Acts 10:47-48
(47) “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”
(48) And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. (NASB)
Since these Gentiles received the Holy Spirit (v. 47) before they were water baptized (v. 48) proves they were saved before they were water baptized.
It is important to notice that "at critical or problematic moments of the early mission thereafter what was looked for above all else was the reception or possession of the Spirit" (NIDNTT 3:699, Spirit, James Dunn); cf. Acts 11:15-17; 15:8; 19:2. This is because "reception of the Spirit determines absolutely whether a man is a Christian or not (Ac. 10:47 19:2)" (TDNT 4:7, lambanō, Delling). Thus, "the receiving of the Spirit is the decisive thing, not baptism" (TDNT 6:623, Jordan, Rengstorf).
From the beginning of the Church age in Acts 2:4[1] and onward anyone who has received the Holy Spirit is a Christian while the unsaved have not received the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; cf. Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 11:4; Jude 1:19).
John 7:37-39
(37) Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
(38) “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
(39) But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.(NASB)
1 Corinthians 12:13
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (NASB)
John 7:37-39 teaches that drinking of the Spirit occurs when He is received. Since the Holy Spirit was received by the Gentiles (Acts 10:47) before their water baptism (Acts 10:48) proves they did "drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13) before their water baptism. Thus, the baptism mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:13 refers to being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
BDAG (3rd Edition): All those who belong to God possess or receive this spirit and hence have a share in God's life. This spirit also serves to distinguish Christians fr. all unbelievers. (pneuma, page 834)
Romans 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father (KJV).
1. BDAG (3rd Edition): The Spirit, whom the converts receive, works as pneuma huiothesias Ro 8:15. (huiothesia, page 1024)
2. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (EDNT): The Spirit received by the believers is pneuma huiothesias (and not douleias) and allows them to experience the new father-son relationship (Rom 8:15). (3:381, huiothesia, F. Hahn)
1 Corinthians 2:12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God (NASB)
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (NIDNTT): noun Christou echomen, "we have the mind of Christ". This is in keeping with the thought in 1 Cor. 2:12, that Christians have received the Spirit from God, in order that they may know what God has given them. (3:129, Reason, G. Harder)
Galatians 3:2-3
(2) This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
(3) Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (NASB)
When the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:47) before their water baptism (Acts 10:48) is when they "began" their Christian life.
1. BDAG (3rd Edition): Abs. you who have made a beginning (in your Christian life). (pneuma, page 835)
2. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words: used in Gal. 3:3 ("having begun in the Spirit"), to refer to the time of conversion. (Begin, page 103)
Galatians 3:14
in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (NASB).
Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words: Several places in the NT identify what God has promised as the end-time gift of the Holy Spirit. In Lk. 24:49 Jesus tells the disciples that he is sending "the promise of the Father" to them, and then in Acts 1:4 this thought is resumed when the disciples are instructed to remain in Jerusalem and await "the promise of the Father." In Acts 2:33 it becomes explicit that in this case "the promise of the Father" is the Holy Spirit as Luke records Peter saying in his Pentecost sermon: "having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out this that you see and hear." Paul connects the promise of the Holy Spirit to the blessing of Abraham in Gal. 3:14. Believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit of the promise (Eph. 1:13). (Promise, page 542)
[1] What took place in Acts 2:4 is the beginning of the New Testament Church.
a. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT): Concerning Acts 2:4, "This event is regarded by Luke as the birthday of the church" (6:50, pentēkostē, Lohse).
b. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (NIDNTT): What until Pentecost, the decisive date for the universal church, was the privilege of only a few individuals, is from that day forward the most important characteristic of the Jewish and subsequently (cf. Acts 10) the Gentile church. According to Acts 2:4, all were "filled with the Holy Spirit" (1:739, Fullness, R. Schippers).
c. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: in the beginning, when the church was founded, Acts 11:15 (archē, page 76).
d. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible: The primary reference to Pentecost in the NT is in connection with the pouring of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the church (Acts 2:1). This event was in answer to the explicit promise of Christ (Jn. 16:7, 13; Acts 1:4, 14). It is almost universally agreed among theologians that Pentecost marks the beginning of the church as an institution (4:783, Pentecost, C. L. Feinberg).
(47) “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”
(48) And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. (NASB)
Since these Gentiles received the Holy Spirit (v. 47) before they were water baptized (v. 48) proves they were saved before they were water baptized.
It is important to notice that "at critical or problematic moments of the early mission thereafter what was looked for above all else was the reception or possession of the Spirit" (NIDNTT 3:699, Spirit, James Dunn); cf. Acts 11:15-17; 15:8; 19:2. This is because "reception of the Spirit determines absolutely whether a man is a Christian or not (Ac. 10:47 19:2)" (TDNT 4:7, lambanō, Delling). Thus, "the receiving of the Spirit is the decisive thing, not baptism" (TDNT 6:623, Jordan, Rengstorf).
From the beginning of the Church age in Acts 2:4[1] and onward anyone who has received the Holy Spirit is a Christian while the unsaved have not received the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; cf. Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 11:4; Jude 1:19).
John 7:37-39
(37) Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
(38) “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
(39) But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive.(NASB)
1 Corinthians 12:13
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (NASB)
John 7:37-39 teaches that drinking of the Spirit occurs when He is received. Since the Holy Spirit was received by the Gentiles (Acts 10:47) before their water baptism (Acts 10:48) proves they did "drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13) before their water baptism. Thus, the baptism mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:13 refers to being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
BDAG (3rd Edition): All those who belong to God possess or receive this spirit and hence have a share in God's life. This spirit also serves to distinguish Christians fr. all unbelievers. (pneuma, page 834)
Romans 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father (KJV).
1. BDAG (3rd Edition): The Spirit, whom the converts receive, works as pneuma huiothesias Ro 8:15. (huiothesia, page 1024)
2. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (EDNT): The Spirit received by the believers is pneuma huiothesias (and not douleias) and allows them to experience the new father-son relationship (Rom 8:15). (3:381, huiothesia, F. Hahn)
1 Corinthians 2:12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God (NASB)
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (NIDNTT): noun Christou echomen, "we have the mind of Christ". This is in keeping with the thought in 1 Cor. 2:12, that Christians have received the Spirit from God, in order that they may know what God has given them. (3:129, Reason, G. Harder)
Galatians 3:2-3
(2) This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
(3) Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (NASB)
When the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:47) before their water baptism (Acts 10:48) is when they "began" their Christian life.
1. BDAG (3rd Edition): Abs. you who have made a beginning (in your Christian life). (pneuma, page 835)
2. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words: used in Gal. 3:3 ("having begun in the Spirit"), to refer to the time of conversion. (Begin, page 103)
Galatians 3:14
in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (NASB).
Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words: Several places in the NT identify what God has promised as the end-time gift of the Holy Spirit. In Lk. 24:49 Jesus tells the disciples that he is sending "the promise of the Father" to them, and then in Acts 1:4 this thought is resumed when the disciples are instructed to remain in Jerusalem and await "the promise of the Father." In Acts 2:33 it becomes explicit that in this case "the promise of the Father" is the Holy Spirit as Luke records Peter saying in his Pentecost sermon: "having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out this that you see and hear." Paul connects the promise of the Holy Spirit to the blessing of Abraham in Gal. 3:14. Believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit of the promise (Eph. 1:13). (Promise, page 542)
[1] What took place in Acts 2:4 is the beginning of the New Testament Church.
a. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT): Concerning Acts 2:4, "This event is regarded by Luke as the birthday of the church" (6:50, pentēkostē, Lohse).
b. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (NIDNTT): What until Pentecost, the decisive date for the universal church, was the privilege of only a few individuals, is from that day forward the most important characteristic of the Jewish and subsequently (cf. Acts 10) the Gentile church. According to Acts 2:4, all were "filled with the Holy Spirit" (1:739, Fullness, R. Schippers).
c. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: in the beginning, when the church was founded, Acts 11:15 (archē, page 76).
d. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible: The primary reference to Pentecost in the NT is in connection with the pouring of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the church (Acts 2:1). This event was in answer to the explicit promise of Christ (Jn. 16:7, 13; Acts 1:4, 14). It is almost universally agreed among theologians that Pentecost marks the beginning of the church as an institution (4:783, Pentecost, C. L. Feinberg).
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