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Understanding The Measures Of The Holy Spirit

There are various aspects regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit which are clearly misunderstood in the world of religion, such as: during the infancy of the New Testament church, were there differing measures of the Holy Ghost, or did every convert receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost; was Jesus the sole administrator of this Divine gift, or were the apostles and disciples also able to impart this baptism of the Holy Ghost to whom they chose; what was its purpose, i.e., was Holy Ghost baptism intended to be a visible and/or audible confirmation of the believer's salvation, or did it have a specific purpose which was confined to the 40 year transitional period out of the age of Moses and into the fullness of the Messianic age? These aspects must be clearly defined in order to dispel confusion, and avoid being lured into modern man-made belief systems which will ultimately cause the soul to be lost eternally.

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts," (Mal.3:1).

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse," (Mal.4:5-6).

"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it," (Isa.40:3-5).

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight," (Mt.3:1-3).

The Administrator Of Holy Ghost Baptism

In preparation for the coming Messiah, John the Baptist came preaching that the kingdom was at hand, and for the people to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (Mk.1:1-4). The apostle John wrote of the instance when Jesus was coming to be baptized of John, and he records Jehovah's very words when He revealed who it was that sent him to baptize, and the Infallible sign he was to watch for in identifying the Son of God as the One who would administer the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

"And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God," (Jn.1:32-33).

"I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost," (Mk.1:8).

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" (Mt.3:11).

John the Baptizer was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb (Lk.1:15), and had an intimate acquaintance with the Divine Being; therefore, it was he who was most qualified to specify publicly under Divine influence that it was in fact Jesus, the Lamb of God, Who would baptize with the Holy Ghost, though the specific recipients were not yet named.

Immediately following our Lord's last supper with His 12 apostles, He was teaching them that He must soon return to the Father; however, He would not leave them alone in the world, but would send the Comforter to be in them, and be their Guide. The term Comforter is translated from the Greek, "παράκλητος, paraklētos; An intercessor, consoler: - advocate, comforter," (Strongs).

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;" (Jn.14:16).

Jesus further identified the Comforter as the Holy Ghost, and we must not omit the fact that He was speaking directly to the apostles, privately; hence, Jesus was promising this endowment of the Comforter / Holy Ghost only on the apostles.

"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," (Jn.14:26).

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you," (Jn.16:7).

After Christ's resurrection, He appeared to his disciples for 40 days speaking to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Immediately prior to Jesus' ascension, He again promised specifically to the apostles (see this fact verified on this page and also on this page) the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit. People who are led by emotionalism and reject simple reasoning and logic will never see this fundamental truth; however, to the unbiased mind, this is easy to comprehend.

"Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high," (Lk.24:45-49).

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence...But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth," (Acts 1:4-8).

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance," (Acts 2:1-4).

At the risk of redundancy, I'll repeat here some facts proven in the previous pages of this section: all who were filled with the Holy Ghost began to speak in other tongues; the apostles were the only ones who were speaking; therefore, only the apostles received the baptismal measure of the Holy Ghost; the tongues were known languages which the multitudes heard and understood.

"Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" (Acts 2:6-8).

The word tongues from verses 4 & 8 is translated from the Greek term, "γλῶσσα - glōssa; Of uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication a language (specifically one naturally unacquired): - tongue, (Strongs)," and the term languages from verse 6 is, "διάλεκτος - dialektos; From G1256; a (mode of) discourse, that is, "dialect": - language, tongue," (Strongs).

That the terms language and tongues are used synonymously; and that the apostles were endowed supernaturally with the ability to speak in other languages is a no-brainier to the unbiased mind; for the text specifically says that the multitudes heard the message being spoken in their native language wherein they were born. Because this glaring truth handily confutes the modern-day practice of some religionists, primarily women, who misinterpret an emotionalistic iteration of a rhythmic non-discernible-jabber as an expression of Holy Ghost baptism, it becomes an absolute necessity to invent some snippet of 'evidence' that all Christ's disciples received the baptism of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost in order to justify women speaking in 'tongues' in their assemblies. The problem however is that the Bible nowhere says nor implies that women in the early church spoke in tongues; yet, the facts rarely interfere with the twisting of scripture (2 Pet.3:16) to support a man-made belief system. Deceivers have long be adept at viewing the shadows of vague ambiguity through their crystal ball to conjure up their necessities. One such divination is drawn out of the shadows of Joel's prophecy which Peter cites on this occasion to be the cause of the commotion heard by the multitude.

"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved," (Acts 2:16-21).

One insurmountable fact which is lost in the subterfuge is that nothing stated in this prophecy pertains to acts of worship to be conducted in the assembly of the first century church. The things mentioned are specifically stated as being signs and wonders which would transpire "...before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:31), prophesying of salvation being offered to all mankind prior to the consummation of the Jewish age. Looking at this prophecy then, for instance, how would wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, or, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke relate to the assembly/worship of the saints? It is, however, because of the vague similarity of the phrases daughters shall prophesy and the mention of handmaids which is all that is needed to demand that this passage says women received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. These signs and wonders transpired over a 40 year period of time encompassing the inclusion of the Gentiles, Cornelius and his household being the first Gentile converts into the body of Christ.

The sign of "daughters shall prophesy" saw its fulfillment in examples like Philip who had 4 virgin daughters which prophesied (Acts 21:9); however, since Paul specifically forbade women to speak or teach in the assembly, it is a wild fanatical leap into the abyss of assumption to demand that this phrase means women received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and spoke in unintelligible tongues in the assembly. The prophesy also states that "on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit," which sees its fulfillment in the gospel being extended to all mankind regardless of gender, nationality, or wealth. Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus," (Gal.3:28). The theory that the 120 disciples received the baptism of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost is not even remotely supported in these events, especially since the text specifically says, "...and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles," (v.43).

The following is yet another passage of which one is condemned as an lunatic for not agreeing that it plainly and emphatically says that women were baptized with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues.

"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness," (Acts 4:31).

Even a casual reading of the surrounding context reveals that not only would such a conclusion be a farce, it would produce some impossibilities!

Supposition and false doctrine will always be refuted by an exegesis of the scriptures, and such is the case here. This almost needs no analysis to see that the context is focused on the preaching and miraculous powers manifested by Peter and John. It is breathtaking that anyone could read this text and come to the conclusion that it is an example of women receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues, particularly in light of the fact that neither are mentioned anywhere in the text! Furthermore, if verse 31 is an example of Holy Ghost baptism, then Peter and John received it twice, which is ludicrous. The statement in verse 31 is synonymous with verse 8 in which Luke simply emphasized the fact that the apostles were animated by the Holy Spirit.

The Measures Of The Holy Spirit

"For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him," (Jn.3:34).

The term measure is translated from, "μέτρον metron, An apparently primary word; a measure ("metre"), literally or figuratively; by implication a limited portion (degree): - measure," (Strongs). This Greek term "μέτρον" is the origin of our English word meter which is the fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equivalent to 100 centimeters, or approximately 39.37 inches. The very use of this term demands the idea of more than one universal application of the subject in the given context; therefore, since John through inspiration says that Jesus Christ was given the Spirit without measure necessitates that He has the Spirit in an unlimited capacity. Since there can be no substantiation of anyone, past or present, being equally endowed with an unlimited capacity of the Spirit, this forces the conclusion that there must be a minimum of two measures, or capacities of the Holy Spirit. This conclusion is further corroborated when we consider that if there are in fact no differing measures of the Holy Spirit, then everyone we read of in the New Testament who received the Holy Ghost would have the supernatural abilities to: turn water into wine; heal sickness in the absence of the individual's faith; calm the storms by merely speaking to the wind, and even raising the dead. The consequence of such an argument is beyond the fringes of absurdity, so we must accept the fact that because Jesus was given the Holy Ghost without measure, then all others in the New Testament church received the Spirit by measure, i.e., in differing measures.

As we've learned above, Jesus, who had the Spirit without measure, was Divinely specified as the One who would be the administrator of Holy Ghost baptism; this measure of the Holy Ghost, being less than Jesus' unlimited measure, was promised by Him personally, privately, and specifically to His apostles; this measure of the Holy Ghost was received only by the apostles on the day of Pentecost, and later, by Paul, and Cornelius. There is much confusion and mystery created around this subject, needlessly, due in part to a lack of seriousness in rightly dividing God's word. When you will consider what this measure of the Holy Ghost enabled the apostles to do, it is in reality quite surprising.

"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease," (Mt.10:1).

"And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give," (Mt.10:7-8).

When you consider the abilities the 12 apostles had already been given under the limited commission, there's only 3 additional things this baptism of the Holy Ghost enabled them to do: 1) remember all that Jesus had taught and commanded them; 2) speak in languages which they had not been schooled in as evinced on the day of Pentecost; 3) impart miraculous gifts to Christians. That there were various measures of the Holy Ghost given during the growth of the New Testament church of Christ is unquestionable when one will simply accept what the Bible says.

The Laying On Of The Apostles' Hands

"And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. therefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power , did great wonders and miracles among the people," (Acts 6:1-8).

This is the first recorded instance of the ability to impart miraculous supernatural power through the laying on of the apostles' hands. Noticing the emphasized portions of this text we want to observe closely two of these seven men chosen for this particular work, i.e., Stephen and Philip. Note that the first man chosen, Stephen, was said to be full of the Holy Ghost as were all seven of the men chosen. Those who shuffle all of these accounts together like a deck of cards to render a one-size-fits-all version of Holy Ghost baptism, miss the fact that Stephen was already full of the Holy Ghost; so then, how does one acquire more of something when he is already full if in fact there are no differing measures of the Holy Ghost? There simply is no escaping the conclusion that there were various measures of the Holy Spirit, and thus, Steven, being full of the Holy Ghost had received the indwelling measure of the Holy Spirit which every person received upon being baptized for the remission of sins in full obedience to the gospel in prospect of the soon-coming redemption. We'll study the indwelling measure later. Observing then that Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost prior to the laying on of the apostles' hands, and afterwards, Luke records that he now has the power to perform great wonders and miracles. This verifies that the apostles could impart a certain measure of the Holy Ghost to other converts, and in this instance, the convert, Stephen, already full of the Holy Ghost, was further endowed with the supernatural power to perform great wonders and miracles publicly.

Philip, who likewise received the imposition of apostolic hands, could perform great wonders and miracles publicly during the growth of the church. The purpose of these miraculous powers was to confirm the gospel.

"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following," (Mk.16:20).

"Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands," (Acts 14:3).

"For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ," (Rom.15:18-19).

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God," (1 Cor.2:4-5).

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?," (Heb.2:3-4).

Notice in this sampling of scripture that it is abundantly clear that the purpose of the miracles, signs, and wonders was for Divine authentication of the message being spoken. Also worth noting is the total absence of any indication that these manifestations of the Holy Ghost were an expression of salvation and reception of the Holy Spirit upon emerging from the waters of baptism evinced by speaking in tongues. Additionally, you should observe that the Hebrew writer specifically states that this great salvation was confirmed with signs, and wonders, and various miracles, and gifts, plural, of the Holy Ghost, which irrefutably corroborates the fact of differing measures of the Holy Ghost; and, this ability to perform miracles, signs and wonders was bestowed upon Philip through the imposition of apostolic hands, who put this measure of the Spirit to good use when he went down to Samaria.

"Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city. But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done," (Acts 8:5-13).

We learn from the reading of this text that Philip, who was full of the Holy Ghost, i.e., the indwelling measure of the Holy Spirit, was given an additional measure of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of apostolic hands, which enabled him, like Stephen, to perform miracles, heal the sick, cure the lame, and cast out demons; however, there was one thing that the imposition of apostolic hands did not enable Philip to do, i.e., to impart this power to others through the laying on of his hands.

"Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:" (Acts 8:14-15).

Wading through all the suppositions formulated around this text, the only logical and exegetical conclusion to be made here is that if Philip, a convert who had received miraculous powers through the laying on of the apostles' hands, in turn had the ability to impart miraculous gifts on others, it wouldn't have been necessary for Peter and John to make the trek from Jerusalem down to this city in Samaria, and to pray for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost.

"(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost," (Acts 8:16-17).

One of the flagship-arguments from the proponents of this relatively new denomination alleges that the New Birth consists of: 1) being born of water, meaning that the penitent believer is baptized in water; 2) and, being born of the Spirit, meaning the believer receives Holy Ghost baptism; thus, the argument that the New Birth consists of water baptism and Holy Ghost baptism, which enables each convert to immediately speak in tongues upon exiting the waters of baptism. There are some serious flaws in this theology, such as:

1) Jesus told Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," (Jn.3:5), therefore, one gains access into the kingdom upon being born of water and of the Spirit, i.e., entrance into the kingdom is not granted until both have occurred. If being born of the Spirit is synonymous with the Holy Ghost falling upon, or being filled with the Holy Ghost, then according to this doctrine, the Samaritians were not granted prospective access into the kingdom until many days after they were baptized, for the text clearly states that the Holy Ghost had not fallen upon them yet when Peter and John arrived there, a conclusion of ridiculous proportions!

2) If the New Birth consists of water baptism and Holy Ghost baptism, then there are a minimum of 2 baptisms, clearly contradicting what Paul said that, just as there is one Lord, and one faith, likewise there is one baptism, (Eph.4:5).

There is no argument that can withstand the facts presented here, that Holy Ghost baptism is not part of the New Birth, nor, did it ever occur concurrently with water baptism in the name of Christ for the remission of sins; therefore, being born of the Spirit cannot be Holy Ghost baptism. These people heard the gospel, believed it, and were baptized according the great commission; then, many days later, they received the Holy Ghost through the same avenue in which Philip and Stephen received their ability to perform miracles, i.e., through the laying on of the apostles' hands.

"And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given..." (Acts 8:17).

The dubious attempts to quash the evident truth in this passage which I have encountered have been quite extraordinary to say the least! There is no relevance to the condition of Simon's heart as it relates to what this passage says; whether Simon was saved, or whether he wasn't does not alter in any way the fact that Simon SAW that the Holy Ghost was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands! There is no amount of mental gymnastics, nor theological degrees that can expunge the facts revealed here; furthermore, the fact that Simon desired to have the ability of Peter and John over that of the miraculous gifts conveyed on the converts through the imposition of apostolic hands is further proof of various measures of the Holy Ghost.

"Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost," (Acts 8:19).

It's comforting to see the emphatic and comprehensive nature of rightly divided scripture as it so thoroughly confutes the fog of assumptive reasoning. We can read of yet another instance where these same facts are spelled out, if possible, even more clearly!

"And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," (Acts 19:1-5).

Obviously, Paul knew these disciples had been baptized; otherwise, Luke would not have referred to them as disciples; so then, why would Paul ask these disciples if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed, if the common practice was that each believer received Holy Ghost baptism (born of the Spirit) concurrently with water baptism as part of the New Birth? If this theory was correct, these disciples would've already had the ability to speak in tongues, and therefore Paul would not have asked if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed. This fact shows not only that the New Birth does not consist of Holy Ghost baptism, but that the common practice was that the ability to speak in tongues was acquired as an entirely separate operation, as is illustrated here.

Please note carefully here that Luke, by inspiration, points out specifically that after these disciples had been baptized in the name of Christ, i.e., they had been born again (Jn.3:5), of water and of the Spirit (the New Birth), they did not emerge from the waters of baptism speaking in tongues as evidence of Holy Ghost baptism; therefore, the inescapable conclusion again is that the New Birth is not comprised in part of Holy Ghost baptism! They didn't speak with tongues until Paul laid his hands on them and imparted this miraculous ability to them, which is in every way identical to the endowment of this measure of the Holy Spirit upon the seven men, already full of the Holy Ghost, and the converts of Samaria at the hands of Peter and John many days after they were baptized. We must also not miss the fact here of who this gift of speaking in tongues was bestowed upon:

"And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve," (Acts 19:6-7).

The fact that Luke includes the phrase, "and all the men..." implies strongly that there were others present, possibly women and children, but we won't use the same tactics of ambiguity like the deceivers do, for it is sufficient that Luke specifies that the men spake in tongues and prophesied as the result of the imposition of apostolic hands. As we consider this account, we should not proceed further without contrasting a similar encounter of this same apostle:

"And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us," (Acts 16:13-15).

A more picturesque, pristine nor glorious opportunity could be found in the entirety of the New Testament for there to be a rock-solid and unmitigated example of women speaking in tongues, than right here; and yet, Luke, inspired of the Holy Spirit, and an eyewitness of this event, fails to record the first hint of these women arising from the waters of baptism speaking in tongues, nor yet of Paul imparting these gifts of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of his hands as he did, specifically, in the previous examples. This is where the defense is inserted that just because it isn't mentioned in the text doesn't mean it didn't happen. With that kind of logic, I could just as easily prove that the apostles traveled around on flying pink unicorns! Observing then what the Bible says, as well as what it doesn't say, the irrefutable and rational conclusion is that women did not speak in tongues, nor did they receive spiritual gifts via the laying on of apostolic hands; nor did anyone other than the apostles have the ability to impart miracuous gifts. This ability to confer spiritual gifts upon others was a miraculous supremacy characteristic only of the apostles; a measure of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon them through the baptism of the Holy Ghost, of which they could not transfer to any successor. That there were differing measures of the Holy Ghost exhibited even among the apostles is evident from the following passage:

"And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them," (Acts 19:11-12).

The apostles were given a measure of the Holy Spirit which no other person had. Holy Ghost baptism only occurred two times in the New Testament; first received by the 12 apostles on the day of Pentecost, and then approximately a decade later, on Cornelius and his household, as a sign to the Jews that the gospel was now being extended to the Gentiles as God promised Abraham that through his seed, all nations would be blessed. In both instances, Holy Ghost baptism had nothing to do with water baptism, and herein lies the fatal flaw of this theory that the New Birth consists in part of Holy Ghost baptism. For the sake of this point, let's lay aside the contention regarding the apostles only or the apostles and all the disciples receiving Holy Ghost baptism on the day of Pentecost; water baptism in the name of Christ never occurred for the apostles, nor the 120 disciples; therefore, from the very text which is the life-blood of this theory comes the death blow to this man-made doctrine, and from its own foundational text! The apostles were the only ones to whom Jesus promised the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and they were the only ones who received a measure of the Holy Spirit which allowed them to impart miraculous spiritual gifts to others through the laying on of their hands.

"For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established," (Rom.1:11).

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;" (Rom.12:6).

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands," (2 Tim.1:6).

"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ...And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers," (Eph.4:7-11).

"And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?" (1 Cor.12:28-29).

The obvious and unquestionable specificity of passages such as these is why it becomes necessary for deceivers to toss all of these verses into the blender of mitigation and reconstitute the facts in order to alleviate the difficulties arising from a consistent exegesis. The fact which Paul states here that God set the apostles first in rank in the church, substantiates the conclusion that Jesus promised the baptism of the Holy Ghost only to His apostles, and through the imposition of their hands, imparting various measures of the Holy Spirit, secondly and thirdly, to individual members of each congregation of the church.

To study the duration of these gifts, click here.

The Indwelling Measure Of The Holy Spirit

"For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb," (Lk. 1:15).

The fact that the scriptures tell us John the Baptizer was full of the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb shows that man can be full of the Holy Ghost without receiving Holy Ghost baptism. To interpret every passage which speaks of being filled with, or being full of the Holy Ghost as meaning Holy Ghost baptism would be a conclusion of absurdity because some would receive Holy Ghost baptism several times! This exemplifies the importance of the context; to learn the truth, it must be observed; to support man-made doctrines, it must be ignored and obfuscated.

"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," (Jn. 14:17).

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you," (Rom 8:9-11).

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor.3:16).

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Cor.6:19).

"That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us," (2 Tim.1:14).

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people," (2 Cor.6:16).

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love," (Eph 3:17).

"And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us," (1 Jn.3:24).

"For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith:" (Acts 11:24).

"And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost," (Acts 13:52).

When a person completed their obedience to the gospel by being baptized for the remission of sins, being saved through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5), they received the indwelling measure of the Holy Spirit as demonstrated in the example above of the seven men being full of the Holy Ghost prior to receiving miraculous supernatural power through the imposition of the apostles' hands. This indwelling measure differs from the miraculous gifts bestowed upon Christians as the earnest or down payment on their inheritance which sealed them, "until the impending day of redemption," (Eph.4:30).

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory," (Eph.1:13-14).

"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts," (2 Cor. 1:22).

"Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit," (2 Cor. 5:5).

The indwelling measure of Holy Spirit is how Stephen, Philip and the other five men were full of the Holy Ghost (Acts 6:1-8), prior to receiving miraculous power; this is why Luke writes of the Samaritan converts, (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)" (Acts 8:16).

Conclusion

Sadly, satan's ministers have had 2 millennia to hone and polish various false doctrines, and much time, study, and effort is required to unravel the webs of deceit which have been artfully spun from the shadows of ambiguity, which the scripture twisters capitalize on to craft the commandments and doctrines of men. When anyone will lay aside the lens of denominationalism and consider what the Bible says, it's obvious that John said Jesus, Who had the unlimited measure of the Holy Spirit, would be the Administrator of Holy Ghost baptism, and that Jesus specifically promised this measure to His apostles. On the day of Pentecost, it has no consequence if the 120 disciples were present during the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, for the scriptures are clear that all who were filled with the Holy Ghost began to speak, and the text clearly states that only men, i.e., the apostles were speaking in other languages. The apostles are the only ones who received the measure of the Holy Ghost which enabled them to lay hands on converts and impart a measure of the Holy Ghost, to converts already full of the Holy Spirit, which animated the believers to speak in tongues (known languages) and prophesy, and the other gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. These miraculous gifts of the Spirit were for the purpose of Divine confirmation of the gospel. If you have any question or comments, feel free to contact me by clicking the link below. Thank you for your forbearance.

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