Blogotional disagrees with my thoughts on the Holy Spirit:

"Adrain does a wonderful job earlier in his post of defending his assertions scripturally, but here I see no such back up. Save for the the Acts account of Pentecost, I see no evidence of a conscious and separate experience marking receipt of the Holy Spirit. Further I see no evidence that such an event will 'usually' be accompanied with tongues or prophecy."

As far as both points, I think a swift perusal of the use of the word Spirit in the book of Acts reveals that there seems to be not only a clear distinct experience (that someone would want to pay money to be able to impart more so than healings) but that experience can in a sense be repeated.

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (Note that perhaps not everyone from the brothers were as full of the Spirit?)

Acts 8:14ff Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, �Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.� (Note that Paul must surely have believed on the road- certainly Ananias doesnt preach the gospel to him)

Acts 19:2ff And he said to them, �Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?� And they said, �No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.� And he said, �Into what then were you baptized?� They said, �Into John's baptism.� And Paul said, �John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.� On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

As far as tongues goes specifically, I will simply quote some material from Paul in 1 Cor 14

V1-5.....earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy......The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy.

V18-19 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.


Paul tells the Corinthians not to "forbid speaking in tongues" but many churches today do. If the bible has a specific command in the New Testament, surely we should follow it? Why do some think they can forbid what Paul told us not to forbid?

Update
Piper has some interesting thoughts on the subject of Baptism with the Holy Spirit