Bible Question: I am a leader in our church and a co-worker of mine recently came to me asking me some questions that have totally confused me. She is Pentecostal. We like to talk about the bible and stuff at lunch. And she asked me two questions #1. Where in the bible did someone receive the Holy Ghost without speaking in tongues? AND #2. Where does it show them baptizing in the name of the father, son, and Holy Ghost? I want to give her a good studied answer and I have not been able to find it in the word. Can someone help me? |
Bible Answer: Question: Where in the bible did someone receive the Holy Ghost without speaking in tongues? Reply: If Acts is a blueprint for all church history, where in the Book of Acts does one find INDIVIDUALS SEEKING for the Holy Spirit and EXPECTING TO RECEIVE TONGUES as the sign that He's come? Question: Where does it show them baptizing in the name of the father, son, and Holy Ghost? Reply: 'The Oneness insistence that the words "in Jesus name" have to be said over a person while he or she is being baptized is also without scriptural justification. When this phrase is used in Acts (e. g., 10:45-48), it only means "in the authority of" or "for the sake of." It is not a formula (which is why it never occurs the exact same way twice in Acts). 'We are commanded to do all things "in the name of Jesus," but this obviously does not mean we have to say "in Jesus name" before we do anything (Col. 3:17). Again, the Jews baptized people "in the name of" many things (Mt. Gerizim, a rabbi, etc.), but they placed no significance on saying these words while performing the ceremony. 'Finally, Jesus tells us to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19), and there is simply no reason to think that Jesus was here cryptically referring to Himself. The fact that next to no one throughout history has understood Jesus to be doing this itself shows that either the Oneness interpretation is wrong, or Jesus is a very poor communicator (and on a point which supposedly affects our salvation!). It was arguments such as these that led me out of Oneness Pentecostalism, and — when combined with a loving, nondefensive approach — I have found them to be very effective in helping other Oneness believers as well.' ____________________ This article by Gregory A. Boyd first appeared in the Spring 1991 issue of the Christian Research Journal. [DO077-1] |