The initial evidence doctrine does NOT mean that Christians who have not spoken in tongues do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Pentecostalism is usually defined as a movement in Christianity that thinks of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a second experience, usually after conversion, marked by speaking in tongues. The initial evidence doctrine does NOT mean that baptism in the Holy Spirit is only about gaining the … In this lesson, we will study Acts 2:1-47 and focus on what is commonly known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When we receive Christ, our lives change. Designed to be read with a leader or other adult, this booklet will help your team answer kids’ questions about who the Holy Spirit is and what His baptism means to … No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). A. Through this the believer comes to know Christ in a more intimate way. Because it is the Christian’s source of power for life and service (Acts 1:8, Acts 4:31-33) B. To help release this power, the baptism with the Holy Spirit gives the Christian a new tongue with which to praise and pray to God. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience in which the believer yields control of himself to the Holy Spirit. We have never met but we have enough in common that I thought you may appreciate a comment. We can be confident that God will speak in ways that each can understand. This event was of obvious importance for the early church in the Book of Acts and it is important for us to understand something about its nature. It is also the most powerful, effective and efficient praying that a Christian can do. That’s the stereotype, anyway, of what Pentecostalism means. In the first place the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a definite experience of which one may and ought to know whether he has received it or not. Three major areas are explored and tested by Palma: a presentation of the commonly held theological beliefs regarding the Holy Spirit, an in-depth exploration of the Pentecostal teaching on the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and a discussion of the nature of spiritual gifts and whether the extraordinary gifts were withdrawn after the first century. Jesus promised His followers they would receive power from on high so that they would be His witnesses. It was so confusing to me for a long time but anymore,I just read the Scriptures & trust The Holy Ghost,The Holy Teacher to bring me truth & I just don’t worry about it anymore. One helpful and powerful way is to begin the prayer time with. The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation. Sometimes the Holy Spirit doesn't get the attention He deserves. The doctrine assumes what I would call “continuation of experience”. An examination of the pre- Pentecostal views that influenced the beliefs and the broader Canadian environment will give understanding to the context in which the PAOC emerged. It certainly needs some revision, in my opinion. All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. Your observations at the end regarding the churches you attend make me think that those churches have already functionally changed their doctrine, even if their written doctrine has not changed. Below are 20 such stories I received back. I also REALLY appreciate your view on tongues not being the exclusive evidence for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Baptized in the Spirit" indicates an outward immersion into the reality of the Holy Spirit, while "filled with the Spirit" suggests an internal diffusion. If that is true, I’m guessing that the committee you are on may be working on it. Rather, Classical Pentecostals generally emphasize that those who are baptized in the Spirit receive power for witness (Acts 1:8). I have found that when the need for the experience itself is emphasized without informing listeners about what it is and why it is desirable, many people end up being turned off by suggestions of how to receive it. However. Hi Andrew. . The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a key theological belief for the birth and development of the Pentecostal movement. At the same time, as I have written elsewhere, there are many ways that PAOC credential holders interpret that “initial evidence” phrase. The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation. Your explanation above is nicely done and will, no doubt, help some people better understand the classical Pentecostal position. There is often a great degree of confusion surrounding the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 3. Into Christ or into His body at repentance and the new birth (Romans 6:3-7; 1Corth 12:13; Gal 3:27; Col 2:12) Called “one baptism” (Eph,4:5), because it is the only baptism that saves the soul and brings into the body of Christ. Photo © istockphoto.com. Dr. Roger Barrier describes the biblical doctrine of the “Baptism with the Holy Spirit” as the subsequent: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit happens at conversion (1 Corinthians 12:13; 6:19). He acknowledges the baptism with John in water and the subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit that they were to receive in just a few days. Also, let your Holy Spirit empower me to live triumphant life on earth. Water Baptism is Baptism in the Name of Jesus The baptism of the Holy Spirit draws all of us together. This is understood more clearly when we look at the context of Matthew chapter 3. 5:18 Through this he comes to know Christ in a more intimate way, John 16:13-15 and receives power to witness and grow spiritually. We know, of course, that the doctrine came out of Pentecostal revival and there probably was not much thought given to the theological implications, which brings me to my second problem with the doctrine. When leading a group of people, provide an opportunity for them after a teaching session to join in singing in the Spirit, which is often the easiest way to receive this gift. Receiving Holy Spirit at salvation is different from the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience in which believers yield control of themselves to the Holy Spirit. Affirm their complete forgiveness and that God is eager to have them experience His love in deeper ways. for Kids: Baptism in the Holy Spirit has the answers kids need in a format they can understand. Now What? Yes, I’m on the committee that is working on refreshing the statement. This is a work of the Spirit. I serve as a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary. This truth explains the passion and power of our witness. 2. For this reason I could never sign the PAOC Statement of Faith even though I have attended PAOC churches in the past and thus why I could never be an official member of those churches. makes it easy for you to show everyone in your church what it means to have the Holy Spirit in us, with us, and through us. To encounter “waves and waves of liquid love” (as described by Charles Finney in the 1800s). I am the author of Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. In this devotional book, Celestial Fire: 365 Days with the Holy Spirit, Bill opens Bible verses with care and explains their meaning for believers today. In baptism, baptism is really important, so this is what John the Baptist was referring to when he said Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire in other words, what he was saying is that we would be plunged immersed soaked saturated anointed by the Holy Spirit. In order to have such a doctrine there has to be an assumption that spiritual experiences need to have a supernatural physical sign. We believe this truth is just as relevant today as our Fellowship continues to take the gospel message around the globe. I know of no other spiritual experience where we have that expectation. It can take place before water baptism (Acts 10:44-48) or after it (Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-11; 8:12-21; 19:1-7).Notice who’s doing the baptizing here… Christ is the agent to baptize in the Holy Spirit (Mt. We have an early draft at this point and are continuing to revise it as we receive feedback in various regional settings and, soon enough, at General Conference. By “many fillings” I mean that the moment-by-moment experience of the Holy Spirit’s power may and should be repeated many times. He invites us to seek and ask. Although he was God incarnate, he had emptied We believe in prayer. It’s a perfect temperature here today with blue skies and a ligh breeze. To counter this in our congregations, a best practice is to teach WHAT it is, WHY it is desirable, and HOW one receives it. Acknowledge that manifestations are not the focus and can vary in nature. It is through the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus lives in the Christian. Baptism with the Holy Spirit; Liberty University • PACO 501. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. In avoiding language that is dogmatic, we remain respectful of individuals. “The purpose of the baptism with the Holy Spirit is to empower us to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). The Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion (1 Corinthians 12:13; 6:19). * No links please, unless you are citing a source. This is evident from our Lord's command to His disciples in Luke xxiv.49 and in Acts i.4, that they should not depart from Jerusalem to undertake the work which He had commissioned them to do until they had received this promise of the Father. In fact, we often make a point of saying how everybody’s experience with God is different, yet in this one area we insist on uniformity, which Brings me to my third problem. Emphasize that God primarily wants them to experience His love, and not just know about it in their heads. To be fair, the only sign of Spirit baptism that just about every classical Pentecostal denomination mentions explicitly in their statements of faith is speaking in tongues.