Acts
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When we understand that the personality through whom God always speaks to us is Jesus, this verse becomes clear. Jesus is the Father spoken of here. We see this in Acts 8:4-5 where God answered Paul's question, "Who are you Lord," by saying "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting."
We must remember that Paul was a devout Jew. And he never would have considered any other God except YHWH Father God. Yet, this God identified himself as Jesus the Son.
You will not understand or believe this if you do not ask God to help you. Ask him and he will!
As a note: God has two other personalities: The personality of "The Father" is the way God directs his affairs, but he never speaks to us this way. Jesus said of him, "You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face."
The perswonality of the Holy Spirit is the way God inspires us to believe in what he is doing. That is, he helps us to understand that Jesus is the way God speaks to, and that this is true from everlasting to everlasting.
May God bless you.
Ithink you are forgetting about the "laying on of hands"needed for authority to preach?
Deut 34:9, "And Joshua, the son of Nun was full of the Spirit of Wisdom; for Moses had LAID HIS HANDS UPON HIM: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and he did as the Lord commanded Moses."
Acts 6:6, "These they set before the apostles, and after they had prayed they LAID THEIR HANDS UPON THEM".
Acts 9:17, "...and LAYING HIS HANDS UPON HIM, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me"
Acts 8:17, "Then they LAID THEIR HANDS ON THEM and they received the Holy Spirit."
Acts 13:3, "Then having fasted and prayed and LAID THEIR HANDS UPON THEM, they let them go."
2Tim 1:6, "For this reason I admonish thee to stir up the grace of GOD which is in thee, BY THE LAYING ON OF MY HANDS."
1Ti,m 4:14 "Do not neglect the grace that is in thee, granted to thee by reason of prophecy with the LAYING ON OF HANDS of the presbyterate." [PRIESTS]
Acts 1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take.
This same rite was practiced in the early Church and continues to this day, The Bishop, by the 'LAYING ON OF HANDS', conveys a succession of Priests and Bishops with a commission, giving them the authority to perpetuate the Church which Jesus Christ founded. Apostalic Succession & only one Church can lay claim to it. The Catholic Church
One more thing; I would suggest you read the baptism of the Eunuch by Philip, in Acts 8:26-38, and see his reaction after the baptism. That’s the joy the Holy Spirit brings when we accept Christ.
First, I would like to talk about those who say that baptism does not consist of water. Baptism is derived from the Greek word "baptizo" which means "immersion." Now, I ask, in what are we immersed? A prime example of immersion takes place in Acts 8, when Philip is called by the Spirit to go and explain the scripture to the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip “preached unto him Jesus” ( Acts 8:35). It continues, “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down BOTH into the water, BOTH Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” ( Acts 8:36-38). How did the eunuch know that he needed to be baptized? Because Philip preached unto him Jesus. Jesus is the word; therefore we must take ALL of the word – not some of it only to make it say we want it to say. Jesus said in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”. Jesus thought baptism to be important enough to mention it as part of his last words on earth. Don’t you think that means it’s pretty significant? Shouldn’t it be easy enough just to say “well, Jesus said it, so I am going to do it”? I would think so. But so many denominations have taken the precious word of God and twisted it so it fits what they want it to. Matthew 28:19 says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. Jesus was talking to the apostles here who were men. Men cannot baptize in the Holy Ghost. Only God can baptize in the Holy Ghost. So this proves that it HAD to be water baptism.
Secondly, I have heard so much about the “thief on the cross” that I am seriously sick. I am sick of people AGAIN not interpreting the Bible for what it says. Let’s look at the setting of Calvary and the conversation that took place between Jesus and this thief. First, Jesus was still alive when this all took place. THE OLD LAW WAS STILL IN EFFECT. Jesus’ blood had not been shed yet; therefore, baptism was not in effect yet and would not be until the day of Pentecost. When Jesus died and fulfilled the Old Law, the New Law entered into effect. And if it were not enough that the Old Law was still in effect, he was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and could do what he wanted to do. He forgave sins long before the thief on the cross. What about Zacchaeus ( Luke 19:9)? What about the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil ( Luke 7:48)? Both of these were granted salvation by Jesus, yet you don’t hear people basing their salvation off them! Jesus did not tell the man that his sins were forgiven. Jesus told the thief he would be with Him in paradise. Paradise. Not Heaven. Now, granted, no one knows what paradise was, but I think it possible to be the place where Jesus went during the three days after his crucifixion. 1 Peter 3 says that, “he went and preached to the spirits in prison”. Maybe this was the paradise in which Jesus spoke of. If I could I would list all the examples of baptism in the New Testament as “what now saves us”, 1 PETER 3:21. But I do not have enough time nor space in which to write. It is my earnest prayer that you study your Bible. Please read it with an open mind and take it LITERALLY and not interpret it. Do NOT take another man’s word for what it says. Read it and believe it by yourself.
1. Is the baptism of water (which is the first to receive after you have accepted the word);
2. The baptism of the Holy Spirit (which is the second one after you are baptized of water); read Acts 1:5; read again Acts 19:2. Paul asks some Christians if they are baptized of the holy spirit, and their answer was NO, we are not and we don’t even know about that kind of baptism (they only know the one of water). He baptized them (NOTE: it is the apostle who does this and his name is Paul). Acts 8:16, when they heard that the Samaritans have accepted the word, they sent the apostle to that country, none of them has received the holy spirit, though they accepted the word. And they were then baptized of the holy spirit by the apostles. Acts 8:18, Simon the witch saw that by being laid on the hands by the apostles, the holy spirit was received he then wanted to buy it with money. Guys my concern and I pray that people must meet the apostles in order to receive the holy spirit. You can be baptized with water by almost every pastor but when it comes to the baptism of the holy spirit you need to meet the apostles for this task. Once you are only baptized with water, that’s not enough, even if you are a pastor or a leader in the church you need to be baptized with the holy spirit. People think that by reading a bible or by praying for yourself you can be baptized with the holy spirit. NO. if you think so, why when you need to be baptized by water you call the pastor to baptize you? WHY don’t u just pray and Deep yourself by yourself in water. But instead you need someone to deep you in water and baptize you. Same Rules applies to the baptism of the holy spirit. You need to get an authorized person (AND THAT IS THE APOSTLES ONLY) to baptize you. Please try to look for the apostles they will help you free. I thank God for is grace that he showed me. Today I am baptized of both water and the holy spirit. I pray that you meet the apostles. We are going house by house preaching the word and those who accept us, are getting help. They have built the church of God in me. Their Role is great. May God be with you, until you receive this power that I am talking about. Lots of pastors from different churches today have come to the apostles to be baptized.
Verse 32- Here again we must know the period of time and which Jesus is making reference to. This is why one must find a good bible believing church to help in the study of the scriptures ( Acts 8:26-35). This is another parable as in all parables that Jesus uses a physical to explain a spiritual.
1. If Jesus is not God, there is no hope of us being saved and we are lost in our sins and destined for eternal hell ( I Corinthians 15:12-19);
2. When Jesus is making reference to the Jews he is known as the son of man (verse 34). Jesus is informing us that we can know the season when we are getting close to the 2nd advent by watching is real (fig tree) and other events in the world;
3. As the son of man he is 100% man and that part of the divine nature was just not privy to the exact day and hour of Christ returns;
4. We are to be in ready mode at all times, this is why it is called living by faith not by sight ( II Corinthians 5:7);
5. There are some of God’s divine nature he chose not to bring with him when he came to earth as our saviour and I suppose this was one of them.