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![Text Box: Jesus commanded and promised in Mark 16:16-18, “He who believes and allows himself to be baptized [because he personally and sincerely believes that Jesus is the Christ,] will be saved… And these SIGNS will follow those who [truly] believe: In My Name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents, [if they are unwittingly exposed to danger,] and if they drink anything [unwittingly or accidentally,] it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 14:23, “Therefore tongues are for a SIGN, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.”
And in 1 Cor. 14:1-2, “Pursue love, and desire spiritual GIFTS, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue [or with the Holy Spirit’s GIFT of tongues] does not speak to men but to God, for no one understand him, however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies believers. I wish you ALL spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied…”](image2101.gif)
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TONGUES, AND OTHER QUESTIONS: Chapter 3 of 7 of How Secret Societies Control The Rise And Fall Of Religions, (The Religious Beast From The Earth, Rev. 13:11-18. ) With evangelists Glen & Renette Vermeulen, courtesy of Now Unbanned Publications C.C.
We thank everyone who commented on our newsletter, ‘The Holy Spirit Baptism.’ The writing on the baptism with the Holy Spirit caused an overwhelming appreciation for the daring views that we expressed. However, it is always difficult to share something ‘new,’ although these views are not new, they simply do not fit into firmly established, extremely false, church criteria. As a result, we were asked to try to answer the following questions. These ‘views’ on the baptism with the Holy Spirit are definitely not new. Considering the charismatic character of the 1991 Spirit Filled Bible-translation, (which, for valid reason, we do not endorse without reserve,) the footnotes of this translation nevertheless echo and explain our views quite clearly. Above all, we rely on the contextual Truth of Scripture and the Holy Spirit of God. He Alone is our Teacher, Helper, Strength, and the Supplier of all our needs. He Alone came to guide us into ‘ALL truth.’
Question: ‘Are you saying the fruit of the Spirit is more important than His gifts?’ Answer: No, we believe in and experience all the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a reality in our lives. How can the fruit of a plant be more important than the leaves or flowers? However, one might speak in tongues more frequently than others might. One might cast out demons until one drops… but if believers do not, [on a mental level,] grow in, and become obedient to real Scriptural Truth, and begin to bear real Holy-Spirit fruit, they will just experience another spiritual ‘hype.’ Another ‘feeling.’ [Please read 1 Cor. 13!] Jesus said, ‘If you ABIDE in MY Word, you are truly My disciples. And [THEN] you will know the truth, [taught and explained by the Holy-Spirit in His power,] and the truth will set you free!’ - Jn. 8:31-32; 6:63. Living in Christ is not without feeling, but it is not ABOUT feeling either. Spiritual hypes will quickly dim in the flames of the fiery darts, which will strike sooner or later, while, in Jesus’ words, obedience to the [contextual] truth of the Word in the power of the Holy Spirit will always keep us standing: Mt. 7:13-29.
Question: ‘If people are all baptized in the Spirit from the very moment they wholeheartedly decided to accept Jesus, why did believers after Pentecost still have to receive the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues? Peter said, ‘Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and [then] you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, [which is the speaking in tongues.]’ Answer: Peter continued in Acts 2:39, ‘For the promise is to you and to your children…’ When Peter mentioned the ‘gift’ and ‘promise’ of the Holy Spirit’ in Acts 2, he was not referring to the gift of tongues, but to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - as the Spirit Himself Is the Gift of God, Whom Jesus had promised to send to His disciples, (read it yourself in Lu. 11:13; Acts 1:4; Jn. 16:7.) The S.F. Bible clarifies, ‘The ‘gift of the Holy Spirit’ must be distinguished from the gifts of the Spirit. The former is the Spirit Himself, while the latter are special abilities granted by the Sprit to equip believers for service.’ This proves that the MIND of every born again, Spirit-filled, or Spirit-possessed believer still needs to be renewed through knowledge of the contextual Truth of the Scriptures, in the power of the Holy Spirit! – Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 1:22-23; Jam. 1:21-22. Misinterpreting these different timeslots, or dispensations of the same Gospel as two separate ‘gospels,’ has led to much confusion and aggressive denominationalism. One finds clarification about the indwelling-possession of the Holy Spirit and His gifts, such as the speaking in tongues, in the chronological order of these events. The Gospel as we aught to know it came through the ministry of Paul – and please, I am not implying that Paul received ‘new,’ strange or ‘superior’ knowledge! After Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul went into 3 years of isolation. Only then did he meet Peter and James. Still ‘unknown by face to the believers of Judea,’ it seems that he remained in the regions of Syria for another 14 years, learning from the Holy Spirit Himself, before he came to present the New Testament Gospel in its entirety to the disciples/followers/members of The Way, as they were originally known - Gal. 1:16-24; 2:1; Acts 9:2;19:23; 24:14,22; Heb. 10:20. Some 23 years had elapsed between the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. Here, in 1 Cor. 12-14, Paul explains the manifestations of the Holy Spirit as the powerful gifts of the Spirit. This was a first, but serious attempt to bridle the confusion and lack of knowledge among disciples of The Way, (KJV, 1 Cor. 11:1; 1 Ths. 1:6; 2:14, etc.) Their confusion was something similar to the chaotic Christianity of today. In this epistle, (1 Corinthians,) Paul brought into perspective the purpose of the Spirit’s gifts, as well as the way in which He manifests His gifts. Therefore Paul called the gift of tongues a ‘sign for unbelievers,’ which relates directly to the other gifts or ‘signs,’ which Mark described in Mark 16:15-18.
Question: ‘On four occasions after Pentecost, individuals, or groups were baptized in the Holy Spirit after believing, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. In Acts 8:12-17 the Samaritans had already received the Word, been baptized, but as yet the Spirit ‘had fallen on none of them.’ It was only after a second experience to ‘conversion,’ through the laying on of hands, that they received the Spirit. Why were they not POSSESSED by the Holy Spirit after they believed?’ Answer: The Spirit Filled Bible states in Acts 8, ‘This passage has been subject to unnecessary debate. This sequence of events leaves little doubt that the Samaritans had become [believers]… Now, through the ministry of the ‘apostles,’ [and as the Samaritans accepted these truths,] they were led into a deeper understanding’ of the new dispensational indwelling of the H.S and His gifts, and the true meaning of water-baptism. [See ‘Repentance, and water baptism.] In Acts 19:1, Paul met a similar group of believers. In an attempt to understand their spiritual background, he asked, ‘Did you receive the [indwelling of] the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ But they ‘have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit!’ because they were some of the dispersed disciples of John the Baptist, who had not even heard of Pentecost – and probably, not of Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, or ascension either. The S.F. Bible, (Acts 19:1-10,) gives details, ‘These disciples were true, baptized believers, whose knowledge about the Holy Spirit was defective. They knew some basics from contact with John the Baptist, but they were unaware of the developments of Pentecost… [The Spirit’s manifestation through them] was accompanied by their [newly acquired] knowledge of Pentecost. An obvious parallel to the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit’s [indwelling] fullness is displayed by the gifts of tongues and prophesy.’ – [Please read 2 Cor 5:17; Gal. 2:20.] These dispersed disciples were like millions of Christians today: These dispersed believers, as disciples of John the Baptist, had religious knowledge, as well as some knowledge of the ministry of Jesus the Messiah, but their mindset was still rooted in the Old Testament dispensation – the dispensation that preceded Calvary. Like millions of Christians today, they did not know the Lord Jesus Christ through the spiritual rebirth, and they haven’t begun to experience the renewal of their minds, which is actually the ‘rebirth’ of the soul! (Jn. 3:3-5; Jam. 1:21-22.) As the vast majority of Christians today, a lack of truth and knowledge was ‘destroying’ these believers. They were ‘alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that was in them,’ (Hos. 4:6; Eph. 4:18.) As a result, they could not GROW spiritually, or mentally, or discern the will of God, (Rom. 12:1-2.) These believers were stuck in their religious groove – until God sent someone to tell them the truth and explain The Way ‘more clearly,’ (Acts 8:14.)
Question: ‘I myself had often laid hands on people who had been born again for many years, and baptized them with the Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. How can you deny that?’ Answer, John the Baptist said in Jn. 1:33, ‘He Who sent me to baptize with water said to me… This is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ Consequently, the contextual truth of Scripture denies these claims. ONLY the Lord Jesus Christ sends His Spirit or ‘baptizes His sincere believers with the Holy Spirit.’ Since that first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, this happens at the very moment they truly accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Just read passages like John 1:12-13 and Gal. 4:6, which fit into the entire New Testament Gospel of the Bible, (John 1:33; Mt. 3:11; Acts 1:4-5.)
Question: ‘Well, what happened in the Book of Acts where believers received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, with the evidence of tongues?’ Answer: They did not receive the Holy Spirit Himself by the laying on of hands. Relating the Spirit’s wonderful gifts to Pentecost, these early believers misinterpreted the gifts of tongues and prophecy as the moment the Spirit ‘first indwelt’ them – or as the ‘baptism with the Holy Spirit.’ If they really believed that the Spirit continually ‘came upon’ them, ‘fell on them’ or ‘filled them’ when He manifested His gifts, they were merely interpreting the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit according to Old Testament, and/or pagan doctrine, as we will see in the course of this study. During the Old dispensation, the Spirit only ‘came upon’ believers without indwelling them. However, a New Testament Paul wrote in Rom. 8:9b-11, ‘If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is IN you… He will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells IN you.’ So, without the gift of tongues, these signs-and-wonders disciples believe, millions of sincere believers never actually belonged to Jesus? Then how could Paul ask 1 Cor. 12:30, 27, ‘Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret… Now we are the body of Christ [corporately,] and members individually.’ The S.F. Bible states, ‘Do all speak with tongues? This anticipates a negative answer. However, Paul wished that ‘all did – but even more that everyone would prophesy… unless he interprets the tongue, that the body may receive edification.’ This proves that the gift of tongues, too, is a precious gift. However, it remains a Scriptural fact that boldness to declare the Gospel does not come through the gift of tongues, but through the possession or indwelling of the Holy Spirit, (Acts 1:8.) Not one of the gifts is ‘necessary’ for salvation, and the manifestation of the gift of tongues as a SIGN does not ‘prove’ JESUS’ baptism WITH the Holy Spirit, (Mt. 3:11; 1 Cor. 14:22; Mark 16:15-18.) Paul wrote, ‘Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.’ As a result, Jesus’ disciples should ask God the Father for the wonderful, Biblical GIFTS of the Holy Spirit, ‘which the Spirit gives as HE wills:’ - 1 Cor. 14:1; 12:11; 31.’ Tongues are indeed a ‘sign for unbelievers,’ if that is one of your gifts: 14:22. The Spirit may manifest this sign or gift through the laying on of hands, but not necessarily. Many believers received the gift of tongues while praising the Lord. Others woke from a dream, speaking in tongues, and so on. Nevertheless, we know many Christians who speak in tongues, but bear very little, if any, fruit in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, ‘You shall KNOW them by their fruit,’ not their gifts. Tragically, Satanists also speak in tongues. Demonic tongues are frequent ‘signs’ of the occult, which proves that Satan easily counterfeits Biblical signs, but it is not that easy to counterfeit the true character of Christ!
CHAPTER 1, The Kingdom-Now Beast that Crucified Jesus CHAPTER 2, The Holy Ghost Baptism CHAPTER 4, Martyrs At the Gates of Hell CHAPTER 5, The Roman Catholic Assault from Within CHAPTER 6, Christian Giants, Fairy Godmother and the Church Ring CHAPTER 7, The Ecclesia Converted to Christianity
Should we call Him Jehovah, Yeshua, Jeshua, or Jesus? The Seventh-day Adventist Church The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God The Unbiblical Hierarchy Of Ruling ‘Elders’
What does God really Say about Women in Ministry? Discover the truth about New Testament Tithing, the gospel of greed, in our Main Domain |
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Jesus Christ is the Creator God |
