Proof of the Holy Ghost Baptism

Proof of the Holy Ghost Baptism

The best gifts of the Holy Spirit are the wisdom and knowledge to understand the revealed mysteries of the written Bible:

1 Good and bad performed the supernatural

2 The gifts of God fall on the just and the unjust

3 Tongues is a sign to unbelievers

4 Tongues in public must have interpretation

5 The supernatural gifts must stay Scriptural

6 We are not known by our gifts

7 The Holy Ghost baptism takes us to the Bible truth

8 The Holy Ghost produced no tongues at times

9 Tongues involved people from foreign nations

10 How the Holy Ghost ran the early church

11 Some corruptions of the Message

1 Good and bad performed the supernatural

The supernatural has always been a fascinating part of the Holy Ghost ministry.

Pentecostals regard it as the proof of their baptism with the Holy Ghost.

But there is one problem.

The power of God can fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.

EXODUS 7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

Aaron won in the end, but it was a stunning example of supernatural power that enabled Jannes and Jambres, the sorcerers of Egypt, to also turn their rods into snakes. The bad magicians were also able to demonstrate the supernatural.

Then the Nile river was turned into blood.

Aaron used his rod to produce supernatural power as water turned to blood.

EXODUS 7:20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

:21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

:22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

The unbelievers magicians were able to duplicate this supernatural act.

But all it did was to harden them in their unbelief.

The supernatural that God allowed them to do, had no beneficial effects on the unbelievers as it hardened them in their error. They really thought that they were something very important because they could produce supernatural events. Turning water to blood was supernatural and impressive but it brought forth death. 

Jesus turned water to wine. He used the supernatural to bring forth life. The water of the Word, under His influence, turned into the wine of the stimulation of revelation as the Bible mysteries were understood.

Then the magicians also performed the miracle of creating frogs.

EXODUS 8:6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

:7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

Frogs are associated with an evil trinity of unclean (unscriptural) spirits.

Supernatural power can be manifest in support of the Trinity.

REVELATION 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

A modern-day miracle is the coming together of the different denominational churches thanks to their common belief in the Trinity. But they will end at Armageddon.

REVELATION 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

But then the magicians reached their limit of the supernatural. They could go no further.

Only the Holy Ghost can understand the Bible mysteries The lesson to be learned is that the unrighteous can perform the supernatural up to a certain limit. But they can never understand the revelation of the mysteries of God that are in the Bible.

Thus, understanding the mystery of God which requires us to return to the beliefs of the first church age is the real evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism.

Because that is the only way that we can prepare for the Coming of the Lord.

Consider how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself to people.

Revelation-knowledge means knowing the spiritual  meaning of a Scripture verse.

Divine wisdom is the ability to link scattered Bible verses together in order to reveal a deeper pattern that runs through the Bible.

Revelation-knowledge and divine wisdom are the foundation for understanding the meaning of Bible statements and patterns.

This is God’s main concern for the end time believers.

DANIEL 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

Daniel, the great prophet, wanted desperately to understand.

DANIEL 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

God’s great gift of understanding would only be poured out at the end.

DANIEL 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

At the end the wise virgins of Matthew Chapter 25 will understand the Bible mysteries.

In other words, the wisdom to understand the meaning of the Scriptures is the final difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins who have been fooled by their church leaders.

I CORINTHIANS 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

The SPIRIT manifests ITSELF in a supernatural way in an individual’s life in order that the individual may profit or help everyone else in the Lord’s Bride. The SPIRIT does not want to make a reputation for the individual.

JOHN 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; 

By granting divine wisdom and revelation knowledge to a person, God can use that person at the end time to guide others to the revealed truths of Scripture.

I CORINTHIANS 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

Wisdom and knowledge are the most important way of God manifesting or showing Himself in an individual’s life at the end time.

DANIEL 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

But there is a limit to what the wicked can manifest of God’s Spirit. The wicked, like Jannes and Jambres, can also manifest some of the supernatural.

But the wicked cannot understand the Bible mysteries.

They will corrupt those deeper truths into something that is unscriptural.

We humans are very impressed by faith and the gifts of healing and miracles.

But these are lower on God’s list. They are very impressive but they can be duplicated by the unrighteous. Thus, they are not proof of the individual being right with God.

I CORINTHIANS 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

I CORINTHIANS 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

Prophecy is great, but the unrighteous can also prophesy.

Balaam was a prophet but he corrupted the Jews at the feast of Baalpeor and thousands died.

NUMBERS 25:9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

But he had also given a beautiful prophecy too.

NUMBERS 24:15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

He was a bad man but God opened his eyes.

NUMBERS 24:16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

You cannot get much closer to the knowledge of God than what Balaam did.

NUMBERS 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

You cannot give a much better prophecy than this. Yet Balaam was a bad man, led astray by his lust for money.

Balaam even spoke to an angel one day. You cannot get much more spiritual than that. Even though Balaam was in the wrong.

JOSHUA 13:22 Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

But in the end God got the Jews to kill Balaam.

Despite being very talented in spiritual gifts, Balaam was an enemy of God who deceived 24000 Jews as he guided them to their untimely deaths.

How can that be possible?

The gifts of God fall on the just and the unjust

MATTHEW 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God giveth His blessings to both the just and the unjust.

Caiaphas was the evil High Priest who condemned Jesus. Yet God allowed him to prophesy.

JOHN 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he [Caiaphas] prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

Tongues is a sign to unbelievers

Tongues is also a manifestation of the Spirit.

I CORINTHIANS 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits;

to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: When tongues is mentioned it is immediately accompanied by the gift of interpretation.

These gifts have to "profit withal", profit everyone.

But speaking in an unknown tongue cannot edify the listeners as they cannot understand what is being said.

So, if a person speaks in tongues in public, then there must be someone present who can interpret the tongues.

I CORINTHIANS 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

The whole church speaking in unknown tongues is very off-putting. Just noise that cannot be understood.

I CORINTHIANS 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:

but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Tongues is a sign to unbelievers. It is not a sign to believers.

Thus it cannot be a sign that a believer has received the Holy Ghost. Especially, as tongues is the least of the gifts of the Spirit.

I CORINTHIANS 14:22 … but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Prophecy does convince believers. Prophecy does not necessarily convince unbelievers as nobody listened to Noah in his days, until it was too late.

Thus, tongues with interpretation is equivalent to prophecy that can reveal the secrets of the heart or reveal future events.

That quality of a supernatural gift is of great value to the members of the Bride.

Prophecy means far more to the church than tongues.

I CORINTHIANS 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

If you want spiritual gifts, give away money and possessions to the poor. Do not use spiritual gifts to get rich. But a great gift of the Spirit is the ability to prophesy.

I CORINTHIANS 14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

Talking in tongues is a mystery that only God can understand. Thus, it has no value to the listeners.

I CORINTHIANS 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

If you prophesy, people can understand you and gain benefit.

I CORINTHIANS 14:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

Talking in tongues only edifies self. So you should do that at home.

Prophecy edifies the church.

I CORINTHIANS 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

Tongues in public must have interpretation

Only when tongues is accompanied by interpretation does tongues edify the church, the wise virgins.

I CORINTHIANS 14:9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

Speak in a language that is easy to understand, otherwise, you waste words that are empty and have no meaning.

I CORINTHIANS 14:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

We sound like barbarians when we speak publicly in unknown tongues. We cannot benefit each other if we cannot be understood.

I CORINTHIANS 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

If you want spiritual gifts, seek to edify the church.

Unknown tongues only edify yourself, nobody else.

I CORINTHIANS 14:13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

If you want to use tongues in public then pray for the gift of interpretation.

I CORINTHIANS 14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

If I pray in tongues, even I understand nothing. So, I should do this at home.

I CORINTHIANS 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

In public, a few words that are understood are of far more benefit than thousands of words that are not understood.

If there is no interpreter in the church, then nobody must publicly speak in tongues.

I CORINTHIANS 14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

Thus, speaking in an unknown tongue, without an interpreter, is not allowed in the church and is thus not really evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism.

God set apostles and prophets and teachers in the church.

I CORINTHIANS 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Apostles. Prophets. Teachers. That is God’s structure for the church.

No mention of pastors. Certainly, no pastor was ever put in charge of a New Testament church.

I CORINTHIANS 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

Not everyone has these ministries or gifts. Just some people.

I CORINTHIANS 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

Not everyone has the gift of healing. Not everyone will speak in tongues. Not everyone will interpret tongues. Thus, none of these supernatural gifts is a proof of the Holy Ghost baptism because not everyone has them.

On the day of Pentecost, they did not speak in unknown tongues that were not understood. If they had, the Jews would have thought them to be mad or barbarians.

They spoke in tongues that were unknown to themselves, but they were known to the Jews from the various nations that they had come from. It is as if you found yourself taking in German when you know no German. Your friend was talking in Italian but knew no Italian. That is what puzzled and fascinated the crowds. You were talking in a language that you did not know, but those people were then able to understand you. There were at least 16 different languages being spoken. That was the miracle of tongues on the day of Pentecost. Not someone stammering away in a language that neither he nor anybody else understood.

The supernatural does not prove something.

Why not? Because people can have the gifts but not the Giver.

Two heathen soldiers were given the gift of a dream and the correct interpretation of the dream in order to tell Gideon to attack the enemy.

God’s supernatural can appear anywhere.

II THESSALONIANS 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Satan can also dabble in the supernatural. Missionaries report on heathens who are able to speak in tongues.

REVELATION 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;

Wonders and miracles easily fool people.

The foolish virgins in Matthew Chapter 25 are all saved Christians (clean women) who have been fooled. They have not stayed strictly Scriptural.

Satan is very clever and can fool the world and the churches with his clever schemes.

The supernatural gifts must stay Scriptural

Remember Balaaam, he was on the wrong path but still had access to supernatural experiences.

He tried to mix good an evil. He compromised with sin for the sake of money. So, did Judas.

MATTHEW 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Good and bad cannot mix. The supernatural must be strictly within the limits of the Scriptures.

MATTHEW 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

The foolish virgins are a mixture of Bible truth in some places and man-made church traditions in other places. This is not acceptable. One fly in the ointment corrupts the ointment.

We are not known by our gifts

MATTHEW 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We are known by our fruits. The fruit of the Spirit.

MATTHEW 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

"Lord, Lord". The repetition puts an emphasis on praising and exalting Jesus.

They love the Man Jesus, but they do not love the Word of God, the King James Bible.

JOHN 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Our attitude to Jesus is revealed in our attitude towards the King James Bible.

We cannot love Jesus unless we regard the King James Version as the infallible and perfect Word of God.

The Bible reveals the thoughts of Jesus. We must love the thinking of God which he has revealed in our day as we learn to understand the Bible mysteries.

MATTHEW 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

This is a very impressive list of achievements.

These people are high in the estimation of their church. They have supernatural gifts to prove their closeness to God, so they think. But there is only a small blot on their horizon. They cannot understand the revealed mysteries of Scripture. Thus, they are not wanted at the Wedding Feast.

MATTHEW 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

All the miracles proved nothing if they did not understand the Bible.

They will be left behind when Jesus comes for His Bride.

They will perish in the horrors of great Tribulation.

The Holy Ghost baptism takes us to the Bible truth

We cannot rely on the supernatural to guarantee that God ac