It is Settled!

A series of lessons from the Bible

by Howell Lasseter

Baptism and Tongues

Have you heard this statement from your preacher: “A person is baptized to receive the Holy Spirit and to speak in tongues”? Have you searched the Scriptures to see if this teaching is so? Hear what God‘s Word says about the Bereans: After Paul and Silas came to Berea, preaching, the Berean people “were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

 Let’s examine the preacher’s statement. In previous columns, we’ve thoroughly looked at baptism’s purpose (“for the remission of sins” - Acts 2:38; to wash away sins - Acts 22:16; to put one into Christ - Galatians 3:27; to save - 1 Peter 3:21), the mode (a burial, a planting - Romans 6:4,5), the medium (in water - “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized ...they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” - Acts 8:36-39). Concerning the giving of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, let’s look at an example in Acts 8. When Philip preached Christ to the Samaritans (v.5), they believed the things Philip preached, and were baptized, both men and women (v.12). When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, Peter and John were sent there (v.14). Note carefully why 2 apostles went there: “...that they (the Samaritans) might receive the Holy Ghost (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus)” (vs.15,16). When the believer Simon (v.13) observed how the Holy Ghost was given to the Samaritan believers (by the laying on of the apostles’ hands - v.15-18), he asked for the power to do the same (v.19). Peter strongly rebuked Simon, commanding him to repent; which he did (vs.20-24). Since there were only 14 apostles (the original 12; Matthias, who replaced Judas; and Paul), and since it is clear only an apostle could impart the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost, we can know that today the miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit is not given to Christians. This brief study points out the importance of searching the Scriptures!