The Pouring Out of The Holy Spirit: Acts 2:3-4
“3) And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” Acts 2:3-4
The baptism of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by tongues of fire. It sounds from the text like they were visual until they were distributed and began to rest on each one of them.
As they rested on each believer, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in unlearned tongues. Visitors who were in Jerusalem from many places heard them speaking in their own languages the mighty deeds of God.
The event sounded like a mighty wind, looked like fire, was expressed in many languages and happened to every believer. This exact combination did not happen again in the book of Acts. There were other cases of speaking in tongues as people were filled with the Holy Spirit, but no mention of the wind and fire.
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Paul describes numerous gifts or manifestations of the Spirit that can be distributed among those baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 states that no one gift is common to all people.
I believe all gifts of the Holy Spirit are present and functional today within the body of Christ and non have ceased to exist. According to Acts 2:38-39, the main gift was the Holy Spirit Himself, and receiving Him is the Promise of the Father.
I do not put the Holy Spirit in a box. He can manifest any gift or combination of gifts through any Spirit filled believer at any time or in any place according to His Sovereign will. He is the one who distributes the gifts.
The pouring out and filling of the Holy Spirit Himself and not the gifts is the focus of what happened on this Pentecost. Something new had started. A new epoch was launched. The age of the indwelling Holy Spirit had begun. The church was birthed.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
“3) And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” Acts 2:3-4
The baptism of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by tongues of fire. It sounds from the text like they were visual until they were distributed and began to rest on each one of them.
As they rested on each believer, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in unlearned tongues. Visitors who were in Jerusalem from many places heard them speaking in their own languages the mighty deeds of God.
The event sounded like a mighty wind, looked like fire, was expressed in many languages and happened to every believer. This exact combination did not happen again in the book of Acts. There were other cases of speaking in tongues as people were filled with the Holy Spirit, but no mention of the wind and fire.
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Paul describes numerous gifts or manifestations of the Spirit that can be distributed among those baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 states that no one gift is common to all people.
I believe all gifts of the Holy Spirit are present and functional today within the body of Christ and non have ceased to exist. According to Acts 2:38-39, the main gift was the Holy Spirit Himself, and receiving Him is the Promise of the Father.
I do not put the Holy Spirit in a box. He can manifest any gift or combination of gifts through any Spirit filled believer at any time or in any place according to His Sovereign will. He is the one who distributes the gifts.
The pouring out and filling of the Holy Spirit Himself and not the gifts is the focus of what happened on this Pentecost. Something new had started. A new epoch was launched. The age of the indwelling Holy Spirit had begun. The church was birthed.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
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