In general, I would say not as clearly, no. It's like the difference between taking a business course verses actually getting out there and starting and running a business. You might have been taught correctly, but you will never know just HOW correctly you were taught until you see exactly why something is true, and in what contexts, and to what extent, and the ramifications to your business in real life, and the consequences of making a mistake.
There's a point to be made here . . .
We read and learn the Bible, and two people reach two different conclusions.
One says, this is what the Bible says, so this is what I think.
The other says, this is the experience I had, so I know it means differently.
How do you settle such a matter?
Let me ask you . . . might a person be able to understand Scritpure correctly . . . without the corresponding life experience?
Turning a discussion on spiritual truths from Scripture back to the peronal experiences of those discussing takes the focus Off of the Bible and onto the personal lives of the people.
It becomes about what something feels like, and looks like, and seems like, instead of what the Book says.
I'm not talking about
replacing the Bible with life experience.
Come on, marks. You know I'm simply talking about actually living the things talked about in scripture out
in real life, and understanding what is being said in scripture about it more clearly as a result. Now what's wrong with that? <head scratch>
If you look at what I wrote, I'm not talking about
replacing the Bible with personal experience either.
But I
am talking about including personal life experience in the formation of doctrine.
OK. Someone sits in church and hears, "We can be Christians, but not baptized in the Holy Spirit. Without that baptism we lack the power our lives need". Bad theology, through and through.
But a person hears that, and looks at their life, and thinks, I lack power. So I'm going to ask God to baptize me in the Spirit! They ask, and by faith, receive from God power. They may receive a filling of the Spirit.
Then they go on to say, It's true! I did need to be baptized in the Spirit! Can can feel the power!
Now, the erroneous teaching about some second baptism has seemingly been substantiated by their
perceptions of what they experienced.
In reality, if we go with what the Bible says, there is One Baptism, and being saved, we are baptized into Christ, so that's it. But those who are enamoured with the idea of a second baptism do not let that idea go, and particularly when they think they've
experienced this second baptism.
So has their experience brought better understanding? No. It has rather cemented them in the error they already held.
How do we avoid this? Set aside all experiences, and take our truth from the Bible. Did it seem to me that I received power that day they laid hands on me to be baptized in the Spirit? I expect that I did receive power. But was it actually a second baptism when the Bible says there is only one? No.
Not if we are willing to only go with what the Bible teaches.
I think you're just trying to get me to talk, LoL.
That too! I really enjoy discussing these things with you!
Oh, boy... There is a differentiation in scripture between water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, marks. If not, Peter would not have said concerning Cornelius and his family, "Can any man forbid them water baptism, seeing as they have received the Spirit even as we."
Not water baptism . . . baptism into Christ.
Ephesians 4
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith,
one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Romans 6
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
There is one baptism, and it's into Jesus.
If we stay with what the Bible teaches us, then there is only one baptism, and this is it.
Coming back to the OP ( @bygrace ), we're talking about living dead in Christ by faith, while other voices tell us there is a second part that some may not have yet. My thinking is that if we stay with the actual teaching from the Bible, that's not so.
Much love!
