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"Dear Brother: ————— of Sunset School of Preaching teaches
that all Christians are baptized with the Holy Spirit. Could you comment on this please?" — Don Guinn, Corning California "Mr. Davidson, In 2 John 10, 11, does this prevent me from trying to teach someone the Gospel who comes to my door from a denomination who wants to teach me?" — J. W., Ashville, Ohio Harrell Davidson |
Question One: Brother Don Guinn, a subscriber from Corning, California sent the following comment and question to the writer of these lines. He said: "Dear Brother: _____ of Sunset School of Preaching teaches that all Christians are baptized with the Holy Spirit. Could you comment on this please?" Answer to One: We left the name of the apostate brother off the comment that brother Guinn sent. It is gross error to so teach that which is ascribed to a teacher at said School of Preaching. The false teacher in mind wrote a manuscript in which he took the position that brother Guinn mentioned. It is not a matter of hearsay. The evidence is in hand. The false doctrine that all Christians are baptized in the Holy Spirit belongs to the charismatic movement that is still prevalent in some quarters among our own brethren and in many denominational religious bodies. The teacher at Sunset said the following on page 45 of his manuscript, "The thesis of this author, based on the preceding verses, is that the statement, 'Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit' is simply the promise of the outpouring of the Spirit by Jesus on the day of Pentecost one time for all, henceforth available for all men whom God calls (through the gospel, 2 Thess. 2:14). The Spirit then empowered whom He willed to the degree He willed (1 Cor. 12:4-11)." Please notice what brother Luke recorded in Acts 1:2-5: "Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Verse 2 of the text before us clearly indicates that Jesus had given commandments to the apostles regarding the Holy Spirit which is a clear reference to Luke 24:49. Jesus commanded them saying, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." In verse 4 of Acts 1 Jesus told the apostles and no one else to "...[W]ait for the promise of the Father..." The promise of the Father is further identified by John the Baptizer as being the baptism in the Holy Spirit that only Christ could administer in Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16 and John 1:32-33. In each case John was inspired to tell of the baptism in the Holy Spirit that would be administered by Christ. No one else in Holy Scripture is identified as being able to administer this baptism. This was neither for the 120, nor the multitude that was assembled together when this event occurred in Acts 2:1-4. In fact, Jesus taught the apostles things regarding the kingdom about 40 days (cf. Acts 1:2-5 above quoted). There were ten days that intervened between this teaching and the day of Pentecost and it is quite obvious that during this time the 120 met and Matthias was selected to replace Judas who by transgression fell (cf. Acts 1:15- 20). Acts one closes by showing that Matthias "was numbered with the eleven apostles" (Acts 1:25). Acts 2: begins by saying, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Underlining added for emphasis hdd). The antecedent of the pronoun "they" in Acts 2:1 refers back to the 12 apostles in Acts 1:25. It is unmistakably clear that Holy Spirit baptism was intended for only the apostles. The apostles were the only ones to which the promise was made. Additionally, if the baptism in the Holy Spirit was for all on Pentecost and thereafter there would have been no need of the spiritual gifts that were bestowed only through the laying on of apostles' hands as promised in Mark 16:17ff and fulfilled in Acts 2, Acts 8 and other instances. The Scriptures have thus proven that the brother at Sunset School of Preaching is/was teaching false doctrine. There could be volumes more written regarding this that we have included in Davidson's Notes on The New Testament — the Book of Acts, John and also the Synoptics, but this is sufficient to show the truth and expose the error. Question Two: "Mr. Davidson, In 2 John 10, 11, does this prevent me from trying to teach someone the Gospel who comes to my door from a denomination who wants to teach me?" — J. W., Ashville, Ohio Answer to Two: I know this is a lady who sent in this very interesting question. Please notice how the book of 2 John is addressed. (2 John 1) "The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth." John the apostle is without doubt the writer and may be advanced in age by the connotation "the elder" which in the original tongue was ho presbuterous. The "elect lady" was a very wealthy woman who often received individuals when they were passing through her area. Some take the position that this was addressed to the church, but there is little to no evidence that this is the case. Her Greek name spelled in English would be Cyria from kuria which means "lady." While not addressed specifically to the church, the principles would apply. Note the context: "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds" (2 John 9-11). The terms and conditions of verse 9 are as true today as then. The question is, "does this prevent me from trying to teach...?" Indeed it does not. You are not "bidding them God speed" by attempting to teach them the truth. It would be a grievous sin to bring them into your house, and by such action, endorse their error. Another passage will help with this. In First Peter 3:15 the Scripture says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." Under the charge of the Great Commission given in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John coupled with First Peter 3:15, you, as a lady, are compelled to attempt to teach them in a quiet demurred manner. On numerous occasions my wife has attempted to show some of these young missionary teachers the error of their way, however, she never offered to put them up over night, give them a meal, or support them with money that some were soliciting for their own materials. Most of these were uncomfortable when they left her door. She would lose her soul if she encouraged them in their error if she did not repent. To attempt to teach them in the right way and manner, you have done all that you could do to show them the truth — that you are obligated to do, and you have not sinned by making the effort to instruct or impart spiritual knowledge to false teachers at your door. |