Acts 6:3-6 and the Gift of the Holy Spirit – Part 1

Acts 6:3-6 and the Gift of the Holy Spirit – Part 1

Acts 6 is another important passage in one’s understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the church. As noted in the comments of articles on Acts 5:12 and 5:32, the argument for the non-prophetic indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the church makes an important use of the events of Acts 6.

Laying on of the hands.

Laying on of the hands.

Most in the church agree that the Bible teaches it was only through the laying on of an apostle’s hands that the prophetic powers of the Holy Spirit were passed on to first-century Christians.  That truth being established, it is in verse 3 that an apparent difficulty arises. Acts 6:3 lists being full of the Holy Spirit as one of the qualifications of the seven men that the Jerusalem church was to identify. However, those men are not said to have the apostles lay their hands on them until Acts 6:6: “These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.”

  1. If it is the case that only by the laying on of an apostle’s hands a man could receive the powers of the Holy Spirit (And we believe that to be the case).
  2. If it is also the case that being full of the Spirit implies prophetic abilities (And we have established in other articles that to be the case in every verse prior to Acts 6).
  3. How is it possible that these seven men were full of the Spirit before the apostles laid their hands on them?

The question is valid and at first glance makes a compelling case for re-evaluating our understanding of one’s being “full of the Holy Spirit.” If it is possible to be “full of the Spirit” with no connection to the apostolic ministry, then the Holy Spirit must have some work in the lives of the saints beyond the prophetic.

However, there are several points that must be considered before admitting to that conclusion. This article will examine the first of those points.

The Laying on of Hands has More Than One Purpose in the Bible

At the heart of the objection to a prophetically empowered gift of the Holy Spirit made from this passage is the belief that Acts 6:6 means that the apostles would grant prophetic powers to these seven men to fill the role of attending to the widows. As a part of their initiation as servants of the church, the seven men would become the first people beyond the apostles with prophetic abilities.

However, that argument is sound only if it can be established that there was only one reason that the apostles would lay hands on the seven. The truth of the matter is that the laying on of hands was a well-established practice among the ancients. Its presence is found several times in the Bible. Further, it had an established significance completely unrelated to the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Timothy provides an interesting case study. He was an inspired preacher of the early church. The Bible clearly states that he received that prophetic ability through the laying on of the apostle Paul’s hands:

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

Yet, there is another statement of Timothy’s having hands laid on him:

“Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Timothy 4:14).

These verses describe both the manner (“through the laying on my hands”) and the time (“when the council of elders laid their hands on you”) of Timothy’s receiving the prophetic endowment of the Holy Spirit. While the specific details of the ceremony mentioned are not described we do know that two groups of people laid their hands upon Timothy. We know that Paul did so to empower him with the “gift of God.” The purpose of the elders’ touch on Timothy was for a purpose beyond that of granting the Spirit’s power to Timothy. It was likely as sign of commission or endorsement of his work (Compare also Genesis 48:14, 17; Numbers 27:23; Mark 10:16; Acts 13:3; 1 Timothy 5:22).

For what purpose then did the apostles lay hands on the men in Acts 6? Read their own words:

“Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty” (Acts 6:3).

Question: “When did the apostles appoint them to the duty and what was the indication that they had done so?”

The answer is clear. Verse 6 is the time and manner in which the apostles appointed those seven men to the duty.

This ceremony stands in sharp contrast to the two mentioned examples of the apostles’ laying on of hands to deliver the Spirit’s power to Christians. Notice all three passages in succession:

  1. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. (Acts 6:6)
  2. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:17)
  3. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. (Acts 19:6)

Do you notice what is missing from Acts 6:6? Why is no statement found in Acts 6:6 that the seven received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues or an indication that others could see the Spirit’s power in them as Simon could in Acts 8:18?

The answer is simple: Because verse 3 already told us those seven had the Holy Spirit.

What we have then is a phrase – “full of the Spirit”— which has but one meaning in the Bible and a phrase – “laying on of hands” – which has multiple meanings. We have evidence that the second phrase has a particular usage when connected to the Holy Spirit (cp. Acts 8:17; Acts 19:6) and the evidence indicating that usage is missing from Acts 6. Further we also have a statement of purpose – “whom we will appoint to this work”—which fits another established meaning of the phrase “laying on of hands.” Sound judgment, then, demands that we make use of the known, allowable usage of laying on of hands and steer clear of crafting a previously unknown meaning to the Bible phrase “full of the Holy Spirit.”

Discussion continued with Part 2

Acts 6 and the Gift of the Holy Spirit (Part 2)

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Then Jesus Was…Tempted By The Devil

Then Jesus Was…Tempted By The Devil

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Matthew 4:1

Believe it or not, this passage comforts me greatly.  Here we have Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God himself, being tempted by Satan!  And he overcame those temptations!  He did not give in and sin!  Man, I can’t tell you how much that encourages me!

Lost in a wilderness? Jesus has been there and knows the way out.

Lost in a wilderness? Jesus has been there and knows the way out.

Why?  Because I now know that Jesus understands what I am going through.  The Bible says:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery…Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:14-15, 17-18).

And again,

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  (Heb. 4:15-16)

Jesus was tempted just like you and me.  He knows how it feels.  He understands the struggle.  He’s been there and done that.  He overcame those temptations by knowing and obeying God’s Word (Matt. 4:1-11), and so can we.  Not only that, but when we fail and penitently cry out to God for forgiveness (1 John 1:7-10; Acts 8:22), Jesus – our High Priest, our Mediator – is at the right hand of the throne of God saying, “Father, I know what Jon is going through.  I’ve been there.  I was tempted in the same way.  He is pleading for mercy and is trying to do better.  Be merciful.  Be gracious.”

What comfort!  What love!  What hope this gives us in the struggle we face!

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Don’t Ever Run “Red Lights”

Don’t Ever Run “Red Lights”

One learns at a very young age that there are rules which control the flow of traffic in our land. Think about how early a young child learns that red means stop and green means go. It may be a while before they realize there is a national law that you can turn right on red at any intersection unless there is a sign which forbids it. However, everyone knows the meaning of red lights and green lights.

Can you trust in the Lights of the Bible?

Can you trust in the Lights of the Bible?

Now take this principle and apply it to the rules God has given us for our lives. That sermon entitled “Can the Bible Be Trusted?” lays the foundation for all the “red lights” and “green lights” God has given us in His Word. If the Bible cannot be trusted, these “lights” are archaic and meaningless, but once it is established that the Bible is from heaven and God has promised that He will ensure that it will never pass away, the “lights” of the Bible take on new meaning.

Did Jesus understand that His work involved giving laws and commandments which must be followed, just like we follow the laws regarding red lights in our land? Hear His words, “All authority has been given unto Me in heaven and one earth…Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:18-20). It surely looks like He intended for all men in all nations to be taught to observe His commandments. Jesus’ words demand that He saw boundaries which were established from Him for all men for all times. He was not simply giving instructions about “red lights” which only had application to the apostles.

Hear Him again. “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). The word which He gave was seen as being eternal and binding upon men from the time He spoke them until the last day mankind is on the earth. He viewed His words as being “red lights” and “green lights” in the lives of each of us.

Look at that verse again and recognize that on the last day we will have our “day in court.” Not before some judge in a local traffic court, but before that Judge who has all authority. God says, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).  You and I both will be there, for everyone must give an account of his life before the Judge of all mankind.

There are consequences to not observing the laws about red and green lights. There are far greater consequences for not obey His “lights” in the eternal word He has given us!

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Prayer of a Drowning Saint

Prayer of a Drowning Saint

In the Bible, the second chapter of Jonah is worthy of more study and consideration than it is often given. The chapter is entirely given to a recording of Jonah’s heartfelt prayer, delivered from a rather unusual locale.

Many are familiar with the account of Jonah and his experience in being swallowed by a fish, but the retelling is often done for the benefit of children, and many adult Christians forget the many powerful lessons of this great prophet who was humbled by God because of his lack of compassion upon his enemies. Often in the retelling of Jonah, the second chapter is almost completely glossed over, which is a shame, considering it forms a rather important part of the book, especially for Christians.

In the last moments, who will you turn to?

In the last moments, who will you turn to?

God wanted Jonah to preach to the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. The Assyrians were cruel and wicked, and they had persecuted and tormented Israel. God had a message of judgment upon this awful people, and God chose Jonah as His messenger. (cf. Jonah 1:2)

But Jonah was afraid. Not afraid of the Assyrians. There is no indication that Jonah, bold prophet that he was, had a fear of his enemies. Rather he was afraid of success. Knowing the character of God, Jonah was afraid that if he preached, the people might repent and be saved, and Jonah did not want that. (cf. Jonah 4:2)

And so Jonah tried to flee from God, found out that he could not, and was subsequently swallowed by some enormous sea creature. Jonah was in the belly of that beast for three days and three nights (cf. Jonah 1:17)

And while in the fish, in the depths of the sea, Jonah did the most sensible thing that he could. He prayed.

Surprisingly, the prayer of Jonah is a prayer of hope. “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and He answered me,” says the prophet (Jonah 2:2a; ESV). Jonah said, “I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple..” (Jonah 2:4; ESV) Though he was buried in a fish, deep in the sea, Jonah had not given up on God. Jonah absolutely understood that God was a merciful and loving God, and though Jonah had messed up, he could still anticipate being given another chance. His prayer concludes, “But I with a voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” Jonah 2:9; ESV)

The prayer of Jonah is noteworthy, not only for its upbeat, hopeful tone, but also for its messianic elements. Jesus once, being asked for a sign, told His listeners He would give them no sign, but the sign of Jonah. (cf. Matthew 12:39-40) Just as Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights, so too would Jesus be buried, and rise again on the third day. Jesus, in the tomb, could pray with Jonah, “I went down to the land, whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.” (Jonah 2:6; ESV)

Though Jonah was in the fish, he still had hope. Though Jesus was in the tomb, he still had hope. Because both knew and understood the loving and merciful nature of God, who would rescue them, and give them deliverance from their condition.

Sometimes in life, the saint of the Lord might feel like they are drowning in woe and trouble. At times like these, it is good to remember the drowning prophet, Jonah, and the hope he maintained, even in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation.

If we will trust in God, in full faith, God is faithful. It can never get so bad as to be without hope. The apostle Paul, who experienced shipwrecks, stonings, beatings, poverty, and hunger, and even, eventually, death wrote, while in prison, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13; ESV)

Elsewhere He encouraged saying, “For [God’s] sake we are being killed all the day long;… In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:36a, 37; ESV)

Christ had hope in the tomb, and He gives us reason to have hope in both life and death. He gives us reason to declare with Jonah, “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

 

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Acts 5:32 and the Gift of the Holy Spirit

Acts 5:32 and the Gift of the Holy Spirit

[For the complete thought, please refer to my article entitled “Acts 5:12 and the Gift of the Holy Spirit”]  http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/administrator/acts-512-and-the-gift-of-the-holy-spirit/

The second passage after Acts 2:38 to which an appeal is made to prove the gift of the Holy Spirit must be non-prophetic is Acts 5:32. It reads:

“And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The argument made from this verse rests upon this argument:

Is there a prophetic component to the Gift of the Holy Spirit?

Is there a prophetic component to the Gift of the Holy Spirit?

  1. The Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit were not given to all saints.
  2. The “Giving” of the Holy Spirit of Acts 5:32 is applied to all “those who obey Him.”
  3. Therefore, the gift received by all “those who obey Him” must be non-prophetic.

If one accepts point #1 as true, a reading of Acts 5:32 seems to support the idea proffered and so would eliminate any prophetic or spiritual gift from consideration in the gift of the Holy Spirit.

However, argumentation from this verse is flawed in several ways:

It Requires a Limited Distribution of Spiritual Gifts.

It is axiomatic among proponents of a non-prophetic gift of the Holy Spirit that the spiritual gifts were only sporadically given among the early saints.  That position is often asserted and assumed – never proven.

The text shows otherwise:

  • The promise of the coming of the spiritual gifts (Joel 2:28-32) states that “all flesh” inclusive of rich and poor, young and old, sons and daughters, and rich and servants would be able to see visions, dream dreams, and prophesy.
  • In Acts 8, all that were scattered from Jerusalem preached the word everywhere they went. I wonder how they did that without being gifted and possessing no Bibles?
  • Also, in Acts 8, as soon as the word bore fruit outside of Jerusalem, Peter and John were dispatched to Samaria to ensure that those who believed were given gifts.
  • In Acts 10-11, all the house of Cornelius (not just Cornelius himself) is given the gift of the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.
  • In Acts 19, Paul finds 12 disciples who needed to be baptized and he meets that need. He then immediately lays hands on all 12 disciples and they all speak in tongues.
  • In Acts 21, Phillip, who was a prophet himself, is said to have 4 virgin daughters. How many of them prophesied?  All four.
  • In 1 Corinthians 12-14, Paul uses the words “each, every, and all” over a dozen times to describe the possession of gifts in Corinth.

Where again does the text indicate that only a few people were empowered by the gifts?

Surely, as the church grew, and the apostles aged and died, the numbers would have worked against the apostles.  However, by that time, the gifts would have been nearing their end anyway.  It remains true that in the earliest days of the church (certainly in Acts 5 as the whole church resided in Jerusalem at that point) the apostles could have (and by the indication of the text “would have”) distributed the gifts freely.

It Misapplies the Word “Given.”

However, even the universal distribution of the gifts is not needed to meet the demands of the language of Acts 5:32.  This verse is not the first time that God is said to have “given” His Spirit to His people.  Nehemiah 9:20 states, “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna . . .”

So, God “gave” His Spirit to Israel in the wilderness.  Did all 600,000+ men of “war” age plus all the members of their families possess the Spirit?  No, far from it.  The count is:

  • Moses (Numbers 11:17)
  • Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9)
  • Oholiab and Bezalel (Exodus 35:30-35)
  • The 70 elders upon whom Moses laid hands (Numbers 11:24-25).

Less than 100 people are recorded as being “given” the Spirit in wilderness.  Yet, Nehemiah states that God had, indeed, given the Spirit to His people.  Nothing in the language of Acts 5:32 demands that each individual has personally received the Spirit any more than the language of Nehemiah 9:20 does so.

It Fails to Account for the Purpose of the Spirit’s Bearing Witness in Acts 5:32.

Perhaps even more importantly is that the function fulfilled by the given Spirit is that He “bears witness.”  This view does not have a tangible allowance for how the Spirit “bears witness.”  To bear witness one must provide testimony.  By its nature, testimony must be evidentiary. Current views inside churches of Christ will not allow for the Spirit’s witness to be evidentiary or objective in its manifestation.  His witness must hide in the convenient shadows of ambiguity and mysticism.

That distinction is arbitrary and will not suffice for long in mainstream churches of Christ.  Simply because the idea of uncertain, clouded testimony is no bearing witness at all. We are already moving to a place where preachers feel free to express what, in my opinion, they have long believed: The Holy Spirit is providing them with a personal, evidentiary witness to their faith. Their voices will continue to grow both in numbers and volume.

Further, the biblical text already affirms how the Spirit bears witness.  There are at least eight clear references in Acts (outside of Acts 5:32) to the testimony confirming the exalted Christ borne through or by the Holy Spirit:

  • Acts 1:8 – “ . . . you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . .”
  • Acts 2:40 – “And with many other words he bore witness . . .”
  • Acts 3:15-16 – “And you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name . . . has given this man perfect health in the presence of you all.”
  • Acts 4:33 – “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”
  • Acts 10:39 – “And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and Jerusalem. . . ”
  • Acts 10:43 – “To him all the prophets bear witness . . .”
  • Acts 14:3 – “. . . speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”
  • Acts 15:7-8 – “. . . that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word . . .And God . . .bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,”

There should be no difficulty understanding the nature of the Holy Spirit’s witness in the book of Acts. His witness is not some personal testimony to convince others to have faith based on the outcome of one’s life. His witness is not even some internal validation one has within the depths of his heart. The witness of the Spirit is borne by prophets and apostles. It is expressed in inspired words which are confirmed in the demonstration of the Spirit’s power in the signs and wonders He granted to the early church. Acts knows no other witness from the Holy Spirit.

The given Spirit in Acts 5:32 is providing witness to the risen Lord and is doing so with signs, wonders, and words.  Is that what you believe the indwelling of the Spirit is providing for you?

It Fails to Account for “How” God Gives the Holy Spirit.

Also lacking in this view is that it does not address the issue of “how” God gives the Spirit. There is only one verse in the Bible that explicitly states how the Holy Spirit is given to Christians: “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money” (Acts 8:18).

[As a side note, the most nearly similar passage to this is found in Deut. 34:9. In which Joshua is said to be “full of the spirit of wisdom for Moses had laid his hands on him.” Two different covenants, but one identical manner of giving and receiving the Holy Spirit]

The consequence of the Spirit’s being given is that men received Him. There are a few texts that reference how men received the Holy Spirit:

  • In Acts 8, prayer and the laying on of hands is credited with allowing men to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15, 17, 19).
  • Acts 19:2-6 connects prayer and the laying on of hands from Paul for the reception of the Holy Spirit in Ephesus.
  • More broadly, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit would come on the apostles in Acts 2 from “on high” and provide them “power” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).
  • Paul states that the “gift of God,” which is equated to “receiving the Spirit” in Acts 8, was in Timothy through the laying on of Paul’s hands (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

The pattern here is easily seen. In passages which specify the manner the Holy Spirit is given, He is either given directly from Heaven, or He is provided in a specific distribution from the apostles’ hands. In all cases, the effect of the giving and the reception of the Holy Spirit is prophetic.

If there were no “how” about the Spirit’s being given, one could just assert that He is given in baptism and be done with it.  But Peter does not say that one receives the Spirit in baptism.  He states that if one would be baptized, he “shall” receive the gift of the Spirit.  Other than baptism’s preceding the gift, no direct connection of time is made in the verse.

Given that scripture then states a clear method of giving not just the spiritual gifts of the Spirit, but the Spirit himself (Acts 8:18 says that Simon saw that the Holy Spirit – not His gifts but His person – was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands), is not the most consistent application of Acts 5:32 to connect Acts 2:38 and Acts 8:18?  Other than the doctrinal dilemma into which that connection places most current views of the indwelling of the Spirit, what reason exists to reject it?

Conclusion:

Acts 5:32 does not have the necessary force to reject the idea that spiritual gifts existed in the saints outside the apostles before Acts 6:3-6.  In order to use Acts 5:32 to establish that position, it is the case that not even one of the above points can have any possibility of being true.  If any of the above items rises at all above being impossible, then one cannot know for sure that Acts 5:32 excludes the prophetic before Acts 6:3-6. As the claimed certainty from Acts 5:32 evaporates, so does much of the argumentation against a prophetic gift of the Holy Spirit.

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