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THEOLOGY
Q & A
Three
Questions on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
By
Dr. J. Rodman Williams
Professor of Renewal Theology Emeritus
CBN.com
- The following questions were asked by visitors to CBN.com.
The answers are provided by Dr. J. Rodman Williams, theology professor
at Regent University's
School of Divinity.
Can you be baptized in the Holy Spirit and not be filled with
the Holy Spirit?
According to the Book of Acts, Jesus said to His disciples, "You
shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (1:5).
When the Day of Pentecost arrived, the text reads, "And they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit" (2:4). Evidently, baptism and
filling refer to the same experience. The two terms express different
aspects of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. However,
the word filling is used for the initial experience but also for
later occasions (Acts 4:8; 4:31; 13:9; Ephesians 5:18 -- "Keep
on being filled with the Holy Spirit" literally). In other words:
one baptism but many fillings.
Should every believer pray in tongues?
It is not a question of whether every believer should pray in
tongues but that every believer may. On the Day of Pentecost,
the one hundred and twenty believers gathered together "were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues
as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). Note the word all.
The Apostle Paul later said to the Corinthians, "I want you all
to speak in tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:5). It is a high privilege
of Spirit-filled people so to speak. Is it a necessity? No. A
privilege? Yes.
Is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit an essential of being
born again?
The answer is no. However, the reverse is true: You must be born
again to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (For a full
discussion of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, see Renewal
Theology, 2:190-194.)
Order Dr. Williams book, Renewal
Theology on CBN.com.
More Theology Q & A from Dr. J. Rodman
Williams.
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theology question.
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