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Power and Acts of the Hoi}) Spirit Pastor A. Reilly Copeland, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Waco, Texas
H OD hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” (Ps. 62:11). “Full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.” (Mic. 3:8) Not by might but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts.” (Zech. 4 :6 ). “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit. His word was with power.” (Lk. 4:14-32) “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28:18 ). “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye he endued with power from on high.” (Lk. 24:49) “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” (Acts 1:8) “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit? 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 2:4-39). The power of the Spirit is for all Christians. Paul shows us that the Gentiles (unsaved) “Who sometimes were far off are made nigh (saved) by the blood (atone ment) of Christ.” (Eph. 2:13) Christians are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 5:18) I.—Three Great Pivotal Events. “The Holy Spirit fell on them (Gentiles) which heard the word.” (Acts 10:44 ). The three great pivotal, events recorded in the book of Acts are: (1) The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which advent had long been' pre dicted of the Third Person of the Godhead. (Joel 2:28, Matt. 3:11, Acts 2:1, 4) (2 ) The conversion of Saul of Tarsus the enemy of Jesus Christ to Paul the Apostle of the Lord and the great est champion of early Christianity. (Acts 9:1-6, 26:16-19) (3 ) The opening of the door of the kingdom to the Gen tiles (Acts 10:1-48) The events of Acts 10, with Peter’s vision of Acts 11, taught all the disciples the universality of salvation as offered in Christ by faith. “The Holy Spirit fell on them as on us at the beginning.” (Ys. 15-18) H.— Preaching to the Jews. Christ directed the first preaching of the Gospel to the Jews in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. (Acts 1 :8 ). The Jews were children of the covenant (Gen 17:10-17). They believed in and worshipped Jehovah hut had crucified their long looked for’ Messiah. (Acts 3:14-18). The preaching was that the Jews must repent (a change of mind) as to Jesus and His Messiahship, and have faith in Him as The Gentile position was different because they were “without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers in the world.” (Eph. 2 :12 ). The Gentiles could not be called to faithfulness to a covenant into which they had never entered. The Gospel to them is wholly of Grace (Eph. 2:14-17). The Holy Spirit applies God’s Grace through Christ’s Atonement by faith (Eph. 2:18-22). Only by grace can He save the Jew because he is under condemnation of the Law (Rom. 3:9, 19, 20). Gentiles can find themselves within the coven anted mercies of God only by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:26-29). IV.—Peter’s Use of the Keys of the Kingdom. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom (Mt. 16:19). This unique privilege was granted at Pentecost when he opened the kingdom to the Jews (Acts 2:36-38). The the Risen Lord. (Acts 3:19-26). HI.—Preaching to the Gentiles.
second time Peter used the keys of the kingdom was when he opened the doors to the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-38). Please remember that it was to Peter and not to his so-called suc cessors (for an apostle can have no successors) that the keys of the kingdom were given to glorify Christ. The doc trine that Peter was the first pope and that all popes since his day have held the keys of the kingdom in the only true Catholic Church is wholly unwarranted by Scripture (Matt. 23:8-10). Salvation is in Christ only (Acts 4 :12 ). He is the only Mediator between God and man ( 1 Tim. 2 :5 ). Peter’s sermon to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius was on the theme of salvation through faith in Christ (Acts 10:34-43). He refers to Christ’s baptism with the Holy Spirit. His ministry, His crucifixion and resurrection and the salvation of “Whosoever believeth in HIM shall have remission of sins.” When these Gentiles believed, “The Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:44 ). This was the first time these Gentiles had ever heard the Gospel. They believed and were immediately baptized with the Holy Spirit. This was also the first time a believing hearer was immediately baptized with the Holy Spirit. V.—Baptism with the Holy Spirit. As long as the Gospel was confined to Jewish bounds there was an interval between conversion and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Futhermore, in some way it came about by prayer, laying on of hands and the mediation of the Apostles (Acts 8:14-17). From the very moment however when Peter preached his memorable sermon of grace to Gentile hearers, no interval, mediation, seeking, supplementary act, or any ceremony stands between the receiving of Christ as Lord and the baptism with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 11:15-18). Paul makes it clear that believers are baptized into Christ’s body by the Spirit at conversion (1 Cor. 12:12-13). (Baptism in water is the symbol of it) “After that ye be lieved ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (Eph. 1 :13 ). Then the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer (1 Cor. 6:19). VI—Filling with the Holy Spirit. The baptism with the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit are not synonomous terms. Baptism with the Spirit occurs only once and that is at conversion (1 Cor. 12 :13 ). The filling of the Spirit can occur many times. For example, Péter was filled with the Spirit on three different occasions for definite service (Acts 2:4, 4:8-31). This act itself is not necessarily a recurring thing. One may be continu ously filled with the Spirit. Peter however showed blame later and Paul said, “I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.” (Gal. 2 :11 ). Peter’s blame was an act of cowardice that caused much grief to Christians and hurt Christ’s cause (Gal. 2:12-14). In Acts 19:1-6, we have a record of some of John the Baptist’s disciples who were Jewish proselytes at Ephesus, looking forward to a coming king rather than as Christians looking back to an accomplished redemption by the risen Lord (Rom. 5:9-11). The lack of these disciples in not having been baptized with the Spirit was not due to their Ignorance of Pentecost but to their ignorance that Christ had ever come. Ys. 4-5 (Continued on Page 184)
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