1 Timothy 3:15, "...that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
There is a possibility that the Pool of Siloam, and possibly the Bethesda Pool, were locations where 3,000 converts were baptized in Acts 2 following Peter’s answer to this question on that day of Pentecost:
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:37-39 KJV).
Are the stones crying out? Are they revealing truth in a manner unthought of before in these days of the endtime?
“For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it” (Habakkuk 2:11 KJV).
“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (Isaiah 58:12 KJV).
If true, then the recent decision to finally excavate the Pool of Siloam may have far greater eschatological importance than what we may currently understand – https://m.jpost.com/archaeology/article-725901
Northern perimeter of the Pool of Siloam. (photo credit: KOBI HARATI/CITY OF DAVID)
“And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40 KJV).
The Bethesda Pool, where Jesus heals the paralytic man in the Gospel of John, is a complex site. It appears to have been a mikveh, or ritual bath. As the spot of one of Jesus’ miracles, the Bethesda Pool was built over in subsequent periods with chapels and churches that are still visible today.
What if God, in these last days, is pulling out all the stops and allowing all disciplines of study to reveal the truth of His greatness and the necessity of obedience to the Gospel just prior to His return for the Church?
“Truth shall spring out of the earth; And righteousness shall look down from heaven” (Psalm 85:11 KJV).
If “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse,” (Romans 1:20) then what excuse is even possible when the visible is right before our eyes?
We are beneficiaries of God’s rebuilding project: “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:15-18).
“…from the beginning…”
Jesus Christ has broken down walls of division between Jews and Gentiles to make of them one people, the Church, and reconciled us to Him making us recipients of His promises and members of the household of God with a foundation built upon the apostles, the prophets and the Chief Corner Stone – Jesus Christ, the Rock on whom the church is built (Matthew 16:18).
Ephesians 2:11-22, “(11) Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (12) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (13) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (14) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (15) Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (16) And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (17) And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. (18) For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
The Pool of Siloam is thought to be less than a mile from the Temple, The Bethesda Pool is a little less than 2 miles from the Temple, and many think that the upper room mentioned in Acts 2 was in the outer court of said Temple. If true, can you see the 3,000 walking to those pools? They are rejoicing, dancing and speaking in unknown tongues “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:1-11).
It is exciting to think that the excavation of these two places is happening in our day, and also that the Lord may be using these ruins to call people to Himself saying, “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20).
The following is derived from a symposium paper co-authored by Stewart A. Bertram and myself in the Spring of 2005 and presented to Parkersburg Bible College (Parkersburg, WV) during their annual colloquium.
The oldest permanent English settlement in America was established on April 26, 1607, in Jamestown, Virginia. This plaque was posted on the wall of the lobby of the first church built there – Acts 2:38.
History undeniably records various elements of distinctly Orthodox Apostolic doctrine in North America as early as 1677, which was only 70 years after the first permanent settlement was established in Jamestown.[1] What we will attempt to show is a chronological outline of these various apostolic doctrines and practices as they appear in the index of North American history. While many will view this as a restoration of Apostolic Pentecostal experience we maintain that it actually proves the continued existence and growth of the orthodox teaching of the book of Acts. We further assert that there have always been pockets of true believers in every century following and obeying the true message of the New Birth. Some examples record partial alignment with the Apostles’ doctrine, the following is a list of some of those instances:
Society of Friends (Quakers) – “…our tongues loosed and our mouths opened, and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave utterance, and as His Spirit led us.”[2]
John Wesley (1703-1791) – “What so impressed and encouraged John Wesley and his followers, what so shocked, startled, and bewildered his contemporaries, is no mystery to the modern psychologist, to whom it is known as glossolalia…”[3]
Charles G. Finney (1783-1875) – “I received a mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost…No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart.”[4]
John Miller – a Presbyterian minister wrote Is God a Trinity in 1876 and “believed that the doctrine of the trinity was not biblical and that it greatly hindered the Church….He emphatically declared the full deity of Jesus Christ.”[5]
D. L. Moody (1837-1899) – According to R. A. Torrey, Moody’s friend and associate, he once witnessed Moody walk to the pulpit to preach but instead of addressing the crowd in English he began to speak in another language. This occurred one more time before he was able to gain control and preach to the audience, but “only after much prayer and praise.”[6]
Lowell, Ohio (1835) – a group of Camisards and/or French Huguenots establish an Orthodox Apostolic Acts 2:38 believing Church, but article IX of the church constitution changes the baptismal formula from Jesus’ name to the trinitarian formula in 1847. In 1980 Dr. Nelson preaches the Apostolic message to the congregation and they convert back to the orthodox message of Acts 2:38.[7]
Dan Huntington (1850) – baptized people in Boston, Massachusetts in Jesus’ name.[8]
Canada (1854) – “There was an organization of Acts 2:38 clergymen in Canada.”[9]
America (1865) – More than 160,000 Americans spoke in tongues.[10][11]
2) Baptized over 1,500 people in Jesus’ name in Wisconsin.
3) Preached in various locations along the Mississippi River.
4) Preached a considerable amount of the time in the Salvation Army.
Charles Fox Parham – “the first leader in the twentieth century Pentecostal movement, began to administer water baptism in Jesus’ name, although he apparently did not link this practice with an explicit denial of trinitarianism.”[13] Parham also “formulated the basic Pentecostal doctrine of ‘initial evidence’ after a student in his Bethel Bible School, Agnes Ozman, experienced glossolalia in January, 1901.”[14]
[1] Weisser, Thomas. After the Way Called Heresy. 1981.
[2] Bresson, Bernard L. Studies in Ecstasy. New York: Vintage Press. 1966. p. 48-52.
[3] Bowen, Marjorie. Wrestling Jacob: a study of the life of John Wesley. London: Watts & Co. 1948.
[4] Finney, Charles G. Memoirs of Charles G. Finney, being an Autobiography. New York. 1876.
[5] Bernard, David K. The Oneness of God. Hazelwood: Pentecostal Publishing House. 1993. 31 May 2005.
[6] Darbee, Lennard. Tongues: the Dyanmite of God.
[7] Nelson, Joseph. Church History. Parkersburg Bible College. Lecture given and Church Constitution shown to class on 18 November 2002.
[8] Synan, V. Aspects of Pentecostal-Charismatic Origins, NJ: Logos. 1975.
[9] Arnold, Marvin M. Apostolic History Outline. Arno Publications, Inc. 1985.
1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
John 1:1-14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
The national sin of slavery existed within the boundaries of the present USA for over 200 years.
It has been nearly 157 years since the slaves were set free in our nation in 1865.
It is nearly impossible for men and women who were born in this modern era in these United States to know what it really means to be a slave.
To Be A Slave
To be a slave…
There must be a slave master
An individual is forced, against their will, to serve another/others.
Force will be used, fear, and punishment
Deception will be incorporated to gain slaves
A price will be agreed upon to possess a slave
Lies told to cloud the reality of the horror of slavery
A slave master will use the way of the whip (to drive the enslaved), the threat of the auction block (to place more fear of loss), and murder (life isn’t precious only the commodity)
The slave’s mind is brainwashed to destroy his ability to think for himself…
The loss of the sense of self
Slaves in the USA had no family names of their own, but they were known by their master’s name.[1]
To Be A Slave
They called it a “slave coffle.” This was a line of slaves chained together and then marched by the slave trader to some town where these enslaved humans would be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Treated as merchandise – – as a thing, a unit of economic power – – men and women suffered at the hands of other humans because their skin color, their helplessness and their place of birth.
The children of Israel were enslaved by Pharaoh in Egypt. The Egyptians kept these children of promise in bondage, and their cry, groans, & sorrows were heard by the Lord.
God sees your state.
He’s aware of what it is that enslaves you.
He knows where you are right now.
He has heard your cries, seen your tears and is touched by your condition
Job said, “…He knoweth the way that I take…” (Job 23:10).
Hebrews 4:14-16
(14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
(15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
(16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
He knows what it’s like to be tempted by the false allure of sin.
Many in this room have face a harsh taskmaster…
They have felt the whip of the driver…
But…those same people are here today as witnesses to the freedom that Jesus gives.
People who were once enslaved by:
Jealousy
Envy
Hatred
Drugs
Alcohol
Gambling
Pornography
Illicit Relationships
Cigarettes
Gossiping
Back-biting
Strife
Digging up the past
Tale-bearing
Lying
Playing the busybody
Arrogance
Pride
Lust
Self-righteousness
Looking down on others
Spiritual superiority
Bad attitudes
Anger
Bitterness
Sickness
Disease
There are saints here right now who know what Jesus meant when He said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Are you free?
Do you really want to be freed from sin?
What do you want to be free from? Hell?
Lust? Pride? Arrogance? Ditch Digging?
These chains of unrighteousness are indicators that you still need to be set free from sin’s enslavement.
Signs that while you may be free in some areas, you are still in need of deliverance in others.
Gal. 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Do you groan out to God for freedom from the slavery of sin and satan?
Do you want the bonds of sin to be broken from your life?
Do you cry out in your bed of oppression at night?
Does the oppression and overwhelming habit of sinful activities, habits, and behavior leave your mind with no peace?
The psalmist wrote (Ps. 6:6-7), “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.”
The beautiful hope we have tonight is that Jesus has redeemed us out of the slave market of sin.
He has bought us, freed us, and declared us His people, not His slaves, but His adopted children.
And because we are His children we have access to the benefits of redemption.
When the Lord brought the Hebrews out of Egyptian slaver He declared Four Expressions of Redemption (Ex. 6:6-7):
I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians
Jehovah brought the Israelites out of Egypt and took the burden of slavery from off their shoulders.
Jesus will bring you out of the world of sin and lift the burden of guilt that sin has set on your shoulders.
You no longer need to suffer when Jesus frees you from sin.
I will rid you out of their bondage
The LORD delivered the Israelites from the chains of slavery.
Jesus will deliver you from those addictions and behaviors that seem to hang on you like chains.
Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments
God showed Himself strong for the Israelites, revealed Himself to them by His redeeming name (Jehovah/LORD), and brought judgment on Pharaoh in Egypt and at the Red Sea.
Jesus wants to show you His love and compassion by freeing you from the penalty of sin, by revealing His true nature to you, and by bringing judgment on those things that have enslaved you for so long.
Isaiah 53:1-5, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians
The children of Israel are known as God’s people – – the children of promise.
Because of Jesus, we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
When Jesus redeemed you, He paid the purchase price for your release. Your freedom was purchased by another and it includes:
Healing (Physical, Spiritual, & Emotional)
Victory over sin
Salvation
Eternal Life
Deliverance
Jesus frees completely and wholly, not partially or half-way.
Jesus wants you to be free in your spirit, soul and body: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
There’s no use trying to sidestep the issue. You’re either free, or you’re not – holy, or not – right, or not.
If you need, want, desire, long for freedom, Jesus is here to free you.
If you’re free then you need to remind yourself of who you are:
You are the head and not the tail (Deut. 28:13)
You are above only, and not beneath (Deut. 28:13)
You are more than a conqueror (Ro. 8:37)
You are a peculiar treasure (Ex. 19:5)
You are a citizen of a holy nation (Ex. 19:6)
Lionel B. Fletcher wrote, “The thoughts that are welcomed in our minds…are a reflection of our true selves as we appear in the sight of God.”[2]
Sometimes, the slave trader, that old enemy the devil, comes to kidnap a free born citizen of the kingdom of God.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Once you find freedom, don’t forget where God has brought you from.
Jesus met with some Jews one day and found that they’d forgotten their origin and who it was that delivered them from slavery.
Jesus ignored their obvious mistake and went to the heart of the matter – – their slavery to sin.
John 8:30-36,“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Jesus properly identified satan when he said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
The devil is a slave master who wants to take from you all your strength, vitality, purpose, and destiny; but Jesus is The Ultimate Expression of Redemption for you today:
He alone is the spoken Word made flesh.
He alone is the Savior and Redeemer
Isaiah 49:26, “All flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”
Isaiah 43:11, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”
The word “LORD,” refers to Jehovah. This is the redeeming name of God in the Old Testament.
When the angel told Mary that the child in her was to be called Immanuel he was signaling that He who was to be born was “God with us.” This simply means that Jehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus Christ of the New Testament.
He alone is the “express image” of God (Heb. 11:1-3).
“There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Tim. 2:5-6).
1 Tim 3:16, “…God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)
Listen to me.
You are not a slave.
You are a child of God.
Your current condition is slavery.
You were created and destined to have dominion over all the earth.
In the book To Be A Slave, Julius Lester shares this true story:
Eliza was a pretty girl. Her master was her father and her mother was a slave. When the girls in the big house had suitors come to visit them, they’d ask, “Who is that pretty gal?” So they decided to get rid of her right away. The day they sold her, at the auction block, they stripped her to be bid off and looked at. The man that bought Eliza was from New York. The slaves in the community had enough money together to buy her freedom, but they wouldn’t let that happen. There was a big Swedish man there who bid for Eliza that day as well. He always bid for the pretty slave girls and bought them for his own use. He asked the man from New York, “What you gonna do with her when you get her?” The man from New York said, “None of your business, but you ain’t got money enough to buy her.” After the man from New York paid for her, he turned, looked at Eliza and said, “Eliza, you are free from now on.”[3]
Jesus is in the freeing business (John 8:36):
“So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.” (NLT)
“So if the Son frees you, you will really be free!” (The Complete Jewish Bible)
“So if the Son of Man sets you free, you will really be free.” (New International Reader’s Version)
Jesus came to Nazareth one day and opened the scroll of Isaiah and read:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:18-21).
The Ultimate Expression of Redemption is Jesus for He came “to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).
[1] Lester, Julius. (1968). To Be A Slave. Dell Publishing Co. Inc.: New York, NY.
[2] Fletcher, Lionel B. (1933). The Pathway to the Stars. Hunt, Barnard & Co., Ltd: London, England. p.25.
[3] Lester, Julius. (1968). To Be A Slave. Dell Publishing Co. Inc.: New York, NY.
Text: John 14:15-26, “(15) If ye love me, keep my commandments. (16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (19) Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (20) At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (22) Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? (23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (24) He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. (25) These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. (26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Isaiah 55:10-11, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven and will accomplish its goal. God generally offers two types of promise in the Bible:
Unconditional – The promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not depend on any future action on their part because they were unconditional and would come to pass regardless of anything that these men did or didn’t do:
Joel 2:28-29, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”
Isaiah 28:11-12, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
Conditional – The Bible contains “if…then” statements. These are requirements that you must meet to receive the promise. They represent future acts that must be obeyed to receive the full promise:
2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Acts 2:37-39, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
God is not accountable to us for what He chooses to so. He is Sovereign, Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Savior…
Tongues is an initial external sign that must be followed by the fruit of the Spirit.
Gal. 5:22-23, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…”
John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
It is the consistent pattern of evidence established by God as essential in the New Birth:
1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
The tongue is the most unruly member of the body and when you receive the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues you are allowing God to control the most expressive part of your personality. Man’s expression of emotion, intelligence, and communication is articulated through the tongue.
It’s just for the Apostles and Early Church:
Irenaeus (died 202) ~ “In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God.”[2]
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) ~ “sang in unknown words with such facility and winsomeness that her utterances were known as ‘concerts in the Spirit’.”[3]
The Waldenses (c. 1217) ~ these followers of Peter Waldo believed in visions and prophecies.[4] Both healing and speaking in tongues were manifested among these heavily persecuted Christians.[5]
Early Quakers ~ “We received often the pouring down of the Spirit upon us, and our hearts were made glad and our tongues loosed and our mouths opened, and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave utterance, and as His Spirit led us.”[6]
John Wesley ~ People in Wesley’s meetings would be filled with the Holy Ghost while he preached.[7]
Thomas Walsh (one of Wesley’s foremost preachers) made this entry in his diary; “This morning the Lord gave me a language that I knew not of, raising my soul to Him in a wonderful manner.”[8]
In England (1830) there was a revival under Edward Irving where gifts of the Spirit were manifested. One member of the congregations writes: “The moment I am visited with the Spirit, and carried out to God in a tongue which I know not… I am more conscious than ever of the presence of God. He and He alone is in my soul. I am filled with some form of the mind of God, be it joy or grief, desire, love, pity, compassion, or indignation; and I am made to utter it in words which are full of power over my spirit, but not being accessible to my understanding, my devotion is not interrupted by association of suggestions from the visible or intellectual world: I feel myself, as it were, shut in with God in His pavilion, and hidden close from the invasions of the world, the devil, and the flesh.”[9]
Charles G. Finney ~ “I received a mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost…No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart.”[10]
D. L. Moody ~ “One the following Sunday night, when I got to the rooms of the Y.M.C.A. I found the meetings on fire. The young men were speaking in tongues and prophesying. What on earth did it all mean? Only that Moody had been addressing them that afternoon.”[11] At a meeting in Los Angeles, Dr. R.A. Torrey told of a service in London where Moody took the pulpit to preach and instead broke into another language. He tried again, with similar results. The third time, after prayer and praise, he was able to preach his message.[12]
Charles H. Spurgeon ~ a British preacher told how Spurgeon once asked his audience to forgive him that when he got especially happy in the Lord, “I break forth into a kind of gibberish which I do not myself understand.”[13]
How Do I Receive this Phenomenon of the Holy Ghost?[14]
Prepare your heart by obeying Acts 2:38 (Repent).
Understand that God wants you to receive His gift as much as you want it…just ask Him for the Holy Ghost: “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?” (Luke 11:13)
You must be hungry to receive His Spirit.
Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
Expect to receive: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
Believe to receive: John 7:38-39, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
Relax!!
Promise of Christ’s Return:
1 Corinthians 15:51-56, “51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
[3] George H. Williams and Edith Waldvogel, “A History of Speaking in Tongues and Related Gifts,” in The Charismatic Movement, ed. by Michael P. Hamilton, p. 70
[4] R. Kissack, “Waldenses,” The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. by J.D. Douglas, revised edition, p. 1026
“Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus” Guest Author: James Anderson
This topic is often discussed, but I have been conversing with someone with an opposing view and here are some of my notes.
I would not say that there was a codified baptismal formula in the primitive church. Myself and most Oneness teachers should indicate it was developed, in some sense. However, I do believe that scripture and history indicate to us that the name of Jesus was invoked or implied, in literary devices, by or over the baptized. I think most scholars realize this but disallow it by marginalizing it to, now, include the Matthean titles (28:19; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and thus giving a sense of credibility to the Trinitarian method. If we study history accurately we should understand that no biblical or primitive NT believer was baptized using the titles. Biblical and historical evidence explicitly indicates that the name “Jesus” was actually used in baptism and not a recitation of the actual instruction of Christ in the Matthean passage, instead actual obedience to His instruction, e.g. “baptizing them…in the name…” (c.f. Matthew 28:19, NKJV).
In connection with this it is interesting to note the Lukan Great Commission as well. Luke records: “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47, KJV) Both the Lukan and Matthean passages indicate that a single, known name was used in Christian baptism. As the below sources will show, this is the only form used by the Disciples and early believers.
The Anchor Bible Dictionary is a landmark work of scholarly thought. It clearly states:
“It is relatively certain that in the early Church one commonly referred to baptism as being done “into the name of the Lord Jesus”or “something similar.” (1)
The Bible knows of no Christian in the New Testament who had not been baptized, either by John or in the name of Jesus. Consequently, as modern New Testament believers we should feel compelled to follow that same Biblical method. Christian baptism was from the first administered “in the name of Jesus”. The trinitarian formula of merely repeating, not obeying or properly interpreting, Matthew 28:19 is not found in the scriptures. Anyone baptizing in titles or any other method that does not include the name of Jesus is without scriptural support, there is simply no text that demonstrates or gives license for such aberrations. Baptism identifies us with Jesus Christ and brings us into the Body of Christ, therefore it is logical to conclude that we should have the name of Jesus invoked over us in baptism.
The reason that we are baptized in Jesus’ name is that we are being baptized into Jesus. We are taking on his name, similar to the way a woman takes on her husband’s name at marriage. We are saying that we belong to Jesus and we are identifying with Him in His death and burial. Paul said, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13) Paul’s thinking here is to exalt the name of Jesus Christ. If we follow his logic it becomes obvious that he is telling the Corinthians that Christ was the one crucified for them and so they, too, were baptized in the name of Christ. The believers at Corinth as well as those in Rome were baptized in Jesus’ name.
We may contest that there was no EXACT formula for baptism in the New Testament, but such a statement is only partially true. As mentioned prior, in all occasions of baptism the name Jesus is used, in the name of the Lord or in the name of the Lord Jesus, etc. Whether “Christ” or “Lord” is used all the references refer directly to the only saving name—Jesus (Acts 4:12). How can we expect baptism to be efficacious for one if the name of Jesus is not invoked then? It seems then that anything else would be…unbiblical.
In Acts 22:16 we read, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16, KJV) There is other debates concerning this passage, but none as relevant as the one we are discussing now. The Greek word for “calling” here is epikaleomai. This word is defined “idiomatically, denoting that one person belongs to another whose name is attached to him…literally have someone’s name called on someone, i.e. belong to,”(2) Therefore, the name of Christ is important in every sense of salvation and not just in professing Him as Lord. This name should be “called on” as we are baptized into Christ; we arise with His name attached to us and are His people.
Epikaleomai is used to mean a literal invoking in several New Testament passages. In Acts 9 we see the story of Paul after being blinded on the road to Damascus, “And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name. (15) But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:14-16 NKJV
The early Christians were preaching and baptizing in the name of Jesus. They literally uttered the words, there was no non-verbal reflection upon the name—it was a literal calling on the name of Jesus. Paul (formerly Saul) was commissioned by the Priests to persecute those who were calling on the name of Jesus. After being blinded Paul is taken to Ananias. Ananias is told by the Lord that Paul is a “chosen vessel” to “bear” the name of Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul also was to suffer for this name. The name of Jesus is so intrinsically involved in the process of salvation and our subsequent lives, how can we, then, abandon this name at our baptism?
Some assume that the trinitarian formula for baptism, which invokes the titles—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–are indeed the biblical method. This may cause one to ask, “Was the trinitarian formula used in New Testament times?” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia answers this for us:
“No record of such use can be discovered in the Acts or the epistles of the apostles. The baptisms recorded in the New Testament after the Day of Pentecost are administered “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38), “into the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16), “into Christ” (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27).” (3)
James Hastings indicates:
“The original form of words was ‘into the name of Jesus Christ’ or ‘the Lord Jesus.’ Baptism into the name of the Trinity was a later development.”(4)
Self-admittedly then trinitarians confess that the form of words used in an oral invocation in the rite of baptism was done by, the very least, using the name of Jesus, in some sense. Signifying that the Apostles as well as those following their death used the saving Name—Jesus.
Often the words, “in” or “into” are used with being baptized in or into the name of Jesus. Both terms are prepositions which are used to connect nouns or pronouns in an adjectival or adverbial sense. Example: the babe lying in a manger, the sun sets in the west. They denote being in or into something, such as baptized into or in the name of Jesus. When used in an adjectival or descriptive sense it is describing the method or the how of what is being said. How were the early Christians baptized? Answer: in the name of Jesus. Therefore, we enter into or in the power or person of Jesus by using His name.
In the New Testament, specifically in the historical book of Acts we see baptisms that involve an actual verbal invocation using wholly, partly, or by implications (Lord) the name of Jesus. Otto Heick a church historian wrote in his book, “A History of Christian Thought” (1,53), that “At first baptism was administered in the name of Jesus, but gradually in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Today, as modern New Testament believers, it is imperative that we hold the teachings of scripture paramount, rather than relying too heavily upon extra-biblical sources or church councils, creeds, dogmas and catechisms. When we stand before God in the Day of Judgment, we will be accountable to His Word.
In Acts 4:12 Peter uses the word “must” which is the Greek preposition dei. In this passage it literally means “it is necessary.”(5) “Must” here is an emphatic word indicating compelling necessity and it is joined with “name” which is part of the “must.” Not only is there only one way to get salvation, e.g. through Jesus Christ, but there is only one saving name in baptism—Jesus Christ.
Many New Testament passages speak of healing done in Jesus’ name (Acts 3:6, 16; 4:9–10), signs and wonders through His name (4:30). Some preached in His name (8:12) or spoke boldly in His name (9:27–28). This being so, it seems that historical and theological bias exist in order to assert that baptism is not to be done by invoking the name of Jesus. Baptism in the name of Jesus was and still is the correct name to administer over one who is to be baptized or by the baptized. Historically and biblically, all competent accounts point us directly to Jesus name.
Here is a syllogism to conclude:
Biblical and historical sources indicate that baptism was done by orally invoking, in some sense, the name “Jesus”. Further, the historical evidence confirms that extra-biblical change was made to include titles.
The Bible also places soteriological emphasis on the name of Jesus that it “must” be a part of a believers experience.
Therefore, it is logical to conclude, from evidence, that baptism in the name of “Jesus” is both valid and necessary.
The Pillar and Ground of Truth 