HOW AND WHEN DO CHRISTIANS RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?

BY HAROLD E. CORMANY

Do Christians need to "pray down the spirit" to have it, or do we have God’s spirit in us at all times? Is it possible for the Holy Spirit to be within you even if you don't speak in tongues? What about those who claim all you need to do to receive it is "believe". Let's see what Jesus, the apostle Paul and others have to say about the Holy Spirit.

If you watch Christian television programs, you’ve seen the preacher or an audience member speak in tongues.

Actually, “speaking in tongues” is not a wholly accurate description of what these people do, because nobody has ever understood what they are saying. Some who do this call it ‘angel talk’ and claim it is the language used by God’s Holy angels. They believe when they do this, they are “praying down the spirit”. They will tell you that unless you do this, you cannot have the Holy Spirit within you.

Do Christians need to pray down the spirit to have it, or do we have God’s spirit in us at all times?

Matthew 10:1 states “And when he had called unto his twelve disciples he gave them power against (over) unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases.” In verses 7 and 8, Jesus tells his disciples they would be able to raise the dead.

What was that power? Is it possible to have the Holy Spirit, but not the power to perform miracles? If we pray down the spirit could we realize this power?

John 20 tells of Jesus’ resurrection, His return to heaven to be glorified, and his return back to earth in His glorified state. v 19- “Then the same day at evening, before the first of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace unto you. v 22 “And when He had said this, He breathed on (them) and saith unto them, “Receive ye the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

But did they receive the power of the Holy Spirit?

Notice what Jesus tells His disciples in Acts 1: v4-5 “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. v. 5- For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”

Then we read in v. 8: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and to all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

After saying this, He was taken again up into heaven. We continue in Acts 1:14- “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. . .waiting for the power Jesus had promised would come.

Acts 2:1 says “And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. v. 2- And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. v. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”

Then, in v.4- “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

What were these “other” tongues we read of in Acts?

Were they actually languages no one understood?

Keep reading Acts 2 in verse 5 “And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven.” v 6 says, “Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”

It is interesting to see that in verse 4 the word tongues is #1100 in Strong’s Concordance, which is the Greek word ‘glossa’, or languages.

The word language in verse 6 is the Greek word “dialekto” (from which derived the English word dialect). Most languages have a number of dialects due to regional, educational and class differences. Different areas have different ways of phrasing and pronouncing the same words, they choose different words to describe the same thing, each area develops its own idioms, expressions, slang and vernacular; speech rhythms can be very singular to a particular area or group. Think of a Mayflower Bostonian talking to a Mexican-American from southern Texas. It may sound like two different languages, but it’s merely two dialects within the same language. That’s what these men heard – different dialects .

Notice v. 7- “ And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?” v 8- “And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” Even Jews they are saying, while speaking the same language, spoke in different dialects, in this case dialects special to the area where they were born and raised.

We continue in v. 9-10 “Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia. v 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia in Egypt, and in parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes.” And in v. 11 “Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”

The disciples spoke the language and dialects of the Galileans, but each person listening heard those speaking in the dialect special to the listener’s native area.

How do Christians receive the Holy Spirit today?

Does it need to be continually prayed down?

Do we receive it automatically by accepting Jesus as our Savior?

Do we need to do something to receive the Holy Spirit?

Are we denied it if we do not speak in tongues?

In Acts 2:36 the Apostle Peter accuses the Jews of crucifying Jesus. The Jews are guilt stricken (v 37) and plead with the apostles to tell them how they could be forgiven for such a thing. “Men and brethren what shall we do?” v 38 “Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized…” That statement is significant. The word baptize comes from the Greek word “baptizo” which means to make overwhelmed, fully wet, to wash. The word baptizo comes from the word bapto, which means to cover totally with fluid. So during a baptism a person must be entirely immersed in water, as though they were being lowered into a watery grave.

Romans 6:4- “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised even so we also should walk in newness of life. V. 5 “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”

Acts 2:38-Again we read, "Repent and be baptized, everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 8:12- “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

But wait, there is no mention here of the Holy Spirit. How were these newly baptized converts going to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit that Peter promised to those who were baptized?

We find the answer in the next four verses. v 14- “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that v. 15- Who, when these were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. v.16- “(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). But notice v. 17- Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

Philip had baptized them in the name of Jesus, but he did not lay hands on them, so they had not yet received the gift of the spirit. However, they did receive it when the apostles Peter and John prayed over them while laying their hands upon the newly baptized Samaritans.

A similar situation occurs in Acts 19. The apostle Paul met with a group loyal to John the Baptist. Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit. They answered they had never heard of a Holy Spirit.

Paul asks in v. 3 “Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.” In v. 4 “then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,” (read Matt. 3:1-2). Paul continues in Acts 19:4- “saying unto the people (John’s disciples), that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. v. 5- When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. v. 6- And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spake with tongues (glossa), and prophesied.”

Many claim that unless you speak in “unknown” tongues, you do not have the Holy Spirit. Actually in I Corinthians 14 where it talks of speaking in unknown tongues, the word “unknown” is in italics, indicating the word was added at a later date and is not found in the original manuscripts.

Paul tells us in I Corinthians 12:30 that even if one could speak to an audience in a language or dialect different from their own, they would not be understood unless an interpreter was present. If the tongues were unknown, how could anyone know what was being said? How could they claim it was even a language they were hearing? You need to read all of I Corinthians 14, especially v. 9-33.

In I Thess. 5:10 Paul tells the church in Thessalonica not to quench, (or extinguish), the Holy Spirit that is in them. Notice also in Ephesians 4:30- “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

So if we possess the Holy Spirit, why do so many people believe we must continually “pray it down”? When watching the actions and behavior of people “praying down the spirit,” I see only confusion. I Cor. 14:33 states God is not the author of confusion.

Some refer to Acts 16:25-34 as proof that a person merely needs to believe. In v. 31 Paul tells the jailor to believe, but in v. 33 we find the jailor was baptized too, he and all his family. This appears to be an identical situation to the one in Acts 19. It wasn’t until Paul laid hands on John’s disciples that they received the Holy Spirit.

I urge those who claim you need to pray down the spirit and teach that unless you speak in tongues you cannot have the Holy Spirit, to read the scriptures I’ve cited in this article.

We must first repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Then, as Peter instructs us in Acts 2:38, we must be baptized (that’s fully wet by total immersion, symbolically burying the old sinner in a watery grave), and then with the laying on of hands and prayer, the new convert will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Notice in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now he which etablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; v.22- Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”

Again in 2 Corinthians 5:5 “Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”

How can we make that spirit grow in us? Through prayer and study. Contact with God allows the spirit to grow in us every day.

Do Christians need to pray down the Spirit? No. If you truly are a Christian, God’s Holy Spirit dwells in you. If you have repented, accepted Jesus as your Savior, and if you’ve been baptized with the laying on of hands, God has given you the earnest of the Spirit. Study and prayer will keep the Spirit growing in you.

You can learn more about what or who the Holy Spirit is by reading Rod England's article on our website entitled “Who Is The Helper?”