MECHANICS OF THE FAITH - V

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FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

THE MECHANICS OF THE FAITH - V

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahushua Messiah for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This climax to the first sermon ever preached in the “church age” reveals a divine pattern.  The pattern is not set in concrete; but it is the divine intention that it be followed whenever possible.  This pattern establishes three elements of discipleship that are essential to a life of successful service to the Master.

1.  Repent 
2.  Be baptized
3.  Receive the Holy Spirit


Let’s examine how this pattern is observed in the book of Acts.  There are four other incidents recorded for us in this early church history that demonstrate the divine intention.

We already see on the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, that those hearing the message of Peter first repented.  Then they were baptized.  Then they received the Holy Spirit.  Let’s look at the second experience recorded for us.  The whole story is contained in Acts 8:1-25; but we will look at the pertinent verses to our discussion.

Acts 8:5  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Messiah unto them.
12  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of Elohim, and the name of Yahushua Messiah, they were baptized, both men and women.
14  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of Elohim, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit:
16  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Master Yahushua.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

First, the gospel was preached by Philip, and the people of Samaria believed the gospel.  In the setting of the book of Acts, believing on the gospel was manifested by the synonymous act of repentance.  Secondly, they were baptized.  Now, according to modern day theology, they should already have received the Holy Spirit; but according to this passage of Scripture; they were repentant believers, baptized in water, but had not yet received the Holy Spirit.  In fact a goodly number of days must have transpired for the word to have reached Jerusalem that Samaria had responded to the gospel; and for Peter and John to make the journey to Samaria.  Once they arrived in Samaria, Peter and John laid their hands on the believers, and “they received the Holy Spirit.”

The second recorded incident is also found in Acts 8:26-40, with Philip’s experience with the Ethiopian eunuch.

Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Yahushua.
36  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized.
37  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Yahushua Messiah is the Son of Elohim.
38  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of IAUE caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

The Ethiopian eunuch was an important official in the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.  He had traveled more than 1,000 miles to come to Jerusalem to worship IAUE.  On his way back home, the Spirit had united Philip with his chariot to overhear him reading from the book of Isaiah.  This opened up conversation that allowed Philip to reveal the Messiah to him.  When the eunuch believed the message that Philip was preaching, he inquired why he could not be baptized right then and there, given the availability of the water.  Baptism was the logical response in the mind of the Ethiopian; as well it was in the mind of Philip.  Repentance unto life was followed immediately with water baptism.

Now, we had just seen demonstrated in the earlier portion of this chapter, Philip clearly did not see himself as one who was either qualified or authorized to minister the Holy Spirit to those who responded to his preaching; even though he ministered by the Spirit many signs and wonders.  Peter and John had to be sent from Jerusalem to Samaria to get that job done.  We see that broken pattern again here with the Ethiopian eunuch.  We have no record here that the Ethiopian ever received the Holy Spirit; though we can be confident he was born of the Spirit in response to his faith and repentance.

The third recorded incident is in Acts 10, with the household of Cornelius.  Again, we will look at the pertinent verses of that record.

Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the word.
45  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.
46  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify Elohim. Then answered Peter,
47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?
48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Master. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Peter had been given a vision three times in preparation for the call to go to Caesarea and speak to a house full of Gentiles.  That was something that no torah-abiding Jew would have done; but IAUE had revealed to him that the sacrifice of Messiah was efficacious for the Gentile as well as for the Jew.  Peter willingly went inside, and met a houseful of Gentiles who had gathered for one purpose alone---to hear the words of life.  As Peter spoke, Cornelius and those gathered in his house received the words of Peter and their hearts responded accordingly.  IAUE then poured out His Spirit upon them; and the Gentiles who had believed the gospel received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Peter had not ministered this to them; nor was he likely intending to do so.  This was something beyond his imagination.  He was content to share the gospel with them; and even expect that the Father would give them “repentance unto life” (see Acts 11:18); but he certainly did not expect that IAUE would make the Gentiles completely equal citizens of the Kingdom of Elohim by giving them the gift of His Spirit. 

Very likely, Peter had no expectation, going up to Caesarea, that he would be baptizing any Gentiles; but seeing they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit; what was Peter’s first reaction?

Acts 10:47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

So integral was the divine order to the ministry of the gospel; that once Peter recognized that IAUE was making absolutely no distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles, water baptism became the immediate order for these new believers.  The Holy Spirit was given prior to their baptism because Elohim knew that without this sovereignly bestowed outpouring, the inclusion of the Gentiles into the church of Yahushua Messiah would not have been completed.  Peter had understood enough in his thrice-given vision to go to the house of Cornelius; but it was not enough to understand the intentions of IAUE to incorporate fully the Gentiles into the Body of Messiah.

The last incident is found in Acts 19.  Apollos, a student of the Scriptures and a man zealous for IAUE, had preached in Ephesus and had raised up disciples knowing only the baptism of John.  Priscilla and Aquila met up with Apollos later and completed his understanding regarding Messiah (Acts 18:24-28); but they did not minister this more complete understanding to those that had responded to Apollos’ preaching.  Paul ran into some of them about this time.

Acts 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Spirit.

3  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Messiah Yahushua.

5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Master Yahushua.

6  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

It was evident to Paul that these disciples did not have the Holy Spirit.  We are not told how he knew; but for those of us who have received the Holy Spirit, we know all too well the magnitude of the transformation in our lives He makes, the empowerment and the illumination.  It can be quite apparent to the informed observer.  The first and obvious question in the mind of Paul was, “Have you received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?”  Why was this an obvious question?  It is because the divine order was 1) Repent, 2) Be baptized, 3) Receive the Holy Spirit; and it did not appear they had the Holy Spirit.

Once Paul understood they were “disciples of John,” he preached Messiah to them; and they believed on the Master Yahushua and, though recently they had been baptized into John’s baptism, this was insufficient.  They were baptized again; but this time they were baptized in the name of the Master Yahushua.

No one, today, would suggest that Paul’s message to these Ephesians would have been inadequate.  They believed what Paul told them.  They responded to the message in a manner that was approved by Paul, which was evidenced by the fact he then baptized them as believers.  No one, today, would suggest that at this point, the Ephesian disciples were not “born again;” and yet, it was not until after belief and after baptism, that Paul laid his hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

The point in this lesson, today, is that we do not receive ALL that the Father has for us in a single point in time, as a consequence of a single experience with Him that men call the “moment of conversion.”  If the Samaritan believers could live for days after repentance and baptism before they received the Holy Spirit, then we do not necessarily receive the Holy Spirit as a package deal at the moment of conversion.  If the household of Cornelius could receive the Holy Spirit in a sovereign act of IAUE, such that it surprised the apostle Peter, and those believing Jews who had accompanied him; then Peter’s own surprise testifies to the fact he did not expect their belief would have included receiving the Holy Spirit. If the Ephesian disciples, like the Samaritans, required an apostle to lay hands on them before they received the Holy Spirit, then they were believers and members of the Body of Messiah without receiving the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.   

I know there are teachers who say that Messiah gave to Peter the “keys to the Kingdom,” and that it was necessary for Peter to open the door to the Kingdom of Elohim to all peoples.  It was Peter who preached to the Jews on the day of Pentecost; and they received the Holy Spirit.  It was Peter and John who ministered the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans (half-Jew, half-Gentile); and it was Peter who preached first to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius; but it was IAUE who sovereignly poured out His Spirit upon them.  Peter was nowhere to be seen in Ephesus when more Gentiles received the Holy Spirit; so this teaching breaks down in Acts 19.

The false teaching that a believer receives the Holy Spirit the moment he believes in Messiah is responsible for multitudes of believers living their entire lives without ever receiving the indwelling presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is a crime and a shame in the church of Yahushua.  I am sharing this with YOU, the reader, so you may see in the Scriptures that this could possibly be YOU I am discussing.  If you have always been told you received the Holy Spirit of IAUE when you gave your life to Messiah, you very likely have never actually received the Holy Spirit.  Let me tell you, you are about to experience the most exhilarating element of your discipleship to Messiah. 

If you know someone that you are confident has received the Holy Spirit, ask them to pray with you to receive the Holy Spirit.  If you do not know someone who has already received the Holy Spirit; just remember the words of Yahushua:

Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

 Just ask him.