Paul asks the believers if they'd received the Holy Spirit since they believed. There's controversy today with many saying you receive the Holy Spirit when you receive Jesus as your Savior. In Acts 2, those who were already believers gathered in the Upper Room to await the coming of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures plainly teach there's an infilling that occurs after salvation. The evidence of this infilling is speaking in tongues.
Paul made it clear that he spoke in tongues. There is a difference between the infilling of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues, listed as a gift of the Holy Spirit.
1. The first is your prayer language and an empowerment for ministry. We often don't know how to pray, but the Holy Spirit can pray the perfect prayer through us.
2. The gift of tongues operates in the assembly and is accompanied by the gift of interpretation of tongues. This may be either a known language the speaker does not know or understand or an unknown tongue. There are many instances where an unbeliever hears a message from God or hears Him praised in his native language. Again, in Acts 2, those who heard the believers speaking in tongues recognized these unlearned people were praising God in a language they did not know, but the hearers understood.
When people started speaking evil of the way, Paul departed from them and withdrew the disciples. He didn't argue or waste time with those who hardened their hearts.
In Acts 19:11-12, it states, "Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul." (Verse 11) Handkerchiefs and aprons were brought and the anointing from Paul went into them. They were brought to those who were homebound, frail, and unable to travel. The scriptures state that the illnesses were caused by demons. The anointing freed them, and they were permanently cured.
Many people do this today, yet this was not a common practice. Scripture calls it, "unusual."
In Acts 19:13-20, we hear about some itinerant Jewish exorcists deciding to copy Jesus and Paul. The seven sons of Sceva (sons of a Jewish high priest) were not the only ones going about performing exorcisms. These men overstepped their boundaries and ended up being attacked and fleeing from the demonized person.
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If you're looking for solid, Bible-based teaching that is relevant to your life, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 AM. Zoe Christian Fellowship is located at 1111 Easton Rd., (Route 611), in Warrington, PA. We look forward to meeting you!
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