Is the Church Still in Transition? Part 2
Selected Scriptures
We mentioned this morning that it was very important to discuss among the other issues in the Charismatic Movement that we were discussing, we needed to discuss the issue of historical transition. We've been in a series now, and this is about the seventh message in the series relating the modern Charismatic Movement to the scripture. Some very, very amazing things continue to go on in the Charismatic Movement, things that must be brought to the test of the Word of God. I recently learned of a situation where a local group of charismatic people who are very well known in the southern California area and very substantially influential in their movement made the statement that whenever there were five people who agreed on the same divine revelation they accepted it as the will of God, and that's how they determined how their actions should be. That's pretty scary because I'm sure they could find five emissaries of Satan who would equally agree, and the upshot of it was that five people had had the same revelation that they were to go out two by two to win the world to Jesus Christ, one Roman Catholic and one Protestant, and those two pairing up were to go out in the name of Christ to evangelize.
There are many other things that are disturbing about the movement. Those kinds of decisions based upon supposed agreement and revelation that wind up placing someone who believes in the truth of the Word of God with someone who believes in the truth of the tradition of the church together and in common cause. Those kinds of things, among other things, are very disturbing things, and so we have endeavored in all fairness to the Word of God and with all objectivity and with all great desire to serve you, the body of Christ, to deal with some of the issues in the Charismatic Movement to try to bring them to the light of the Word of God.
Now we've been looking at the issue of revelation and interpretation and apostolic uniqueness, and this morning we began number four in that broad outline, the issue of historical transition, and we pointed to you that basically the charismatics have one cardinal doctrine that distinguishes them from other groups, and that is they say that what occurred in Acts 2:4 where it says, "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave then utterance," that that which occurred there is to occur in the life of every Christian if that Christian is also to have the same Holy Spirit power, the same fullness and the same capability to see and do the miraculous that the early church manifested, so that what they're saying is that Acts 2:4 is normative for the church, and they say that because it's in Acts 2:4 and because it's recorded there as what happened then it is to happen throughout history to all Christians who would have the same power, and because further such a coming of the Holy Spirit attendant with tongues happens several other times in the Book of Acts they therefore conclude that this is normal procedure. You're saved here, you receive the Holy Spirit here in power and in fullness, accompanied by tongues, and there is power that is released by that. This second work is something you must seek earnestly and diligently, and all of that is concluded because it happened in Acts. No such word is ever given in the epistles. We are never commanded to have this experience in the epistles, nor are we commanded to have it in the Book of Acts, but what they do is say since it happened in Acts, therefore it must happen now.
That brings me to discuss something that is very little discussed today, and that is this. Just because it happened in Acts, does that necessarily mean that it is for today? That it is for the duration of the history of the church? We saw this morning that it isn't so because the book is a book of historical transition, and what occurred in the period of the Book of Acts and what was recorded there was not then turned into a command for the church, but was simply recorded as history, and we tried to show this morning that if you accept the fact that everything that happens in the Book of Acts is normal for the Christian, you're really in a deep, deep hole because there are so many other very different things that happen that cannot be and need not be and are not to be reproduced today.
I tried to show you the transition nature of the Book of Acts by two basic illustrations. One was the re-offer of the kingdom to Israel in Chapter 3 and the second was basically a vow of Paul in Chapter 18. Both of those illustrate the fact that this book is a book of transition. Even after the church is founded in Acts 2, you still have the kingdom offered to Israel in Acts 3. There is still an overlap. When you see God working in great ages or dispensations, or whatever you want to call them, one doesn't automatically come to a screaming end and another one begin. There is always sort of an overlap. Even at the time of the kingdom when this age ends and the kingdom begins, there is a period of overlap in there where there is a cleaning up after Armageddon and where there is a reshuffling to establish the kingdom, and so it is not just as clean and clearly broken as we might like to think in our little charts where the line comes straight down.
So we saw in the re-offer of the kingdom that very truth, and we saw the Apostle Paul, who wanted to thank God, and he took a Jewish vow, the Nazarite vow, in Chapter 18, which is very interesting because he is a Christian. He is the Apostle to the Gentiles. He is the one who has been given the dispensation of the mysteries to declare the truth of the New Testament Word and the new covenant and all of its clear delineation, and yet he is still acting in an Old Testament way. Again we see the transitional overlay.
Also, one other area that I pointed out to you this morning was the fact that the church never really made a big break from the patterns of Judaism. We saw how that the church met first of all in the temple, and even when it went to the Gentile countries it met in the synagogues, how in Romans Chapter 14 the Apostle Paul says, "Look, if somebody regards the day, then let him regard the Sabbath." Don't hassle him about it. Let the transition take care of itself. We no longer keep the Sabbath. Today we make a big issue about Seventh Day Adventism, but in those days Paul said, "Just don't worry about it. If he regards the day, he regards it to the Lord. If he doesn't, he does it to the Lord. Don't let it bother you. And if he's still hung up on the dietary laws and doesn't want to eat pork, then don't serve it to him."
So there were some very clear words in the Book of Acts that are also defined in Paul's letter to the Romans that help us to see that the church was very slow in making a break out of Judaism in terms of its basic cultural forms. So the Book of Acts is transitional, and many things that occurred in the Book of Acts were to help the Jews in understanding this transition that was taking place. We gave you several illustrations of the uniqueness of Judaism this morning and how important it was for God to give them time so that that change could come into their understanding.
Now I told you after looking at those broad elements of the transitional nature of Acts that I wanted to take you back through and show you how Acts 2, 8, 10 and 19 fit into that transition. Let's go to Acts 2:1. "And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all in one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance." Now, the charismatic/Pentecostal teaching is that the baptism and the tongues that occur here in Chapter 2 are subsequent to salvation. They say these people have already been saved and now at a later time they are getting the power of the Holy Spirit which released in Chapter 2 began to change the world. Now I would agree in the initial sense that these are saved people. The 120 disciples gathered in the Upper Room in my judgment no doubt were saved people. You say, "Why do you think that?" Well, let me show you a couple of scriptures.
If we are to look for example - well, let's see where we might begin - Luke 10:20. I think this is interesting. Jesus is talking here and sending out the 70, and He says, among other things here, that you're gonna go and you're gonna carry the message and you're gonna heal the sick and you're gonna cast out demons and so forth, and so forth, and so forth all the say down. Verse 20, "Notwithstanding in this, rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are (what?) written in heaven." Now already the followers of Christ, those that are disciples, obviously are considered heavenly citizens, so we would say they are regenerate or saved people. Their names are already written in heaven. Also, I would call your attention to John 15:3. Again, we're still before the cross. We're still before Pentecost. In John 15:3 - well actually we could look at 1-3 - "I am the vine. My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me bearing not fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He purges it that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken untoward you." He says "to those who are the true branches," and in His mind were the eleven and Judas was the false branch. He says, "You are clean. You have been purged." In verse 5 He says, "I am the vine and ye are the branches. The ones abiding in Me and I in him the same is bringing forth much fruit."
So here is the idea that they are clean, that they are the ones being purged. They have been spiritually set apart. And so it seems to be clear, and we grant the point at this juncture that these people in Acts 2 were already believing people. They constituted the apostles and some other disciples. I don't have any problem with that.
Now, also I would call you to the John 20:22, and again this a good indication that these were in God's eyes people who had received salvation, even if it was Old Testament salvation in a sense - salvation by grace in anticipation of the work of Christ. Jesus says to them in verse 21, "Peace be unto you as My Father has sent me, so send I you, and when He had said this, He breathed on them and said unto them, 'Receive ye the Holy Spirit.'"
Now, the Pentecostals tell us that they received the Holy Spirit here. So, now listen. Their salvation is indicated in Luke Chapter 10 and John Chapter 15. Here is their initial receipt of the Holy Spirit, and then the Pentecostals say there is a subsequent reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and that's the second thing that really gives you the power, and that's what created the charge that blew through the world in the Book of Acts. There is just one problem with this. I would grant them the fact that these are saved people, but I would not grant them the fact that they received the Holy Spirit in John 20:22. It doesn't say that they received the Holy Spirit. It simply says, "Jesus said to them, 'Receive ye the Holy Spirit.'" Now you say, "Well, what did he mean by that?" Well, I am convinced that this was a statement that was a pledge from Jesus that was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. All right? That there was no receiving of the Holy Spirit here, but simply the pledge. Jesus was saying in effect "Receive the Holy Spirit." In other words, because of your faith and because I will commission you and because you will be ones declaring sin and righteousness, according to verse 23, "I grant you My Spirit." The actual reception yet to come. Much like the fact that we are citizens of heaven, yet to inherit what that means.
Now, let me show you why I believe that. In John 20:26, same chapter, a few verses further, after eight days, again, His disciples were inside - Thomas with them - then came Jesus. The door is being shut - stood in the midst and said, "Peace be untoward you." Now notice...eight days later they haven't gone anywhere. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, "But you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the outermost part of the earth." If they had received the Holy Spirit eight days earlier they wouldn't have been in that room eight days later. Look at John 21:4. "When the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus." Verse 12, "Jesus said unto them, 'Come and have breakfast,' and none of the disciples dared ask Him who art thou, knowing that it was the Lord."
Now, some would argue from this, and it may be a point - I throw it in for whatever it's worth - that since the work of the Holy Spirit is to point out who Christ is, they would not have had to wait to recognize Him by seeing Him at the breakfast table on the shore. They would not have been in ignorance in verse 4. Now, that is possible. That's a possible argument - not as strong as the first one - but the strong argument comes in Acts 1:5-8. "For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." They're still waiting, still waiting, still waiting. He said until them in verse 8, "But you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit is come on you and shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the outermost part of the earth." Still waiting, still waiting. Verse 14, still waiting. Continuing in prayer. Finally, in Chapter 2 the Holy Spirit comes.
I don't see any reason to feel that the Holy Spirit came twice. I don't see any reason to feel that the Holy Spirit came in John 20, which was after the crucifixion. I may have said it was before earlier. It was after the crucifixion and after the resurrection, but there is no reason to feel that when He said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit" it was anything more than a pledge because of the fact they were still waiting all the way till the second chapter of Acts for the fulfillment of the truth that when He came they would be witnesses.
Now another passage that I think we might look at is John 7:39. In John 7:39 it says, and this is perhaps the weightiest of all the arguments, backing up to 37, "In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, 'If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.' But this spoke He of the Spirit whom they that believe on Him should receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified." And the indication of that passage is that the Spirit cannot come until Jesus has ascended - until the prayer that He made in the garden has been fulfilled. "Father, give me back the glory that I had with you before the world began." And when he ascended to receive His glory, then the Spirit could come and not before, according to John 7:39. So what you have in John 20 is simply a pledge.
Now I would draw you also to John 16:7. "Nevertheless, said Jesus, 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 untoward you, but if I depart, I will send Him unto you, and when He is come," and then he goes on. Now, what condition had to happen before the Holy Spirit could come? Jesus had to leave. And that's why we say it isn't because we want to argue with the charismatic people. It is because it is clear in the Word of God. The Spirit of God came for the first time with fullness of power upon all the believers upon the Day of Pentecost. Yes, they were saved earlier, but in this period of transition it was obvious that the distinctions between the old and the new covenant would allow for some overlap, and though they believed in Christ and the fullest sense were Old Testament saints, they never knew the meaning of the New Testament era of the church until the Day of Pentecost when the church was born. There is subsequence there, but there is no reason to believe they had received the Spirit minimally in John Chapter 20 and maximally in Acts Chapter 2. That was only a pledge on Jesus' part.
So, now we go back to Acts 2, and what we find in Acts 2 is the one coming of the Holy Spirit, the one coming of the Holy Spirit, and I want you to notice something right off the bat here. There is no asking. There is no seeking. There is no pleading. There is no yielding. There is no nothing on the part of the people. It simply says, and catch this, "And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come they were all in one accord in one place." That's it. They were having a wonderful time in one room, and that's all it said. No spiritual qualification at all. They were never told to seek this thing. They were never told to tarry for it. They were never told to yield to it. They were never told to plead. They were there and God's sovereignty acted upon them and it was time for the birth of the church. It had nothing to do with their pleading. It had to do with the Day of Pentecost because the Day of Pentecost was a significant day in God's plan. It was a special feast that had a relationship to the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, and when that day came the Spirit came and it was all God's plan and had nothing to do with what they were doing. And yet, the Pentecostal Evangel, which is the major American Pentecostal journal puts in every issue this statement, "We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it." That's in every one of their magazines, but that is not what it says here, and that is not what they did here. In fact, they don't ask for the Spirit in Chapter 2. They don't ask in Chapter 8. They don't ask in Chapter 10. They don't ask in Chapter 19. In none of the four occasions in this entire book where the Spirit of God comes is there any asking. This is sovereign.
Now, is this normal for all believers? No. This is simply the birth of the church, people. This is simply the first coming of the Holy Spirit. I mean, take Adam. Is it normal for everybody to be created full grown? No, but you have to begin somewhere. If you want to go back to the book of Genesis and say, "Genesis is normative. If you were born as a baby, you're not human. Human beings are created, and women, they are made from men's ribs. That's the way it is." No, you see, when you have a beginning you never, ever make a norm out of a beginning. That isn't the way it works. It was simply the first coming, the birth of the church. It didn't happen in Antioch. No. It didn't happen in Galatia. It didn't happen in Philippi. It didn't happen in Colossi. It didn't happen in Rome. It didn't happen in Thessonilica. It just didn't happen. It was the beginning.
From then on the coming of the Holy Spirit happened at the moment of faith, and in fact in Romans 8:9 it says, "If any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." That's clear enough. If you are a Christian, you'll have the Spirit. If you don't have the Spirit, you're not a Christian. So the conclusion is all Christians have the Spirit. And in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 it says that we have all been baptized by the Spirit into the body, and we have all been made to drink of that one Spirit, and we all have what Jesus was talking about out of us flowing those rivers of living water. All of us. Every Christian. The only thing that is ever told us. The only statement that is ever made to use relative to that is in Ephesians 5:18 where it says, "But be being kept filled with the Spirit." That's all. He's there. His fullness is there. All you have to do is be being kept filled. I don't even think you have to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit. I think the filling of the Holy Spirit is automatic when you are righteous and you are walking in the Spirit.
So, there isn't any seeking going on here, and just because it happened in Acts 2, there is no reason to make it the norm for
Every single person's experience throughout the history of the church. There's just no reason for that. Let me show you again in Acts 2 something that I think is interesting and helpful. When the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing, mighty wind." Notice, there wasn't a wind. It was a sound like a wind. Okay? Like means like, not a wind, but like a wind...a sound like a wind would make, a whooshing sound, and it filled the house where they sitting. Everywhere in the place it was shoowhoo shoowhoo, like that. "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues" (watch this one) "like fire." There wasn't actual fire. It was like it, and it was a little tongue on everybody's head. A little tongue would look like a little flame, wouldn't it? Just a little tongue on people. I'm just telling you what it said, and it sat on each one of them.
Now, let me help you to see what's going on here if you want to segment this. What I believe happens, verse 2, is the Holy Spirit comes. He comes, and the spirit is often compared, particularly in John 3, with the wind. You could even translate it like a rushing, mighty spirit. Same word. Same in Hebrew. ruach in the Greek pneuma, so the Spirit comes, and in verse 3 there is the actual reception of the Spirit by every individual. That's why there is a cloven tongue as it were, or a little flame of fire on the head of every individual...to show that when the Spirit comes who receives? Everybody. As a result of that, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. The receiving of the Spirit. First He comes. Then they receive and then comes the outflow, and then they began to speak in other languages.
Now. This happened subsequently for them, and the languages had a very definite purpose, very definite purpose - as a sign to Israel. "They spoke the wonderful works of God. The people of Israel together and said, 'What is this? It must be God.' Peterson stood up and preached and 3,000 people were saved." Not by the tongues or the languages, but by the preaching. Is this to be the norm for every Christian? No. We don't all get in a room somewhere and sit there until this happens. We believe that Paul clearly indicates that the Spirit of God comes upon every believer, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:12. How about this? What? "You don't know your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which you have of God?" You know who he said that to?