Holy ghost

The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) has been among the fastest growing denominations in North America since it was formed in 1945 by the merger of the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ... [more]

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Baptism with the Holy Spirit:

This is another great issue of Pentecost, controversial, very much misunderstood, and it has nothing to do with the Sacrament of Baptism.

The Sacrament of Baptism is the initiation into the life of Christ, the only way to be born again, only once in a lifetime, never repeated… it is the work of the Holy Spirit, and on it, all along the Bible, "water" is involved…

At Pentecost, there is no "water", but "fire", and it can be repeated many times in your life…

… Pentecost is the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus of Acts 1:5 "you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit within a few days"… and in ten days, in Acts 2:4, they were "filled with the Holy Spirit", among tongues of fire in the heads of each one… so, "baptism with the Holy Spirit" is the same as "filled with the Holy Spirit".

This is the promise of John the Baptist, "Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Lk.3:16)… John the Baptist himself was "filled with the Holy Spirit before birth" (Lk.1:15).

    This "baptism with the Holy Spirit" or "filled with the Holy Spirit", is the action of the Holy Spirit on any person, before or after he is a Christian:
    - To the Apostles, it was after they were Baptized.
    - To St. Paul, it was before he was Baptized in Acts 9, he was "filled with the Holy Spirit", received his sight, and afterwards he was Baptized (9:17-18).
    - In Acts 10, the Roman gentile Cornelius and all of his family were filled with the Holy Spirit like in Pentecost, and because of that, Peter could not refuse to Baptize them. So, they were Baptized after the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the pouring of the Holy Spirit on them (Act.10:44-48, 11:15-18).
    - And of course, we already mentioned that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit, or baptized with the Holy Spirit, even before he was born.
    - In Acts 8, the Samaritans were filled with the Holy Spirit after they were already Baptized, just as the Apostles in Pentecost, and the same it happened in the Pentecost of Acts 19.

And at Pentecost, not only the Apostles, but all the 120 Christians present were filled with the Holy Spirit or baptized with the Holy Spirit, all who were praying together on one accord (Act.1:15, 2:1,4).

    This expression "baptism with, or in, the Holy Spirit" is mentioned only 7 times in the NT:
    - By John the Baptist, 4 times: Mat.3:11, Mk.1:8, Lk.3:16, Jn.1:33.
    - By Jesus in Act.1:5.
    -By Peter in Act.11:15-17.
    - By Paul in 1Cor.12:13…
    Paul here is clearly talking about the Sacrament of Baptism "in" the Holy Spirit.
    Jesus and Peter are talking about the baptism "with" the Holy Spirit, as in Pentecost of Acts 2.
    John the Baptist mentions twice "in" (Mt. and Mk.), and twice "with" the Holy Spirit (Lk. and Jn.).
    There may be a solution to the misunderstandings and controversy: "In the Spirit" is the Sacrament of Baptism, and "with the Spirit" the experience of Pentecost

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