Before delving into our detailed study of "tongues" and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it would first be appropriate to cover a few other important things about the Holy Spirit. To begin with, who or what is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is not a "thing" or an "it". The Holy Spirit is a "person". The Holy Spirit is repeatedly referred to throughout the New Testament with personal pronouns. Numerous scriptures call the Holy Spirit "He", "Him", "His" or "Himself" (John 14:16-17; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7-8; John 16:13-14; Romans 8:26-27; 1st Corinthians 12:11). Other texts refer to the Holy Spirit as "I" or "Me" (Acts 10:19-20; Acts 13:2; Revelation 2:7; Revelation 2:17). The Holy Spirit is also given attributes of "personhood" in the Bible. Many scriptures reveal that the Holy Spirit "speaks", by stating that the Spirit "said" or "says" (Acts 10:19-20; Acts 13:2; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17 and 29; Revelation 3:6, 13 and 22). Romans 8:26-27 says that the Holy Spirit "prays" and has a "mind". 1st Corinthians 12:11 reveals that the Spirit has a "will". In Ephesians 4:30, we're told that the Holy Spirit can be "grieved". Furthermore, Acts 5:3-4 states that the Holy Spirit can be "lied to". And, 1st John 5:6 tells us that the Spirit can "bear witness".
According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit is not just a person; He is a "divine" person. Several New Testament passages reveal that the Holy Spirit is God. The Scriptures state that the Holy Spirit can be "blasphemed", and only God can be blasphemed (Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10). Jesus' "great commission" to His followers, in Matthew 28:18-20, tells us to not only baptize in the name of the Father and the Son, but also in the name of the Holy Spirit, and only "divine" beings are listed in this passage. The Bible says that Jesus, the divine Son of God, was "conceived" of the Holy Spirit, and that He was the "child" of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-20). If Jesus is the Son of God, and He is the "child" of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit has to be God. Likewise, in Luke 1:35, the Scriptures reveal that the Holy Spirit "came upon" Mary, thus producing the "Holy One", the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, in Acts 5:3-4, we're told that when Ananias led to the Holy Spirit, He lied to "God".
At this point, and before moving on to discuss the baptism of the Holy Spirit and "tongues", it would be appropriate to mention a few important things. The Bible is clear that there are three members in the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. The God of Christianity is "One God" manifest in three distinct divine beings. Several scriptures refer to God by using the "plural" pronouns of "us" or "our", such as Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22 and Genesis 11:7. And, several scriptures refer to all three members of the Godhead in the same passage, such as Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:22, John 14:16-17, John 15:26 and 2nd Corinthians 13:14. Also, in John 8:17-18, Jesus refers to the Father and Himself as being two distinct and separate witnesses. Furthermore, in John 1:1-2, the Bible states that Jesus was "with" God, and yet that J
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