When Did The Apostles Receive the Holy Spirit?

I believe he is referring to John 20:22 where Jesus breathes on the apostles (minus Thomas) and tells them to receive the Spirit.

First of all the Bible teaches that Christ must return to glory before he sends "another comforter" Since Christ was here on earth this comforter has not come.

Second, The coming of the Sprit was made manifest with signs and empowerments (spiritual gifts). After this meeting the Spirit in no way was made manifest to the apostels. Possibly Christ either gave them a temporary filling of the Spirit to help them understand what was going on (ie the entire purpose of the cross), as no man can understand spiritual things without illumination of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon men all throughout the Old Testament (prophets), especially David. However due to the sinful nature of man the Spirit could not indwell man forever. He may have just come upon the disciples at this time to illuminate them just as he did the Old Testament prophets. Another possibility was that Christ was telling them to get ready to receive the spirit, not actually give them the Spirit.

In the end I do not beleive they received the Spirit once and for all at this time due mainly to the fact that they did not display proofs of receiving that Spirit.

 

John 20:19. So when it was evening on that day, the first {day} of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, "Peace {be} with you."
20. And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
21. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace {be} with 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.
23. "If you forgive the sins of any, {their sins} have been forgiven them; if you retain the {sins} of any, they have been retained."

Acts 2:1. When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
2. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
4. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

I personally believe that John is writing about the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit, and that Luke is writing abut the disciples being filled with the Holy Spirit. Compare:

Luke 1:15. "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb.

Luke 1:67. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

Acts 4:8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people,

Acts 4:31. And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and {began} to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 9:17. So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Acts. 13:9. But Saul, who was also {known as} Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,
10. and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?
11. "Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time." And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

Acts 13:52. And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

(All Scripture from the NASB, 1995)

 

Craig are you chrismatic? This is the same belief they use to promote their doctrines of tongues and being slain in the Spirit. They claim that a Christian is saved and receives the Spirit but through faithfulness they can receive the full gifts of the Sprit by being filled!

 

Who besides you said anything about speaking in tongues? Do you speak in tongues? Are you a Pentecostal Baptist or a basher of Pentecostals? I am neither one. I am a Christian, a Conservative Baptist Christian.

 

These are simply two different traditions about the reception of the Spirit within the church, and thus the constitution of the church and the innitiation of its ministry (in both cases a furthering of the ministry started by Jesus and commissioned by him).

If you're looking for historical harmony, good luck!! John and Luke are talking about the same thing, just not couched in the same historical event.

Grace and Peace, Danny

 

You certainly have a right to believe whatever you want to, but as for me and my house, we shall believe the Bible . The Scriptures that I posted show that there is a difference between receiving the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Personally I have experienced both, and I know the difference.

 

In the early church people would repent and be baptised, and then they would have hands laid upon them to receive the Holy Spirit. This practice continued through the primitive church, and became institutionalised in the state churches as 'confirmation' or 'chrismation.' The first generation of Baptists largely practiced the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit following baptism.

Dean

 

There are comings and comings of the Holy Spirit. We all as Christians are able to fellowship with the Holy Spirit . . .

But sometimes the Holy Spirit comes with a gift. This is another coming of the Holy Spirit.

He is not confined to coming only once. He can come again with a new gift.

He can come with a gift of comfort and understanding; this is what Christ gave the Disciples when He breathed on them.

He can come with a gift of impowerment for service; this is how He came on the day of Pentecost.

Pray for God to give us all the Holy Spirit with a gift of impowerment for service in His Kingdom!