Holy Spirit before pentecost?

[Joshua-777]

On 8/7/2020 at 11:44 AM, Markesmith said:

Did the apostles receive the Holy Spirit before pentecost?

They had the Holy Spirit upon  them, but not in them. They performed miracles and healing as Jesus sent them out and saw the power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives. This is similar to the old testament where the Holy Spirit would come upon people.

In the book of John, Jesus shares how their relationship is going to shift with the Holy Spirit by saying He dwells with you, but will be in you.

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Then He breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit, which is different from being baptized in the Holy Spirit.

John  20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

In John 20, Jesus was with them and they received the Holy Spirit. They had been born again, that inner relationship with the Lord. But then He tells them to wait for the baptism of the Spirit and ascends into heaven.

Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.


Then, Jesus shared the purpose for the baptism of the Spirit

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

This reveals that the baptism of the Spirit was to empower them with the gifts of the Spirit to be witnesses and share the Gospel. This was not when Jesus breathed on them because He ascended into heaven right after that.

Acts 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.


Later on in acts 2, you see the baptism of the Holy Spirit, giving them tongues and empowering them to spread the Gospel through out the book of acts in the same signs and wonders Jesus demonstrated.

Acts 2:2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.


So they had Holy Spirit dwelling with them, then Jesus breathed on them and they had Holy Spirit dwelling in them, then they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, empowering them to spread the Gospel in power.

[Deadworm]

On 3/1/2022 at 2:30 PM, Prycejosh1987 said:

Interestingly Jesus sent out 70 disciples who cast out demons and performed low level miracles. They did not have the Holy Spirit to my knowledge. The Holy Spirit changes lifestyle and mentality. It changes spiritual focus and puts it all to the importance of Christ. Without the Holy Spirit we can do certain things, but who we are is defined on nature, spiritual nature, to have the Holy Spirit is to be like God in persona, and characteristic identity. 

The disciples cast out demons, a feat that can only be performed by the power of the Holy Spirit (so Matthew 12:28).  Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them in an Easter vision (John 20:22).  So the disciples need fresh infillings with the Spirit before and after Pentecost.

[SwordMaster]

On 3/1/2022 at 2:30 PM, Prycejosh1987 said:

Interestingly Jesus sent out 70 disciples who cast out demons and performed low level miracles. They did not have the Holy Spirit to my knowledge. The Holy Spirit changes lifestyle and mentality. It changes spiritual focus and puts it all to the importance of Christ. Without the Holy Spirit we can do certain things, but who we are is defined on nature, spiritual nature, to have the Holy Spirit is to be like God in persona, and characteristic identity. 

We cannot use what the disciples did before the cross, because Christ gave them specific power and authority to do what He told them to do. You and I do not have that same power and authority (we DO have it, but it is given through the New Covenant and subject to one remaining in that covenant). 

And there is a slight modification to your other statements: The Holy Spirit does NOT change anything about you...He leads us in thought and heart to make changes ourselves, and when we make the decision to change something, then He gives us the power to do so. And...no...no one is like God in persona, that is false. We can partake of the divine nature by spending quality time with God in prayer, in His immediate presence, and begin to manifest the shared, communicable attributes of God...which are the fruits of the Spirit.

No one can take on God as an identity...unless you worded that incorrectly and meant something else.

Blessings.