Holy Spirit and Pentecost FAQ
Who is the Holy Spirit?
He is the third person of the Trinity. He is responsible for convicting the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgment. He is the supernatural agent in regeneration. He baptizes all
believers into the body of Christ, sanctifies them for service and growth and will forever
indwell and seal them until Christ comes again (John 16:8-11, 2 Cor. 12:12-14, Rom. 8:9,
Eph. 5:18, Gal. 5:16-25, Rom. 15:16). Since the Holy Spirit is God, he was not created
but has always existed (Acts 5:3-4).
Was the Holy Spirit given to people in the Old Testament?
Yes. First, the universal nature of the church and the oneness of all believers past and
present makes the Holy Spirit a necessary part of the Old Testament saints. All who
believe are united in Christ through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:4-6). Those who do not have
the Spirit do not have Christ (1 John 4:13, Rom. 8:9).
Second, there are countless passages which speak of the Spirit of God coming on
individuals in the Old Testament not simply for salvation, but to empower them for
ministry (Ps. 51:11; Isa. 63:10-11; Jdg. 6:34, 11:29; 1 Sam. 10:6; 2 Sam. 23:2; Isa. 61:).
What is the difference between the Holy Spirit before and after Pentecost?
First, before Pentecost people were sealed by the Holy Spirit, but few were empowered
by Him. As mentioned in the previous section, all God-followers of all ages must have
the Holy Spirit within them in order to be sealed for heaven and united to Christ.
However, though many were God-fearers even among the Gentiles, few were “filled” or
“controlled” by the Spirit. Other than kings, priests and prophets it was rare for anyone to
display spiritual gifts given to them by the Spirit. After Pentecost, all who have the Holy
Spirit by faith are also promised empowering by him (1 Cor. 12:1-11, Eph. 4:8, Heb.
2:4).
Second, before Pentecost, the power of the Holy Spirit was limited in the lives of
believers. Although there were some amazing supernatural acts by chosen leaders, power
over demons and effective evangelism of foreigners was almost non-existent. After
Pentecost, there was an explosion of evangelism. Satan was bound by Jesus not to blind
the nations anymore and demons were now cast out of people to free them to believe
(Luke 10:18, 11:18-22; Rev. 20:2-7). Miraculous healing, mass prophecy, and
resurrection power over sin became available (Rom. 6:1-14, Phil. 3:10). In addition, the
priesthood was transferred after Pentecost from the Temple to individuals, and the power
to obey the Law was put within us through the Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 2:5-9, Rom. 8:1-4).
What is the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”?
The baptism of the Holy Spirit, also called the “gift” of the Holy Spirit, is the fulfillment
of the prophecies of John the Baptist (Luke 3:16) and Jesus (Acts 1:4, 5). It is not so
much an act of the Holy Spirit as it is the final act of Jesus in empowering and equipping
the church to accomplish the mission to which he commissioned them (Acts 1:8, Matt.
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28:18-20). This makes the baptism of the Holy Spirit a once-for-all event in the history of
redemption, along with the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, with which it is
most closely associated (Acts 2:32, 33).
Did the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” happen instantly, or was it completed in
stages?
It was completed in stages. Just as Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection went
through specific stages to reach their fulfillment, so Christ’s baptism with the Holy Spirit
went through four stages to reach its completion. The baptism of the Spirit was to bring a
complete typological uniting of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the known Gentile world.
The first stage was on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the entire
body of Jewish believers (Acts 2:1-4). The second was in Samaria, when the Samaritan
believers received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). The third was in Caesarea, when the
Holy Spirit fell upon all the Gentile listeners, the initial nucleus of the far-flung church
among the Gentiles (Acts 10:44). Finally, the fourth was at Ephesus, when the Holy
Spirit came on previously bypassed disciples of John the Baptist in close conjunction
with their being baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:1-7). Baptism with the
Holy Spirit is thus associated with the once-for-all foundation and the ongoing witnessing
nature of the church of Jesus Christ.
How does “baptism of the Holy Spirit” apply to believers today?
All believers come to share in the baptism with the Holy Spirit through their union with
Christ at conversion (1 Cor. 12:13; Romans 6:3 ff.; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:5, 6; Col. 2:12-13,
3:1-3). Therefore, baptism with the Spirit as an experience of individual believers is
neither an event subsequent to conversion, nor enjoyed only by some believers. To share
in the baptism of the Holy Spirit means to have a place in the universal church where the
Holy Spirit dwells and where he is at work (Eph. 2:21-22).
How does “baptism of the Holy Spirit” differ from “filling of the Holy Spirit?
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a historical event while the “filling of the Holy Spirit” is a
normative Christian experience. Of the seven times “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is used,
six of those times refer to the event of Pentecost (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John
1:33; Acts 1:5, 11:15). The only passage which refers to being “baptized” spiritually
makes the act synonymous with salvation of every believer (1 Cor. 12:13). Being filled
with the Spirit is the continuing activity of the Spirit in the life of the believer, and occurs
at different times in the life of the believer based on his/her willingness to submit to the
will of God (Eph. 5:17-21, Gal. 5:16). Filling of the Spirit is connected to the baptism of
the Spirit because it is based on the historical baptism at Pentecost and the practical
baptism of each of us at salvation; we are able to now be “filled” by the Holy Spirit to
empower and lead us in our Christian life.
Should believers today expect supernatural experiences when they receive the Holy
Spirit at conversion?
No. Jesus said the Holy Spirit cannot be seen or felt, though his effects may be
experienced (John 3:8). The reason fire, wind sounds, and prophetic utterances happened
at Pentecost was to have external signs that confirmed the Spirit’s presence. The Holy
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Spirit doesn’t sound like wind or look like fire. Without these effects, no one would
experience anything different. However, this doesn’t mean other effects of Holy Spirit
conversion don’t happen. They may be different for different people. Some experience
nothing at conversion, but see a slow change in their desires. Others feel a deep sense of
peace. Others experience a rush of emotion. Others experience an immediate freedom
from certain addictions. Some don’t convert to Jesus through a one-time event like a
prayer or a decision during a service but gradually come to belief through a process.
What is the gift of “tongues” given at Pentecost?
The gift of tongues was the supernatural ability to prophesy in a foreign language. Some
believe tongues referred to some form of supernatural babbling instead of a clear
language. There are several reasons this isn’t the case.
1) Tongues in the Septuagint. The Greek word for “tongues” is glossa and is found
113 times in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint (e.g., Gen. 10:5,
20, 31; 11:7; Daniel 3:4, 29; 4:1; Isa. 66:18). In all cases, “tongues” refers to either
the physical tongue in the mouth or a known language.
2) Tongues in Prophecy. The Old Testament prophets predicted that at the coming of
the Messiah many supernatural events would happen, including the fact that people
representing every nation on earth would hear of Christ (Zech. 8:23; Isa. 28:11,
66:18; Eze. 3:6). In 1 Cor. 14:21, Paul uses Old Testament language of foreign
tongues to explain the phenomenon (Isa. 28:11-12, Deut. 28:49, Jer. 5:15).
3) Tongues and Pentecost Imagery. The two images of Pentecost confirm the necessity
of Tongues referring to a known language.
a. Law given at Sinai. Pentecost occurred 50 days after Passover just as the Law
was given by God 50 days after the people were saved from Egypt. The Rabbis
taught that at the tower of Babel God divided the people into 72 languages and at
Sinai when God gave the law he gave it in 70 tongues so that the Gentiles who
were traveling with the Israelites might hear and understand the Torah clearly for
themselves.1 Philo, the Jewish philosopher, says that “from the fire of God’s glory
came a voice which was understandable in the language familiar to the hearers.”2
b. Harvest of the Gospel. Pentecost was also called the Feast of Weeks and
represented the first fruit of harvest to be celebrated. In Acts 2, Jews who
represented “every nation under heaven” (vs. 5) came to Jerusalem to celebrate
the Day of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles and they
began to speak in tongues, the Jews were bewildered “because they were each
one hearing them speak in his own language.” The purpose of tongues was to be
a supernatural sign to unbelievers, while at the same time giving them the
message of the gospel in their own language. It was on the day of Pentecost that
the first great harvest of Jesus occurred when 3,000 people were converted when
the gospel was able to be preached in everyone’s own language (Acts 2:41).
c. Reversal of Babel. One of the biggest evils of mankind occurred in the Old
Testament in the city of Babel where a tower was build to reach God (Gen. 1:1-9).
It was an act of false worship that was so disgusting to God that He said, "Come,
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2
Jewish Encyclopedia.com, “Sinai”.
Works of Philo, XI (46).
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let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand
one another's speech." (vs. 7). We get the word “babbling” from this event
because of the confusing sound we hear when we don’t understand someone
else’s language. Pentecost was a reversal of the tower of Babel in which God took
the chaos of language diversity and brought order to it through the gift of tongues.
If tongues continued to just be personal “babbling,” then it makes little since as a
reversal.
What was the purpose of tongues?
1) Tongues is an instrument of revelation. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “For one
who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God; for no one understands,
but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.” A mystery in scripture is something that was
once hidden that is now revealed. Jesus said his followers would be revealers of the
mysteries of the kingdom. (Matt. 13:11). Paul’s preaching is according to the
revelation of the mystery given to Him (Rom. 11:25, 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:1). This mystery
relates to the gospel and particularly how the new church includes both Jew and
Gentile (Eph. 3:6). In other words, tongues were an instrument of revelation. This is
why Paul called prophecy in a known language better than tongues that aren’t
interpreted, because prophecy is revelation all can understand (1 Cor. 14:4-5).
2) Tongues was for public use. Every gift that was given—including tongues—was for
the benefit of the “common good” (1 Cor. 12:4-7). If people don’t understand what is
being said, it brings no benefit to the body and therefore should not be done (1 Cor.
14:18-19).
3) Tongues was a sign of judgment. In Acts 2:16-21 Peter declares that the tongues
speaking that went on was a fulfillment of Joel 2. Yet Joel said that sons and
daughters would “prophecy.” Tongues are clearly a subset of prophecy. Tongues is
used three times in the Old Testament; each time, it refers to a sign of coming
judgment (Isa. 28:9-11, Deut. 28:49, Jer. 5:15). Tongues was a sign as much as it was
a tool to spread the gospel (1 Cor. 14:22). It was a sign that pointed to the baptism of
the Holy Spirit, which John the Baptist indicated was a sign of the judgment of God
on the nation of Israel (Matt. 3:11-12). It involves the giving over of the kingdom to a
“people bringing fruit” (Matt. 21:43).
Have the gifts of Tongues and Prophecy ceased today?
Yes and no. Tongues and prophecy as signs of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit no longer
exists, because the event has already been fulfilled. There is no need for continual
fulfillment in the church age. Both tongues and prophecy were the identifying signs of
the event of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was the sign of
the “last days” spoken of by the prophets beginning with Moses (Deut. 4:30; Num. 12;
Isa. 2:2-3; Hos. 3:5; Mic. 4:1; Dan. 2:28, 10:14ff; Joel 2; Acts 2:17). The last days are the
time when God’s people would be regathered, prophecy would by given to many,
churches would be planted across the world, and the Jewish nation that—as a whole,
rejected the Messiah—would be destroyed. Jesus told his disciples that the fulfillment
and completion of the last days events would happen within their generation (Matt.
24:34). The events Jesus spoke of led up to and ended in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem and its
temple was destroyed by the Romans. However, “tongues” as a gift given by the Holy
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Spirit for specific acts of evangelism is always a possibility. The Holy Spirit can give
whatever gifts necessary to accomplish His work. The gift of prophecy does not always
mean “forth telling,” but “speaking truth of God’s word” can be used in today’s churches.
Is the gift of Tongues given at Pentecost different from the Tongues spoken of by
Paul in 1 Corinthians 14?
Not necessarily. At first look, the “tongues” of Corinthians seems to be different than its
use in Acts. In Corinthians, it is personal, incoherent, needing translation, and possibly
brings private edification. There is much debate among scholars as to the nature of
“tongues” mentioned in 1 Corinthians 14. Those who believe tongues to be a private
angelic language of incoherent babbling use this passage as their support. However, since
the origination of the gift in Acts 2 is clear, then there are several reasons to believe
“tongues” to be of the same type of gift in 1 Corinthians as it was given at Pentecost.
First, the word “tongues” is the same Greek word in both passages. It has already been
shown that “tongues” refers to a spoken language as opposed to angelic babbling.
Second, Acts 10:44 records the Spirit falling on the Gentiles after Peter tells them the
gospel, and immediately they spoke in tongues. When Peter later reflects on this to the
other apostles, he says, “The Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He did upon us at the
beginning” (Acts 11:15). Peter says that, when post-Pentecost converts received tongues,
it was the same tongues as what happened with the apostles in Acts 2, meaning it was a
spoken language. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that the tongues of Corinth is the
same as the tongues of Caesarea where the Gentiles received it, and the tongues of
Ephesus where Paul laid his hands on new converts (Acts 19:6).
Third, the kernel of Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians was not to distinguish between
public and private tongues or between angelic language verses human language. The
issue was the abuse of tongues. If tongues was a spoken language as it was in all other
cases, then it could easily fit into the Paul discussion. Some people were given the
supernatural ability outside of their intellect to speak an unknown language. However, at
times when the gift kicked in, no one in the room spoke that particular language. Since
people didn’t understand it, it brought no benefit to others (1 Cor. 14:4-5, 18-19). Those
who spoke in an unknown language to people who didn’t understand were talking to God
because it brought no benefit to anyone else. Since the purpose of tongues is for others,
then this personal tongues use needed to stop (1 Cor. 41:2-4).
Are the gifts of the Spirit today less useful than they were at Pentecost?
No. It is easy to come to this conclusion because, during the “latter days” events leading
up to the destruction of the Old economy, it seems that everyone has superhuman
abilities. There was healing, speaking in unknown languages, prophesying of future
events. Today, we may feel as if we are experiencing less power of the Spirit by using
our lesser gifts of mercy or encouragement. It must be remembered that, even during the
time of Pentecost, it was rare for anyone but the apostles to receive any of the sign gifts
such as tongues, prophecy, and healing. Those gifts were primarily to confirm the
ministry of the apostles. The purpose of the miraculous gifts were to build up the
community and to expose the gospel (Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4). In fact, in the event
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recorded of the first 3,000 people to be saved during Pentecost, there is not one mention
of any miraculous gifts being displayed from the newly converted, yet people unified and
built each other up through “standard” gifts of hospitality, mercy, encouragement,
teaching, etc. (Acts 2:41-47). These gifts are even more important than any miraculous
gift because they truly accomplish what God wants for his church by promoting love (1
Cor. 13).
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