"Receive the Holy Spirit"

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Permalink Reply by RoyW on July 14, 2011 at 3:32am

After Jesus died on the cross, He ascended into heaven and received this promise from the Father which He then gives unto us. There is much to be discussed about this wonderful promise. Here are a couple of verses to get it started.

Acts 2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. NKJV

John 7:37-39
"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as  the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."  39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. NIV

We receive this glorious promise of the Father when we believe in the Lord Jesus. Having been to the Father, He was now ready to bestow upon His followers this glorious gift. Some see this as the initiation of that which was to come in Acts.

Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on July 14, 2011 at 8:41am

Roy,

I have to tell you - I got chills while reading your post. Praise God!

And, Matteo, interesting thoughts on the disciples, particularly Thomas.

 Gotta go.

 

Grace and Peace.

Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on July 15, 2011 at 9:58pm

O.K., here`s my take on Jn 20:22:

 

John 20;22 follows the previous verse where Jesus is telling the Apostles He`s sending them out, just as His Father sent Him.

I think His breathing on them is a preview of Himself (Who will be the Holy Spirit of Christ) being with them in their mission.

Before His ascension, Jesus tells them in Acts 1:5," For John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

And, Acts 1:8 starts - "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses...........".

 

Then, Acts 2:4," And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.". 

 

The Holy Spirit has come to town.

 

Grace and Peace.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on August 2, 2011 at 5:36am

I take the Bible literally so John 20:22 means what it says. The disciples with Christ received the Holy Spirit when Christ breathed on them, but....it also stands to reason that the Holy Spirit might not have remained on them. It could be that the permanent indwelling of the Spirit didn't happen until Acts. Many of the people in the Old Testament had the Holy Spirit on them. However, He never remained on them...only for the time for them to do what God wanted them to do. Or it could mean that the Apostles received the Holy Spirit first, and the other followers received Him at  Acts, during Pentecost.

Just as we sometimes have to wait to act on a particular thing, so the Apostles had to wait to be able to perform under the Holy Spirit, but Christ gave them a foretaste of what to expect with the coming of the Holy Spirit to others. I believe God equipped them beforehand so they would know what to expect at Pentecost.

Very interesting question, Richard, and one that makes us think.

Blessings,

Rita