What did Jesus mean by “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”?

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QUESTION ASKED:

“Hey brother I have a question that I need clarification on, perhaps you can help my understanding. John 20:22 states that Jesus breathed on the disciples (believers) and said ‘RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST’. I was taught no one received the Holy Ghost until the day of Pentecost. Also no tongues mentioned here. So were they not saved because they spoke in no tongues, even though Jesus breathed the Holy Ghost on them but the fact that tongues is a sign of the Holy Ghost, yet wasn’t even present yet is a bit confusing to some. I have my own thoughts, just wanted to hear your humble opinion.”

REPLY:

A dear sister in Christ recently spoke to me concerning the oneness Pentecostal religionists who make tongues an essential to salvation and said they told her she was going to hell if she didn’t pray in tongues. My reply to her was as follows: “Yes to base salvation, the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23), on the gift of tongues (reserved only for those who have first received His gift of salvation, eternal life), is completely heretical. A big part of our lives in Christ is sorting through, rightly dividing His truth/Word and the falsehoods spread by false religious teaching – which was Jesus’ greatest enemy when He walked the earth (Matthew 23, etc.). The LORD has a purpose in this in that He solidifies, forges His truth in His saints as they diligently search out His truth to re-prove (prove again) and more deeply, His truth to make us more mature (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 11:19). A Bible search for the word “establish” and “established” is a blessing…. and a prayer to the Father to ever more deeply root and ground us in Him and His truth (Colossians).”

Perhaps we can observe that Satan is only seeking to counterfeit that which is authentically of God. That’s his M.O. and job, right? See John 10:10. Seems the confusion on this matter means that Satan wants to confuse and cheat God’s people out of the fulness of the Holy Spirit.

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” 1 Corinthians 14:33

This being said, it’s not a salvation issue and yet, in this disciple’s biblical opinion, being baptized with the Holy Ghost is a ministry, a fruit-bearing issue. Jesus told His own that it was only “after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” that they would be empowered to do His work (Acts 1:8). On a personal note: The power of God in my life was exponentially increased upon asking Him to endue my life with power from on high, to fill, baptize me in His Holy Ghost (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8, etc.). I had been saved nearly a year when this occurred. The power to minister was a night and day difference, immediately. Now that this is stated…. I certainly do not condemn nor question the salvation of anyone who sees this differently.

Perhaps Christ’s breathing on His disciples was a type of additional forthtelling, precursor of what was about to occur at Pentecost (Acts 1-2). He had already spoken to them about “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name” (John 14:26). Now the day had arrived, the day of Pentecost was just ahead, where Christ’s followers were going to receive the Holy Ghost in the full measure, as He ordained them to walk in – to be comforted, taught, and empowered by Him.

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” John 20:21-23

Perhaps Jesus’ breathing on them signified the power and life to be soon given to them to do His work. This seems to fit in that the baptism with the Holy Ghost was to empower God’s people in doing His Gospel work, right?

“But ye shall receive power, AFTER that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

As the Father filled and anointed Jesus the Son of God to do His mission, His work, so Jesus sends forth His people with His anointing and bless-ed power to do His work!

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” John 20:21

Of this passage, Adam Clarke writes the following:

“He breathed on them – Intimating, by this, that they were to be made new men, in order to be properly qualified for the work to which he had called them; for in this breathing he evidently alluded to the first creation of man, when God breathed into him the breath of lives, and he became a living soul: the breath or Spirit of God (רוח אלהים ruach Elohim) being the grand principle and cause of his spiritual and Divine life.

Receive ye the Holy Ghost – From this act of our Lord, the influences of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men have been termed his inspiration; from in, into, and spiro, I breathe. Every word of Christ which is received in the heart by faith comes accompanied by this Divine breathing; and, without this, there is neither light nor life. Just as Adam was before God breathed the quickening spirit into him, so is every human soul till it receives this inspiration. Nothing is seen, known, discerned, or felt of God, but through this. To every private Christian this is essentially requisite; and no man ever did or ever can preach the Gospel of God, so as to convince and convert sinners, without it.”

As seen throughout Acts, tongues is a sign of the baptism with the Holy Spirit, not salvation. And no one is a candidate for our LORD’s baptism with His Holy Ghost, (“the gift of the Holy Ghost” reserved only for His people) until they are first born again, saved (Acts 2:38; John 14:17). The baptism with the Holy Spirit is given by God to all of His own people who call upon Him for it, ask Him. As is witnessed in the book of Acts with the earliest followers of Jesus, His holy apostles, and Christ Himself, this is the only way His powerful ministry can be performed in the earth.

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10:38

The explosive divine power that was unleashed on this world at and after Pentecost is something the world had never seen, and it happened in and through the lives of Christ’s people who were baptized with (immersed and clothed with) His Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus instructed His apostles to “tarry” or wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit before going forth to fulfill His Great Commission.

“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For THE PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:38-39

John the Baptist spoke of this promise:

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” Matthew 3:11

The seminaries were hi-jacked by Satan decades ago, at least. And so, there are many pretending to be in ministry today who have no power from on high. They are naked in the battle, powerless, and a laughable excuse of what the New Testament church is ordained of God to be in and to this fallen world.

There will be no power in ministry, in the life of the child of God “until ye be endued with power from on high.” Ok, look at these words from Christ again, and notice the word “after”:

“But ye shall receive power, AFTER (not before) that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The infilling or baptism with the Spirit is the gift of God exclusively to those who are already His and yet, it is an original Gospel essential for walking in the power of God. Remember the difference in power when Jesus came out of the dessert and the Holy Spirit had come upon Him in a special way? Read Luke 4.

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all… 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:14-15, 18

Perhaps from this we can observe that many today who are saved, are in a dry place, a dessert and God is calling them to come to Him afresh to receive “power from on high” from Him, the baptism with His Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49).

How else could God’s people do His work outside of being empowered by Him? They can’t. Several times Jesus promised, foretold that He was going to send the Holy Spirit to comfort and empower His people, to be with and in them when He left the earth. In fact, He said this would be far better! (John 16:7)

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:15-18

The following is from the Life in the Spirit study Bible:

“The impartation of the Holy Spirit by Jesus to His disciples on resurrection day was not the baptism in the Spirit as experienced by them at Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:4). It was rather an infusing of the disciples for the first time with the regenerating presend of the Holy Spirit and with the new life from the risen Christ.

(1) During the last discourse that Jesus had with His disciples before His trial and crucifixion, He promised them that they would receive the Holy Spirit as the One who would regenerate them; ‘he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:17). Jesus now fulfills that promise.
(2) That John 20:22 refers to regeneration can be inferred from the phrase, ‘he breathed on them.’ The Greek word for ‘breathed’ (emphusao) is the same verb used in his (Adam’s) ‘nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ It is the same verb that is found in Ezek. 37:9, ‘Breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ John’s use of the verb in 20:22 indicates that Jesus was giving the Spirit in order to bring forth life and a new creation. That is, just as God breathed into physical man Jesus breathed into the disciples spiritual life and they became a new creation. Through His resurrection, Jesus became a ‘quickening (life-giving) spirit’ (1 Cor. 15:45).
(3) The words ‘receive ye the Holy Ghost’ establishes that the Spirit, at that historical moment, entered and began to dwell in the disciples. The verb for for ‘receive’ is aorist imperative (Gk. labete, from the word lambano), denoting a single act of reception. The Holy Spirit was given to regenerate them, to make them new creatures in Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). This ‘receiving’ of life from the Holy Spirit preceded both their receiving the authority of Jesus (John 20:23) and their baptism in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).
(4) Prior to this time, the disciples were technically true believers and followers of Jesus and were saved according to the old covenant provisions. Yet they were not regenerated in the full new covenant sense. Not until this point did the disciples enter into the new covenant provisions based on Jesus’ death and resurrection (see Mat. 26:28; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; Eph. 2:15-16; Heb. 9:15-17). It was also technically at this time and not at Pentecost that the church was born. The spiritual birth of the first disciples and the birth of the church are one and the same.
(5) This passage is crucial in understanding the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the people of God. These two statements are true: (a) the disciples received the Holy Spirit (i.e., were indwelt and regenerated by the Holy Spirit) before the day of Pentecost; and (b) the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them in Acts 2:4 was an experience occurring after their regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Their baptism in the Spirit at Pentecost was, therefore, a second and distinct work of the Spirit in them.
(6) These two separate and distinct works of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus’ disciples are normative for all Christians. That is, all believers receive the Holy Spirit at the time of their regeneration, and afterwards must experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit for power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:5,8; 2:4, 39).
(7) There is no Scripture foundation to suggest that Jesus’ bestowal of the Holy Spirit in John 20:22 was simply symbolical prophecy of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The use of the aorist imperative for ‘receive’ (see above) denotes reception at that moment and in that place. What occurred was a historical reality in space and time and John records it as such.”

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JESUS IS COMING AND THE TRUE BODY OF CHRIST IS “HOLDING FORTH (BOLDLY DECLARING) THE WORD OF LIFE”

“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” Philippians 2:16

WHEN you speak God’s Word, you are speaking divine authority.

“These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” Titus 2:15

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” Philemon 1:6

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

Nourishing the Body of Christ

“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.” 1 Timothy 4:6

“All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15

The best way to learn is to teach.

HOW well do you know your way around in God’s Word?

Jesus knew His way around God’s Word. Do you? If not, why not?

“And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he FOUND the place where it was written,” Luke 4:17

The disciple of Christ must daily and diligently search, study, and learn God’s Word in light of His Great Commission command to us to teach His Word to others (Matthew 28:18-20). Our ability to minister is in large part based on our knowledge of God’s Word or the ability to navigate God’s Word (King James Bible).

MAKE THE DIFFERENCE – OBEY GOD, “PREACH THE WORD.” (2 TIMOTHY 4:2)

Tip: Always know WHERE you are reading in God’s Word – chapter and verse. You’ll be surprised at the repertoire that begins to build, making you, like Jesus, a good navigator of our LORD’s Word as you preach His Word (Luke 4:17).

Have you ever pondered why there is little or no Scripture being used when listening to someone pretending to be speaking about the LORD? You should wonder (Matthew 7:16, 20; 1 John 4:1).

“Preach the word” is the divine mandate, command (2 Timothy 4:2).

Let us cease to pretend that we represent the LORD when everything we say isn’t coming straight out of His Word. Read that again please.

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (written Word) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:11

Think God is calling you to serve? Good. If He has saved you, He has called you (Ephesians 2:8-10; 4:7). Get lost in His Word every day (Jeremiah 15:16). Read it (Revelation 1:3). Study it (2 Timothy 2:15). Memorize it (Proverbs 4:4). Meditate upon it day and night (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1). THAT’s your prep for ministry, not going to an antichrist seminary. Jesus inducted you into His school of the Holy Ghost and Word the moment He saved you.

“As I was listening I was thinking of Paul. Who was a very educated man in the law. But after he was saved he spent three years being taught exclusively by the Lord Jesus Himself. And he says he “conferred not with flesh and blood.” But he was taught “by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Gal 1:12-18). All of us should be taught by the Lord in His Word and not learned through mere men or books. But by a direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus is The Word of God (John 1:1, Rev 19:13).” Karen Cochran

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WHEN PARENTS GET OLD …

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WHEN PARENTS GET OLD …

“Let them grow old with the same love that they let you grow … let them speak and tell repeated stories with the same patience and interest that they heard yours as a child … let them overcome, like so many times when they let you win … let them enjoy their friends just as they let you … let them enjoy the talks with their grandchildren, because they see you in them … let them enjoy living among the objects that have accompanied them for a long time, because they suffer when they feel that you tear pieces of this life away … let them be wrong, like so many times you have been wrong and they didn’t embarrass you by correcting you …

LET THEM LIVE and try to make them happy the last stretch of the path they have left to go; give them your hand, just like they gave you their hand when you started your path!

(“Honor your mother and father and your days shall be long upon the earth”.) – God”

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3

Karen Cochran writes:

“A few years ago the Lord spoke to me and I heard honor your Father and Mother. I didn’t know that my Mom would be moving close to me in a few months and I would become her primary helper. It has been one of the biggest challenges of my life because she has dementia and isn’t always kind. I have had to come home many nights and sit at the feet of Jesus and ask forgiveness because I was not like Jesus to her. Then I go back everyday because the Lord commands us to Honor our Mother. He didn’t promise it would be easy. I have to be like Jesus and say Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Luke 23: 34 .As people who have dementia do not know what they are doing or saying.”

Sharing how God is working in her life concerning her relationship with her beloved mother, Karen Cochran writes:

“I had to die to being right. Pride! How could I love her (my mother) with the love of Jesus? How would she see Jesus in me? She would not see Him in me in all my pride and arrogance! By being full of pride, all I did was stir up strife. Proverbs 10:12 ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.’ Because she would retaliate and would be angry. I had to learn to keep my mouth shut. And it has completely changed our relationship. But first the Lord had to change me and cleanse me from my ‘know it all’ attitude and my pride. I went to the Lord and said ‘why is she (my mother) so mean to me’. The Lord straightened me out quick. It was me not her! I couldn’t control her! All I could do was allow God to root out what was sin in me.”

“Being broken to the core has been a continuous prayer for me. Otherwise my stone heart will hurt someone else that does not deserve to be hurt. Jesus had shown me my resentment against my parents. As I went to their grave, Jesus begin to say, ‘If they hadn’t taken you to Jesus at an early age, you wouldn’t be where you are now.’ I felt all the bitterness, anger, and hatred leave. How gracious is our Savior!” Thomas Cochran

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