Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Is baptism done only once? | Eph 4:5 | Reformer Joe | 42861 | ||
You wrote: "First, because the people of Acts 19 were baptised, this does not signal the joining of the church." I am a little confused here. I thought you were Church of Christ. Yes, the Lord adds to the church (which means that we are JOINED to the church, even if you do not like that word), but don't you see us becoming part of the communion of saints -- the bride of Christ -- at BAPTISM? You also wrote: "Second, as for all post-Pentacost conversions receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, you need to read the account of Philip and the Eunuch in Acts 8:34-39. Its says that the eunuch went away rejoicing but never says he received the Holy Spirit." No, and it didn't say what he had for dinner that night, either. That doesn't mean he starved! We can see in other places in Scripture where becoming a Christian means receiving the Holy Spirit. Let's start with what is most likely the verse of Scripture you quote most: 'Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' --Acts 2:38 Then we can move on to what Paul says: "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory." --Ephesians 1:13-14 "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." --Romans 8:9 "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." --1 Corinthians 6:11 Lastly, we can point to the words of the Lord Himself: "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.' --John 7:37-39 As you can see, those who hear the gospel in belief/repentance receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. To say that it is at the discretion of the apostles ignores all of those cases (such as Cornelius in Acts 10) where the Holy Spirit is not transmitted by any discretionary action on the part of the apostles. As an aside, since all the apostles are at home with the Lord, how do you think we receive the Holy Spirit today? --Joe! |
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2 | Is baptism done only once? | Eph 4:5 | RAVEN | 42969 | ||
Hey Joe, Yes, I agree that we become part of the body of Christ. My reason for saying that we do not join the church is because many denominations make it(in Gods eyes)easier to be saved(believe only or just accept Christ)than to become a member of their church, which usually requires baptisim at certain times of the month or the year. So you see being baptised does not join us to Christ if its not done in the correct and proper way. Some think the church is the building but its really the people inside. People join clubs,groups or sects, but you become a member of the body of Christ. Romans 12 4For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Colossians 1 18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence Secondly, just to clear up some things about how the Holy Spirit manefest itself today, when you say receive the Holy Spirit do you mean receive gifts or salvation? Or, do you mean that the Holy Spirit lives inside you literally? To better explain my view I need to know where you stand on this. Your friend in Christ, Raven |
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3 | Is baptism done only once? | Eph 4:5 | Reformer Joe | 43048 | ||
You wrote: "Secondly, just to clear up some things about how the Holy Spirit manefest itself today, when you say receive the Holy Spirit do you mean receive gifts or salvation? Or, do you mean that the Holy Spirit lives inside you literally? To better explain my view I need to know where you stand on this." You raise some very good questions here. I would like to talk about the Holy Spirit's indwelling first. Since He is God, He is obviously omnipresent, so indwelling cannot mean that He is physically somewhere He wasn't before (because this would mean that he was not everywhere before). So when Paul says that the Spirit of God "dwells" in us (Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16), that must be speaking in a spiritual sense, regarding a different way in which the Spirit relates to and interacts with the Christian. Salvation and receiving the Holy Spirit are not the same thing, but since the founding of the church salvation has been accompanied by receiving the Holy Spirit, who dwells in every believer in the sense I described above. Are there still gifts? Yes, but not all of them. I think you and I agree on which ones are most likely not in operation today. --Joe! |
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4 | Is baptism done only once? | Eph 4:5 | RAVEN | 43054 | ||
Hello Joe, You wrote, Since He is God, He is obviously omnipresent, so indwelling cannot mean that He is physically somewhere He wasn't before (because this would mean that he was not everywhere before). So when Paul says that the Spirit of God "dwells" in us (Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16), that must be speaking in a spiritual sense, regarding a different way in which the Spirit relates to and interacts with the Christian. Yes, I can see what you are saying if you keep with the scripyure that says: Colossians 3 16Let the WORD of Christ DWELL IN YOU RICHLY in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. in view of this scripture, 1 Thessalonians 2 13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also EFFECTIVELY WORKS IN YOU WHO BELIEVE. Now stay with me now, and see how this fits with the Holy Spirit and He communicates with us today. Read these next two scriptures: 1 John 3 9Whoever has been born of God does not sin,(that is, does not continue in sin for we know that we all sin) for His SEED REMAINS in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. Now what is the seed that remains, Luke 8 The Parable of the Sower Explained (1) 11 "Now the parable is this: The SEED is the WORD OF GOD. And the word of God is the bible. If you believe what I have stated then we are closer to same belief and knowledge of the bible than I previously thought. I hope that this true. Your friend in Christ, Raven |
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5 | Is baptism done only once? | Eph 4:5 | Reformer Joe | 43090 | ||
You wrote: "And the word of God is the bible. If you believe what I have stated then we are closer to same belief and knowledge of the bible than I previously thought. I hope that this true." Well, you didn't state much, other than citing a few Scriptures. I believe that the Spirit of God primarily works in and through the word of God in a believer's life. The two are not the same, of course, but the Spirit does not normally act apart from His revelation as it is received in the Christian's life. That is why the lifelong, careful study of the Bible (and sitting under the preaching of a gifted teacher well-versed in the word) is so indispensable, because it is the main instrument that the Spirit utilizes for sanctification. --Joe! |
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