Luke 3:21-22: "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove."

Luke 3:23: "Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry."

Luke 4:1-2: "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil."

Luke 4:13-14: "When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power [dunamis] of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside."

Acts 10:37-38: "You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power [dunamis], and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."

1. Luke 8:46 says that Jesus felt power flow out of Him when a woman touched His cloak:

   Luke 8:46: "But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power [dunamis] has gone out from me.""

2. Luke 6:19 says that sick people from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon were trying to touch Jesus because power was flowing from Him and healing them all:

   Luke 6:19: "and the people all tried to touch him, because power [dunamis] was coming from him and healing them all."

3. On another occasion, sick people from Gennesaret were trying to touch Jesus because power was flowing from Him and healing them all:

   Matthew 14:35: "And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed."

4. Luke 5:17 says that the dunamis power of the Lord was present for healing the sick:

   Luke 5:17: "One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power [dunamis] of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick."

5. Acts 5:15-16 says that people were healed when the apostle Peter was close enough to them that his shadow fell on them. The sick people were brought close enough to Peter so that the dunamis power would flow from him to heal them:

   Acts 5:15-16: "As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed."

6. Acts 19:11-12 says that handkerchiefs and aprons which had touched the apostle Paul were taken to the sick, and all the sick were healed. The dunamis power was somehow transferred from Paul onto these objects:

   Acts 19:11-12: "God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them."

1. Acts 10:38 says that Jesus received dunamis in order to be empowered for His ministry:

   Acts 10:38: "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power [dunamis], and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."

   As we saw in Part One of these handouts, Jesus turned His evangelism and healing ministry over to us in the Great Commission. After we become saved we need to receive this dunamis power in order to continue Jesus' evangelism and healing ministry until He returns.
   
   Jesus needed it. The apostles needed it. The Christians in the New Testament needed it. We need it.
2. In Luke 24:46-49, Jesus told the disciples that they were to go out and carry on His earthly ministry, but He specifically commanded them not to do anything until they had received dunamis:

   Luke 24:46-49 "He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power [dunamis] from on high.""

   The disciples needed the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit in order to fully carry out the Great Commission, and so do we.
3. In Acts 1:8 we again see Jesus telling the disciples that they will receive dunamis in order to empower them for carrying out the Great Commission:

   Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power [dunamis] when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

   As we will see, on the day of Pentecost the disciples received this dunamis power when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).
4. In Acts 4:29-30, the apostles and believers specifically prayed for miraculous signs, wonders, and healings to occur:

   Acts 4:29-30: "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

   We have Scriptural support to pray for and expect miraculous signs, wonders, and healings to occur. However, miracles require faith, and many Christians lack faith for instant miracles to occur. No faith, no miracles. No faith, no healings.
5. Acts 4:33 says that after Pentecost the apostles operated in great power (dunamis):

   Acts 4:33: "With great power [dunamis] the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all."

6. In Acts 6:2-3, the apostles gathered all of the disciples together and told them to choose seven men who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom:

   Acts 6:2-3: "So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them""

   This is interesting, because it tells us that not every Christian in the first century was "full of the Spirit." All Christians receive the indwelling Holy Spirit at the time of their salvation (according to passages such as Ephesians 1:13-14), but the passage above says that all Christians are not necessarily "Spirit-filled."
   
   Of these seven men who were known to be "full of the Spirit" (or "Spirit-filled") in Acts 6:2-5, only two of them (Stephen and Philip) are mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament. Both of these men demonstrated the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit:

   Acts 6:8: "Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power [dunamis], did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people."
   
   Acts 8:13: "And he [Simon the Sorcerer] followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles [literally, "signs and works of power" (dunamis)] he saw."

   Stephen and Philip were not apostles, yet they are described as being "Spirit-filled," and they operated in the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit as they carried out the Great Commission.
7. It is well-known that the apostle Paul operated mightily in the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit, as in Acts 19:11, for example:

   Acts 19:11: "God did extraordinary miracles [literally, "works of power" (dunamis)] through Paul"

8. The apostle Paul told the church at Rome that he fully proclaimed the Gospel by demonstrating the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit:

   Romans 15:18-19: "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done--by the power [dunamis] of signs and miracles, through the power [dunamis] of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ."

   As we will continue to see, Paul did not consider the Great Commission to be simply a matter of "witnessing" to people (as we call it) and getting them to say a "sinner's prayer." Paul said that he fully proclaimed the Gospel by demonstrating the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit.
9. In 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, Paul said that he did not preach the Gospel merely with words (what we call "witnessing") because he did not want to rob the cross of its power. Why? Because the message of the cross is the power (dunamis) of God:

   1 Corinthians 1:17-18: "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel-- not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power [dunamis] of God."

   There is power in the message of the cross, and it is our job to demonstrate that power.
10. The apostle Paul was highly intelligent and highly educated (see Acts 22:2-3 and Galatians 1:13-14, for example), and he received amazing revelation knowledge directly from Christ (Galatians 1:11-12), yet he said that he did not rely on "witnessing" to preach the Gospel. Instead, he demonstrated the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit so that people's faith would rest on God's power:

    1 Corinthians 2:4-5: "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power [dunamis], so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power [dunamis]."

    The apostle Paul could have led multitudes to Jesus through "witnessing," but he believed that it was important to demonstrate the dunamis power of God. This is exactly what Jesus told us to do in the Great Commission (as we saw in Part One of these handouts).
11. In 1 Corinthians 4:19-20, the apostle Paul told the church at Corinth that he planned to visit them and that he was going to take the measure of certain people who spoke arrogantly against him. Notice that Paul planned to put to the test what kind of dunamis power these arrogant people had. Why? Because the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (dunamis):

    1 Corinthians 4:19-20: "But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power [dunamis] they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power [dunamis]."

12. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church to give them correction and instruction, which means that neither he nor any other apostle was in Corinth at that time. Yet Paul said that when they were assembled in the Name of the Lord, the dunamis power of the Lord was present:

    1 Corinthians 5:5: "When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power [dunamis] of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan"

    The dunamis power of the Holy Spirit was never meant to be just for the apostles.
13. The apostle Paul said that we have "all-surpassing power [dunamis]" from God:

    2 Corinthians 4:7: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power [dunamis] is from God and not from us."

    Why are we given this all-surpassing power from God? Because we are meant to use it!
14. The apostle Paul said that as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way, which includes operating in the dunamis power of God:

    2 Corinthians 6:4-7: "Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power [dunamis] of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;"

15. Jesus told the apostle Paul that His dunamis power is made perfect in weakness:

    2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power [dunamis] is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power [dunamis] may rest on me."

    People often quote this passage when they (or their friends or loved ones) are going through difficult times, but we overlook the fact that it is the dunamis power of God which is supposed to operate through us in our weaknesses!
16. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia in order to correct certain practices going on there. The fact that Paul had to write to the Galatians indicates that neither he nor any other apostles were in Galatia at that time to personally correct the church body there. Yet Paul said that the Holy Spirit was demonstrating works of dunamis (miraculous power) among them:

    Galatians 3:5: "Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles [literally, "works of power" (dunamis)] among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?"

    The dunamis power of the Holy Spirit works through believers (by faith) whether there are apostles present or not. This power was never meant to be just for the apostles.
17. The apostle Paul prayed specifically that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened so that we would know the incomparably great power (dunamis) that is available to every believer:

    Ephesians 1:18-19: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power [dunamis] for us who believe. That power [dunamis] is like the working of his mighty strength..."

    Why do all believers have this incomparably great power available to us? Because we are meant to use it to point people to Jesus!
18. In Colossians 1:10-12, Paul tells us to bear fruit in every good work, to grow in the knowledge of God, and to be empowered with all power (dunamis):

    Colossians 1:10-12: "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power [literally, "being empowered with all power" (dunamis)] according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father"

19. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Paul said that his "witnessing" was done not simply with words but with demonstrations of the power (dunamis) of the Holy Spirit:

    1 Thessalonians 1:5: "because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power [dunamis], with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."

20. Paul said that God has given us a spirit of power (dunamis):

    2 Timothy 1:7: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power [dunamis], of love and of self-discipline."

    Why did God give us this power? Because we are meant to use it to point people to Jesus!
21. Paul told Timothy that there would come a time in the future (Paul's and Timothy's future) when people would deny the dunamis power of God:

    2 Timothy 3:1-5: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power [dunamis]. Have nothing to do with them."

    In my religious background I was always taught (like so many other Christians) that certain spiritual gifts and laying hands on the sick "died out" in the first century, even though the Bible never says such a thing. Is this an example of denying the dunamis power of God, just as Paul said would happen in the "last days"? Many Christian scholars believe that we are in the "last days" now, in which case the things that Paul described must be happening right now. "Coincidentally" we can see that many churches are denying that the dunamis power of God still operates through laying hands on the sick, speaking in tongues, prophesying, and so on, just as Paul said would happen! Paul said that it is wrong to deny the dunamis power of God. Instead, we should be demonstrating God's power.
22. The writer of the book of Hebrews said that it is impossible for people to be brought back to repentance after they have shared in the Holy Spirit and in the powers (dunamis) of the coming age:

    Hebrews 6:4-6: "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers [dunamis] of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."

    We are meant to be operating in the dunamis powers of the coming age right now.

1. First of all, notice what the Bible says about salvation in Romans 10:9:

   Romans 10:9: "if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

2. While Jesus was alive the disciples had confessed Him as Lord (as in John 13:13), so they had fulfilled the first half of Romans 10:9 (above) before He died. However, they were not Christians yet because they did not believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ (since Jesus had not yet died).
3. John 20:19-20 says that after Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to the disciples in a locked room:

   John 20:19-20: "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord."

   The disciples had confessed that Jesus is Lord and they now believed in the bodily resurrection of Christ, so according to Romans 10:9 (above) they were now Christians.
4. All Christians receive the Holy Spirit when they are saved (see Ephesians 1:13-14, for example). Since the disciples were now saved, they received the Holy Spirit:

   John 20:22: "And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.""

5. John 20:23 says that after the disciples received the Holy Spirit they now had the authority to declare other people's sins as forgiven:

   John 20:23: "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

   Since the disciples now had the authority to declare other people's sins as being forgiven, it is reasonable that their own sins were now forgiven. It would not seem reasonable for the disciples to be able to "forgive anyone his sins" if they had to wait until Pentecost for their own sins to be forgiven!
6. John 20:26-29 says that Thomas (the doubter) saw Jesus' wounds and believed that He had been raised from the dead:

   John 20:26-29: "A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.""

   The focus here is on belief for salvation.
7. John 20:30-31 says that the apostle John recorded Jesus' miracles so that people would believe and therefore receive salvation:

   John 20:30-31: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

   Again, the focus here is on belief for salvation. All of the disciples had believed in Jesus' resurrection and therefore they all had received salvation and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

1. John 7:37-39 says that the Holy Spirit is "living water," which is a gift of God:

   John 7:37-39: "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 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."

   The Holy Spirit is a gift from God specifically for those who believe in Jesus.
2. Luke 11:11-13 says that the gift of the Holy Spirit is only for those who are children of God (i.e. Christians), and usually we must ask for this gift:

   Luke 11:11-13: "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

   Notice that we do not become saved by asking for the Holy Spirit, so this passage is not referring to salvation. It is referring to the gift (the dunamis power) of the Holy Spirit. Also notice that we must first become children of God (i.e. Christians) before we can ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is because the baptism of the Holy Spirit always comes after salvation.
3. Acts 1:4-5 says that before the disciples could begin their ministries, the first thing that had to happen was for them to receive the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit:

   Acts 1:4-5: "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.""

   Jesus said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift of God, and as we saw in the previous section, the disciples were already saved at this point and had already received the indwelling Holy Spirit.
4. In Acts 1:8-9, notice carefully what Jesus said and what He did not say just before He ascended back into heaven. He did not say that the disciples would receive salvation or forgiveness of sins when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. He did not mention salvation or forgiveness of sins at all! Instead, Jesus specifically said that the disciples would receive power (dunamis) for their ministry when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit:

   Acts 1:8-9: ""But you will receive power [dunamis] when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight."

   Jesus did not mention salvation or forgiveness of sins in this passage because the disciples had already received salvation and the Holy Spirit on the day that Jesus was resurrected. Instead, Jesus specifically said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit would give them dunamis, which is the miracle-working power of the Holy Spirit for carrying out the Great Commission.
5. In Luke 24:49-51, just before Jesus ascended back into heaven He said that the specific purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to clothe His disciples with power (dunamis):

   Luke 24:49: ""I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power [dunamis] from on high." When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven."

   The disciples received salvation and the indwelling Holy Spirit on Resurrection Sunday, and they received miracle-working power (dunamis) for fulfilling the Great Commission when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. These are two separate experiences with different and distinct purposes.
6. Acts 2:1-4 says that on the day of Pentecost the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit by being "baptized" in the living water of the Holy Spirit. The disciples received dunamis (miracle-working power) just as Jesus said they would, and this power was immediately manifested through them as they spoke in tongues:

   Acts 2:1-4: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

7. The pattern in the New Testament is that after people receive salvation they can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (the "baptism" of the Holy Spirit), and when they receive this gift they receive power (dunamis) and they are able to pray in tongues by the Holy Spirit.
   
   This is a pattern that we will continue to see in the New Testament, and it is a pattern that we are meant to follow as well.
8. In Acts 10:44-47, when Cornelius the Gentile and his household got saved, what is the first thing God did? He baptized them in the Holy Spirit. What is the first thing that happened when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? They demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit (by speaking in tongues):

   Acts 10:44-47: "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.""

   When Cornelius and his household were baptized in the Holy Spirit, what was the only evidence that Peter needed which proved to him that the gift of the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles? The fact that they spoke in tongues. This happened after they received salvation, because Acts 15:7-8 tells us that "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us."
9. In Acts 11:15-18, when the Jews in Jerusalem accused Peter of breaking the Jewish law by associating with Gentiles (i.e. Cornelius and his household), what convinced them that God was now granting salvation to Gentiles? It was the fact that these Gentiles had been baptized with the Holy Spirit, based on the sole evidence that the Gentiles had spoken in tongues:

   Acts 11:15-18: "As I [Peter] began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning [i.e. at Pentecost]. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.""

   It is significant that Peter said the Gentiles had received the same gift that the disciples had received at Pentecost, because at the house of Cornelius there was no sound of rushing wind nor visible tongues of fire (as there were at Pentecost). The only thing that these two events had in common was speaking in tongues. The manifestation of speaking in tongues was the only evidence the Jewish believers required, and they immediately believed that the Gentiles had been saved and had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They did not ask for any other evidence, nor did they wait to see if the fruit of true Christian repentance was evident in the household of Cornelius. The Bible says that as soon as the Jews heard that the Gentiles had spoken in tongues they had no further objections. Furthermore, there is no other evidence offered anywhere else in the New Testament to be taken as proof that someone has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
10. In Acts 19:1-6, when the apostle Paul encountered some disciples in Ephesus, what's the first thing he did? He immediately asked if they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit yet. Paul did not ask them if they were saved (and therefore had received the indwelling Holy Spirit), because it is clear that he assumed that they were Christian disciples who already believed in Jesus. When they indicated that they did not understand about the Holy Spirit, Paul baptized these disciples in Jesus' Name. What did he do immediately after that? The very first thing Paul did after he was certain they were saved was to get them baptized with the Holy Spirit, and they immediately began manifesting the power of the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues and prophesying:

    Acts 19:1-6: "While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."

    Paul's question and his actions demonstrate that it is important for New Testament Christians to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and to be able to demonstrate the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit through speaking in tongues and so on. Every example of the baptism of the Holy Spirit follows this pattern, and we should follow this New Testament pattern as well since we are disciples in the same New Testament Church that the apostles and early Christians were a part of.
11. Acts 8:12-20 says that when Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritans they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Notice that the Samaritans were already saved at this point, because the gift of the Holy Spirit is only for Christians:

    Acts 8:12-20: "But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ... When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon [the Sorcerer] saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!""

    Why was Simon the Sorcerer willing to pay money to be able to give people the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit? After all, the Holy Spirit is invisible, so how did Simon know that the Samaritans had received anything? This passage says that Simon saw that the people had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. In other words, there were manifestations of the Holy Spirit that Simon witnessed, such as speaking in tongues and so on, because the Samaritans had received power when they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
    
    Notice that when the apostles heard that the Samaritans had become Christians, the apostles immediately got them baptized with the Holy Spirit. This follows the same pattern that we have been seeing, and it demonstrates the high degree of importance that the apostles attached to the baptism of the Holy Spirit for each and every Christian.
12. In Acts 9:17-18 the apostle Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid hands on him:

    Acts 9:17-18: "Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized"

    There is no mention of speaking in tongues in this passage, but in 1 Corinthians 14:18 Paul told the church at Corinth that he was thankful that he spoke in tongues more than all of them:

    1 Corinthians 14:18: "I [Paul] thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you."

    This indicates that at some point Paul received the supernatural ability to speak in tongues, and it is reasonable that it happened when he was filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 9:17-18 (above). Why? Because every time the New Testament describes people speaking in tongues for the first time, it is always when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There is not a single exception to this in the entire New Testament. There is no other place anywhere in the New Testament where people spoke in tongues for the first time other than when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. For proof of this, and proof that Paul was already saved and commissioned as an apostle before he was filled with the Holy Spirit, I invite you to see my article called The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (http://www.Layhands.com/BaptismOfTheHolySpirit1.htm).

"Lord Jesus, You said in Luke 11:13 that as a child of God I can ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. You also said in Acts 1:4-8 that I will receive power when I am baptized with the Holy Spirit. So Lord, I am asking in Your Name, the Name of Jesus, for You to baptize me in the Holy Spirit right now, exactly like on the day of Pentecost. I might not feel any different, but I receive the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit right now, by my faith. Thank You, Lord! Amen."

1. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (http://www.Layhands.com/BaptismOfTheHolySpirit1.htm) -
   This two-part series goes into great Scriptural detail to demonstrate that the view of the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is presented in this handout has the greatest weight of evidence in Scripture.
2. Praying in the Spirit Involves Speaking in Tongues (http://www.Layhands.com/PrayingInTheSpiritEqualsPrayingInTongues.htm) -
   This article examines in detail every passage in the New Testament on speaking in tongues. It shows that there are actually two purposes for tongues in the New Testament, and it demonstrates that speaking in tongues is for today and for every Christian. Jesus said that those who believe in Him would speak in new tongues (Mark 16:17), and the Bible tells us to pray in the Spirit on all occasions to edify us and to help build up our faith (Ephesians 6:18, Jude 1:20). Since "praying in the Spirit" and "praying in tongues" are simply two ways of saying the same thing (as this article shows), praying in tongues is something that we all need to understand better and to begin doing more often.