Two questions were asked this week after my message on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. You can listen to that message here: http://www.fenwaychurch.org/media.php?pageID=5
Questions are not surprising! When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost in Acts 2, people asked questions (see verses 7-13), and Peter them. In the same way today, when the Holy Spirit moves, questions often arise and they are worth answering.
For anyone but often people who have come from backgrounds where they have not seen supernatural things before, watching or hearing about some of the things that happen when the Spirit comes can make them feel uncertain or uncomfortable. For example, on Sunday some people cried when experiencing the Holy Spirit. One young man was overcome by the presence of God and fell backwards. While it is the person of the Holy Spirit that we are seeking, we acknowledge that certain signs and experiences often are associated with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
If you have questions about what you are seeing or hearing, ask your CG leader about it at community group or feel free to email me with questions - dwhill@fenwaychurch.org
For now, let's address the two questions that have already come up.
1) Does baptized with the Holy Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit mean the same thing? Are they interchangeable?
Yes! Jesus promised the disciples in Acts 1:5 that they would be "baptized with the Holy Spirit... not many days from now." This promise was fulfilled in Acts 2:4 when the same disciples were "all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues."
In Acts 8:17, people being baptized in the Holy Spirit (which I described in more detail in Sunday's message) was referred to as receiving the Holy Spirit. All these phrases are referring to the same thing and are used interchangeably in the New Testament.
2) Is it Biblical for everybody to speak in tongues at the same time like Betsy experienced in Zimbabwe?
Good question. In Acts 2, all 120 people were speaking in tongues at the same time when the Holy Spirit fell upon them so it is certainly not without precedent.
Paul does encourage order when we come together to worship in public as a church. In those meetings, Paul states that if someone speaks out in tongues he should only do so if someone can interpret it so the whole body can be edified and built up (I Corinthians 14:26-27).
These instructions by Paul point to the purpose of tongues. Tongues enables a person to pray with their spirit and not just their mind (I Cor 14:14). Tongues builds up the individual that is praying but not the church unless their is an interpretation (I Cor 14:4). I have founded praying in tongues to be hugely encouraging and empowering for me in my personal prayer life because of those reasons.
We do need to proceed with wisdom and with Paul's instructions in mind when praying in tongues corporately. Here's how I attempt to do that.
I would encourage people in our Sunday public worship gatherings that if they pray in tongues they should do so quietly and in a way that will not be heard by others. Of course if they sense their tongues if for the whole body and there is going to be an interpretation, they should then approach our MCs to see if their is space in the meeting to speak the tongue. This helps keeps order in the service and prevents people who don't know about tongues especially non-believing guests from being confused.
In prayer meetings and other gatherings where guests are not involved, I have found that as in Acts 2, Acts 10, and Acts 19 when the Spirit moves when we gather corporately it can cause many people to erupt in praise and prayer in tongues as Betsy experienced in Zimbabwe. I have usually found these times empower prayer and build up the body as we all individually feel ourselves being edified by the Spirit.
With that said, we do want to make sure we are explaining what is taking place to those who may not have experienced it before and help them understand and experience these gifts as they desire.
Questions are not surprising! When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost in Acts 2, people asked questions (see verses 7-13), and Peter them. In the same way today, when the Holy Spirit moves, questions often arise and they are worth answering.
For anyone but often people who have come from backgrounds where they have not seen supernatural things before, watching or hearing about some of the things that happen when the Spirit comes can make them feel uncertain or uncomfortable. For example, on Sunday some people cried when experiencing the Holy Spirit. One young man was overcome by the presence of God and fell backwards. While it is the person of the Holy Spirit that we are seeking, we acknowledge that certain signs and experiences often are associated with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
If you have questions about what you are seeing or hearing, ask your CG leader about it at community group or feel free to email me with questions - dwhill@fenwaychurch.org
For now, let's address the two questions that have already come up.
1) Does baptized with the Holy Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit mean the same thing? Are they interchangeable?
Yes! Jesus promised the disciples in Acts 1:5 that they would be "baptized with the Holy Spirit... not many days from now." This promise was fulfilled in Acts 2:4 when the same disciples were "all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues."
In Acts 8:17, people being baptized in the Holy Spirit (which I described in more detail in Sunday's message) was referred to as receiving the Holy Spirit. All these phrases are referring to the same thing and are used interchangeably in the New Testament.
2) Is it Biblical for everybody to speak in tongues at the same time like Betsy experienced in Zimbabwe?
Good question. In Acts 2, all 120 people were speaking in tongues at the same time when the Holy Spirit fell upon them so it is certainly not without precedent.
Paul does encourage order when we come together to worship in public as a church. In those meetings, Paul states that if someone speaks out in tongues he should only do so if someone can interpret it so the whole body can be edified and built up (I Corinthians 14:26-27).
These instructions by Paul point to the purpose of tongues. Tongues enables a person to pray with their spirit and not just their mind (I Cor 14:14). Tongues builds up the individual that is praying but not the church unless their is an interpretation (I Cor 14:4). I have founded praying in tongues to be hugely encouraging and empowering for me in my personal prayer life because of those reasons.
We do need to proceed with wisdom and with Paul's instructions in mind when praying in tongues corporately. Here's how I attempt to do that.
I would encourage people in our Sunday public worship gatherings that if they pray in tongues they should do so quietly and in a way that will not be heard by others. Of course if they sense their tongues if for the whole body and there is going to be an interpretation, they should then approach our MCs to see if their is space in the meeting to speak the tongue. This helps keeps order in the service and prevents people who don't know about tongues especially non-believing guests from being confused.
In prayer meetings and other gatherings where guests are not involved, I have found that as in Acts 2, Acts 10, and Acts 19 when the Spirit moves when we gather corporately it can cause many people to erupt in praise and prayer in tongues as Betsy experienced in Zimbabwe. I have usually found these times empower prayer and build up the body as we all individually feel ourselves being edified by the Spirit.
With that said, we do want to make sure we are explaining what is taking place to those who may not have experienced it before and help them understand and experience these gifts as they desire.
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