A Burning Dove

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                          Acts 2:3

A Burning Dove

by Robert T. Cooper

So there was this wind sound that filled the whole house. Now, there were 120 adult men there, not counting the women and under 13’s. So don’t go thinking house. Not even the wealthiest residents of Jerusalem had a personal abode like that. Think meeting hall. But the point of the sound filling the entire structure is to indicate that no person present failed to hear the sound.

So when we get to verse 3, we find that all saw this phenomenon. It seemed to be flickers of flame like one would see burning on the wick of a candle. So we have this additional metaphor going: a sound and a flame.

So everyone hears the sound and everyone sees the flickers which divide in such a way that there is a separate flicker that comes to rest on each one present. The traditional way of visualizing this is to imagine flames like each person was a candle with a wick coming out of the top of each person’s head.

Interestingly, we are not told how long this phenomenon lasted. Surely the image was gone by the time anyone outside the room heard what happened next. (We’ll get to that another time.)

Now, compare this with the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at the Savior’s baptism. In that case, the Spirit descended in a form that gave one an impression of something similar to a dove. The text does not say that an actual bird flew down and sat on Jesus. It says that the Spirit descended like a dove.

If this is the exact same Holy Spirit, why was the image like a dove in one case and like tongues of fire in the other case? One possible answer is that the Holy Spirit was marking Jesus to be Isaiah’s prophecies Prince of Peace, while He was marking the 120+ as being on fire for God.

Remember that Jesus said the Apostles (and others present at that time) would have power when the Holy Spirit came on them. So when the Holy Spirit came to rest on each one, it was in order to fuel the witness of each believer as the Gospel began to be carried to the uttermost part of the world.

Today the Holy Spirit comes to indwell each person who places his or her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He is the source of our peace that passes understanding. He is the source of our power to witness to our community and beyond. He is like a burning dove. Let’s make sure we don’t quench the Spirit.

What are some other metaphors for the Holy Spirit? Also, please share with us some times the Holy Spirit gave you peace or empowered your witness.

More Than One Might Guess

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                Acts 1:21 – 22

More Than One Might Guess

by Robert T. Cooper

If you study the Bible for very long, you quickly come to understand that the biblical writers under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit did not record every detail of every incident. Modern writers are mostly careful to give plenty of details in every scene, particularly if one of those details is going to matter later in the story. That is simply not the case in the Bible. Let’s look at a couple of examples.

Let’s start with the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. And let’s look at it particularly from the perspective of the Gospel of Luke, since Luke is the one who also wrote the book of Acts. Luke says that when “all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized too. But Jesus hasn’t been tempted yet. He hasn’t begun His public ministry yet. He hasn’t selected His apostles yet. The women aren’t yet following Him, not that Luke will quickly get around to mentioning them either.

Comparing Luke’s Gospel with John’s, the first two men who would eventually become apostles didn’t start following Jesus until the next time John the Baptist saw Jesus after His baptism.

For the second example, let us consider Luke’s account of the Ascension. The way the Gospel tells that incident, Jesus has just appeared to the apostles (plus Cleopas and Cleopas’ companion) on what we would call Easter Sunday night. We learn elsewhere that Thomas was not with the other 10 apostles that night. The very next thing Luke tells in his Gospel is that Jesus took this group out to the vicinity of Bethany for His Ascension.

The book of Acts begins with the Ascension. In this case, Luke only indicates that Jesus took the apostles (presumably the Eleven) to the Mount of Olives. It was there that He ascended.

Having laid all of that groundwork, let’s look at what Peter says later in Acts 1.

Acts 1:21 – 22 NIV

²¹Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

Acts 1:21 – 22 NIV

They were going to select someone to replace Judas as an apostle so there would once again be Twelve. To qualify to be a candidate, this person would have to have been with the apostles the entire 3½ years of Jesus’ ministry, just like the Eleven. The candidates would have to have been there for everything from Jesus’ baptism to the Ascension.

What does this mean? It means that all of the original Twelve, the two who were nominated to replace Judas, and presumably some others were present at Jesus’ baptism. It means that the two who were nominated to replace Judas, and presumably some others, were present at the Ascension. It means that the two who were nominated to replace Judas, and presumably some others, were present during virtually the entire ministry of Jesus between His baptism and His ascension, particularly for the post-Resurrection appearances.

Now tell me. When you were reading the Gospels, did you pick up that Matthias and Barsabbas were present at most all of those events? Did you pick up that there were others besides these two who were present at most all of those events? Did you even pick up that the ten besides Andrew and John were present at Jesus’ baptism? I confess I didn’t.

So when you are reading the Bible, understand that we are not getting all the details we would expect from a modern author. But understand that by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we are getting everything we need to know for a proper spiritual understanding of what God is saying to us. Thanks be to God!

Which of these things have occurred to you previously? Which were new ideas to you? Do you indeed have confidence that God is communicating to you all you need to understand for your spiritual benefit? I look forward to reading your comments.

There Is One Baptism

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                              Acts 1:5

There Is One Baptism

by Robert T. Cooper

Jesus will soon ascend to heaven. He is getting in his last bits of teaching. He is reminding the apostles to stay in Jerusalem because John the Baptist baptized with (or in) water (indeed, these apostles had baptized Jesus’ followers with or in water), but in a few days the apostles would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is an interesting word. It comes from the Greek word which means to put totally under water as one would a dish when one is washing it. It would be translated as “immerse.” That created a problem for the King James translators, because the Anglicans did not immerse and they could not have their translation teach a doctrine that did not conform to the practice of their church. So instead of translating the word, they transliterated it. Indeed if one looks biblically at what believer’s immersion symbolizes, then one sees why the mode of baptism is important.

But before we get into denominational arguments, let’s look at one more point that is even more important. Paul teaches us that there is “one baptism.” Yet here we have Jesus Himself teaching us there is water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism. So where does Paul get off with this one baptism stuff?

The point is this, and I know I am on dangerous denominational ground again. Water baptism, whatever its mode, is commanded. We do it in obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But from a technical point of view, it is not essential to salvation. If you were to get in a car wreck and die between the location of your placing your faith in Christ and the location of your water baptism, like the thief on the cross, your salvation would be secure. That does not mean you have the option of being disobedient and just skipping it if you so choose. It just means that you have already received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the ONE baptism of which the water baptism is symbolic.

When a person places his or her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in that person’s life. The transaction consists of giving Christ all of your life for the rest of your life. In turn, you get all of the Holy Spirit. You are immersed in the Holy Spirit. You are empowered by the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to teach you, to direct you, to comfort you, and to spend the rest of your life transforming you into Christlikeness.

How does a person know whether or not he is really saved? One knows by the testimony of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul says to test yourself, to check yourself out.

For your comments: Have you had the one baptism (the Holy Spirit living in you because you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior)? Have you had water baptism? If so, was it believer’s immersion?