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Question 1

What is revealed about the nature of God in each passage cited below?

a. I Peter 1:16
b. John 4:24
c. Ephesians 4:4
d. Acts 5:3-4; I Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20
e. Romans 8:9

Answer 1

a. God is holy.
b. God is a Spirit.
c. There is only one Spirit of God.
d. The Holy Spirit is God.
e. The Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of God” and the “Spirit of Christ” (p. 186).

Question 2

What are the two usual translations of pneuma hagion?

Answer 2

Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit (p. 187).

Question 3

Some make a distinction between receiving the Holy Ghost and being baptized with the Holy Ghost, as if the Spirit baptism were an act subsequent to the salvation experience. Referring to the chart on page 189, read and cite two verses which demonstrate that these two phrases refer to the same experience.

Answer 3

Acts 1:5 and Acts 2:33 (p. 189).

Question 4

a. Do both the phrases “filled with the Holy Ghost” and “baptized with the Holy Ghost” refer to the initial experience of receiving God’s Spirit to dwell in one’s life?
b. Does Scripture use the phrase “filled with the Holy Ghost” in another sense? Explain the meanings in apostolic church usage.

Answer 4

a. No.
b. Yes.
(1) The initial Spirit baptism.
(2) The daily guidance and power that the Spirit grants to Spirit-baptized believers who continue to yield to Him.
(3) Subsequent experiences that renew the initial experience (p. 191).

Question 5

How do the grammar and meaning of I Corinthians 12:13 relate the baptism of the Spirit to salvation?

Answer 5

The Spirit baptism is part of salvation and not an experience subsequent to salvation (p. 192).

Question 6

To be born again means to be regenerated. How does God accomplish this work in the believer?

Answer 6

By the baptism and work of the Holy Spirit (pp. 192-193).

Question 7

Is there any difference between the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ? Cite two verses to support your conclusion and state their main ideas.

Answer 7

a. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9).

b. “The Lord is the Spirit,” and the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of the Lord” (II Corinthians 3:17-18).

Question 8

What event made possible the beginning of the New Testament church?

Answer 8

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (p. 195).

Question 9

When did the New Testament church begin?

Answer 9

On the first Day of Pentecost after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (p. 195).

Question 10

What occurred on the Day of Pentecost in fulfilment of God’s plan?

Answer 10

The Holy Spirit was poured out in fulfillment of Joel 2:28 (pp. 196-197).

Question 11

a. Did Old Testament saints and prophets experience the Spirit baptism?
b. Did they know of or predict such an experience?
c. Cite two verses from the Old Testament in support of your last answer.

Answer 11

a. No
b. Yes.
c. Joel 2:28; Ezekiel 11:19 (p. 198).

Question 12

How does the Spirit help us to fulfill the righteousness of the law?

Answer 12

Writes the laws of God in our hearts and gives us power to fulfill the righteousness of the law (p. 198).

Question 13

What three important points does the author draw from John 7:37-39?

Answer 13

a. The Holy Spirit is promised to all who believe on Jesus.
b. Belief in Jesus must be in accordance with the teaching of Scripture, not divorced from it.
c. To believe is not just mental assent at a certain point in time, but continual believing (pp. 200-201).

Question 14

How are verses such as John 14:26, Matthew 28:20 and Luke 24:49 fulfilled in the apostolic church?

Answer 14

Through the baptism of the Spirit (pp. 200-201).

Question 15

a. What is the significance of the Book of Acts?

b. What purpose do the five accounts of Spirit baptism in Acts serve?

Answer 15

a. It is a narrative history of the New Testament church, describing its beginning and spread from Jerusalem to all Judea, Samaria, and the Gentile world.
b. These accounts are representative of the way in which God poured out His Spirit across the entire spectrum of humanity (pp. 202-203).

Question 16

How can we know that more than the twelve apostles received the Spirit baptism on Pentecost?

Answer 16

a. Jesus gave the promise to all at His ascension, not just the Twelve.
b. All 120 were in the upper room awaiting fulfilment of the promise and there is no record that any of them left.
c. In Joel’s prophecy, which Peter applied to Pentecost, God said He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh (pp. 203-204).

Question 17

On what basis can we assume that an additional 3,000 received the Spirit baptism after Peter’s Pentecostal message?

Answer 17

a. Peter promised the gift of the Holy Ghost to all who heard his word, and 3,000 received his word gladly.
b. The 3,000 believed and applied the message to their lives, as they continued in the apostles’ doctrine. This doctrine emphasized the availability of the gift of the Spirit.
c. The 3,000 were baptized. Even if this means water baptism only, the Spirit is promised to all who will repent and be baptized in water.
d. The 3,000 were “added unto them,” the 120 who had been baptized by the Spirit (p. 204).

Question 18

In spite of great emotion, mental belief, repentance, and water baptism, the Samaritans had not
received what?

Answer 18

Baptism of the Spirit (pp. 205-206).

Question 19

Why was it important for the Samaritans to experience the baptism of the Spirit?

Answer 19

Though they believed, repented and had been baptized, the work of salvation had not been completed
in them. There is no salvation without the Spirit (Romans 8:9) (pp. 205-206).

Question 20

Laying on of hands is a fundamental Christian doctrine (Hebrews 6:1-2). What three reasonsdoes the author give for the significance and purpose of this practice?

Answer 20

a. It demonstrates submission to God’s plan and leadership.
b. It symbolizes bestowal of God’s blessing, promise and calling.
c. It helps instill faith in the seeker (p. 206).

Question 21

Was Paul’s Spirit baptism subsequent to his conversion or part of it? Explain.

Answer 21

Part of his conversion. An essential purpose of Ananias’ mission to Paul was that Paul receive the
Spirit, as we see in Acts 9:17. Paul’s conversion was not complete when the light from heaven struck him, but God sent him to Ananias for instructions. Paul’s writings and ministry confirm that he received the Spirit and that the Spirit baptism is essential (p. 207).

Question 22

a. How did Peter know when Cornelius and his household received the Spirit baptism?
b. In what passage did Peter identify Cornelius’ experience as the same as that of the Jews on Pentecost?

Answer 22

a. They spoke in tongues.

b. Acts 11:15-17 (pp. 207-208).

Question 23

What two questions did Paul ask of the disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus?
a.

Answer 23

a. Have you received the Holy Ghost?

b. How were you baptized? (p. 209).

Question 24

The author quotes a scholar who contends that the Ephesian believers had necessarily received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues because they did not have a full Christian faith and because special circumstances made the sign of tongues necessary. What were the special circumstances he cited?

Answer 24

a. They had not heard about the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost and thus needed tongues to
convince them that it had in fact occurred.
b. They were a prominent group of believers who would be vital to the Ephesian church, yet they did not have an adequate understanding of Christianity. Tongues were needed to complete their understanding (pp. 209-210).

Question 25

a. Would this line of reasoning apply to all the conversion accounts in Acts?
b. Would this reasoning apply today, even in North America?

Answer 25

a. Yes. Each group receiving the gospel had the same needs.
b. There is still a great need for people to have a complete Christian faith and to understand that the Spirit has been poured out on the church. This is true even in “Christian America” (p. 210).

Question 26

The five Acts accounts of the Spirit baptism demonstrate what two important concepts.

Answer 26

a. The Spirit baptism is an essential part of salvation for the New Testament church age.
b. The Spirit baptism is for all people in the New Testament age, not just for a special group segregated from us by race, nationality, time, or position (pp. 210-211).

Question 27

How were people saved during the transitional period of Jesus’ earthly ministry?

Answer 27

Those who accepted Jesus’ message were saved under the old covenant while they waited for the new covenant and the promised Holy Spirit. They were saved in harmony with the Law. For instance, Jesus was sacrificial lamb and high priest for the thief on the cross (pp. 211-212).

Question 28

Cite three verses which demonstrate that the Spirit baptism was not meant to be limited to the apostles or the apostolic age.

Answer 28

Acts 2:39; Revelation 22:17; John 7:37-39; Acts 11:15-17; Luke 11:13 (p. 212).

Question 29

Some contend that people in the Book of Acts were saved without receiving the Spirit baptism since there are no explicit accounts of such in several instances. Is this a valid argument?

Answer 29

No, it violates a basic principle of Bible interpretation in that it is an argument from silence. No verse says that these people did not receive the Spirit; there is simply no detailed account of their conversions. These less detailed accounts should be read in light of the five full accounts provided for us (p. 213).

Question 30

Two critical elements required to receive the Spirit baptism are __________ and ____________.

Answer 30

Repentance and faith (pp. 214-215).

Question 31

Since by the Spirit we are born into the kingdom of God and adopted into the family of God, we
know that the Spirit is part of _____ ___________.

Answer 31

Our salvation (p. 217).

Question 32

In I Corinthians 6:11, we find that the Spirit makes us holy, or _____________ __.

Answer 32

Sanctifies us (p. 217).

Question 33

Ephesians 1:13 says that the Spirit is the seal of our salvation, while the next verse says that the Spirit is the earnest, or_________________, of our inheritance.

Answer 33

Pledge; guarantee (p. 217).

Question 34

In what three areas does the Spirit baptism give the believer power?

Answer 34

a. Power to witness.
b. Power to overcome sin.
c. Resurrection power when Christ comes for His church (p. 217).

Question 35

The Spirit gives us guidance and brings mental, emotional, and spiritual comfort to the believer. Cite three representative verses that show this is true.

Answer 35

a. Acts 3:19.
b. II Timothy 1:7.
c. John 14:26 (p. 217).

Question 36

What evidence should exist in the life of a believer to indicate the continuing work of the Spirit?

Answer 36

The ninefold fruit of the Spirit (p. 217).

Question 37

In summary, list the five accounts in Acts of receiving the Holy Ghost, giving scriptural references and briefly identifying each.

Answer 37

a. Acts 2:1-4. The Jews on the Day of Pentecost.
b. Acts 8:16-17. The Samaritans.
c. Acts 9:17-18. The conversion of Saul (Paul).
d. Acts 10:44-47. Cornelius and the Gentiles.
e. Acts 19:1-6. The disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus.