In Acts 2:38; 39, Peter speaks of the gift of the Holy Spirit being for his present audience, their children those who are far-off, and as many as the Lord shall call. In Greek the gift of the Holy Spirit means the Holy Spirit is the gift. And we see at least two ways God provided the Holy Spirit in Acts.
In the Jewish outpouring God provided the Holy Spirit to the Apostles as they spoke in tongues. And he provided the Holy Spirit to those who heard their message in their own native tongue. Jesus says his words are Spirit and they are life. So the Apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit through the words they spoke, as did the Jews who heard and understood in their native tongues.
Many think the gift of the Holy Spirit consists of the tongues and prophecy gifts. But these were the packages the Gift of the Holy Spirit came in. As people hear the word, the Holy Spirit lives in them and fills them more and more whenever they hear the word. Peter says we experience the new birth through the word of God (1 Peter 1:23).
And faith or faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit who lives within us (Galatians 5:22). And Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). And faith comes by hearing the word (Romans 10:17). And above all, Jesus is the word of God John (1:1; 1:14). And so it is, the Holy Spirit brings all that Jesus taught the disciples to our remembrance also, through the written word (John 14:26).
The gift of the Holy Spirit remains for all believers of all-time, but the package changed. In Acts, God gave the gifts of the Spirit to provide the Gift of the Holy Spirit. He poured out the Spirit first on the Apostles who spoke in tongues. Thus giving the Gift of the Spirit to them and to the devout Jews who understood them. And seven years later he poured out the Spirit on the gentiles. These would then give the Gift of the Holy Spirit to others through their spoken word from God.
Beyond these two outpourings, God also poured out the Spirit through the Apostle’s hands. Perhaps thousands received the gifts of the Spirit, speaking in tongues and prophesying as the Apostles baptized them. And these would speak the Gift of the Holy Spirit into others as they spoke God’s word, packaged in the gifts of tongues and prophecy.
But by the end of the first century we see the means of delivering the Gift of the Holy Spirit changing. The-once-spoken bits and pieces of God’s word became collected and copied as they circulated throughout Christendom. And the piecemeal words of God gave way to the completed word of God in the collected scriptures.
Today we have the same Gift of the Holy Spirit the Apostles had but not the same gifts. But in the collected fragments of Tongues and prophecy, in Holy Writ we call the bible. The early New Covenant church became full of the Holy Spirit through the same prophetic utterances and Tongues we now have preserved in the scriptures.
In the Jewish outpouring God provided the Holy Spirit to the Apostles as they spoke in tongues. And he provided the Holy Spirit to those who heard their message in their own native tongue. Jesus says his words are Spirit and they are life. So the Apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit through the words they spoke, as did the Jews who heard and understood in their native tongues.
Many think the gift of the Holy Spirit consists of the tongues and prophecy gifts. But these were the packages the Gift of the Holy Spirit came in. As people hear the word, the Holy Spirit lives in them and fills them more and more whenever they hear the word. Peter says we experience the new birth through the word of God (1 Peter 1:23).
And faith or faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit who lives within us (Galatians 5:22). And Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). And faith comes by hearing the word (Romans 10:17). And above all, Jesus is the word of God John (1:1; 1:14). And so it is, the Holy Spirit brings all that Jesus taught the disciples to our remembrance also, through the written word (John 14:26).
The gift of the Holy Spirit remains for all believers of all-time, but the package changed. In Acts, God gave the gifts of the Spirit to provide the Gift of the Holy Spirit. He poured out the Spirit first on the Apostles who spoke in tongues. Thus giving the Gift of the Spirit to them and to the devout Jews who understood them. And seven years later he poured out the Spirit on the gentiles. These would then give the Gift of the Holy Spirit to others through their spoken word from God.
Beyond these two outpourings, God also poured out the Spirit through the Apostle’s hands. Perhaps thousands received the gifts of the Spirit, speaking in tongues and prophesying as the Apostles baptized them. And these would speak the Gift of the Holy Spirit into others as they spoke God’s word, packaged in the gifts of tongues and prophecy.
But by the end of the first century we see the means of delivering the Gift of the Holy Spirit changing. The-once-spoken bits and pieces of God’s word became collected and copied as they circulated throughout Christendom. And the piecemeal words of God gave way to the completed word of God in the collected scriptures.
Today we have the same Gift of the Holy Spirit the Apostles had but not the same gifts. But in the collected fragments of Tongues and prophecy, in Holy Writ we call the bible. The early New Covenant church became full of the Holy Spirit through the same prophetic utterances and Tongues we now have preserved in the scriptures.
Last edited by a moderator:
)
