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The Gift of the Spirit: an instant present during baptism?
From Acts 2:38 we learn the following:
Does this mean, that everyone that is baptised in the Name of Jesus will receive the Gift of the Spirit immediately and automatically?
Baptism in the Name of Jesus doesnot lead to 'instant Gift'
Acts 8:15-17 - In spite of the 'Jesus-baptism' no Gift had been received !
Acts 19:5-6 - Baptism followed by the laying on of hands did have result!
No Gift because the baptism was only in the Name of Jesus...?
Not only do these people contradict their own Trinity-doctrine (because Jesus, the Father and the Spirit are supposed to be 'all-the-same right ?!), but they also contradict what we learn from Acts chapter 2. This chapter -in which Paul states that every baptism in the Name of Jesus will result in the receiving the Spirit- proves the Trinity-followers wrong. But then: why did they not receive the Spirit?!
Acts 2: a very special occasion;
The fact that Paul promised 'instant receiving of the Spirit'(Acts 2) must have had a very special reason, because in later chapters of Acts we do read, that the Spirit had not been received immediately after the baptism in the Name of Jesus...
I think it is save to suggest that the special event that was taking place at that moment was the cause of the immediate/automatic receiving of the Spirit after being baptised: the descent of the Spirit. The Spirit of God was present at that moment !!!
A critical Bible-reader could say: 'well, when I read Acts 2 I also read just after the part about the immediate receiving of the Gift the following:
'For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.'(Acts 2:38)'Though 'instant receiving of the Spirit was promised by Paul -even for all the children-; the reality of Acts 8 and 19 show us, that this promise is not for all time, but only for the moment the Spirit was poured out during and shortly after Paul made the promise.
After the pouring out of the Spirit the emhasis should be, that everyone that is baptized in the name of Jesus can and may receive the Spirit. From Acts 8 and 19 we learn, that after a special prayer with the laying on of hands the Gift of the Spirit were received!
What does this knowledge should mean for Christians?
From other studies from the Bibleabout 'laying on hands' we also know, that:
Delay in the receiving of the Spirit: for your own protection!
And I think, that this is why 'receiving the Spirit by laying on hands' is done after the baptism. Only after you have grown in knowledge and in faith you can receive the Spirit. And in this way we cannot harm ourselves with ignorance. And of course: God decides when you are ready to become a spiritual partaker!
*PS*
Matthew 28:19 has been falsified concerning '3 needed names under which one should be baptized'. Only the name of Christ (Yeshua) is needed. We simply now that because: