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On the night of His betrayal, Jesus promised the apostles about the Holy Spirit. He said, “However, the helper,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything.
He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you” (John 14:26, God's Word).
This assurance emphasized the Spirit's role in guiding and teaching the apostles after Jesus' departure.
RECEIVING THE WORD OF GOD.
How
to “Call on the Name of the Lord and Be Saved.”
Peter's first recorded gospel lesson in Acts 2 could very well be entitled “How
To Call On His Name” or more applicable, “How To Be Saved.” Peter's address to the populace gathered affirms that what is
occurring has to do with the fulfilment of what Joel predicted about God
pouring out of His Spirit upon all flesh. There would be “in the last days”
(Peter's days) prophesying, visions, and dreams. Selected “sons and daughters”
would have God's Spirit poured out upon them which would induce prophesies.
Wonders and signs would be showed. The important result would be salvation for
whoever calls on the name of the Lord. Who is the Lord? Peter's sermon explains that Jesus is the
Lord, the Christ, who was approved by wonders and signs. Jesus is raised
from the dead and is on the throne of David exalted to the right hand of God
(v. 36).
The question
of the heart-stricken audience is for their salvation. How are they to “call on the name of the Lord” (v. 37)? Peter explains by commanding them: (1) Repent and (2) be baptized
in Jesus' name (the Lord's name) for their forgiveness of sins. Peter then adds
(3) lambano receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Strong's Dictionary has usage for lambano: "(a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of."
[i] It is easy to
understand that one that calls on the Lord Jesus means he must repent and be
baptized. We know that later a prophet told Saul of Tarsus (Paul) to call on
the name of the Lord by being baptized, washing away his sins. Acts 22:16, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and
be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” But what is receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit? Jesus told the apostles that He was sending to them the Holy
Spirit from the Father. “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth
from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26). Earlier in
the context Jesus had established the rule of receiving (lambano)
the Spirit. John 13:20, “Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth
me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” The Spirit is from
God the Father à Sent to Jesusà and from Jesus à to the Twelve Apostlesà Any one that receives the Spirit who is "in the apostles" receives not just the Spirit but receives Jesus and in
turn receives God, the Father! [ii]
Hence, in order to Biblically receive the Spirit or His gift is to receive the gift of
Jesus and consequently the gift of God. If it is the gift of the Holy Spirit,
it is also the gift of Jesus and the gift of God (John 4:10). Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through
[the] faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” And "the faith" is that which has now
been delivered to the saints (Jude 3). "Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20b). Receiving the Spirit is receiving Jesus into our lives. We receive the Spirit by
“ the hearing of faith” (Galatians 3:2,5).[iii] "Miracles" were performed by the source ("ministers"), not the hearers. What did the Pentecost audience obediently and gladly
receive? “Then they that gladly
received his word [from the
Spirit] were baptized” (Acts 2:41). Peter's “word” was from the
Holy Spirit, from Jesus, from God. Later, those obedient ones in Samaria likewise “received
the Word of God” (Acts 8:14).
Receiving this gift is different from the Holy Spirit's power. The apostles
were “baptized in the Holy Spirit (His power)” (Acts 1:5, 8; 2:2-4). For water-baptized
persons to receive this power, the apostles themselves had to pray and lay
their hands on the subject. It didn't happen until Acts 6:6,7. And later in
Samaria, Acts 8:18, 19a, “And
when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy [Spirit]
was given, he offered them money. Saying,
Give me also this power.” Simon had already received the Word of
God and had been baptized in water. The
obvious point is that the Holy Spirit is prophesying through Peter and the
other apostles. He is sent from Jesus and the Father. The Spirit is revealing
knowledge (hid from the foundation of the world, Ephesians 3:5; Matthew 13:35). The gift of the Spirit
is the gift of God. If it is the indwelling of the Spirit, it is also the indwelling of Jesus and the Father.
The apostle Paul later writes to us, “Whereby,
when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of
men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the
Spirit” (Ephesians 3:4, 5).
Whatever is revealed to the apostles and prophets by the Spirit is given (a
gift from God [James 1:17]) for us. This gift of calling upon the Lord is
offered to all of us, Jew, Gentile, all afar off, according to Peter (Acts 2:40). This was obviously not
the ability to prophesy but were the instructions given by the Spirit as the
gift of knowledge which we are to continue to receive.” 2
Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever.” The Pentecost
believers not only received what Peter offered in verse 38 BUT continued to receive in the future the teaching of the inspired apostles
and the Spirit's designated practices (Acts 2:42). COMPARE TO THE FIGURE OF RECEIVING
SEED. Although the following parable is in the
third person and “present” tense, the parable illustrates the action of receiving what is “sowed” by the Spirit, such as
was done on the day of Pentecost (and continued in the teaching of the Spirit-inspired
apostles). Matthew
13:20, “But
he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the
word, and anon with joy receiveth it.” (AFV)
“Now the one who was sown upon the rocky places is the one who hears the
Word and immediately [he] receives it with joy”
-- Present Active (λαμβανωνG2983it). |
