1) Matt 3:11 “…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
(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.

We believe the Holy Spirit can come upon us and empower us to tell others of God’s saving power. We often call this the “Baptism” or the “Infilling” of the Holy Spirit, received by faith subsequent to becoming a Christian. The initial evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. (Acts 2:1-4,39, 9:17, 1Cor. 14:28).
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.

baptism-0

(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?”

Deuteronomy 4:2 “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”
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.

The word baptize, used 69 times in the New Testament, is the Greek word baptizo (Strong’s G907) or baptismos (baptism) and means: “to make fully wet, to cover wholly with a fluid, to dip, or to cover by immersion in something that envelopes all sides.”
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.

Pre Pentecost Spirit filling: Exodus 31:2-3,6 Bezaleel, Luke 1:15 Elizabeth, Luke 1:41-42 John the Baptist, Luke 1:67 Zacharias, and Luke 2:25-30 Simeon, just to name a very few and they are all named.
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 7:39 “…concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
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?

baptism-1

(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 KJV: “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 that holy Spirit of promise.”
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.

 

1Corinthians 13:8-10, “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”

 

(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.

Is the word perfect ever associated with the meaning Bible?
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.”

 

Is the Bible ever called revelation, prophecy, or knowledge?
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.

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