Receiving the Holy Spirit

[Scarletprayers]

I have no idea, but I can't wait to hear what others think!

[Fiosh]

Silentprayer, you are a dear sister in Christ and we are blest to have you. I know that you have the Holy Spirit in you as you have often spoken His truth into my life.

Love,

Fiosh

[methinkshe]

Does anyone understand why Peter and John had to lay hands on them---and Philip could not? I'm a little confused.

There are some people that seem to be more gifted in imparting spiritual gifts through the laying on of hands. I would imagine that was the case with Peter and John.

That's actually close to my understanding.....that we receive an anointing from someone who has the gift to be able to impart the Holy Spirit. That is not to say that there aren't exceptions. God is all-powerful, and can certainly choose to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to whomever He chooses.

But Scripture often talks of believers receiving the Holy Spirit after the laying on of hands.

Any comments/thoughts on this???

Peace,

Fiosh

I think I'd be very careful about attributing to an individual a gift of imparting the Holy Soirit. The Holy Spirit is not a virus that can be caught and then transmitted. The laying on of hands within the church is a means of identifying with an individual - no more, no less - at least, that should be the case. But there are manifestations of laying on of hands in other religions. Hinduism acknowledges Shakti-pat - a transmission of spiritual power from one individual to another via a laying on of hands. We must be careful to discern the spirits for not all are of God. No man has a gift to impart the Holy Spirit. That would imply that the Holy Spirit was no more than an essence that could be conveyed by certain people with certain attributes. Remember, the Holy Spirit IS GOD - the third member of the Trinity - wholly God, equal in status but different in terms of authority and function. No mere individual can go about claiming to have the power to "impart God" which is what what is being said when one talks about imparting the Holy Spirit.

In Jesus,

Ruth

Edited April 29, 2007 by methinkshe

[Scarletprayers]

Silentprayer, you are a dear sister in Christ and we are blest to have you. I know that you have the Holy Spirit in you as you have often spoken His truth into my life.

Love,

Fiosh

Ahhhhhhhhhh your making me blush!

Love

SP

SP

[Scarletprayers]

Acts 8 teaches that the only ones who could "impart" to others the power to perform miracles were the apostles and the apsotles all died in the 1st century. There is no one living today who can impart such gifts.

Okay, now this is what I've always thought. I've agreed with horizons twice today, I think I need to go lay down.

[Fiosh]

Does anyone understand why Peter and John had to lay hands on them---and Philip could not? I'm a little confused.

There are some people that seem to be more gifted in imparting spiritual gifts through the laying on of hands. I would imagine that was the case with Peter and John.

That's actually close to my understanding.....that we receive an anointing from someone who has the gift to be able to impart the Holy Spirit. That is not to say that there aren't exceptions. God is all-powerful, and can certainly choose to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to whomever He chooses.

But Scripture often talks of believers receiving the Holy Spirit after the laying on of hands.

Any comments/thoughts on this???

Peace,

Fiosh

I think I'd be very careful about attributing to an individual a gift of imparting the Holy Soirit. The Holy Spirit is not a virus that can be caught and then transmitted. The laying on of hands within the church is a means of identifying with an individual - no more, no less - at least, that should be the case. But there are manifestations of laying on of hands in other religions. Hinduism acknowledges Shakti-pat - a transmission of spiritual power from one individual to another via a laying on of hands. We must be careful to discern the spirits for not all are of God. No man has a gift to impart the Holy Spirit. That would imply that the Holy Spirit was no more than an essence that could be conveyed by certain people with certain attributes. Remember, the Holy Spirit IS GOD - the third member of the Trinity - wholly God, equal in status but different in terms of authority and function. No mere individual can go about claiming to have the power to "impart God" which is what what is being said when one talks about imparting the Holy Spirit.

In Jesus,

Ruth

I hear what you are saying, and I do recognize that the Holy Spirit is God.

Scripture clearly talks about believers receiving the Holy Spirit after the laying on of hands.

Fior example:

Acts 19:6

2 Tim 1:6

1 Tim 4:14

It is this Biblical teaching that I am asking about.

[Scarletprayers]

Acts 8 teaches that the only ones who could "impart" to others the power to perform miracles were the apostles and the apsotles all died in the 1st century. There is no one living today who can impart such gifts.

Okay, now this is what I've always thought. I've agreed with horizons twice today, I think I need to go lay down.

Wow - is hell freezing over or what?

Smarty!

[Fiosh]

That's actually close to my understanding.....that we receive an anointing from someone who has the gift to be able to impart the Holy Spirit. That is not to say that there aren't exceptions. God is all-powerful, and can certainly choose to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to whomever He chooses.

But Scripture often talks of believers receiving the Holy Spirit after the laying on of hands.

Any comments/thoughts on this???

Peace,

Fiosh

Acts 8 teaches that the only ones who could

[Fiosh]

Does anyone understand why Peter and John had to lay hands on them---and Philip could not? I'm a little confused.

There are some people that seem to be more gifted in imparting spiritual gifts through the laying on of hands. I would imagine that was the case with Peter and John.

That's actually close to my understanding.....that we receive an anointing from someone who has the gift to be able to impart the Holy Spirit. That is not to say that there aren't exceptions. God is all-powerful, and can certainly choose to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to whomever He chooses.

But Scripture often talks of believers receiving the Holy Spirit after the laying on of hands.

Any comments/thoughts on this???

Peace,

Fiosh

I think I'd be very careful about attributing to an individual a gift of imparting the Holy Soirit. The Holy Spirit is not a virus that can be caught and then transmitted. The laying on of hands within the church is a means of identifying with an individual - no more, no less - at least, that should be the case. But there are manifestations of laying on of hands in other religions. Hinduism acknowledges Shakti-pat - a transmission of spiritual power from one individual to another via a laying on of hands. We must be careful to discern the spirits for not all are of God. No man has a gift to impart the Holy Spirit. That would imply that the Holy Spirit was no more than an essence that could be conveyed by certain people with certain attributes. Remember, the Holy Spirit IS GOD - the third member of the Trinity - wholly God, equal in status but different in terms of authority and function. No mere individual can go about claiming to have the power to "impart God" which is what what is being said when one talks about imparting the Holy Spirit.

In Jesus,

Ruth

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13

Amen and Amen, sister!!

Yet, I have seen in pentacostal and charismatic services people claiming to have this power of God which goes directly against the Word of God, and the masses fall for it. In essence, they have made themselves "little gods". This power was given to the original twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and to them only when the NT church was started in the Book of Acts, and ended 2,000 years ago.

If anyone wants the Holy Spirit, all one has to do is be born again of the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ will give His Holy Spirit to them. It's as simple as that. It can't be bought, or sold or given by anyone except God himself.

Amazing what one will learn just by reading the scriptures, isn't it!?!

Anybody can make speeches. How about giving scripture to back that up?

I think the Words of Jesus is good enough, don't you John? How about you proving your theory that mere man has the power to give the Holy Spirit to another from Scripture?

Acts 19:6 And when Paul laid his hands on them, the holy Spirit came upon them

[Fiosh]

Does anyone understand why Peter and John had to lay hands on them---and Philip could not? I'm a little confused.

There are some people that seem to be more gifted in imparting spiritual gifts through the laying on of hands. I would imagine that was the case with Peter and John.

That's actually close to my understanding.....that we receive an anointing from someone who has the gift to be able to impart the Holy Spirit. That is not to say that there aren't exceptions. God is all-powerful, and can certainly choose to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to whomever He chooses.

But Scripture often talks of believers receiving the Holy Spirit after the laying on of hands.

Any comments/thoughts on this???

Peace,

Fiosh

I think I'd be very careful about attributing to an individual a gift of imparting the Holy Soirit. The Holy Spirit is not a virus that can be caught and then transmitted. The laying on of hands within the church is a means of identifying with an individual - no more, no less - at least, that should be the case. But there are manifestations of laying on of hands in other religions. Hinduism acknowledges Shakti-pat - a transmission of spiritual power from one individual to another via a laying on of hands. We must be careful to discern the spirits for not all are of God. No man has a gift to impart the Holy Spirit. That would imply that the Holy Spirit was no more than an essence that could be conveyed by certain people with certain attributes. Remember, the Holy Spirit IS GOD - the third member of the Trinity - wholly God, equal in status but different in terms of authority and function. No mere individual can go about claiming to have the power to "impart God" which is what what is being said when one talks about imparting the Holy Spirit.

In Jesus,

Ruth

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13

Amen and Amen, sister!!

Yet, I have seen in pentacostal and charismatic services people claiming to have this power of God which goes directly against the Word of God, and the masses fall for it. In essence, they have made themselves "little gods". This power was given to the original twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and to them only when the NT church was started in the Book of Acts, and ended 2,000 years ago.

If anyone wants the Holy Spirit, all one has to do is be born again of the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ will give His Holy Spirit to them. It's as simple as that. It can't be bought, or sold or given by anyone except God himself.

Amazing what one will learn just by reading the scriptures, isn't it!?!

Anybody can make speeches. How about giving scripture to back that up?

I think the Words of Jesus is good enough, don't you John? How about you proving your theory that mere man has the power to give the Holy Spirit to another from Scripture?

Acts 8: 14-17

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,

who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit,

for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.